Paul and Silas in Prison

¹⁶ Once when we were going to the place of prayer,^(A) we were met by a female slave who had a spirit^(B) by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. ¹⁷ She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God,^(C) who are telling you the way to be saved.” ¹⁸ She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.^(D)

¹⁹ When her owners realized that their hope of making money^(E) was gone, they seized Paul and Silas^(F) and dragged^(G) them into the marketplace to face the authorities. ²⁰ They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar^{(H) 21} by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans^(I) to accept or practice.”^(J)

²² The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods.^{(K) 23} After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer^(L) was commanded to guard them carefully. ²⁴ When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.^(M)

²⁵ About midnight^(N) Paul and Silas^(O) were praying and singing hymns^(P) to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶ Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken.^(Q) At once all the prison doors flew open,^(R) and everyone’s chains came loose.^{(S) 27} The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped.^{(T) 28} But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”

²⁹ The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.^{(U) 30} He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”^(V)

³¹ They replied, “Believe^(W) in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved^(X)—you and your household.”^{(Y) 32} Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. ³³ At that hour of the night^(Z) the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized.^{(AA) 34} The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he^(AB) was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.

³⁵ When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.” ³⁶ The jailer^(AC) told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.”^(AD)

³⁷ But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens,^(AE) and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.”

³⁸ The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed.^{(AF) 39} They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city.^{(AG) 40} After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house,^(AH) where they met with the brothers and sisters^(AI) and encouraged them. Then they left.