Acts 16:19–40

¹⁹But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities.^{* 20}When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, “These men, these Jews, are disturbing our city^{* 21}and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us, being Romans, to adopt or observe.” ²²The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates had them stripped of their clothing and ordered them to be beaten with rods.^{* 23}After they had given them a severe flogging, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to keep them securely.^{* 24}Following these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.^*

²⁵About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.^{* 26}Suddenly there was an earthquake so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened.^{* 27}When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped.^{* 28}But Paul shouted in a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” ²⁹The jailer^l called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. ³⁰Then he brought them outside and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”^{* 31}They answered, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”^{* 32}They spoke the word of the Lord^m to him and to all who were in his house. ³³At the same hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized without delay. ³⁴He brought them up into the house and set food before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God.^*

³⁵When morning came, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men go.” ³⁶And the jailer reported the message to Paul, saying, “The magistrates sent word to let you go; therefore come out now and go in peace.”^{* 37}But Paul replied, “They have beaten us in public, uncondemned, men who are Romans, and have thrown us into prison, and now are they going to discharge us in secret? Certainly not! Let them come and take us out themselves.”^{* 38}The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans,^{* 39}so they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city.^{* 40}After leaving the prison they went to Lydia’s home, and when they had seen and encouraged the brothers and sisters there, they departed.^*