Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

16 Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra,o where a disciple named Timothyp lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believerq but whose father was a Greek. 2 The believersr at Lystra and Iconiums spoke well of him. 3 Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.t 4 As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and eldersu in Jerusalemv for the people to obey.w 5 So the churches were strengthenedx in the faith and grew daily in numbers.y

Paul’s Vision of the Man of Macedonia

6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygiaz and Galatia,a having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia.b 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesusc would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.d 9 During the night Paul had a visione of a man of Macedoniaf standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, weg got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospelh to them.

Lydia’s Conversion in Philippi

11 From Troasi we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. 12 From there we traveled to Philippi,j a Roman colony and the leading city of that districta of Macedonia.k And we stayed there several days.

13 On the Sabbathl we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14 One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatiram named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heartn to respond to Paul’s message. 15 When she and the members of her householdo were baptized,p she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.

Paul and Silas in Prison

16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer,q we were met by a female slave who had a spiritr by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God,s who are telling you the way to be saved.” 18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.t

19 When her owners realized that their hope of making moneyu was gone, they seized Paul and Silasv and draggedw them into the marketplace to face the authorities. 20 They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproarx 21 by advocating customs unlawful for us Romansy to accept or practice.”z

22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods.a 23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailerb was commanded to guard them carefully. 24 When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.c

25 About midnightd Paul and Silase were praying and singing hymnsf to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken.g At once all the prison doors flew open,h and everyone’s chains came loose.i 27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped.j 28 But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”

29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.k 30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”l

31 They replied, “Believem in the Lord Jesus, and you will be savedn—you and your household.”o 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33 At that hour of the nightp the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized.q 34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; her was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.

35 When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.” 36 The jailers told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.”t

37 But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens,u and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.”

38 The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed.v 39 They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city.w 40 After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house,x where they met with the brothers and sistersy and encouraged them. Then they left.