A Midnight Deliverance

25 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 violent earthquake that the foundations of the jail were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains came loose.(A) 27 When the jailer woke up and saw the doors of the prison standing open, he drew his sword and was going to kill himself, since he thought the prisoners had escaped.

28 But Paul called out in a loud voice, “Don’t harm yourself, because we’re all here!”

29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He escorted them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (B)

31 They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”(C) 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him along with everyone in his house. 33 He took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds. Right away he and all his family were baptized. 34 He brought them into his house, set a meal before them, and rejoiced because he had come to believe in God with his entire household.(D)

Read full chapter

The Conversion of the Philippian Jailer

25 Now about midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and[a] singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened and all the bonds[b] were unfastened. 27 And after[c] the jailer was awake and saw the doors of the prison open, he drew his[d] sword and[e] was about to kill himself, because he[f] thought the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul called out with a loud voice, saying, “Do no harm to yourself, for we are all here!” 29 And demanding lights, he rushed in and, beginning to tremble,[g] fell down at the feet of Paul and Silas. 30 And he brought them outside and[h] said, “Sirs, what must I do so that I can be saved?” 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household!” 32 And they spoke the message of the Lord to him, together with all those in his house. 33 And he took them at that very hour of the night and[i] washed their[j] wounds, and he himself was baptized at once, and all those of his household.[k] 34 And he brought them up into his[l] house and[m] set a meal before them,[n] and rejoiced greatly that he had believed in God with his whole household.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Acts 16:25 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“were praying”) has been translated as a finite verb
  2. Acts 16:26 Or “chains”
  3. Acts 16:27 Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“was”) which is understood as temporal
  4. Acts 16:27 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
  5. Acts 16:27 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“drew”) has been translated as a finite verb
  6. Acts 16:27 Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“thought”) which is understood as causal
  7. Acts 16:29 Literally “became trembling”
  8. Acts 16:30 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“brought”) has been translated as a finite verb
  9. Acts 16:33 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“took”) has been translated as a finite verb
  10. Acts 16:33 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
  11. Acts 16:33 *The word “household” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied from the previous verse
  12. Acts 16:34 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
  13. Acts 16:34 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“brought … up”) has been translated as a finite verb
  14. Acts 16:34 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation