1 Paul in Ephesus Now it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper regions and came to Ephesus and found some disciples.
2 And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And theysaidto him, “No, we have not even heard if the Holy Spirit isbeing received.”
3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism.”
4 Then Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”
5 And when they heard this, they were baptized 19:5 Lit into in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and theybeganspeaking with tongues and prophesying.
7 Now there were in all about twelve men.
8 And after he entered the synagogue, he continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuadingthemabout the kingdom of God.
9 But when some were becoming hardened and were not believing, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude, he left them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.
10 This took place for two years, so that all who lived in 19:10West coast province of Asia Minor Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.Miracles in Ephesus
11 And God was doing extraordinary 19:11Or works of power miracles by the hands of Paul,
12 so that cloths or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out.
13 But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to invoke over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, “I implore you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.”
14 Now seven sons of onenamedSceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.
15 And the evil spirit answered and said to them, “I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?”
16 And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them, subdued all of them, and utterly prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
17 And this became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived in Ephesus; and fear fell upon them all and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified.
18 Also, many of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices.
19 And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and were burning them in the sight of everyone; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand 19:19A silver piece was approx. a laborer’s daily wage pieces of silver.
20 So 19:20Or according to the power of the Lord the word was growing the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing.Riots in Ephesus
21 Now after these things were finished, Paul purposed in the 19:21Or spirit Spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”
22 And having sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in 19:22West coast province of Asia Minor Asia for a while.
23 Now about that time there occurred no small disturbance concerning the Way.
24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of 19:24Lat Diana Artemis, was bringing no little 19:24Or profit business to the craftsmen;
25 these he gathered together with the workers of similartrades, and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity is from this business.
26 And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable crowd, saying that things made with hands are not gods.
27 And not only is there danger that this trade of ours fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess 19:27Lat Diana Artemis be considered as worthless and that she, whom all of Asia and the 19:27Lit the inhabited earth world worship, is even about to be brought down from her majesty.”
28 When they heardthisand were filled with rage, theybegancrying out, saying, “Great is 19:28Lat Diana Artemis of the Ephesians!”
29 And the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed 19:29Or together with one accord into the theater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia.
30 And when Paul wanted to go into the 19:30Lit people assembly, the disciples would not let him.
31 Also some of the 19:31Political or religious officials of the province of Asia Asiarchs who were friends of his sent to him and repeatedly urged him not to 19:31Lit give himself venture into the theater.
32 So then, some were shouting one thing and some another, for the 19:32Gr ekklesia meeting was in confusion and the majority did not know 19:32Or on whose account for what reason they had come together.
33 And some of the crowd 19:33Or advised Alexander concludedit wasAlexander, since the Jews had put him forward; and having motioned with his hand, Alexander was intending to make a defense to the 19:33Lit people assembly.
34 But when they recognized that he was a Jew, a single cry arose from them all as they shouted for about two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
35 Now after calming the crowd, the city clerk *said, “Men of Ephesus, what man is there after all who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of theimagewhich fell down from heaven?
36 So, since these are undeniable facts, you ought to keep calm and to do nothing rash.
37 For you have brought these menherewho are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess.
38 So then, if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are in session and 19:38Or provincial governors proconsuls areavailable; let them bring charges against one another.
39 But if you want anything beyond this, it shall be settled in the 19:39Or regular lawful meeting.
40 For indeed we are in danger of being accused of a riot in connection with today’s events, since there is no cause for which we can give as an account for this disorderly gathering.”