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.
23. They were beaten severely and thrown into jail. The officials told the jailer, “Guard them very carefully!”
24. When the jailer heard this special order, he put Paul and Silas far inside the jail and bound their feet between large blocks of wood.
25. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing songs to God. The other prisoners were listening to them.
26. Suddenly there was an earthquake so strong that it shook the foundation of the jail. All the doors of the jail opened, and the chains on all the prisoners fell off.