New Testament in a Year

²² The crowd joined in the attack against them. Then the magistrates had Paul and Silas^[a] stripped of their clothes and ordered them beaten with rods. ²³ After giving them a severe beating, they threw them in jail and ordered the jailer to keep them under tight security. ²⁴ Having received these orders, he put them into the inner cell and fastened their feet in leg irons.

²⁵ Around midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶ Suddenly, there was an earthquake so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken. All the doors immediately flew open, and everyone’s chains were unfastened.

²⁷ When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he thought the prisoners had escaped. ²⁸ But Paul shouted in a loud voice, “Don’t hurt yourself, because we are all here!”

²⁹ The jailer^[b] asked for torches and rushed inside. Trembling as he knelt in front of Paul and Silas, ³⁰ he took them outside and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

³¹ They answered, “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you and your family will be saved.” ³² Then they spoke the word of the Lord^[c] to him and everyone in his home.

³³ At that hour of the night, he took them and washed their wounds. Then he and his entire family were baptized immediately. ³⁴ He brought Paul and Silas^[d] upstairs into his house and set food before them. He was thrilled, as was his household, to believe in God.

³⁵ When day came, the magistrates sent guards, who commanded, “Release those men.”

³⁶ The jailer reported these words to Paul, and added, “The magistrates have sent word to release you. So come out now and go in peace.”

³⁷ But Paul told the guards,^[e] “The magistrates^[f] have had us beaten publicly without a trial and have thrown us into jail, even though we are Roman citizens. Now are they going to throw us out secretly? Certainly not! Have them come and escort us out.”

³⁸ The guards reported these words to the magistrates, and they became afraid when they heard that Paul and Silas^[g] were Roman citizens. ³⁹ So the magistrates^[h] came, apologized to them, and escorted them out. Then they asked them to leave the city. ⁴⁰ Leaving the jail, Paul and Silas^[i] went to Lydia’s house. They saw the brothers, encouraged them, and then left.