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Acts 16
New English Translation

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

16 He also came to Derbe[a] and to Lystra.[b] A disciple[c] named Timothy was there, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer,[d] but whose father was a Greek.[e] 2 The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke well[f] of him.[g] 3 Paul wanted Timothy[h] to accompany him, and he took[i] him and circumcised[j] him because of the Jews who were in those places,[k] for they all knew that his father was Greek.[l] 4 As they went through the towns,[m] they passed on[n] the decrees that had been decided on by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the Gentile believers[o] to obey.[p] 5 So the churches were being strengthened in the faith and were increasing in number every day.[q]

Paul’s Vision of the Macedonian Man

6 They went through the region of Phrygia[r] and Galatia,[s] having been prevented[t] by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message[u] in the province of Asia.[v] 7 When they came to[w] Mysia,[x] they attempted to go into Bithynia,[y] but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow[z] them to do this,[aa] 8 so they passed through[ab] Mysia[ac] and went down to Troas.[ad] 9 A[ae] vision appeared to Paul during the night: A Macedonian man was standing there[af] urging him,[ag] “Come over[ah] to Macedonia[ai] and help us!” 10 After Paul[aj] saw the vision, we[ak] attempted[al] immediately to go over to Macedonia,[am] concluding that God had called[an] us to proclaim the good news to them.

Arrival at Philippi

11 We put out to sea[ao] from Troas[ap] and sailed a straight course[aq] to Samothrace,[ar] the next day to Neapolis,[as] 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of that district[at] of Macedonia,[au] a Roman colony.[av] We stayed in this city for some days. 13 On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate to the side of the river, where we thought there would be a place of prayer, and we sat down[aw] and began to speak[ax] to the women[ay] who had assembled there.[az] 14 A[ba] woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth[bb] from the city of Thyatira,[bc] a God-fearing woman, listened to us.[bd] The Lord opened her heart to respond[be] to what Paul was saying. 15 After she and her household were baptized, she urged us,[bf] “If[bg] you consider me to be a believer in the Lord,[bh] come and stay in my house.” And she persuaded[bi] us.

Paul and Silas Are Thrown Into Prison

16 Now[bj] 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.[bk] She[bl] brought her owners[bm] a great profit by fortune-telling.[bn] 17 She followed behind Paul and us and kept crying out,[bo] “These men are servants[bp] of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way[bq] of salvation.”[br] 18 She continued to do this for many days. But Paul became greatly annoyed,[bs] and turned[bt] and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ[bu] to come out of her!” And it came out of her at once.[bv] 19 But when her owners[bw] saw their hope of profit[bx] was gone, they seized[by] Paul and Silas and dragged[bz] them into the marketplace[ca] before the authorities. 20 When[cb] they had brought them[cc] before the magistrates, they said, “These men are throwing our city into confusion.[cd] They are[ce] Jews 21 and are advocating[cf] customs that are not lawful for us to accept[cg] or practice,[ch] since we are[ci] Romans.”

22 The crowd joined the attack[cj] against them, and the magistrates tore the clothes[ck] off Paul and Silas[cl] and ordered them to be beaten with rods.[cm] 23 After they had beaten them severely,[cn] they threw them into prison and commanded[co] the jailer to guard them securely. 24 Receiving such orders, he threw them in the inner cell[cp] and fastened their feet in the stocks.[cq]

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying[cr] and singing hymns to God,[cs] and the rest of[ct] the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly a great earthquake occurred, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. Immediately all the doors flew open, and the bonds[cu] of all the prisoners came loose. 27 When the jailer woke up[cv] and saw the doors of the prison standing open,[cw] he drew his sword and was about to kill himself,[cx] because he assumed[cy] the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul called out loudly,[cz] “Do not harm yourself,[da] for we are all here!” 29 Calling for lights, the jailer[db] rushed in and fell down[dc] trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them outside[dd] and asked, “Sirs, what must[de] I do to be saved?” 31 They replied,[df] “Believe[dg] in the Lord Jesus[dh] and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 Then[di] they spoke the word of the Lord[dj] to him, along with all those who were in his house. 33 At[dk] that hour of the night he took them[dl] and washed their wounds;[dm] then[dn] he and all his family[do] were baptized right away.[dp] 34 The jailer[dq] brought them into his house and set food[dr] before them, and he rejoiced greatly[ds] that he had come to believe[dt] in God, together with his entire household.[du] 35 At daybreak[dv] the magistrates[dw] sent their police officers,[dx] saying, “Release those men.” 36 The jailer reported these words to Paul, saying,[dy] “The magistrates have sent orders[dz] to release you. So come out now and go in peace.”[ea] 37 But Paul said to the police officers,[eb] “They had us beaten in public[ec] without a proper trial[ed]—even though we are Roman citizens[ee]—and they threw us[ef] in prison. And now they want to send us away[eg] secretly? Absolutely not! They[eh] themselves must come and escort us out!”[ei] 38 The police officers reported these words to the magistrates. They were frightened when they heard Paul and Silas[ej] were Roman citizens[ek] 39 and came[el] and apologized to them. After[em] they brought them out, they asked them repeatedly[en] to leave the city. 40 When they came out of the prison, they entered Lydia’s house, and when they saw the brothers, they encouraged them and then[eo] departed.

Footnotes

  1. Acts 16:1 sn Derbe was a city in Lycaonia about 35 mi (60 km) southeast of Lystra. It was about 90 mi (145 km) from Tarsus.
  2. Acts 16:1 sn Lystra was a city in Lycaonia about 18 mi (30 km) south of Iconium.
  3. Acts 16:1 tn Grk “And behold, a disciple.” Here ἰδού (idou) has not been translated.
  4. Acts 16:1 tn L&N 31.103 translates this phrase “the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer.”
  5. Acts 16:1 sn His father was a Greek. Timothy was the offspring of a mixed marriage between a Jewish woman (see 2 Tim 1:5) and a Gentile man. On mixed marriages in Judaism, see Neh 13:23-27; Ezra 9:1-10:44; Mal 2:10-16; Jub. 30:7-17; m. Qiddushin 3.12; m. Yevamot 7.5.
  6. Acts 16:2 tn For this sense of μαρτυρέω (martureō), see BDAG 618 s.v. 2.b.
  7. Acts 16:2 tn Grk “who was well spoken of by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium.” Because of the awkwardness in English of having two relative clauses follow one another (“who was a believer…who was well spoken of”) and the awkwardness of the passive verb (“was well spoken of”), the relative pronoun at the beginning of 16:2 (“who”) has been translated as a pronoun (“him”) and the construction converted from passive to active at the same time a new sentence was started in the translation.
  8. Acts 16:3 tn Grk “this one”; the referent (Timothy) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  9. Acts 16:3 tn Grk “and taking him he circumcised him.” The participle λαβών (labōn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Paul’s cultural sensitivity showed in his action here. He did not want Timothy’s lack of circumcision to become an issue (1 Cor 9:15-23).
  10. Acts 16:3 tn The verb περιέτεμεν (perietemen) here may be understood as causative (cf. ExSyn 411-12) if Paul did not personally perform the circumcision.
  11. Acts 16:3 tn Or “who lived in the area.”
  12. Acts 16:3 tn The anarthrous predicate nominative has been translated as qualitative (“Greek”) rather than indefinite (“a Greek”).sn His father was Greek. Under Jewish law at least as early as the 2nd century, a person was considered Jewish if his or her mother was Jewish. It is not certain whether such a law was in effect in the 1st century, but even if it was, Timothy would not have been accepted as fully Jewish because he was not circumcised.
  13. Acts 16:4 tn Or “cities.”
  14. Acts 16:4 tn BDAG 762-63 s.v. παραδίδωμι 3 has “they handed down to them the decisions to observe Ac 16:4.”
  15. Acts 16:4 tn Grk “for them”; the referent (Gentile believers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  16. Acts 16:4 tn Or “observe” or “follow.”
  17. Acts 16:5 tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase.
  18. Acts 16:6 sn Phrygia was a district in central Asia Minor west of Pisidia.
  19. Acts 16:6 sn Galatia refers to either (1) the region of the old kingdom of Galatia in the central part of Asia Minor (North Galatia), or (2) the Roman province of Galatia, whose principal cities in the 1st century were Ancyra and Pisidian Antioch (South Galatia). The exact extent and meaning of this area has been a subject of considerable controversy in modern NT studies.
  20. Acts 16:6 tn Or “forbidden.”
  21. Acts 16:6 tn Or “word.”
  22. Acts 16:6 tn Grk “Asia”; in the NT this always refers to the Roman province of Asia. The Roman province of Asia made up about one-third of modern Asia Minor and was on the western side of it. Asia lay to the west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the continent of Asia.
  23. Acts 16:7 tn BDAG 511 s.v. κατά B.1.b has “to Mysia” here.
  24. Acts 16:7 sn Mysia was a province in northwest Asia Minor.
  25. Acts 16:7 sn Bithynia was a province in northern Asia Minor northeast of Mysia.
  26. Acts 16:7 tn Or “permit”; see BDAG 269 s.v. ἐάω 1.
  27. Acts 16:7 tn The words “do this” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied for stylistic reasons, since English handles ellipses differently than Greek.
  28. Acts 16:8 tn Although the normal meaning for παρέρχομαι (parerchomai) is “pass by, go by,” it would be difficult to get to Troas from where Paul and his companions were without going through rather than around Mysia. BDAG 776 s.v. παρέρχομαι 6 list some nonbiblical examples of the meaning “go through, pass through,” and give that meaning for the usage here.
  29. Acts 16:8 sn Mysia was a province in northwest Asia Minor.
  30. Acts 16:8 sn Troas was a port city (and surrounding region) on the northwest coast of Asia Minor, near ancient Troy.
  31. Acts 16:9 tn Grk “And a.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
  32. Acts 16:9 tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
  33. Acts 16:9 tn The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant and has not been translated.
  34. Acts 16:9 tn Grk “Coming over.” The participle διαβάς (diabas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  35. Acts 16:9 sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.
  36. Acts 16:10 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  37. Acts 16:10 sn This marks the beginning of one of the “we” sections in Acts (16:10-17; 20:5-15; 21:1-18; 27:1-28:16). These have been traditionally understood to mean that the author was in the company of Paul for this part of the journey.
  38. Acts 16:10 tn Grk “sought.”
  39. Acts 16:10 sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.
  40. Acts 16:10 tn Or “summoned.”
  41. Acts 16:11 tn BDAG 62 s.v. ἀνάγω 4, “as a nautical t.t. (ἀ. τὴν ναῦν put a ship to sea), mid. or pass. ἀνάγεσθαι to begin to go by boat, put out to sea.”
  42. Acts 16:11 sn Troas was a port city (and surrounding region) on the northwest coast of Asia Minor. See v. 8.
  43. Acts 16:11 tn BDAG 406 s.v. εὐθυδρομέω has “of a ship run a straight course” here; L&N 54.3 has “to sail a straight course, sail straight to.”
  44. Acts 16:11 sn Samothrace is an island in the northern part of the Aegean Sea.
  45. Acts 16:11 sn Neapolis was a seaport on the southern coast of Macedonia. It was 10 mi (16 km) from Philippi.
  46. Acts 16:12 tc ‡ Or perhaps, “a city in the first district” (there are a number of textual variants). L&N 1.85 follow the text of UBS5 and NA28 here: “In Ac 16:12…the Greek New Testament published by the United Bible Societies has adopted a conjectural emendation, since the more traditional text, πρώτη τῆς μερίδος, literally ‘first of the district,’ is not only misleading in meaning but does not reflect the historical fact that Philippi was a city in one of the four districts of Macedonia but was not a capital city.” The Ausgangstext probably read πρώτη τῆς μερίδος (prōtē tēs meridos, “first of that district”) as found in P74 א A C Ψ 33vid 36 81 323 945 1175 1891. This has traditionally been translated to give the impression that Philippi was the capital city of the district, but it does not necessarily have to be translated this way. The translation of the article before μερίδος as “that” acknowledges that there were other districts in the province of Macedonia.
  47. Acts 16:12 sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.
  48. Acts 16:12 sn A Roman colony was a city whose residents were regarded as Roman citizens, since such cities were originally colonized by citizens of Rome. From Troas to Philippi was 130 mi (208 km).
  49. Acts 16:13 tn Grk “and sitting down we began to speak.” The participle καθίσαντες (kathisantes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  50. Acts 16:13 tn The imperfect verb ἐλαλοῦμεν (elaloumen) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
  51. Acts 16:13 sn To the women. Apparently there were not enough Jews present in Philippi to have a synagogue (ten men would have been required to have one).
  52. Acts 16:13 tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
  53. Acts 16:14 tn Grk “And a.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
  54. Acts 16:14 tn On the term translated “a dealer in purple cloth” see BDAG 855 s.v. πορφυρόπωλις.
  55. Acts 16:14 sn Thyatira was a city in western Asia Minor.
  56. Acts 16:14 tn The words “to us” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
  57. Acts 16:14 tn Although BDAG 880 s.v. προσέχω 2.b gives the meaning “pay attention to” here, this could be misunderstood by the modern English reader to mean merely listening intently. The following context, however, indicates that Lydia responded positively to Paul’s message, so the verb here was translated “to respond.”sn Lydia is one of several significant women in Acts (see 17:4, 12, 34; 18:20).
  58. Acts 16:15 tn Grk “urged us, saying.” The participle λέγουσα (legousa) is redundant in English and has not been translated.
  59. Acts 16:15 tn This is a first class condition in Greek, with the statement presented as real or true for the sake of the argument.
  60. Acts 16:15 tn Or “faithful to the Lord.” BDAG 821 s.v. πίστος 2 states concerning this verse, “Of one who confesses the Christian faith believing or a believer in the Lord, in Christ, in God πιστ. τῷ κυρίῳ Ac 16:15.” L&N 11.17 has “one who is included among the faithful followers of Christ—‘believer, Christian, follower.’”
  61. Acts 16:15 tn Although BDAG 759 s.v. παραβιάζομαι has “urge strongly, prevail upon,” in contemporary English “persuade” is a more frequently used synonym for “prevail upon.”
  62. Acts 16:16 tn Grk “Now it happened that.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
  63. Acts 16:16 tn Or “who had a spirit of divination”; Grk “who had a spirit of Python.” According to BDAG 896-97 s.v. πύθων, originally Πύθων (Puthōn) was the name of the serpent or dragon that guarded the Delphic oracle. According to Greek mythology, it lived at the foot of Mount Parnassus and was killed by Apollo. From this, the word came to designate a person who was thought to have a spirit of divination. Pagan generals, for example, might consult someone like this. So her presence here suggests a supernatural encounter involving Paul and her “spirit.” W. Foerster, TDNT 6:920, connects the term with ventriloquism but states: “We must assume, however, that for this girl, as for those mentioned by Origen…, the art of ventriloquism was inseparably connected with a (supposed or authentic) gift of soothsaying.” It should also be noted that if the girl in question here were only a ventriloquist, the exorcism performed by Paul in v. 18 would not have been effective.
  64. Acts 16:16 tn Grk “who.” Because of the awkwardness in English of having two relative clauses follow one another (“who had a spirit…who brought her owners a great profit”) the relative pronoun here (“who”) has been translated as a pronoun (“she”) and a new sentence begun in the translation.
  65. Acts 16:16 tn Or “masters.”
  66. Acts 16:16 tn On this term see BDAG 616 s.v. μαντεύομαι. It was used of those who gave oracles.
  67. Acts 16:17 tn Grk “crying out, saying”; the participle λέγουσα (legousa) is redundant in English and has not been translated. The imperfect verb ἔκραζεν (ekrazen) has been translated as a progressive imperfect.
  68. Acts 16:17 tn Grk “slaves.” See the note on the word “servants” in 2:18. The translation “servants” was used here because in this context there appears to be more emphasis on the activity of Paul and his companions (“proclaiming to you the way of salvation”) than on their status as “slaves of the Most High God.”
  69. Acts 16:17 tn Or “a way.” The grammar of this phrase is a bit ambiguous. The phrase in Greek is ὁδὸν σωτηρίας (hodon sōtērias). Neither the head noun nor the genitive noun has the article; this is in keeping with Apollonius’ Canon (see ExSyn 239-40). Since both nouns are anarthrous, this construction also fits Apollonius’ Corollary (see ExSyn 250-54); since the genitive noun is abstract it is most naturally qualitative, so the head noun could either be definite or indefinite without being unusual as far as the grammar is concerned. Luke’s usage of ὁδός elsewhere is indecisive as far as this passage is concerned. However, when one looks at the historical background it is clear that (1) the woman is shut up (via exorcism) not because her testimony is false but because of its source (analogous to Jesus’ treatment of demons perhaps), and (b) “the way” is a par excellence description of the new faith throughout Acts. It thus seems that at least in Luke’s presentation “the way of salvation” is the preferred translation.
  70. Acts 16:17 sn Proclaiming to you the way of salvation. The remarks were an ironic recognition of Paul’s authority, but he did not desire such a witness, possibly for fear of confusion. Her expression the Most High God might have been understood as Zeus by the audience.
  71. Acts 16:18 tn Grk “becoming greatly annoyed.” The participle διαπονηθείς (diaponētheis) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. The aorist has been translated as an ingressive aorist (entry into a state or condition). See BDAG 235 s.v. διαπονέομαι.
  72. Acts 16:18 tn Grk “and turning.” The participle ἐπιστρέψας (epistrepsas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  73. Acts 16:18 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
  74. Acts 16:18 tn BDAG 1102-3 s.v. ὥρα 2.c has “at that very time, at once, instantly” for the usage in this verse.
  75. Acts 16:19 tn Or “masters.”
  76. Acts 16:19 tn On this use of ἐργασία (ergasia), see BDAG 390 s.v. 4. It is often the case that destructive practices and commerce are closely tied together.
  77. Acts 16:19 tn Grk “was gone, seizing.” The participle ἐπιλαβόμενοι (epilabomenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  78. Acts 16:19 tn On the term ἕλκω (helkō) see BDAG 318 s.v. 1.
  79. Acts 16:19 sn The marketplace (Greek agora) was not only a place of trade and commerce in the first century Greco-Roman world. It was a place of discussion and dialogue (the “public square”), a place of judgment (courts held session there), a place for idle people and those seeking work, and a place for children to play.
  80. Acts 16:20 tn Grk “And when.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
  81. Acts 16:20 tn Grk “having brought them.” The participle ἐπιλαβόμενοι (epilabomenoi) has been taken temporally. It is also possible in English to translate this participle as a finite verb: “they brought them before the magistrates and said.”
  82. Acts 16:20 tn BDAG 309 s.v. ἐκταράσσω has “agitate, cause trouble to, throw into confusion” for the meaning of this verb.
  83. Acts 16:20 tn Grk “being Jews, and they are proclaiming.” The participle ὑπάρχοντες (huparchontes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  84. Acts 16:21 tn Grk “proclaiming,” but in relation to customs, “advocating” is a closer approximation to the meaning.
  85. Acts 16:21 tn Or “acknowledge.”
  86. Acts 16:21 sn Customs that are not lawful for us to accept or practice. Ironically, the charges are similar to those made against Jesus in Luke 23:2, where Jews argued he was “twisting” their customs. The charge has three elements: (1) a racial element (Jewish); (2) a social element (unlawful); and (3) a traditional element (not their customs).
  87. Acts 16:21 tn Grk “we being Romans.” The participle οὖσιν (ousin) has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.
  88. Acts 16:22 tn L&N 39.50 has “the crowd joined the attack against them” for συνεπέστη (sunepestē) in this verse.
  89. Acts 16:22 tn Grk “tearing the clothes off them, the magistrates ordered.” The participle περιρήξαντες (perirēxantes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Although it may be possible to understand the aorist active participle περιρήξαντες in a causative sense (“the magistrates caused the clothes to be torn off Paul and Silas”) in the mob scene that was taking place, it is also possible that the magistrates themselves actively participated. This act was done to prepare them for a public flogging (2 Cor 11:25; 1 Thess 2:2).
  90. Acts 16:22 tn Grk “off them”; the referents (Paul and Silas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
  91. Acts 16:22 tn The infinitive ῥαβδίζειν (rhabdizein) means “to beat with rods or sticks” (as opposed to fists, BDAG 902 s.v. ῥαβδίζω).
  92. Acts 16:23 tn Grk “Having inflicted many blows on them.” The participle ἐπιθέντες (epithentes) has been taken temporally. BDAG 384 s.v. ἐπιτίθημι 1.a.β has “inflict blows upon someone” for this expression, but in this context it is simpler to translate in English as “they had beaten them severely.”
  93. Acts 16:23 tn Grk “commanding.” The participle παραγγείλαντες (parangeilantes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  94. Acts 16:24 tn Or “prison.”
  95. Acts 16:24 tn L&N 6.21 has “stocks” for εἰς τὸ ξύλον (eis to xulon) here, as does BDAG 685 s.v. ξύλον 2.b. However, it is also possible (as mentioned in L&N 18.12) that this does not mean “stocks” but a block of wood (a log or wooden column) in the prison to which prisoners’ feet were chained or tied. Such a possibility is suggested by v. 26, where the “bonds” (“chains”?) of the prisoners loosened.
  96. Acts 16:25 tn Grk “praying, were singing.” The participle προσευχόμενοι (proseuchomenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  97. Acts 16:25 sn Praying and singing hymns to God. Tertullian said, “The legs feel nothing in the stocks when the heart is in heaven” (To the Martyrs 2; cf. Rom 5:3; Jas 1:2; 1 Pet 5:6). The presence of God means the potential to be free (cf. v. 26).
  98. Acts 16:25 tn The words “the rest of” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
  99. Acts 16:26 tn Or perhaps, “chains.” The translation of τὰ δεσμά (ta desma) is to some extent affected by the understanding of ξύλον (xulon, “stocks”) in v. 24. It is possible (as mentioned in L&N 18.12) that this does not mean “stocks” but a block of wood (a log or wooden column) in the prison to which prisoners’ feet were chained or tied.
  100. Acts 16:27 tn L&N 23.75 has “had awakened” here. It is more in keeping with contemporary English style, however, to keep the two verbal ideas parallel in terms of tense (“when the jailer woke up and saw”) although logically the second action is subsequent to the first.
  101. Acts 16:27 tn The additional semantic component “standing” is supplied (“standing open”) to convey a stative nuance in English.
  102. Acts 16:27 sn Was about to kill himself. The jailer’s penalty for failing to guard the prisoners would have been death, so he contemplated saving the leaders the trouble (see Acts 12:19; 27:42).
  103. Acts 16:27 tn Or “thought.”
  104. Acts 16:28 tn Grk “But Paul called out with a loud voice, saying.” The dative phrase μεγάλῃ φωνῇ (megalē phōnē) has been simplified as an English adverb (“loudly”), and the participle λέγων (legōn) has not been translated since it is redundant in English.
  105. Acts 16:28 sn Do not harm yourself. Again the irony is that Paul is the agent through whom the jailer is spared.
  106. Acts 16:29 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the jailer) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  107. Acts 16:29 tn Or “and prostrated himself.”sn Fell down. The earthquake and the freeing of the prisoners showed that God’s power was present. Such power could only be recognized. The open doors opened the jailer’s heart.
  108. Acts 16:30 tn Grk “And bringing them outside, he asked.” The participle προαγαγών (proagagōn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun by supplying the conjunction “then” to indicate the logical sequence.
  109. Acts 16:30 tn The Greek term (δεῖ, dei) is used by Luke to represent divine necessity.
  110. Acts 16:31 tn Grk “said.”
  111. Acts 16:31 sn Here the summary term of response is a call to believe. In this context it refers to trusting the sovereign God’s power to deliver, which events had just pictured for the jailer.
  112. Acts 16:31 tc The majority of mss add Χριστόν (Christon, “Christ”) here (C D E Ψ 1739 M sy sa), but the best and earliest witnesses read simply τὸν κύριον ᾿Ιησοῦν (ton kurion Iēsoun, “the Lord Jesus”; P74vid א A B 33 81 bo). The addition of “Christ” to “Lord Jesus” is an obviously motivated reading. Thus on both external and internal grounds, the shorter reading is strongly preferred.
  113. Acts 16:32 tn Grk “And they.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the continuity with the preceding verse. Greek style often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” but English style does not.
  114. Acts 16:32 sn The word of the Lord is a technical expression in OT literature, often referring to a divine prophetic utterance (e.g., Gen 15:1, Isa 1:10, Jonah 1:1). In the NT it occurs 15 times: 3 times as ῥῆμα τοῦ κυρίου (rhēma tou kuriou; Luke 22:61, Acts 11:16, 1 Pet 1:25) and 12 times as λόγος τοῦ κυρίου (logos tou kuriou; here and in Acts 8:25; 13:44, 48, 49; 15:35, 36; 19:10, 20; 1 Thess 1:8; 4:15; 2 Thess 3:1). As in the OT, this phrase focuses on the prophetic nature and divine origin of what has been said.
  115. Acts 16:33 tn Grk “And at.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
  116. Acts 16:33 tn Grk “taking them…he washed.” The participle παραλαβών (paralabōn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  117. Acts 16:33 tn On this phrase BDAG 603 s.v. λούω 1 gives a literal translation as “by washing he freed them from the effects of the blows.”
  118. Acts 16:33 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the logical sequence.
  119. Acts 16:33 sn All his family. It was often the case in the ancient world that conversion of the father led to the conversion of all those in the household.
  120. Acts 16:33 tn Or “immediately.”
  121. Acts 16:34 tn Grk “He”; the referent (the jailer) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  122. Acts 16:34 tn Grk “placed [food] on the table” (a figurative expression). Since the actual word for food is not specified, it would also be possible to translate “set a meal before them,” but since this is taking place in the middle of the night, the preparations necessary for a full meal would probably not have been made. More likely Paul and Silas were given whatever was on hand that needed little or no preparation.
  123. Acts 16:34 tn Or “he was overjoyed.”
  124. Acts 16:34 tn The translation “come to believe” reflects more of the resultative nuance of the perfect tense here.
  125. Acts 16:34 tn The phrase “together with his entire household” is placed at the end of the English sentence so that it refers to both the rejoicing and the belief. A formal equivalence translation would have “and he rejoiced greatly with his entire household that he had come to believe in God,” but the reference to the entire household being baptized in v. 33 presumes that all in the household believed.
  126. Acts 16:35 tn The translation “day is breaking” for ἡμέρα γίνεται (hēmera ginetai) in this verse is given by BDAG 436 s.v. ἡμέρα 1.a.
  127. Acts 16:35 tn On the term translated “magistrates,” see BDAG 947-48 s.v. στρατηγός 1. These city leaders were properly called duoviri, but were popularly known as praetors (στρατηγοί, stratēgoi). They were the chief officials of Philippi. The text leaves the impression that they came to the decision to release Paul and Silas independently. God was at work everywhere.
  128. Acts 16:35 tn On the term ῥαβδοῦχος (rhabdouchos) see BDAG 902 s.v. The term was used of the Roman lictor and roughly corresponds to contemporary English “constable, policeman.”
  129. Acts 16:36 tn The word “saying” is not in the Greek text, but is implied; it is necessary in English because the content of what the jailer said to Paul and Silas is not the exact message related to him by the police officers, but is a summary with his own additions.
  130. Acts 16:36 tn The word “orders” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
  131. Acts 16:36 tn Grk “So coming out now go in peace.” The participle ἐξελθόντες (exelthontes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  132. Acts 16:37 tn Grk “to them”; the referent (the police officers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  133. Acts 16:37 tn Grk “Having us beaten in public.” The participle δείραντες (deirantes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  134. Acts 16:37 tn Or “in public, uncondemned.” BDAG 35 s.v. ἀκατάκριτος has “uncondemned, without due process” for this usage.
  135. Acts 16:37 tn The participle ὑπάρχοντας (huparchontas) has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.
  136. Acts 16:37 tn The word “us” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
  137. Acts 16:37 tn L&N 28.71 has “send us away secretly” for this verse.
  138. Acts 16:37 tn Grk “But they.”
  139. Acts 16:37 sn They themselves must come and escort us out! Paul was asking for the injustice he and Silas suffered to be symbolically righted. It was a way of publicly taking their actions off the record and showing the apostles’ innocence, a major public statement. Note the apology given in v. 39.
  140. Acts 16:38 tn Grk “heard they”; the referents (Paul and Silas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
  141. Acts 16:38 sn Roman citizens. This fact was disturbing to the officials because due process was a right for a Roman citizen, well established in Roman law. To flog a Roman citizen was considered an abomination. Such punishment was reserved for noncitizens.
  142. Acts 16:39 tn Grk “and coming, they apologized.” The participle ἐλθόντες (elthontes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  143. Acts 16:39 tn Grk “and after.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.
  144. Acts 16:39 tn The verb ἐρώτων (erōtōn) has been translated as an iterative imperfect; the English adverb “repeatedly” brings out the iterative force in the translation.
  145. Acts 16:40 tn “Then” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to clarify the logical sequence in the translation.
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Acts 16
EasyEnglish Bible

Timothy travels with Paul and Silas

16 Paul travelled to Derbe and then he arrived in Lystra. A man called Timothy lived in Lystra. He was a believer. His mother was a Jew who had become a believer in Jesus. But Timothy's father was a Gentile who came from Greece. 2 All the believers in Lystra and Iconium said good things about Timothy. 3 Paul wanted Timothy to travel with him to different places. All the Jews in that region knew that Timothy's father was a Gentile. So Paul circumcised Timothy, so that the Jews would accept him.[a]

4 Paul, Silas and Timothy travelled through many towns. In each place, they told the believers the things that the apostles and the other leaders in Jerusalem had decided. They told the believers to obey those rules. 5 In this way, the groups of believers in those towns became stronger. They trusted Jesus more. More and more people joined the groups of believers every day.

Paul has a vision

6 Paul and his friends wanted to go to the region of Asia to speak God's message. But the Holy Spirit stopped them from doing this. So they travelled through the regions of Phrygia and Galatia. 7 Then they arrived at the edge of the region of Mysia. They wanted to go from there into the region of Bithynia. But the Holy Spirit of Jesus stopped them from going there too. 8 So they went quickly through Mysia and they arrived at the city of Troas, on the coast.

9 During that night, Paul had a vision. In the vision, he saw a man from the region called Macedonia. The man stood there and he said to Paul, ‘Please, please come across the sea to Macedonia and help us.’ 10 After Paul's vision, we immediately prepared ourselves for the journey to Macedonia.[b] We decided that God was telling us to go there. He wanted us to tell the people there the good news about Jesus.

Lydia becomes a believer

11 We got in a ship at Troas and we sailed across the sea. We went across to an island called Samothrace. The next day, we continued our journey to a port called Neapolis. 12 We then travelled across the land to Philippi, the most important city in the region of Macedonia. The Romans ruled Philippi and many Roman people lived there. We stayed there for a few days.

13 On the Jewish day of rest, we went out of the city gate. We went down to the edge of the river. We thought that the Jews might have a special meeting place there. We thought that they would meet there to pray. We found a group of women who were meeting there. So we sat down and we talked to them.[c]

14 One of the women who listened to us was called Lydia. She was from the city of Thyatira. She bought and sold expensive dark red cloth. She was a Gentile woman who now worshipped God. The Lord helped her to understand Paul's message. So she believed the things that he said.

15 Then Paul and Silas baptized Lydia and the other people who lived in her house. After this, Lydia asked us to go to her house. She said to us, ‘If you think that I really believe in the Lord Jesus, then please stay in my house.’ We agreed to go and to stay there.

The Roman rulers put Paul and Silas in prison

16 One day, we were going to the place where people prayed to God. On the way there, we met a slave girl. A bad spirit was living inside her. This spirit told her what would happen soon. People gave her masters a lot of money when she told them about these future things. 17 She followed Paul and all of us. She was shouting, ‘These men are servants of the powerful God who is over all! They are telling you how God can save you!’

18 The slave girl continued to do this for many days. After some time, Paul became angry. So he turned round and he said to the bad spirit, ‘I am using the authority of Jesus Christ! I command you to leave this woman!’ When Paul said that, the spirit left her immediately.

19 Her masters now knew that the girl could not get money for them any more. So they took hold of Paul and Silas and they pulled them to the market place of the city. They took them to stand in front of the leaders of the city. 20 They asked the important officers to judge them. They said, ‘These men are Jews. They are causing much trouble in our city. 21 They are teaching people to obey strange ideas. We are Roman people. We cannot agree with these laws. They are not right for us to do.’

22 A lot of people quickly came together there. They started to attack Paul and Silas. So the important officers said to their soldiers, ‘Tear the clothes off Paul and Silas. Then hit them with sticks!’ 23 The soldiers hit Paul and Silas many times. Then they took hold of them and they pushed them into the prison. The officers said to the prison guard, ‘Lock the prison door carefully so that these men cannot get free.’

24 The prison guard did what he had been told to do. He put Paul and Silas in a room in the middle of the prison. He put their feet between big heavy pieces of wood so that they could not move their legs.

25 At midnight, Paul and Silas were praying. They were also singing songs to praise God. The other people in the prison were listening to them. 26 The ground under the prison suddenly shook strongly. Immediately, all the prison doors opened. The chains that held the people in the prison all fell off. 27 The prison guard woke up. He saw that the prison doors were open. He thought that all the people in the prison had become free. He decided that he should kill himself. So he pulled out his sword.[d]

28 Paul shouted very loudly to him, ‘Do not hurt yourself! We are all still in here!’

29 The guard said, ‘Bring me some lights.’ Then he ran to the prison room where Paul and Silas were. He was very frightened. He went down on his knees in front of them. 30 Then he led Paul and Silas out of the prison. He said to them, ‘Masters, what must I do so that God will save me? Tell me!’

31 Paul and Silas said to him, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus and then God will save you. He will save you and the people who live in your house, if they believe too.’ 32 Then Paul and Silas went to the guard's house. They spoke God's message about the Lord Jesus to him and to all the people in his house. 33 In the middle of the night, the man took care of them. He washed their bodies where the soldiers had hurt them. Immediately after this, Paul and Silas baptized the man and his whole family. 34 The man gave them some food to eat in his house. The guard and all his family were very happy because now they believed in God.

35 The next morning, the important officers sent their police to the prison with a message for the guard. They told him, ‘Let those men go free.’ 36 The guard went to Paul and he told him, ‘The city officers have sent a message to me. They said, “Let Paul and Silas go free.” So now you can leave the prison. Nobody will hurt you any more.’

37 But Paul spoke to the police who had brought the message. He said, ‘The city officers did not find that we had done anything wrong. But they commanded their soldiers to hit us with sticks in front of everybody. We are citizens of Rome but they still did this to us. They even put us into prison. Now they want us to leave the prison and go away. They want to send us away secretly. We will not agree! The Roman officers must come here to the prison themselves. Then they must lead us out for everyone to see.’

38 The police returned to the city officers. They told them what Paul had said. The officers now understood that Paul and Silas were citizens of Rome. This made them very afraid. 39 So they went to see Paul and Silas in the prison. They told Paul and Silas that they were very sorry. Then they led Paul and Silas out of the prison. They asked them to leave the city. 40 After Paul and Silas left the prison, they went to Lydia's house. There they met the other believers. They spoke to the believers to make them strong. Then Paul and Silas left Philippi.[e]

Footnotes

  1. 16:3 Timothy's father was not a Jew. So nobody had circumcised Timothy when he was a baby. Paul wanted Timothy to go with him to help him with his work. Paul wanted to tell Jews, not only Gentiles, the good news about Jesus. These Jews knew Timothy. They knew that his father was not a Jew. This is why Paul circumcised Timothy. If he had not done this, the Jews would not have accepted him.
  2. 16:10 'We' is used here so it seems that Luke met Paul, Silas and Timothy in Troas.
  3. 16:13 Not many Jews were living in Philippi, so they did not have a synagogue. Instead, they met at the side of the river to pray together.
  4. 16:27 The guard thought that the people in the prison had run away. He knew that this would be a very bad thing for him. If this had happened, the leader of the soldiers would kill him. So he decided to kill himself.
  5. 16:40 Luke did not go with Paul and Silas when they left Philippi.
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