< Acts 19 >
1 And it came to pass, while Apollos was in Corinth, Paul, passing through the upper parts, came to Ephesus, and found certain disciples;
2 and he said unto them—Holy Spirit, received ye, when ye believed? And they said unto him—Nay! not even whether there is Holy Spirit, did we hear.
3 And he said—Into what, then, were ye immersed? And, they, said—Unto John’s immersion.
4 Then said Paul—John, immersed with an immersion of repentance, unto the people, saying, that, on him who was coming after him, they should believe, —that is, on Jesus.
5 And, when they heard [this], they were immersed into the name of the Lord Jesus;
6 and, Paul laying hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying.
7 And all the men were about twelve.
8 And, entering into the synagogue, he was speaking boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the kingdom of God.
9 But, when some were hardening themselves, and refusing to be persuaded, speaking evil of the Way before the throng, withdrawing from them, he separated the disciples; day by day, reasoning in the school of Tyrannus.
10 And, this, took place for two years, so that, all who dwelt in Asia, heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
11 Mighty works, also, not the ordinary, God was working through the hands of Paul;
12 so that, even unto the sick, were being carried from his body, handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases were departing from them, and, the wicked spirits, were going out.
13 But certain also of the wandering Jews, exorcists, took in hand to be naming, over them that had the wicked spirits, the name of the Lord Jesus, saying—I adjure you, by Jesus whom Paul proclaimeth!
14 And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, a High-priest, who, this thing, were doing.
15 But the wicked spirit. Answering, said unto them—Jesus, [indeed], I am getting to know, and, Paul, I well-know, —but who are, ye?
16 And the man in whom was the wicked spirit, springing upon them, mastering them both, prevailed against them, so that, naked and wounded, fled they out of that house.
17 And, this, became known to all—both Jews and Greeks—who were dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified.
18 Many also of them who had believed, were coming, making open confession, and renouncing their practices.
19 And, a good many of them who had practised the curious arts, bringing together the books, were burning them before all; and they reckoned up the prices of them, and found them fifty thousand pieces of silver.
20 Thus, with might, the Lord’s word, was growing and prevailing.
21 Now, when these things were fulfilled, Paul purposed in his spirit, going through Macedonia and Achaia, to be journeying unto Jerusalem, saying—After I have been there, Rome also, must I see!
22 And, sending off into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself, held on awhile in Asia.
23 And there arose during that season no small disturbance concerning the Way.
24 For, one Demetrius by name, a silversmith, making [silver] shrines, of Diana, used to bring unto the craftsmen no little business;
25 gathering whom together, and them who in such things wrought, he said—Men! ye well know that, by this business, we have our prosperity;
26 and ye perceive and hear that, not only in Ephesus, but well-nigh in all Asia, this Paul, hath persuaded and turned away a considerable multitude, saying that they are, no gods, which, with hands, are made.
27 And, not only is there danger that this our heritage into ill-repute may come, but even that the temple, of the great Goddess Diana, for nothing, may be counted; also that, even on the point of being pulled down, may be Her Majesty, whom, all Asia and the habitable world, do worship.
28 Now, hearing this, and becoming full of wrath, they began crying aloud, saying—Great, is Diana of the Ephesians!
29 And the city was filled with the confusion; they rushed also with one accord into the theatre, carrying off with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, fellow-travellers of Paul.
30 But, Paul, being minded to enter in among the populace, the disciples would not suffer him.
31 Moreover, certain of the Asiarchs also, being his friends, sending unto him, were beseeching him not to adventure himself into the theatre.
32 Others, indeed, were crying out something else; for the assembly had become confused, and, the greater part, knew not for what cause they had come together.
33 Howbeit, out of the multitude, they bare aloft one Alexander, the Jews thrusting him forward; Alexander, however, waving his hand, was wishing to make his defense unto the populace.
34 But, recognizing that he was a Jew, one voice arose from all for about two hours, as they cried aloud—Great, is Diana of the Ephesians!
35 Howbeit the town-clerk, having calmed the multitude, saith—Ephesians! why, who is there of mankind that doth not acknowledge the city of Ephesians to be temple-keeper of the Great Diana, and of the [image] that fell from Jupiter?
36 As these things, then, cannot be denied, it is needful that ye be calmed at once, and, nothing rash, be doing.
37 For ye have brought these men, neither as temple-robbers, nor as defaming our goddess.
38 If then, Demetrius, and the craftsmen with him, have against anyone an accusation, courts, are being held, and there are, proconsuls: let them accuse one another!
39 But, if after, something further, ye are seeking, in the regular assembly shall it be settled.
40 For we are, even in danger of being accused of riot, concerning this day, no cause at all, existing, by reference to which we shall be able to give a reason for this concourse.
41 And, these things, having said, he dismissed the assembly.
