Acts 16:6-24

English Standard Version

The Macedonian Call

⁶ And ^(A)they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. ⁷ And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but ^(B)the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. ⁸ So, passing by Mysia, they went down ^(C)to Troas. ⁹ And 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.” ¹⁰ And when Paul^[a] had seen the vision, immediately ^(D)we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

The Conversion of Lydia

¹¹ So, setting sail from Troas, we ^(E)made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, ¹² and from there to ^(F)Philippi, which is a leading city of the^[b] district of Macedonia and ^(G)a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. ¹³ And ^(H)on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate ^(I)to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we ^(J)sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. ¹⁴ One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, ^(K)who was a worshiper of God. The Lord ^(L)opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. ¹⁵ And after she was baptized, ^(M)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 ^(N)prevailed upon us.

Paul and Silas in Prison

¹⁶ As we were going to ^(O)the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had ^(P)a spirit of ^(Q)divination and ^(R)brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. ¹⁷ She followed Paul and us, ^(S)crying out, “These men are ^(T)servants of ^(U)the Most High God, who proclaim to you ^(V)the way of salvation.” ¹⁸ And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, ^(W)“I command you ^(X)in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And ^(Y)it came out that very hour.

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