the Fourth Week of Advent
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Hebrew Names Version
Acts 16
1 He came to Derbe and Lystra: and behold, a certain talmid was there, named Timothy, the son of a Yehudi who believed; but his father was a Yevanit. 2 The brothers who were at Lystra and Iconium gave a good testimony about him. 3 Sha'ul wanted to have him go out with him, and he took and circumcised him because of the Yehudim who were in those parts; for they all knew that his father was a Yevanit. 4 As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered the decrees to them to keep which had been ordained by the apostles and Zakenim who were at Yerushalayim. 5 So the assemblies were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.
6 When they had gone through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, they were forbidden by the Ruach HaKodesh to speak the word in Asia. 7 When they had come opposite Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit didn't allow them. 8 Passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. 9 A vision appeared to Sha'ul in the night. There was a man of Macedonia standing, begging him, and saying, "Come over into Macedonia and help us." 10 When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go out to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the Good News to them. 11 Setting sail therefore from Troas, we made a straight course to Samothrace, and the day following to Neapolis; 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a city of Macedonia, the first of the district, a Roman colony. We were staying some days in this city. 13 On the day of Shabbat we went forth outside of the city by a riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down, and spoke to the women who had come together. 14 A certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one who worshiped God, heard us; whose heart the Lord opened to listen to the things which were spoken by Sha'ul. 15 When she and her household were immersed, she begged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and stay." She urged us.
16 It happened, as we were going to prayer, that a certain girl having a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much gain by fortune telling. 17 The same, following after Sha'ul and us, cried out, "These men are servants of Ha`Elyon God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation!" 18 This she did for many days. But Sha'ul, becoming greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I charge you in the name of Yeshua the Messiah to come out of her!" It came out that very hour. 19 But when her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they seized Sha'ul and Sila, and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. 20 When they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, "These men, being Yehudim, are agitating our city, 21 and set forth customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans." 22 The multitude rose up together against them, and the magistrates tore their clothes off of them, and commanded them to be beaten with rods. 23 When they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely, 24 who, having received such a charge, threw them into the inner prison, and secured their feet in the stocks.
25 But about midnight Sha'ul and Sila were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were loosened. 27 The jailer, being roused out of sleep and seeing the prison doors open, drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Sha'ul cried with a loud voice, saying, "Don't harm yourself, for we are all here!" 29 He called for lights and sprang in, and, fell down trembling before Sha'ul and Sila, 30 and brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31 They said, "Believe in the Lord Yeshua the Messiah, and you will be saved, you and your household." 32 They spoke the word of the Lord to him, and to all who were in his house. 33 He took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes, and was immediately immersed, he and all his household. 34 He brought them up into his house, and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, with all his household, having believed in God.
35 But when it was day, the magistrates sent the sergeants, saying, "Let those men go." 36 The jailer reported these words to Sha'ul, saying, "The magistrates have sent to let you go; now therefore come out, and go in shalom." 37 But Sha'ul said to them, "They have beaten us publicly, without a trial, men who are Romans, and have cast us into prison! Do they now release us secretly? No, most assuredly, but let them come themselves and bring us out!" 38 The sergeants reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans, 39 and they came and begged them. When they had brought them out, they asked them to depart from the city. 40 They went out of the prison, and entered into Lydia's house. When they had seen the brothers, they comforted them, and departed.