Acts 16:1-22 ▼

1 And he came to Derbe and Lystra, and behold, a certain disciple was there, by name Timotheus, son of a certain woman, a believing Jewess, but of a father, a Greek,

2 who was well testified to by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium;

3 Paul wished this one to go forth with him, and having taken [him], he circumcised him, because of the Jews who are in those places, for they all knew his father—that he was a Greek.

4 And as they were going on through the cities, they were delivering to them the decrees to keep, that have been judged by the apostles and the elders who [are] in Jerusalem,

5 then, indeed, were the assemblies established in the faith, and were abounding in number every day;

6 and having gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia,

7 having gone toward Mysia, they were trying to go on toward Bithynia, and the Spirit did not permit them,

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

9 And a vision through the night appeared to Paul—a certain man of Macedonia was standing, calling on him, and saying, “Having passed through to Macedonia, help us.”

10 And when he saw the vision, immediately we endeavored to go forth to Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the LORD has called us to preach good news to them,

11 having set sail, therefore, from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, on the next day also to Neapolis,

12 there also to Philippi, which is a principal city of the part of Macedonia—a colony. And we were abiding in this city some days;

13 on the day of the Sabbaths we also went forth outside of the city, by a river, where there used to be prayer, and having sat down, we were speaking to the women who came together,

14 and a certain woman, by name Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, worshiping God, was hearing, whose heart the LORD opened to attend to the things spoken by Paul;

15 and when she was immersed, and her household, she called on us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the LORD, having entered into my house, remain”; and she constrained us.

16 And it came to pass in our going on to prayer, a certain maid, having a spirit of Python, met us, who brought much employment to her masters by soothsaying;

17 she having followed Paul and us, was crying, saying, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who declare to us [the] way of salvation!”

18 And this she was doing for many days, but Paul having been grieved, and having turned, said to the spirit, “I command you, in the Name of Jesus Christ, to come forth from her”; and it came forth the same hour.

19 And her masters having seen that the hope of their employment was gone, having caught Paul and Silas, drew [them] into the marketplace, to the rulers,

20 and having brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men being Jews exceedingly trouble our city;

21 and they proclaim customs that are not lawful for us to receive nor to do, being Romans.”

22 And the multitude rose up together against them, and the magistrates having torn their garments from them, were commanding to beat [them] with rods,