Acts 19
1 During the stay of Apollos in Corinth, Paul, after passing through the inland districts, came to Ephesus, where he found a few disciples.
While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the interior and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples
2 "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."
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 "Into what then were you baptized?" he asked. "Into John's baptism," they replied.
“Into what, then, were you baptized?” Paul asked. “The baptism of John,” they replied.
4 "John," he said, "administered a baptism of repentance, bidding the people believe on One who was to come after him; namely, on 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 name of the Lord Jesus;
On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 and when Paul laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy.
And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
7 They numbered in all about twelve men.
There were about twelve men in all.
8 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.
Then Paul went into the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God.
9 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.
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 the inhabitants of the province of Asia, Jews as well as Greeks, 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 also brought about extraordinary miracles through Paul's instrumentality.
God did extraordinary miracles through the hands of Paul,
12 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.
so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and the diseases and evil spirits left them.
13 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."
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 There were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew of high-priestly family, who were doing this.
Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.
15 "Jesus I know," the evil spirit answered, "and Paul I have heard of, but who are you?"
Eventually, one of the evil spirits answered them, “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?”
16 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.
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 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.
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 also of those who believed came confessing without reserve what their conduct had been,
Many who had believed now came forward, confessing and disclosing their deeds.
19 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.
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 Thus mightily did the Lord's Message spread and triumph!
So the word of the Lord powerfully continued to spread and prevail.
21 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."
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 But he sent two of his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he himself remained for a while 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 Now just at that time there arose no small commotion about the new faith.
About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way.
24 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.
It began with a silversmith named Demetrius who made silver shrines of Artemis, bringing much business to the craftsmen.
25 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;
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 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.
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 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."
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 After listening to this harangue, they became furiously angry and kept calling out, "Great is the Ephesian Diana!"
When the men heard this, they were enraged and began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
29 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.
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 Then Paul would have liked to go in and address the people, but the disciples would not let him do so.
Paul wanted to go before the assembly, but the disciples would not allow him.
31 A few of the public officials, too, who were friendly to him, sent repeated messages entreating him not to venture into the Theatre.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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?
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 These facts, then, being unquestioned, it becomes you to maintain your self-control and not act recklessly.
Since these things are undeniable, you ought to be calm and not do anything rash.
37 For you have brought these men here, who 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 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.
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 desire anything further, 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 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."
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.
