| New Living Translation | NET 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. | 1He also came to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple named Timothy was there, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but whose father was a Greek. |
| 2Timothy was well thought of by the believers in Lystra and Iconium, | 2The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. |
| 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 Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was Greek. |
| 4Then they went from town to town, instructing the believers to follow the decisions made by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. | 4As they went through the towns, they passed on the decrees that had been decided on by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the Gentile believers to obey. |
| 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 every day. |
| 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 went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in the province of 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. | 7When they came to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to do this, |
| 8So instead, they went on through Mysia to the seaport of Troas. | 8so they passed through Mysia and went 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 during the night: A Macedonian man was standing there urging him, "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 | 10After Paul saw the vision, we attempted immediately to go over to Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the good news 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. | 11We put out to sea from Troas and sailed a straight course to Samothrace, 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 there to Philippi, which is a leading city of that district of Macedonia, a Roman colony. We stayed 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. | 13On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate to the side of the river, where we thought there would be a place of prayer, and we sat down and began to speak to the women who had assembled there. |
| 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, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, a God-fearing woman, listened to us. The Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying. |
| 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 | 15After she and her household were baptized, she urged us, "If you consider me to be a believer in the Lord, come and stay in my house." And she persuaded 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. | 16Now as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit that enabled her to foretell the future by supernatural means. She brought her owners a great 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.” | 17She followed behind Paul and us and kept crying out, "These men are 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 to do this for many days. But Paul became 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 of her at once. |
| 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 owners saw their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities. |
| 20“The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!” they shouted to the city officials. | 20When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, "These men are throwing our city into confusion. They are Jews |
| 21“They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice.” | 21and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us to accept or practice, since we are Romans." |
| 22A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. | 22The crowd joined the attack against them, and the magistrates tore the clothes off Paul and Silas and ordered 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. | 23After they had beaten them severely, they threw them into prison and commanded the jailer to guard them securely. |
| 24So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks. | 24Receiving such orders, he threw them in the inner cell 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. | 25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the rest of 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! | 26Suddenly a great earthquake occurred, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. Immediately all the doors flew open, and the bonds of all the prisoners came loose. |
| 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 woke up and saw the doors of the prison standing open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, because he assumed the prisoners had escaped. |
| 28But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!” | 28But Paul called out loudly, "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. | 29Calling for lights, the jailer rushed in and fell down trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas. |
| 30Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” | 30Then he brought them outside and asked, "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 replied, "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. | 32Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him, along with all those 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. | 33At that hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and all his family were baptized right away. |
| 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. | 34The jailer brought them into his house and set food before them, and he rejoiced greatly that he had come to believe in God, together with his entire household. |
| 35The next morning the city officials sent the police to tell the jailer, “Let those men go!” | 35At daybreak the magistrates sent their police officers, saying, "Release those men." |
| 36So the jailer told Paul, “The city officials have said you and Silas are free to leave. Go in peace.” | 36The jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, "The magistrates have sent orders to release you. So 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 the police officers, "They had us beaten in public without a proper trial--even though we are Roman citizens--and they threw us in prison. And now they want to send us away secretly? Absolutely not! They themselves must come and escort us out!" |
| 38When the police reported this, the city officials were alarmed to learn that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. | 38The police officers reported these words to the magistrates. They were frightened when they heard Paul and Silas were Roman citizens |
| 39So they came to the jail and apologized to them. Then they brought them out and begged them to leave the city. | 39and came and apologized to them. After they brought them out, they asked them repeatedly 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. | 40When they came out of the prison, they entered Lydia's house, and when they saw the brothers, they encouraged them and then departed. |
|
