Acts 16:16-40

Wycliffe Bible

¹⁶ And it was done, when we went to prayer, that a damsel that had a spirit of divination [some wench having a spirit of divination], met us, which gave great winning to her lords in divining.

¹⁷ This followed Paul and us, and cried, and said [saying], These men be servants of the high God, that tell to you the way of health.

¹⁸ And this she did in many days. And Paul sorrowed, and turned, and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ, that thou go out of her [I command to thee in the name of Jesus Christ, to go out of her]. And he went out in the same hour.

¹⁹ And the lords of her saw, that the hope of their winning went away, and they took Paul and Silas, and led into the market, either doom place, to the princes [catching Paul and Silas, they led them into the market, or doom place, to the princes].

²⁰ And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, These men disturb our city [These men distrouble our city], for they be Jews,

²¹ and show a custom, which is not leaveful to us to receive [and show a custom, which it is not leaveful to us to receive], neither do, since we be Romans.

²² And the people and magistrates ran against them [And the people ran against them, and the magistrates], and when they had rent (to pieces) the coats of them, they commanded them to be beaten with rods.

²³ And when they had given to them many wounds, they sent them into prison, and commanded to the keeper, that he should keep them diligently [commanding to the keeper, that he diligently should keep them].

²⁴ And when he had taken such a precept, he put them into the inner prison [Which, when he had taken such a precept, sent them into the inner prison], and restrained the feet of them in a tree.

²⁵ And at midnight Paul and Silas worshipped, and praised God; and they that were in [the] keeping heard them.

²⁶ And suddenly a great earth-moving was made, so that the foundaments of the prison were moved. And at once [And anon] all the doors were opened, and the bonds of all were loosed.

²⁷ And the keeper of the prison was awaked, and saw the gates of the prison opened [and seeing the gates of the prison opened], and with a sword drawn out he would have slain himself, and guessed that the men that were bound had fled [weening the bound men to have fled].

²⁸ But Paul cried with a great voice, and said [saying], Do thou no harm to thyself, for all we be here.

²⁹ And he asked light, and entered [in], and trembled, and fell down to Paul and to Silas at their feet [and trembling he fell down to Paul and Silas at the feet].

³⁰ And he brought them withoutforth, and said, Lords, what behooveth me to do, that I be made safe?

³¹ And they said, Believe thou in the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be safe, and thine house.

³² And they spake to him the word of the Lord, with all that were in his house.

³³ And he took them in the same hour of the night, and washed their wounds. And he was baptized, and all his house at once [anon].

³⁴ And when he had brought them into his house, he set to them a board. And he was glad with all his house, and believed to God [And he gladded with all his house, believing to God].

³⁵ And when day was come, the magistrates sent constables, and said, Deliver thou those men. [And when day was made, the magistrates sent tormentors, saying, Dismiss, or deliver, ye those men.]

³⁶ And the keeper of the prison told these words to Paul, That the magistrates have sent, that ye be delivered; now therefore go ye out, and go ye in peace [and go in peace].

³⁷ And Paul said to them, They sent us men of Rome into prison, that were beaten openly and uncondemned, and now privily they bring us out; not so, but come they themselves, and deliver us out. [Forsooth Paul said to them, They sent into prison us, beaten openly uncondemned, men Romans, and now privily they cast us out; not so, but come they, and themselves cast us out.]

³⁸ And the constables told these words to the magistrates; and they dreaded, for they heard that they were Romans.

³⁹ And they came, and besought them, and they brought them out, and prayed, that they should go out of the city.

⁴⁰ And they went out of the prison, and entered to Lydia [entered into Lydia]. And when they saw brethren [And the brethren seen], they comforted them, and went forth.