Acts 16:1-21 ▼

1 Then he came to Derbe and Lystra: and behold there was a certain disciple there, named Timothy, the son of a believing Jewess, but of a Grecian father.

2 Who was well spoken of by the brethren at Lystra and Iconium:

3 wherefore Paul was desirous that he should go forth with him, and took and circumcised him because of the Jews that were in those parts; for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

4 And as they passed through the cities, they delivered to them the decrees that had been made by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem.

5 And so the churches were established in the faith, and increased in number daily.

6 And when they had passed through Phrygia and Galatia, being forbidden by the holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia, they came to Mysia, and endeavoured to go to Bithynia:

7 but the Spirit suffered them not.

8 So they passed by Mysia, and came down to Troas.

9 And Paul saw a vision in the night, There stood a certain man of Macedonia, intreating him and saying, Come over into Macedonia and help us.

10 And as soon as he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to depart into Macedonia, concluding that the Lord called us to preach the gospel to them.

11 Therefore we set sail from Troas, and came in a direct course to Samothracia, and the day following to Neapolis;

12 and from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a Roman colony. And we staid some time in this city.

13 And on the sabbath-day we went out of the city to a river-side, where there used to be prayer: and we sat down and preached to the women that resorted thither.

14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a purple-seller of the city of Thyatira, who worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened to attend to the things that were spoken by Paul.

15 And when she was baptized and her family, she requested us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and lodge there. And she constrained us.

16 Now as we were going to the place of prayer, there met us a young woman that had a spirit of divination, who brought her masters much gain by soothsaying.

17 She following Paul and us, cried out, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, who shew us the way of salvation.

18 And this she did for 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.

19 And he came out that instant. And when her masters saw, that the hope of their gain was gone, they seized on Paul and Silas, and dragged them into the court to the magistrates.

20 And when they brought them to the governors, they said, These men cause great disturbance in our city, for they are Jews, and teach customs,

21 which it is not lawful for us to receive, nor practise, who are Romans.