Ma'ashym (Acts) — 16
Shaul’s Second Missionary Journey
1 Shaul went first to Darba and then to Lystra, where there was a young follower named Timothy. His mother was a Yahudym believer, but his father was a Greek.
2 Timothy was well thought of by the believers in Lystra and Icunium,
3 Shaul wanted him to join them on their journey. Shaul arranged for Timothy to be circumcised before they left, because of the Yahudym who were in that region for everyone knew that his father was a Greek.
4 Then they went from town to town, instructing the believers to follow the decisions made by the Shaliachs and elders in Yahushalam.
5 So the Qadash assembly were strengthened in their Amunah and grew larger every day.
A Call from Macedonia
6 Next Shaul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the RUACH Ha'Qadash had prevented them from preaching the Dabar of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH in the province of Asia at that time.
7 Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed north for the province of Bithynia, but again the RUACH did not allow them to go there.
8 So instead, they went on through Mysia to the seaport of Troas.
9 That night Shaul had a vision: A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there, pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!”
10 So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once, having concluded that 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH was calling us to preach the Good News there.
Lydia of Philippi Believes in YAHUSHA
11 We boarded a boat at Troas and sailed straight course to the island of Samothrace, and the next day we landed at Neapolis.
12 From there we reached Philippi, a major city of that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. And we stayed there several days.
13 On the Shabbat we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank, where we thought people would be meeting for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had gathered there.
14 One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth, who worshiped 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH. As she listened to us, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH opened her heart, and she accepted what Shaul was saying.
15 She and her household were baptized, and she asked us to be her guests. “If you agree that I am a true believer in 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH,” she said, “come and stay at my home.” And she urged us until we agreed.
Shaul and Silas in Prison
16 One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit that enabled her to tell the future. She earned a lot of money for her masters by telling fortunes.
17 She followed Shaul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH Tsaba'ut, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.”
18 This went on day after day until Shaul got greatly annoyed that he turned and said to the demon within her, “I command you in the name of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏_YAHUSHA Ha'Mashyach to come out of her.” And instantly the evil spirit left her.
19 Her masters’ hopes of wealth were now shattered, so they grabbed Shaul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the marketplace.
20 “The whole city is in an uproar because of these Yahudym!” they shouted to the city officials.
21 “They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice.”
22 A mob quickly formed against Shaul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods.
23 They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they did not escape.
24 So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks.
25 Around midnight Shaul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, and the other prisoners were listening.
26 Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!
27 The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open, he assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword and wanted to kill himself.
28 But Shaul shouted to him, “Stop! Do not kill yourself! We are all here!”
29 The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Shaul and Silas.
30 Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 They replied, “Believe in 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏_YAHUSHA Ha'Mashyach and you will be saved, you and everyone in your household.”
32 And they shared the Dabar of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH with him and with all who lived in his household.
33 Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized.
34 He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH.
35 The next morning the city officials sent the officers to tell the jailer, “Let those men go!”
36 So the jailer told Shaul, “The city officials have said you and Silas are free to leave. Go in Shalum.”
37 But Shaul replied, “They have publicly beaten us without a trial and put us in prison and we are Roman citizens. So now they want us to leave secretly? Certainly not! Let them come themselves to release us!”
38 When the officers reported this, the city officials were alarmed to learn that Shaul and Silas were Roman citizens.
39 So they came to the jail and apologized to them. Then they brought them out and begged them to leave the city.
40 When Shaul and Silas left the prison, they returned to the home of Lydia. There they met with the believers and encouraged them once more. Then they left town.