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16:11-40
Setting sail from Troas we ran a straight course to Samothracia
then on the next day to Neapolis and then to Phillippi. This is the first part of Macedonia,
a colony city. We were in this city
staying there for some days. On the
Sabbath day we went outside the gate (of the city) by a river where we
supposed there was a place of prayer.
Sitting there we spoke to the women who had come together. Amongst them there was a certain woman
whose name was Lydia. She was a dealer in purple dyed garments
of the city of Thyatira. She worshipped God and when she heard the
things spoken about by Paul the Lord
opened up her heart to take heed.
When she was baptized together with her household, she asked (us)
saying “If you have judged that I am faithful to the Lord come into my
house and stay there.” And so she
urged us.
Now
it happened that as we had gone up to the place of prayer there was a
certain slave girl who had the spirit of a python and had come to meet us.
She earned a lot of money for her masters by the practice of
soothsaying. She followed after Paul
and the rest of us crying out and saying "These men are slaves of the
God Most High. They announce to you
a way of salvation." She
continued doing this over many days.
Paul was becoming greatly troubled (about this) and turning to the
spirit (of the python) he said "I order you in the name of Jesus
Christ to come out of her." It
did come out within the same hour.
But the masters (of the slave girl), on seeing that their hope of
earning money had gone, seized Paul and Silas. They dragged them to the marketplace
before the rulers. Then bringing
them to the magistrates they said
"These men are troubling us greatly in the city. They are Jews
and they announce customs which it is not lawful for us to take on because
we are Romans. So the crowd rose up
together against them. The
magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be flogged. There were many stripes laid upon them.
Then they were thrown into prison.
The jailor was ordered to
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keep
them secure. On receiving such an order (the jailor) threw them into the
inner prison and secured their feet in the stocks. Then about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing a
hymn to God. The prisoners listened
to them. Then suddenly there was a
great earthquake so that the foundations of the jail were shaken. At once all the doors were opened and the
bonds of all were loosened. The
jailor woke up. Seeing that the doors of the prison had been opened he drew
his sword and was about to kill himself.
He supposed that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul called out (to him) with a great
voice saying "Do not do yourself harm.
We are all here." So
asking for lights he (the jailor) rushed in. Trembling he fell before Paul and
Silas. Then he led them forward
outside and said "Sirs what
should I do to be saved?"
They said. "Believe in
the Lord Jesus and you will be saved together with your household." So they spoke the word of God to him as well as to those in his
household. And so taking them in
that hour of the night he washed where they had been whipped. (Then) he and all of his household were
baptised at once. Then bringing them
into the house he set a table before them.
He with all his household celebrated and believed in God.
When
day came the magistrates sent the police saying "Release those
men." The jailor announced this
to Paul. The police had been sent to
release you. Go now in peace. But Paul said to them (the jailor and
police) "They (the magistrates) have beaten us publicly without our
being condemned. And we are Roman
citizens. (Then) they threw us into
prison. Now they want to expel us
secretly. No indeed. Rather let them
come themselves to let us out."
So the police reported these words to the magistrates. Now (the magistrates) were afraid on hearing that they (Paul
and Silas) were Roman citizens.
Coming they pleaded with them and bringing them out (of the prison)
they asked them to go away from the city.
And so going out from the prison (Paul and Silas) went to the house
of Lydia. Then after seeing and exhorting the
brothers, they departed.
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