1Now it happened that while Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples.

2He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “On the contrary, we have not even heard if there is a Holy Spirit.”

3And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism.”

4Paul said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”

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

6And when Paul had laid hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying.

7There were about twelve men in all.

8And he entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, having discussions and persuading them about the kingdom of God.

9But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of See John 14:6the Way before the Lit multitudepeople, he withdrew from them and took the disciples away with him, and had discussions daily in the school of Tyrannus.

10This took place for two years, so that all who lived in I.e., west coast province of Asia MinorAsia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

11God was performing extraordinary Or works of powermiracles by the hands of Paul,

12so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out.

13But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to I.e., as an incantationuse the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had the evil spirits, saying, “I order you in the name of Jesus whom Paul preaches!”

14Now there were seven sons of Lit some ScevaSceva, a Jewish chief priest, doing this.

15But the evil spirit responded and said to them, “I recognize Jesus, and I know of Paul, but who are you?”

16And the man in whom was the evil spirit, pounced on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

17This became known to all who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks; and fear fell upon them all and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified.

18Also many of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices.

19And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of everyone; and they added up the prices of Lit themthe books and found it to be fifty thousand Prob. Greek drachmas; a drachma was a day’s wages for a laborerpieces of silver.

20So Or according to the power of the Lord the word was growingthe word of the Lord was growing and prevailing mightily.

21Now after these things were finished, Paul resolved in Or his spiritthe Spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”

22And after he sent into Macedonia two of those who assisted him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in I.e., west coast province of Asia MinorAsia for a while.

23About that time Lit no smalla major disturbance occurred in regard to See John 14:6the Way.

24For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Lat DianaArtemis, was bringing Lit no littleconsiderable Or profitbusiness to the craftsmen;

25he gathered these men together with the workmen of similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity Lit is fromdepends upon this business.

26You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of See note v 22Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people, saying that Lit thosegods made by hands are not gods at all.

27Not only is there danger that this trade of ours will fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Lat DianaArtemis will be regarded as worthless, and that she whom all of See note v 22Asia and the Lit the inhabited earthworld worship will even be dethroned from her magnificence.”

28When they heard this and were filled with rage, they began shouting, saying, “Great is Lat DianaArtemis of the Ephesians!”

29The city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed together into the theater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s Macedonian traveling companions.

30And when Paul wanted to go into the assembly, the disciples would not let him.

31Also some of the I.e., political or religious officials of the province of AsiaAsiarchs who were friends of his sent word to him and repeatedly urged him not to Lit give himselfventure into the theater.

32So then, some were shouting one thing and some another, for the Gr ekklesiaassembly was in confusion and the majority did not know Or on whose accountfor what reason they had come together.

33Some of the crowd Or advised Alexanderconcluded it was Alexander, since the Jews had put him forward; and having motioned with his hand, Alexander was intending to make a defense to the assembly.

34But when they recognized that he was a Jew, a single outcry arose from them all as they shouted for about two hours, “Great is Lat DianaArtemis of the Ephesians!”

35After quieting the crowd, the town clerk *said, “Men of Ephesus, what person is there after all who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is guardian of the temple of the great Lat DianaArtemis and of the image which fell down from Lit Zeus; Lat Jupiterthe sky?

36So, since these are undeniable facts, you ought to keep calm and to do nothing rash.

37For you have brought these men here who are neither temple robbers nor blasphemers of our goddess.

38So then, if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are in session and Or provincial governorsproconsuls are available; have them bring charges against one another.

39But if you want anything beyond this, it shall be settled in the Or regularlawful Gr ekklesiaassembly.

40For indeed, we are in danger of being accused of a riot in connection with today’s events, since there is no real reason for it, and in this connection we will be unable to account for this disorderly gathering.”

41After saying this he dismissed the Gr ekklesiaassembly.