Curated semantic-search results from the Bible and early Jewish and Christian writings.
These passages are drawn from a current, full-corpus deep search.
Top matching passages
9/10 · exceptional
21 by promoting customs that are unlawful for us Romans to adopt or practice.” 22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered that they be stripped and beaten with rods. 23 And after striking them with many blows, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to guard them securely. 24 On receiving this order, he placed 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 a strong earthquake shook the foundations of the prison. At once all the doors flew open and everyone’s chains came loose. 27 When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, presuming that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul called out in a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself! We are all here!” 29 Calling for lights, the jailer rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he 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 Paul and Silas spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house.
4/10 · fair
33 At that hour of the night, the jailer took them and washed their wounds. And without delay, he and all his household were baptized. 34 Then he brought them into his home and set a meal before them. So he and all his household rejoiced that they had come to believe in God. 35 When daylight came, the magistrates sent their officers with the order: “Release those men.” 36 The jailer informed Paul: “The magistrates have sent orders to release you. Now you may go on your way in peace.” 37 But Paul said to the officers, “They beat us publicly without a trial and threw us into prison, even though we are Roman citizens. And now do they want to send us away secretly? Absolutely not! Let them come themselves and escort us out!” 38 So the officers relayed this message to the magistrates, who were alarmed to hear that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. 39 They came to appease them and led them out, requesting that they leave the city. 40 After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house to see the brothers and encourage them. Then they left the city.
4/10 · fair
18 and arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out, saying, 20 “Go, stand in the temple courts and tell the people the full message of this new life.” 21 At daybreak the apostles entered the temple courts as they had been told and began to teach the people. When the high priest and his associates arrived, they convened the Sanhedrin—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles. 22 But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they returned with the report: 23 “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards posted at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” 24 When the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this account, they were perplexed as to what was happening. 25 Then someone came in and announced, “Look, the men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people!”
5/10 · good
9 During the night, Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 As soon as Paul had seen the vision, we got ready to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. 11 We sailed from Troas straight to Samothrace, and the following day on to Neapolis. 12 From there we went to the Roman colony of Philippi, the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days. 13 On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river, where it was customary to find a place of prayer. After sitting down, we spoke to the women who had gathered there. 14 Among those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15 And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us. 16 One day as we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl with a spirit of divination, who earned a large income for her masters by fortune-telling. 17 This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!” 18 She continued this for many days. Eventually Paul grew so aggravated that he turned and… 19 …
4/10 · fair
1 By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. 2 There on the willows we hung our harps, 3 for there our captors requested a song; our tormentors demanded songs of joy: “Sing us a song of Zion.” 4 How can we sing a song of the LORD in a foreign land?
3/10 · fair
1 When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbaths he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,” he declared. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few leading women. 5 The Jews, however, became jealous. So they brought in some troublemakers from the marketplace, formed a mob, and sent the city into an uproar. They raided Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas, hoping to bring them out to the people. 6 But when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have now come here, 7 and Jason has welcomed them into his home. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, named Jesus!” 8 On hearing this, the crowd and city officials were greatly disturbed. 9 And they collected bond from Jason and the others, and then released them. 10 As soon as night had fallen, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went into the Jewish synagogue.
2/10 · weak
6 Listen to my cry, for I am brought quite low. Rescue me from my pursuers, for they are too strong for me. 7 Free my soul from prison, that I may praise Your name. The righteous will gather around me because of Your goodness to me.
2/10 · weak
1 Hallelujah! Sing to the LORD a new song— His praise in the assembly of the godly. 2 Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King. 3 Let them praise His name with dancing, and make music to Him with tambourine and harp. 4 For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He adorns the afflicted with salvation. 5 Let the saints exult in glory; let them shout for joy upon their beds. 6 May the high praises of God be in their mouths, and a double-edged sword in their hands, 7 to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, 8 to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with shackles of iron, 9 to execute the judgment written against them. This honor is for all His saints. Hallelujah!
3/10 · fair
15 The brothers there had heard about us and traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. When Paul saw them, he was encouraged and gave thanks to God. 16 When we arrived in Rome, Paul was permitted to stay by himself, with a soldier to guard him. 17 After three days, he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had gathered, he said to them, “Brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, I was taken prisoner in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. 18 They examined me and wanted to release me, because there was no basis for a death sentence against me. 19 But when the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar, even though I have no charge to bring against my nation. 20 So for this reason I have called to see you and speak with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.”
3/10 · fair
11 You led us into the net; You laid burdens on our backs. 12 You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but You brought us into abundance.