16One day, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl
who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of
money by fortune-telling. 17While she followed Paul and us, she would
cry out, “These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to
you a way of salvation.” 18She kept doing this for many days. But Paul,
very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I order you in the
name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.
19But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone,
they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before
the authorities. 20When they had brought them before the magistrates,
they said, “These men are disturbing our city; they are Jews 21and are
advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or
observe.” 22The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates had
them stripped of their clothing and ordered them to be beaten with rods.
23After they had given them a severe flogging, they threw them into
prison and ordered the jailer to keep them securely. 24Following these
instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in
the stocks. 25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing
hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26Suddenly there
was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were
shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s
chains were unfastened. 27When the jailer woke up and saw the prison
doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since
he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. 28But Paul shouted in a loud
voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” 29The jailer called for
lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.
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30Then he brought them outside and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be
saved?” 31They answered, “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be
saved, you and your household.” 32They spoke the word of the Lord to
him and to all who were in his house. 33At the same hour of the night he
took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were
baptized without delay. 34He brought them up into the house and set food
before them; and he and his entire household rejoiced that he had
become a believer in God.