The Early Church

And it came to passe that as we went to prayer, a certaine maide hauing a spirit of diuination, mette vs, which gate her masters much vantage with diuining.

She followed Paul and vs, and cryed, saying, These men are the seruants of the most high God, which shewe vnto you the way of saluation.

And this did she many dayes: but Paul being grieued, turned about, and said to the spirit, I commaund thee in the Name of Iesus Christ, that thou come out of her. And he came out the same houre.

Nowe when her masters sawe that the hope of their gaine was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drewe them into the market place vnto the Magistrates,

And brought them to the gouernours, saying, These men which are Iewes, trouble our citie,

And preache ordinances, which are not lawfull for vs to receiue, neither to obserue, seeing we are Romanes.

The people also rose vp together against them, and the gouernours rent their clothes, and commanded them to be beaten with roddes.

And when they had beaten them sore, they cast them into prison, commaunding the Iayler to keepe them surely.

Who hauing receiued such commandement, cast them into the inner prison, and made their feete fast in the stockes.

Nowe at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sung Psalmes vnto God: and the prisoners heard them.

And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundation of the prison was shaken: and by and by all the doores opened, and euery mans bands were loosed.

Then the keeper of the prison waked out of his sleepe, and when he sawe the prison doores open, he drewe out his sword and would haue killed himselfe, supposing the prisoners had bin fled.

But Paul cryed with a loude voyce, saying, Doe thy selfe no harme: for we are all here.

Then he called for a light, and leaped in, and came trembling, and fell downe before Paul and Silas,

And brought them out, and said, Syrs, what must I doe to be saued?

And they saide, Beleeue in the Lord Iesus Christ, and thou shalt be saued, and thine houshold.

And they preached vnto him the worde of the Lord, and to all that were in the house.

Afterwarde he tooke them the same houre of the night, and washed their stripes, and was baptized with all that belonged vnto him, straigthway.

And when he had brought them into his house, he set meate before them, and reioyced that he with all his houshold beleeued in God.

And when it was day, the gouernours sent the sergeants, saying, Let those men goe.

Then the keeper of the prison tolde these woordes vnto Paul, saying, The gouerness haue sent to loose you: nowe therefore get you hence, and goe in peace.

Then sayde Paul vnto them, After that they haue beaten vs openly vncodemned, which are Romanes, they haue cast vs into prison, and nowe would they put vs out priuily? nay verely: but let them come and bring vs out.

And the sergeants tolde these woordes vnto the gouernours, who feared whe they heard that they were Romanes.

Then came they and praied them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the citie.

And they went out of the prison, and entred into the house of Lydia: and when they had seene the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.