As we were
going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of
divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These
men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of
salvation.” And this she
kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said
to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.”
And it came out that very hour.
But when her
owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and
dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. And when they had brought them to the
magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. They advocate customs that
are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.” The crowd joined in attacking them, and the
magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. And when they had inflicted
many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep
them safely. Having
received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet
in the stocks.
About
midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the
prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great
earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately
all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened.
When the
jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was
about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not
harm yourself, for we are all here.” And the jailer called for lights and rushed
in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs,
what must I do to be saved?”
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