teaching and preaching the glad tidings of the word of the Lord, with many others also.

4

36. And after some days, Paul said to Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are. 37. And Barnabas determined to take with them John, surnamed Mark. 38. But Paul thought it not proper to take him with them, who departed from them at Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work. 39. And the contention was so sharp between them that they separated; and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed to Cyprus; 40. And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren to the grace of God. 41. And he went thro' Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.

CHAP. XVI.

PAUL CIRCUMCISETH TIMOTHY.

THEN he came to Derbe and Lystra; and-behold, a certain disciple named Timothy, was there, the son of a believing Jewess; but his father was a Greek: 2. He was well reported of by the brethren at Lystra and Iconium; 3. Him would Paul have to go with himself: he circumcised him, because of the Jews in those parts, for they all knew his father was a Greek.

4. And going thro' the cities they delivered them the decrees to keep, that were made by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem. 5. So the churches were established in the faith, and increased in number daily.

6. Now, having gone thro' Phrygia, and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word (as yet in Proconsular) Asia. 7. Having come to Mysia, they essayed to go into Bithynia; but the Spirit suffered them not. 8. So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas, 9. Where a vision appeared to Paul in the night:

a Macedonian man, standing, prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.

10.

And, having seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go thither, being assured that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them. 11. Therefore, loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis; 12. And thence to Philippi, the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a (Roman) colony; where we abode certain days. 13. And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; we sat down there, and spake to the women who resorted thither.

14. Then a certain (pagan) 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 to the things spoken by Paul. 15. And being baptized with her household, she besought us, saying, If ye judge me faithful to the Lord, come to my house, and abide there; so she constrained us.

16. Now, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel having a spirit of divination met us who brought her masters much gain by divining; 17. She followed Paul and us, crying, These men are the servants of the most high God, who declare to us the way of salvation. 18. This she did many days, but Paul being grieved, turned, and said to the spirit, I command thee, in the name of Jesus Christ, to come out of her; then he came out.

19. But her masters seeing the hope of their gains was gone, they seized Paul and Silas, and dragged them into the market-place to the rulers, 20. And to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city, 21. And teach customs unlawful for us to receive or observe, being Romans.

22. So the multitude rose against them; and the

magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. 23. And having laid many stripes on them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely; 24. Who receiving such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

25. But at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises to God; and the prisoners heard them. 26. Now suddenly there was a great earthquake, so the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors flew open, and every man's bands were loosed. 27. Now the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew his sword to kill himself, supposing the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried aloud, Do thyself no harm; for we are all here. 29. Then he called for a light, and rushing in, trembling, he fell down before Paul and Silas, 30. And brought them out, saying, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31. And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy household.

22. Then they spake to him the word of the Lord, and to all in his house. 33. The same hour of the night, he washed their stripes, and immediately was baptized, and all his household. 34. Now having brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and greatly rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.

35. Now when it was day, the magistrates sent the officers, saying, Let these men go. 36. So the jailor told this to Paul, saying, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now, therefore, depart in peace. 37. But Paul said to them, They have beaten us publicly uncondemned, being Romans, and cast us into prison; and now, do they send us out privily? nay, verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out. 38. So the serjeants told these words to the magistrates; and they feared,

hearing they were Romans. 39. So they came, and beseeching them, brought them out, desiring them to depart from their city.

40. So they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia; and having seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.

CHAP. XVII.

PAUL PREACHETH AT THESSALONICA.

Now having passed thro' Amphipolis and Appollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews; 2. And Paul as usual, went in to them, and three sabbaths reasoned with them out of the scriptures; 3. Explaining and alleging that Christ ought to have suffered and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach to you, is Christ. 4. And some believed, and associated with Paul and Silas; even of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.

5. But the unbelieving Jews being envious, with some wicked fellows of the baser sort, they made a band and a tumult in the city, and assaulting Jason's house, sought to bring them out to the people. 6. But not finding them, they drew Jason and certain brethren to the rulers of the city, crying, These that overturn and disturb the world, are come hither also. 7. Whom Jason hath receiv ed, and they do all contrary to Cesar's decrees, saying, That there is another king, one Jesus. 8. Thus they alarmed the people, and the rulers of the city, who heard these things. 9. And having taken sufficient security from Jason and the others, they let them go.

10. Then the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night to Berea; who, coming thither, went into the Jews' synagogue. 11. These were more noble than those at Thessalonica, for they received the word with all readiness

of mind, and searched the scriptures daily whether those things were so. 12. Therefore many of them believed; and even honourable Greek women, and men not a few.

13. But the Jews at Thessalonica knowing the word of God was preached by Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up the people. 14. And then the brethren immediately sent away Paul, to go toward the sea: but Silas and Timothy abode there still. 15. Now they who conducted Paul brought him to Athens: and receiving a com mand for Silas and Timothy to come to him with all speed, they departed.

16. ¶ Now, while Paul waited for them at Athens his spirit was provoked in him, at seeing the city addicted to idols. 17. Therefore he discoursed in the synagogue with the Jews, and with devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met him. 18. Then certain Epicurean and Stoick philosophers encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? others said, He seems to set forth strange gods: because he preached unto them JESUS and the RESURRECTION.

19. So they brought him to the supreme court Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine is whereof thou speakest. 20. For thou bringest certain strange things to our hearing; we would know, therefore, what these things mean. 21. For all the Athenians, and strangers lodging there, spent their leisure time in nothing else, but either to tell or hear some new thing.

22.¶Then Paul stood in the midst of (the supreme court) Mars-hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, perceive that in all things ye are too much addicted to the fear of demons. 23. For as I passed along and beheld the things that ye worship, I found an altar inscribed, To THE UNKNOWN GOD. Him therefore, whom ye ignorantly worship, I declare to you. 24. God who made the world, and all things Rr

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