Acts:16

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* Then he came to Derbe and Lystra . And behold , a certain disciple was there , named Timothy , the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed , but his father was Greek . * He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium . * Paul wanted to have him go on with him . And he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region , for they all knew that his father was Greek . * And as they went through the cities , they delivered to them the decrees to keep , which were determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem . * So the churches were strengthened in the faith , and increased in number daily . * Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia , they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia . * After they had come to Mysia , they tried to go into Bithynia , but the Spirit did not permit them . * So passing by Mysia , they came down to Troas . * And a vision appeared to Paul in the night . A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him , saying , "Come over to Macedonia and help us ." * Now after he had seen the vision , immediately we sought to go to Macedonia , concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them . * Therefore , sailing from Troas , we ran a straight course to Samothrace , and the next day came to Neapolis , * and from there to Philippi , which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia , a colony . And we were staying in that city for some days . * And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside , where prayer was customarily made ; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there . * Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us . She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira , who worshiped God . The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul . * And when she and her household were baptized , she begged us , saying , "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord , come to my house and stay ." So she persuaded us . * Now it happened , as we went to prayer , that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us , who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling . * This girl followed Paul and us , and cried out , saying , "These men are the servants of the Most High God , who proclaim to us the way of salvation ." * And this she did for many days . But Paul , greatly annoyed , turned and said to the spirit , "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her ." And he came out that very hour . * But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone , they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities . * And they brought them to the magistrates , and said , "These men , being Jews , exceedingly trouble our city ; * and they teach customs which are not lawful for us , being Romans , to receive or observe ." * Then the multitude rose up together against them ; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods . * And when they had laid many stripes on them , they threw them into prison , commanding the jailer to keep them securely . * Having received such a charge , he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks . * But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God , and the prisoners were listening to them . * Suddenly there was a great earthquake , so that the foundations of the prison were shaken ; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone 's chains were loosed . * And the keeper of the prison , awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open , supposing the prisoners had fled , drew his sword and was about to kill himself . * But Paul called with a loud voice , saying , "Do yourself no harm , for we are all here ." * Then he called for a light , ran in , and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas . * And he brought them out and said , "Sirs , what must I do to be saved ?" * So they said , "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ , and you will be saved , you and your household ." * Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house . * And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes . And immediately he and all his family were baptized . * Now when he had brought them into his house , he set food before them ; and he rejoiced , having believed in God with all his household . * And when it was day , the magistrates sent the officers , saying , "Let those men go ." * So the keeper of the prison reported these words to Paul , saying , "The magistrates have sent to let you go . Now therefore depart , and go in peace ." * But Paul said to them , "They have beaten us openly , uncondemned Romans , and have thrown us into prison . And now do they put us out secretly ? No indeed ! Let them come themselves and get us out ." * And the officers told these words to the magistrates , and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans . * Then they came and pleaded with them and brought them out , and asked them to depart from the city . * So they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia ; and when they had seen the brethren , they encouraged them and departed .

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