Acts 16

Paul's Vision of the Man of Macedonia

¹And he came also to Derbe and to Lystra : and behold , a certain disciple was there , named Timothy , the son of a Jewess that believed ; but his father was a Greek . ²The same was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium . ³Him would Paul have to go forth with him ; and he took and circumcised him because of the Jews that were in those parts : for they all knew that his father was a Greek . ⁴And as they went on their way through the cities , they delivered them the decrees to keep which had been ordained of the apostles and elders that were at Jerusalem . ⁵So the churches were strengthened in the faith , and increased in number daily .

Paul's Vision of the Man of Macedonia

⁶And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia , having been forbidden of the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia ; ⁷and when they were come over against Mysia , they assayed to go into Bithynia; and the Spirit of Jesus suffered them not ; ⁸and passing by Mysia , they came down to Troas . ⁹And a vision appeared to Paul in the night : There was a man of Macedonia standing , beseeching him , and saying , Come over into Macedonia , and help us . ¹⁰And when he had seen the vision , straightway we sought to go forth into Macedonia , concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel unto them .

The Conversion of Lydia

¹¹Setting sail therefore from Troas , we made a straight course to Samothrace , and the day following to Neapolis ; ¹²and from thence to Philippi , which is a city of Macedonia , the first of the district , a Roman colony : and we were in this city tarrying certain days . ¹³And on the sabbath day we went forth without the gate by a river side , where we supposed there was a place of prayer ; and we sat down , and spake unto the women that were come together . ¹⁴And a certain woman named Lydia , a seller of purple , of the city of Thyatira , one that worshipped God , heard us: whose heart the Lord opened to give heed unto the things which were spoken by Paul . ¹⁵And 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 .

Paul and Silas in Prison

¹⁶And it came to pass , as we were going to the place of prayer , that a certain maid having a spirit of divination met us , who brought her masters much gain by soothsaying . ¹⁷The same following after Paul and us cried out , saying , These men are servants of the Most High God , who proclaim unto you the way of salvation . ¹⁸And this she did for many days . But Paul , being sore troubled, turned and said to the spirit , I charge thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her . And it came out that very hour . ¹⁹But when her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone , they laid hold on Paul and Silas , and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers, ²⁰and when they had brought them unto the magistrates , they said , These men , being Jews , do exceedingly trouble our city , ²¹and set forth customs which it is not lawful for us to receive , or to observe , being Romans . ²²And the multitude rose up together against them : and the magistrates rent their garments off them , and commanded to beat them with rods . ²³And when they had laid many stripes upon them , they cast them into prison , charging the jailor to keep them safely: ²⁴who , having received such a charge , cast them into the inner prison , and made their feet fast in the stocks . ²⁵But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns unto God , and the prisoners were listening to them ; ²⁶and suddenly there was a great earthquake , so that the foundations of the prison-house were shaken : and immediately all the doors were opened; and every one ’s bands were loosed. ²⁷And the jailor , being roused out of sleep and seeing the prison doors open, drew his sword and was about to kill himself , supposing that the prisoners had escaped . ²⁸But Paul cried with a loud voice , saying , Do thyself no harm : for we are all here . ²⁹And he called for lights and sprang in , and , trembling for fear , fell down before Paul and Silas , ³⁰and brought them out and said , Sirs , what must I do to be saved ? ³¹And they said , Believe on the Lord Jesus , and thou shalt be saved , thou and thy house . ³²And they spake the word of the Lord unto him , with all that were in his house . ³³And he took them the same hour of the night , and washed their stripes ; and was baptized, he and all his , immediately . ³⁴And he brought them up into his house , and set food before them , and rejoiced greatly , with all his house , having believed in God .

The Aftermath of the Imprisonment

³⁵But when it was day , the magistrates sent the serjeants , saying , Let those men go. ³⁶And the jailor reported the words to Paul , saying , The magistrates have sent to let you go : now therefore come forth , and go in peace . ³⁷But Paul said unto them , They have beaten us publicly , uncondemned, men that are Romans , and have cast us into prison ; and do they now cast us out privily ? nay verily ; but let them come themselves and bring us out . ³⁸And the serjeants reported these words unto the magistrates : and they feared when they heard that they were Romans ; ³⁹and they came and besought them ; and when they had brought them out , they asked them to go away from the city . ⁴⁰And 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 .