16 One time as we were walking to the prayer meeting, we met a female slave who was possessed by a spirit that enabled her to tell fortunes, and thanks to that, to earn a lot of money for her masters. 17 She walked along behind us and shouted out, “These men are slaves of the highest god and they will be telling you all how to be saved.” 18 After she’d done this for several days, Paul was so frustrated that he turned around and spoke to the spirit in her, “I command you by the authority of Yeshua the messiah to leave her.”

19 But when her masters realised that their profitable business was about to come to an end, they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them to the authorities at the marketplace. 20 They brought them forward to face the magistrates and said, “These Jews are disturbing the peace in our city 21 and teaching behaviour that we as Romans can neither accept nor practice.” 22 An angry crowd gathered around and the magistrates ordered for Paul and Silas to have their robes torn off and then to be beaten with rods. 23 They were severely beaten and then thrown into prison where the officer was commanded to keep them secure. 24 Because of that, he threw them into the inner cell and locked their feet in stocks.

25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing praises to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was a strong earthquake that shook even the foundations of the prison, and immediately all the prison doors opened up and the chains of all the prisoners came loose. 27 The prison officer woke up, and when he saw that all the prison doors were open, he drew his sword to take his own life as he figured that all the prisoners must have escaped. 28 But Paul shouted out, “Don’t harm yourself! We’re all still here!”

29 The officer called for torches, then rushed in and knelt down trembling in front of Paul and Silas. 30 Then he escorted them out and asked, “Masters, what do I need to do to be saved?”

31 “Believe in the master Yeshua,” they replied, “then you and your household can all be saved.” 32 Then they explained the message about the master to him and all those in his household. 33 Even though it was still the middle of the night, he sponged their wounds, and then him and his household were all immersed straight away. 34 He took Paul and Silas up into his house and gave them a meal, and his whole household were happy because they now believed in God.

35 The next day the magistrates sent officials to tell the jailer to release Paul and Silas.

36 So the officer told Paul, “The magistrates sent these officials to order that you two to be released.”

37 But Paul responded, “You mean that after publicly beating us Roman men without a trial, they threw us into prison and now they want to just quietly release us.”

38 So the officials reported this back to the magistrates, and they were quite afraid when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. 39 So now they came to the prison in person, and appealed to them, and escorting them out of prison themselves, asked them to please leave the city. 40 So after Paul and Silas left the prison, they went to see Lydia and after encouraging the believers there, they left.