Acts 16
Bishops' Bible of 1568 Par ▾ 

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

1Then came he to Derbe and to Lystra: And beholde, a certayne disciple was there, named Timotheus, a womans sonne which was a Iewesse, and beleued: but his father was a Greke. 2Of whom the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium, reported well. 3Paul woulde that he should go foorth with hym, and toke & circumcised hym, because of the Iewes, which were in those quarters: for they knewe all, that his father was a Greke. 4And as they went through the cities, they delyuered them the decrees for to kepe, that were ordayned of ye Apostles and elders, which were at Hierusalem. 5And so were the Churches stablisshed in the fayth, and encreased in number dayly.

Paul’s Vision of the Macedonian

6Nowe when they had gone throughout Phrygia, and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the holy ghost to preache the worde in Asia, 7They commyng to Mysia, sought to go into Bithynia: but the spirite suffred them not. 8And they passyng through Mysia, came downe to Troada. 9And a vision appeared to Paul in the nyght: There stoode a man of Macedonia, and prayed hym, saying: Come into Macedonia, and helpe vs. 10And after he had seene ye visio, immediatly we prepared to go into Macedonia, beyng certified that ye Lorde had called vs, for to preache the Gospel vnto them.

Lydia’s Conversion in Philippi
(Revelation 2:18–29)

11When we loosed foorth then from Troada, we came with a strayght course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis: 12And from thence, to Philippos, which is the chiefe citie in the partes of Macedonia, and a free citie: And we were in that citie abydyng certayne dayes. 13And on the day of the Sabbothes, we went out of the citie, besydes a ryuer, where prayer was wont to be made: And we sate downe, and spake vnto the women which resorted thyther.

14And a certayne woman, named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the citie of the Thyatirians, which worshipped God, gaue vs audience: Whose hearte the Lorde opened, that she attended vnto the thynges which Paul spake. 15And when she was baptized, and her householde, she besought vs, saying: Yf ye haue iudged me to be faythfull to the Lorde, come into my house, and abyde there. And she constrayned vs.

Paul and Silas Imprisoned

16And it came to passe, as we went to prayer, a certayne damsell, possessed with a spirite of southsaying met vs: which brought her maisters much vantage with southsaying. 17The same folowed Paul and vs, and cryed, saying: These men are the seruauntes of the most hye God, which shewe vnto vs the way of saluation. 18And this dyd she many dayes. But Paul not content, turned about, & sayde to the spirite, I commaunde thee in the name of Iesu Christe, that thou come out of her. And he came out the same houre.

19And when her maisters sawe that the hope of their gaynes was gone, they caught Paul & Silas, and drewe them into the market place, vnto the rulers, 20And brought them to the officers, saying: These men trouble our citie, being Iewes: 21And preache ordinaunces, which are not lawfull for vs to receaue, neither to obserue, seeyng we are Romanes.

22And the people ran agaynst them, and the officers rent their clothes, and commaunded them to be beaten with roddes. 23And when they had beaten them sore, they cast them into pryson, commaundyng the iayler of the pryson to kepe them diligently. 24Which when he had receaued such commaundement, thrust them into the inner pryson, and made their feete fast in the stockes.

The Conversion of the Jailer

25And at mydnyght Paul and Silas prayed, and lauded God. And the prysoners hearde them. 26And sodenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundation of the pryson was shaken, and immediatly all the doores opened, and euery mans bandes were loosed. 27When the keper of the pryson waked out of his sleepe, and sawe the pryson doores open, he drewe out his sworde and woulde haue kylled hym selfe, supposyng that the prysoners had ben fled. 28But Paul cryed with a loude voyce, saying: Do thy selfe no harme, for we are all here. 29Then he called for a lyght, and sprang in, and came tremblyng, and fell downe before Paul and Silas, 30And brought them out, & sayde: Syrs, what must I do to be saued?

31And they sayde: beleue on the Lorde Iesus Christe, and thou shalt be saued, and thy householde. 32And they spake vnto hym the worde of the Lorde, and to all that were in his house. 33And he toke them the same houre of the nyght, and wasshed their woundes, and was baptized hym selfe, & all they of his householde strayghtway. 34And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and ioyed that he with all his householde beleued on God.

An Official Apology

35And when it was day, the officers sent the sergeauntes, saying: Let those men go. 36And the keper of the pryson tolde this saying to Paul, the officers haue sent worde to loose you. Nowe therfore, get you hence, and go in peace. 37Then sayde Paul vnto them: They haue beaten vs openly vncondempned, beyng Romanes, and haue cast vs into pryson: and nowe woulde they thrust vs out priuily? Nay veryly, but let them come them selues, and fet vs out. 38And the sergeaunts tolde these wordes vnto the officers, and they feared when they hearde that they were Romanes. 39And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired the to depart out of the citie. 40And they went out of the pryson, and entred into the house of Lydia, & when they had seene the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.


Bishops' Bible of 1568

Section Headings Courtesy Berean Bible

Acts 15
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