...And when we came to Philippi, which is the chief city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony, we stayed on some days.

As we were on our way to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who was possessed by a spirit of divination, claiming to foretell future events and to discover hidden knowledge, and she brought her owners much gain by her fortune-telling.

She kept following Paul and the rest of us, shouting loudly, 'These men are the servants of the Most high God! They announce to you the way of salvation!'

She did this for many days. Then Paul, being sorely annoyed and worn out, turned and said to the spirit within her, 'I charge you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her! And it came out that very moment.'

But when her owners discovered that their hope of profit was gone, they caught hold of Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities in the forum where trials are held.

And when they had brought them before the magistrates, they declared, 'These fellows are Jews and they are throwing our city into great confusion. They encourage the practice of customs which is unlawful for us Romans to accept or observe!'

The crowd also joined in the attack upon them, and the rulers tore off their clothes and commanded that they be beaten with rods.

When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely.

He, having received so strict a charge, put them into the dungeon and fastened their feet in stocks.

But about midnight, as Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them, suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the very foundations of the prison were shaken; and at once all the doors were opened and every one's shackles were unfastened...

Chapter 16, Book of Acts

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