Acts 16:19-40

¹⁹But when her owners saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place to the rulers,

²⁰and bringing them before the magistrates they said, “These men, being Jews, are agitating our city,

²¹and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or do.”

²²The crowd joined in the attack against them, and the magistrates tore the clothes off of them and ordered a beating with rods.

²³When they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them securely;

²⁴who, having received such a charge, threw them into the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

²⁵Well about midnight Paul and Silas were singing hymns to God in prayer; and the other prisoners were listening to them.

²⁶Suddenly there was a great earthquake, enough to shake the foundations of the prison; immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed.

²⁷But the jailer, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, drew sword, intending to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

²⁸But Paul shouted out, “Don't harm yourself, because we are all here!”

²⁹So calling for a light he ran in and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.

³⁰He then brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

³¹So they said, “Believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, you and your household.”

³²Then they spoke the Word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.

³³In that same hour of the night he took them aside and washed their wounds, and thereupon he and all his family were baptized.

³⁴Then he brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he was really rejoicing, having believed in God with his whole family.

³⁵Now when it was day the magistrates sent the officers saying, “Let those men go.”

³⁶So the jailer reported these words to Paul, “The magistrates have sent to release you; so now you can leave and go in peace.”

³⁷But Paul said to them: “After severely beating us in public, although we were uncondemned Romans, they threw us into prison, and now do they toss us out on the sly? No way! Rather, let them come themselves and escort us out!”

³⁸So the officers reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans;

³⁹and they came and appealed to them, and leading them out they asked them to leave the city.

⁴⁰So exiting the prison they entered Lydia's place, and upon seeing the brothers they encouraged them and departed.