Acts 16:16 - An Understandable Version (2005 edition)

¹⁶ At a later time, when we were going to that [same] place of prayer, we met a certain young woman who was dominated by an [evil] spirit, [claiming to be] able to tell people’s fortunes. This [claimed] power was the source of considerable income for the girl’s slave-owner.

More versions

King James Version (Oxford) 1769

¹⁶ And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:

Amplified Bible - Classic Edition

¹⁶ 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 fortunetelling.

American Standard Version (1901)

¹⁶ And it came to pass, as we were going to the place of prayer, that a certain maid having a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much gain by soothsaying.

Common English Bible

¹⁶ One day, when we were on the way to the place for prayer, we met a slave woman. She had a spirit that enabled her to predict the future. She made a lot of money for her owners through fortune-telling.

Catholic Public Domain Version

¹⁶ Then it happened that, as we were going out to prayer, a certain girl, having a spirit of divination, met with us. She was a source of great profit to her masters, through her divining.

Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version

¹⁶ And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain girl, having a pythonical spirit, met us, who brought to her masters much gain by divining.

Acts 16:16 Cross References

Acts 16:13

On a [particular] Sabbath day we went outside the city gate to a place beside a river where we thought people gathered for prayer. We sat down and began speaking [about the Lord] to some women who had gathered there.

Acts 16:18

And she kept this up for a number of days. But Paul was very disturbed [over what she was doing] and [finally] turned [to her] and said to the spirit [in the girl], “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And the evil spirit did come out [of her] immediately.

Acts 16:19

But when the girl’s slave-owners saw that their prospects for income [from her activities] were [now] gone, they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them to the open shopping market, in front of the authorities.

Acts 19:24

[Here is what happened]: A certain manufacturer of silver objects named Demetrius, who made silver replicas of the temple of Artemis [i.e., a Greek goddess], brought much business to his workmen.

Galatians 5:20

idol worship, occultic practices, hatefulness, dissension, jealousy, angry outbursts, factious spirits, divisiveness, party spirits,

1 Timothy 6:10

For, loving money is a source of all kinds of evil, [and] some people who crave it have been led astray from the faith, and have stabbed themselves [in the heart] with many sorrows.

2 Timothy 3:8

These people oppose the truth just like Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses. They have corrupt minds and are worthless as far as the faith is concerned.

2 Peter 2:3

And through greedy desires and deceptive words they will exploit you [for evil purposes]. But the judgment that they have had coming for a long time will not delay, but will eventually awaken [i.e., arrive] to bring destruction upon them.