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Acts 16
New American Standard Bible 1995

The Macedonian Vision

16 Paul came also to (A)Derbe and to (B)Lystra. And a disciple was there, named (C)Timothy, the son of a (D)Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek, 2 and he was well spoken of by (E)the brethren who were in (F)Lystra and (G)Iconium. 3 Paul wanted this man to [a]go with him; and he (H)took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 Now while they were passing through the cities, they were delivering (I)the decrees which had been decided upon by (J)the apostles and (K)elders who were in Jerusalem, for them to observe. 5 So (L)the churches were being strengthened [b]in the faith, and were (M)increasing in number daily.

6 They passed through the [c](N)Phrygian and (O)Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in [d](P)Asia; 7 and after they came to (Q)Mysia, they were trying to go into (R)Bithynia, and the (S)Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; 8 and passing by (T)Mysia, they came down to (U)Troas. 9 (V)A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of (W)Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 When he had seen (X)the vision, immediately (Y)we sought to [e]go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to (Z)preach the gospel to them.

11 So putting out to sea from (AA)Troas, we ran (AB)a straight course to Samothrace, and on the day following to Neapolis; 12 and from there to (AC)Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of (AD)Macedonia, (AE)a Roman colony; and we were staying in this city for some days. 13 And on (AF)the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were supposing that there would be a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled.

First Convert in Europe

14 A woman named Lydia, from the city of (AG)Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, (AH)a worshiper of God, was listening; [f]and the Lord (AI)opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. 15 And when she and (AJ)her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

16 It happened that as we were going to (AK)the place of prayer, a slave-girl having (AL)a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 17 Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, “These men are bond-servants of (AM)the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you [g]the way of salvation.” 18 She continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, “I command you (AN)in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out at that very [h]moment.

19 But when her masters saw that their hope of (AO)profit was [i]gone, they seized (AP)Paul and Silas and (AQ)dragged them into the market place before the authorities, 20 and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, “These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, 21 and (AR)are proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being (AS)Romans.”

Paul and Silas Imprisoned

22 The crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their [j]robes off them and proceeded to order [k]them to be (AT)beaten with rods. 23 When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding (AU)the jailer to guard them securely; 24 [l]and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in (AV)the [m]stocks.

25 But about midnight (AW)Paul and Silas were praying and (AX)singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; 26 and suddenly (AY)there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately (AZ)all the doors were opened and everyone’s (BA)chains were unfastened. 27 When (BB)the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about (BC)to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!” 29 And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before (BD)Paul and Silas, 30 and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, (BE)what must I do to be saved?”

The Jailer Converted

31 They said, “(BF)Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and (BG)your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of [n]the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. 33 And he took them (BH)that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. 34 And he brought them into his house and set [o]food before them, and rejoiced [p]greatly, having believed in God with (BI)his whole household.

35 Now when day came, the chief magistrates sent their policemen, saying, “Release those men.” 36 And (BJ)the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The chief magistrates have sent to release you. Therefore come out now and go (BK)in peace.” 37 But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us in public without trial, (BL)men who are Romans, and have thrown us into prison; and now are they sending us away secretly? No indeed! But let them come themselves and bring us out.” 38 The policemen reported these words to the chief magistrates. (BM)They were afraid when they heard that they were Romans, 39 and they came and appealed to them, and when they had brought them out, they kept begging them (BN)to leave the city. 40 They went out of the prison and entered the house of (BO)Lydia, and when they saw (BP)the brethren, they [q]encouraged them and departed.

Footnotes

  1. Acts 16:3 Lit go out
  2. Acts 16:5 Or in faith
  3. Acts 16:6 Or Phrygia and the Galatian region
  4. Acts 16:6 I.e. west coast province of Asia Minor
  5. Acts 16:10 Lit go out
  6. Acts 16:14 Lit whose heart the Lord opened
  7. Acts 16:17 Lit a way
  8. Acts 16:18 Lit hour
  9. Acts 16:19 Lit gone out
  10. Acts 16:22 Or outer garments
  11. Acts 16:22 Lit to beat with rods
  12. Acts 16:24 Lit who
  13. Acts 16:24 Lit wood
  14. Acts 16:32 Two early mss read God
  15. Acts 16:34 Lit a table
  16. Acts 16:34 Or greatly with his whole household, having believed in God
  17. Acts 16:40 Or exhorted
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Acts 16
New International Version

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

16 Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra,(A) where a disciple named Timothy(B) lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer(C) but whose father was a Greek. 2 The believers(D) at Lystra and Iconium(E) 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.(F) 4 As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders(G) in Jerusalem(H) for the people to obey.(I) 5 So the churches were strengthened(J) in the faith and grew daily in numbers.(K)

Paul’s Vision of the Man of Macedonia

6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia(L) and Galatia,(M) having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia.(N) 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus(O) would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.(P) 9 During the night Paul had a vision(Q) of a man of Macedonia(R) standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we(S) got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel(T) to them.

Lydia’s Conversion in Philippi

11 From Troas(U) 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,(V) a Roman colony and the leading city of that district[a] of Macedonia.(W) And we stayed there several days.

13 On the Sabbath(X) 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 Thyatira(Y) named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart(Z) to respond to Paul’s message. 15 When she and the members of her household(AA) were baptized,(AB) 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,(AC) we were met by a female slave who had a spirit(AD) 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,(AE) 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.(AF)

19 When her owners realized that their hope of making money(AG) was gone, they seized Paul and Silas(AH) and dragged(AI) 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 uproar(AJ) 21 by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans(AK) to accept or practice.”(AL)

22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods.(AM) 23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer(AN) 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.(AO)

25 About midnight(AP) Paul and Silas(AQ) were praying and singing hymns(AR) 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.(AS) At once all the prison doors flew open,(AT) and everyone’s chains came loose.(AU) 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.(AV) 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.(AW) 30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”(AX)

31 They replied, “Believe(AY) in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved(AZ)—you and your household.”(BA) 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 night(BB) the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized.(BC) 34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he(BD) 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 jailer(BE) told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.”(BF)

37 But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens,(BG) 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.(BH) 39 They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city.(BI) 40 After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house,(BJ) where they met with the brothers and sisters(BK) and encouraged them. Then they left.

Footnotes

  1. Acts 16:12 The text and meaning of the Greek for the leading city of that district are uncertain.
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