The Conversion of Lydia
11 So, setting sail from Troas, we
1made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis,
12
and from there to
2Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and
3a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days.
13
And
4on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate
5to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we
6sat down and spoke to the women who had come together.
14
One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods,
7who was a worshiper of God. The Lord
8opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.
15
And after she was baptized,
9and her household as well, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay." And she
10prevailed upon us.
Paul and Silas in Prison
16 As we were going to
11the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had
12a spirit of
13divination and
14brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling.
17
She followed Paul and us,
15crying out, "These men are
16servants of
17the Most High God, who proclaim to you
18the way of salvation."
18
And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit,
19"I command you
20in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And
21it came out that very hour.
19
But
22when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and
23dragged 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
24advocate customs that are not lawful for us
25as Romans to accept or practice."
22
The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders
26to 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
27prison and fastened their feet in
28the stocks.
The Philippian Jailer Converted
25 29About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,
26
and suddenly
30there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately
31all the doors were opened, and
32everyone's bonds were unfastened.
27
When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and
33was 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
34fell down before Paul and Silas.
30
Then he brought them out and said, "Sirs,
35what must I do to be
36saved?"
31
And they said,
37"Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you
38and 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
39the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he
40was baptized at once, he and all his family.
34
Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he
41rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.
35
But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, 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,
42uncondemned, 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 police reported these words to the magistrates, and
43they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens.
39
So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and
44asked them to leave the city.
40
So they went out of the prison and visited
45Lydia. And when they had seen
46the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.