Acts 19
1 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper country came to Ephesus, and found certain disciples:
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,
2 and he said unto them, Did ye receive the Holy Ghost when ye believed? And they [said] unto him, Nay, we did not so much as hear whether the Holy Ghost was [given].
“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.”
3 And he said, Into what then were ye baptized? And they said, Into John’s baptism.
“What then was your baptism?” Paul asked.
4 And Paul said, John baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Jesus.
“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.”
5 And when they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus,
6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
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.
7 And they were in all about twelve men.
There were about twelve of them in all.
8 And he entered into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, reasoning and persuading [as to] the things concerning the kingdom of God.
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.
9 But when some were hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.
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.
10 And this continued for the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
This went on for two years, so that all who lived in Roman Asia, Jews and Greeks alike, heard the Lord’s message.
11 And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul:
God did miracles of no ordinary kind by Paul’s hands;
12 insomuch that unto the sick were carried away from his body handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out.
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.
13 But certain also of the strolling Jews, exorcists, took upon them to name over them which had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.
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.”
14 And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, a chief priest, which did this.
The seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this;
15 And the evil spirit answered and said unto them, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?
but the wicked spirit answered them, “Jesus I acknowledge, and Paul I know, but you – who are you?”
16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and mastered both of them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
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.
17 And this became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, that dwelt at Ephesus; and fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
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.
18 Many also of them that had believed came, confessing, and declaring their deeds.
Many, too, of those who had become believers in Christ came with a full confession of their practices;
19 And not a few of them that practised curious arts brought their books together, and burned them in the sight of all: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.
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.
20 So mightily grew the word of the Lord and prevailed.
So irresistibly did the Lord’s message spread and prevail.
21 Now after these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome.
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.”
22 And having sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.
So he sent to Macedonia two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, while he himself stayed for some time longer in Roman Asia.
23 And about that time there arose no small stir concerning the Way.
Just about that time a great disturbance arose about the Way.
24 For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines of Diana, brought no little business unto the craftsmen;
A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver models of the shrine of Artemis, and so gave a great deal of work to the artisans,
25 whom he gathered together, with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this business we have our wealth.
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,
26 And ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands:
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.
27 and not only is there danger that this our trade come into disrepute; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana be made of no account, and that she should even be deposed from her magnificence, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.
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.”
28 And when they heard this, they were filled with wrath, and cried out, saying, Great [is] Diana of the Ephesians.
When they heard this, the men were greatly enraged, and began shouting – “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
29 And the city was filled with the confusion: and they rushed with one accord into the theatre, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul’s companions in travel.
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.
30 And when Paul was minded to enter in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not.
Paul wished to go into the amphitheater and face the people, but the disciples would not let him,
31 And certain also of the chief officers of Asia, being his friends, sent unto him, and besought him not to adventure himself into the theatre.
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.
32 Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was in confusion; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together.
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.
33 And they brought Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made a defence unto the people.
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.
34 But when they perceived that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great [is] Diana of the Ephesians.
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!”
35 And when the townclerk had quieted the multitude, he saith, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there who knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is temple-keeper of the great Diana, and of the [image] which fell down from Jupiter?
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?
36 Seeing then that these things cannot be gainsaid, ye ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rash.
As these are undeniable facts, you ought to keep calm and do nothing rash;
37 For ye have brought [hither] these men, which are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess.
for you have brought these men here, though they are neither robbers of Temples nor blasphemers of our Goddess.
38 If therefore Demetrius, and the craftsmen that are with him, have a matter against any man, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls: let them accuse one another.
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.
39 But if ye seek anything about other matters, it shall be settled in the regular assembly.
But if you want anything more, it will have to be settled in the regular Assembly.
40 For indeed we are in danger to be accused concerning this day’s riot, there being no cause [for it]: and as touching it we shall not be able to give account of this concourse.
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.”
41 And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.
With these words he dismissed the Assembly.
