1 P aul went down to the cities of Derbe and Lystra. There was a follower there named Timothy. His mother was a Jewish Christian and his father was a Greek.

He came to Derbe and Lystra: and behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewess who believed; but his father was a Greek.

2 T he Christians in the city of Lystra and Iconium respected Timothy.

The brothers who were at Lystra and Iconium gave a good testimony about him.

3 P aul wanted Timothy to go with him as a missionary. He took him and had Timothy go through the religious act of becoming a Jew because of the Jews who were in those places. Everyone knew his father was a Greek.

Paul wanted to have him go out with him, and he took and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts; for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

4 T hey went from city to city and told the Christians what the missionaries and the church leaders in Jerusalem had written for the Christians to do.

As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered the decrees to them to keep which had been ordained by the apostles and elders who were at Jerusalem.

5 T he churches were made stronger in the faith. More people were added each day. Paul Is Called to Macedonia in a Dream

So the assemblies were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.

6 T hey went through the countries of Phrygia and Galatia. The Holy Spirit kept them from preaching the Word of God in the countries of Asia.

When they had gone through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.

7 W hen they came to the city of Mysia, they tried to go on to the city of Bithynia but the Holy Spirit would not let them go.

When they had come opposite Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit didn’t allow them.

8 F rom Mysia they went down to the city of Troas.

Passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.

9 T hat night Paul had a dream. A man was standing in front of him crying out, “Come over to the country of Macedonia and help us!”

A vision appeared to Paul in the night. There was a man of Macedonia standing, begging him, and saying, “Come over into Macedonia and help us.”

10 A fter he had seen this, we agreed that God told us to go to Macedonia to tell them the Good News. Lydia, the First Christian in Europe

When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go out to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the Good News to them.

11 W e took a ship from the city of Troas to the city of Samothracia. The next day we went to the city of Neapolis.

Setting sail therefore from Troas, we made a straight course to Samothrace, and the day following to Neapolis;

12 F rom there we went to the city of Philippi. This was an important city in Macedonia. It was ruled by the leaders of the country of Rome. We stayed here for some days.

and from there to Philippi, which is a city of Macedonia, the foremost of the district, a Roman colony. We were staying some days in this city.

13 O n the Day of Rest we went outside the city to a place down by the river. We thought people would be gathering there for prayer. Some women came and we sat down and talked to them.

On the Sabbath day we went outside of the city by a riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down, and spoke to the women who had come together.

14 O ne of the women who listened sold purple cloth. She was from the city of Thyatira. Her name was Lydia and she was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to hear what Paul said.

A certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one who worshiped God, heard us; whose heart the Lord opened to listen to the things which were spoken by Paul.

15 W hen she and her family had been baptized, she said to us, “If you think I am faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my house.” She kept on asking. Then we went with her. Paul Heals a Girl with a Demon

When she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and stay.” So she persuaded us.

16 O ne day as we were going to the place to pray, we met a servant-girl who could tell what was going to happen in the future by a demon she had. Her owner made much money from her power.

As we were going to prayer, a certain girl having a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much gain by fortune telling.

17 S he followed Paul and us crying out, “These are servants of the Highest God. They are telling you how to be saved from the punishment of sin.”

Following Paul and us, she cried out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us a way of salvation!”

18 S he did this many days. Paul was troubled. Then he turned and said to the demon in her, “In the name of Jesus Christ, I speak to you. Come out of her!” At once it left her. Paul and Silas in Jail

She was doing this for many days. But Paul, becoming greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” It came out that very hour.

19 T he girl’s owners saw that they could not make money with her anymore. Then they took hold of Paul and Silas and dragged them to the leaders. This happened in the center of town where people gather.

But when her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas, and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers.

20 A fter they brought them in front of the leaders, they said, “These men are Jews and are making a lot of trouble in our city.

When they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men, being Jews, are agitating our city,

21 T hey are teaching a religion that we Romans are not allowed to follow.”

and advocate customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans.”

22 M any people had gathered around Paul and Silas. They were calling out things against them. The leaders had the clothes of Paul and Silas taken off and had them beaten with sticks.

The multitude rose up together against them, and the magistrates tore their clothes off of them, and commanded them to be beaten with rods.

23 A fter they had hit them many times, they put Paul and Silas in prison. The soldiers told the man who watched the prison to be sure to keep them from getting away.

When they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely,

24 B ecause of this, they were put in the inside room of the prison and their feet were put in pieces of wood that held them.

who, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison, and secured their feet in the stocks.

25 A bout midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing songs of thanks to God. The other men in prison were listening to them.

But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

26 A ll at once the earth started to shake. The stones under the prison shook and the doors opened. The chains fell off from everyone.

Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were loosened.

27 T he man who watched the prison woke up. He saw the prison doors wide open and thought the men in prison had gotten away. At once he pulled out his sword to kill himself.

The jailer, being roused out of sleep and seeing the prison doors open, drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

28 B ut Paul called to him, “Do not hurt yourself. We are all here!”

But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, “Don’t harm yourself, for we are all here!”

29 T he man who watched the prison called for a light. Then he ran in and got down in front of Paul and Silas. He was shaking with fear.

He called for lights, sprang in, fell down trembling before Paul and Silas,

30 A s he took them outside, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

brought them out, and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

31 T hey said, “Put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and you and your family will be saved from the punishment of sin.”

They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

32 T hen Paul spoke the Word of God to him and his family.

They spoke the word of the Lord to him, and to all who were in his house.

33 I t was late at night, but the man who watched the prison took Paul and Silas in and washed the places on their bodies where they were hurt. Right then he and his family were baptized.

He took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes, and was immediately baptized, he and all his household.

34 H e took Paul and Silas to his house and gave them food. He and all his family were full of joy for having put their trust in God. Paul and Silas Are Allowed to Go Free

He brought them up into his house, and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, with all his household, having believed in God.

35 W hen it was day, the leaders sent a soldier to say, “Let these men go free.”

But when it was day, the magistrates sent the sergeants, saying, “Let those men go.”

36 T he man who watched the prison told this to Paul. He said, “The leaders have sent word to let you go free. Come out now and go without any trouble.”

The jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go; now therefore come out, and go in peace.”

37 P aul said, “No! They have beaten us in front of many people without a trial. We are Roman citizens and they have put us in prison. Now do they think they can send us away without anyone knowing? No! They must come themselves and take us out.”

But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, without a trial, men who are Romans, and have cast us into prison! Do they now release us secretly? No, most certainly, but let them come themselves and bring us out!”

38 T he soldiers told this to the leaders. Then the leaders were afraid when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.

The sergeants reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans,

39 T hey went themselves and told Paul and Silas they were sorry. Then they took them out and asked them to leave their city.

and they came and begged them. When they had brought them out, they asked them to depart from the city.

40 P aul and Silas went to Lydia’s house after they left the prison. They met with the Christians and gave them comfort. Then they went away from the city.

They went out of the prison, and entered into Lydia’s house. When they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them, and departed.