Acts, 16

1. From there he went to Derbe, and then on to Lystra, where there was a disciple called Timothy, whose mother was Jewish and had become a believer; but his father was a Greek.

1. 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. The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him,

2. Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.

3. and Paul, who wanted to have him as a travelling companion, had him circumcised. This was on account of the Jews in the locality where everyone knew his father was a Greek.

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. As they visited one town after another, they passed on the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem, with instructions to observe them.

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. So the churches grew strong in the faith, as well as growing daily in numbers.

5. And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.

6. They travelled through Phrygia and the Galatian country, because they had been told by the Holy Spirit not to preach the word in Asia.

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. When they reached the frontier of Mysia they tried to go into Bithynia, but as the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them,

7. After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.

8. they went through Mysia and came down to Troas.

8. And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas.

9. One night Paul had a vision: a Macedonian appeared and kept urging him in these words, 'Come across to Macedonia and help us.'

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. Once he had seen this vision we lost no time in arranging a passage to Macedonia, convinced that God had called us to bring them the good news.

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. Sailing from Troas we made a straight run for Samothrace; the next day for Neapolis,

11. Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next [day] to Neapolis;

12. and from there for Philippi, a Roman colony and the principal city of that district of Macedonia.

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. After a few days in this city we went outside the gates beside a river as it was the Sabbath and this was a customary place for prayer. We sat down and preached to the women who had come to the meeting.

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. One of these women was called Lydia, a woman from the town of Thyatira who was in the purple-dye trade, and who revered God. She listened to us, and the Lord opened her heart to accept what Paul was saying.

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. After she and her household had been baptised she kept urging us, 'If you judge me a true believer in the Lord,' she said, 'come and stay with us.' And she would take no refusal.

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. It happened one day that as we were going to prayer, we were met by a slave-girl who was a soothsayer and made a lot of money for her masters by foretelling the future.

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. This girl started following Paul and the rest of us and shouting, 'Here are the servants of the Most High God; they have come to tell you how to be saved!'

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. She did this day after day until Paul was exasperated and turned round and said to the spirit, 'I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to leave that woman.' The spirit went out of her then and there.

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. When her masters saw that there was no hope of making any more money out of her, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the authorities.

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. Taking them before the magistrates they said, 'These people are causing a disturbance in our city. They are Jews

20. And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,

21. and are advocating practices which it is unlawful for us as Romans to accept or follow.'

21. And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.

22. The crowd joined in and showed its hostility to them, so the magistrates had them stripped and ordered them to be flogged.

22. And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat [them].

23. They were given many lashes and then thrown into prison, and the gaoler was told to keep a close watch on them.

23. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast [them] into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:

24. So, following such instructions, he threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

24. Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

25. In the middle of the night Paul and Silas were praying and singing God's praises, while the other prisoners listened.

25. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

26. Suddenly there was an earthquake that shook the prison to its foundations. All the doors flew open and the chains fell from all the prisoners.

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. When the gaoler woke and saw the doors wide open he drew his sword and was about to commit suicide, presuming that the prisoners had escaped.

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 shouted at the top of his voice, 'Do yourself no harm; we are all here.'

28. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.

29. He called for lights, then rushed in, threw himself trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas,

29. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,

30. and escorted them out, saying, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?'

30. And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

31. They told him, 'Become a believer in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, and your household too.'

31. And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

32. Then they preached the word of the Lord to him and to all his household.

32. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.

33. Late as it was, he took them to wash their wounds, and was baptised then and there with all his household.

33. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed [their] stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

34. Afterwards he took them into his house and gave them a meal, and the whole household celebrated their conversion to belief in God.

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. When it was daylight the magistrates sent the lictors with the order: 'Release those men.'

35. And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go.

36. The gaoler reported the message to Paul, 'The magistrates have sent an order for your release; you can go now and be on your way.'

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. 'What!' Paul replied. 'Without trial they gave us a public flogging, though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison, and now they want to send us away on the quiet! Oh no! They must come and escort us out themselves.'

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. The lictors reported this to the magistrates, who were terrified when they heard they were Roman citizens.

38. And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans.

39. They came and urged them to leave the town.

39. And they came and besought them, and brought [them] out, and desired [them] to depart out of the city.

40. From the prison they went to Lydia's house where they saw all the brothers and gave them some encouragement; then they left.

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.