¹² From there we traveled to Philippi,^(A) a Roman colony and the leading city of that district^[a] of Macedonia.^(B) And we stayed there several days.

¹³ On the Sabbath^(C) we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. ¹⁴ One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira^(D) named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart^(E) to respond to Paul’s message. ¹⁵ When she and the members of her household^(F) were baptized,^(G) she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.

Paul and Silas in Prison

¹⁶ Once when we were going to the place of prayer,^(H) we were met by a female slave who had a spirit^(I) 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,^(J) 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.^(K)

¹⁹ When her owners realized that their hope of making money^(L) was gone, they seized Paul and Silas^(M) and dragged^(N) 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^{(O) 21} by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans^(P) to accept or practice.”^(Q)

²² The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods.^{(R) 23} After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer^(S) 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.^(T)

²⁵ About midnight^(U) Paul and Silas^(V) were praying and singing hymns^(W) 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.^(X) At once all the prison doors flew open,^(Y) and everyone’s chains came loose.^{(Z) 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.^{(AA) 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.^{(AB) 30} He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”^(AC)

³¹ They replied, “Believe^(AD) in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved^(AE)—you and your household.”^{(AF) 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^(AG) the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized.^{(AH) 34} The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he^(AI) 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^(AJ) told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.”^(AK)

³⁷ But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens,^(AL) 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.^{(AM) 39} They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city.^{(AN) 40} After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house,^(AO) where they met with the brothers and sisters^(AP) and encouraged them. Then they left.