Dec 15, 2013
Acts 16:16-40
16 As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” 18 And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.
19 But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. 20 And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. 21 They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.” 22 The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. 23 And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. 24 Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25 About
midnight Paul and Silas were praying and 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 everyone's bonds were unfastened.
27 When the
jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his
sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners
had escaped.
28 But Paul
cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all
here.”
29 And the
jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he
fell down before Paul and Silas.
30 Then he
brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to 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 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 wounds; and
he was baptized at once, he and all his family.
34 Then he
brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he
rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in
God.
35 But when
it was day, the magistrates sent the guards, saying, “Let those men
go.”
36 And the
jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have
sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace.”
37 But Paul
said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who
are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now
throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us
out.”
38 The
guards reported these words to the magistrates, and they were
afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens.
39 So they
came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them
to leave the city.
40 So they
went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen
the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.