New Living Translation

King James Bible

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.

1Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:

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

2Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at 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.

3Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all 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.

4And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem.

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

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

6Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach 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.

7After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.

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

8And they passing by Mysia 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!”

9And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into 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

10And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.

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

11Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day 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 thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain 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 we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.

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.

14And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of 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 was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained 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.

16And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:

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.”

17The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us 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.

18And this did she 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. And he came out the same hour.

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

19And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,

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

20And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,

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

21And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.

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

22And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.

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

23And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:

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

24Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

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

25And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard 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 was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.

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.

27And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.

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

28But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.

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

29Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,

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

30And brought them out, and 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.”

31And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

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

32And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that 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 the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

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 when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.

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

35And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go.

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

36And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, 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 unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out.

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

38And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, 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 besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of 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.

40And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted 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.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.