Acts 16
International Standard Version
Timothy Joins Paul in Lystra
16 Paul[a] also went to Derbe and Lystra, where there was a disciple named Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish wife whose husband was a Greek. 2 Timothy[b] was highly regarded by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted this man to go with him, so he took him and had him circumcised because of the Jews who lived in that region, since everyone knew that Timothy’s[c] father was a Greek. 4 As they went from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for them to obey. 5 So the churches continued to be strengthened in the faith and to increase in numbers every day.
Paul Has a Vision
6 Because they had been prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the word in Asia, Paul and Timothy[d] went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia. 7 They went as far as Mysia and tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them, 8 so they bypassed Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision. A man from Macedonia was standing there and pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” 10 As soon as he had seen the vision, we immediately looked for a way to go to Macedonia, because we were convinced that God had called us to tell the people there[e] the good news.
Paul and Silas in Philippi
11 Sailing from Troas, we went straight to Samothrace, the next day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, an important city of the district[f] of Macedonia and a Roman[g] colony. We were in this city for several days. 13 On the Sabbath day, we went out the city gate and walked[h] along the river, where we thought there was a place of prayer. We sat down and began talking to the women who had gathered there. 14 A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a dealer in purple goods, was listening to us. She was a worshiper of God, and the Lord opened her heart to listen carefully to what was being said by Paul. 15 When she and her family were baptized, she urged us, “If you are convinced that I am a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my home.” And she continued to insist that we do so.
The Fortune Teller
16 Once, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit of fortune-telling and who had brought her owners a great deal of money by predicting the future. 17 She would follow Paul and us and shout, “These men are servants of the Most High God and are proclaiming to you[i] a way of salvation!”
18 She kept doing this for many days until Paul became annoyed, turned to her[j] and told the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus the Messiah[k] to come out of her!” And it came out that very moment.[l]
19 When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities who met together in the public square.[m] 20 They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are stirring up a lot of trouble in our city. They are Jews 21 and are advocating customs that we’re not allowed to accept or practice as Romans.”
22 The crowd joined in the attack against them. Then the magistrates had Paul and Silas[n] stripped of their clothes and ordered them beaten with rods. 23 After giving them a severe beating, they threw them in jail and ordered the jailer to keep them under tight security. 24 Having received these orders, he put them into the inner cell and fastened their feet in leg irons.
25 Around midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly, there was an earthquake so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken. All the doors immediately flew open, and everyone’s chains were unfastened.
27 When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted in a loud voice, “Don’t hurt yourself, because we are all here!”
29 The jailer[o] asked for torches and rushed inside. Trembling as he knelt in front of Paul and Silas, 30 he took them outside and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 They answered, “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you and your family will be saved.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord[p] to him and everyone in his home.
33 At that hour of the night, he took them and washed their wounds. Then he and his entire family were baptized immediately. 34 He brought Paul and Silas[q] upstairs into his house and set food before them. He was thrilled, as was his household, to believe in God.
35 When day came, the magistrates sent guards, who commanded, “Release those men.”
36 The jailer reported these words to Paul, and added, “The magistrates have sent word to release you. So come out now and go in peace.”
37 But Paul told the guards,[r] “The magistrates[s] have had us beaten publicly without a trial and have thrown us into jail, even though we are Roman citizens. Now are they going to throw us out secretly? Certainly not! Have them come and escort us out.”
38 The guards reported these words to the magistrates, and they became afraid when they heard that Paul and Silas[t] were Roman citizens. 39 So the magistrates[u] came, apologized to them, and escorted them out. Then they asked them to leave the city. 40 Leaving the jail, Paul and Silas[v] went to Lydia’s house. They saw the brothers, encouraged them, and then left.
Footnotes
- Acts 16:1 Lit. He
- Acts 16:2 Lit. He
- Acts 16:3 Lit. that his
- Acts 16:6 Lit. Then they
- Acts 16:10 Lit. tell them
- Acts 16:12 Other mss. read a city of the first district
- Acts 16:12 The Gk. lacks Roman
- Acts 16:13 the Gk. lacks walked
- Acts 16:17 Other mss. read us
- Acts 16:18 The Gk. lacks to her
- Acts 16:18 Or Christ
- Acts 16:18 Lit. that hour
- Acts 16:19 Or in the marketplace
- Acts 16:22 Lit. had them
- Acts 16:29 Lit. He
- Acts 16:32 Other mss. read of God
- Acts 16:34 Lit. brought them
- Acts 16:37 Lit. told them
- Acts 16:37 Lit. They
- Acts 16:38 Lit. that they
- Acts 16:39 Lit. So they
- Acts 16:40 Lit. jail, they
Acts 16
King James Version
16 Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:
2 Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.
3 Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.
4 And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem.
5 And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.
6 Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,
7 After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.
8 And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas.
9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.
10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.
11 Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis;
12 And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days.
13 And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.
14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.
15 And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.
16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:
17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.
18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.
19 And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,
20 And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,
21 And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.
22 And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.
27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.
35 And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go.
36 And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace.
37 But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out.
38 And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans.
39 And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city.
40 And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.
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