Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

1Paul ¹⁹²went on to Derbe and Lystra, and behold, a disciple named Timothy was there. He was the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek.

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

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

4As they went through the cities, they delivered the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and the elders in Jerusalem for the Gentile believers to obey.

5So the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in number every day.

Paul's Vision of the Macedonian Man

6Then Paul and his companions went through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit from speaking the word in Asia.

7When they reached Mysia, they tried to go ¹⁹³on toward Bithynia, but the ¹⁹⁴Spirit did not allow them.

8So passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas.

9During the night Paul had a vision. A Macedonian man was standing there, urging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!”

10After Paul saw the vision, we immediately endeavored to go on to Macedonia, concluding that ¹⁹⁵the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.

The Conversion of Lydia

11So we set sail from Troas and followed a straight course to Samothrace, and on the next day we went to Neapolis.

12From there we went on to Philippi, which is a Roman colony and a ¹⁹⁶leading city of that district of Macedonia. We stayed in that city for several days.

13On the Sabbath day we went outside the ¹⁹⁷city to a riverside, where ¹⁹⁸it was customary for there to be prayer. We sat down and began speaking to the women who had gathered together.

14One of those listening to us was a woman named Lydia. She was a worshiper of God from the city of Thyatira and a seller of purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying.

15After she was baptized, along with her household, she urged us, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come stay at my house.” And she persuaded us to do so.

Paul and Silas Imprisoned in Philippi

16One day, as we were on our way to prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination. She had brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling.

17She followed along behind Paul and ¹⁹⁹us and kept crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to ²⁰⁰us a way of salvation.”

18She kept on doing this for many days, and Paul became so annoyed that he turned and said to the spirit, “I command yoʋ in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.

19When her masters saw that their hope for profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas, dragged them to the marketplace, and set them before the authorities.

20After bringing them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are seriously disturbing our city. They are Jews,

21and they are proclaiming customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.”

22The crowd rose up together against them, and the magistrates tore their garments off them and ordered them to be beaten with rods.

23After inflicting many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them under close guard.

24When he received this order, he put them in the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

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

26Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. Immediately all the doors opened, and all the chains came loose.

27Then the jailer was awakened, and when he saw that the doors of the prison were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, assuming that the prisoners had escaped.

28But Paul cried out with a loud voice, “Do yoʋrself no harm, for we are all here.”

29Calling for lights, the jailer rushed in and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.

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

31They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus ²⁰¹Christ, and yoʋ will be saved, yoʋ and yoʋr household.”

32Then they spoke the word of ²⁰²the Lord to him ²⁰³and to everyone in his household.

33He then took them in that hour of the night and washed their wounds. Then he was baptized at once, along with his entire household.

34After bringing Paul and Silas into ²⁰⁴his house, he set a meal before them. And he rejoiced, along with his entire household, because he had come to believe in God.

35When daybreak came, the magistrates sent their officers, saying, “Release those men.”

36So the jailer reported ²⁰⁵these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent orders for you to be released. Therefore come out now and go in peace.”

37But Paul said to them, “They beat us in public without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and they threw us into prison. And now they are sending us away secretly? Certainly not! Rather, let them come and escort us out themselves.”

38So the officers reported these words to the magistrates, and the magistrates were afraid when they heard that the men were Roman citizens.

39So they came and spoke to them in a conciliatory manner. As they escorted them out, they begged them to leave the city.

40So Paul and Silas came out of the prison and went to Lydia's house. And after seeing the brothers and encouraging them, they departed.