19 When her owners realized that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silasx and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. 20 Bringing them before the chief magistrates, they said, “These men are seriously disturbing our city. They are Jews 21 and are promoting customs that are not legal for us as Romans to adopt or practice.”y

22 The crowd joined in the attack against them, and the chief magistrates stripped off their clothes and ordered them to be beaten with rods.z 23 After they had severely flogged them, they threw them in jail, ordering the jailer to guard them carefully. 24 Receiving such an order, he put them into the inner prison and secured their feet in the stocks.a

A MIDNIGHT DELIVERANCE

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.