Acts 16 - New International Version (NIV)

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

16 Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra,^(A) where a disciple named Timothy^(B) lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer^(C) but whose father was a Greek. ² The believers^(D) at Lystra and Iconium^(E) spoke well of him. ³ Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.^{(F) 4} As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders^(G) in Jerusalem^(H) for the people to obey.^{(I) 5} So the churches were strengthened^(J) in the faith and grew daily in numbers.^(K)

Paul’s Vision of the Man of Macedonia

⁶ Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia^(L) and Galatia,^(M) having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia.^{(N) 7} When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus^(O) would not allow them to. ⁸ So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.^{(P) 9} During the night Paul had a vision^(Q) of a man of Macedonia^(R) standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” ¹⁰ After Paul had seen the vision, we^(S) got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel^(T) to them.

Lydia’s Conversion in Philippi

¹¹ From Troas^(U) we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. ¹² From there we traveled to Philippi,^(V) a Roman colony and the leading city of that district^[a] of Macedonia.^(W) And we stayed there several days.

¹³ On the Sabbath^(X) we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. ¹⁴ One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira^(Y) named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart^(Z) to respond to Paul’s message. ¹⁵ When she and the members of her household^(AA) were baptized,^(AB) she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.

Paul and Silas in Prison

¹⁶ Once when we were going to the place of prayer,^(AC) we were met by a female slave who had a spirit^(AD) by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. ¹⁷ She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God,^(AE) who are telling you the way to be saved.” ¹⁸ She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.^(AF)

¹⁹ When her owners realized that their hope of making money^(AG) was gone, they seized Paul and Silas^(AH) and dragged^(AI) them into the marketplace to face the authorities. ²⁰ They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar^{(AJ) 21} by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans^(AK) to accept or practice.”^(AL)

²² The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods.^{(AM) 23} After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer^(AN) was commanded to guard them carefully. ²⁴ When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.^(AO)

²⁵ About midnight^(AP) Paul and Silas^(AQ) were praying and singing hymns^(AR) to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶ Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken.^(AS) At once all the prison doors flew open,^(AT) and everyone’s chains came loose.^{(AU) 27} The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped.^{(AV) 28} But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”

²⁹ The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.^{(AW) 30} He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”^(AX)

³¹ They replied, “Believe^(AY) in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved^(AZ)—you and your household.”^{(BA) 32} Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. ³³ At that hour of the night^(BB) the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized.^{(BC) 34} The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he^(BD) was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.

³⁵ When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.” ³⁶ The jailer^(BE) told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.”^(BF)

³⁷ But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens,^(BG) and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.”

³⁸ The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed.^{(BH) 39} They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city.^{(BI) 40} After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house,^(BJ) where they met with the brothers and sisters^(BK) and encouraged them. Then they left.

Footnotes

1. Acts 16:12 The text and meaning of the Greek for the leading city of that district are uncertain.

Cross references

1. Acts 16:1 : Ac 14:6
2. Acts 16:1 : Ac 17:14; 18:5; 19:22; 20:4; Ro 16:21; 1Co 4:17; 16:10; 2Co 1:1, 19; Php 1:1; 2:19; Col 1:1; 1Th 1:1; 3:2, 6; 2Th 1:1; 1Ti 1:2, 18; 2Ti 1:2, 5, 6; Phm 1
3. Acts 16:1 : 2Ti 1:5
4. Acts 16:2 : ver 40; S Ac 1:16
5. Acts 16:2 : S Ac 13:51
6. Acts 16:3 : Gal 2:3
7. Acts 16:4 : S Ac 11:30
8. Acts 16:4 : Ac 15:2
9. Acts 16:4 : Ac 15:28, 29
10. Acts 16:5 : Ac 9:31; 15:41
11. Acts 16:5 : S Ac 2:41
12. Acts 16:6 : Ac 2:10; 18:23
13. Acts 16:6 : Ac 18:23; Gal 1:2; 3:1
14. Acts 16:6 : S Ac 2:9
15. Acts 16:7 : Ro 8:9; Gal 4:6; Php 1:19; 1Pe 1:11
16. Acts 16:8 : ver 11; Ac 20:5; 2Co 2:12; 2Ti 4:13
17. Acts 16:9 : S Ac 9:10
18. Acts 16:9 : Ac 19:21, 29; 20:1, 3; Ro 15:26; 1Co 16:5; 1Th 1:7, 8
19. Acts 16:10 : ver 10-17; Ac 20:5-15; 21:1-18; 27:1-28:16
20. Acts 16:10 : Ac 14:7
21. Acts 16:11 : S ver 8
22. Acts 16:12 : Ac 20:6; Php 1:1; 1Th 2:2
23. Acts 16:12 : S ver 9
24. Acts 16:13 : S Ac 13:14
25. Acts 16:14 : Rev 1:11; 2:18, 24
26. Acts 16:14 : Lk 24:45
27. Acts 16:15 : S Ac 11:14
28. Acts 16:15 : S Ac 2:38
29. Acts 16:16 : ver 13
30. Acts 16:16 : Dt 18:11; 1Sa 28:3, 7
31. Acts 16:17 : S Mk 5:7
32. Acts 16:18 : S Mk 16:17
33. Acts 16:19 : ver 16; Ac 19:25, 26
34. Acts 16:19 : S Ac 15:22
35. Acts 16:19 : Ac 8:3; 17:6; 21:30; Jas 2:6
36. Acts 16:20 : Ac 17:6
37. Acts 16:21 : ver 12
38. Acts 16:21 : Est 3:8
39. Acts 16:22 : 2Co 11:25; 1Th 2:2
40. Acts 16:23 : ver 27, 36
41. Acts 16:24 : Job 13:27; 33:11; Jer 20:2, 3; 29:26
42. Acts 16:25 : Ps 119:55, 62
43. Acts 16:25 : S Ac 15:22
44. Acts 16:25 : S Eph 5:19
45. Acts 16:26 : Ac 4:31
46. Acts 16:26 : Ac 5:19; 12:10
47. Acts 16:26 : Ac 12:7
48. Acts 16:27 : Ac 12:19
49. Acts 16:29 : S Ac 15:22
50. Acts 16:30 : Ac 2:37
51. Acts 16:31 : S Jn 3:15
52. Acts 16:31 : S Ro 11:14
53. Acts 16:31 : S Ac 11:14
54. Acts 16:33 : ver 25
55. Acts 16:33 : S Ac 2:38
56. Acts 16:34 : S Ac 11:14
57. Acts 16:36 : ver 23, 27
58. Acts 16:36 : S Ac 15:33
59. Acts 16:37 : Ac 22:25-29
60. Acts 16:38 : Ac 22:29
61. Acts 16:39 : Mt 8:34; Lk 8:37
62. Acts 16:40 : ver 14
63. Acts 16:40 : ver 2; S Ac 1:16