Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

1Now he arrived at Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek,

2who had a good testimony by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium.

3Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him, because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was Greek.

4And as they were going through the cities, they were delivering to them the decrees to keep, which had been decided by the apostles and the elders at Jerusalem.

5Therefore the churches were strengthened in the faith, and were growing in number each day.

Paul's Vision of the Man of Macedonia

6Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the Galatian region, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit from speaking the word in Asia.

7And having come to Mysia they attempted to go to Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them.

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

9And a vision appeared during the night to Paul. A certain man of Macedonia was standing, urging him, and saying, “Come across to Macedonia and help us.”

10Now when he saw the vision, immediately we sought to go out to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Lydia Baptized at Philippi

11Therefore, putting to sea from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day came to Neapolis,

12and from there to Philippi, which is chief of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were spending some days in that very city.

13And on the Sabbath day we went outside the city beside a river, where prayer was customarily made; and having sat down we spoke to the women who assembled together there.

14And a certain woman named Lydia, a dealer of purple cloth of the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God, heard us, whose heart the Lord opened to give heed to the things spoken by Paul.

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

Paul and Silas Imprisoned

16Now it came to pass, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl, having a spirit of Python, met us, who brought much profit to her masters by fortune telling.

17This girl, following after Paul and us, was crying out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.”

18And this she did for many days. But Paul, being greatly annoyed and turning around, said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out in that very hour.

19And when her masters saw that the hope of their profit was gone, they took Paul and Silas, and dragged them to the marketplace before the rulers.

20And bringing them to the magistrates they said, “These men, being Jews, are agitating our city;

21and they are proclaiming customs which are not lawful for us to receive or to do, since we are Romans.”

22And the crowd rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore their clothes and ordered men to beat them with rods.

23And when they laid many strokes on them, they cast them into prison, commanding the prison keeper to keep them securely;

24who, having received such a command, cast them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

The Philippian Jailer Saved

25Now about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

26And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and all the bonds were loosed.

27And becoming awake, the prison keeper, seeing the doors of the prison open, drawing a sword, he was about to kill himself, supposing the prisoners to have escaped.

28But Paul called out with a loud voice, saying, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.”

29And asking for a light he rushed in, and he came trembling, and fell before Paul and Silas,

30and he brought them forth outside and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

31And they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved, you and your household.”

32And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all those in his house.

33And he took them along in that same hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he and all his family were baptized.

34And bringing them up into his house, he set a meal before them; and he rejoiced with his whole house, having believed in God.

35Now when it became day, the magistrates sent the officers, saying, “Release those men.”

36And the prison keeper told these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent so that you may be released. Now therefore depart, and go in peace.”

37But Paul said to them, “They beat us publicly, although we were uncondemned Romans, and they cast us into prison, and now do they cast us out secretly? No indeed! Let them come themselves and lead us out.”

38And the officers related to the magistrates these words, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans.

39And coming, they appealed to them, and bringing them out, they asked them to depart from the city.

40And coming out from the prison, they entered into the house of Lydia; and seeing the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.