Third Millennium Bible TMB
GOD'S WORD Translation GW
1 Then Paul came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there named Timothy, the son of a certain woman who was a Jewess who believed, but whose father was a Greek.
1
Paul arrived in the city of Derbe and then went to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived. Timothy's mother was a Jewish believer, but his father was Greek.
2 He was well reported of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium.
2
The believers in Lystra and Iconium spoke well of Timothy.
3 Him Paul wanted to have go forth with him, and took and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those quarters, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
3
Paul wanted Timothy to go with him. So he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in those places and because he knew that Timothy's father was Greek.
4 And as they went through the cities, they delivered unto them the decrees to keep, that had been ordained by the apostles and elders who were at Jerusalem.
4
As they went through the cities, they told people about the decisions that the apostles and spiritual leaders in Jerusalem had made for the people.
5 And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.
5
So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew in numbers every day.
6 Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Ghost to preach the Word in Asia.
6
Paul and Silas went through the regions of Phrygia and Galatia because the Holy Spirit kept them from speaking the word in the province of Asia.
7 After they had come to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit suffered permit not.
7
They went to the province of Mysia and tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus wouldn't allow this.
8 And passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.
8
So they passed by Mysia and went to the city of Troas.
9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: there stood a man of Macedonia beseeching him, saying, "Come over into Macedonia and help us."
9
During the night Paul had a vision of a man from Macedonia. The man urged Paul, "Come to Macedonia to help us."
10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuredly concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the Gospel unto them.
10
As soon as Paul had seen the vision, we immediately looked for a way to go to Macedonia. We concluded that God had called us to tell the people of Macedonia about the Good News.
11 Therefore casting loose from Troas we made a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day Neapolis,
11
So we took a ship from Troas and sailed straight to the island of Samothrace. The next day we sailed to the city of Neapolis,
12 and from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony. And we stayed in that city a number of days.
12
and from there we went to the city of Philippi. Philippi is a leading city in that part of Macedonia, and it is a Roman colony. We were in this city for a number of days.
13 And on the Sabbath, we went out of the city by a riverside where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down and spoke unto the women who resorted thither.
13
On the day of worship we went out of the city to a place along the river where we thought Jewish people gathered for prayer. We sat down and began talking to the women who had gathered there.
14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God, heard us; and the Lord opened her heart to give heed unto the things which were spoken by Paul.
14
A woman named Lydia was present. She was a convert to Judaism from the city of Thyatira and sold purple dye for a living. She was listening because the Lord made her willing to pay attention to what Paul said.
15 And when she was baptized with her household, she besought us, saying, "If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide there." And she constrained us.
15
When Lydia and her family were baptized, she invited us to stay at her home. She said, "If you're convinced that I believe in the Lord, then stay at my home." She insisted. So we did.
16 And it came to pass as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed by a spirit of divination met us. She had brought her masters much gain by soothsaying.
16
One day when we were going to the place of prayer, a female servant met us. She was possessed by an evil spirit that told fortunes. She made a lot of money for her owners by telling fortunes.
17 The same followed Paul and us, crying out and saying, "These men are the servants of the Most High God, who show unto us the way of salvation."
17
She used to follow Paul and shout, "These men are servants of the Most High God. They're telling you how you can be saved."
18 And this she did many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, "I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And he came out that same hour.
18
She kept doing this for many days. Paul became annoyed, turned to the evil spirit, and said, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!" As Paul said this, the evil spirit left her.
19 And when her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they caught Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace unto the rulers,
19
When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them to the authorities in the public square.
20 and brought them to the magistrates, saying, "These men, being Jews, trouble our city exceedingly,
20
In front of the Roman officials, they said, "These men are stirring up a lot of trouble in our city. They're Jews,
21 and teach customs which are not lawful for us to receive nor to observe, being Romans."
21
and they're advocating customs that we can't accept or practice as Roman citizens."
22 And the multitude rose up together against them, and the magistrates rent off their clothes and commanded that they be beaten.
22
The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas. Then the officials tore the clothes off Paul and Silas and ordered [the guards] to beat them with sticks.
23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely.
23
After they had hit Paul and Silas many times, they threw them in jail and ordered the jailer to keep them under tight security.
24 He, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison and made their feet fast in the stocks.
24
So the jailer followed these orders and put Paul and Silas into solitary confinement with their feet in leg irons.
25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God, and the prisoners heard them.
25
Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God. The other 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 bands were loosed.
26
Suddenly, a violent earthquake shook the foundations of the jail. All the doors immediately flew open, and all the prisoners' chains came loose.
27 And the keeper of the prison, awakening out of his sleep and seeing the prison doors open, drew out his sword and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had fled.
27
The jailer woke up and saw the prison doors open. Thinking the prisoners had escaped, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself.
28 But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Do thyself no harm, for we are all here!"
28
But Paul shouted as loudly as he could, "Don't hurt yourself! We're all here!"
29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas,
29
The jailer asked for torches and rushed into the jail. He was trembling as he knelt in front of Paul and Silas.
30 and brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
30
Then he took Paul and Silas outside and asked, "Sirs, what do I have to do to be saved?"
31 And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."
31
They answered, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you and your family will be saved."
32 And they spoke unto him the Word of the Lord, and to all who were in his house.
32
They spoke the Lord's word to the jailer and everyone in his home.
33 And he took them that same hour of the night and washed their stripes, and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
33
At that hour of the night, the jailer washed Paul and Silas' wounds. The jailer and his entire family were baptized immediately.
34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.
34
He took Paul and Silas upstairs into his home and gave them something to eat. He and his family were thrilled to be believers in God.
35 And when it was day, the magistrates sent the sergeants, saying, "Let those men go."
35
In the morning the Roman officials sent guards who told the jailer, "You can release those men now."
36 And the keeper of the prison told these words to Paul, saying, "The magistrates have sent to let you go; now therefore depart and go in peace."
36
The jailer reported this order to Paul by saying, "The officials have sent word to release you. So you can leave peacefully now."
37 But Paul said unto them, "They have beaten us openly, uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison. And now do they thrust us out privily? Nay verily! Let them come themselves and fetch us out."
37
But Paul told the guards, "Roman officials have had us beaten publicly without a trial and have thrown us in jail, even though we're Roman citizens. Now are they going to throw us out secretly? There's no way they're going to get away with that! Have them escort us out!"
38 And the sergeants told these words unto the magistrates, and they feared when they heard that they were Romans.
38
The guards reported to the officials what Paul had said. When the Roman officials heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were afraid.
39 And they came and besought them and brought them out, and entreated them to depart out of the city.
39
So the officials went to the jail and apologized to Paul and Silas. As the officials escorted Paul and Silas out of the jail, they asked them to leave the city.
40 And they went out of the prison and entered into the house of Lydia. And when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them and departed.
40
After Paul and Silas left the jail, they went to Lydia's house. They met with the believers, encouraged them, and then left.
Third Millennium Bible (TMB), New Authorized Version, Copyright 1998 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc., Gary, SD 57237. All rights reserved.
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.