Paul and Silas in Prison

¹⁶ Once when we were going to the place of prayer,^(A) we were met by a female slave who had a spirit^(B) by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. ¹⁷ She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God,^(C) who are telling you the way to be saved.” ¹⁸ She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.^(D)

¹⁹ When her owners realized that their hope of making money^(E) was gone, they seized Paul and Silas^(F) and dragged^(G) them into the marketplace to face the authorities. ²⁰ They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar^{(H) 21} by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans^(I) to accept or practice.”^(J)

²² The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods.^{(K) 23} After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer^(L) was commanded to guard them carefully. ²⁴ When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.^(M)

²⁵ About midnight^(N) Paul and Silas^(O) were praying and singing hymns^(P) to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶ Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken.^(Q) At once all the prison doors flew open,^(R) and everyone’s chains came loose.^{(S) 27} The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped.^{(T) 28} But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”

²⁹ The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.^{(U) 30} He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”^(V)

³¹ They replied, “Believe^(W) in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved^(X)—you and your household.”^{(Y) 32} Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. ³³ At that hour of the night^(Z) the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized.^{(AA) 34} The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he^(AB) was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.

³⁵ When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.” ³⁶ The jailer^(AC) told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.”^(AD)

³⁷ But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens,^(AE) and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.”

³⁸ The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed.^{(AF) 39} They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city.^{(AG) 40} After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house,^(AH) where they met with the brothers and sisters^(AI) and encouraged them. Then they left.

Rehoboam King of Judah^(A)

²¹ Rehoboam son of Solomon was king in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel in which to put his Name. His mother’s name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite.^(B)

²² Judah^(C) did evil in the eyes of the Lord. By the sins they committed they stirred up his jealous anger^(D) more than those who were before them had done. ²³ They also set up for themselves high places, sacred stones^(E) and Asherah poles^(F) on every high hill and under every spreading tree.^{(G) 24} There were even male shrine prostitutes^(H) in the land; the people engaged in all the detestable^(I) practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.

²⁵ In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt attacked^(J) Jerusalem. ²⁶ He carried off the treasures of the temple^(K) of the Lord and the treasures of the royal palace. He took everything, including all the gold shields^(L) Solomon had made. ²⁷ So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and assigned these to the commanders of the guard on duty at the entrance to the royal palace.^{(M) 28} Whenever the king went to the Lord’s temple, the guards bore the shields, and afterward they returned them to the guardroom.

²⁹ As for the other events of Rehoboam’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? ³⁰ There was continual warfare^(N) between Rehoboam and Jeroboam. ³¹ And Rehoboam rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. His mother’s name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite.^(O) And Abijah^[a] his son succeeded him as king.

Abijah King of Judah^(P)

15 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijah^[b] became king of Judah, ² and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Maakah^(Q) daughter of Abishalom.^[c]

³ He committed all the sins his father had done before him; his heart was not fully devoted^(R) to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his forefather had been. ⁴ Nevertheless, for David’s sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp^(S) in Jerusalem by raising up a son to succeed him and by making Jerusalem strong. ⁵ For David had done what was right in the eyes of the Lord and had not failed to keep^(T) any of the Lord’s commands all the days of his life—except in the case of Uriah^(U) the Hittite.

⁶ There was war^(V) between Abijah^[d] and Jeroboam throughout Abijah’s lifetime. ⁷ As for the other events of Abijah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. ⁸ And Abijah rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. And Asa his son succeeded him as king.

Asa King of Judah^(W)(X)

⁹ In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king of Judah, ¹⁰ and he reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His grandmother’s name was Maakah^(Y) daughter of Abishalom.

¹¹ Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as his father David^(Z) had done. ¹² He expelled the male shrine prostitutes^(AA) from the land and got rid of all the idols^(AB) his ancestors had made. ¹³ He even deposed his grandmother Maakah^(AC) from her position as queen mother,^(AD) because she had made a repulsive image for the worship of Asherah. Asa cut it down^(AE) and burned it in the Kidron Valley. ¹⁴ Although he did not remove^(AF) the high places, Asa’s heart was fully committed^(AG) to the Lord all his life. ¹⁵ He brought into the temple of the Lord the silver and gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated.^(AH)

¹⁶ There was war^(AI) between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns. ¹⁷ Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah^(AJ) to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.

¹⁸ Asa then took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple^(AK) and of his own palace. He entrusted it to his officials and sent^(AL) them to Ben-Hadad^(AM) son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, the king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus. ¹⁹ “Let there be a treaty^(AN) between me and you,” he said, “as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you a gift of silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will withdraw from me.”

²⁰ Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel. He conquered^(AO) Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maakah and all Kinnereth in addition to Naphtali. ²¹ When Baasha heard this, he stopped building Ramah^(AP) and withdrew to Tirzah.^{(AQ) 22} Then King Asa issued an order to all Judah—no one was exempt—and they carried away from Ramah^(AR) the stones and timber Baasha had been using there. With them King Asa^(AS) built up Geba^(AT) in Benjamin, and also Mizpah.^(AU)

²³ As for all the other events of Asa’s reign, all his achievements, all he did and the cities he built, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? In his old age, however, his feet became diseased. ²⁴ Then Asa rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the city of his father David. And Jehoshaphat^(AV) his son succeeded him as king.

Nadab King of Israel

²⁵ Nadab son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. ²⁶ He did evil^(AW) in the eyes of the Lord, following the ways of his father^(AX) and committing the same sin his father had caused Israel to commit.

²⁷ Baasha son of Ahijah from the tribe of Issachar plotted against him, and he struck him down^(AY) at Gibbethon,^(AZ) a Philistine town, while Nadab and all Israel were besieging it. ²⁸ Baasha killed Nadab in the third year of Asa king of Judah and succeeded him as king.

²⁹ As soon as he began to reign, he killed Jeroboam’s whole family.^(BA) He did not leave Jeroboam anyone that breathed, but destroyed them all, according to the word of the Lord given through his servant Ahijah the Shilonite. ³⁰ This happened because of the sins^(BB) Jeroboam had committed and had caused^(BC) Israel to commit, and because he aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel.

³¹ As for the other events of Nadab’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals^(BD) of the kings of Israel? ³² There was war^(BE) between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns.

Baasha King of Israel

³³ In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha son of Ahijah became king of all Israel in Tirzah,^(BF) and he reigned twenty-four years. ³⁴ He did evil^(BG) in the eyes of the Lord, following the ways of Jeroboam and committing the same sin Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.

16 Then the word of the Lord came to Jehu^(BH) son of Hanani^(BI) concerning Baasha: ² “I lifted you up from the dust^(BJ) and appointed you ruler^(BK) over my people Israel, but you followed the ways of Jeroboam and caused^(BL) my people Israel to sin and to arouse my anger by their sins. ³ So I am about to wipe out Baasha^(BM) and his house,^(BN) and I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat. ⁴ Dogs^(BO) will eat those belonging to Baasha who die in the city, and birds^(BP) will feed on those who die in the country.”

⁵ As for the other events of Baasha’s reign, what he did and his achievements, are they not written in the book of the annals^(BQ) of the kings of Israel? ⁶ Baasha rested with his ancestors and was buried in Tirzah.^(BR) And Elah his son succeeded him as king.

⁷ Moreover, the word of the Lord came^(BS) through the prophet Jehu^(BT) son of Hanani to Baasha and his house, because of all the evil he had done in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger by the things he did, becoming like the house of Jeroboam—and also because he destroyed it.