11. We left Troas in a ship and sailed to the island of Samothrace. The next day we sailed to the city of Neapolis.
12. Then we went to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city in that part of Macedonia. We stayed there for a few days.
13. On the Sabbath day we went out the city gate to the river. There we thought we might find a special place for prayer. Some women had gathered there, so we sat down and talked with them.
14. There was a woman there named Lydia from the city of Thyatira. Her job was selling purple cloth. She was a worshiper of the true God. Lydia was listening to Paul, and the Lord opened her heart to accept what Paul was saying.
15. She and all the people living in her house were baptized. Then she invited us into her home. She said, “If you think I am a true believer in the Lord Jesus, come stay in my house.” She persuaded us to stay with her.
16. One day we were going to the place for prayer, and a servant girl met us. She had a spirit in her that gave her the power to tell what would happen in the future. By doing this she earned a lot of money for the men who owned her.
17. She started following Paul and the rest of us around. She kept shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God! They are telling you how you can be saved!”
18. She continued doing this for many days. This bothered Paul, so he turned and said to the spirit, “By the power of Jesus Christ, I command you to come out of her!” Immediately, the spirit came out.
19. When the men who owned the servant girl saw this, they realized that they could no longer use her to make money. So they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them to the public square to meet with the authorities.
20. They brought Paul and Silas before the Roman officials and said, “These men are Jews, and they are making trouble in our city.
21. They are telling people to do things that are not right for us as Romans to do.”
22. The whole crowd turned against Paul and Silas. The officials tore the clothes off both men and ordered that they be beaten with rods.