Acts 16:11–20

Lydia’s Conversion

¹¹Then, setting sail from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, the next day to Neapolis, ¹²and from there to Philippi, ^xa Roman colony, which is a leading city of that district of Macedonia. We stayed in that city for a number of days. ¹³On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate by the river, where we thought there was a place of prayer. We sat down and spoke to the women gathered there. ¹⁴A woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God, was listening. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was spoken by Paul. ^y15After she and her household were baptized, she urged us, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.” ^zAnd she persuaded us.

Paul and Silas in Prison

¹⁶Once, as we were on our way to prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit of prediction. ^abShe made a large profit for her owners by fortune-telling. ¹⁷As she followed Paul and us she cried out, “These men, who are proclaiming to you ^cthe way of salvation, are the slaves of the Most High God.” ¹⁸And she did this for many days.

But Paul was greatly aggravated and turning to the spirit, said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out right away. ^de

¹⁹When her owners saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas ^fand dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. ²⁰Bringing them before the chief magistrates, they said, “These men are seriously disturbing our city. They are Jews