1 E chegou a Derbe e Listra. E eis que estava ali um certo discípulo por nome Timóteo, filho de uma judia que era crente, mas de pai grego, 2 do qual davam bom testemunho os irmãos que estavam em Listra e em Icônio. 3 Paulo quis que este fosse com ele e, tomando-o, o circuncidou, por causa dos judeus que estavam naqueles lugares; porque todos sabiam que seu pai era grego. 4 E, quando iam passando pelas cidades, lhes entregavam, para serem observados, os decretos que haviam sido estabelecidos pelos apóstolos e anciãos em Jerusalém, 5 de sorte que as igrejas eram confirmadas na fé e cada dia cresciam em número.

6 E, passando pela Frígia e pela província da Galácia, foram impedidos pelo Espírito Santo de anunciar a palavra na Ásia. 7 E, quando chegaram a Mísia, intentavam ir para Bitínia, mas o Espírito de Jesus não lho permitiu. 8 E, tendo passado por Mísia, desceram a Trôade.

9 E Paulo teve, de noite, uma visão em que se apresentava um varão da Macedônia e lhe rogava, dizendo: Passa à Macedônia e ajuda-nos! 10 E, logo depois desta visão, procuramos partir para a Macedônia, concluindo que o Senhor nos chamava para lhes anunciarmos o evangelho.

11 E, navegando de Trôade, fomos correndo em caminho direito para a Samotrácia e, no dia seguinte, para Neápolis; 12 e dali, para Filipos, que é a primeira cidade desta parte da Macedônia e é uma colônia; e estivemos alguns dias nesta cidade. 13 No dia de sábado, saímos fora das portas, para a beira do rio, onde julgávamos haver um lugar para oração; e, assentando-nos, falamos às mulheres que ali se ajuntaram. 14 E uma certa mulher, chamada Lídia, vendedora de púrpura, da cidade de Tiatira, e que servia a Deus, nos ouvia, e o Senhor lhe abriu o coração para que estivesse atenta ao que Paulo dizia. 15 Depois que foi batizada, ela e a sua casa, nos rogou, dizendo: Se haveis julgado que eu seja fiel ao Senhor, entrai em minha casa e ficai ali. E nos constrangeu a isso.

16 E aconteceu que, indo nós à oração, nos saiu ao encontro uma jovem que tinha espírito de adivinhação, a qual, adivinhando, dava grande lucro aos seus senhores. 17 Esta, seguindo a Paulo e a nós, clamava, dizendo: Estes homens, que nos anunciam o caminho da salvação, são servos do Deus Altíssimo. 18 E isto fez ela por muitos dias. Mas Paulo, perturbado, voltou-se e disse ao espírito: Em nome de Jesus Cristo, te mando que saias dela. E, na mesma hora, saiu.

19 E, vendo seus senhores que a esperança do seu lucro estava perdida, prenderam Paulo e Silas e os levaram à praça, à presença dos magistrados. 20 E, apresentando-os aos magistrados, disseram: Estes homens, sendo judeus, perturbaram a nossa cidade. 21 E nos expõem costumes que nos não é lícito receber nem praticar, visto que somos romanos. 22 E a multidão se levantou unida contra eles, e os magistrados, rasgando-lhes as vestes, mandaram açoitá-los com varas. 23 E, havendo-lhes dado muitos açoites, os lançaram na prisão, mandando ao carcereiro que os guardasse com segurança, 24 o qual, tendo recebido tal ordem, os lançou no cárcere interior e lhes segurou os pés no tronco. 25 Perto da meia-noite, Paulo e Silas oravam e cantavam hinos a Deus, e os outros presos os escutavam. 26 E, de repente, sobreveio um tão grande terremoto, que os alicerces do cárcere se moveram, e logo se abriram todas as portas, e foram soltas as prisões de todos.

27 Acordando o carcereiro e vendo abertas as portas da prisão, tirou a espada e quis matar-se, cuidando que os presos já tinham fugido. 28 Mas Paulo clamou com grande voz, dizendo: Não te faças nenhum mal, que todos aqui estamos. 29 E, pedindo luz, saltou dentro e, todo trêmulo, se prostrou ante Paulo e Silas. 30 E, tirando-os para fora, disse: Senhores, que é necessário que eu faça para me salvar? 31 E eles disseram: Crê no Senhor Jesus Cristo e serás salvo, tu e a tua casa. 32 E lhe pregaram a palavra do Senhor e a todos os que estavam em sua casa. 33 E, tomando-os ele consigo naquela mesma hora da noite, lavou-lhes os vergões; e logo foi batizado, ele e todos os seus. 34 Então, levando-os a sua casa, lhes pôs a mesa; e, na sua crença em Deus, alegrou-se com toda a sua casa.

35 E, sendo já dia, os magistrados mandaram quadrilheiros, dizendo: Soltai aqueles homens. 36 O carcereiro anunciou a Paulo estas palavras, dizendo: Os magistrados mandaram que vos soltasse; agora, pois, saí e ide em paz. 37 Mas Paulo replicou: Açoitaram-nos publicamente, e, sem sermos condenados, sendo homens romanos, nos lançaram na prisão, e agora, encobertamente, nos lançam fora? Não será assim; mas venham eles mesmos e tirem-nos para fora. 38 E os quadrilheiros foram dizer aos magistrados estas palavras; e eles temeram, ouvindo que eram romanos. 39 Então, vindo, lhes dirigiram súplicas; e, tirando-os para fora, lhes pediram que saíssem da cidade. 40 E, saindo da prisão, entraram em casa de Lídia, e, vendo os irmãos, os confortaram, e depois 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.