Common English Bible CEB
New Revised Standard NRS
16 One day, when we were on the way to the place for prayer, we met a slave woman. She had a spirit that enabled her to predict the future. She made a lot of money for her owners through fortune-telling.
16
One day, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave-girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling.
17 She began following Paul and us, shouting, "These people are servants of the Most High God! They are proclaiming a way of salvation to you!"
17
While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, "These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation."
18 She did this for many days. This annoyed Paul so much that he finally turned and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ, I command you to leave her!" It left her at that very moment.
18
She kept doing this for many days. But Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And it came out that very hour.
19 Her owners realized that their hope for making money was gone. They grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the officials in the city center.
19
But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities.
20 When her owners approached the legal authorities, they said, "These people are causing an uproar in our city. They are Jews
20
When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, "These men are disturbing our city; they are Jews
21 who promote customs that we Romans can't accept or practice."
21
and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or observe."
22 The crowd joined in the attacks against Paul and Silas, so the authorities ordered that they be stripped of their clothes and beaten with a rod.
22
The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates had them stripped of their clothing and ordered them to be beaten with rods.
23 When Paul and Silas had been severely beaten, the authorities threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to secure them with great care.
23
After they had given them a severe flogging, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to keep them securely.
24 When he received these instructions, he threw them into the innermost cell and secured their feet in stocks.
24
Following these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
25
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.
26 All at once there was such a violent earthquake that it shook the prison's foundations. The doors flew open and everyone's chains came loose.
26
Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were unfastened.
27 When the jailer awoke and saw the open doors of the prison, he thought the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword and was about to kill himself.
27
When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped.
28 But Paul shouted loudly, "Don't harm yourself! We're all here!"
28
But Paul shouted in a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here."
29 The jailer called for some lights, rushed in, and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.
29
The jailer called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.
30 He led them outside and asked, "Honorable masters, what must I do to be rescued?"
30
Then he brought them outside and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
31 They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your entire household."
31
They answered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household."
32 They spoke the Lord's word to him and everyone else in his house.
32
They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.
33 Right then, in the middle of the night, the jailer welcomed them and washed their wounds. He and everyone in his household were immediately baptized.
33
At the same hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized without delay.
34 He brought them into his home and gave them a meal. He was overjoyed because he and everyone in his household had come to believe in God.
34
He brought them up into the house and set food before them; and he and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.