Acts of the Apostles 16

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 From there he went to Derbe, and then on to Lystra, where there was a disciple cal ed Timothy, whosemother was Jewish and had become a believer; but his father was a Greek.	1 He reached (also) Derbe and Lystra where there was a disciple named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek.
2 The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke wel of him,	2 The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke highly of him,
3 and Paul, who wanted to have him as a travel ing companion, had him circumcised. This was onaccount of the Jews in the locality where everyone knew his father was a Greek.	3 and Paul wanted him to come along with him. On account of the Jews of that region, Paul had him circumcised, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
4 As they visited one town after another, they passed on the decisions reached by the apostles andelders in Jerusalem, with instructions to observe them.	4 As they traveled from city to city, they handed on to the people for observance the decisions reached by the apostles and presbyters in Jerusalem.
5 So the churches grew strong in the faith, as well as growing daily in numbers.	5 Day after day the churches grew stronger in faith and increased in number.
6 They travel ed through Phrygia and the Galatian country, because they had been told by the Holy Spiritnot to preach the word in Asia.	6 They traveled through the Phrygian and Galatian territory because they had been prevented by the holy Spirit from preaching the message in the province of Asia.
7 When they reached the frontier of Mysia they tried to go into Bithynia, but as the Spirit of Jesus wouldnot al ow them,	7 When they came to Mysia, they tried to go on into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them,
8 they went through Mysia and came down to Troas.	8 so they crossed through Mysia and came down to Troas.
9 One night Paul had a vision: a Macedonian appeared and kept urging him in these words, 'Comeacross to Macedonia and help us.'	9 During (the) night Paul had a vision. A Macedonian stood before him and implored him with these words, "Come over to Macedonia and help us."
10 Once he had seen this vision we lost no time in arranging a passage to Macedonia, convinced thatGod had cal ed us to bring them the good news.	10 When he had seen the vision, we sought passage to Macedonia at once, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.
11 Sailing from Troas we made a straight run for Samothrace; the next day for Neapolis,	11 We set sail from Troas, making a straight run for Samothrace, and on the next day to Neapolis,
12 and from there for Philippi, a Roman colony and the principal city of that district of Macedonia.	12 and from there to Philippi, a leading city in that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We spent some time in that city.
13 After a few days in this city we went outside the gates beside a river as it was the Sabbath and thiswas a customary place for prayer. We sat down and preached to the women who had come to the meeting.	13 On the sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river where we thought there would be a place of prayer. We sat and spoke with the women who had gathered there.
14 One of these women was called Lydia, a woman from the town of Thyatira who was in the purple-dyetrade, and who revered God. She listened to us, and the Lord opened her heart to accept what Paul was saying.	14 One of them, a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth, from the city of Thyatira, a worshiper of God, listened, and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what Paul was saying.
15 After she and her household had been baptised she kept urging us, 'If you judge me a true believer in the Lord,' she said, 'come and stay with us.' And she would take no refusal.	15 After she and her household had been baptized, she offered us an invitation, "If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my home," and she prevailed on us.
16 It happened one day that as we were going to prayer, we were met by a slave-girl who was asoothsayer and made a lot of money for her masters by foretel ing the future.	16 As we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl with an oracular spirit, who used to bring a large profit to her owners through her fortune-telling.
17 This girl started fol owing Paul and the rest of us and shouting, 'Here are the servants of the MostHigh God; they have come to tel you how to be saved!'	17 She began to follow Paul and us, shouting, "These people are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation."
18 She did this day after day until Paul was exasperated and turned round and said to the spirit, 'I orderyou in the name of Jesus Christ to leave that woman.' The spirit went out of her then and there.	18 She did this for many days. Paul became annoyed, turned, and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." Then it came out at that moment.
19 When her masters saw that there was no hope of making any more money out of her, they seizedPaul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the authorities.	19 When her owners saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them to the public square before the local authorities.
20 Taking them before the magistrates they said, 'These people are causing a disturbance in our city.They are Jews	20 They brought them before the magistrates and said, "These people are Jews and are disturbing our city
21 and are advocating practices which it is unlawful for us as Romans to accept or fol ow.'	21 and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us Romans to adopt or practice."
22 The crowd joined in and showed its hostility to them, so the magistrates had them stripped andordered them to be flogged.	22 The crowd joined in the attack on them, and the magistrates had them stripped and ordered them to be beaten with rods.
23 They were given many lashes and then thrown into prison, and the gaoler was told to keep a closewatch on them.	23 After inflicting many blows on them, they threw them into prison and instructed the jailer to guard them securely.
24 So, fol owing such instructions, he threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in thestocks.	24 When he received these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and secured their feet to a stake.
25 In the middle of the night Paul and Silas were praying and singing God's praises, while the otherprisoners listened.	25 About midnight, while Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God as the prisoners listened,
26 Suddenly there was an earthquake that shook the prison to its foundations. Al the doors flew openand the chains fel from al the prisoners.	26 there was suddenly such a severe earthquake that the foundations of the jail shook; all the doors flew open, and the chains of all were pulled loose.
27 When the gaoler woke and saw the doors wide open he drew his sword and was about to commitsuicide, presuming that the prisoners had escaped.	27 When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew (his) sword and was about to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had escaped.
28 But Paul shouted at the top of his voice, 'Do yourself no harm; we are al here.'	28 But Paul shouted out in a loud voice, "Do no harm to yourself; we are all here."
29 He cal ed for lights, then rushed in, threw himself trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas,	29 He asked for a light and rushed in and, trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas.
30 and escorted them out, saying, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?'	30 Then he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
31 They told him, 'Become a believer in the Lord Jesus, and you wil be saved, and your household too.'	31 And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you and your household will be saved."
32 Then they preached the word of the Lord to him and to al his household.	32 So they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house.
33 Late as it was, he took them to wash their wounds, and was baptised then and there with al hishousehold.	33 He took them in at that hour of the night and bathed their wounds; then he and all his family were baptized at once.
34 Afterwards he took them into his house and gave them a meal, and the whole household celebratedtheir conversion to belief in God.	34 He brought them up into his house and provided a meal and with his household rejoiced at having come to faith in God.
35 When it was daylight the magistrates sent the lictors with the order: 'Release those men.'	35 But when it was day, the magistrates sent the lictors with the order, "Release those men."
36 The gaoler reported the message to Paul, 'The magistrates have sent an order for your release; youcan go now and be on your way.'	36 The jailer reported the (se) words to Paul, "The magistrates have sent orders that you be released. Now, then, come out and go in peace."
37 'What!' Paul replied. 'Without trial they gave us a public flogging, though we are Roman citizens, andthrew us into prison, and now they want to send us away on the quiet! Oh no! They must come and escort us outthemselves.'	37 But Paul said to them, "They have beaten us publicly, even though we are Roman citizens and have not been tried, and have thrown us into prison. And now, are they going to release us secretly? By no means. Let them come themselves and lead us out."
38 The lictors reported this to the magistrates, who were terrified when they heard they were Romancitizens.	38 The lictors reported these words to the magistrates, and they became alarmed when they heard that they were Roman citizens.
39 They came and urged them to leave the town.	39 So they came and placated them, and led them out and asked that they leave the city.
40 From the prison they went to Lydia's house where they saw all the brothers and gave them someencouragement; then they left.	40 When they had come out of the prison, they went to Lydia's house where they saw and encouraged the brothers, and then they left.