Acts 16 - LSB Bible Online

Acts 16

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

Now Paul also arrived at ^aDerbe and at ^aLystra. And behold, a disciple was there, named ^bTimothy, the son of a ^cJewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek, 2 and he was well spoken of by ^athe brothers who were in ^bLystra and ^cIconium. 3 Paul wanted this man to ¹go with him, and he ^atook 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 ^athe decrees which had been decided upon by ^bthe apostles and ^celders who were in Jerusalem, for them to keep. 5 So ^athe churches were being strengthened ¹in the faith, and were ^babounding in number daily.

The Macedonian Vision

6 And they passed through the ¹^aPhrygian and ^bGalatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in ²^cAsia; 7 and after they came to ^aMysia, they were trying to go into ^bBithynia, and the ^cSpirit of Jesus did not permit them; 8 and passing by ^aMysia, they came down to ^bTroas. 9 ^aAnd a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of ^bMacedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 And when he had seen ^athe vision, immediately ^bwe sought to ¹go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to ^cproclaim the gospel to them.

Lydia’s Conversion in Philippi

11 So setting sail from ^aTroas, we ran ^ba straight course to Samothrace, and on the day following to Neapolis; 12 and from there to ^aPhilippi, which is a leading city of the district of ^bMacedonia, ^ca Roman colony; and we were staying in this city for some days. 13 And on ^athe Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were supposing that there would be a place of prayer; and sitting down, we began speaking to the women who had assembled. 14 And a woman named Lydia, from the city of ^aThyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, ^ba worshiper of God, was listening, whose heart the Lord ^copened to pay attention to the things spoken by Paul. 15 And when she and ^aher 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.

Paul and Silas in Prison

16 Now it happened that as we were going to ^athe place of prayer, a servant-girl having ^ba 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 slaves of ^athe Most High God, who are proclaiming to you ¹the way of salvation.” 18 And she continued doing this for many days. But being greatly annoyed, Paul turned and said to the spirit, “I command you ^ain the name of Jesus Christ to leave her!” And it left at that very ¹moment.
19 But when her masters saw that their hope of ^aprofit had left, they seized ^bPaul and Silas and ^cdragged them into the marketplace 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 ^aare proclaiming customs that are not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being ^bRomans.” 22 And the crowd joined together to attack them, and the chief magistrates, tearing their garments off of them, proceeded to order them to be ^abeaten with rods. 23 And when they had inflicted them with many wounds, they threw them into prison, commanding ^athe jailer to guard them securely, 24 who, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in ^athe ¹stocks.

The Philippian Jailer Converted

25 But about midnight ^aPaul and Silas were praying and ^bsinging hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 And suddenly ^athere came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the jailhouse were shaken; and immediately ^ball the doors were opened and everyone’s ^cchains were unfastened. 27 And when ^athe jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about ^bto 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 ^aPaul and Silas, 30 and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, ^awhat must I do to be saved?” 31 And they said, “^aBelieve in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and ^byour house.” 32 And they spoke the word of ¹the Lord to him together with all who were in his household. 33 And he took them ^athat 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 ¹food before them, and rejoiced ²greatly with ^ahis whole household, because he had believed in God.
35 Now when day came, the chief magistrates sent their policemen, saying, “Release those men.” 36 And ^athe jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The chief magistrates have sent to release you. Therefore come out now and go ^bin peace.” 37 But Paul said to them, “Having beaten us in public without trial, ^amen who are Romans, they 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 And the policemen reported these words to the chief magistrates. ^aThey 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 requesting them ^ato leave the city. 40 And they went out of the prison and entered the house of ^aLydia, and when they saw ^bthe brothers, they ¹encouraged them and left.

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