Now Paul also came to ^aDerbe and to ^bLystra. And a disciple was there, named ^cTimothy, the son of a ^dJewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek, 2 and he was well spoken of by ^athe brothers and sisters who were in ^bLystra and ^cIconium. 3 Paul wanted this man to leave with him; and he ^atook him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 Now while they were passing through the cities, they were delivering ^athe ordinances for them to follow which had been determined by ^bthe apostles and ^celders in Jerusalem. 5 So ^athe churches were being strengthened ¹in the faith, and were ^bincreasing in number daily.

6 They passed through the ^1aPhrygian and ^bGalatian region, after being forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in ^2cAsia; 7 and after they came to ^aMysia, they were trying to go into ^bBithynia, and the ^cSpirit of Jesus did not allow them; 8 and passing by ^aMysia, they went down to ^bTroas. 9 ^aAnd a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of ^bMacedonia was standing and pleading with him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 When he had seen ^athe vision, ^bwe immediately sought to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to ^cpreach the gospel to them.

11 So after setting sail from ^aTroas, we ran ^ba straight course to Samothrace, and on the following day to Neapolis; 12 and from there to ^aPhilippi, which is a leading city of the district of ^bMacedonia, ^ca Roman colony; and we were spending some days in this city. 13 And on ^athe Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were thinking that there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled.

14 A woman named Lydia was listening; she was a seller of purple fabrics from the city of ^aThyatira, and ^ba worshiper of God. ¹The Lord ^copened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. 15 Now when she and ^aher household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

16 It happened that as we were going to ^athe place of prayer, a slave woman who had ^ba spirit of divination met us, who was bringing great profit to her masters by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and us and cried out repeatedly, saying, “These men are bond-servants of ^athe Most High God, who are proclaiming to you a way of salvation.” 18 Now she continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and he turned and said to the spirit, “I command you ^ain the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out at that very ¹moment.

19 But when her masters saw that their hope of ^aprofit was suddenly gone, they seized ^bPaul and Silas and ^cdragged them into the marketplace before the authorities, 20 and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, “These men, Jews as they are, are causing our city trouble, 21 and they ^aare proclaiming customs that are not lawful for us to accept or to practice, since we are ^bRomans.”

22 The crowd joined in an attack against them, and the chief magistrates tore their ¹robes off them and proceeded to order ²them to be ^abeaten with rods. 23 When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding ^athe jailer to guard them securely; 24 ¹and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in ^athe ²stocks.

25 Now about midnight ^aPaul and Silas were praying and ^bsinging hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; 26 and suddenly ^athere was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately ^ball the doors were opened, and everyone’s ^cchains were unfastened. 27 When ^athe jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about ^bto kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul called out with a loud voice, saying, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!” 29 And the jailer asked for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear, he fell down before ^aPaul and Silas; 30 and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, ^awhat must I do to be saved?”

31 They said, “^aBelieve in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and ^byour household.” 32 And they spoke the word of God to him together with all who were in his house. 33 And he took them ^athat very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. 34 And he brought them into his house and set ¹food before them, and was ²overjoyed, since he had become a believer in God together with ^ahis whole household.

35 Now when day came, the chief magistrates sent their officers, saying, “Release those men.” 36 And ^athe jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The chief magistrates have sent word that you be released. So come out now and go ^bin peace.” 37 But Paul said to them, “After beating us in public without due process—^amen who are Romans—they threw us into prison; and now they are releasing us secretly? No indeed! On the contrary, let them come ¹in person and lead us out.” 38 The officers reported these words to the chief magistrates. ^aAnd they became fearful when they heard that they were Romans, 39 and they came and pleaded with them, and when they had led them out, they repeatedly asked them ^ato leave the city. 40 They left the prison and entered the house of ^aLydia, and when they saw ^bthe brothers and sisters, they ¹encouraged them and departed.