rome was full of degenerates who chained possessed women into slavery so they could read fortunes to make money. paul and silas imprisoned 16 now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 17 this girl followed paul and us, and cried out, saying, these men are the servants of the most high god, who proclaim to us the way of salvation. 18 and this she did for many days. but paul, greatly [d]annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, i command you in the name of jesus christ to come out of her. and he came out that very hour. 19 but when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized paul and silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. 20 and they brought them to the magistrates, and said, these men, being jews (religious jews), exceedingly trouble our city; 21 and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being romans, to receive or observe. 22 then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. 23 and when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. 24 having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
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