New Living Translation

New American Standard Bible 1995

1Paul went first to Derbe and then to Lystra, where there was a young disciple named Timothy. His mother was a Jewish believer, but his father was a Greek.

1Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And a disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek,

2Timothy was well thought of by the believers in Lystra and Iconium,

2and he was well spoken of by the brethren who were in Lystra and Iconium.

3so Paul wanted him to join them on their journey. In deference to the Jews of the area, he arranged for Timothy to be circumcised before they left, for everyone knew that his father was a Greek.

3Paul wanted this man to go with him; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

4Then they went from town to town, instructing the believers to follow the decisions made by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem.

4Now while they were passing through the cities, they were delivering the decrees which had been decided upon by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem, for them to observe.

5So the churches were strengthened in their faith and grew larger every day. A Call from Macedonia

5So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were increasing in number daily.

6Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time.

6They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia;

7Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed north for the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go there.

7and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them;

8So instead, they went on through Mysia to the seaport of Troas.

8and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.

9That night Paul had a vision: A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there, pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!”

9A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us."

10So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once, having concluded that God was calling us to preach the Good News there. Lydia of Philippi Believes in Jesus

10When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

11We boarded a boat at Troas and sailed straight across to the island of Samothrace, and the next day we landed at Neapolis.

11So putting out to sea from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and on the day following to Neapolis;

12From there we reached Philippi, a major city of that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. And we stayed there several days.

12and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia, a Roman colony; and we were staying in this city for some days.

13On the Sabbath we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank, where we thought people would be meeting for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had gathered there.

13And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were supposing that there would be a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled.

14One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth, who worshiped God. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying.

14A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.

15She and her household were baptized, and she asked us to be her guests. “If you agree that I am a true believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my home.” And she urged us until we agreed. Paul and Silas in Prison

15And when she and her 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.

16One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit that enabled her to tell the future. She earned a lot of money for her masters by telling fortunes.

16It happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave-girl having a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling.

17She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.”

17Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, "These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation."

18This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon within her, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And instantly it left her.

18She continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!" And it came out at that very moment.

19Her masters’ hopes of wealth were now shattered, so they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the marketplace.

19But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the authorities,

20“The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!” they shouted to the city officials.

20and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, "These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews,

21“They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice.”

21and are proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans."

22A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods.

22The crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them and proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods.

23They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape.

23When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely;

24So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks.

24and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

25Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.

25But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them;

26Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!

26and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were unfastened.

27The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself.

27When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

28But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!”

28But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!"

29The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.

29And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas,

30Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

30and after he brought them out, he said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

31They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.”

31They said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household."

32And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household.

32And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house.

33Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized.

33And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household.

34He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God.

34And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household.

35The next morning the city officials sent the police to tell the jailer, “Let those men go!”

35Now when day came, the chief magistrates sent their policemen, saying, "Release those men."

36So the jailer told Paul, “The city officials have said you and Silas are free to leave. Go in peace.”

36And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, "The chief magistrates have sent to release you. Therefore come out now and go in peace."

37But Paul replied, “They have publicly beaten us without a trial and put us in prison—and we are Roman citizens. So now they want us to leave secretly? Certainly not! Let them come themselves to release us!”

37But Paul said to them, "They have beaten us in public without trial, men who are Romans, and have thrown us into prison; and now are they sending us away secretly? No indeed! But let them come themselves and bring us out."

38When the police reported this, the city officials were alarmed to learn that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.

38The policemen reported these words to the chief magistrates. They were afraid when they heard that they were Romans,

39So they came to the jail and apologized to them. Then they brought them out and begged them to leave the city.

39and they came and appealed to them, and when they had brought them out, they kept begging them to leave the city.

40When Paul and Silas left the prison, they returned to the home of Lydia. There they met with the believers and encouraged them once more. Then they left town.

40They went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia, and when they saw the brethren, they encouraged them and departed.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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