|
Chapter 16 |
1 | 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. |