16:16 Now 1 as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit that enabled her to foretell the future by supernatural means. 2 She 3 brought her owners 4 a great profit by fortune-telling. 5 16:17 She followed behind Paul and us and kept crying out, 6 “These men are servants 7 of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way 8 of salvation.” 9 16:18 She continued to do this for many days. But Paul became greatly annoyed, 10 and turned 11 and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ 12 to come out of her!” And it came out of her at once. 13 16:19 But when her owners 14 saw their hope of profit 15 was gone, they seized 16 Paul and Silas and dragged 17 them into the marketplace before the authorities. 16:20 When 18 they had brought them 19 before the magistrates, they said, “These men are throwing our city into confusion. 20 They are 21 Jews 16:21 and are advocating 22 customs that are not lawful for us to accept 23 or practice, 24 since we are 25 Romans.”
16:22 The crowd joined the attack 26 against them, and the magistrates tore the clothes 27 off Paul and Silas 28 and ordered them to be beaten with rods. 29 16:23 After they had beaten them severely, 30 they threw them into prison and commanded 31 the jailer to guard them securely. 16:24 Receiving such orders, he threw them in the inner cell 32 and fastened their feet in the stocks. 33
16:25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying 34 and singing hymns to God, 35 and the rest of 36 the prisoners were listening to them. 16:26 Suddenly a great earthquake occurred, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. Immediately all the doors flew open, and the bonds 37 of all the prisoners came loose. 16:27 When the jailer woke up 38 and saw the doors of the prison standing open, 39 he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, 40 because he assumed 41 the prisoners had escaped. 16:28 But Paul called out loudly, 42 “Do not harm yourself, 43 for we are all here!” 16:29 Calling for lights, the jailer 44 rushed in and fell down 45 trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas. 16:30 Then he brought them outside 46 and asked, “Sirs, what must 47 I do to be saved?” 16:31 They replied, 48 “Believe 49 in the Lord Jesus 50 and you will be saved, you and your household.” 16:32 Then 51 they spoke the word of the Lord 52 to him, along with all those who were in his house. 16:33 At 53 that hour of the night he took them 54 and washed their wounds; 55 then 56 he and all his family 57 were baptized right away. 58 16:34 The jailer 59 brought them into his house and set food 60 before them, and he rejoiced greatly 61 that he had come to believe 62 in God, together with his entire household. 63 16:35 At daybreak 64 the magistrates 65 sent their police officers, 66 saying, “Release those men.” 16:36 The jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, 67 “The magistrates have sent orders 68 to release you. So come out now and go in peace.” 69 16:37 But Paul said to the police officers, 70 “They had us beaten in public 71 without a proper trial 72 – even though we are Roman citizens 73 – and they threw us 74 in prison. And now they want to send us away 75 secretly? Absolutely not! They 76 themselves must come and escort us out!” 77 16:38 The police officers reported these words to the magistrates. They were frightened when they heard Paul and Silas 78 were Roman citizens 79 16:39 and came 80 and apologized to them. After 81 they brought them out, they asked them repeatedly 82 to leave the city. 16:40 When they came out of the prison, they entered Lydia’s house, and when they saw the brothers, they encouraged them and then 83 departed.