Paul and Silas in Prison
16Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met
by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the
future. She earned a great deal
of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17This girl followed Paul
and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God,
who are telling you the way to be saved." 18She kept this up for many
days. Finally Paul became so troubled 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.
19When
the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making
money was gone, they seized Paul and
Silas and dragged them
into the marketplace to face the authorities. 20They brought them
before the magistrates and said, "These men are Jews, and are
throwing our city into an uproar 21by advocating customs unlawful
for us Romans to accept or practice."
22The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the
magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. 23After they
had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the
jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24Upon receiving such
orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in
the stocks.
25About
midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God,
and the other prisoners were listening
to them. 26Suddenly
there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison
were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's
chains came loose. 27The 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. 28But Paul shouted, "Don't
harm yourself! We are all here!"
29The
jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul
and Silas. 30He then brought them
out and asked, "Sirs,
what must I do to be saved?"
31They
replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be
saved—you and your household." 32Then they spoke the word
of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33At that
hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then
immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34The jailer brought
them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with
joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole
family.
35When
it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer
with the order: "Release those men." 36The jailer
told Paul, "The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas
be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace."
37But
Paul said to the officers: "They
beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens,
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."
38The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they
heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed.
39They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting
them to leave the city. 40After Paul and Silas came out of the prison,
they went to Lydia's house, where they met with the brothers and
encouraged them. Then they left.
