Acts 19
1 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having passed through the upper country, came to Ephesus and found certain disciples.
During the stay of Apollos in Corinth, Paul, after passing through the inland districts, came to Ephesus, where he found a few disciples.
2 He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They said to him, “No, we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
"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."
3 He said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.”
"Into what then were you baptized?" he asked. "Into John's baptism," they replied.
4 Paul said, “John indeed baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe in the one who would come after him, that is, in Christ Jesus.”
"John," he said, "administered a baptism of repentance, bidding the people believe on One who was to come after him; namely, on Jesus."
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus;
6 When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them and they spoke with other languages and prophesied.
and when Paul laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy.
7 They were about twelve men in all.
They numbered in all about twelve men.
8 He entered into the synagogue and spoke boldly for a period of three months, reasoning and persuading about the things concerning God’s Kingdom.
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.
9 But when some were hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them and separated the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.
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.
10 This continued for two years, so that all those who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.
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.
11 God worked special miracles by the hands of Paul,
God also brought about extraordinary miracles through Paul's instrumentality.
12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were carried away from his body to the sick, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out.
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.
13 But some of the itinerant Jews, exorcists, took on themselves to invoke over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, “We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.”
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."
14 There were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did this.
There were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew of high-priestly family, who were doing this.
15 The evil spirit answered, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?”
"Jesus I know," the evil spirit answered, "and Paul I have heard of, but who are you?"
16 The man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
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.
17 This became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived at Ephesus. Fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
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.
18 Many also of those who had believed came, confessing and declaring their deeds.
Many also of those who believed came confessing without reserve what their conduct had been,
19 Many of those who practiced magical arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. They counted their price, and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver.
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.
20 So the word of the Lord was growing and becoming mighty.
Thus mightily did the Lord's Message spread and triumph!
21 Now after these things had ended, Paul determined in the Spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”
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."
22 Having sent into Macedonia two of those who served him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.
But he sent two of his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he himself remained for a while in Roman Asia.
23 About that time there arose no small disturbance concerning the Way.
Now just at that time there arose no small commotion about the new faith.
24 For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen,
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.
25 whom he gathered together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, “Sirs, you know that by this business we have our wealth.
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;
26 You see and hear that not at Ephesus alone, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are no gods that are made with hands.
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.
27 Not only is there danger that this our trade come into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be counted as nothing and her majesty destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worships.”
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."
28 When they heard this they were filled with anger, and cried out, saying, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
After listening to this harangue, they became furiously angry and kept calling out, "Great is the Ephesian Diana!"
29 The whole city was filled with confusion, and they rushed with one accord into the theater, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul’s companions in travel.
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.
30 When Paul wanted to enter in to the people, the disciples didn’t allow him.
Then Paul would have liked to go in and address the people, but the disciples would not let him do so.
31 Certain also of the Asiarchs, being his friends, sent to him and begged him not to venture into the theater.
A few of the public officials, too, who were friendly to him, sent repeated messages entreating him not to venture into the Theatre.
32 Some therefore cried one thing, and some another, for the assembly was in confusion. Most of them didn’t know why they had come together.
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.
33 They brought Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. Alexander beckoned with his hand, and would have made a defense to the people.
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.
34 But when they perceived that he was a Jew, all with one voice for a time of about two hours cried out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
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.
35 When the town clerk had quieted the multitude, he said, “You men of Ephesus, what man is there who doesn’t know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great goddess Artemis, and of the image which fell down from Zeus?
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?
36 Seeing then that these things can’t be denied, you ought to be quiet and to do nothing rash.
These facts, then, being unquestioned, it becomes you to maintain your self-control and not act recklessly.
37 For you have brought these men here, who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of your goddess.
For you have brought these men here, who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess.
38 If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a matter against anyone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. Let them press charges against one another.
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.
39 But if you seek anything about other matters, it will be settled in the regular assembly.
But if you desire anything further, it will have to be settled in the regular assembly.
40 For indeed we are in danger of being accused concerning today’s riot, there being no cause. Concerning it, we wouldn’t be able to give an account of this commotion.”
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."
41 When he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.
With these words he dismissed the assembly.
