Acts 16:16-24

Christian Standard Bible

Paul and Silas in Prison

¹⁶ Once, as we were on our way to prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit by which she predicted the future.^(A) She made a large profit for her owners by fortune-telling. ¹⁷ As she followed Paul and us she cried out, “These men, who are proclaiming to you^[a] a way of salvation, are the servants of the Most High God.” ¹⁸ She did this for many days.

Paul was greatly annoyed. Turning to the spirit, he said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out right away.^(B)

¹⁹ When her owners realized that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas^(C) and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. ²⁰ Bringing them before the chief magistrates, they said, “These men are seriously disturbing our city. They are Jews ²¹ and are promoting customs that are not legal for us as Romans to adopt or practice.”^{(D) 22} The crowd joined in the attack against them, and the chief magistrates stripped off their clothes and ordered them to be beaten with rods.^{(E) 23} After they had severely flogged them, they threw them in jail, ordering the jailer to guard them carefully. ²⁴ Receiving such an order, he put them into the inner prison and secured their feet in the stocks.^(F)