1 paul and silas went first derbe and then on to lystra. there they met tiomothy, a young diciple whose mother was a jewish believer, but whose father was a greek.
<br>
2 timothy was well thought of by the believers in lystra and iconium,
<br>
3 so paul wanted him to join them on their journey. in deference to the jews of the area, he arranged for timothy to be circumcised befor they left, foreveryone knew that his father was a greek.
<br>
4 then they went from twon to twon, explaining the decision regardimg the commandments that were to be obyed, as decided by the apostles and elders in jerusalem.
<br>
5 so the churched were strengthened in their faith and grew daily in numbers.
<br>
6 next paul and silas traveled through the area of phrygia and galatia, because the holy sprite had told them not to go into the province of asia at that time.
<br>
7 then comming to the borders of mysia, they headed for the province of bithynia, but again the sprit of Jesus did not them go.
<br>
8 so instead, they went on through mysia to the city of troas.
<br>
9 thay night paul had a vision. he saw a man from macedonia in northen greece, pleading with him, come over here and help us.
<br>
10 so we could only conclude that God was calling us to preach the good news there.
<br>
11 we boarde a boat at troas and sailed straght across to the isalnd of samothrace, and the next day we landed at neaplis.
<br>
12 from there we reached philippi, a major city of the district of macedonia and a roman colony, we stayed there several days.
<br>
13 on the sabbath we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank, where we supposed that some people met for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had come together.
<br>
14 one of them was lydia from thyatia, a merchant of expensive listened to us, the Lord opened the heart, and she accepted what paul was saying.
<br>
15 she was baptized along with other members of her hushold, and she asked us to be her guests. if you agree that i am faithful to the Lord, she said, come and stay at my home. and she urged us until we did.
<br>
16 one day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a demon-possessed slave girl. she was a forturn-teller who earned a lot of money for her masters.
<br>
17 she followed along behind us shouting, these men are serveants of the most high god, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.
<br>
18 this went on day after day until paul got so exasperated that he turned and spoke to the demon with in her. i command you in the name of Jesus christ to come out of her, he said. and instantly it left her.
<br>
19 her masters' hopes of wealth were now shattered, so they grabbed paul and silas and dragged them before the authorities at the marketplace.
<br>
20 the whole city is in uproar because of these jews! they shouted.
<br>
21 they are teaching the people to do things that are against roman customs.
<br>
22 a mob quickly formed against paul and silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beatenwith wooden rods.
<br>
23 they were severaly beaten, and then they were thrown into prison, the jailer was ordered to make sure they didn't escape.
<br>
24 so he took no chances but put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks.
<br>
25 around midnight, paul and silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the orther prisonoers were listening.
<br>
26 suddenly, there was a great earthquake, and prison was shaken to its foundations. all the doors flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!
<br>
27 the jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. he assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself.
<br>
28 but paul shouted to him, don't do it ! we are all here!
<br>
29 trembling with fear, the jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down his sword to kill himself.
<br>
30 he brought them out and asked, sirs, what must i do to be saved?
<br>
31 they replied, believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with your entire houshold.
<br>
32 then they shared the word of the Lord with him and all who lived in his houshold.
<br>
33 that same hour the jailer washed their wounds, and he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized.
<br>
34 then he brought them into his house and set a meal before them. he and his entire houshold rejoiced because they all believed in God.
<br>
35 the next morning the city officials sent the police to tell the jailer, let those men go!
<br>
36 so the jailer told paul, you and silas are free to leave. go in peace.
<br>
37 but paul replied, they have publicly beaten us without trial and jailed us and are roman citizens. so now they want uu to leave secretly? certainly not! let them come themselves to release us!
<br>
38 when the police made their report, the city officails were alarmed to learn that paul and silas were roman citizens.
<br>
39 they came to the jail and apolgized to them. them they brought them out and begged them to leave the city.
<br>
40 paul and silas then returned to the home of lydia, where once more before leaving town.
<br>
<!-- -->
