¶ Then came he to Derba and Listra. And behold a certain disciple was there named Timotheus, a woman's son which was a jewess and believed, but his father was a greek. Of whom reported well, the brethren of Listra and of Iconium. Paul would that he should go forth with him, and took and circumcised him because of the jewes which were in those quarters, for they knew all that his father was a greek. As they went thorow the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, ordained of the apostles and seniors which were at Ierusalem. So were the congregations stablished in the faith, and increased in number daily.
¶ When they had gone thorowout Phrigia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the holy ghost to preach the word in Asia, they came to Misia, and sought to go into Bethinia, and the spirit suffered them not. When they went over Misia, and came down to Troada and a vision appeared to Paul in the night. There stood a man of Macedonia and prayed him saying: Come into Macedonia and help us. After he had seen the vision immediately we prepared to go into Macedonia certified that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospell unto them. Then loosed we forth from Troada, and with a straight course came we to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolim, and from thence to Philippos, which is the chiefest city in the parts of Macedonia and a free city.
¶ We were in that city abiding a certain days. And on the saboth days we went out of the city besides a river where men were wont to pray, and we sat down and spake unto the women which thither resorted. And a certain woman named Lidia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira which worshipped God, gave us audience, whose heart God opened that she attended unto those things which Paul spake. When she was baptised, and her household, she besought us saying: If ye think that I believe on the Lord come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.
¶ It fortuned as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit that prophesied met us, which brought her master and masters much vantage with prophesying. The same followed Paul and us saying: These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of health. And this did she many days. But Paul not content turned about and said to the spirit: I command thee in the name of Iesu Christ that thou come out of her. And he came out the same hour.
¶ When her master and mastress saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and brought them into the market place unto the rulers, and delivered them to the officers saying: These men trouble our city, which are jews and shew new decrees, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe seeing we are romans. And the people ran on them, and the officers rent their clothes, and commanded them to be beaten with rods, and when they had beaten them sore, they cast them into prison commanding the jailer to keep them surely. Which when he had received such commandment thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
¶ At midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and lauded God. And the prisoners heard them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundation of the prison was shaken, and by and by all the doors opened, and every man's bonds were lowsed. When the keeper of the prison waked out of his sleep, and saw the prison doors open, he drew out his sword and would have killed himself, supposing the prisoners had been fled. Paul cried with a loud voice saying: Do thyself no harm, for we are all here.
¶ He called for a light and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out and said, Sirs what must I do to be saved? And they said: believe on the Lord Iesus, and thou shalt be saved and thy household. And they preached unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds, and was baptised with all that belonged unto him straight way. When he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and joyed that he with all his household believed on God.
¶ And when it was day the officers sent the ministers saying: Let those men go. The keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul: the officers have sent word to loose you. Now therefore get you hence and go in peace. Then said Paul unto them: They have beaten us openly uncondemned, for all that we are Romans, and have cast us into prison: and now would they send us away privily? Nay not so, but let them come themselves and fetch us out. The ministers told these words unto the officers and they feared when they heard that they were Romans, and came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city. They went out of the prison and entered into the house of Lidia, and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them and departed.
© Faith of God
William Tyndale 1526