They
brought them before the magistrates and said, "These men are
Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar 21by
advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or
practice."
The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and
the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. After they
had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the
jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. Upon receiving such
orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the
stocks.
Singing at midnight
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns
to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly
there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the
prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and
everybody's chains came loose.
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