- And some days after, Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do. And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark. But Paul thought not good to take with them him who departed from them from Pamphylia and went not with them to the work. And the contention was so sharp between them that they departed asunder one from the other. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed unto Cyprus, and Paul chose Silas and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God. And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.
- Then came he to Derbe and Lystra, and behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy — the son of a certain woman who was a Jewess and believed, but his father was a Greek — who was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium. Him would Paul have to go forth with him, and took and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those quarters, for they knew all that his father was a Greek. And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees to keep that were ordained of the apostles and elders who were at Jerusalem. And so were the churches established in the faith and increased in number daily.
- Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia — and were forbidden of the holy ghost to preach the word in Asia — after they had come to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the spirit suffered them not. And they, passing by Mysia, came down to Troas.
- And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. There stood a man of Macedonia and implored him, saying, Come over into Macedonia and help us. And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel unto them. Therefore, setting sail from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia and a colony; and we were in that city staying certain days.
- And on the Sabbath, we went out of the city, by a riverside where the people gathered for prayer to be made. And we sat down and spoke unto the women who gathered there. And a certain woman named Lydia — a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, who worshipped God — heard us, whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized, and her household, she implored us, saying, If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide there. And she constrained us.
- And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much gain by fortune-telling. The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the Most High God, who show unto us the way of salvation! And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.
- And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers, and brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, and teach customs which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans. And the multitude rose up together against them, and the magistrates rent off their clothes and commanded to beat them. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely — who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison and made their feet fast in the stocks.
- And at midnight, Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God, and the prisoners heard 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 everyone’s bands were loosened. And the keeper of the prison, awaking out of his sleep and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do yourself no harm, for we are all here! Then he called for a light and sprang in, and came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved, and your house. And they spoke unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes and was baptized, he and all his, immediately. And when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.
- And when it was day, the magistrates sent the sergeants, saying, Let those men go. And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul: The magistrates have sent to let you go, now therefore depart and go in peace. But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly, uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now they do thrust us out secretly? Nay, truly, but let them come themselves and fetch us out. And the sergeants told these words unto the magistrates, and they feared when they heard that they were Romans. And they came and implored them and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city. And they went out of the prison and entered into the house of Lydia. And when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them and departed.
- Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, explaining and alleging that Christ needed to suffer and rise again from the dead, and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. And some of them believed and joined with Paul and Silas, and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.
- But the Jews who believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd men of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city in an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down have come here also, whom Jason has received; and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king — one Jesus. And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city when they heard these things. And when they had taken security of Jason and of the other, they let them go.
- And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea, who, coming there, went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore, many of them believed also of honorable women who were Greeks, and of men not a few. But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came there also and stirred up the people. And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as if it were to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there still, and they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens. And receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timothy to come to him with all speed, they departed.
- Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout people, and in the market daily with them that met with him. Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans and of the Stoics encountered him, and some said, What will this babbler say? Some others, He seems to be a proclaimer of strange gods — because he preached unto them Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him unto the Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof you speak, is? For you bring certain strange things to our ears. We would know therefore what these things mean. (For all the Athenians and strangers who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing.)
- Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill and said, You men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are too superstitious; for as I passed by and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription: To the Unknown God. Whom therefore you ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. God, who made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwells not in temples made with hands, neither is worshipped with men’s hands as though he needed anything, seeing he gives to all life, and breath, and all things; and has made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on all the face of the earth; and has determined the times before appointed and the bounds of their habitation, that they should seek the Lord if they are willing to find him. For he is not far from every one of us, for in him we live, and move, and have our being. As certain also of your own poets have said: For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold or silver or stone, engraved by art and man’s device. And the times of this ignorance, God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by him whom he has ordained; and he has given assurance of this unto all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.
- And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked and others said, We will hear you again of this matter. So Paul departed from among them. Nevertheless, certain men cleaved unto him and believed, among whom were Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
- After these things, Paul departed from Athens and came to Corinth, and found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome), and came unto them. And because he was of the same craft, he abided with them and worked — for by their occupation they were tentmakers. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.
- And when Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. And when they opposed and blasphemed, he shook his raiment and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads, I am clean. From henceforth I will go unto the gentiles. And he departed from there and entered into a certain man’s house named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house was adjacent to the synagogue. And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized. Then spoke the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak and hold not your peace, for I am with you and no man shall attack you to hurt you, for I have many people in this city. And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
- And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul and brought him to the judgment seat, saying, This man persuades men to worship God contrary to the law. And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O you Jews, reason would argue that I should bear with you. But if it is a question of words and names and of your law, you look to it, for I will be no judge of such matters. And he drove them from the judgment seat. Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for none of those things.
- And Paul, after this, remained there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren and sailed from there into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila, having shorn his head in Cenchrea, for he had a vow. And he came to Ephesus and left them there, but he himself entered into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. When they desired him to remain longer time with them, he consented not, but bid them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that comes in Jerusalem, but I will return again unto you if God desires. And he sailed from Ephesus. And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch. And after he had spent some time there, he departed and went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.
Chapter 10