But when her owners<n id="1" /> saw their hope of profit<n id="2" /> was gone, they seized<n id="3" /> Paul and Silas and dragged<n id="4" /> them into the marketplace before the authorities.

But Paul said to the police officers,<n id="1" /> &#8220;They had us beaten in public<n id="2" /> without a proper trial<n id="3" /> &#8211; even though we are Roman citizens<n id="4" /> &#8211; and they threw us<n id="5" /> in prison. And now they want to send us away<n id="6" /> secretly? Absolutely not! They<n id="7" /> themselves must come and escort us out!&#8221;<n id="8" />

Some of them were persuaded<n id="1" /> and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large group<n id="2" /> of God-fearing Greeks<n id="3" /> and quite a few<n id="4" /> prominent women.

But when the Jews from Thessalonica<n id="1" /> heard that Paul had also proclaimed the word of God<n id="2" /> in Berea,<n id="3" /> they came there too, inciting<n id="4" /> and disturbing<n id="5" /> the crowds.

Those who accompanied Paul escorted him as far as Athens,<n id="1" /> and after receiving an order for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="bodytext">Now when Silas and Timothy arrived<n id="1" /> from Macedonia,<n id="2" /> Paul became wholly absorbed with proclaiming<n id="3" /> the word, testifying<n id="4" /> to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.<n id="5" />

But just as Paul was about to speak,<n id="1" /> Gallio said to the Jews, &#8220;If it were a matter of some crime or serious piece of villainy,<n id="2" /> I would have been justified in accepting the complaint<n id="3" /> of you Jews,<n id="4" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">Paul, after staying<n id="1" /> many more days in Corinth,<n id="2" /> said farewell to<n id="3" /> the brothers and sailed away to Syria accompanied by<n id="4" /> Priscilla and Aquila.<n id="5" /> He<n id="6" /> had his hair cut off<n id="7" /> at Cenchrea<n id="8" /> because he had made a vow.<n id="9" />

Paul said, &#8220;John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him,<n id="1" /> that is, in Jesus.&#8221;

But some itinerant<n id="1" /> Jewish exorcists tried to invoke the name<n id="2" /> of the Lord Jesus over those who were possessed by<n id="3" /> evil spirits, saying, &#8220;I sternly warn<n id="4" /> you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.&#8221;

<t /><p class="bodytext">Now after all these things had taken place,<n id="1" /> Paul resolved<n id="2" /> to go to Jerusalem,<n id="3" /> passing through Macedonia<n id="4" /> and Achaia.<n id="5" /> He said,<n id="6" /> &#8220;After I have been there, I must also see Rome.&#8221;<n id="7" />

And you see and hear that this Paul has persuaded<n id="1" /> and turned away<n id="2" /> a large crowd,<n id="3" /> not only in Ephesus<n id="4" /> but in practically all of the province of Asia,<n id="5" /> by saying<n id="6" /> that gods made by hands are not gods at all.<n id="7" />

On the first day<n id="1" /> of the week, when we met<n id="2" /> to break bread, Paul began to speak<n id="3" /> to the people, and because he intended<n id="4" /> to leave the next day, he extended<n id="5" /> his message until midnight.

A young man named Eutychus, who was sitting in the window,<n id="1" /> was sinking<n id="2" /> into a deep sleep while Paul continued to speak<n id="3" /> for a long time. Fast asleep,<n id="4" /> he fell down from the third story and was picked up dead.

<t /><p class="bodytext">We went on ahead<n id="1" /> to the ship and put out to sea<n id="2" /> for Assos,<n id="3" /> intending<n id="4" /> to take Paul aboard there, for he had arranged it this way.<n id="5" /> He<n id="6" /> himself was intending<n id="7" /> to go there by land.<n id="8" />

For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus<n id="1" /> so as not to spend time<n id="2" /> in the province of Asia,<n id="3" /> for he was hurrying<n id="4" /> to arrive in Jerusalem,<n id="5" /> if possible,<n id="6" /> by the day of Pentecost.

Then Paul replied, &#8220;What are you doing, weeping and breaking<n id="1" /> my heart? For I am ready not only to be tied up,<n id="2" /> but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.&#8221;

The whole city was stirred up,<n id="1" /> and the people rushed together.<n id="2" /> They seized<n id="3" /> Paul and dragged him out of the temple courts,<n id="4" /> and immediately the doors were shut.

As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks,<n id="1" /> he said<n id="2" /> to the commanding officer,<n id="3" /> &#8220;May I say<n id="4" /> something to you?&#8221; The officer<n id="5" /> replied,<n id="6" /> &#8220;Do you know Greek?<n id="7" />

Paul answered,<n id="1" /> &#8220;I am a Jew<n id="2" /> from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of an important city.<n id="3" /> Please<n id="4" /> allow me to speak to the people.&#8221;