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. And he came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer; but his father was a Greek.

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

2. He was well spoken of by the brethren at Lystra and Ico'nium.

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. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews that were in those places, for they all knew 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. As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions which had been reached by the apostles and elders who were at Jerusalem.

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

5. So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers 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. And they went through the region of Phry'gia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak 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. And when they had come opposite My'sia, they attempted to go into Bithyn'ia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them;

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

8. so, passing by My'sia, they went down to Tro'as.

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: a man of Macedo'nia was standing beseeching him and saying, "Come over to Macedo'nia 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 when he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedo'nia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

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

11. Setting sail therefore from Tro'as, we made a direct voyage to Sam'othrace, and the following day to Ne-ap'olis,

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

12. and from there to Philip'pi, which is the leading city of the district of Macedo'nia, and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some 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 day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together.

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. One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyati'ra, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to give heed to what was said by 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, with her household, she besought us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay." And she prevailed upon 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. As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners 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. She followed Paul and us, crying, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you 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 she did for many days. But Paul was annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, "I charge you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And it came out that very 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. But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the rulers;

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

20. and when they had brought them to the magistrates they said, "These men are Jews and they are disturbing our city.

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

21. They advocate customs which it is not lawful for us Romans to accept or practice."

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

22. The crowd joined in attacking them; and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods.

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 inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely.

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

24. Having received this charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet 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. But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to 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 fetters were unfastened.

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

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, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here."

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

29. And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he 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, "Men, 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 in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household."

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

32. And they spoke the word of the Lord to him 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 wounds, and he was baptized at once, with all his family.

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. Then he brought them up into his house, and set food before them; and he rejoiced with all his household that he had believed in God.

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

35. But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, 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 jailer reported the words to Paul, saying, "The magistrates have sent to let you go; now therefore come out 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 to them, "They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now cast us out secretly? No! let them come themselves and take us out."

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

38. The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens;

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

39. so they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave 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. So they went out of the prison, and visited Lydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they exhorted them and departed.