19. When her owners realised that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market-place to face the authorities.
20. They brought them before the magistrates and said, ‘These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar
21. by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practise.’
22. The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods.
23. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully.
24. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
26. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.
27. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped.
28. But Paul shouted, ‘Don’t harm yourself ! We are all here!’
29. The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.
30. He then brought them out and asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’
31. They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved – you and your household.’
32. Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house.
33. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptised.