Paul finds Timothy

1So he came to Derbe and Lystra. Well now, a certain disciple was there named Timothy, son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was a Greek;

2he was well spoken of by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium.

3Paul wanted to have him go on with him, so he took and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, because they all knew that his father was a Greek. ³⁵¹

4As they were going through the cities they were delivering the dogmas to them, to keep—the ones that had been determined by the apostles and the elders in Jerusalem. ³⁵²

5So the congregations kept on being strengthened in the faith, and were increasing in number daily. ³⁵³

The ‘Macedonian call’

6Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia,

7they approached Mysia and tried to go to Bithynia, but the Spirit ³⁵⁴did not permit them.

8So they bypassed Mysia and went down to Troas. ³⁵⁵

9A vision appeared to Paul during the night: a man of Macedonia was standing, appealing to him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”

10So when he saw the vision, we ³⁵⁶immediately prepared to go over to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord ³⁵⁷had called us to evangelize them.

Philippi

11So setting sail from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day to Neapolis;

12and from there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. ³⁵⁸We stayed some days in that city.

13On the Sabbath day we went outside the city by a river, where prayer was customarily made, ³⁵⁹and sitting down we started speaking to the assembled women. ³⁶⁰

14A certain woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God, really listened, whose heart the Lord opened to give heed to the things spoken by Paul.

15When she and her household were baptized, she appealed saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.” So she persuaded us.

Prison

16Now it happened, as we were going to prayer, that a certain slave girl having a spirit of divination met us, who brought considerable profit to her owners by divination.

17Following Paul and Silas ³⁶¹this girl kept calling out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to us the way of salvation!” ³⁶²

18She kept this up for many days! ³⁶³So Paul, becoming increasingly annoyed, ³⁶⁴turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out that very hour.

19But when her owners saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place to the rulers, ³⁶⁵

20and bringing them before the magistrates they said, “These men, being Jews, are agitating our city,

21and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or do.”

22The crowd joined in the attack against them, and the magistrates tore the clothes off of them and ordered a beating with rods.

23When they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them securely;

24who, having received such a charge, threw them into the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. ³⁶⁶

The jailer converts

25Well about midnight Paul and Silas were singing hymns to God in prayer; and the other prisoners were listening to them.

26Suddenly there was a great earthquake, enough to shake the foundations of the prison; immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed. ³⁶⁷

27But the jailer, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, drew sword, intending to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. ³⁶⁸

28But Paul shouted out, “Don't harm yourself, because we are all here!” ³⁶⁹

29So calling for a light he ran in and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.

30He then brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” ³⁷⁰

31So they said, “Believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ ³⁷¹and you will be saved, you and your household.”

32Then they spoke the Word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.

33In that same hour of the night he took them aside and washed their wounds, and thereupon he and all his family were baptized. ³⁷²

34Then he brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he was really rejoicing, having believed in God with his whole family.

Magistrates rebuked

35Now when it was day the magistrates sent the officers saying, “Let those men go.”

36So the jailer reported these words to Paul, “The magistrates have sent to release you; so now you can leave and go in peace.”

37But Paul said to them: ³⁷³“After severely beating us in public, although we were uncondemned Romans, they threw us into prison, and now do they toss us out on the sly? No way! Rather, let them come themselves and escort us out!”

38So the officers reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans;

39and they came and appealed to them, and leading them out they asked them to leave the city.

40So exiting the prison they entered Lydia's place, and upon seeing the brothers they encouraged them and departed.