1 Chegou também a Derbe e a Listra. Havia ali um discípulo chamado Timóteo, filho de uma judia crente, mas de pai grego; 2 dele davam bom testemunho os irmãos em Listra e Icônio. 3 Quis Paulo que ele fosse em sua companhia e, por isso, circuncidou-o por causa dos judeus daqueles lugares; pois todos sabiam que seu pai era grego. 4 Ao passar pelas cidades, entregavam aos irmãos, para que as observassem, as decisões tomadas pelos apóstolos e presbíteros de Jerusalém. 5 Assim, as igrejas eram fortalecidas na fé e, dia a dia, aumentavam em número.

6 E, percorrendo a região frígio-gálata, tendo sido impedidos pelo Espírito Santo de pregar a palavra na Ásia, 7 defrontando Mísia, tentavam ir para Bitínia, mas o Espírito de Jesus não o permitiu. 8 E, tendo contornado Mísia, desceram a Trôade. 9 À noite, sobreveio a Paulo uma visão na qual um varão macedônio estava em pé e lhe rogava, dizendo: Passa à Macedônia e ajuda-nos. 10 Assim que teve a visão, imediatamente, procuramos partir para aquele destino, concluindo que Deus nos havia chamado para lhes anunciar o evangelho.

11 Tendo, pois, navegado de Trôade, seguimos em direitura a Samotrácia, no dia seguinte, a Neápolis 12 e dali, a Filipos, cidade da Macedônia, primeira do distrito e colônia. Nesta cidade, permanecemos alguns dias. 13 No sábado, saímos da cidade para junto do rio, onde nos pareceu haver um lugar de oração; e, assentando-nos, falamos às mulheres que para ali tinham concorrido. 14 Certa mulher, chamada Lídia, da cidade de Tiatira, vendedora de púrpura, temente a Deus, nos escutava; o Senhor lhe abriu o coração para atender às coisas que Paulo dizia. 15 Depois de ser batizada, ela e toda a sua casa, nos rogou, dizendo: Se julgais que eu sou fiel ao Senhor, entrai em minha casa e aí ficai. E nos constrangeu a isso.

16 Aconteceu que, indo nós para o lugar de oração, nos saiu ao encontro uma jovem possessa de espírito adivinhador, a qual, adivinhando, dava grande lucro aos seus senhores. 17 Seguindo a Paulo e a nós, clamava, dizendo: Estes homens são servos do Deus Altíssimo e vos anunciam o caminho da salvação. 18 Isto se repetia por muitos dias. Então, Paulo, já indignado, voltando-se, disse ao espírito: Em nome de Jesus Cristo, eu te mando: retira-te dela. E ele, na mesma hora, saiu.

19 Vendo os seus senhores que se lhes desfizera a esperança do lucro, agarrando em Paulo e Silas, os arrastaram para a praça, à presença das autoridades; 20 e, levando-os aos pretores, disseram: Estes homens, sendo judeus, perturbam a nossa cidade, 21 propagando costumes que não podemos receber, nem praticar, porque somos romanos. 22 Levantou-se a multidão, unida contra eles, e os pretores, rasgando-lhes as vestes, mandaram açoitá-los com varas. 23 E, depois de lhes darem muitos açoites, os lançaram no cárcere, ordenando ao carcereiro que os guardasse com toda a segurança. 24 Este, recebendo tal ordem, levou-os para o cárcere interior e lhes prendeu os pés no tronco. 25 Por volta da meia-noite, Paulo e Silas oravam e cantavam louvores a Deus, e os demais companheiros de prisão escutavam. 26 De repente, sobreveio tamanho terremoto, que sacudiu os alicerces da prisão; abriram-se todas as portas, e soltaram-se as cadeias de todos.

27 O carcereiro despertou do sono e, vendo abertas as portas do cárcere, puxando da espada, ia suicidar-se, supondo que os presos tivessem fugido. 28 Mas Paulo bradou em alta voz: Não te faças nenhum mal, que todos aqui estamos! 29 Então, o carcereiro, tendo pedido uma luz, entrou precipitadamente e, trêmulo, prostrou-se diante de Paulo e Silas. 30 Depois, trazendo-os para fora, disse: Senhores, que devo fazer para que seja salvo? 31 Responderam-lhe: Crê no Senhor Jesus e serás salvo, tu e tua casa. 32 E lhe pregaram a palavra de Deus e a todos os de sua casa. 33 Naquela mesma hora da noite, cuidando deles, lavou-lhes os vergões dos açoites. A seguir, foi ele batizado, e todos os seus. 34 Então, levando-os para a sua própria casa, lhes pôs a mesa; e, com todos os seus, manifestava grande alegria, por terem crido em Deus.

35 Quando amanheceu, os pretores enviaram oficiais de justiça, com a seguinte ordem: Põe aqueles homens em liberdade. 36 Então, o carcereiro comunicou a Paulo estas palavras: Os pretores ordenaram que fôsseis postos em liberdade. Agora, pois, saí e ide em paz. 37 Paulo, porém, lhes replicou: Sem ter havido processo formal contra nós, nos açoitaram publicamente e nos recolheram ao cárcere, sendo nós cidadãos romanos; querem agora, às ocultas, lançar-nos fora? Não será assim; pelo contrário, venham eles e, pessoalmente, nos ponham em liberdade. 38 Os oficiais de justiça comunicaram isso aos pretores; e estes ficaram possuídos de temor, quando souberam que se tratava de cidadãos romanos. 39 Então, foram ter com eles e lhes pediram desculpas; e, relaxando-lhes a prisão, rogaram que se retirassem da cidade. 40 Tendo-se retirado do cárcere, dirigiram-se para a casa de Lídia e, vendo os irmãos, os confortaram. Então, partiram.

1 He also went to Derbe and Lystra. Here there was a disciple named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, although his father was a Greek.2 He was highly regarded by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium.3 Paul wanted this man to go with him, so he took him and had him circumcised because of the Jews who lived in those places, for everyone knew that his father was a Greek.4 As they went from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for them to obey.5 So the churches continued to be strengthened in the faith and to increase in numbers every day.6 Then they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia because they had been prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the word in Asia.7 They went as far as Mysia and tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not let them.8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.9 During the night Paul had a vision. A man from Macedonia was standing there and pleading with him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us!"10 As soon as he had seen the vision, we immediately looked for a way to go to Macedonia, for we were convinced that God had called us to tell them the good news.11 Sailing from Troas, we went straight to Samothrace, the next day to Neapolis,12 and from there to Philippi, a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We were in this city for several days.13 On the Sabbath day we went out of the gate and along the river, where we thought there was a place of prayer. We sat down and began talking to the women who had gathered there.14 A woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple goods from the city of Thyatira, was listening to us. She was a worshiper of God, and the Lord opened her heart to listen carefully to what was being said by Paul.15 When she and her family were baptized, she urged us, "If you are convinced that I am a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my home." And she continued to insist that we do so.16 Once, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit of fortune-telling and who had brought her owners a great deal of money by predicting the future.17 She would follow Paul and us and shout, "These men are servants of the Most High God and are proclaiming to you a way of salvation!"18 She kept doing this for many days until Paul became annoyed, turned to the spirit, and said, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!" And it came out that very moment.19 When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities in the public square.20 They brought them before the magistrates and said, "These men are stirring up a lot of trouble in our city. They are Jews21 and are advocating customs that we are not allowed to accept or practice as Romans."22 The crowd joined in the attack against them. Then the magistrates had them stripped of their clothes and ordered them beaten with sticks.23 After giving them a severe beating, they threw them in jail and ordered the jailer to keep them under tight security.24 Having received these orders, he put them into the inner cell and fastened their feet in leg irons.25 Around midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.26 Suddenly, there was an earthquake so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken. All the doors immediately flew open, and everyone's chains were unfastened.27 When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, for he thought the prisoners had escaped.28 But Paul shouted in a loud voice, "Don't hurt yourself, for we are all here!"29 The jailer asked for torches and rushed inside. He was trembling as he knelt in front of Paul and Silas.30 Then he took them outside and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"31 They answered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you and your family will be saved."32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and everyone in his home.33 At that hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds. Then he and his entire family were baptized immediately.34 He brought them upstairs into his house and set food before them, and he and everyone in his house were thrilled to be believers in God.35 When day came, the magistrates sent guards and said, "Release those men."36 The jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, "The magistrates have sent word to release you. So come out now and go in peace."37 But Paul told them, "They have had us beaten publicly without a trial and have thrown us into jail, even though we are Roman citizens. Now are they going to throw us out secretly? Certainly not! Have them come and escort us out."38 The guards reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens.39 So they came, apologized to them, and escorted them out. Then they asked them to leave the city.40 Leaving the jail, they went to Lydia's house. They saw the brothers, encouraged them, and then left.