Acts 16:21-37

²¹and they are proclaiming customs which are not lawful for us to receive or to do, since we are Romans.”

²²And the crowd rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore their clothes and ordered men to beat them with rods.

²³And when they laid many strokes on them, they cast them into prison, commanding the prison keeper to keep them securely;

²⁴who, having received such a command, cast them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

²⁵Now about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

²⁶And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and all the bonds were loosed.

²⁷And becoming awake, the prison keeper, seeing the doors of the prison open, drawing a sword, he was about to kill himself, supposing the prisoners to have escaped.

²⁸But Paul called out with a loud voice, saying, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.”

²⁹And asking for a light he rushed in, and he came trembling, and fell before Paul and Silas,

³⁰and he brought them forth outside and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

³¹And they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved, you and your household.”

³²And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all those in his house.

³³And he took them along in that same hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he and all his family were baptized.

³⁴And bringing them up into his house, he set a meal before them; and he rejoiced with his whole house, having believed in God.

³⁵Now when it became day, the magistrates sent the officers, saying, “Release those men.”

³⁶And the prison keeper told these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent so that you may be released. Now therefore depart, and go in peace.”

³⁷But Paul said to them, “They beat us publicly, although we were uncondemned Romans, and they cast us into prison, and now do they cast us out secretly? No indeed! Let them come themselves and lead us out.”