The XVI. Chapter.
[ A] HE came vnto Derba and to Lystra, and beholde, a certayne disciple was there named Timotheus, the sonne of a Iewish woman, which beleued, but his father was a Greke: ye same had a good reporte amonge the brethrē of Lystra and at Iconium. Paul wolde that the same shul¦de go forth with him, and toke and * 1.1 circum¦cysed him because of the Iewes that were in those quarters. For they knewe all, that his father was a Greke. But as they wente thorow the cities, they delyuered them the sentence to kepe, * 1.2 which was concluded of the Apostles and Elders at Ierusalem. Thē were the congregacions stablyshed in the faith, and increased in nombre daylie.
But as they wente thorow Phrygia and the londe of Galacia, they were * 1.3 forbydden of the holy goost, to preache the worde in Asia. Howbeit as they came in to Mysia, they proued to take their iourney in to Bi∣thinia, and the sprete suffred them not.
[ B] Neuertheles whan they had passed tho∣row Mysia, they came downe to Troada, and there appeared a * 1.4 vision vnto Paul by night, that there was a man of Macedonia which stode and prayed him, and sayde: Co∣me downe to Macedonia, and helpe vs. Whan he had sene ye vision, we soughte im∣mediatly to go, vnto Macedonia, beynge certified, that ye LORDE had called vs thi∣ther, to preach the Gospell vnto them. Thē departed we from Troada, and came the straight course vnto Samothracia, on the nexte daye to Neapolis, and from thence to Philippis, which is the chefe cite of the lon∣de of Macedonia, and a fre cite. In this cite abode we certayne dayes.
On the daye of the Sabbathes wēte we out of the cite besyde the water, where men were wonte to praye, and we sat downe, and spake vnto the wemen that resorted thither. And a deuoute woman (named Lydia) a seller of purple, out of the cite of Thiatira, herkened to, whose hert the LORDE opened that she gaue hede vnto the thinges that Paul spake. Whan she was baptysed and hir housholde, she besoughte vs, and sayde: Yf ye thynke that I beleue on the LORDE, then come in to my house, and a byde there. And she * 1.5 constrayned vs.
It fortuned whan we wente to prayer, yt [ C] there met vs a damsel, which had a sprete of soythsayenge, and broughte hir master and mastresse greate vauntage with soyth sayen¦ge: ye same folowed Paul and vs, and cryed, and sayde: These men are the seruauntes of the most hye God, which shewe vs ye waye of saluacion. This dyd she many dayes. But Paul was not content with it, and turned him aboute, and sayde vnto the sprete: I cō∣maunde the in the name of Iesu Christ, that thou departe out of her.* 1.6 And he departed out at the same houre.
But whā hir master and mastresse sawe that the hope of their vauntage was gone, * 1.7 they toke Paul and Sylas, drue them in to the market place before ye rulers, & broughte thē vnto the officers, and sayde: These men trouble oure cyte, & are Iewes, and preach an ordynaunce, which is not laufull for vs to receaue, ner to obserue, seynge we are Ro¦maynes. And the people rāne on them, and [ D] the officers rente their clothes, and cōmaun¦ded them to be beaten with roddes.* 1.8 And whan they had beaten them sore, they cast thē in preson, and commaunded the iayler, to kepe them diligētly. Which whan he had receaued soch commaundement, he cast thē in to the ynner preson, and put their fete in the stockes.
But at mydnight prayed Paul and Sy∣las, and praysed God. And the presoners her¦de them. Sodenly was there a greate earth quake, so that the foundacions of the preson were shaken. And immediatly were all the dores open, & all their bondes lowsed Whā the keper of the preson waked out of slepe, and sawe the preson dores open, he drue out his swerde, and wolde haue kylled him selfe: