Acts 16 - English Standard Version (ESV)

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

16 Paul^[a] came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named ^(A)Timothy, ^(B)the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. ² He was well spoken of by ^(C)the brothers^[b] at Lystra and Iconium. ³ Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he ^(D)took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. ⁴ As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance ^(E)the decisions ^(F)that had been reached by ^(G)the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. ^{5 (H)}So the churches were strengthened in ^(I)the faith, and they increased in numbers ^(J)daily.

The Macedonian Call

⁶ And ^(K)they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. ⁷ And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but ^(L)the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. ⁸ So, passing by Mysia, they went down ^(M)to Troas. ⁹ And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” ¹⁰ And when Paul^[c] had seen the vision, immediately ^(N)we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

The Conversion of Lydia

¹¹ So, setting sail from Troas, we ^(O)made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, ¹² and from there to ^(P)Philippi, which is a leading city of the^[d] district of Macedonia and ^(Q)a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. ¹³ And ^(R)on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate ^(S)to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we ^(T)sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. ¹⁴ One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, ^(U)who was a worshiper of God. The Lord ^(V)opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. ¹⁵ And after she was baptized, ^(W)and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she ^(X)prevailed upon us.

Paul and Silas in Prison

¹⁶ As we were going to ^(Y)the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had ^(Z)a spirit of ^(AA)divination and ^(AB)brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. ¹⁷ She followed Paul and us, ^(AC)crying out, “These men are ^(AD)servants of ^(AE)the Most High God, who proclaim to you ^(AF)the way of salvation.” ¹⁸ And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, ^(AG)“I command you ^(AH)in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And ^(AI)it came out that very hour.

¹⁹ But ^(AJ)when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and ^(AK)dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. ²⁰ And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. ²¹ They ^(AL)advocate customs that are not lawful for us ^(AM)as Romans to accept or practice.” ²² The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders ^(AN)to beat them with rods. ²³ And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. ²⁴ Having received this order, he put them into the inner ^(AO)prison and fastened their feet in ^(AP)the stocks.

The Philippian Jailer Converted

^{25 (AQ)}About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, ²⁶ and suddenly ^(AR)there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately ^(AS)all the doors were opened, and ^(AT)everyone's bonds were unfastened. ²⁷ When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and ^(AU)was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. ²⁸ But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” ²⁹ And the jailer^[e] called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he ^(AV)fell down before Paul and Silas. ³⁰ Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, ^(AW)what must I do to be ^(AX)saved?” ³¹ And they said, ^(AY)“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you ^(AZ)and your household.” ³² And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. ³³ And he took them ^(BA)the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he ^(BB)was baptized at once, he and all his family. ³⁴ Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he ^(BC)rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.

³⁵ But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men go.” ³⁶ And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace.” ³⁷ But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, ^(BD)uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.” ³⁸ The police reported these words to the magistrates, and ^(BE)they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. ³⁹ So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and ^(BF)asked them to leave the city. ⁴⁰ So they went out of the prison and visited ^(BG)Lydia. And when they had seen ^(BH)the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.

Footnotes

1. Acts 16:1 Greek He
2. Acts 16:2 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 40
3. Acts 16:10 Greek he
4. Acts 16:12 Or that
5. Acts 16:29 Greek he

Cross references

1. Acts 16:1 : ch. 17:14; 18:5; 19:22; 20:4; Rom. 16:21; 1 Cor. 4:17; Phil. 2:19; Col. 1:1; 1 Thess. 3:2; 2 Thess. 1:1; 1 Tim. 1:2, 18; 2 Tim. 1:2
2. Acts 16:1 : 2 Tim. 1:5; 3:15
3. Acts 16:2 : See John 21:23
4. Acts 16:3 : [Gal. 2:3]
5. Acts 16:4 : ch. 17:7
6. Acts 16:4 : ch. 15:28, 29
7. Acts 16:4 : See ch. 15:2
8. Acts 16:5 : [ch. 9:31]
9. Acts 16:5 : See ch. 6:7
10. Acts 16:5 : ch. 2:47
11. Acts 16:6 : ch. 18:23; [Gal. 4:13]
12. Acts 16:7 : Rom. 8:9; Gal. 4:6; Phil. 1:19; 1 Pet. 1:11; [ver. 6; ch. 8:29]
13. Acts 16:8 : ch. 20:5, 6; 2 Cor. 2:12; 2 Tim. 4:13
14. Acts 16:10 : ver. 11-17; ch. 20:5-8, 13-15; 21:1-18; 27:1–28:16
15. Acts 16:11 : ch. 21:1
16. Acts 16:12 : Phil. 1:1; 1 Thess. 2:2
17. Acts 16:12 : [ver. 21]
18. Acts 16:13 : See ch. 13:14
19. Acts 16:13 : [Ezra 8:15, 21; Ps. 137:1]
20. Acts 16:13 : Matt. 5:1
21. Acts 16:14 : ch. 18:7
22. Acts 16:14 : See Luke 24:45
23. Acts 16:15 : See ch. 11:14
24. Acts 16:15 : Gen. 19:3; Luke 24:29
25. Acts 16:16 : ver. 13
26. Acts 16:16 : Luke 13:11
27. Acts 16:16 : See Lev. 19:31
28. Acts 16:16 : ver. 19
29. Acts 16:17 : See James 2:19
30. Acts 16:17 : Dan. 3:26
31. Acts 16:17 : See Mark 5:7
32. Acts 16:17 : [ch. 9:2; Matt. 7:14]
33. Acts 16:18 : [Mark 1:25, 34]
34. Acts 16:18 : See Mark 9:38
35. Acts 16:18 : [Matt. 17:18]
36. Acts 16:19 : ver. 16; [ch. 19:25, 26]
37. Acts 16:19 : ch. 17:6-8; 21:30; James 2:6; [ch. 8:3; 18:12; Matt. 10:18]
38. Acts 16:21 : [Esth. 3:8]
39. Acts 16:21 : [ver. 12]
40. Acts 16:22 : 2 Cor. 6:5; 11:23-25; 1 Thess. 2:2
41. Acts 16:24 : See Luke 21:12
42. Acts 16:24 : Job 13:27; 33:11; Jer. 20:2, 3; 29:26
43. Acts 16:25 : Job 35:10; Ps. 42:8; 77:6; 119:62
44. Acts 16:26 : See ch. 4:31
45. Acts 16:26 : ch. 5:19; 12:10
46. Acts 16:26 : ch. 12:7
47. Acts 16:27 : [ch. 12:19; 27:42; 1 Kgs. 20:39]
48. Acts 16:29 : ch. 10:25
49. Acts 16:30 : ch. 2:37; 22:10; Luke 3:10, 12, 14; [John 6:28, 29]
50. Acts 16:30 : [ver. 17]
51. Acts 16:31 : See Mark 16:16
52. Acts 16:31 : See ch. 11:14
53. Acts 16:33 : ver. 25
54. Acts 16:33 : See ch. 8:12
55. Acts 16:34 : Ps. 9:14; 13:5; Isa. 25:9; Luke 1:47; 1 Pet. 1:6, 8; [ch. 2:46]
56. Acts 16:37 : ch. 22:25, 29
57. Acts 16:38 : [See ver. 37 above]; ch. 22:25, 29
58. Acts 16:39 : [Matt. 8:34]
59. Acts 16:40 : ver. 14
60. Acts 16:40 : See John 21:23