Acts 19
1 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland districts of Roman Asia, and went to Ephesus. There he found some disciples, of whom he asked,
During the stay of Apollos in Corinth, Paul, after passing through the inland districts, came to Ephesus, where he found a few disciples.
2 “Did you, when you became believers in Christ, receive the Holy Spirit?” “No,” they answered, “we did not even hear that there was a Holy Spirit.”
"Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you first believed?" he asked them. "No," they replied, "we did not even hear that there is a Holy Spirit."
3 “What then was your baptism?” Paul asked.
"Into what then were you baptized?" he asked. "Into John's baptism," they replied.
4 “John’s baptism was a baptism on repentance,” rejoined Paul, “and John told the people (speaking of the ‘one coming’ after him) that they should believe in him – that is in Jesus.”
"John," he said, "administered a baptism of repentance, bidding the people believe on One who was to come after him; namely, on Jesus."
5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus,
On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus;
6 and, after Paul had placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit descended on them, and they began to speak in other languages and to preach.
and when Paul laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy.
7 There were about twelve of them in all.
They numbered in all about twelve men.
8 Paul went to the synagogue there, and for three months spoke out fearlessly, giving addresses and trying to convince his hearers, about the kingdom of God.
Afterwards he went into the synagogue. There for three months he continued to preach fearlessly, explaining in words which carried conviction the truths which concern the Kingdom of God.
9 Some of them, however, hardened their hearts and refused to believe, denouncing the Way before the people. So Paul left them and withdrew his disciples, and gave daily addresses in the lecture-hall of Tyrannus.
But some grew obstinate in unbelief and spoke evil of the new faith before all the congregation. So Paul left them, and, taking with him those who were disciples, held discussions daily in Tyrannus's lecture-hall.
10 This went on for two years, so that all who lived in Roman Asia, Jews and Greeks alike, heard the Lord’s message.
This went on for two years, so that all the inhabitants of the province of Asia, Jews as well as Greeks, heard the Lord's Message.
11 God did miracles of no ordinary kind by Paul’s hands;
God also brought about extraordinary miracles through Paul's instrumentality.
12 so that people would carry home to the sick handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his body, and their diseases would leave them and the wicked spirits go out of them.
Towels or aprons, for instance, which Paul had handled used to be carried to the sick, and they recovered from their ailments, or the evil spirits left them.
13 An attempt was made by some itinerant Jews, who were exorcists, to use the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had wicked spirits in them. “I order you,” they would say, “by the Jesus, whom Paul preaches.”
But there were also some wandering Jewish exorcists who undertook to invoke the name of Jesus over those who had the evil spirits, saying, "I command you by that Jesus whom Paul preaches."
14 The seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this;
There were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew of high-priestly family, who were doing this.
15 but the wicked spirit answered them, “Jesus I acknowledge, and Paul I know, but you – who are you?”
"Jesus I know," the evil spirit answered, "and Paul I have heard of, but who are you?"
16 Then the man, in whom this wicked spirit was, sprang on them, mastered both of them, and so completely overpowered them, that they fled out of the house, stripped of their clothes, and wounded.
And the man in whom the evil spirit was sprang on two of them, over-mastered them both, and treated them with such violence, that they fled from the house stripped of their clothes and wounded.
17 This incident came to the knowledge of all the Jews and Greeks living at Ephesus; they were all awe-struck, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in the highest honor.
All the people of Ephesus, Jews as well as Greeks, came to know of this. There was widespread terror, and they began to hold the name of the Lord Jesus in high honour.
18 Many, too, of those who had become believers in Christ came with a full confession of their practices;
Many also of those who believed came confessing without reserve what their conduct had been,
19 while a number of people, who had practiced magic, collected their books and burnt them publicly; and on reckoning up the price of these, they found it amounted to fifty thousand silver coins.
and not a few of those who had practised magical arts brought their books together and burnt them in the presence of all. The total value was reckoned and found to be 50,000 silver coins.
20 So irresistibly did the Lord’s message spread and prevail.
Thus mightily did the Lord's Message spread and triumph!
21 Sometime after these events Paul resolved to go through Macedonia and Greece, and then make his way to Jerusalem. “And after I have been there,” he said, “I must visit Rome also.”
When matters had reached this point, Paul decided in his own mind to travel through Macedonia and Greece, and go to Jerusalem. "After that," he said, "I must also see Rome."
22 So he sent to Macedonia two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, while he himself stayed for some time longer in Roman Asia.
But he sent two of his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he himself remained for a while in Roman Asia.
23 Just about that time a great disturbance arose about the Way.
Now just at that time there arose no small commotion about the new faith.
24 A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver models of the shrine of Artemis, and so gave a great deal of work to the artisans,
There was a certain Demetrius, a silversmith, who made miniature silver sanctuaries of Diana, a business which brought great gain to the mechanics in his employ.
25 got these men together, as well as the workmen engaged in similar occupations, and said: “Men, you know that our prosperity depends on this work,
He called his workmen together, and others who were engaged in similar trades, and said to them, "You men well know that our prosperity depends on this business of ours;
26 and you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but in almost the whole of Roman Asia, this Paul has convinced and won over great numbers of people, by his assertion that those Gods which are made by hands are not Gods at all.
and you see and hear that, not in Ephesus only but throughout almost the whole province of Asia, this fellow Paul has led away a vast number of people by inducing them to believe that they are not gods at all that are made by men's hands.
27 So that not only is this business of ours likely to fall into discredit, but there is the further danger that the Temple of the great Goddess Artemis will be thought nothing of, and that she herself will be deprived of her splendor – though all Roman Asia and the whole world worship her.”
There is danger, therefore, not only that this our trade will become of no account, but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana will fall into utter disrepute, and that before long she will be actually deposed from her majestic rank--she who is now worshipped by the whole province of Asia; nay, by the whole world."
28 When they heard this, the men were greatly enraged, and began shouting – “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
After listening to this harangue, they became furiously angry and kept calling out, "Great is the Ephesian Diana!"
29 The commotion spread through the whole city, and the people rushed together into the amphitheater, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, two Macedonians who were Paul’s traveling companions.
The riot and uproar spread through the whole city, till at last with one accord they rushed into the Theatre, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, two Macedonians who were fellow travellers with Paul.
30 Paul wished to go into the amphitheater and face the people, but the disciples would not let him,
Then Paul would have liked to go in and address the people, but the disciples would not let him do so.
31 while some of the chief religious officials of the province, who were friendly to him, sent repeated entreaties to him not to trust himself inside.
A few of the public officials, too, who were friendly to him, sent repeated messages entreating him not to venture into the Theatre.
32 Meanwhile some were shouting one thing and some another, for the Assembly was all in confusion, most of those present not even knowing why they had met.
The people, meanwhile, kept shouting, some one thing and some another; for the assembly was all uproar and confusion, and the greater part had no idea why they had come together.
33 But some of the crowd prompted Alexander, whom several of the Jewish leaders had pushed to the front, and he waved his hand to show that he wanted to speak in their defense to the people.
Then some of the people crowded round Alexander, whom the Jews had pushed forward; and Alexander, motioning with his hand to get silence, was prepared to make a defence to the people.
34 However, when they recognized him as a Jew, one cry broke from them all, and they continued shouting for two hours – “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
No sooner, however, did they see that he was a Jew, than there arose from them all one roar of shouting, lasting about two hours. "Great is the Ephesian Diana," they said.
35 When the Recorder had succeeded in quieting the crowd, he said, “People of Ephesus, who is there, I ask you, who needs to be told that this city of Ephesus is the Warden of the Temple of the great Artemis, and of the statue which fell down from Zeus?
At length the Recorder quieted them down. "Men of Ephesus," he said, "who is there of all mankind that needs to be told that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Diana and of the image which fell down from Zeus?
36 As these are undeniable facts, you ought to keep calm and do nothing rash;
These facts, then, being unquestioned, it becomes you to maintain your self-control and not act recklessly.
37 for you have brought these men here, though they are neither robbers of Temples nor blasphemers of our Goddess.
For you have brought these men here, who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess.
38 If, however, Demetrius and the artisans who are acting with him have a charge to make against anyone, there are court days and there are Magistrates; let both parties take legal proceedings.
If, however, Demetrius and the mechanics who support his contention have a grievance against any one, there are Assize-days and there are Proconsuls: let the persons interested accuse one another.
39 But if you want anything more, it will have to be settled in the regular Assembly.
But if you desire anything further, it will have to be settled in the regular assembly.
40 For I tell you that we are in danger of being proceeded against for today’s riot, there being nothing to account for it; and in that case we will be at a loss to give any reason for this disorderly gathering.”
For in connexion with to-day's proceedings there is danger of our being charged with attempted insurrection, there having been no real reason for this riot; nor shall we be able to justify the behaviour of this disorderly mob."
41 With these words he dismissed the Assembly.
With these words he dismissed the assembly.
