¹⁶ Acts 16:16 It happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave-girl having a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling. ¹⁷ Acts 16:17 Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, “These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.” ¹⁸ Acts 16:18 She continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out at that very moment. ¹⁹ Acts 16:19 But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the authorities, ²⁰ Acts 16:20 and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, “These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, ²¹ Acts 16:21 and are proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans.” ²² Acts 16:22 The crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them and proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods. ²³ Acts 16:23 When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely; ²⁴ Acts 16:24 and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. ²⁵ Acts 16:25 But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; ²⁶ Acts 16:26 and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. ²⁷ Acts 16:27 When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. ²⁸ Acts 16:28 But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!” ²⁹ Acts 16:29 And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, ³⁰ Acts 16:30 and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” ³¹ Acts 16:31 They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” ³² Acts 16:32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. ³³ Acts 16:33 And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. ³⁴ Acts 16:34 And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household. ³⁵ Acts 16:35 Now when day came, the chief magistrates sent their policemen, saying, “Release those men.” ³⁶ Acts 16:36 And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The chief magistrates have sent to release you. Therefore come out now and go in peace.” ³⁷ Acts 16:37 But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us in public without trial, men who are Romans, and have thrown us into prison; and now are they sending us away secretly? No indeed! But let them come themselves and bring us out.” ³⁸ Acts 16:38 The policemen reported these words to the chief magistrates. They were afraid when they heard that they were Romans, ³⁹ Acts 16:39 and they came and appealed to them, and when they had brought them out, they kept begging them to leave the city. ⁴⁰ Acts 16:40 They went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia, and when they saw the brethren, they encouraged them and departed.