13
And on 1the Sabbathday we wentoutside the gate to a riverside*, where we were supposing that there would be a place of prayer; and we satdown and began speaking to the women who had assembled.
First Convert in Europe
14 A womannamedLydia, from the city of 2Thyatira, a seller of purplefabrics, 3a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord4opened her heart to respond to the thingsspoken by Paul.
15
And when she and 5her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay." And she prevailed upon us.
16
It happened that as we were going to 6the place of prayer, a slave-girlhaving7a spirit of divinationmet us, who was bringing her mastersmuchprofit by fortune-telling.
17
FollowingafterPaul and us, she kept crying out, saying, "Thesemen are bond-servants of 8the MostHighGod, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation."
18
She continued doingthis for manydays. But Paul was greatlyannoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, "I command you 9in the name of JesusChrist to come out of her!" And it came out at that verymoment.
19
But when her masterssaw that their hope of 10profit was gone, they seized11Paul and Silas and 12dragged them into the marketplacebefore the authorities,
20
and when they had brought them to the chiefmagistrates, they said, "Thesemen are throwing our city into confusion, beingJews,
21
and 13are proclaimingcustomswhich it is not lawful for us to acceptor to observe, being14Romans."
Paul and Silas Imprisoned
22 The crowdrose up togetheragainst them, and the chiefmagistratestore their robesoff them and proceeded to order them to be 15beaten with rods.
23
When they had struck them with manyblows, they threw them into prison, commanding16the jailer to guard them securely;