KING JAMES VERSION

Acts 16:9-15, 40

      And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Mace­donia, and prayed 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 for to preach the gospel unto them.

 

       Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samoth­racia, and the next day to Neapolis; And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Mace­donia, and a colony; and we were in that city abiding certain days. And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the woman which resorted thither.

 

       And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thy­atira, which 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 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 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.

 

PHlLIPS PARAPHRASE

Acts 16:9-15, 40

       When they came to Mysia they tried to enter Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them. So they passed by Mysia and came down to Troas, where one night Paul had a vision of a Macedonian man standing and appealing to him in the words: "Come over to Macedonia and help us!" As soon as Paul had seen this vision we made every effort to get on to Macedonia, convinced that God had called us to give them the good news.

 

       So we set sail from Troas and ran a straight course to Samothrace, and on the following day to Neapolis. From there we went to Philippi, a Roman garrison town and the chief city in that part of Macedonia. We spent some days in the city gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place for prayer. There we sat down and spoke to the women who had assembled. One of our hearers was a woman named Lydia. (She came from Thyatira and was a dealer in purple­dyed cloth.) She was already a be­liever in God, and he opened her heart to accept Paul's words. When she and her household had been baptized she appealed to us, saying,

      "If you are satisfied that I am a true believer in the Lord, then come down to my house and stay there."                                                                                                                                                    

      And she insisted on our doing so.

          But on leaving the prison Paul and Silas went to Lydia's house, and when they had seen the brothers and given them fresh courage, they took their leave.