Acts 16
Tree of Life Version
16 Now Paul came to Derbe and Lystra. There was a disciple there named Timothy, son of a woman who was a Jewish believer and a Greek father, 2 who was well-spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted this man to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him for the sake of the Jewish people in those places—for they all knew that his father was Greek.
4 As they were traveling through the cities, they were handing down the rulings that had been decided upon by the emissaries and elders in Jerusalem, for them to keep. 5 So Messiah’s communities were strengthened in the faith and kept increasing daily in number.
Going West to Macedonia
6 They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Ruach ha-Kodesh to speak the word in Asia. [a] 7 When they came to Mysia, they were trying to proceed into Bithynia, but the Ruach of Yeshua would not allow them. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.
9 Now a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man from Macedonia was standing and pleading with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” 10 As soon as he had seen the vision, immediately we tried to go to Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the Good News to them.
11 So we put out to sea from Troas and made a straight course for Samothrace, the next day on to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi—which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia as well as a Roman colony. We stayed in this city for several days.
13 On Yom Shabbat, we went outside the gate to the river, where we expected a place of prayer to be. We sat down and began speaking with the women who had gathered. 14 A woman named Lydia—a seller of purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, a God-fearer—was listening. The Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying.
15 When she was immersed, along with her household, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my house.” And she insisted.[b]
16 It so happened that as we were going to prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit of divination, who was bringing her masters much profit from her fortune-telling. [c] 17 Following after Paul and us, she kept shouting, saying, “These men are servants of El Elyon, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.” 18 She kept doing this for many days. But Paul was irritated and turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Messiah Yeshua to come out of her!” And it came out of her that very moment.
19 But when her masters saw that the hope of profit was gone, they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities. 20 And when they brought them to the chief authorities, they said, “These men are throwing our city into an uproar! Being Jewish, 21 they advocate customs which are not permitted for us to accept or practice,[d] being Romans.”
22 Then the crowd joined in the attack on them. So the chief authorities ripped their clothes off them and commanded them to be beaten with rods. 23 After inflicting many blows on them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to guard them securely. 24 Having received this charge, he threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.[e]
Salvation for a Jailer’s Household
25 But about midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a great earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. Immediately all the doors were unlocked, and everyone’s chains came loose.
27 When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Don’t harm yourself! We’re all here!”
29 The jailer called for lights and rushed in; and trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 After he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 They said, “Put your trust in the Lord Yeshua[f] and you will be saved—you and your household!”
32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him, along with everyone in his household. 33 He took them that very hour and washed their wounds, and at once he was immersed—he and all his household. 34 The jailer brought them to his house and set food before them, and he was overjoyed that he with his entire household had put their trust in God.
35 When day came, the chief authorities sent their police officers, saying, “Release those men.”
36 But the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The chief authorities have sent orders to release you. So come out now, and go in shalom.”
37 But Paul said to the officers, “They have beaten us publicly without a trial—men who are Roman citizens—and have thrown us into prison. And now they are sending us away secretly? No! Let them come themselves and lead us out!”
38 The police officers reported these words to the chief authorities. They became afraid when they heard they were Romans, 39 so they came and apologized to them. After they escorted them out, they kept begging them to leave the city. 40 When Paul and Silas went out of the prison, they visited Lydia’s house. And when they saw the brothers, they encouraged them and then departed.
Footnotes
- Acts 16:7 The Roman province of Asia, in the western part of Asia Minor (now part of Turkey).
- Acts 16:15 cf. 2 Kings 4:8-10.
- Acts 16:17 cf. Lev. 19:26; Deut. 18:9-10; Jer. 27:9-10.
- Acts 16:21 cf. Esth. 3:8.
- Acts 16:24 cf. Jer. 20:2-3.
- Acts 16:31 Some mss. add the Messiah.
Acts 16
New King James Version
Timothy Joins Paul and Silas
16 Then he came to (A)Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, (B)named Timothy, (C)the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek. 2 He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted to have him go on with him. And he (D)took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek. 4 And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them the (E)decrees to keep, (F)which were determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem. 5 (G)So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.
The Macedonian Call
6 Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of (H)Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in [a]Asia. 7 After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the [b]Spirit did not permit them. 8 So passing by Mysia, they (I)came down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A (J)man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go (K)to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.
Lydia Baptized at Philippi
11 Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day came to Neapolis, 12 and from there to (L)Philippi, which is the [c]foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were staying in that city for some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. 14 Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of (M)Thyatira, who worshiped God. (N)The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. 15 And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” So (O)she persuaded us.
Paul and Silas Imprisoned
16 Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl (P)possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters (Q)much profit by fortune-telling. 17 This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” 18 And this she did for many days.
But Paul, (R)greatly [d]annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” (S)And he came out that very hour. 19 But (T)when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and (U)dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.
20 And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, “These men, being Jews, (V)exceedingly trouble our city; 21 and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.” 22 Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes (W)and commanded them to be beaten with rods. 23 And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. 24 Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
The Philippian Jailer Saved
25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 (X)Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately (Y)all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. 27 And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. 28 But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”
29 Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 And he brought them out and said, (Z)“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 So they said, (AA)“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34 Now when he had brought them into his house, (AB)he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.
Paul Refuses to Depart Secretly
35 And when it was day, the magistrates sent the [e]officers, saying, “Let those men go.”
36 So the keeper of the prison reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Now therefore depart, and go in peace.”
37 But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us openly, uncondemned (AC)Romans, and have thrown us into prison. And now do they put us out secretly? No indeed! Let them come themselves and get us out.”
38 And the officers told these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans. 39 Then they came and pleaded with them and brought them out, and (AD)asked them to depart from the city. 40 So they went out of the prison (AE)and entered the house of Lydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them and departed.
Footnotes
- Acts 16:6 The Roman province of Asia
- Acts 16:7 NU adds of Jesus
- Acts 16:12 Lit. first
- Acts 16:18 distressed
- Acts 16:35 lictors, lit. rod bearers
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
