Acts 19
1 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul [left the places in Phrygia and Galatia] provinces where he had been visiting, and traveled through [Asia province] back to Ephesus. He met some people [who said that they] were believers.
And it came to pass while Apollos was at Corinth, for Paul, having passed through the upper regions, to come to Ephesus. And having found some disciples,
2 He asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed [God’s message]?” They answered, “No, we [(exc) did not]. We have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
he said to them, Did ye receive the Holy Spirit when ye believed? And they said to him, But we have not even heard if there is a Holy Spirit.
3 So Paul asked, “So when you were baptized, what [were you showing]?” They replied, “[We were showing] that we [(exc)] believed what John [the Baptizer] taught.”
And he said to them, Into what then were ye immersed? And they said, Into John's immersion.
4 Paul said, “John baptized people who turned away from their sinful behavior. He [also] told the people to believe in the one who would come after he [had come], and that was Jesus.”
And Paul said, John indeed immersed an immersion of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe in him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus, the Christ.
5 So, when those men heard that, they were baptized [to affirm that they believed] [MTY] in the Lord Jesus.
And when they heard this, they were immersed in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 After that, Paul placed his hands on their heads [one by one], and the [power of the] Holy Spirit came upon [each of] them. The [Holy Spirit] enabled them to speak in various languages [MTY] [that they had not learned], and they also spoke messages [that the Holy Spirit] revealed to them.
And Paul having laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues, and prophesied.
7 There were about twelve men [whom Paul baptized and who received the power of the Holy Spirit].
And all the men were about twelve.
8 For three months after that, Paul entered the Jewish meeting place [in Ephesus on each] Sabbath/Jewish day of rest, and he spoke boldly. He convincingly taught [the people] about how God wanted to rule [MET] [their lives].
And after entering into the synagogue, he spoke boldly for three months, discoursing and persuading the things about the kingdom of God.
9 [A few of the people in the meeting house believed the message about Jesus]. But some of the people would not believe that message and did not want to [continue to] hear it. While many people were listening, they said many bad things about the way [for people to receive eternal life about which Paul was preaching]. So Paul left them and took the believers with him [to meet in another place]. He taught every day in a lecture hall [that a man whose name was] Tyrannus [lectured in/owned].
But when some were hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude, having withdrawn from them, he separated the disciples, discoursing daily in the school of a certain Tyrannus.
10 For two years Paul continued to teach people in that building. In this way, most of [HYP] the Jews and non-Jews who lived in Asia [province] heard the message about the Lord [Jesus].
And this happened for two years, so as for all those dwelling in Asia to hear the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.
11 Also, God gave Paul the power [MTY] to do amazing miracles.
And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul,
12 [If those who were sick could not come to Paul, handkerchiefs or aprons that Paul had touched would be taken and] placed on the sick people {[others] would take [and place on] the sick people handkerchiefs or aprons that Paul had touched}. As a result, those sick people would become well, and evil spirits that troubled people would leave.
so as to even bring handkerchiefs or aprons from his skin to those who were incapacitated and to free their infirmities from them, and the evil spirits to go out from them.
13 There were also some Jews who traveled around [to] various places, [and] they commanded the evil spirits in those places to depart [from people. Certain ones of those Jews once] tried to command the evil spirits to come out of people by saying “I command you by the authority [MTY] of the Lord Jesus, the man about whom Paul preaches, to come out!”
But some of the wandering Jewish exorcists, attempted to name the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had the evil spirits, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul proclaims.
14 There were seven men who were doing that. They were sons of a man named Sceva, a Jew, [who called himself] a chief priest.
And there were some sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, seven doing this.
15 But [one day as they were doing that], the evil spirit [refused to come out of that person. Instead, he] said to them, “I know Jesus, and I know [that he has authorized] Paul [to expel demons]. (But no one has authorized you [to do anything to me!]/who authorized you [to do anything to me]?) [RHQ]”
And having answered, the evil spirit said, I know Jesus and I recognize Paul, but who are ye?
16 [After saying that, suddenly] the man who was controlled by the evil spirit jumped on the seven Jewish men, [one after another], knocked all of them down, and beat each of them severely. He tore off their clothes and wounded them, causing them to bleed. So, [greatly frightened, they all] ran out of the house.
And the man in whom was the evil spirit, leaping on them, and having overpowered them, he prevailed against them, so as for them to flee out of that house naked and wounded.
17 All the people who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and non-Jews, heard what had happened. So they were afraid [MTY]. They honored the Lord Jesus [MTY] [because they realized that he was very powerful].
And this became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, to those who dwell at Ephesus. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
18 [At that time], while other believers were listening, many believers confessed the evil things that they had been doing.
And many of those who have believed came, confessing, and reporting their practices.
19 Several of those who had [previously] practiced sorcery gathered up their scrolls [that told how to work] magic and burned them in a public place. When people added up how much those scrolls had cost, they realized that altogether the amount was 50,000 valuable silver coins.
And a considerable number of those who practiced magical things, having brought their books together, burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.
20 As a result, many more people heard [MTY] the message about the Lord [Jesus], and the message powerfully [changed their lives].
Thus the word of the Lord was growing mightily and was prevailing.
21 After those things had happened, Paul decided that he wanted to go to Jerusalem, but he decided that [first] he would visit [the believers in] Macedonia and Achaia [provinces again]. Paul said, “After I have been to Jerusalem, I must also go to Rome.”
Now when these things were fulfilled, Paul decided in the spirit, after passing through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, having said, After becoming there, I must also see Rome.
22 He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, ahead to Macedonia. But Paul stayed a little longer [in Ephesus city], in Asia [province].
And having sent into Macedonia two of those who help him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.
23 [Soon after that], some of the people there tried to make a lot of [LIT] trouble for the people who believed the way [God revealed for us(inc) to receive eternal life].
And about that time there developed no small stir about the Way.
24 There was a man there whose name was Demetrius who made little images out of silver. [They were models] of the temple of [a goddess whose name was] Artemis. Demetrius and the other men [who made those little images] earned a lot of [LIT] money [from selling those images].
For a certain silversmith named Demetrius who makes silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little work to the craftsmen,
25 Demetrius called a meeting of his workmen and also of others who made the little silver images. He said to them, “Men, you know that we [(inc)] earn a lot of money doing our kind of work.
to whom also (having assembled the workmen about such things) he said, Men, ye know that our prosperity is from this work.
26 Also, you know that [this fellow] Paul has persuaded many people who live in Ephesus [to no longer buy the images that we make. Now even the people from] many other towns in our province [no longer want to buy what we make]. This fellow tells people that the gods that we have made [and worship] are not gods [and that we should not worship them].
And ye see and hear, that not only at Ephesus, but almost in all Asia, this man Paul, having persuaded them, turned away a considerable multitude, saying that there are no gods made by hands.
27 [If people continue to listen to him], soon they will ruin our business. Besides, they will no longer think that they should [come to] the temple of Artemis [to worship her. People] all over our Asia [province] and everywhere [HYP] else worship [our great] goddess [Artemis. Soon people] may no longer consider that Artemis is great!”
And not only is this our part liable to come into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Artemis is going to be regarded for nothing, and also her magnificence be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship.
28 All the men there were very angry [at Paul] when they heard what Demetrius said. They began to shout, “The goddess Artemis of us Ephesians is very great!”
And when they heard this, having become full of wrath, they cried out, saying, The great Artemis of Ephesians.
29 Many of the other people in the city heard the shouting and went [and joined the crowd. They also became angry at Paul] and began shouting. [Several of] the people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, two men [from Macedonia] who had been traveling with Paul. [Then the whole crowd of people ran, dragging those men along with them], to the city stadium.
And the whole city was filled with the confusion. And they rushed with one accord into the theatre, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, traveling companions of Paul.
30 Paul also wanted to go [to the stadium and speak to] the people, but the other believers would not let him go there.
And when Paul wanted to enter in to the crowd, the disciples did not let him.
31 Also, some government officials of that province who were friends of Paul [heard what was happening]. So they sent someone to tell him [urgently] not to go into the stadium.
And also some of the Asian officers, being their friends, having sent to him, implored him not to give himself into the theatre.
32 The crowd of people [in the stadium] continued shouting. Some shouted one thing, and some shouted something else. But most of them did not even know what the meeting was about!
Indeed therefore some cried out one thing, some another, for the assembly was confused, and most had not seen why they had come together.
33 One of the [Jews there was named Alexander. Some of] the Jews pushed him to the front of the stadium, [so that he could speak to the crowd of people]. So Alexander motioned with his hands to the crowd, [wanting them to be quiet]. He wanted to tell them that [the Jews] were not responsible [for the riot].
And they urged forward Alexander out of the multitude, having put him forward from the Jews. And Alexander having waved his hand, wanted to make a defense to the crowd.
34 But [many of the non-Jewish people] knew that Alexander was a Jew. [They also knew that the Jews did not worship the goddess Artemis. So the non-Jews there] unitedly [and] repeatedly shouted for about two hours, “Great is [the goddess] Artemis [whom we(inc)] Ephesians [worship]!”
But after recognizing that he was a Jew, one voice developed from them all, crying out for about two hours, The great Artemis of Ephesians.
35 Then the city secretary made the crowd stop shouting, and he said to them, “My fellow-citizens, everyone in the world knows [RHQ] that [we(inc) people who live in] Ephesus [city] guard the temple [where we worship] the great [goddess] Artemis. Also, [everyone knows that we(inc) watch over] the [sacred] image [of our goddess] that fell down from heaven!
And when the town clerk calmed the multitude, he says, Ephesian men, now who is the man who does not know the city of the Ephesians being temple-guardian of the great goddess Artemis, and of what fell from Zeus?
36 Of course everyone knows that, and no one can say that these things are not true. So you should be quiet now. Do not suddenly do anything (foolish/that will cause us trouble).
Therefore these things being undeniable, ye ought to be restrained, and do nothing rash.
37 You [should not] have brought these [two] men [here, because they have not done anything evil]. They have not gone into our temples and taken things [from there]. And they have not spoken evil of our goddess.
For ye brought these men, who are neither sacrilegious nor blaspheming your goddess.
38 Therefore, if Demetrius and his fellow-workmen want to accuse anyone [about anything bad, they should do it in the right way]. There are courts [that you can go to when you want to accuse someone], and there are judges [there who have been appointed by the government] {[whom the government has appointed]}. You can accuse [anyone there].
Indeed therefore if Demetrius, and the craftsmen with him, have a matter against any man, forums are brought, and there are proconsuls. Let them accuse each other.
39 But if you want to ask about something else, [you should ask] for [other officials to] resolve it when [those] officials legally assemble.
And if ye seek anything about other things, it will be decided in the assembly within law.
40 [And this is certainly not a legal meeting! Resolve this legally] because, if [we(inc) do] not, I am afraid [that the governor] will hear about all this noise [that you have made] and will say that we [(inc)] were trying to rebel [against the government]. If he would ask me what you were all shouting about, I would not be able to give him an answer.”
For we are also in danger to be accused about the uproar today, there being no cause about which we can give account of this commotion.
41 That is what the city secretary said [to the crowd]. Then he told them all to go [home. So they left].
And having said these things, he dismissed the assembly.
