16:1 When he arrived at Derbe and then Lystra, he came across a certain disciple there by the name of Timothy, whose mother was a Judean believer and whose father was a Greek.

16:2 He had a good reputation among the believers in Lystra and Iconium.

16:3 Paul wanted Timothy to come along with him, and he circumcised him on account of the Judeans in the area, since they all knew his father was a Greek.

16:4 Now as they went through the cities, they handed out the stipulations that had been agreed upon by the Ambassadors and elders in Jerusalem.

16:5 So the Congregations were firmly established in the faith, and their numbers increased exponentially each day.

16:6 Then they passed through Phrygia and the province of Galatia, but they were prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the Word in the province of Asia.

16:7 They arrived in Mysia and then tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow it,

16:8 so they bypassed it and went down into Troas.

16:9 During the night, Paul had a vision of a certain man in Macedonia who was standing and pleading, “Cross over into Macedonia; help us!”

16:10 After he saw the vision, we tried to go to Macedonia immediately, since we were convinced that God had called us to bring the Gospel to them.

16:11 We set out from Troas and made a straight run to Samothrace, and the next day to Neapolis.

16:12 From there we went to Philippi, which is a Roman colony and the most prominent city in that region of Macedonia, and we stayed there for a while.

16:13 On one of the Sabbaths we went out beyond the gate to a riverside at a place where we expected to find a prayer meeting. We sat down and spoke to the women gathering there.

16:14 One of the listeners was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth in the city of Thyatira. She revered God, and the Master put it into her mind to pay attention to what Paul was saying.

16:15 Having been immersed then, along with her entire household, she pleaded with us: “If you consider me faithful to the Master, stay in my house.” She was quite adamant about it.

16:16 Another time as we were going out to prayer, we were met by a certain slave girl who had a Python spirit. Her divination was a great source of income for her masters.

16:17 And she kept following Paul and us, shouting, “These people are slaves of the Supreme God, and they are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!”

16:18 This went on day after day, until Paul became exasperated and turned around to confront the spirit: “I command you in the name of Jesus the Anointed to come out of her!” And it left right away.

16:19 But her masters realized that all their hopes of income had just disappeared. So they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them to the officials at the marketplace.

16:20 Upon arrival they said, “These people, these Judeans, have put our city into an uproar!

16:21 They are proclaiming customs that are forbidden for us Romans.”

16:22 Then the crowd united against them, and the officials had their clothes torn off and ordered them to be beaten with rods.

16:23 After they had inflicted them with many strikes, they threw them into jail and solemnly charged the jailer to guard them securely.

16:24 Upon hearing this he threw them into the innermost cell and locked their feet in the stocks.

16:25 Now around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing festive songs to God, and the other prisoners were listening.

16:26 Suddenly there was a tremendous earthquake, which shook the prison down to its foundations. Instantly all the cell doors were opened, and everyone’s shackles became loose.

16:27 But when the jailer awoke and saw that all the cell doors were opened, he drew his sword with the intent to kill himself, since he presumed all the prisoners had escaped.

16:28 But Paul shouted out, “Do not harm yourself; we are all still here!”

16:29 The jailer called for lights and then, shaking, he rushed in and fell down before Paul and Silas.

16:30 He led them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

16:31 And they replied, “Put your trust in Master Jesus and you will be saved— you and your entire household!”

16:32 Then they spoke the Word of the Master to him and his whole household.

16:33 At that very hour of the night he washed their wounds, and then immediately he and his whole household were immersed.

16:34 After taking them into his house, he set a table before them. He and his household were overjoyed due to their trust in God.

16:35 Now the next day the officials sent word to the jailers, “Release those people.”

16:36 So the jailer passed on the message to Paul: “The officials have sent word to have you released. Come now, go in peace.”

16:37 But Paul replied to them, “They lashed us publicly, though we are innocent Roman citizens, and threw us into jail. And now they want to release us quietly? No! Let them escort us out themselves!”

16:38 The jailers reported these words to the officials, who were alarmed to hear that they were Romans.

16:39 So they came and placated them, led them out, and asked them to leave the city.

16:40 Leaving the jail, then, they went to Lydia’s house. They consoled the believers there and then left.