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)

Occult Practices

⁹ When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate^(A) the detestable ways^(B) of the nations there. ¹⁰ Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire,^(C) who practices divination^(D) or sorcery,^(E) interprets omens, engages in witchcraft,^{(F) 11} or casts spells,^(G) or who is a medium or spiritist^(H) or who consults the dead. ¹² Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you.^{(I) 13} You must be blameless^(J) before the Lord your God.^(K)

The Prophet

¹⁴ The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination.^(L) But as for you, the Lord your God has not permitted you to do so.