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Greek: New Testament (NAS)
English: John Barach
Chapter 16
Timothy Joins the Mission
1  Κατήντησεν δὲ [καὶ] εἰς Δέρβην καὶ εἰς Λύστραν. καὶ ἰδοὺ μαθητής τις ἦν ἐκεῖ ὀνόματι Τιμόθεος, υἱὸς γυναικὸς Ἰουδαίας πιστῆς, πατρὸς δὲ Ἕλληνος, 2  ὃς ἐμαρτυρεῖτο ὑπὸ τῶν ἐν Λύστροις καὶ Ἰκονίῳ ἀδελφῶν. 3  τοῦτον ἠθέλησεν ὁ Παῦλος σὺν αὐτῷ ἐξελθεῖν, καὶ λαβὼν περιέτεμεν αὐτὸν διὰ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους τοὺς ὄντας ἐν τοῖς τόποις ἐκείνοις· ᾔδεισαν γὰρ ἅπαντες ὅτι Ἕλλην ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ ὑπῆρχεν. 4  ὡς δὲ διεπορεύοντο τὰς πόλεις, παρεδίδοσαν αὐτοῖς φυλάσσειν τὰ δόγματα τὰ κεκριμένα ὑπὸ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ πρεσβυτέρων τῶν ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις. 5  αἱ μὲν οὖν ἐκκλησίαι ἐστερεοῦντο τῇ πίστει καὶ ἐπερίσσευον τῷ ἀριθμῷ καθ' ἡμέραν.
1He arrived at Derbe and then at Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but of a Greek father. 2He was well-spoken of by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium. 3Paul wanted this man to go out with him; so he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4As they traveled through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decrees that had been decided by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. 5So the churches were being strengthened in the faith and were increasing in number every day.
The Macedonian Call
6  Διῆλθον δὲ τὴν Φρυγίαν καὶ Γαλατικὴν χώραν κωλυθέντες ὑπὸ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος λαλῆσαι τὸν λόγον ἐν τῇ Ἀσίᾳ· 7  ἐλθόντες δὲ κατὰ τὴν Μυσίαν ἐπείραζον εἰς τὴν Βιθυνίαν πορευθῆναι, καὶ οὐκ εἴασεν αὐτοὺς τὸ πνεῦμα Ἰησοῦ· 8  παρελθόντες δὲ τὴν Μυσίαν κατέβησαν εἰς Τρῳάδα. 9  καὶ ὅραμα διὰ [τῆς] νυκτὸς τῷ Παύλῳ ὤφθη, ἀνὴρ Μακεδὼν τις ἦν ἑστὼς καὶ παρακαλῶν αὐτὸν καὶ λέγων, διαβὰς εἰς Μακεδονίαν βοήθησον ἡμῖν. 10  ὡς δὲ τὸ ὅραμα εἶδεν, εὐθέως ἐζητήσαμεν ἐξελθεῖν εἰς Μακεδονίαν συμβιβάζοντες ὅτι προσκέκληται ἡμᾶς ὁ θεὸς εὐαγγελίσασθαι αὐτούς.
6They traveled through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7When they came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. 8So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. 9And a vision appeared to Paul during the night: a certain man of Macedonia was standing there, pleading with him and saying, “Cross over into Macedonia and help us!” 10As soon as he had seen the vision, we immediately sought to go out into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.
The Arrival at Philippi
11  Ἀναχθέντες δὲ ἀπὸ Τρῳάδος εὐθυδρομήσαμεν εἰς Σαμοθρᾴκην, τῇ δὲ ἐπιούσῃ εἰς Νέαν Πόλιν 12  κἀκεῖθεν εἰς Φιλίππους, ἥτις ἐστὶν πρώτη μερίδος τῆς Μακεδονίας πόλις, κολωνία. ἦμεν δὲ ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ πόλει διατρίβοντες ἡμέρας τινάς. 13  τῇ τε ἡμέρᾳ τῶν σαββάτων ἐξήλθομεν ἔξω τῆς πύλης παρὰ ποταμὸν οὗ ἐνομίζομεν προσευχὴν εἶναι, καὶ καθίσαντες ἐλαλοῦμεν ταῖς συνελθούσαις γυναιξίν.
11So, putting out to sea from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and on the next day to Neapolis, 12and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We stayed in this city for some days. 13On the Sabbath day we went outside the gate by a river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and after sitting down, we began speaking to the women who had gathered there.
Lydia: First Convert in Europe
14  καί τις γυνὴ ὀνόματι Λυδία, πορφυρόπωλις πόλεως Θυατείρων σεβομένη τὸν θεόν, ἤκουεν, ἧς ὁ κύριος διήνοιξεν τὴν καρδίαν προσέχειν τοῖς λαλουμένοις ὑπὸ Παύλου. 15  ὡς δὲ ἐβαπτίσθη καὶ ὁ οἶκος αὐτῆς, παρεκάλεσεν λέγουσα, εἰ κεκρίκατέ με πιστὴν τῷ κυρίῳ εἶναι, εἰσελθόντες εἰς τὸν οἶκόν μου μένετε· καὶ παρεβιάσατο ἡμᾶς.
14And a certain woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple fabrics from the city of Thyatira and a worshiper of God, was listening. The Lord opened her heart to pay close attention to what was being spoken by Paul. 15When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my house.” And she prevailed upon us.
The Spirit of Divination and the Backlash
16  Ἐγένετο δὲ πορευομένων ἡμῶν εἰς τὴν προσευχὴν παιδίσκην τινὰ ἔχουσαν πνεῦμα πύθωνα ὑπαντῆσαι ἡμῖν, ἥτις ἐργασίαν πολλὴν παρεῖχεν τοῖς κυρίοις αὐτῆς μαντευομένη. 17  αὕτη κατακολουθοῦσα τῷ Παύλῳ καὶ ἡμῖν ἔκραζεν λέγουσα, οὗτοι οἱ ἄνθρωποι δοῦλοι τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου εἰσίν, οἵτινες καταγγέλλουσιν ὑμῖν ὁδὸν σωτηρίας. 18  τοῦτο δὲ ἐποίει ἐπὶ πολλὰς ἡμέρας διαπονηθεὶς δὲ Παῦλος καὶ ἐπιστρέψας τῷ πνεύματι εἶπεν, παραγγέλλω σοι ἐν ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐξελθεῖν ἀπ' αὐτῆς· καὶ ἐξῆλθεν αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ.
16Now it happened as we were going to the place of prayer, a certain slave girl met us who had a spirit of divination, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 17She kept following Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you a way of salvation!” 18She kept doing this for many days. But Paul, having become deeply annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out that very hour.
19  ἰδόντες δὲ οἱ κύριοι αὐτῆς ὅτι ἐξῆλθεν ἡ ἐλπὶς τῆς ἐργασίας αὐτῶν, ἐπιλαβόμενοι τὸν Παῦλον καὶ τὸν Σιλᾶν εἵλκυσαν εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἄρχοντας 20  καὶ προσαγαγόντες αὐτοὺς τοῖς στρατηγοῖς εἶπαν, οὗτοι οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἐκταράσσουσιν ἡμῶν τὴν πόλιν, Ἰουδαῖοι ὑπάρχοντες, 21  καὶ καταγγέλλουσιν ἔθη ἃ οὐκ ἔξεστιν ἡμῖν παραδέχεσθαι οὐδὲ ποιεῖν Ῥωμαίοις οὖσιν.
19But when her masters saw that the hope of their profit had gone out, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities. 20And bringing them before the chief magistrates, they said, “These men are throwing our city into an uproar, being Jews as they are, 21and they are proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to practice, being Romans.”
Paul and Silas Imprisoned
22  καὶ συνεπέστη ὁ ὄχλος κατ' αὐτῶν καὶ οἱ στρατηγοὶ περιρήξαντες αὐτῶν τὰ ἱμάτια ἐκέλευον ῥαβδίζειν, 23  πολλάς τε ἐπιθέντες αὐτοῖς πληγὰς ἔβαλον εἰς φυλακὴν παραγγείλαντες τῷ δεσμοφύλακι ἀσφαλῶς τηρεῖν αὐτούς. 24  ὃς παραγγελίαν τοιαύτην λαβὼν ἔβαλεν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν ἐσωτέραν φυλακὴν καὶ τοὺς πόδας ἠσφαλίσατο αὐτῶν εἰς τὸ ξύλον.
22The crowd joined in the attack against them, and the chief magistrates, after having Paul and Silas’s clothes torn off, gave orders to beat them with rods. 23After they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely. 24Having received such a command, he threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
The Midnight Earthquake and the Jailer’s Plea
25  Κατὰ δὲ τὸ μεσονύκτιον Παῦλος καὶ Σιλᾶς προσευχόμενοι ὕμνουν τὸν θεόν, ἐπηκροῶντο δὲ αὐτῶν οἱ δέσμιοι. 26  ἄφνω δὲ σεισμὸς ἐγένετο μέγας ὥστε σαλευθῆναι τὰ θεμέλια τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου· ἠνεῴχθησαν δὲ παραχρῆμα αἱ θύραι πᾶσαι καὶ πάντων τὰ δεσμὰ ἀνέθη. 27  ἔξυπνος δὲ γενόμενος ὁ δεσμοφύλαξ καὶ ἰδὼν ἀνεῳγμένας τὰς θύρας τῆς φυλακῆς, σπασάμενος [τὴν] μάχαιραν ἤμελλεν ἑαυτὸν ἀναιρεῖν νομίζων ἐκπεφευγέναι τοὺς δεσμίους.
25 About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening intently to them. 26Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. 27When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors standing open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, assuming that the prisoners had escaped.
28  ἐφώνησεν δὲ μεγάλῃ φωνῇ [ὁ] Παῦλος λέγων, μηδὲν πράξῃς σεαυτῷ κακόν, ἅπαντες γὰρ ἐσμεν ἐνθάδε. 29  αἰτήσας δὲ φῶτα εἰσεπήδησεν καὶ ἔντρομος γενόμενος προσέπεσεν τῷ Παύλῳ καὶ [τῷ] Σιλᾷ 30  καὶ προαγαγὼν αὐτοὺς ἔξω ἔφη, κύριοι, τί με δεῖ ποιεῖν ἵνα σωθῶ;
28But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!” 29The jailer called for lights, rushed in, and trembling with fear, fell down before Paul and Silas. 30After leading them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
The Jailer’s Conversion and Hospitality
31  οἱ δὲ εἶπαν, πίστευσον ἐπὶ τὸν κύριον Ἰησοῦν καὶ σωθήσῃ σὺ καὶ ὁ οἶκός σου. 32  καὶ ἐλάλησαν αὐτῷ τὸν λόγον τοῦ κυρίου σὺν πᾶσιν τοῖς ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ αὐτοῦ. 33  καὶ παραλαβὼν αὐτοὺς ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὥρᾳ τῆς νυκτὸς ἔλουσεν ἀπὸ τῶν πληγῶν, καὶ ἐβαπτίσθη αὐτὸς καὶ οἱ αὐτοῦ πάντες παραχρῆμα, 34  ἀναγαγών τε αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸν οἶκον παρέθηκεν τράπεζαν καὶ ἠγαλλιάσατο πανοικεὶ πεπιστευκὼς τῷ θεῷ.
31They said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” 32Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with everyone in his house. 33And taking them along at that very hour of the night, he washed their wounds, and immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34He brought them up into his house and set a meal before them; and he rejoiced with his whole household, having come to believe in God.
Paul’s Legal Demand and Departure
35  Ἡμέρας δὲ γενομένης ἀπέστειλαν οἱ στρατηγοὶ τοὺς ῥαβδούχους λέγοντες, ἀπόλυσον τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐκείνους. 36  ἀπήγγειλεν δὲ ὁ δεσμοφύλαξ τοὺς λόγους [τούτους] πρὸς τὸν Παῦλον ὅτι ἀπέσταλκαν οἱ στρατηγοὶ ἵνα ἀπολυθῆτε· νῦν οὖν ἐξελθόντες πορεύεσθε ἐν εἰρήνῃ.
35When day came, the chief magistrates sent the lictors with the order: “Release those men.” 36The jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent word to have you released. So come out now and go in peace.”
37  ὁ δὲ Παῦλος ἔφη πρὸς αὐτούς, δείραντες ἡμᾶς δημοσίᾳ ἀκατακρίτους, ἀνθρώπους Ῥωμαίους ὑπάρχοντας, ἔβαλαν εἰς φυλακήν, καὶ νῦν λάθρᾳ ἡμᾶς ἐκβάλλουσιν; οὐ γάρ, ἀλλὰ ἐλθόντες αὐτοὶ ἡμᾶς ἐξαγαγέτωσαν. 38  ἀπήγγειλαν δὲ τοῖς στρατηγοῖς οἱ ῥαβδοῦχοι τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα. ἐφοβήθησαν δὲ ἀκούσαντες ὅτι Ῥωμαῖοί εἰσιν, 39  καὶ ἐλθόντες παρεκάλεσαν αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐξαγαγόντες ἠρώτων ἀπελθεῖν ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως. 40  ἐξελθόντες δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς φυλακῆς εἰσῆλθον πρὸς τὴν Λυδίαν καὶ ἰδόντες παρεκάλεσαν τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς καὶ ἐξῆλθαν.
37But Paul said to them, “They beat us publicly without a trial—men who are Roman citizens—and threw us into prison; and now are they trying to get rid of us secretly? No indeed! Let them come themselves and escort us out.” 38The lictors reported these words to the magistrates. They became terrified when they heard that the men were Roman citizens; 39so they came and apologized to them, and after escorting them out, they kept begging them to leave the city. 40After leaving the prison, they went to Lydia’s home; and when they saw the brothers, they encouraged them and then departed.