Acts 16
Amplified Bible
The Macedonian Vision
16 Now Paul traveled to Derbe and also to Lystra. A disciple named Timothy was there, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer [in Christ], however, his father was a Greek. 2 Timothy was well spoken of by the brothers and sisters who were in Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted Timothy to go with him [as a missionary]; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, since they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decrees decided on by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem, for the churches to observe. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they continually increased in number day after day.
6 Now they passed through the territory of Phrygia and Galatia, after being forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in [the west coast province of] Asia [Minor]; 7 and after they came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; 8 so passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. 9 Then a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man from [the Roman province of] [a]Macedonia was standing and pleading with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” 10 And when he had seen the vision, [b]we (including Luke) tried to go on into Macedonia at once, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
11 So setting sail from Troas, we ran a direct course to Samothrace, and the next day [went on] to Neapolis; 12 and from there [we came] to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia, a Roman colony. We stayed on in this city for several days; 13 and on the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate to the bank of the [Gangites] river, where we thought there would be a [c]place of prayer, and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had come there.
First Convert in Europe
14 A woman named [d]Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a dealer in [e]purple fabrics who was [already] a worshiper of God, listened to us; and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention and to respond to the things said by Paul. 15 And when she was baptized, along with her household, she pleaded with us, saying, “If you have judged me and decided that I am faithful to the Lord [a true believer], come to my house and stay.” And she persuaded us.
16 It happened that as we were on our way to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave-girl who had [f]a spirit of divination [that is, a demonic spirit claiming to foretell the future and discover hidden knowledge], and she brought her owners a good profit by fortune-telling. 17 She followed after Paul and us and kept screaming and shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God! They are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!” 18 She continued doing this for several days. Then Paul, being greatly annoyed and worn out, turned and said to the spirit [inside her], “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ [as His representative] to come out of her!” And it came out at that very moment.
19 But when her owners saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities in the market place [where trials were held], 20 and when they had brought them before the chief magistrates, they said, “These men, who are Jews, are throwing our city into confusion and causing trouble. 21 They are publicly teaching customs which are unlawful for us, as Romans, to accept or observe.”
Paul and Silas Imprisoned
22 The crowd also joined in the attack against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them and ordered that Paul and Silas be beaten with rods.(A) 23 After striking them many times [with the rods], they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely. 24 He, having received such a [strict] command, threw them into the inner prison (dungeon) and fastened their feet in the stocks [in an agonizing position].
25 But about midnight when Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; 26 suddenly there was a great earthquake, so [powerful] that the very foundations of the prison were shaken and at once all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. 27 When the jailer, shaken out of sleep, saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted, saying, “Do not hurt yourself, we are all here!” 29 Then the jailer called for torches and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, 30 and after he brought them out [of the inner prison], he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
The Jailer Converted
31 And they answered, “Believe in the Lord Jesus [as your personal Savior and entrust yourself to Him] and you will be saved, you and your household [if they also believe].” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord [concerning eternal salvation through faith in Christ] to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their bloody wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. 34 Then he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, since he had believed in God with his entire family [accepting with joy what had been made known to them about the Christ].
35 Now when day came, the chief magistrates sent their officers, saying, “Release those men.” 36 And the jailer repeated the words to Paul, saying, “The chief magistrates have sent word to release you; so come out now and go in peace.” 37 But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us in public without a trial, men who are Romans, and have thrown us into prison; and now they are sending us out secretly? No! Let them come here themselves and bring us out!” 38 The officers reported this message to the chief magistrates, and [g]when they heard that the prisoners were Romans, they were frightened; 39 so they came [to the prison] and appealed to them [with apologies], and when they brought them out, they kept begging them to leave the city. 40 So they left the prison and went to Lydia’s house; and when they had seen the brothers and sisters, they encouraged and comforted them, and left.
Footnotes
- Acts 16:9 Northern Greece.
- Acts 16:10 At this point Luke (the writer) apparently joined the journey and includes himself in the narrative, speaking in the first person.
- Acts 16:13 Apparently there were not enough Jews living in Philippi to establish a synagogue.
- Acts 16:14 The first recorded believer in Europe.
- Acts 16:14 This was an important and valuable fabric, having great demand, being used on the official toga in Rome and its colonies.
- Acts 16:16 Lit a python spirit. In Greek mythology, Python the earth-dragon (serpent goddess), was associated with the oracle at Delphi.
- Acts 16:38 Paul was a Roman citizen because he was born in Tarsus (22:28), capitol of Cilicia and a city that the emperor Augustus had pronounced “free” because of its support of Rome. Nothing is known of Silas’ family background, but if his name is short for “Silvanus,” it is a Roman name (taken from the god of the forest) and it could be that Silas was also born a Roman citizen. Details on Roman citizenship at that time are sketchy at best, but it is clear from Acts that punishing a citizen without a trial and guilty verdict was illegal, probably involving severe penalties for the magistrates in charge. Also, a Roman citizen charged with a crime had the right to go to Rome and be tried in the emperor’s court (25:9-12).
Acts 16
Easy-to-Read Version
Timothy Goes With Paul and Silas
16 Paul went to the city of Derbe and then to Lystra, where a follower of Jesus named Timothy lived. Timothy’s mother was a Jewish believer, but his father was a Greek. 2 The believers in the cities of Lystra and Iconium had only good things to say about him. 3 Paul wanted Timothy to travel with him, but all the Jews living in that area knew that his father was a Greek. So Paul circumcised Timothy to please the Jews.
4 Then Paul and those with him traveled through other cities. They gave the believers the rules and decisions from the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. They told them to obey these rules. 5 So the churches were becoming stronger in their faith, and the number of believers was growing every day.
Paul Is Called to Macedonia
6 Paul and those with him went through the areas of Phrygia and Galatia because the Holy Spirit did not allow them to tell the Good News in the province of Asia. 7 When they reached the border of Mysia, they tried to go on into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not let them go there. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went to the city of Troas.
9 That night Paul saw a vision. In it, a man from Macedonia came to Paul. The man stood there and begged, “Come across to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we[a] immediately prepared to leave for Macedonia. We understood that God had called us to tell the Good News to those people.
The Conversion of Lydia
11 We left Troas in a ship and sailed to the island of Samothrace. The next day we sailed to the city of Neapolis. 12 Then we went to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city in that part of Macedonia. We stayed there for a few days.
13 On the Sabbath day we went out the city gate to the river. There we thought we might find a special place for prayer. Some women had gathered there, so we sat down and talked with them. 14 There was a woman there named Lydia from the city of Thyatira. Her job was selling purple cloth. She was a worshiper of the true God. Lydia was listening to Paul, and the Lord opened her heart to accept what Paul was saying. 15 She and all the people living in her house were baptized. Then she invited us into her home. She said, “If you think I am a true believer in the Lord Jesus, come stay in my house.” She persuaded us to stay with her.
Paul and Silas in Jail
16 One day we were going to the place for prayer, and a servant girl met us. She had a spirit[b] in her that gave her the power to tell what would happen in the future. By doing this she earned a lot of money for the men who owned her. 17 She started following Paul and the rest of us around. She kept shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God! They are telling you how you can be saved!” 18 She continued doing this for many days. This bothered Paul, so he turned and said to the spirit, “By the power of Jesus Christ, I command you to come out of her!” Immediately, the spirit came out.
19 When the men who owned the servant girl saw this, they realized that they could no longer use her to make money. So they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them to the public square to meet with the authorities. 20 They brought Paul and Silas before the Roman officials and said, “These men are Jews, and they are making trouble in our city. 21 They are telling people to do things that are not right for us as Romans to do.”
22 The whole crowd turned against Paul and Silas. The officials tore the clothes off both men and ordered that they be beaten with rods. 23 They were beaten severely and thrown into jail. The officials told the jailer, “Guard them very carefully!” 24 When the jailer heard this special order, he put Paul and Silas far inside the jail and bound their feet between large blocks of wood.
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing songs to God. The other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was an earthquake so strong that it shook the foundation of the jail. All the doors of the jail opened, and the chains on all the prisoners fell off. 27 The jailer woke up and saw that the jail doors were open. He thought that the prisoners had already escaped, so he got his sword and was ready to kill himself.[c] 28 But Paul shouted, “Don’t hurt yourself! We are all here!”
29 The jailer told someone to bring a light. Then he ran inside and, shaking with fear, fell down in front of Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them outside and said, “Men, what must I do to be saved?”
31 They said to him, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved—you and all who live in your house.” 32 So Paul and Silas told the message of the Lord to the jailer and all the people who lived in his house. 33 It was late at night, but the jailer took Paul and Silas and washed their wounds. Then the jailer and all his people were baptized. 34 After this the jailer took Paul and Silas home and gave them some food. All the people were very happy because they now believed in God.
35 The next morning the Roman officials sent some soldiers to tell the jailer, “Let these men go free.”
36 The jailer said to Paul, “The officials have sent these soldiers to let you go free. You can leave now. Go in peace.”
37 But Paul said to the soldiers, “Those officials did not prove that we did anything wrong, but they beat us in public and put us in jail. And we are Roman citizens.[d] Now they want us to go away quietly. No, they must come here themselves and lead us out!”
38 The soldiers told the officials what Paul said. When they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were afraid. 39 So they came and told them they were sorry. They led them out of the jail and asked them to leave the city. 40 But when Paul and Silas came out of the jail, they went to Lydia’s house. They saw some of the believers there and encouraged them. Then they left.
Footnotes
- Acts 16:10 we Luke, the writer, apparently went with Paul to Macedonia but did not leave Philippi with him. (See verse 40.) The first person pronoun occurs again in 20:5-21:18 and 27:1-28.
- Acts 16:16 spirit A spirit from the devil that gave special knowledge.
- Acts 16:27 kill himself He thought the leaders would kill him for letting the prisoners escape.
- Acts 16:37 Roman citizens Roman law said that Roman citizens must not be beaten before their trial.
Gevurot 16
Orthodox Jewish Bible
16 And Rav Sha’ul arrived also in Derbe and went on to Lystra. And, hinei, a certain talmid of Moshiach was there by the name Timotiyos, the ben of a faithful Yiddisha isha but whose abba was Yevani.
2 Timotiyos was a bochur who was well spoken of by the Achim b’Moshiach in Lystra and Iconium.
3 Rav Sha’ul wanted Timotiyos to come along with his chavurah, so he took him and did a bris milah, because of the Yehudim in those places, for everyone had da’as that his abba was Yevani.
4 And as they were traveling through the cities, they were handing on to them to be shomer regarding the mitzvot that had been laid down by the Moshiach’s Shlichim and the Ziknei HaKehillot of Moshiach in Yerushalayim.
5 The Moshiach’s Kehillot, therefore, were growing in the emunah (faith), and yom yom were increasing in number.
6 And they traveled through the regions of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Ruach Hakodesh to speak the dvar Hashem in [the Roman Province of] Asia.
7 And having come to the border of Mysia, they were trying to go toward Bithynia, and the Ruach of Moshiach did not permit them.
8 So, passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.
9 And during the lailah a chazon (vision) appeared to Rav Sha’ul. It was of a certain ish from Macedonia who had been standing and was begging him, saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us."
10 And when Rav Sha’ul saw the chazon, immediately he sought to cross over to Macedonia, concluding that Hashem had called us to preach the Besuras HaGeulah to them.
11 And having set sail from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and, on the next day, to Neapolis;
12 and from there, to Philippi, which is a chashuve city of the district of Macedonia, a Roman colony. And we were in this city, staying some yamim.
13 And on Shabbos, we went outside the sha’ar to a river where there was a mikveh mayim, supposing there we would find a minyan davening, and having sat down, we were speaking with the nashim who had assembled.
14 And a certain isha, by the name Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth, of the city of Thyatira, a yirat Elohim, was listening, and Hashem opened her lev (heart) to pay attention to the things being spoken by Rav Sha’ul.
15 And when she was given the Moshiach’s tevilah of teshuva along with all her household, she said, "If you have judged me ne’emanah to Hashem, enter into my bais and stay there." And she prevailed upon us.
16 And it came about when we were going to where they held the minyan, that a certain shifchah having a ruach of the python (i.e., a shed, demon) came out to meet us. She was bringing much profit to her adonim by divination. [Dt 18:11; 1Sm 28:3,7]
17 This one was following Rav Sha’ul, crying out, saying, "These anashim are avadim of G-d HaElyon and are proclaiming to you the Derech HaYeshu’at Eloheinu."
18 And this kviusdik thing she was doing for many yamim; but Rav Sha’ul, whom she wouldn’t stop derkutshen, turned to the ruach, and said, "I command you in haShem of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua to come out from her!” And it came out in the same hour.
19 And when her adonim saw that the tikvah of their profit also left her, they seized Rav Sha’ul and Sila, and they dragged them into the marketplace before their manhigim;
20 And having brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, "These anashim, being Jews, are disturbing our city,”
21 "And they are proclaiming minhagim which it is not permitted for us, being Romans, to accept or to do." [ESTHER 3:8]
22 And the multitude rose up together keneged Rav Sha’ul and Sila; and the chief magistrates, having torn off the kaftans of Moshiach’s Shlichim, were giving orders to beat them.
23 And having inflicted klop after klop upon these Jewish men, they threw Rav Sha’ul and Sila into the beis hasohar, giving orders to the soher to guard them securely.
24 And the soher, having received such an order, threw them into the inner beis hasohar, and he fastened their feet in the stock. [IYOV 13:27; 33:11; YIRMEYAH 20:2,3; 29:26]
25 And about chatzot halailah Rav Sha’ul and Sila were davening and were singing niggunim to Hashem, and the prisoners were listening to them.
26 And, suddenly, there came a gevaltike earthquake, so that the beis hasohar was shaken to its foundations, and immediately were opened all delatot (doors) and all sharsherot (chains) were unfastened.
27 And the soher, having awakened and having seen the delatot of the beis hasohar having been opened, drew his cherev (sword) and was about to commit suicide, thinking the prisoners had run away.
28 But Rav Sha’ul shouted with a kol gadol, saying, "Do no harm to yourself, for we are all here."
29 And having asked for lights, he rushed in and, starting to tremble with pachad, he fell down before Rav Sha’ul and Sila.
30 Then, leading them outside, the soher said, "Rabbotai, what is it necessary for me to do that I may come to Yeshu’at Eloheinu?"
31 And Moshiach’s Shlichim said, "Have emunah in the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu Yehoshua, and you will come to Yeshu’at Eloheinu, you and your bais."
32 And they spoke to him the dvar Hashem together with all the ones in his bais.
33 And having taken them in that hour of the lailah, the soher washed their wounds, and at once he did getoivult (was given Moshiach’s tevilah of teshuva), as well as his entire mishpochah.
34 After that he led them to tish in his bais, and he set before them okhel, and he with his whole bais had simcha gedolah that they had come to emunah in Hashem.
35 And in the boker, the magistrates sent the soterim (policemen), saying, "Release those men."
36 And the soher reported these words to Rav Sha’ul, saying, "The magistrates sent word that you may be released; now, therefore, go and depart in shalom." [SHOFETIM 18:6]
37 But Rav Sha’ul said to them, "After giving us a public flogging, though we are uncondemned Roman citizens, they threw us into the beis hasohar; and now are they secretly sending us out? No, indeed! Let them come themselves and lead us out in public."
38 And the soterim reported these words to the magistrates, and the magistrates were afraid, hearing that Rav Sha’ul and Sila were both Roman citizens.
39 So the magistrates came, and entreated Rav Sha’ul and Sila, and brought them out, asking them to depart from the city.
40 And having come out from the beis hasohar, they came to Lydia, and having seen and encouraged the Achim b’Moshiach of the Kehillah that met in Lydia’s bais, Rav Sha’ul and Sila departed.
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