23. And after they had inflicted many blows on them, they threw them into prison, giving orders to the jailer to guard them securely.
24. Having received such an order, he put them in the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25. Now about midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.
26. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened and all the bonds were unfastened.
27. And after the jailer was awake and saw the doors of the prison open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, because he thought the prisoners had escaped.
28. But Paul called out with a loud voice, saying, “Do no harm to yourself, for we are all here!”
29. And demanding lights, he rushed in and, beginning to tremble, fell down at the feet of Paul and Silas.
30. And he brought them outside and said, “Sirs, what must I do so that I can be saved?”
31. And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household!”
32. And they spoke the message of the Lord to him, together with all those in his house.
33. And he took them at that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and he himself was baptized at once, and all those of his household.
34. And he brought them up into his house and set a meal before them, and rejoiced greatly that he had believed in God with his whole household.
35. And when it was day, the chief magistrates sent the police officers, saying, “Release those men.”
36. And the jailer reported these words to Paul: “The chief magistrates have sent an order that you should be released. So come out now and go in peace!”
37. But Paul said to them, “They beat us in public without due process—men who are Roman citizens—and threw us into prison, and now they are wanting to release us secretly? Certainly not! Rather let them come themselves and bring us out!”
38. So the police officers reported these words to the chief magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens.
39. And they came and apologized to them, and after they brought them out they asked them to depart from the city.
40. And when they came out of the prison, they went to Lydia and when they saw them, they encouraged the brothers and departed.