Acts 16

1 Then came he to Derbe and to Lystra: And beholde, a certayne disciple was there, named Timotheus, a womans sonne which was a Iewesse, and beleued: but his father was a Greke.

2 Of whom the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium, reported well.

3 Paul woulde that he should go foorth with hym, and toke & circumcised hym, because of the Iewes, which were in those quarters: for they knewe all, that his father was a Greke.

4 And as they went through the cities, they delyuered them the decrees for to kepe, that were ordayned of ye Apostles and elders, which were at Hierusalem.

5 And so were the Churches stablisshed in the fayth, and encreased in number dayly.

6 Nowe when they had gone throughout Phrygia, and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the holy ghost to preache the worde in Asia,

7 They commyng to Mysia, sought to go into Bithynia: but the spirite suffred them not.

8 And they passyng through Mysia, came downe to Troada.

9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the nyght: There stoode a man of Macedonia, and prayed hym, saying: Come into Macedonia, and helpe vs.

10 And after he had seene ye visio, immediatly we prepared to go into Macedonia, beyng certified that ye Lorde had called vs, for to preache the Gospel vnto them.

11 When we loosed foorth then from Troada, we came with a strayght course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis:

12 And from thence, to Philippos, which is the chiefe citie in the partes of Macedonia, and a free citie: And we were in that citie abydyng certayne dayes.

13 And on the day of the Sabbothes, we went out of the citie, besydes a ryuer, where prayer was wont to be made: And we sate downe, and spake vnto the women which resorted thyther.

14 And a certayne woman, named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the citie of the Thyatirians, which worshipped God, gaue vs audience: Whose hearte the Lorde opened, that she attended vnto the thynges which Paul spake.

15 And when she was baptized, and her householde, she besought vs, saying: Yf ye haue iudged me to be faythfull to the Lorde, come into my house, and abyde there. And she constrayned vs.

16 And it came to passe, as we went to prayer, a certayne damsell, possessed with a spirite of southsaying met vs: which brought her maisters much vantage with southsaying.

17 The same folowed Paul and vs, and cryed, saying: These men are the seruauntes of the most hye God, which shewe vnto vs the way of saluation.

18 And this dyd she many dayes. But Paul not content, turned about, & sayde to the spirite, I commaunde thee in the name of Iesu Christe, that thou come out of her. And he came out the same houre.

19 And when her maisters sawe that the hope of their gaynes was gone, they caught Paul & Silas, and drewe them into the market place, vnto the rulers,

20 And brought them to the officers, saying: These men trouble our citie, being Iewes:

21 And preache ordinaunces, which are not lawfull for vs to receaue, neither to obserue, seeyng we are Romanes.

22 And the people ran agaynst them, and the officers rent their clothes, and commaunded them to be beaten with roddes.

23 And when they had beaten them sore, they cast them into pryson, commaundyng the iayler of the pryson to kepe them diligently.

24 Which when he had receaued such commaundement, thrust them into the inner pryson, and made their feete fast in the stockes.

25 And at mydnyght Paul and Silas prayed, and lauded God. And the prysoners hearde them.

26 And sodenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundation of the pryson was shaken, and immediatly all the doores opened, and euery mans bandes were loosed.

27 When the keper of the pryson waked out of his sleepe, and sawe the pryson doores open, he drewe out his sworde and woulde haue kylled hym selfe, supposyng that the prysoners had ben fled.

28 But Paul cryed with a loude voyce, saying: Do thy selfe no harme, for we are all here.

29 Then he called for a lyght, and sprang in, and came tremblyng, and fell downe before Paul and Silas,

30 And brought them out, & sayde: Syrs, what must I do to be saued?

31 And they sayde: beleue on the Lorde Iesus Christe, and thou shalt be saued, and thy householde.

32 And they spake vnto hym the worde of the Lorde, and to all that were in his house.

33 And he toke them the same houre of the nyght, and wasshed their woundes, and was baptized hym selfe, & all they of his householde strayghtway.

34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and ioyed that he with all his householde beleued on God.

35 And when it was day, the officers sent the sergeauntes, saying: Let those men go.

36 And the keper of the pryson tolde this saying to Paul, the officers haue sent worde to loose you. Nowe therfore, get you hence, and go in peace.

37 Then sayde Paul vnto them: They haue beaten vs openly vncondempned, beyng Romanes, and haue cast vs into pryson: and nowe woulde they thrust vs out priuily? Nay veryly, but let them come them selues, and fet vs out.

38 And the sergeaunts tolde these wordes vnto the officers, and they feared when they hearde that they were Romanes.

39 And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired the to depart out of the citie.

40 And they went out of the pryson, and entred into the [house] of Lydia, & when they had seene the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.