Bible in Basic English
So, from Troas we went straight by ship to Samothrace and the day after to Neapolis;
And from there to Philippi, which is the most important town of Macedonia and a Roman colony: and we were there for some days.
And on the Sabbath we went outside the town, by the river, where we had an idea that there would be a place of prayer; and, being seated, we had talk with the women who had come together.
And a certain woman named Lydia, a trader in purple cloth of the town of Thyatira, and a God-fearing woman, gave ear to us: whose heart the Lord made open to give attention to the things which Paul was saying.
And when she and her family had had baptism, she made a request to us, saying, If it seems to you that I am true to the Lord, come into my house and be my guests. And she made us come.
And when we were going to the place of prayer, we came across a girl with a spirit which gave knowledge of the future, whose masters made great profit from her power.
She came after Paul and us, crying out and saying, These men are the servants of the Most High God, who are giving you news of the way of salvation.
And this she did on a number of days. But Paul was greatly troubled and, turning, said to the spirit, I give you orders in the name of Jesus Christ, to come out of her. And it came out that very hour.
But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they took Paul and Silas, pulling them into the market-place before the rulers;
And when they had taken them before the authorities, they said, These men, who are Jews, are greatly troubling our town;
Teaching rules of living which it is not right for us to have or to keep, being Romans.
And the people made an attack on them all together: and the authorities took their clothing off them, and gave orders for them to be whipped.
And when they had given them a great number of blows, they put them in prison, giving orders to the keeper of the prison to keep them safely:
And he, having such orders, put them into the inner prison with chains on their feet.
But about the middle of the night, Paul and Silas were making prayers and songs to God in the hearing of the prisoners;
And suddenly there was an earth-shock, so that the base of the prison was moved: and all the doors came open, and everyone's chains came off.
And the keeper, coming out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, took his sword and was about to put himself to death, fearing that the prisoners had got away.
But Paul said in a loud voice, Do yourself no damage, for we are all here.
And he sent for lights and came rushing in and, shaking with fear, went down on his face before Paul and Silas,
And took them out and said, Sirs, what have I to do to get salvation?
And they said, Have faith in the Lord Jesus, and you and your family will have salvation.
And they gave the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.
And that same hour of the night, he took them, and when he had given attention to their wounds, he and all his family had baptism straight away.
And he took them into his house and gave them food, and he was full of joy, having faith in God with all his family.
But when it was day, the authorities sent the police, saying, Let these men go.
And the keeper said to Paul, The authorities have given orders to let you go: come out now, and go in peace.
But Paul said to them, They have given us who are Romans a public whipping without judging us, and have put us in prison. Will they now send us out secretly? no, truly, let them come themselves and take us out.
And the police gave an account of these words to the authorities, and they were full of fear on hearing that they were Romans;
Then they came and made prayers to them, requesting them, when they had taken them out, to go away from the town.
And they came out of the prison and went to the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brothers they gave them comfort and went away.
— Acts 16:11-1964, Bible in Basic English
“Setting sail therefore from Troas, we made a straight course to Samothrace, and the day following to Neapolis; and from thence to Philippi, which is a city of Macedonia, the first of the district, a Roman colony: and we were in this city tarrying certain days. And on the sabbath day we went forth without the gate by a river side, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down, and spake unto the women that were come together. And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one that worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened to give heed unto the things which were spoken by Paul. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye 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 were going to the place of prayer, that a certain maid having a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much gain by soothsaying. The same following after Paul and us cried out, saying, These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim unto you the way of salvation. And this she did for many days. But Paul, being sore troubled, turned and said to the spirit, I charge thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And it came out that very hour. But when her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they laid hold on Paul and Silas, and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers, and when they had brought them unto the magistrates, they said, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, and set forth customs which it is not lawful for us to receive, or to observe, being Romans. And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent their garments off them, and commanded to beat them with rods. 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, cast them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns unto God, and the prisoners were listening to them; and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison-house were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened; and every one’s bands were loosed. And the jailor, 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. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. And he called for lights and sprang in, and, trembling for fear, 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, and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house. And they spake the word of the Lord unto him, with 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 he brought them up into his house, and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, with all his house, having believed in God. But when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go. And the jailor reported the words to Paul, saying, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore come forth, and go in peace. But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men that are Romans, and have cast us into prison; and do they now cast us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and bring us out. And the serjeants reported these words unto the magistrates: and they feared when they heard that they were Romans; and they came and besought them; and when they had brought them out, they asked them to go away from 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. ”
And going past Mysia, they came down to Troas.
And Paul had a vision in the night; a man of Macedonia came, requesting him, and saying, Come over into Macedonia and give us help.
And when he had seen the vision, straight away we made the decision to go into Macedonia, for it seemed certain to us that God had sent us to give the good news to them.
So, from Troas we went straight by ship to Samothrace and the day after to Neapolis;
And from there to Philippi, which is the most important town of Macedonia and a Roman colony: and we were there for some days.
And on the Sabbath we went outside the town, by the river, where we had an idea that there would be a place of prayer; and, being seated, we had talk with the women who had come together.
And a certain woman named Lydia, a trader in purple cloth of the town of Thyatira, and a God-fearing woman, gave ear to us: whose heart the Lord made open to give attention to the things which Paul was saying.
And when she and her family had had baptism, she made a request to us, saying, If it seems to you that I am true to the Lord, come into my house and be my guests. And she made us come.
And when we were going to the place of prayer, we came across a girl with a spirit which gave knowledge of the future, whose masters made great profit from her power.
She came after Paul and us, crying out and saying, These men are the servants of the Most High God, who are giving you news of the way of salvation.
And this she did on a number of days. But Paul was greatly troubled and, turning, said to the spirit, I give you orders in the name of Jesus Christ, to come out of her. And it came out that very hour.
But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they took Paul and Silas, pulling them into the market-place before the rulers;
And when they had taken them before the authorities, they said, These men, who are Jews, are greatly troubling our town;
Teaching rules of living which it is not right for us to have or to keep, being Romans.
And the people made an attack on them all together: and the authorities took their clothing off them, and gave orders for them to be whipped.
And when they had given them a great number of blows, they put them in prison, giving orders to the keeper of the prison to keep them safely:
And he, having such orders, put them into the inner prison with chains on their feet.
But about the middle of the night, Paul and Silas were making prayers and songs to God in the hearing of the prisoners;
And suddenly there was an earth-shock, so that the base of the prison was moved: and all the doors came open, and everyone's chains came off.
And the keeper, coming out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, took his sword and was about to put himself to death, fearing that the prisoners had got away.
But Paul said in a loud voice, Do yourself no damage, for we are all here.
And he sent for lights and came rushing in and, shaking with fear, went down on his face before Paul and Silas,
And took them out and said, Sirs, what have I to do to get salvation?
And they said, Have faith in the Lord Jesus, and you and your family will have salvation.
And they gave the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.
And that same hour of the night, he took them, and when he had given attention to their wounds, he and all his family had baptism straight away.
And he took them into his house and gave them food, and he was full of joy, having faith in God with all his family.
But when it was day, the authorities sent the police, saying, Let these men go.
And the keeper said to Paul, The authorities have given orders to let you go: come out now, and go in peace.
But Paul said to them, They have given us who are Romans a public whipping without judging us, and have put us in prison. Will they now send us out secretly? no, truly, let them come themselves and take us out.
And the police gave an account of these words to the authorities, and they were full of fear on hearing that they were Romans;
Then they came and made prayers to them, requesting them, when they had taken them out, to go away from the town.
And they came out of the prison and went to the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brothers they gave them comfort and went away.