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:
While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the interior and came to Ephesus. There he found some 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.”
and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” “No,” they answered, “we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
3 “What then was your baptism?” Paul asked.
“Into what, then, were you baptized?” Paul asked. “The baptism of John,” they replied.
4 “John’s baptism was a baptism upon 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.”
Paul explained: “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the One coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”
5 On hearing this, they were baptized into the faith 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 upon them, and they began to speak with ‘tongues’ and to preach.
And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
7 There were about twelve of them in all.
There were about twelve men in all.
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.
Then Paul went into the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God.
9 Some of them, however, hardened their hears and refused to believe, denouncing the Cause before the people. So Paul left them and withdrew his disciples, and gave daily addresses in the lecture-hall of Tyrannus.
But when some of them stubbornly refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way, Paul took his disciples and left the synagogue to conduct daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.
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 continued for two years, so that everyone who lived in the province of Asia, Jews and Greeks alike, heard the word of the Lord.
11 God did miracles of no ordinary kind by Paul’s hands;
God did extraordinary miracles through the hands of Paul,
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.
so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and the diseases and 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 adjure you,” they would say, “by the Jesus, whom Paul preaches.”
Now there were some itinerant Jewish exorcists who tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those with evil spirits. They would say, “I bind you by Jesus, whom Paul proclaims.”
14 The seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish Chief Priest, were doing this;
Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.
15 but the wicked spirit answered them: “Jesus I acknowledge, and Paul I know, but you — who are you?”
Eventually, one of the evil spirits answered them, “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?”
16 Then the man, in whom this wicked spirit was, sprang upon them, mastered both of them, and so completely overpowered them, that they fled out of the house, stripped of their clothes, and wounded.
Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. The attack was so violent that they ran out of the house naked 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 honour.
This became known to all the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, and fear came over all of them. So the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor.
18 Many, too, of those who had become believers in Christ came with a full confession of their practices;
Many who had believed now came forward, confessing and disclosing their deeds.
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 five thousand pounds.
And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books and burned them in front of everyone. When the value of the books was calculated, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.
20 So irresistibly did the Lord’s Message spread and prevail.
So the word of the Lord powerfully continued to spread and prevail.
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.”
After these things had happened, Paul resolved in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia. “After I have been there,” he said, “I must see Rome as well.”
22 So he sent to Macedonia two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, while he himself stayed for some time longer in Roman Asia.
He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed for a time in the province of Asia.
23 Just about that time a great disturbance arose about the Cause.
About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way.
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,
It began with a silversmith named Demetrius who made silver shrines of Artemis, bringing much business to the craftsmen.
25 got these men together, as well as the workmen engaged in similar occupations, and said: “Men, you know that our prosperity depends upon this work,
Demetrius assembled the craftsmen, along with the workmen in related trades. “Men,” he said, “you know that this business is our source of prosperity.
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 can see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in nearly the whole province of Asia, Paul has persuaded a great number of people to turn away. He says that man-made gods are no gods at all.
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 splendour — though all Roman Asia and the whole world worship her.”
There is danger not only that our business will fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited and her majesty deposed—she who is worshiped by all the province of Asia and the whole world.”
28 When they heard this, the men were greatly enraged, and began shouting — “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
When the men heard this, they were enraged and began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
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.
Soon the whole city was in disarray. They rushed together into the theatre, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia.
30 Paul wished to go into the amphitheater and face the people, but the disciples would not let him,
Paul wanted to go before the assembly, but the disciples would not allow him.
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.
Even some of Paul’s friends who were officials of the province of Asia sent word to him, begging 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.
Meanwhile the assembly was in turmoil. Some were shouting one thing and some another, and most of them did not even know why they were there.
33 But some of the crowd prompted Alexander, whom the Jews had pushed to the front, and he waved his hand to show that he wanted to speak in their defence to the people.
The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander forward to explain himself, and he motioned for silence so he could make his defense to the people.
34 However, when they recognised him as a Jew, one cry broke from them all, and they continued shouting for two hours — “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
But when they realized that he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
35 When the Recorder had succeeded in quieting the crowd, he said: “Men 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?
Finally the city clerk quieted the crowd and declared, “Men of Ephesus, doesn’t everyone know that the city of Ephesus is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven?
36 As these are undeniable facts, you ought to keep calm and do nothing rash;
Since these things are undeniable, you ought to be calm and not do anything rash.
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, though they have neither robbed our temple nor blasphemed our goddess.
38 If, however, Demetrius and the artisans who are acting with him have a charge to make against any one, there are Court Days and there are Magistrates; let both parties take legal proceedings.
So if Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open and proconsuls are available. Let them bring charges against one another there.
39 But if you want anything more, it will have to be settled in the regular Assembly.
But if you are seeking anything beyond this, it must be settled in a legal assembly.
40 For I tell you that we are in danger of being proceeded against for to-day’s riot, there being nothing to account for it; and in that case we shall be at a loss to give any reason for this disorderly gathering.”
For we are in jeopardy of being charged with rioting for today’s events, and we have no justification to account for this commotion.”
41 With these words he dismissed the Assembly.
After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.
