Acts 16

The AIT Bible

Timothy Joins the Mission

1He came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And behold, a disciple was there named Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman, but his father was a Greek.

2He was well spoken of by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium.

3Paul wanted this man to go forth with him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

4As they traveled through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decrees that had been decided upon by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem.

5So the churches were being strengthened in the faith and were increasing in number daily.

The Call to Macedonia

6And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.

7When they came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them.

8So passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas.

9And a vision appeared to Paul during the night: a certain Macedonian man was standing there, pleading with him and saying, “Cross over to Macedonia and help us.”

10And when he had seen the vision, we immediately sought to go out to Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Lydia the Purple-Seller

11So setting sail from Troas, we made a straight course to Samothrace, and on the following day to Neapolis,

12and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of that district of Macedonia, a Roman colony. And we were staying in this city for some days.

13On the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there.

14A certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple goods from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God, was listening. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was spoken by Paul.

15And when she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

Paul and Silas Imprisoned

16It happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a certain slave girl who had a Python spirit met us. She brought her masters much gain by fortune-telling.

17She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.”

18And she did this for many days. But Paul, becoming greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.

19But when her masters saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers.

20And bringing them before the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are throwing our city into confusion.

21And they are proclaiming customs that are not lawful for us to accept or practice, since we are Romans.”

22And the crowd joined in the attack against them, and the magistrates tore off their garments and commanded them to be beaten with rods.

23And after inflicting many blows on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely.

24Having received such a command, he threw them into the inner prison and secured their feet in the stocks.

The Conversion of the Jailer

25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

26Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened.

27When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

28But Paul cried out with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!”

29And he called for lights, rushed in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.

30Then he brought them outside and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

31And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”

32And they spoke the word of God to him, along with all who were in his house.

33And he took them in that same hour of the night and washed their wounds. And he was baptized at once, he and all his household.

34Then he brought them up into his house and set a meal before them. And he rejoiced greatly with his whole household, because he had believed in God.

35But when day came, the magistrates sent the officers, saying, “Release those men.”

36And the jailer reported these words to Paul: “The magistrates have sent for you to be released. So now, depart and go in peace.”

37But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned—men who are Roman citizens—and have thrown us into prison. And now they are trying to send us away secretly? No, indeed! Let them come themselves and lead us out.”

38The officers reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans.

39And they came and apologized to them, and after leading them out, they asked them to leave the city.

40After leaving the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, and when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.

Open in the interactive reader →