Bible: Acts 16:13-40
Paul and Silas Are Thrown Into Prison
16:16 Now 14 as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit that enabled her to foretell the future by supernatural means. 15 She 16 brought her owners 17 a great profit by fortune-telling. 18 16:17 She followed behind Paul and us and kept crying out, 19 “These men are servants 20 of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way 21 of salvation.” 22 16:18 She continued to do this for many days. But Paul became greatly annoyed, 23 and turned 24 and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ 25 to come out of her!” And it came out of her at once. 26 16:19 But when her owners 27 saw their hope of profit 28 was gone, they seized 29 Paul and Silas and dragged 30 them into the marketplace before the authorities. 16:20 When 31 they had brought them 32 before the magistrates, they said, “These men are throwing our city into confusion. 33 They are 34 Jews 16:21 and are advocating 35 customs that are not lawful for us to accept 36 or practice, 37 since we are 38 Romans.”
16:22 The crowd joined the attack 39 against them, and the magistrates tore the clothes 40 off Paul and Silas 41 and ordered them to be beaten with rods. 42 16:23 After they had beaten them severely, 43 they threw them into prison and commanded 44 the jailer to guard them securely. 16:24 Receiving such orders, he threw them in the inner cell 45 and fastened their feet in the stocks. 46
16:25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying 47 and singing hymns to God, 48 and the rest of 49 the prisoners were listening to them. 16:26 Suddenly a great earthquake occurred, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. Immediately all the doors flew open, and the bonds 50 of all the prisoners came loose. 16:27 When the jailer woke up 51 and saw the doors of the prison standing open, 52 he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, 53 because he assumed 54 the prisoners had escaped. 16:28 But Paul called out loudly, 55 “Do not harm yourself, 56 for we are all here!” 16:29 Calling for lights, the jailer 57 rushed in and fell down 58 trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas. 16:30 Then he brought them outside 59 and asked, “Sirs, what must 60 I do to be saved?” 16:31 They replied, 61 “Believe 62 in the Lord Jesus 63 and you will be saved, you and your household.” 16:32 Then 64 they spoke the word of the Lord 65 to him, along with all those who were in his house. 16:33 At 66 that hour of the night he took them 67 and washed their wounds; 68 then 69 he and all his family 70 were baptized right away. 71 16:34 The jailer 72 brought them into his house and set food 73 before them, and he rejoiced greatly 74 that he had come to believe 75 in God, together with his entire household. 76 16:35 At daybreak 77 the magistrates 78 sent their police officers, 79 saying, “Release those men.” 16:36 The jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, 80 “The magistrates have sent orders 81 to release you. So come out now and go in peace.” 82 16:37 But Paul said to the police officers, 83 “They had us beaten in public 84 without a proper trial 85 – even though we are Roman citizens 86 – and they threw us 87 in prison. And now they want to send us away 88 secretly? Absolutely not! They 89 themselves must come and escort us out!” 90 16:38 The police officers reported these words to the magistrates. They were frightened when they heard Paul and Silas 91 were Roman citizens 92 16:39 and came 93 and apologized to them. After 94 they brought them out, they asked them repeatedly 95 to leave the city. 16:40 When they came out of the prison, they entered Lydia’s house, and when they saw the brothers, they encouraged them and then 96 departed.