16
1 And Rav Sha'ul arrived also in Derbe and went on to Lystra. And, hinei, a certain talmid of Moshiach was there by the name Timotiyos, the ben of a faithful Yiddisha isha but whose abba was Yevani. 2 Timotiyos was a bochur who was well spoken of by the Achim b'Moshiach in Lystra and Iconium. 3 Rav Sha'ul wanted Timotiyos to come along with his chavurah, so he took him and did a bris milah, because of the Yehudim in those places, for everyone had da'as that his abba was Yevani. 4 And as they were traveling through the cities, they were handing on to them to be shomer regarding the mitzvot that had been laid down by the Moshiachʼs Shlichim and the Ziknei HaKehillot of Moshiach in Yerushalayim. 5 The Moshiachʼs Kehillot, therefore, were growing in the emunah (faith), and yom yom were increasing in number.
6 And they traveled through the regions of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Ruach Hakodesh to speak the dvar Hashem in* Asia. 7 And having come to the border of Mysia, they were trying to go toward Bithynia, and the Ruach of Moshiach did not permit them. 8 So, passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. 9 And during the lailah a chazon (vision) appeared to Rav Sha'ul. It was of a certain ish from Macedonia who had been standing and was begging him, saying, Come over to Macedonia and help us. 10 And when Rav Sha'ul saw the chazon, immediately we sought to cross over to Macedonia, concluding that Hashem had called us to preach the Besuras HaGeulah to them.
11 And having set sail from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and, on the next day, to Neapolis; 12 and from there, to Philippi, which is a chashuve city of the district of Macedonia, a Roman colony. And we were in this city, staying some yamim. 13 And on Shabbos, we went outside the sha'ar to a river where there was a mikveh mayim, supposing there we would find a minyan davening, and having sat down, we were speaking with the nashim who had assembled. 14 And a certain isha, by the name Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth, of the city of Thyatira, a yirat Elohim, was listening, and Hashem opened her lev (heart) to pay attention to the things being spoken by Rav Sha'ul. 15 And when she was given the Moshiachʼs tevilah of teshuva along with all her household, she said, If you have judged me ne'emanah to Hashem, enter into my bais and stay there. And she prevailed upon us.
16 And it came about when we were going to where they held the minyan, that a certain shifchah having a ruach of the python† came out to meet us. She was bringing much profit to her adonim by divination.‡ 17 This one was following Rav Sha'ul, crying out, saying, These anashim are avadim of G-d HaElyon and are proclaiming to you the Derech HaYeshu'at Eloheinu. 18 And this kviusdik thing she was doing for many yamim; but Rav Sha'ul, whom she wouldn't stop derkutshen, turned to the ruach, and said, I command you in haShem of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua to come out from her! And it came out in the same hour.
19 And when her adonim saw that the tikvah of their profit also left her, they seized Rav Sha'ul and Sila, and they dragged them into the marketplace before their manhigim; 20 And having brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, These anashim, being Jews, are disturbing our city, 21 And they are proclaiming minhagim which it is not permitted for us, being Romans, to accept or to do.§ 22 And the multitude rose up together keneged Rav Sha'ul and Sila; and the chief magistrates, having torn off the kaftans of Moshiachʼs Shlichim, were giving orders to beat them. 23 And having inflicted klop after klop upon these Jewish men, they threw Rav Sha'ul and Sila into the beis hasohar, giving orders to the soher to guard them securely. 24 And the soher, having received such an order, threw them into the inner beis hasohar, and he fastened their feet in the stock.*
25 And about chatzot halailah Rav Sha'ul and Sila were davening and were singing niggunim to Hashem, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 And, suddenly, there came a gevaltike earthquake, so that the beis hasohar was shaken to its foundations, and immediately were opened all delatot (doors) and all sharsherot (chains) were unfastened. 27 And the soher, having awakened and having seen the delatot of the beis hasohar having been opened, drew his cherev (sword) and was about to commit suicide, thinking the prisoners had run away. 28 But Rav Sha'ul shouted with a kol gadol, saying, Do no harm to yourself, for we are all here. 29 And having asked for lights, he rushed in and, starting to tremble with pachad, he fell down before Rav Sha'ul and Sila. 30 Then, leading them outside, the soher said, Rabbotai, what is it necessary for me to do that I may come to Yeshu'at Eloheinu? 31 And Moshiachʼs Shlichim said, Have emunah in the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu Yehoshua, and you will come to Yeshu'at Eloheinu, you and your bais. 32 And they spoke to him the dvar Hashem together with all the ones in his bais. 33 And having taken them in that hour of the lailah, the soher washed their wounds, and at once he did getoivult (was given Moshiachʼs tevilah of teshuva), as well as his entire mishpochah. 34 After that he led them to tish in his bais, and he set before them okhel, and he with his whole bais had simcha gedolah that they had come to emunah in Hashem.
35 And in the boker, the magistrates sent the soterim (policemen), saying, Release those men. 36 And the soher reported these words to Rav Sha'ul, saying, The magistrates sent word that you may be released; now, therefore, go and depart in shalom.† 37 But Rav Sha'ul said to them, After giving us a public flogging, though we are uncondemned Roman citizens, they threw us into the beis hasohar; and now are they secretly sending us out? No, indeed! Let them come themselves and lead us out in public. 38 And the soterim reported these words to the magistrates, and the magistrates were afraid, hearing that Rav Sha'ul and Sila were both Roman citizens. 39 So the magistrates came, and entreated Rav Sha'ul and Sila, and brought them out, asking them to depart from the city. 40 And having come out from the beis hasohar, they came to Lydia, and having seen and encouraged the Achim b'Moshiach of the Kehillah that met in Lydiaʼs bais, Rav Sha'ul and Sila departed.
* 16:6 the Roman Province of † 16:16 i.e., a shed, demon ‡ 16:16 Dt 18:11; 1Sm 28:3,7 § 16:21 Esth 3:8 * 16:24 Job 13:27; 33:11; Jer 20:2,3; 29:26 † 16:36 Judg 18:6