Three Changed Lives

¹²and from there to oPhilippi, which is a leading city of the4 district of Macedonia and pa Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. ¹³And qon the Sabbath day we went outside the gate rto the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we ssat down and spoke to the women who had come together. ¹⁴One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, twho was a worshiper of God. The Lord uopened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. ¹⁵And after she was baptized, vand 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 wprevailed upon us.

Paul and Silas in Prison

¹⁶As we were going to xthe place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had ya spirit of zdivination and abrought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. ¹⁷She followed Paul and us, bcrying out, “These men are cservants of dthe Most High God, who proclaim to you ethe way of salvation.” ¹⁸And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, f“I command you gin the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And hit came out that very hour.

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

The Philippian Jailer Converted

²⁵pAbout midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, ²⁶and suddenly qthere was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately rall the doors were opened, and severyone's bonds were unfastened. ²⁷When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and twas about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. ²⁸But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” ²⁹And the jailer5 called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he ufell down before Paul and Silas. ³⁰Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, vwhat must I do to be wsaved?” ³¹And they said, x“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you yand your household.” ³²And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. ³³And he took them zthe same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he awas baptized at once, he and all his family. ³⁴Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he brejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.

³⁵But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men go.” ³⁶And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace.” ³⁷But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, cuncondemned, 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.” ³⁸The police reported these words to the magistrates, and cthey were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. ³⁹So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and dasked them to leave the city. ⁴⁰So they went out of the prison and visited eLydia. And when they had seen fthe brothers, they encouraged them and departed.