³ Seeing that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to arrest Peter also. This happened during the Days of Unleavened Bread. ⁴ When he had seized him, he put him in prison and handed him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending to bring him before the people after the Passover.

⁵ So Peter was kept in prison. But the church prayed to God without ceasing for him.

The Imprisonment in Philippi

¹⁶ On one occasion, as we went to the place of prayer, a servant girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. ¹⁷ She followed Paul and us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” ¹⁸ She did this for many days. But becoming greatly troubled, Paul turned to the spirit and said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out at that moment.

¹⁹ When her masters saw that the hope of their profits was gone, they seized Paul and Silas, and dragged them into the marketplace to the rulers. ²⁰ And they brought them to the magistrates, saying, “These men, being Jews, greatly trouble our city ²¹ and teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.”

²² The crowd rose up together against them. And the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them. ²³ After they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely. ²⁴ Having received such an order, he threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

²⁵ At midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶ Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s shackles were loosened.