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Acts 16:38-40
New English Translation
Acts 16:38-40
New English Translation
38 The police officers reported these words to the magistrates. They were frightened when they heard Paul and Silas[a] were Roman citizens[b] 39 and came[c] and apologized to them. After[d] they brought them out, they asked them repeatedly[e] to leave the city. 40 When they came out of the prison, they entered Lydia’s house, and when they saw the brothers, they encouraged them and then[f] departed.
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- Acts 16:38 tn Grk “heard they”; the referents (Paul and Silas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Acts 16:38 sn Roman citizens. This fact was disturbing to the officials because due process was a right for a Roman citizen, well established in Roman law. To flog a Roman citizen was considered an abomination. Such punishment was reserved for noncitizens.
- Acts 16:39 tn Grk “and coming, they apologized.” The participle ἐλθόντες (elthontes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
- Acts 16:39 tn Grk “and after.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.
- Acts 16:39 tn The verb ἐρώτων (erōtōn) has been translated as an iterative imperfect; the English adverb “repeatedly” brings out the iterative force in the translation.
- Acts 16:40 tn “Then” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to clarify the logical sequence in the translation.
Acts 16:38-40
New International Version
Acts 16:38-40
New International Version
38 The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed.(A) 39 They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city.(B) 40 After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house,(C) where they met with the brothers and sisters(D) and encouraged them. Then they left.
New English Translation (NET)
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New International Version (NIV) 
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