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offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication*: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye will do well. Fare ye well."”

30 So when they were dismissed, they went to Antioch :

and, when they had gathered the multitude together, they 31 delivered the epistle: which when the brethren had read, 32 they rejoiced at this comfort. And Judas and Silas, being themselves also prophets, comforted the brethren with many 33 words, and strengthened them. And after they had remained

there for some time, they were dismissed with wishes of 34 peace by the brethren to those who sent them'. [Notwith35 standing, it pleased Silas to continue there still +.] But Paul and Barnabas abode in Antioch, teaching and preaching the glad tidings of the word of the Lord, with many others.

36

And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go again, and visit the brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are." 37 Then Barnabas advised to take with them John also*, 38 whose surname was Mark. But Paul thought it not proper to take with them him, who had departed from them in Pam39 phylia, and had not gone with them to the work. Wherefore sharp anger arose, so that they separated from each other; and that Barnabas took Mark, and sailed to Cyprus. But Paul chose Silas, and departed; having been recom41 mended by the brethren to the favour of God. And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. CH. XVI. Then he came to Derbè and Lystra. And, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, (the son of a 2 believing Jewess, but his father was a gentile :) who was

40

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1 to the apostles, R. T. 2our brethren, R. T. and N. 3 desired, Mss. 4" also,” omitted by R. T. and N. 5 a certain believing Jewess, R. T. 6 Gr. a Greek.

* Some conjecture that wogues, swine's flesh, is the true reading here and in ver. 20. See Griesbach.

+ Ver. 34 is wanting in the Alex, and some other manuscripts. The Camb. adds, "but Judas returned alone." The words are probably a marginal gloss to account for the choice of Silas by Paul, ver. 40. See Newcome's note.

well reported of by the brethren at Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul was desirous that this man should go forth with him;

and he took and circumcised him, because of the Jews that were in those parts: for they all knew that his father was a 4 gentile1. And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them, for their observance, the ordinances which had been made by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem. 5 The churches therefore were becoming confirmed in the faith, and increasing in number every day.

6

3

Now when they had gone through Phrygia, and the country of Galatia, and were forbidden by the holy spirit 7 to preach the word in Asia; after they came to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia: but the spirit of Jesus' suf8 fered them not. So when they had passed by Mysia, they 9 came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia stood and besought him, 10 saying, "Come over into Macedonia, and help us." And after he had seen the vision, we immediately endeavoured to go into Macedonia; concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel unto them.

11

6

We loosed therefore from Troas, and came with a straight 12 course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis; and thence to Philippi, which is a chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony. And we abode in that city some 13 days. And on the sabbath-day we went out of the city by a river, where prayer was wont to be made: and we sat 14 down and spake to the women who resorted thither. And a certain woman heard us, named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, a gentile who worshiped God: whose heart the Lord opened, so that she attended to the 15 things which were spoken by Paul. And when she had been 1 they all knew his father, that his father was a gentile, Mss. Gr. a Greek. 2 See Wakefield were established in the faith and abounded in number daily. N. 3 Now they passed, Mss. 4 the spirit suffered them not, R. T. 5 that God had called us, Mss. 6 out of the gate, Mss. 7 Or, where the Oratory used to stand, see ver. 16.

baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, “If ye judge me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and remain there." And she constrained us.

16 And it came to pass as we went to prayer, that a certain damsel, having a spirit of divination 2, met us; who brought 17 her masters much gain by divining. She followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, "These men are the servants of the most high God, who declare to us3 the way of 18 salvation." And she did this for many days. But Paul was

grieved, and turned, and said to the spirit, "I command 19 thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And

it came out at that very time. And when her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas, and dragged them into the market-place to the rulers. 20 And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, "These men, who are Jews, greatly trouble our city; 21 and teach customs which it is not lawful for us to receive, 22 or observe, being Romans." And the multitude rose up to

gether against them: and the magistrates tore off their 23 clothes, and commanded to beat them with rods. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they cast them into pri24 son, and charged the gaoler to keep them safely: who, having received such a charge, cast them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

25

And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises 26 to 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 open27 ed, and the bands of all were loosed. And when the gaoler awoke out of his sleep, and saw the prison doors opened, he drew out his sword, and was about to kill himself, suppos28 ing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, "Do thyself no harm: for we are all

1 Or, as we were going to the Oratory, Mss. 2 Gr. of Python. 3 to you, R. T. 4 Or, all the bands were loosed. See Griesbach.

29 here." Then the gaoler called for a light, and sprang in, 30 and trembled, and fell down before Paul and Silas; and

brought them out, and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be 31 safe?" And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, 32 and thou shalt be safe, and thine household." And they

spake unto him the word of the Lord, and unto all that 33 were in his house. And he took them in that hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was immediately bap34 tized, he and all his household. And when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them, and greatly rejoiced with all his household, on believing in God.

35 And when it was day the magistrates sent the officers, 36 saying, "Let those men go." Then the gaoler told these words to Paul, "The magistrates have sent to let you go: 37 now therefore depart, and go in peace." But Paul said unto them, "They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, being Roman-citizens, and have cast us into prison; and now do they send us away privately? No, truly: but let 38 them come themselves and bring us out." And the officers told these words to the magistrates; who feared when they 39 heard that the men were Roman-citizens. So they came and

besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to 40 depart 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. CH. XVII. Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a 2 synagogue of the Jews. And Paul, as his custom was, went in unto them, and on three sabbaths discoursed to them out 3 of the scriptures; explaining them, and alleging that Christ must needs have suffered, and have risen again from the

saved? N. Mr. Wakefield explains it, to avoid punishment for what has befallen the prisoners and the prison. This, he adds, "is beyond all doubt the sense of the passage, though Paul in his reply uses the words in a more extensive signification: a practice common in these writings."

Y

dead; and that "this Jesus whom I preach unto you, is the 4 Christ." And some of them believed, and joined themselves to Paul and Silas; and of the gentiles who worshiped God 5 a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few. But the Jews took' unto them some wicked men of the meaner sort, and gathered a multitude, and raised a tumult in the city, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought after Paul and Silas, that they might bring them out to the peo6 ple. And when they found them not, they dragged Jason, and some of the brethren, to the rulers of the city, crying out, "These that have disturbed the world, are come hi7 ther also, whom Jason hath received: and all these act

contrary to the decrees of Cæsar, saying that there is an8 other king, one Jesus." And they alarmed the people, and 9 the rulers of the city, who heard these things. And when the rulers had taken security of Jason, and of the others, they let them go.

10

Then the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night to Berea: who, when they came thither, went into 11 the synagogue of the Jews. And these were more ingenuous than those in Thessalonica, because they received the word with all readiness of mind, searching the scriptures 12 daily, whether those things were so. Wherefore many of them believed; and of gentile women of rank3, and of men, 13 not a few. But when the Jews of Thessalonica knew that the word of God was preached by Paul at Berea, they came 14 thither also, stirring up the multitudes. And then the bre

thren immediately sent away Paul, to go toward the sea: 15 but Silas and Timothy remained there still. And those who conducted Paul brought [him] to Athens: and having received a commandment to Silas and Timothy, that they would come to him with all speed, they departed.

16

Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit

1 who believed not, moved with envy, took, &c. R. T. Or, were of a better disposition. Bishop Pearce. 3 women of rank who were gentiles, N.

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