^{1 Ref} And it came about that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having gone through the higher country, came to Ephesus, where there were certain disciples:

^{2 Ref} And he said to them, Did you get the Holy Spirit when you had faith? And they said to him, No, we have had no knowledge of the Holy Spirit.

^{3 Ref} And he said, What sort of baptism did you have? And they said, The baptism of John.

^{4 Ref} And Paul said, John gave a baptism which goes with a change of heart, saying to the people that they were to have faith in him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.

^{5 Ref} And hearing this, they had baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus.

^{6 Ref} And when Paul had put his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they had the power of talking in tongues, and acting like prophets.

⁷ And there were about twelve of these men.

^{8 Ref} And he went into the Synagogue, and for three months he was preaching there without fear, reasoning and teaching about the kingdom of God.

^{9 Ref} But because some of the people were hard-hearted and would not give hearing, saying evil words about the Way before the people, he went away from them, and kept the disciples separate, reasoning every day in the school of Tyrannus.

^{10 Ref} And this went on for two years, so that all those who were living in Asia had knowledge of the word of the Lord, Greeks as well as Jews.

^{11 Ref} And God did special works of power by the hands of Paul:

^{12 Ref} So that bits of linen and clothing from his body were taken to people who were ill, and their diseases went away from them and the evil spirits went out.

^{13 Ref} But some of the Jews who went from place to place driving out evil spirits, took it on themselves to make use of the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, I give you orders, by Jesus, whom Paul is preaching.

¹⁴ And there were seven sons of a man named Sceva, a Jew and a chief priest, who did this.

^{15 Ref} And the evil spirit, answering, said to them, I have knowledge of Jesus, and of Paul, but who are you?

^{16 Ref} And the man in whom the evil spirit was, jumping on them, was stronger than the two of them, and overcame them, so that they went running from that house, wounded and without their clothing.

^{17 Ref} And this came to the ears of all those, Jews and Greeks, who were living at Ephesus; and fear came on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was made great.

^{18 Ref} And a number of those who had faith came and made a public statement of their sins and all their acts.

^{19 Ref} And a great number of those who were experts in strange arts took their books and put them on the fire in front of everyone: and when the books were valued they came to fifty thousand bits of silver.

^{20 Ref} So the word of the Lord was increased very greatly and was full of power.

^{21 Ref} Now after these things were ended, Paul came to a decision that when he had gone through Macedonia and Achaia he would go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I have a desire to see Rome.

^{22 Ref} And having sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, into Macedonia, he himself went on living in Asia for a time.

^{23 Ref} And about that time a great outcry took place about the Way.

^{24 Ref} For there was a certain man named Demetrius, a silver-worker, who made silver boxes for the images of Diana, and gave no small profit to the workmen;

^{25 Ref} Whom he got together, with other workmen of the same trade, and said to them, Men, it is clear that from this business we get our wealth.

^{26 Ref} And you see, for it has come to your ears, that not only at Ephesus, but almost all through Asia, this Paul has been teaching numbers of people and turning them away, saying that those are not gods who are made by men's hands:

^{27 Ref} And there is danger, not only that our trade may be damaged in the opinion of men, but that the holy place of the great goddess Diana may be no longer honoured, and that she to whom all Asia and the world give worship, will be put down from her high position.

^{28 Ref} And hearing this, they were very angry, crying out and saying, Great is Diana of Ephesus.

^{29 Ref} And the town was full of noise and trouble, and they all came running into the theatre, having taken by force Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia who were journeying in company with Paul.

^{30 Ref} And when Paul was about to go in to the people, the disciples did not let him.

^{31 Ref} And some of the rulers of Asia, being his friends, sent to him, requesting him seriously not to put himself in danger by going into the theatre.

^{32 Ref} And some said one thing, and some another: for there was no order in the meeting; and most of them had no idea why they had come together.

^{33 Ref} Then they took Alexander out from among the people, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander, making a sign with his hand, was about to make a statement to the people in answer:

^{34 Ref} But when they saw that he was a Jew, all of them with one voice went on crying out for about two hours, Great is Diana of Ephesus.

^{35 Ref} And when the chief secretary had got the people quiet, he said, Men of Ephesus, is any man without knowledge that the town of Ephesus is the keeper of the holy place of the great Diana, who was sent down from Jupiter?

^{36 Ref} So then, because these things may not be doubted, it would be better for you to be quiet, and do nothing unwise.

^{37 Ref} For you have taken these men, who are not doing damage to the holy place or talking against our goddess.

^{38 Ref} If, then, Demetrius and the workmen who are with him have a protest to make against any man, the law is open to them, and there are judges; let them put up a cause at law against one another.

³⁹ But if any other business is in question, let it be taken up in the regular meeting.

^{40 Ref} For, truly, we are in danger of being made responsible for this day's trouble, there being no cause for it: and we are not able to give any reason for this coming together. And when he had said this, he sent the meeting away.

^{41 Ref} []

^{1 Ref} It happened that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having passed through the upper country, came to Ephesus, and found certain disciples.

^{2 Ref} 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."

^{3 Ref} He said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They said, "Into John's baptism."

^{4 Ref} 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 Jesus."

^{5 Ref} When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

^{6 Ref} When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke with other languages and prophesied.

⁷ They were about twelve men in all.

^{8 Ref} He entered into the synagogue, and spoke boldly for a period of three months, reasoning and persuading about the things concerning the Kingdom of God.

^{9 Ref} 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.

^{10 Ref} This continued for two years, so that all those who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.

^{11 Ref} God worked special miracles by the hands of Paul,

^{12 Ref} so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were carried away from his body to the sick, and the evil spirits went out.

^{13 Ref} But some of the itinerant Jews, exorcists, took on themselves to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, "We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches."

¹⁴ There were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did this.

^{15 Ref} The evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?"

^{16 Ref} The man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

^{17 Ref} 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.

^{18 Ref} Many also of those who had believed came, confessing, and declaring their deeds.

^{19 Ref} Many of those who practiced magical arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. They counted the price of them, and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver.{The 50,000 pieces of silver here probably referred to 50,000 drachmas. If so, the value of the burned books was equivalent to about 160 man-years of wages for agricultural laborers}

^{20 Ref} So the word of the Lord was growing and becoming mighty.

^{21 Ref} 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."

^{22 Ref} Having sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.

^{23 Ref} About that time there arose no small stir concerning the Way.

^{24 Ref} For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen,

^{25 Ref} whom he gathered together, with the workmen of like occupation, and said, "Sirs, you know that by this business we have our wealth.

^{26 Ref} 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.

^{27 Ref} 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."

^{28 Ref} When they heard this they were filled with anger, and cried out, saying, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"

^{29 Ref} 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.

^{30 Ref} When Paul wanted to enter in to the people, the disciples didn't allow him.

^{31 Ref} Certain also of the Asiarchs, being his friends, sent to him and begged him not to venture into the theater.

^{32 Ref} 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.

^{33 Ref} 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.

^{34 Ref} 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!"

^{35 Ref} 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?

^{36 Ref} Seeing then that these things can't be denied, you ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rash.

^{37 Ref} For you have brought these men here, who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of your goddess.

^{38 Ref} 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.

³⁹ But if you seek anything about other matters, it will be settled in the regular assembly.

^{40 Ref} For indeed we are in danger of being accused concerning this day's riot, there being no cause. Concerning it, we wouldn't be able to give an account of this commotion."

^{41 Ref} When he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.