Acts 16:16-40

New Century Version

Paul and Silas in Jail

¹⁶ Once, while we were going to the place for prayer, a servant girl met us. She had a special spirit^[a] in her, and she earned a lot of money for her owners by telling fortunes. ¹⁷ This girl followed Paul and us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God. They are telling you how you can be saved.”

¹⁸ She kept this up 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 owners of the servant girl saw this, they knew that now they could not use her to make money. So they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the city rulers in the marketplace. ²⁰ They brought Paul and Silas to the Roman rulers and said, “These men are Jews and are making trouble in our city. ²¹ They are teaching things that are not right for us as Romans to do.”

²² The crowd joined the attack against them. The Roman officers tore the clothes of Paul and Silas and had them beaten with rods. ²³ Then Paul and Silas were thrown into jail, and the jailer was ordered to guard them carefully. ²⁴ When he heard this order, he put them far inside the jail and pinned their feet down between large blocks of wood.

²⁵ About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing songs to God as the other prisoners listened. ²⁶ Suddenly, there was a strong earthquake that shook the foundation of the jail. Then all the doors of the jail broke open, and all the prisoners were freed from their chains. ²⁷ The jailer woke up and saw that the jail doors were open. Thinking that the prisoners had already escaped, he got his sword and was about to kill himself.^{[b] 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 before Paul and Silas. ³⁰ 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 the people in your house.” ³² So Paul and Silas told the message of the Lord to the jailer and all the people in his house. ³³ At that hour of the night the jailer took Paul and Silas and washed their wounds. Then he and all his people were baptized immediately. ³⁴ After this the jailer took Paul and Silas home and gave them food. He and his family were very happy because they now believed in God.

³⁵ The next morning, the Roman officers sent the police to tell the jailer, “Let these men go free.”

³⁶ The jailer said to Paul, “The officers have sent an order to let you go free. You can leave now. Go in peace.”

³⁷ But Paul said to the police, “They beat us in public without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens.^[c] And they threw us in jail. Now they want to make us go away quietly. No! Let them come themselves and bring us out.”

³⁸ The police told the Roman officers what Paul said. When the officers heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were afraid. ³⁹ So they came and told Paul and Silas they were sorry and took them out of jail and asked them to leave the city. ⁴⁰ So when they came out of the jail, they went to Lydia’s house where they saw some of the believers and encouraged them. Then they left.