Acts 16-17 (English Standard Version)

Acts 16

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

 ¹Paul^[a] came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named^(A) Timothy,^(B) the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. ²He was well spoken of by^(C) the brothers^[b] at Lystra and Iconium. ³Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he^(D) 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 on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance^(E) the decisions^(F) that had been reached by^(G) the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. ^5(H) So the churches were strengthened in^(I) the faith, and they increased in numbers^(J) daily.

The Macedonian Call

 ⁶And^(K) they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. ⁷And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but^(L) the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. ⁸So, passing by Mysia, they went down^(M) to Troas. ⁹And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." ¹⁰And when Paul^[c] had seen the vision, immediately^(N) we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

The Conversion of Lydia

 ¹¹So, setting sail from Troas, we^(O) made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, ¹²and from there to^(P) Philippi, which is a leading city of the^[d] district of Macedonia and^(Q) a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. ¹³And^(R) on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate^(S) to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we^(T) sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. ¹⁴One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods,^(U) who was a worshiper of God. The Lord^(V) opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. ¹⁵And after she was baptized,^(W) and her household as well, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay." And she^(X) prevailed upon us.

Paul and Silas in Prison

 ¹⁶As we were going to^(Y) the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had^(Z) a spirit of^(AA) divination and^(AB) brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. ¹⁷She followed Paul and us,^(AC) crying out, "These men are^(AD) servants^[e] of^(AE) the Most High God, who proclaim to you^(AF) the way of salvation." ¹⁸And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit,^(AG) "I command you^(AH) in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And^(AI) it came out that very hour.

 ¹⁹But^(AJ) when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and^(AK) dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. ²⁰And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, "These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. ²¹They^(AL) advocate customs that are not lawful for us^(AM) as Romans to accept or practice." ²²The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders^(AN) to beat them with rods. ²³And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. ²⁴Having received this order, he put them into the inner^(AO) prison and fastened their feet in^(AP) the stocks.

The Philippian Jailer Converted

 ^25(AQ) About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, ²⁶and suddenly^(AR) there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately^(AS) all the doors were opened, and^(AT) everyone’s bonds were unfastened. ²⁷When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and^(AU) was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. ²⁸But Paul cried with a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here." ²⁹And the jailer^[f] called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he^(AV) fell down before Paul and Silas. ³⁰Then he brought them out and said, "Sirs,^(AW) what must I do to be^(AX) saved?" ³¹And they said,^(AY) "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you^(AZ) and your household." ³²And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. ³³And he took them^(BA) the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he^(BB) was baptized at once, he and all his family. ³⁴Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he^(BC) rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.

 ³⁵But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, "Let those men go." ³⁶And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, "The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace." ³⁷But Paul said to them, "They have beaten us publicly,^(BD) uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out." ³⁸The police reported these words to the magistrates, and^(BE) they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. ³⁹So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and^(BF) asked them to leave the city. ⁴⁰So they went out of the prison and visited^(BG) Lydia. And when they had seen^(BH) the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.

Acts 17

Paul and Silas in Thessalonica

 ¹Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to^(BI) Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. ²And Paul went in,^(BJ) as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them^(BK) from the Scriptures, ^3(BL) explaining and proving that it was necessary for^(BM) the Christ to suffer and^(BN) to rise from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ." ⁴And^(BO) some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did^(BP) a great many of the devout^(BQ) Greeks and not a few of the leading women. ^5(BR) But the Jews^(BS) were jealous, and taking^(BT) some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. ⁶And when they could not find them,^(BU) they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, "These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, ⁷and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against^(BV) the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is^(BW) another king, Jesus." ⁸And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. ⁹And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

Paul and Silas in Berea

 ^10(BX) The brothers^[g] immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they^(BY) went into the Jewish synagogue. ¹¹Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness,^(BZ) examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. ^12(CA) Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek^(CB) women of high standing as well as men. ¹³But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too,^(CC) agitating and stirring up the crowds. ¹⁴Then the brothers^(CD) immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and^(CE) Timothy remained there. ^15(CF) Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as^(CG) Athens, and after receiving a command^(CH) for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed.

Paul in Athens

 ¹⁶Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was^(CI) provoked within him as he saw that the city was^(CJ) full of idols. ¹⁷So^(CK) he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. ¹⁸Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said,^(CL) "What does this babbler wish to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities"—because^(CM) he was preaching^(CN) Jesus and the resurrection. ¹⁹And they took him and brought him to^(CO) the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this^(CP) new teaching is that you are presenting? ²⁰For you bring some^(CQ) strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean." ²¹Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.

Paul Addresses the Areopagus

 ²²So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: "Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. ²³For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription,^(CR) 'To the unknown god.'^(CS) What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. ^24(CT) The God who made the world and everything in it, being^(CU) Lord of heaven and earth,^(CV) does not live in temples made by man,^{[h] 25}nor is he served by human hands,^(CW) as though he needed anything, since he himself^(CX) gives to all mankind^(CY) life and breath and everything. ²⁶And^(CZ) he made from one man every nation of mankind to live^(DA) on all the face of the earth,^(DB) having determined allotted periods and^(DC) the boundaries of their dwelling place, ^27(DD) that they should seek God, in the hope that^(DE) they might feel their way toward him and find him.^(DF) Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, ²⁸for

   ^(DG) "'In him we live and move and have our being';^[i]

   

   as even some of^(DH) your own poets have said,

   "'For we are indeed his offspring.'^[j]

 ^29(DI) Being then God’s offspring,^(DJ) we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. ^30(DK) The times of ignorance^(DL) God overlooked, but^(DM) now he^(DN) commands all people everywhere to repent, ³¹because he has fixed^(DO) a day on which^(DP) he will judge the world^(DQ) in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and^(DR) of this he has given assurance to all^(DS) by raising him from the dead."

 ³²Now when they heard of^(DT) the resurrection of the dead,^(DU) some mocked. But others said,^(DV) "We will hear you again about this." ³³So Paul went out from their midst. ³⁴But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius^(DW) the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.