Acts 19

1While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the inland roads and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples

2And asked them: Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? They answered: No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.

3So Paul asked: Then what baptism did you receive? They replied: John's baptism.

4Paul said: John's baptism was a baptism for turning from sin. He told the people to believe in the One coming after him — that is, in Jesus.

5When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

6When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them. They spoke in other languages and prophesied.

7There were about twelve men in all.

8Paul went into the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months. He argued persuasively about the kingdom of God.

9But some of them became stubborn and refused to believe. They spoke evil about the Way in front of everyone. So Paul left them and took the disciples with him. He had discussions every day in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.

10This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.

11God did extraordinary miracles through Paul,

12Even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched Paul were taken to sick people. Their illnesses were healed, and evil spirits left them.

13Some Jews who traveled around driving out evil spirits tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus over people who had demons. They would say: In the name of Jesus, the One Paul preaches about, I command you to come out.

14Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.

15One day the evil spirit answered them: Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?

16Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.

17When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all filled with fear. The name of the Lord Jesus was greatly honored.

18Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done.

19A number of people who had practiced magic brought their scrolls together and burned them in front of everyone. When they added up the value of the scrolls, it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver.

20In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.

21After all this had happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem by way of Macedonia and Achaia. He said: I must visit Rome too.

22He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed in the province of Asia a little longer.

23About that time, a great disturbance broke out about the Way.

24A silversmith named Demetrius made silver shrines of Artemis. He brought in a lot of business for the craftsmen there.

25He called them together, along with the workers in related trades, and said: You know, my friends, that we receive a good income from this business.

26You have seen and heard how this man Paul has convinced and misled large numbers of people here in Ephesus, and almost everywhere in the province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands are not real gods at all.

27There is danger that our trade will lose its good name. There is also danger that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will lose its honor. Artemis herself is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, and she could lose her greatness.

28When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!

29Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's traveling companions from Macedonia, and all rushed into the theater together.

30Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him.

31Even some of the officials of the province, who were friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to go into the theater.

32The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there.

33The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander to the front, and they shouted instructions to him. He motioned for silence so he could explain things to the people.

34But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted together for about two hours: Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!

35The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: Fellow Ephesians, does not everyone in the world know that the city of Ephesus guards the temple of the great Artemis, and her image that fell from heaven?

36So since these facts cannot be denied, you should calm down and not do anything foolish.

37You have brought these men here, even though they have not robbed temples or spoken evil against our goddess.

38So if Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open, and there are governors. They can bring charges there.

39If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly.

40As it is, we are in danger of being accused of starting a riot because of what happened today. We would not be able to explain this commotion, since there is no good reason for it.

41After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.