Timothy Works with Paul and Silas
1 Paul and Silas went back to Derbe and Lystra, where there was a follower named Timothy. His mother was also a follower. She was Jewish, and his father was Greek. 2 The Lord's followers in Lystra and Iconium said good things about Timothy, 3 and Paul wanted him to go with them. But Paul first had him circumcised, because all the Jewish people around there knew that Timothy's father was Greek.
4 As Paul and the others went from city to city, they told the followers what the apostles and leaders in Jerusalem had decided, and they urged them to follow these instructions. 5 The churches became stronger in their faith, and each day more people put their faith in the Lord.
Paul's Vision in Troas
6 Paul and his friends went through Phrygia and Galatia, but the Holy Spirit would not let them preach in Asia. 7 After they arrived in Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not let them. 8 So they went on through Mysia until they came to Troas.
9 During the night, Paul had a vision of someone from Macedonia who was standing there and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we began looking for a way to go to Macedonia. We were sure that God had called us to preach the good news there.
Lydia Becomes a Follower of the Lord
11 We sailed straight from Troas to Samothrace, and the next day we arrived in Neapolis. 12 From there we went to Philippi, which is a Roman colony in the first district of Macedonia.
We spent several days in Philippi. 13 Then on the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to a place by the river, where we thought there would be a Jewish meeting place for prayer. We sat down and talked with the women who came. 14 One of them was Lydia, who was from the city of Thyatira and sold expensive purple cloth. She was a worshiper of the Lord God, and he made her willing to accept what Paul was saying. 15 Then after she and her family were baptized, she kept on begging us, “If you think I really do have faith in the Lord, come stay in my home.” Finally, we accepted her invitation.
Paul and Silas Are Put in Jail
16 One day on our way to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl. She had a spirit in her that gave her the power to tell the future. By doing this she made a lot of money for her owners. 17 The girl followed Paul and the rest of us, and she kept yelling, “These men are servants of the Most High God! They are telling you how to be saved.”
18 This went on for several days. Finally, Paul got so upset that he turned and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ, I order you to leave this girl alone!” At once the evil spirit left her.
19 When the girl's owners realized they had lost all chances for making more money, they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them into court. 20 They told the officials, “These Jews are upsetting our city! 21 They are telling us to do things we Romans are not allowed to do.”
22 The crowd joined in the attack on Paul and Silas. Then the officials tore the clothes off the two men and ordered them to be beaten with a whip. 23 After they had been badly beaten, they were put in jail, and the jailer was told to guard them carefully. 24 The jailer did as he was told. He put them deep inside the jail and chained their feet to heavy blocks of wood.
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing praises to God, while the other prisoners listened. 26 Suddenly a strong earthquake shook the jail to its foundations. The doors opened, and the chains fell from all the prisoners.
27 When the jailer woke up and saw that the doors were open, he thought that the prisoners had escaped. He pulled out his sword and was about to kill himself. 28 But Paul shouted, “Don't harm yourself! No one has escaped.”
29 The jailer asked for a torch and went into the jail. He was shaking all over as he knelt down in front of Paul and Silas. 30 After he had led them out of the jail, he asked, “What must I do to be saved?”
31 They replied, “Have faith in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved! This is also true for everyone who lives in your home.”
32 Then Paul and Silas told him and everyone else in his house about the Lord. 33 While it was still night, the jailer took them to a place where he could wash their cuts and bruises. Then he and everyone in his home were baptized. 34 They were very glad they had put their faith in God. After this, the jailer took Paul and Silas to his home and gave them something to eat.
35 The next morning the officials sent some police with orders for the jailer to let Paul and Silas go. 36 The jailer told Paul, “The officials have ordered me to set you free. Now you can leave in peace.”
37 But Paul told the police, “We are Roman citizens, and the Roman officials had us beaten in public without giving us a trial. They threw us into jail. Now do they think they can secretly send us away? No, they cannot! They will have to come here themselves and let us out.”
38 When the police told the officials that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, the officials were afraid. 39 So they came and apologized. They led them out of the jail and asked them to please leave town. 40 But Paul and Silas went straight to the home of Lydia, where they saw the Lord's followers and encouraged them. Then they left.
تيموثاوس يرافق بولس وسيلا
1 ووصَلَ بولُسُ إلى دَرْبَةَ ولِسْترَةَ. وكانَ في لِسْترَةَ تِلميذٌ اَسمُهُ تيموثاوُسُ، وهوَ اَبنُ يَهودِيّةٍ مُؤمنةٍ وأبوهُ يونانيّ. 2 وكانَ الإخوةُ في لِسْترَةَ وأيقونـيَةَ يَشهَدونَ لَه شَهادةً حسنةً. 3 فأرادَ بولُسُ أنْ يأخُذَهُ معَهُ، فَختَنَهُ لأنّ جميعَ اليَهودِ هُناكَ كانوا يَعرِفونَ أنّ أباهُ يُونانيّ. 4 وكانوا يُبلِغونَ المُؤمنينَ عِندَ مُرورِهِم في المُدُنِ أوامِرَ الرّسُلِ والشّيوخِ في أُورُشليمَ، ويُوصونَهُم بأنْ يَعمَلوا بِها. 5 وكانَتِ الكنائسُ تَـتَقوّى في الإيمانِ ويَزدادُ عدَدُها يومًا بَعدَ يومٍ.
رؤيا بولس في ترواس
6 ومَرّوا بِنواحي فِريجيّةَ وغَلاطيّةَ، لأنّ الرّوحَ القُدُسَ منَعَهُم مِنَ التّبشيرِ بِكلامِ اللهِ في آسيةَ. 7 فلمّا اَقتَرَبوا مِنْ مِيسيّةَ حاوَلوا أنْ يَدخُلوا بِثينيّةَ، فما سمَحَ لهُم رُوحُ يَسوعَ. 8 فاَجتازوا مِيسيّةَ ونَزَلوا إلى تَرواسَ. 9 وفي الليلِ رأى بولُسُ رؤيا، فإذا رَجُلٌ مكدُونيّ واقِفٌ يَتوسّلُ إلَيهِ بِقولِهِ: «اَعبُرْ إلى مكدونِـيّةَ وساعِدْنا!» 10 فلمّا رَأى بولُسُ هذِهِ الرُؤيا، طَلَبنا السّفَرَ في الحالِ إلى مكدونِـيّةَ، مُتيَقّنينَ أنّ اللهَ دَعانا إلى التّبشيرِ فيها.
في فيلبـي
11 فرَكِبنا السّفينَةَ مِنْ تَرُواسَ مُتّجهينَ إلى ساموتْراكيةَ، وفي الغَدِ إلى نيابوليسَ 12 ومِنها إلى فيلبّـي وهيَ أكبرُ مدينةٍ في ولايَةِ مكِدونِـيّةَ، ومُستعمَرَةٌ رومانِـيّةٌ، فقَضَينا بِضعةَ أيّامٍ فيها. 13 وفي يومِ السّبتِ خَرَجنا مِنَ المدينةِ إلى ضفّةِ النّهرِ، مُتوَقّعينَ أنْ نَجِدَ هُناكَ مكانًا يَهوديّا لِلصلاةِ. فجَلَسنا نَــتَحدّثُ إلى النّساءِ المُجتمعاتِ هُناكَ. 14 وكانَت فيهِنّ اَمرأةٌ تُصغي إلينا اَسمُها ليديّةُ مِنْ مدينةِ ثِـياتِـيرَةَ، تَبـيعُ الأرجُوانَ وتَعبُد اللهَ. ففَتحَ اللهُ قلبَها لتُصغيَ إلى كلامِ بولُسَ. 15 فلمّا تعمّدت هيَ وأهلُ بَيتِها، قالَت لنا راجيةً: «أُدخُلوا بَيتي وأقيموا فيهِ إذا كُنتُم تَحسُبوني مُؤمِنةً بالرّبّ». فأجبَرَتنا على قَبولِ دَعوتِها.
في سجن فيلبـي
16 وكُنّا في أحدِ الأيّامِ ذاهِبـينَ إلى الصّلاةِ، فصادَفَتنا جاريةٌ بِها رُوحٌ عَرّافٌ، وكانَت تَجني مِنْ عِرافَتِها مالاً كثيرًا لأسيادِها. 17 فأخذَت تَتبَعُ بولُسَ وتَتبعُنا، وهيَ تَصيحُ: «هَؤلاءِ الرّجالُ عَبـيدُ اللهِ العَليّ، يُبَشّرونَكُم بِطريقِ الخلاصِ!» 18 وفَعلَت ذلِكَ عِدّةَ أيّامٍ حتى غَضِبَ بولُسُ، فاَلتَفَتَ إلَيها وقالَ للرّوحِ: «آمُرُكَ باَسمِ يَسوعَ المَسيحِ أنْ تَخرُجَ مِنها». فخرَجَ في الحالِ.
19 فلمّا رأى سادَتُها ضياعَ أملِهِم مِنْ كَسبِ المالِ، قــبَضوا على بولُسَ وسِيلا وجَرّوهُما إلى ساحَةِ المدينةِ لدى القُضاةِ، 20 وقَدّموهُما إلى الحُكّامِ وقالوا: «هذانِ الرّجُلانِ يُثيرانِ الاضطِرابَ في مدينتِنا، وهُما يَهوديّانِ 21 يُبشّرانِ بتَعاليمَ لا يَحِلّ لنا قبولُها أوِ العَمَلُ بِها لأنّنا رومانِـيّونَ». 22 فهاجَت جُموعُ النّاسِ علَيهِما، ومَزّقَ الحُكامُ ثيابَ بولُسَ وسيلا وأمروا بجَلدِهِما. 23 فجَلَدوهُما كثيرًا وألقَوهُما في السّجنِ، وأوصَوا السّجانَ بأنْ يُشَدّدَ الحِراسَةَ علَيهِما. 24 فلمّا بُلّغَ السّجانُ هذِهِ الوصيّةَ، طَرَحَهُما في أعماقِ السّجنِ، وأدخَلَ أرجُلَهُما في قالَبٍ مِنَ الخَشَبِ لِئَلاّ يَهرُبا.
25 وعِندَ نِصفِ الليلِ كانَ بولُسُ وسيلا يُصلّيانِ ويُسبّحانِ اللهَ، والسّجناءُ يُصغونَ إليهِما، 26 فوقَعَ فَجأةً زِلزالٌ عَنيفٌ هَزّ أركانَ السّجنِ، واَنفَتَحتِ الأبوابُ كُلّها، واَنفكّت قُيودُ السّجناءِ كُلّهِم. 27 فأفاقَ السّجّانُ مِنْ نومِهِ، فرَأى أبوابَ السّجنِ مَفتوحَةً، فَظنّ أنّ السّجَناءَ هَربوا. فاَستَلّ سيفَهُ ليَقتُلَ نَفسَهُ، 28 فناداهُ بولُسُ بأعلى صوتِهِ: «إيّاكَ أنْ تُؤذيَ نَفسَكَ. فنَحنُ كُلّنا هُنا!»
29 فطلَبَ السّجانُ ضَوءًا واَندفَعَ إلى داخِلِ السّجنِ واَرتَمى على أقدامِ بولُسَ وسيلا وهوَ يرتَجِفُ. 30 ثُمّ أخرجَهُما وقالَ: «يا سيّديّ، ماذا يَجبُ علَيّ أنْ أعمَلَ لأخلُصَ؟» 31 فقالا لَه: «آمِنْ بالرّبّ يَسوعَ تَخلُصْ أنتَ وأهلُ بَيتِكَ». 32 وبَشّراهُ هوَ وجميعَ أهلِ بَيتِهِ بِكلامِ الرّبّ. 33 فأخذَهُما في تِلكَ السّاعَةِ مِنَ الليلِ وغسَلَ جِراحَهُما وتَعمّدَ هوَ وجميعُ أهلِ بـيتِهِ. 34 ثُمّ دَعاهُما إلى بَيتِهِ وأطعَمَهُما. وفَرِحَ هوَ وأهلُ بَيتِهِ، لأنّهُ آمَنَ باللهِ.
35 ولمّا طلَعَ الصّباحُ أرسَلَ الحُكّامُ حَرَسًا يَقولونَ لِلسجّانِ: «أطلِقِ الرّجُلينِ!» 36 فنقَلَ السّجّانُ هذا الكلامَ إلى بولُسَ، قالَ: «أمَرَ الحُكّامُ بإطلاقِكُما، فاَخرُجا واَذهَبا بسلامٍ!» 37 فقالَ بولُسُ لِلحرَسِ: «جَلَدونا عَلانِـيةً مِنْ غَيرِ مُحاكَمةٍ، نَحنُ المواطنَينِ الرومانيّينِ، وألقَونا في السّجنِ، وهُم الآنَ يُريدونَ أنْ يُخرِجونا سِرّا. كلاّ، بَلْ يَجيءُ الحُكّامُ بأنفُسِهِم ويُخرِجونا».
38 فنقَلَ الحرَسُ هذا الكلامَ إلى الحُكّامِ. فلمّا عَرَفوا أنّ بولُسَ وسِيلا مُواطِنانِ رُومانِـيّانِ خافوا. 39 فجاؤُوا إلَيهِما يَعتَذِرونَ، ثُمّ أخرَجُوهُما وطَلَبوا إلَيهِما أنْ يَرْحَلا عَنِ المدينةِ. 40 فلمّا خرَجا مِنَ السّجنِ ذَهَبا إلى بَيتِ ليدِيّةَ، فشاهدا الإخوةَ وشجّعاهُم ثُمّ اَنصَرَفا.
