9. That night Paul had a vision in which he saw a Macedonian standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!”
10. As soon as Paul had this vision, we got ready to leave for Macedonia, because we decided that God had called us to preach the Good News to the people there.
11. We left by ship from Troas and sailed straight across to Samothrace, and the next day to Neapolis.
12. From there we went inland to Philippi, a city of the first district of Macedonia; it is also a Roman colony. We spent several days there.
13. On the Sabbath we went out of the city to the riverside, where we thought there would be a place where Jews gathered for prayer. We sat down and talked to the women who gathered there.
14. One of those who heard us was Lydia from Thyatira, who was a dealer in purple cloth. She was a woman who worshipped God, and the Lord opened her mind to pay attention to what Paul was saying.
15. After she and the people of her house had been baptized, she invited us, “Come and stay in my house if you have decided that I am a true believer in the Lord.” And she persuaded us to go.
16. One day as we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a young servant woman who had an evil spirit that enabled her to predict the future. She earned a lot of money for her owners by telling fortunes.
17. She followed Paul and us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God! They announce to you how you can be saved!”
18. She did this for many days, until Paul became so upset that he turned round and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I order you to come out of her!” The spirit went out of her that very moment.
19. When her owners realized that their chance of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them to the authorities in the public square.
20. They brought them before the Roman officials and said, “These men are Jews, and they are causing trouble in our city.
21. They are teaching customs that are against our law; we are Roman citizens, and we cannot accept these customs or practise them.”
22. And the crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas.Then the officials tore the clothes off Paul and Silas and ordered them to be whipped.
23. After a severe beating, they were thrown into jail, and the jailer was ordered to lock them up tight.
24. Upon receiving this order, the jailer threw them into the inner cell and fastened their feet between heavy blocks of wood.
25. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
26. Suddenly there was a violent earthquake, which shook the prison to its foundations. At once all the doors opened, and the chains fell off all the prisoners.
27. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he thought that the prisoners had escaped; so he pulled out his sword and was about to kill himself.