1 Chegou também a Derbe e a Listra. Achava-se 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 Paulo quis que ele fosse em sua companhia e, tomando-o, circuncidou-o por causa dos judeus daqueles lugares; pois todos sabiam que seu pai era grego.4 Quando iam passando pelas cidades, entregavam-lhes para serem observadas as decisões que haviam sido tomadas pelos apóstolos e presbíteros em Jerusalém.5 Assim as igrejas eram fortalecidas na fé e aumentavam em número cada dia.6 Atravessaram a região frígio-gálata, tendo sido impedidos pelo Espírito Santo de anunciar a palavra na Ásia.7 Tendo viajado na direção de Mísia, tentavam seguir para Bitínia, mas o Espírito de Jesus não o permitiu;8 e tendo passado ao lado de Mísia, desceram a Trôade.9 De noite apareceu a Paulo esta visão: Um homem da Macedônia achava-se em pé, rogando-lhe: Passa à Macedônia e ajuda-nos.10 Depois desta visão, procuramos logo partir para a Macedônia, concluindo que Deus nos havia chamado para aí pregarmos o Evangelho.11 Tendo, pois, navegado de Trôade, fomos em direitura a Samotrácia, no dia seguinte a Neápolis,12 e dali a Filipos, cidade da Macedônia, primeira do distrito, e colônia. Nesta cidade ficamos alguns dias.13 No sábado saímos fora da porta para junto de um rio, onde julgávamos haver um lugar de oração e, sentados, falávamos às mulheres que ali haviam concorrido.14 Uma mulher chamada Lídia, vendedora de púrpura, da cidade de Tiatira, e que temia a Deus, nos escutava; e o Senhor abriu-lhe o coração para atender às coisas que Paulo dizia.15 Depois de serem batizadas, ela e sua casa, fez-nos este pedido: Se julgais que sou crente no Senhor, entrai em minha casa e ficai nela; e constrangeu-nos a isso.16 Enquanto íamos ao lugar de oração, veio-nos ao encontro uma moça que tinha um espírito adivinhador, a qual com as suas adivinhações dava muito lucro aos amos.17 Ela, seguindo a Paulo e a nós clamava: Estes homens que vos anunciam o caminho da salvação, são servos do Deus Altíssimo.18 E fazia isto por muitos dias. Mas Paulo, enfadado, virou-se para ela e disse ao espírito: Eu te ordeno em nome de Jesus Cristo que saias dela; e na mesma hora saiu.19 Vendo os seus amos que se lhes havia acabado a esperança do lucro, pegaram em Paulo e Silas e arrastaram-nos para a praça à presença das autoridades20 e, apresentando-os aos pretores, disseram: Estes judeus estão perturbando muito a nossa cidade,21 e anunciam costumes que não nos é lícito receber nem praticar, sendo nós romanos.22 A multidão levantou-se à uma contra eles, e os pretores, rasgando-lhes os vestidos, mandaram açoitá-los com varas23 e, depois de lhes darem muitos açoites, lançaram-nos numa prisão, mandando ao carcereiro que os guardasse com segurança.24 Ele, tendo recebido tal ordem, lançou-os na prisão interior e apertou-lhes os pés no tronco.25 Mas pela meia-noite Paulo e Silas oravam e cantavam hinos a Deus, e os presos escutavam-nos.26 Subitamente houve um grande terremoto, de modo que foram abalados os alicerces do cárcere; logo se abriram todas as portas, e foram soltas as correntes de todos.27 Tendo acordado o carcereiro, e vendo abertas as portas da prisão, tirou da espada e ia suicidar-se, supondo que os presos haviam fugido.28 Mas Paulo bradou em alta voz: Não te faças nenhum mal, porque todos estamos aqui.29 O carcereiro, tendo pedido uma luz, saltou dentro da prisão e, tremendo, lançou-se aos pés de Paulo e de Silas30 e, tirando-os para fora, perguntou-lhes: Senhores, que me é necessário fazer para me salvar?31 Responderam eles: Crê no Senhor Jesus e serás salvo, tu e a tua casa.32 Anunciaram-lhe a palavra de Deus, e a todos os que estavam em sua casa.33 Ele, naquela mesma hora da noite, tomando-os consigo, lavou-lhes as feridas, e foi logo batizado, ele e todos os seus.34 Fazendo-os subir para sua casa, deu-lhes de comer e alegrou-se muito com toda a sua casa, por haver crido em Deus.35 Quando amanheceu, os pretores enviaram lictores a dizer-lhe: Solta esses homens.36 O carcereiro referiu estas palavras a Paulo, dizendo: Os pretores mandaram soltar-vos. Agora, pois, saí e ide em paz.37 Mas Paulo disse aos lictores: Açoitaram-nos publicamente sem sermos condenados, sendo romanos, e lançaram-nos na prisão; e agora nos lançam fora secretamente? Pois não há de ser assim, mas venham eles mesmos e tirem-nos.38 Os lictores deram parte disto aos pretores. Estes temeram, ao saber que eles eram romanos39 e, vindo, procuraram conciliá-los; e tirando-os para fora, pediam-lhes que se retirassem da cidade.40 Eles, saindo da prisão, entraram na casa de Lídia e, vendo os irmãos, consolaram-nos e 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.