< Acts 19 >
1 Now it came to pass, that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having passed through the upper parts, came to Ephesus: and finding there some disciples,
2 he said to them, Have you, on your believing, received the Holy Spirit? And they replied to him, No; we have not so much as heard whether the Holy Spirit is received.
3 And he said to them, Into what, then, were you immersed? And they said, Into John's immersion.
4 And Paul said, John, indeed, administered the immersion of reformation, telling the people that they should believe in Him that was to come after him: that is, in Jesus.
5 And hearing this, they were immersed into the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 And Paul, laying his hands, on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them; and they spoke with tongues, and prophesied.
7 And they were, in all, about twelve men.
8 And he went into the synagogue, and discoursed with boldness, disputing for the space of three months, and evincing the things which related to the kingdom of God.
9 But as some were hardened, and would not believe, speaking reproachfully of this way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus.
10 And this was done for the space of two years, so that all the inhabitants of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord.
11 And God wrought extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul:
12 so that handkerchiefs, or aprons, were carried from his body to those who were sick, and the diseases removed from them, and the evil spirits came out.
13 And some of the strolling Jews, who were exorcists, undertook to name the name of the Lord Jesus, over those who had evil spirits, saying, We adjure you by Jesus, whom Paul preaches.
14 And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did this.
15 But the evil spirit answering, said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?
16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was, sprung upon them, and getting master of them prevailed against them, so that they fled out of the house, naked and wounded.
17 And this was known to all the Jews, and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
18 And many of them, who believed, came and confessed, and made a declaration of their deeds.
19 And a considerable number of those who had curious arts, bringing their books together, burnt them before all: and they computed the value of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver:
20 so powerfully did the word of the Lord grow, and prevail.
21 Now when these things were fulfilled, Paul proposed in spirit, that, passing through Macedonia and Achaia, he would go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, it is necessary for me also to see Rome.
22 And sending two of those that ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, into Macedonia, he himself staid some time in Asia.
23 And there happened, about that time, no small tumult concerning that way.
24 For a man whose name was Demetrius, a silversmith, by making silver shrines of Diana, procured no small gain to the artificers:
25 whom he gathered together, with the workmen employed about the business, and said, Men, you know that our maintenance arises from this manufacture;
26 and you see and hear that this Paul has persuaded great numbers of people, not only of Ephesus, but almost of all Asia, and has turned them aside, saying that they are not deities which are made with hands;
27 so that there is danger, not only that this occupation of ours should be depreciated, but also that the people of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her grandeur destroyed; whom all Asia and the world worship.
28 And hearing this, they were filled with rage; and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians!
29 And the whole city was filled with confusion; and they rushed with one accord into the theater, dragging thither Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul's fellow-travelers.
30 And when Paul would have gone in to the people, the disciples would not permit him.
31 And some, too, the principal officers of Asia, as they had a friendship for him, sent to him, and desired that he would not venture himself into the theater.
32 Some, therefore, were crying one thing, and some another; for the congregation was confused, and the greater part did not know for what they were come together.
33 And they thrust forth forward Alexander, from amongst the multitude, the Jews urging him on. And Alexander, beckoning with his hand, would have made a defense to the people.
34 But when they knew that he was a Jew, one voice arose from them all, crying out, for about the space of two hours, Great is Diana of the Ephesians!
35 But the chancellor, having pacified the people, said Ephesians, what man is there that does not know that the city of the Ephesians is devoted to the great Diana, and to the image that fell down from Jupiter.
36 Since, then, these things are incontestable, it is necessary for you to be quiet, and to do nothing in a precipitate manner;
37 for you have brought these men, who are neither robbers of temples, nor blasphemers of your goddess.
38 If, therefore, Demetrius, and the artificers that are with him, have a charge against any one, courts are held; and there are the proconsuls; let them implead together.
39 But if you are inquiring anything concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a legal congregation.
40 And, indeed, we are in danger of being called in question for the insurrection which has happened this day, as there is no cause by which we can account for this concourse.
41 And when he had said these things, he dismissed the congregation.
