Thematic Bible


Thematic Bible



And it happened that [as] we were going to the place of prayer, a certain female slave who had a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing a large profit to her owners [by] fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us [and] was crying out, saying, "These men are slaves of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!" And she was doing this for many days. But Paul, becoming greatly annoyed and turning around, said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!" And it came out {immediately}. read more.
But [when] her owners saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas [and] dragged [them] into the marketplace before the rulers. And [when they] had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, "These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, and are proclaiming customs that are not permitted for us to accept or to practice, [because we] are Romans!" And the crowd joined in attacking them, and the chief magistrates tore off their clothing [and] gave orders to beat [them] with rods. And [after they] had inflicted many blows on them, they threw [them] into prison, giving orders to the jailer to guard them securely. Having received such an order, {he} put them in the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. Now about midnight, Paul and Silas were praying [and] singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened and all the bonds were unfastened. And [after] the jailer was awake and saw the doors of the prison open, he drew [his] sword [and] was about to kill himself, [because he] thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul called out with a loud voice, saying, "Do no harm to yourself, for we are all here!"

so that even handkerchiefs or work aprons {that had touched his skin} were carried away to those who were sick, and [their] diseases left them and the evil spirits came out [of them]. Verse ConceptsExorcismsPeople Casting Out DemonsMeans Of PurifyingHow Healing CameMan's Authority Over The DevilIllness

And it happened that [as] we were going to the place of prayer, a certain female slave who had a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing a large profit to her owners [by] fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us [and] was crying out, saying, "These men are slaves of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!" And she was doing this for many days. But Paul, becoming greatly annoyed and turning around, said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!" And it came out {immediately}.

And you, you must not listen to your prophets, and to your diviners, and to your dreamers, and to your interpreters of signs, and to your sorcerers who are {saying}, 'You will not serve the king of Babylon.' Verse ConceptsListeningMediumsFortunetellingOccultismDivinationMisleading DreamsFalse Prophets DenouncedAvoid SorceryDo Not Listen!SorceryDreams And False Prophetsmagic

For the king of Babylon stands at the fork of the road at the head of the two roads to practice divination. {He shakes the arrows}, he inquires with the teraphim, he {examines} the liver. Verse ConceptsLiversMagical Arts, Practice OfArrows, Uses OfHousehold GodsPeople Shaking

Then Joseph said to them, "What is this deed that you have done? Did you not know that a man who [is] like me surely practices divination?" Verse ConceptsWhat Do You Do?

So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian went [with] a fee for divination in their hand; they came to Balaam and spoke the words of Balak to him. Verse ConceptsOld Age, Attitudes ToReward, HumanDivination

For these nations that you [are] about to dispossess listen to interpreters of signs and to diviners, but Yahweh your God has not allowed you to do the same. Verse ConceptsDivination, Practiced ByAvoid SorceryGod ForbiddingSorcery

and [the] Philistines called to the priests and to those who practiced divination, saying, "What should we do with the ark of Yahweh? Inform us how we should send it to its place."

Therefore falseness you will not see, and divination you will not practice any longer, and I will rescue my people from your hand, and you will know that I [am] Yahweh!'" Verse ConceptsNo VisionsGod Saving From Enemies

Because the household gods speak deceit, and those who practice divination see a lie, and the dreamers of vanity speak in vain. Therefore [the people] wander like sheep; they are afflicted because there is no shepherd. Verse ConceptsAstrologyFutilityencouragement, examples ofdiscouragementGuidance, Need For God'sHousehold GodsPeace, Human Destruction OfRestlessnessSheepSorcery And MagicVisionsDivinationWanderersMisleading DreamsProphesying LiesNo ComfortDreams And False Prophets

And it happened that [as] we were going to the place of prayer, a certain female slave who had a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing a large profit to her owners [by] fortune-telling. Verse ConceptsMagical Arts, Practice Ofdemons, Kinds ofMastersMoney, Uses OfPredictionsDivinationFortunetellingNecromancyWhere To PraySorceryThe Futuremagicpsychics

So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian went [with] a fee for divination in their hand; they came to Balaam and spoke the words of Balak to him. Verse ConceptsOld Age, Attitudes ToReward, HumanDivination

And it happened that [as] we were going to the place of prayer, a certain female slave who had a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing a large profit to her owners [by] fortune-telling. Verse ConceptsMagical Arts, Practice Ofdemons, Kinds ofMastersMoney, Uses OfPredictionsDivinationFortunetellingNecromancyWhere To PraySorceryThe Futuremagicpsychics

And you, you must not listen to your prophets, and to your diviners, and to your dreamers, and to your interpreters of signs, and to your sorcerers who are {saying}, 'You will not serve the king of Babylon.' Verse ConceptsListeningMediumsFortunetellingOccultismDivinationMisleading DreamsFalse Prophets DenouncedAvoid SorceryDo Not Listen!SorceryDreams And False Prophetsmagic

For the king of Babylon stands at the fork of the road at the head of the two roads to practice divination. {He shakes the arrows}, he inquires with the teraphim, he {examines} the liver. Verse ConceptsLiversMagical Arts, Practice OfArrows, Uses OfHousehold GodsPeople Shaking

Then Joseph said to them, "What is this deed that you have done? Did you not know that a man who [is] like me surely practices divination?" Verse ConceptsWhat Do You Do?

So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian went [with] a fee for divination in their hand; they came to Balaam and spoke the words of Balak to him. Verse ConceptsOld Age, Attitudes ToReward, HumanDivination

For these nations that you [are] about to dispossess listen to interpreters of signs and to diviners, but Yahweh your God has not allowed you to do the same. Verse ConceptsDivination, Practiced ByAvoid SorceryGod ForbiddingSorcery

and [the] Philistines called to the priests and to those who practiced divination, saying, "What should we do with the ark of Yahweh? Inform us how we should send it to its place."

Therefore falseness you will not see, and divination you will not practice any longer, and I will rescue my people from your hand, and you will know that I [am] Yahweh!'" Verse ConceptsNo VisionsGod Saving From Enemies

Because the household gods speak deceit, and those who practice divination see a lie, and the dreamers of vanity speak in vain. Therefore [the people] wander like sheep; they are afflicted because there is no shepherd. Verse ConceptsAstrologyFutilityencouragement, examples ofdiscouragementGuidance, Need For God'sHousehold GodsPeace, Human Destruction OfRestlessnessSheepSorcery And MagicVisionsDivinationWanderersMisleading DreamsProphesying LiesNo ComfortDreams And False Prophets

And it happened that [as] we were going to the place of prayer, a certain female slave who had a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing a large profit to her owners [by] fortune-telling. Verse ConceptsMagical Arts, Practice Ofdemons, Kinds ofMastersMoney, Uses OfPredictionsDivinationFortunetellingNecromancyWhere To PraySorceryThe Futuremagicpsychics

The king cried {aloud} to bring [in] the conjurers, the {astrologers} and the diviners; the king {spoke} and said to [the] wise men of Babylon, "Any man that can read this writing and can tell me its explanation will be clothed [in] purple and [will have] necklace of gold [hung] around his neck and he will rule [as] third [in authority] in the kingdom." Verse ConceptsInscriptionsClothingChainsGoldRulersWisdom, Human NatureWisdom, Source Of HumanColors, PurpleRich ApparelDressGold ChainsPurple ClothesGold OrnamentsJewelleryThird PersonReading Other Matter

And it happened that [as] we were going to the place of prayer, a certain female slave who had a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing a large profit to her owners [by] fortune-telling. Verse ConceptsMagical Arts, Practice Ofdemons, Kinds ofMastersMoney, Uses OfPredictionsDivinationFortunetellingNecromancyWhere To PraySorceryThe Futuremagicpsychics

For you have forsaken your people, house of Jacob, because they are full from [the] east, and [of] soothsayers like the Philistines, and {they make alliances} with the offspring of foreigners. Verse ConceptsAbandoning FriendsAbandonmentDivination, Practiced ByJacob, The PatriarchPagansSyncretismOut Of The EastRelations With ForeignersAliens

Daniel answered the king and said, "The mystery that the king asks, no wise men, conjurers, magicians, [or] diviners are able to make known to the king. Verse ConceptsAstrologyClairvoyancesNecromancyPeople's Inability To UnderstandDisclosuresUnable To Understandpsychics

And I will cut off sorceries from your hand, and you will not have soothsayers. Verse ConceptsSorcery And MagicFortunetellingOccultismSorcerymagicwitches

And after some days, Paul said to Barnabas, "Come then,[let us] return [and] visit the brothers in every town in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, [to see] how they are [doing]." Now Barnabas wanted to take John who was called Mark along also, but Paul held the opinion they should not take this one along, who departed from them in Pamphylia and did not accompany them in the work. read more.
And a sharp disagreement took place, so that they separated from one another. And Barnabas took along Mark [and] sailed away to Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas [and] departed, [after] being commended to the grace of the Lord by the brothers. And he traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. And he came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there {named} Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman but of a Greek father, who was well spoken of by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted this one to go with him, and he took [him] [and] circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for [they] all knew that his father was Greek. And as they went through the towns, they passed on to them to observe the rules that had been decided by the apostles and elders [who were] in Jerusalem. So the churches were being strengthened in the faith and were growing in number every day. And they traveled through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in Asia. And [when they] came to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them. So going through Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul during the night: a certain Macedonian man was standing there and imploring him and saying, "Come over to Macedonia [and] help us!" And when he had seen the vision, we wanted at once to go away to Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them. So putting out to sea from Troas, we sailed a straight course to Samothrace, and on the following [day] to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city [of that] district of Macedonia, a [Roman] colony. And we were staying in this city for some days. And on the day of the Sabbath, we went outside the [city] gate beside the river, where we thought there was a place of prayer, and we sat down [and] spoke to the women assembled [there]. And a certain woman {named} Lydia from the city of Thyatira, a merchant dealing in purple cloth who showed reverence for God, was listening. The Lord opened {her} heart to pay attention to what was being said by Paul. And after she was baptized, and her household, she urged [us], saying, "If you consider me to be a believer in the Lord, come to my house [and] stay." And she prevailed upon us. And it happened that [as] we were going to the place of prayer, a certain female slave who had a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing a large profit to her owners [by] fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us [and] was crying out, saying, "These men are slaves of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!" And she was doing this for many days. But Paul, becoming greatly annoyed and turning around, said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!" And it came out {immediately}. But [when] her owners saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas [and] dragged [them] into the marketplace before the rulers. And [when they] had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, "These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, and are proclaiming customs that are not permitted for us to accept or to practice, [because we] are Romans!" And the crowd joined in attacking them, and the chief magistrates tore off their clothing [and] gave orders to beat [them] with rods. And [after they] had inflicted many blows on them, they threw [them] into prison, giving orders to the jailer to guard them securely. Having received such an order, {he} put them in the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. Now about midnight, Paul and Silas were praying [and] singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened and all the bonds were unfastened. And [after] the jailer was awake and saw the doors of the prison open, he drew [his] sword [and] was about to kill himself, [because he] thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul called out with a loud voice, saying, "Do no harm to yourself, for we are all here!" And demanding lights, he rushed in and, {beginning to tremble}, fell down at the feet of Paul and Silas. And he brought them outside [and] said, "Sirs, what must I do so that I can be saved?" And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household!" And they spoke the message of the Lord to him, together with all those in his house. And he took them at that [very] hour of the night [and] washed [their] wounds, and he himself was baptized at once, and all those of his [household]. And he brought them up into [his] house [and] set a meal before [them], and rejoiced greatly that he had believed in God with his whole household. And [when it] was day, the chief magistrates sent the police officers, saying, "Release those men." And the jailer reported these words to Paul: "The chief magistrates have sent [an order] that you should be released. So come out now [and] go in peace!" But Paul said to them, "They beat us in public without due process--men who are Roman citizens--[and] threw [us] into prison, and now they are wanting to release us secretly? Certainly not! Rather let them come themselves [and] bring us out!" So the police officers reported these words to the chief magistrates, and they were afraid [when they] heard that they were Roman citizens. And they came [and] apologized to them, and [after they] brought [them] out they asked [them] to depart from the city. And [when they] came out of the prison, they went to Lydia and [when they] saw [them], they encouraged the brothers and departed. Now [after they] traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. {And as was his custom}, Paul went in to them and on three Sabbath [days] he discussed with them from the scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that it was necessary [for] the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and [saying], "This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ." And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, and [also] a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few of the prominent women. But the Jews were filled with jealousy and, taking along some worthless men from the rabble in the marketplace and forming a mob, threw the city into an uproar. And attacking Jason's house, they were looking for them to bring [them] out to the popular assembly. And [when they] did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brothers before the city officials, shouting, "These [people] who have stirred up trouble [throughout] the world have come here also, whom Jason has entertained as guests! And these [people] [are] all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king, Jesus!" And they threw the crowd into confusion, and the city officials who heard these [things]. And [after] taking money as security from Jason and the rest, they released them. Now the brothers sent away both Paul and Silas at once, during the night, to Berea. {They} went into the synagogue of the Jews [when they] arrived. Now these were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica. {They} accepted the message with all eagerness, examining the scriptures every day [to see] if these [things] were so. Therefore many of them believed, and not a few of the prominent Greek women and men. But when the Jews from Thessalonica found out that the message of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there too, inciting and stirring up the crowds. So then the brothers sent Paul away at once to go to the sea, and both Silas and Timothy remained there. And those who conducted Paul brought [him] as far as Athens, and [after] receiving an order for Silas and Timothy that they should come to him as soon as possible, they went away. Now while Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was provoked within him [when he] observed the city was full of idols. So he was discussing in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing [Gentiles], and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. And even some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him, and some were saying, "What does this babbler want to say?" But [others said], "He appears to be a proclaimer of foreign deities," because he was proclaiming the good news [about] Jesus and the resurrection. And they took hold of him [and] brought [him] to the Areopagus, saying, "May we learn what [is] this new teaching being proclaimed by you? For you are bringing some astonishing things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what {these things mean}." (Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who stayed there used to spend [their] time in nothing else than telling something or listening to something new.) So Paul stood there in the middle of the Areopagus [and] said, "Men of Athens, I see you [are] very religious {in every respect}. For [as I] was passing through and observing carefully your objects of worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed, 'To an unknown God.' Therefore what you worship without knowing [it], this I proclaim to you-- the God who made the world and all the things in it. This one, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands [as if he] needed anything, [because] he himself gives to everyone life and breath and everything. And he made from one [man] every nation of humanity to live on all the face of the earth, determining [their] fixed times and the fixed boundaries of their habitation, to search for God, if perhaps indeed they might feel around for him and find [him]. And indeed he is not far away from each one of us, for in him we live and move and exist, as even some of {your own} poets have said: 'For we also are {his} offspring.' Therefore, [because we] are offspring of God, we ought not to think the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by human skill and thought. Therefore [although] God has overlooked the times of ignorance, he now commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has set a day on which he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man who he has appointed, having provided proof to everyone [by] raising him from the dead." Now [when they] heard about the resurrection of the dead, [some] scoffed, but [others] said, "We will hear you about this again also." So Paul went out from the midst of them. But some people joined him [and] believed, among whom also [were] Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman {named} Damaris and others with them. After these [things] he departed from Athens [and] went to Corinth. And he found a certain Jew {named} Aquila, {a native} of Pontus who had arrived recently from Italy {along with} Priscilla his wife, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to depart from Rome, [and] he went to them. And because [he] was practicing the same trade, he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. And he argued in the synagogue every Sabbath, attempting to persuade both Jews and Greeks. Now when both Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began to be occupied with the message, solemnly testifying to the Jews [that] the Christ was Jesus. And [when] they resisted and reviled [him], he shook out [his] clothes [and] said to them, "Your blood [be] on your [own] heads! I [am] guiltless! From now on I will go to the Gentiles!" And leaving there, he entered into the house of someone {named} Titius Justus, a worshiper of God whose house was next door to the synagogue. And Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord together with his whole household. And many of the Corinthians, [when they] heard about [it], believed and were baptized. And the Lord said to Paul by a vision in the night, "Do not be afraid, but speak and do not keep silent, because I am with you and no one will attack you to harm you, because many people are mine in this city." So he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. Now [when] Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews rose up with one purpose against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat, saying, "This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law!" But [when] Paul was about to open [his] mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, "If it was some crime or wicked villainy, O Jews, {I would have been justified in accepting} your complaint. But if it is questions concerning a word and names and {your own law}, see to [it] yourselves! I do not wish to be a judge of these [things]." And he drove them away from the judgment seat. So they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, [and] began beating [him] in front of the judgment seat. And none of these [things] was a concern to Gallio. So Paul, [after] remaining many days longer, said farewell to the brothers [and] sailed away to Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. He shaved [his] head at Cenchrea, because he had [taken] a vow. So they arrived at Ephesus, and those he left behind there, but he himself entered into the synagogue [and] discussed with the Jews. And [when] they asked [him] to stay for a longer time, he did not give his consent, but saying farewell and telling [them], "I will return to you again [if] God wills," he set sail from Ephesus. And [when he] arrived at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, [and] went down to Antioch.

And it happened that [as] we were going to the place of prayer, a certain female slave who had a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing a large profit to her owners [by] fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us [and] was crying out, saying, "These men are slaves of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!" And she was doing this for many days. But Paul, becoming greatly annoyed and turning around, said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!" And it came out {immediately}.

And after some days, Paul said to Barnabas, "Come then,[let us] return [and] visit the brothers in every town in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, [to see] how they are [doing]." Now Barnabas wanted to take John who was called Mark along also, but Paul held the opinion they should not take this one along, who departed from them in Pamphylia and did not accompany them in the work. read more.
And a sharp disagreement took place, so that they separated from one another. And Barnabas took along Mark [and] sailed away to Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas [and] departed, [after] being commended to the grace of the Lord by the brothers. And he traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. And he came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there {named} Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman but of a Greek father, who was well spoken of by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted this one to go with him, and he took [him] [and] circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for [they] all knew that his father was Greek. And as they went through the towns, they passed on to them to observe the rules that had been decided by the apostles and elders [who were] in Jerusalem. So the churches were being strengthened in the faith and were growing in number every day. And they traveled through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in Asia. And [when they] came to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them. So going through Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul during the night: a certain Macedonian man was standing there and imploring him and saying, "Come over to Macedonia [and] help us!" And when he had seen the vision, we wanted at once to go away to Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them. So putting out to sea from Troas, we sailed a straight course to Samothrace, and on the following [day] to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city [of that] district of Macedonia, a [Roman] colony. And we were staying in this city for some days. And on the day of the Sabbath, we went outside the [city] gate beside the river, where we thought there was a place of prayer, and we sat down [and] spoke to the women assembled [there]. And a certain woman {named} Lydia from the city of Thyatira, a merchant dealing in purple cloth who showed reverence for God, was listening. The Lord opened {her} heart to pay attention to what was being said by Paul. And after she was baptized, and her household, she urged [us], saying, "If you consider me to be a believer in the Lord, come to my house [and] stay." And she prevailed upon us. And it happened that [as] we were going to the place of prayer, a certain female slave who had a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing a large profit to her owners [by] fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us [and] was crying out, saying, "These men are slaves of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!" And she was doing this for many days. But Paul, becoming greatly annoyed and turning around, said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!" And it came out {immediately}. But [when] her owners saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas [and] dragged [them] into the marketplace before the rulers. And [when they] had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, "These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, and are proclaiming customs that are not permitted for us to accept or to practice, [because we] are Romans!" And the crowd joined in attacking them, and the chief magistrates tore off their clothing [and] gave orders to beat [them] with rods. And [after they] had inflicted many blows on them, they threw [them] into prison, giving orders to the jailer to guard them securely. Having received such an order, {he} put them in the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. Now about midnight, Paul and Silas were praying [and] singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened and all the bonds were unfastened. And [after] the jailer was awake and saw the doors of the prison open, he drew [his] sword [and] was about to kill himself, [because he] thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul called out with a loud voice, saying, "Do no harm to yourself, for we are all here!" And demanding lights, he rushed in and, {beginning to tremble}, fell down at the feet of Paul and Silas. And he brought them outside [and] said, "Sirs, what must I do so that I can be saved?" And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household!" And they spoke the message of the Lord to him, together with all those in his house. And he took them at that [very] hour of the night [and] washed [their] wounds, and he himself was baptized at once, and all those of his [household]. And he brought them up into [his] house [and] set a meal before [them], and rejoiced greatly that he had believed in God with his whole household. And [when it] was day, the chief magistrates sent the police officers, saying, "Release those men." And the jailer reported these words to Paul: "The chief magistrates have sent [an order] that you should be released. So come out now [and] go in peace!" But Paul said to them, "They beat us in public without due process--men who are Roman citizens--[and] threw [us] into prison, and now they are wanting to release us secretly? Certainly not! Rather let them come themselves [and] bring us out!" So the police officers reported these words to the chief magistrates, and they were afraid [when they] heard that they were Roman citizens. And they came [and] apologized to them, and [after they] brought [them] out they asked [them] to depart from the city. And [when they] came out of the prison, they went to Lydia and [when they] saw [them], they encouraged the brothers and departed. Now [after they] traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. {And as was his custom}, Paul went in to them and on three Sabbath [days] he discussed with them from the scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that it was necessary [for] the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and [saying], "This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ." And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, and [also] a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few of the prominent women. But the Jews were filled with jealousy and, taking along some worthless men from the rabble in the marketplace and forming a mob, threw the city into an uproar. And attacking Jason's house, they were looking for them to bring [them] out to the popular assembly. And [when they] did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brothers before the city officials, shouting, "These [people] who have stirred up trouble [throughout] the world have come here also, whom Jason has entertained as guests! And these [people] [are] all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king, Jesus!" And they threw the crowd into confusion, and the city officials who heard these [things]. And [after] taking money as security from Jason and the rest, they released them. Now the brothers sent away both Paul and Silas at once, during the night, to Berea. {They} went into the synagogue of the Jews [when they] arrived. Now these were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica. {They} accepted the message with all eagerness, examining the scriptures every day [to see] if these [things] were so. Therefore many of them believed, and not a few of the prominent Greek women and men. But when the Jews from Thessalonica found out that the message of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there too, inciting and stirring up the crowds. So then the brothers sent Paul away at once to go to the sea, and both Silas and Timothy remained there. And those who conducted Paul brought [him] as far as Athens, and [after] receiving an order for Silas and Timothy that they should come to him as soon as possible, they went away. Now while Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was provoked within him [when he] observed the city was full of idols. So he was discussing in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing [Gentiles], and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. And even some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him, and some were saying, "What does this babbler want to say?" But [others said], "He appears to be a proclaimer of foreign deities," because he was proclaiming the good news [about] Jesus and the resurrection. And they took hold of him [and] brought [him] to the Areopagus, saying, "May we learn what [is] this new teaching being proclaimed by you? For you are bringing some astonishing things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what {these things mean}." (Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who stayed there used to spend [their] time in nothing else than telling something or listening to something new.) So Paul stood there in the middle of the Areopagus [and] said, "Men of Athens, I see you [are] very religious {in every respect}. For [as I] was passing through and observing carefully your objects of worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed, 'To an unknown God.' Therefore what you worship without knowing [it], this I proclaim to you-- the God who made the world and all the things in it. This one, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands [as if he] needed anything, [because] he himself gives to everyone life and breath and everything. And he made from one [man] every nation of humanity to live on all the face of the earth, determining [their] fixed times and the fixed boundaries of their habitation, to search for God, if perhaps indeed they might feel around for him and find [him]. And indeed he is not far away from each one of us, for in him we live and move and exist, as even some of {your own} poets have said: 'For we also are {his} offspring.' Therefore, [because we] are offspring of God, we ought not to think the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by human skill and thought. Therefore [although] God has overlooked the times of ignorance, he now commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has set a day on which he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man who he has appointed, having provided proof to everyone [by] raising him from the dead." Now [when they] heard about the resurrection of the dead, [some] scoffed, but [others] said, "We will hear you about this again also." So Paul went out from the midst of them. But some people joined him [and] believed, among whom also [were] Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman {named} Damaris and others with them. After these [things] he departed from Athens [and] went to Corinth. And he found a certain Jew {named} Aquila, {a native} of Pontus who had arrived recently from Italy {along with} Priscilla his wife, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to depart from Rome, [and] he went to them. And because [he] was practicing the same trade, he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. And he argued in the synagogue every Sabbath, attempting to persuade both Jews and Greeks. Now when both Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began to be occupied with the message, solemnly testifying to the Jews [that] the Christ was Jesus. And [when] they resisted and reviled [him], he shook out [his] clothes [and] said to them, "Your blood [be] on your [own] heads! I [am] guiltless! From now on I will go to the Gentiles!" And leaving there, he entered into the house of someone {named} Titius Justus, a worshiper of God whose house was next door to the synagogue. And Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord together with his whole household. And many of the Corinthians, [when they] heard about [it], believed and were baptized. And the Lord said to Paul by a vision in the night, "Do not be afraid, but speak and do not keep silent, because I am with you and no one will attack you to harm you, because many people are mine in this city." So he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. Now [when] Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews rose up with one purpose against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat, saying, "This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law!" But [when] Paul was about to open [his] mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, "If it was some crime or wicked villainy, O Jews, {I would have been justified in accepting} your complaint. But if it is questions concerning a word and names and {your own law}, see to [it] yourselves! I do not wish to be a judge of these [things]." And he drove them away from the judgment seat. So they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, [and] began beating [him] in front of the judgment seat. And none of these [things] was a concern to Gallio. So Paul, [after] remaining many days longer, said farewell to the brothers [and] sailed away to Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. He shaved [his] head at Cenchrea, because he had [taken] a vow. So they arrived at Ephesus, and those he left behind there, but he himself entered into the synagogue [and] discussed with the Jews. And [when] they asked [him] to stay for a longer time, he did not give his consent, but saying farewell and telling [them], "I will return to you again [if] God wills," he set sail from Ephesus. And [when he] arrived at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, [and] went down to Antioch.

but [after we] had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, just as you know, we had the courage in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition. Verse Conceptsevangelists, ministry ofInjuryInsultsMissionaries, Support ForSpiritual Warfare, Causes OfSuffering, Of BelieversPeople OpposedBeing StrongPeople Actually Doing EvilConflictBoldness

Now after the turmoil had ceased, Paul summoned the disciples, and [after] encouraging [them], he said farewell [and] departed to travel to Macedonia. And [after he] had gone through those regions and encouraged them {at length}, he came to Greece and stayed three months. [Because] a plot was made against him by the Jews [as he] was about to set sail for Syria, he came to a decision to return through Macedonia. read more.
And Sopater [son] of Pyrrhus from Berea, and Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, and Gaius from Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from Asia, were accompanying him. And these had gone on ahead [and] were waiting for us in Troas. And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread and came to them at Troas within five days, where we stayed seven days.

and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city [of that] district of Macedonia, a [Roman] colony. And we were staying in this city for some days. And on the day of the Sabbath, we went outside the [city] gate beside the river, where we thought there was a place of prayer, and we sat down [and] spoke to the women assembled [there]. And a certain woman {named} Lydia from the city of Thyatira, a merchant dealing in purple cloth who showed reverence for God, was listening. The Lord opened {her} heart to pay attention to what was being said by Paul. read more.
And after she was baptized, and her household, she urged [us], saying, "If you consider me to be a believer in the Lord, come to my house [and] stay." And she prevailed upon us. And it happened that [as] we were going to the place of prayer, a certain female slave who had a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing a large profit to her owners [by] fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us [and] was crying out, saying, "These men are slaves of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!" And she was doing this for many days. But Paul, becoming greatly annoyed and turning around, said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!" And it came out {immediately}. But [when] her owners saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas [and] dragged [them] into the marketplace before the rulers. And [when they] had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, "These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, and are proclaiming customs that are not permitted for us to accept or to practice, [because we] are Romans!" And the crowd joined in attacking them, and the chief magistrates tore off their clothing [and] gave orders to beat [them] with rods. And [after they] had inflicted many blows on them, they threw [them] into prison, giving orders to the jailer to guard them securely. Having received such an order, {he} put them in the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. Now about midnight, Paul and Silas were praying [and] singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened and all the bonds were unfastened. And [after] the jailer was awake and saw the doors of the prison open, he drew [his] sword [and] was about to kill himself, [because he] thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul called out with a loud voice, saying, "Do no harm to yourself, for we are all here!" And demanding lights, he rushed in and, {beginning to tremble}, fell down at the feet of Paul and Silas. And he brought them outside [and] said, "Sirs, what must I do so that I can be saved?" And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household!" And they spoke the message of the Lord to him, together with all those in his house. And he took them at that [very] hour of the night [and] washed [their] wounds, and he himself was baptized at once, and all those of his [household]. And he brought them up into [his] house [and] set a meal before [them], and rejoiced greatly that he had believed in God with his whole household. And [when it] was day, the chief magistrates sent the police officers, saying, "Release those men." And the jailer reported these words to Paul: "The chief magistrates have sent [an order] that you should be released. So come out now [and] go in peace!" But Paul said to them, "They beat us in public without due process--men who are Roman citizens--[and] threw [us] into prison, and now they are wanting to release us secretly? Certainly not! Rather let them come themselves [and] bring us out!" So the police officers reported these words to the chief magistrates, and they were afraid [when they] heard that they were Roman citizens. And they came [and] apologized to them, and [after they] brought [them] out they asked [them] to depart from the city. And [when they] came out of the prison, they went to Lydia and [when they] saw [them], they encouraged the brothers and departed.

And it happened that [as] we were going to the place of prayer, a certain female slave who had a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing a large profit to her owners [by] fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us [and] was crying out, saying, "These men are slaves of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!" And she was doing this for many days. But Paul, becoming greatly annoyed and turning around, said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!" And it came out {immediately}. read more.
But [when] her owners saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas [and] dragged [them] into the marketplace before the rulers. And [when they] had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, "These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, and are proclaiming customs that are not permitted for us to accept or to practice, [because we] are Romans!" And the crowd joined in attacking them, and the chief magistrates tore off their clothing [and] gave orders to beat [them] with rods. And [after they] had inflicted many blows on them, they threw [them] into prison, giving orders to the jailer to guard them securely. Having received such an order, {he} put them in the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. Now about midnight, Paul and Silas were praying [and] singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened and all the bonds were unfastened. And [after] the jailer was awake and saw the doors of the prison open, he drew [his] sword [and] was about to kill himself, [because he] thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul called out with a loud voice, saying, "Do no harm to yourself, for we are all here!" And demanding lights, he rushed in and, {beginning to tremble}, fell down at the feet of Paul and Silas. And he brought them outside [and] said, "Sirs, what must I do so that I can be saved?" And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household!" And they spoke the message of the Lord to him, together with all those in his house. And he took them at that [very] hour of the night [and] washed [their] wounds, and he himself was baptized at once, and all those of his [household]. And he brought them up into [his] house [and] set a meal before [them], and rejoiced greatly that he had believed in God with his whole household. And [when it] was day, the chief magistrates sent the police officers, saying, "Release those men." And the jailer reported these words to Paul: "The chief magistrates have sent [an order] that you should be released. So come out now [and] go in peace!" But Paul said to them, "They beat us in public without due process--men who are Roman citizens--[and] threw [us] into prison, and now they are wanting to release us secretly? Certainly not! Rather let them come themselves [and] bring us out!" So the police officers reported these words to the chief magistrates, and they were afraid [when they] heard that they were Roman citizens. And they came [and] apologized to them, and [after they] brought [them] out they asked [them] to depart from the city. And [when they] came out of the prison, they went to Lydia and [when they] saw [them], they encouraged the brothers and departed.

And it happened that [as] we were going to the place of prayer, a certain female slave who had a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing a large profit to her owners [by] fortune-telling. Verse ConceptsMagical Arts, Practice Ofdemons, Kinds ofMastersMoney, Uses OfPredictionsDivinationFortunetellingNecromancyWhere To PraySorceryThe Futuremagicpsychics

And it happened that [as] we were going to the place of prayer, a certain female slave who had a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing a large profit to her owners [by] fortune-telling. Verse ConceptsMagical Arts, Practice Ofdemons, Kinds ofMastersMoney, Uses OfPredictionsDivinationFortunetellingNecromancyWhere To PraySorceryThe Futuremagicpsychics