Acts 16:19-34
16:19 But when her owners
saw their hope of profit
was gone, they seized
Paul and Silas and dragged
them into the marketplace before the authorities.
16:20 When
they had brought them
before the magistrates, they said, “These men are throwing our city into confusion.
They are
Jews
16:21 and are advocating
customs that are not lawful for us to accept
or practice,
since we are
Romans.”
16:22 The crowd joined the attack against them, and the magistrates tore the clothes off Paul and Silas and ordered them to be beaten with rods.
16:23 After they had beaten them severely, they threw them into prison and commanded the jailer to guard them securely.
16:24 Receiving such orders, he threw them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
16:25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the rest of the prisoners were listening to them.
16:26 Suddenly a great earthquake occurred, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. Immediately all the doors flew open, and the bonds of all the prisoners came loose.
16:27 When the jailer woke up and saw the doors of the prison standing open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, because he assumed the prisoners had escaped.
16:28 But Paul called out loudly, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!”
16:29 Calling for lights, the jailer rushed in and fell down trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas.
16:30 Then he brought them outside and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
16:31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.”
16:32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him, along with all those who were in his house.
16:33 At that hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and all his family were baptized right away.
16:34 The jailer brought them into his house and set food before them, and he rejoiced greatly that he had come to believe in God, together with his entire household.