Acts 16
Worldwide English (New Testament)
16 Then he came to Derbe and Lystra. A disciple named Timothy was there. His mother was a Jew, a believer, and his father was a Greek.
2 The Christian brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke very well of Timothy.
3 Paul wanted him to go with him. He circumcised him because all the Jews in those places knew that his father was a Greek.
4-5 hey went from town to town and talked to the people. They told them what the apostles and church leaders at Jerusalem had said should be done. So the church people became stronger in what they believed. Every day more people joined the church.
6 Paul and Silas went through the district of Phrygia and Galatia. The Holy Spirit said they should not tell God's word in the country of Asia Minor.
7 After they came to the district of Mysia, they wanted to go to the country of Bithynia but the Holy Spirit did not allow them.
8 So they went by Mysia and came to the city of Troas.
9 In the night Paul had a vision: he saw a picture like a dream. He saw a man of Macedonia standing and calling to him, `Come over into Macedonia and help us.'
10 After Paul had seen the vision, we tried to leave for Macedonia right away. We believed that the Lord had called us to tell the people there the good news.
11 So we left Troas in a boat and went straight across the water to the town of Samothrace. The next day we went to Neapolis.
12 From there we went to Philippi. This was the big city of the district of Macedonia. It was a free city. We stayed there for some time.
13 On the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the river. We thought this was a place where people met to talk with God. So we sat down and talked to the women who had come there.
14 One woman named Lydia listened to us. She was from the city of Thyatira, and she sold red cloth. She worshipped God. He worked in her heart and she believed what Paul said.
15 She and all the people in her house were baptised. Then she begged us and said, `If you really feel that I believe in the Lord, come and stay at my house.' And she would not allow us to say no.
16 One day we were going to the meeting place where people talked with God. We met a girl who had a bad spirit. She used to tell people what was going to happen. Her masters received much money when she did this.
17 This girl kept on following Paul and us. She was shouting, `These men are servants of the High God. They are telling us how to be saved.'
18 She did this for many days. This troubled Paul. He turned and said to the spirit in her, `In the name of Jesus Christ, I say to you, come out of her!' And the spirit came out at once.
19 Her masters saw that they had lost this way of getting money. They caught Paul and Silas and took them by force to the rulers in the court.
20 When they had brought them before the judges, they said, `These men are Jews. And they are making much trouble in our city.
21 They are teaching people laws which we may not obey because we are Roman people.'
22 All the people standing around were against Paul and Silas. The judges tore off the clothes of Paul and Silas. They gave orders that they should be beaten.
23 They beat them very hard. Then they put them in prison. `Take care,' they said to the prison guard. `Be sure that these prisoners do not run away.'
24 And so the guard put them in the back room in the prison. They locked their feet in holes cut in heavy pieces of wood.
25 At midnight, Paul and Silas were talking with God. They were singing and praising God. The other prisoners were listening to them.
26 Then all of a sudden the earth shook very much. Even the floor of the prison was shaking. All the doors came wide open. The things that held the prisoners all came off.
27 The prison guard woke up. He saw all the prison doors open. So he took a long knife and was going to kill himself. He thought that all the prisoners had run away.
28 Paul shouted, `Stop! Do not hurt yourself. We are all here!'
29 The guard called for a light and went in quickly. He kneeled down before Paul and Silas, trembling with fear.
30 He brought them out of the prison and said, `Sirs, what must I do to be saved?'
31 They replied, `Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. All the people in your house must do the same.'
32 They talked to him and all the people in the house. They told them the word of the Lord.
33 Paul and Silas had sores from the beating in prison. So that same hour of the night the guard washed them. Then he and all the people of his house were baptised.
34 He took Paul and Silas to his home and gave them food to eat. He and all the people in his house were very happy. They now believed in God.
35 In the morning the judges sent soldiers to the guard with a message. `Let those men go free,' they said.
36 The guard told Paul. He said, `The judges have sent a message that you may go free. So now, come out and go on your way. You will have no more trouble.'
37 But Paul said, `We are Romans. And they have beaten us outside where people can see. They have put us in prison without proving we have done wrong. Now, are they going to take us out of prison secretly? No, they themselves must come and take us out.'
38 The soldiers told this to the judges. They were very much afraid when they heard that Paul and Silas were Romans.
39 So they came to Paul and Silas. They said they were sorry for what they had done. They brought them out of prison and asked them to leave the city.
40 When Paul and Silas came out of prison, they went back to Lydia's house. They saw their Christian brothers and talked to them. This helped the Christians to believe more strongly. Then Paul and Silas went on their way.
Acts 16
King James Version
16 Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:
2 Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.
3 Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.
4 And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem.
5 And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.
6 Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,
7 After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.
8 And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas.
9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.
10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.
11 Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis;
12 And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days.
13 And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.
14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.
15 And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.
16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:
17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.
18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.
19 And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,
20 And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,
21 And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.
22 And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.
27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.
35 And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go.
36 And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace.
37 But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out.
38 And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans.
39 And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city.
40 And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.
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