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:
And it came to pass, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper districts, came to Ephesus. And finding certain 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.”
he said to them, Did ye receive the Holy Spirit when ye believed? And they said to him, No, we did not even hear whether there is a Holy Spirit.
3 “What then was your baptism?” Paul asked.
And he said, Into what then were ye baptized? And they said, Into John's baptism.
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.”
Then said Paul, John indeed baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people, that they should believe on him that was coming after him; that is, on Jesus.
5 On hearing this, they were baptized into the faith of the Lord Jesus,
And when they heard 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 bad laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues, and prophesied.
7 There were about twelve of them in all.
And the men were about twelve 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.
And he went into the synagogue, and spoke boldly for three months, discoursing and persuading concerning 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 were hardened, and believed not, but spoke evil of the way [[of the Lord]] before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, discoursing daily in the school 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.
And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
11 God did miracles of no ordinary kind by Paul’s hands;
And God wrought special miracles by 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, or aprons, were carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out.
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.”
Then some of the wandering Jewish exorcists undertook to name over those who had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, I adjure you by that Jesus whom Paul preacheth.
14 The seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish Chief Priest, were doing this;
And there were seven sons of Scevas, a Jewish chief priest, who did this.
15 but the wicked spirit answered them: “Jesus I acknowledge, and Paul I know, but you — who are you?”
And the evil spirit answering said, Jesus I knew, and Paul I well know; but who are ye?
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.
And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them both, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that 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.
And this became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who dwelt at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
18 Many, too, of those who had become believers in Christ came with a full confession of their practices;
And many of the believers came, confessing and declaring their practices.
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.
Many also of those who had practised magical arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men; and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.
20 So irresistibly did the Lord’s Message spread and prevail.
So the word of the Lord grew and prevailed mightily.
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.”
And when these things were ended, Paul resolved to pass through Macedonia and Achaia, and to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, 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.
And having sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a season.
23 Just about that time a great disturbance arose about the Cause.
And about that time there arose no small tumult concerning the 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,
For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, made silver shrines of Diana, and brought no small gain 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,
And having called them together, with the workmen of like occupation, he said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth;
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 ye see and hear, that this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, not only of Ephesus, but of almost all Asia, saying, that those are not gods, which are made with 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 splendour — though all Roman Asia and the whole world worship her.”
And there is not only danger that this branch of our business will come into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana will be despised, and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship.
28 When they heard this, the men were greatly enraged, and began shouting — “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
And hearing this they became full of wrath, and kept crying out, saying, Great is Diana 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.
And the city was filled with confusion; and they rushed with one accord into the theatre, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel.
30 Paul wished to go into the amphitheater and face the people, but the disciples would not let him,
And when Paul wished to go in to the people, the disciples would not suffer 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.
And some also of the Asiarchs, who were his friends, sent to him, and entreated 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.
Some therefore were crying one thing, and some another; for the assembly was in confusion, and the greater part knew not wherefore they had come together.
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.
And they brought forward Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward; and Alexander beckoned with his hand, desiring to make his defence 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 knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice for about two hours cried out, Great is Diana 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?
But when the Recorder had quieted the multitude, he said, Men of Ephesus, who is there among men that doth not know that the city of the Ephesians is guardian of the great Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter?
36 As these are undeniable facts, you ought to keep calm and do nothing rash;
Since then these things cannot be denied, ye ought to be quiet, and do nothing rashly.
37 for you have brought these men here, though they are neither robbers of Temples nor blasphemers of our Goddess.
For ye have brought hither these men, who are neither robbers of temples, nor blasphemers of your 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.
If then Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint against any one, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls; let them bring their charges against each other.
39 But if you want anything more, it will have to be settled in the regular Assembly.
But if ye ask for any thing further, it shall be determined in the lawful 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 danger of being called to answer concerning this day's riot, there being no ground on which we shall be able to give an account of this concourse.
41 With these words he dismissed the Assembly.
And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.
