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Acts 14-16
Contemporary English Version

Paul and Barnabas in Iconium

14 Paul and Barnabas spoke in the synagogue in Iconium, just as they had done at Antioch, and many Jews and Gentiles[a] put their faith in the Lord. 2 But the Jews who did not have faith in him made the other Gentiles angry and turned them against the Lord's followers.

3 Paul and Barnabas stayed there for a while, having faith in the Lord and bravely speaking his message. The Lord gave them the power to work miracles and wonders, and he showed that their message about his gift of undeserved grace was true.

4 The people of Iconium did not know what to think. Some of them believed the Jewish group, and others believed the apostles. 5 Finally, some Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, decided to make trouble for Paul and Barnabas and to stone them to death.

6-7 But when the two apostles found out what was happening, they escaped to the region of Lycaonia. They preached the good news there in the towns of Lystra and Derbe and in the nearby countryside.

Paul and Barnabas in Lystra

8 In Lystra there was a man who had been born with paralyzed feet and had never been able to walk. 9 The man was listening to Paul speak, when Paul saw that he had faith in Jesus and could be healed. So he looked straight at the man 10 and shouted, “Stand up!” The man jumped up and started walking around.

11 When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they yelled out in the language of Lycaonia, “The gods have turned into humans and have come down to us!” 12 The people then gave Barnabas the name Zeus, and they gave Paul the name Hermes,[b] because he did the talking.

13 The temple of Zeus was near the entrance to the city. Its priest and the crowds wanted to offer a sacrifice to Barnabas and Paul. So the priest brought some bulls and flowers to the city gates. 14 When the two apostles found out about this, they tore their clothes in horror and ran to the crowd, shouting:

15 (A) Why are you doing this? We are humans just like you. Please give up all this foolishness. Turn to the living God, who made the sky, the earth, the sea, and everything in them. 16 In times past, God let each nation go its own way. 17 But he showed he was there by the good things he did. God sends rain from heaven and makes your crops grow. He gives food to you and makes your hearts glad.

18 Even after Paul and Barnabas had said all this, they could hardly keep the people from offering a sacrifice to them.

19 Some Jewish leaders from Antioch and Iconium came and turned the crowds against Paul. They hit him with stones and dragged him out of the city, thinking he was dead. 20 But when the Lord's followers gathered around Paul, he stood up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas went to Derbe.

Paul and Barnabas Return to Antioch in Syria

21 Paul and Barnabas preached the good news in Derbe and won some people to the Lord. Then they went back to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch in Pisidia. 22 They encouraged the followers and begged them to remain faithful. They told them, “We have to suffer a lot before we can get into God's kingdom.” 23 Paul and Barnabas chose some leaders for each of the churches. Then they went without eating[c] and prayed that the Lord would take good care of these leaders who had trusted in the Lord.

24 Paul and Barnabas went on through Pisidia to Pamphylia, 25 where they preached in the town of Perga. Then they went down to Attalia 26 and sailed to Antioch in Syria. It was there that they had been placed in God's care for the work they had now completed.[d]

27 After arriving in Antioch, they called the church together. They told the people what God had helped them do and how he had made it possible for the Gentiles to believe. 28 Then they stayed there with the followers for a long time.

15 (B) Some people came from Judea and started teaching the Lord's followers that they could not be saved, unless they were circumcised as Moses had taught. 2 This caused trouble, and Paul and Barnabas argued with them about this teaching. So it was decided to send Paul and Barnabas and a few others to Jerusalem to discuss this problem with the apostles and the church leaders.

The Church Leaders Meet in Jerusalem

3 The men who were sent by the church went through Phoenicia and Samaria, telling how the Gentiles had turned to God. This news made the Lord's followers very happy. 4 When the men arrived in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, including the apostles and the leaders. They told them everything God had helped them do. 5 But some Pharisees had become followers of the Lord. They stood up and said, “Gentiles who have faith in the Lord must be circumcised and told to obey the Law of Moses.”

6 The apostles and church leaders met to discuss this problem about Gentiles. 7 (C) They had talked it over for a long time, when Peter got up and said:

My friends, you know that God decided long ago to let me be the one from your group to preach the good news to the Gentiles. God did this so they would hear and obey him. 8 (D) He knows what is in everyone's heart. And he showed he had chosen the Gentiles, when he gave them the Holy Spirit, just as he had given his Spirit to us. 9 God treated them in the same way that he treated us. They put their faith in him, and he made their hearts pure.

10 Now why are you trying to make God angry by placing a heavy burden on these followers? This burden was too heavy for us or our ancestors. 11 But we believe that we will be saved by the gift of undeserved grace from our Lord Jesus Christ, just as the Gentiles are.

12 Everyone kept quiet and listened as Barnabas and Paul told how God had given them the power to work a lot of miracles and wonders for the Gentiles.

13 After they had finished speaking, James[e] said:

My friends, listen to me! 14 Simon Peter[f] has told how God first came to the Gentiles and made some of them his own people. 15 This agrees with what the prophets wrote,

16 (E) “I, the Lord, will return
and rebuild
    David's fallen house.
I will build it from its ruins
    and set it up again.
17 Then other nations
will turn to me
    and be my chosen ones.
I, the Lord, say this.
18     I promised it long ago.”

19 And so, my friends, I don't think we should place burdens on the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20 (F) We should simply write and tell them not to eat anything that has been offered to idols. They should be told not to eat the meat of any animal that has been strangled or that still has blood in it. They must also not commit any terrible sexual sins.[g]

21 We must remember that the Law of Moses has been preached in city after city for many years, and every Sabbath it is read in our synagogues.

A Letter to Gentiles Who Had Faith in the Lord

22 The apostles, the leaders, and all the church members decided to send some men to Antioch along with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Silas and Judas Barsabbas,[h] who were two leaders of the Lord's followers. 23 They wrote a letter that said:

We apostles and leaders send friendly greetings to all of you Gentiles who are followers of the Lord in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia.

24 We have heard that some people from here have terribly upset you by what they said. But we did not send them! 25 So we met together and decided to choose some men and to send them to you along with our good friends Barnabas and Paul. 26 These men have risked their lives for our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We are also sending Judas and Silas, who will tell you in person the same things that we are writing.

28 The Holy Spirit has shown us that we should not place any extra burden on you. 29 (G) But you should not eat anything offered to idols. You should not eat any meat that still has the blood in it or any meat of any animal that has been strangled. You must also not commit any terrible sexual sins. If you follow these instructions, you will do well.

We send our best wishes.

30 The four men left Jerusalem and went to Antioch. Then they called the church members together and gave them the letter. 31 When the letter was read, everyone was pleased and greatly encouraged. 32 Judas and Silas were prophets, and they spoke a long time, encouraging and helping the Lord's followers.

33 The men from Jerusalem stayed on in Antioch for a while. And when they left to return to the ones who had sent them, the followers wished them well. 34-35 But Paul and Barnabas stayed on in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached about the Lord.[i]

Paul and Barnabas Go Their Separate Ways

36 Sometime later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let's go back and visit the Lord's followers in the cities where we preached his message. Then we will know how they are doing.” 37 Barnabas wanted to take along John, whose other name was Mark. 38 (H) But Paul did not want to, because Mark had left them in Pamphylia and had stopped working with them.

39 Paul and Barnabas argued, then each of them went his own way. Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus, 40 but Paul took Silas and left after the followers had placed them in God's care. 41 They traveled through Syria and Cilicia, encouraging the churches.

Timothy Works with Paul and Silas

16 Paul and Silas went back to Derbe and Lystra, where there was a follower named Timothy. His mother was also a follower. She was Jewish, and his father was Greek. 2 The Lord's followers in Lystra and Iconium said good things about Timothy, 3 and Paul wanted him to go with them. But Paul first had him circumcised, because all the Jewish people around there knew that Timothy's father was Greek.[j]

4 As Paul and the others went from city to city, they told the followers what the apostles and leaders in Jerusalem had decided, and they urged them to follow these instructions. 5 The churches became stronger in their faith, and each day more people put their faith in the Lord.

Paul's Vision in Troas

6 Paul and his friends went through Phrygia and Galatia, but the Holy Spirit would not let them preach in Asia. 7 After they arrived in Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not let them. 8 So they went on through[k] Mysia until they came to Troas.

9 During the night, Paul had a vision of someone from Macedonia who was standing there and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we began looking for a way to go to Macedonia. We were sure that God had called us to preach the good news there.

Lydia Becomes a Follower of the Lord

11 We sailed straight from Troas to Samothrace, and the next day we arrived in Neapolis. 12 From there we went to Philippi, which is a Roman colony in the first district of Macedonia.[l]

We spent several days in Philippi. 13 Then on the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to a place by the river, where we thought there would be a Jewish meeting place for prayer. We sat down and talked with the women who came. 14 One of them was Lydia, who was from the city of Thyatira and sold expensive purple cloth. She was a worshiper of the Lord God, and he made her willing to accept what Paul was saying. 15 Then after she and her family were baptized, she kept on begging us, “If you think I really do have faith in the Lord, come stay in my home.” Finally, we accepted her invitation.

Paul and Silas Are Put in Jail

16 One day on our way to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl. She had a spirit in her that gave her the power to tell the future. By doing this she made a lot of money for her owners. 17 The girl followed Paul and the rest of us, and she kept yelling, “These men are servants of the Most High God! They are telling you how to be saved.”

18 This went on for several days. Finally, Paul got so upset that he turned and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ, I order you to leave this girl alone!” At once the evil spirit left her.

19 When the girl's owners realized they had lost all chances for making more money, they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them into court. 20 They told the officials, “These Jews are upsetting our city! 21 They are telling us to do things we Romans are not allowed to do.”

22 The crowd joined in the attack on Paul and Silas. Then the officials tore the clothes off the two men and ordered them to be beaten with a whip. 23 After they had been badly beaten, they were put in jail, and the jailer was told to guard them carefully. 24 The jailer did as he was told. He put them deep inside the jail and chained their feet to heavy blocks of wood.

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing praises to God, while the other prisoners listened. 26 Suddenly a strong earthquake shook the jail to its foundations. The doors opened, and the chains fell from all the prisoners.

27 When the jailer woke up and saw that the doors were open, he thought that the prisoners had escaped. He pulled out his sword and was about to kill himself. 28 But Paul shouted, “Don't harm yourself! No one has escaped.”

29 The jailer asked for a torch and went into the jail. He was shaking all over as he knelt down in front of Paul and Silas. 30 After he had led them out of the jail, he asked, “What must I do to be saved?”

31 They replied, “Have faith in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved! This is also true for everyone who lives in your home.”

32 Then Paul and Silas told him and everyone else in his house about the Lord. 33 While it was still night, the jailer took them to a place where he could wash their cuts and bruises. Then he and everyone in his home were baptized. 34 They were very glad they had put their faith in God. After this, the jailer took Paul and Silas to his home and gave them something to eat.

35 The next morning the officials sent some police with orders for the jailer to let Paul and Silas go. 36 The jailer told Paul, “The officials have ordered me to set you free. Now you can leave in peace.”

37 But Paul told the police, “We are Roman citizens,[m] and the Roman officials had us beaten in public without giving us a trial. They threw us into jail. Now do they think they can secretly send us away? No, they cannot! They will have to come here themselves and let us out.”

38 When the police told the officials that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, the officials were afraid. 39 So they came and apologized. They led them out of the jail and asked them to please leave town. 40 But Paul and Silas went straight to the home of Lydia, where they saw the Lord's followers and encouraged them. Then they left.

Footnotes

  1. 14.1 Gentiles: The Greek text has “Greeks,” which probably means people who were not Jews. But it may mean Gentiles who worshiped with the Jews.
  2. 14.12 Hermes: The Greeks thought of Hermes as the messenger of the other gods, especially of Zeus, their chief god.
  3. 14.23 went without eating: See the note at 13.2.
  4. 14.26 the work they had now completed: See 13.1-3.
  5. 15.13 James: The Lord's brother.
  6. 15.14 Simon Peter: The Greek text has “Simeon,” which is another form of the name “Simon.” The apostle Peter is meant.
  7. 15.20 not commit any terrible sexual sins: This probably refers to the laws about the wrong kind of marriages that are forbidden in Leviticus 18.6-18 or to some serious sexual sin.
  8. 15.22 Judas Barsabbas: He may have been a brother of Joseph Barsabbas (see 1.23), but the name “Barsabbas” was often used by the Jewish people.
  9. 15.34,35 Verse 34, which says that Silas decided to stay on in Antioch, is not in some manuscripts.
  10. 16.3 had him circumcised … Timothy's father was Greek: Timothy would not have been acceptable to the Jews unless he had been circumcised, and Greeks did not circumcise their sons.
  11. 16.8 went on through: Or “passed by.”
  12. 16.12 in the first district of Macedonia: Some manuscripts have “and the leading city of Macedonia.”
  13. 16.37 Roman citizens: Only a small number of the people living in the Roman Empire were citizens, and they had special rights and privileges.
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Acts 14-16
New International Version

In Iconium

14 At Iconium(A) Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue.(B) There they spoke so effectively that a great number(C) of Jews and Greeks believed. 2 But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the other Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.(D) 3 So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly(E) for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders.(F) 4 The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles.(G) 5 There was a plot afoot among both Gentiles and Jews,(H) together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them.(I) 6 But they found out about it and fled(J) to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding country, 7 where they continued to preach(K) the gospel.(L)

In Lystra and Derbe

8 In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth(M) and had never walked. 9 He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed(N) 10 and called out, “Stand up on your feet!”(O) At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.(P)

11 When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!”(Q) 12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker.(R) 13 The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.

14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes(S) and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: 15 “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human,(T) like you. We are bringing you good news,(U) telling you to turn from these worthless things(V) to the living God,(W) who made the heavens and the earth(X) and the sea and everything in them.(Y) 16 In the past, he let(Z) all nations go their own way.(AA) 17 Yet he has not left himself without testimony:(AB) He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons;(AC) he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.”(AD) 18 Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.

19 Then some Jews(AE) came from Antioch and Iconium(AF) and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul(AG) and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. 20 But after the disciples(AH) had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.

The Return to Antioch in Syria

21 They preached the gospel(AI) in that city and won a large number(AJ) of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium(AK) and Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith.(AL) “We must go through many hardships(AM) to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. 23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders[a](AN) for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting,(AO) committed them to the Lord,(AP) in whom they had put their trust. 24 After going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia,(AQ) 25 and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

26 From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch,(AR) where they had been committed to the grace of God(AS) for the work they had now completed.(AT) 27 On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them(AU) and how he had opened a door(AV) of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.(AW)

The Council at Jerusalem

15 Certain people(AX) came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers:(AY) “Unless you are circumcised,(AZ) according to the custom taught by Moses,(BA) you cannot be saved.” 2 This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem(BB) to see the apostles and elders(BC) about this question. 3 The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia(BD) and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted.(BE) This news made all the believers very glad. 4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.(BF)

5 Then some of the believers who belonged to the party(BG) of the Pharisees(BH) stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.”(BI)

6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question. 7 After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe.(BJ) 8 God, who knows the heart,(BK) showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them,(BL) just as he did to us. 9 He did not discriminate between us and them,(BM) for he purified their hearts by faith.(BN) 10 Now then, why do you try to test God(BO) by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke(BP) that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? 11 No! We believe it is through the grace(BQ) of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”

12 The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders(BR) God had done among the Gentiles through them.(BS) 13 When they finished, James(BT) spoke up. “Brothers,” he said, “listen to me. 14 Simon[b] has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles.(BU) 15 The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:

16 “‘After this I will return
    and rebuild David’s fallen tent.
Its ruins I will rebuild,
    and I will restore it,
17 that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord,
    even all the Gentiles who bear my name,
says the Lord, who does these things’[c](BV)—
18     things known from long ago.[d](BW)

19 “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20 Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols,(BX) from sexual immorality,(BY) from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.(BZ) 21 For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”(CA)

The Council’s Letter to Gentile Believers

22 Then the apostles and elders,(CB) with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch(CC) with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas,(CD) men who were leaders among the believers. 23 With them they sent the following letter:

The apostles and elders, your brothers,

To the Gentile believers in Antioch,(CE) Syria(CF) and Cilicia:(CG)

Greetings.(CH)

24 We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said.(CI) 25 So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul— 26 men who have risked their lives(CJ) for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas(CK) to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. 28 It seemed good to the Holy Spirit(CL) and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: 29 You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.(CM) You will do well to avoid these things.

Farewell.

30 So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. 31 The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. 32 Judas and Silas,(CN) who themselves were prophets,(CO) said much to encourage and strengthen the believers. 33 After spending some time there, they were sent off by the believers with the blessing of peace(CP) to return to those who had sent them. [34] [e] 35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached(CQ) the word of the Lord.(CR)

Disagreement Between Paul and Barnabas

36 Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns(CS) where we preached the word of the Lord(CT) and see how they are doing.” 37 Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark,(CU) with them, 38 but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them(CV) in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. 39 They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas(CW) and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord.(CX) 41 He went through Syria(CY) and Cilicia,(CZ) strengthening the churches.(DA)

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

16 Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra,(DB) where a disciple named Timothy(DC) lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer(DD) but whose father was a Greek. 2 The believers(DE) at Lystra and Iconium(DF) spoke well of him. 3 Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.(DG) 4 As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders(DH) in Jerusalem(DI) for the people to obey.(DJ) 5 So the churches were strengthened(DK) in the faith and grew daily in numbers.(DL)

Paul’s Vision of the Man of Macedonia

6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia(DM) and Galatia,(DN) having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia.(DO) 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus(DP) would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.(DQ) 9 During the night Paul had a vision(DR) of a man of Macedonia(DS) standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we(DT) got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel(DU) to them.

Lydia’s Conversion in Philippi

11 From Troas(DV) we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. 12 From there we traveled to Philippi,(DW) a Roman colony and the leading city of that district[f] of Macedonia.(DX) And we stayed there several days.

13 On the Sabbath(DY) we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14 One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira(DZ) named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart(EA) to respond to Paul’s message. 15 When she and the members of her household(EB) were baptized,(EC) she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.

Paul and Silas in Prison

16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer,(ED) we were met by a female slave who had a spirit(EE) 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,(EF) 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.(EG)

19 When her owners realized that their hope of making money(EH) was gone, they seized Paul and Silas(EI) and dragged(EJ) 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(EK) 21 by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans(EL) to accept or practice.”(EM)

22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods.(EN) 23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer(EO) 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.(EP)

25 About midnight(EQ) Paul and Silas(ER) were praying and singing hymns(ES) 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.(ET) At once all the prison doors flew open,(EU) and everyone’s chains came loose.(EV) 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.(EW) 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.(EX) 30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”(EY)

31 They replied, “Believe(EZ) in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved(FA)—you and your household.”(FB) 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(FC) the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized.(FD) 34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he(FE) 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(FF) told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.”(FG)

37 But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens,(FH) 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.(FI) 39 They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city.(FJ) 40 After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house,(FK) where they met with the brothers and sisters(FL) and encouraged them. Then they left.

Footnotes

  1. Acts 14:23 Or Barnabas ordained elders; or Barnabas had elders elected
  2. Acts 15:14 Greek Simeon, a variant of Simon; that is, Peter
  3. Acts 15:17 Amos 9:11,12 (see Septuagint)
  4. Acts 15:18 Some manuscripts things’— / 18 the Lord’s work is known to him from long ago
  5. Acts 15:34 Some manuscripts include here But Silas decided to remain there.
  6. Acts 16:12 The text and meaning of the Greek for the leading city of that district are uncertain.
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Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.

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