19:1 While¹ Apollos was in Corinth, Paul went through the inland² regions³ and came to Ephesus. He⁴ found some disciples there⁵ 19:2 and said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”⁶ They replied,⁷ “No, we have not even⁸ heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 19:3 So Paul⁹ said, “Into what then were you baptized?” “Into John’s baptism,” they replied.¹⁰ 19:4 Paul said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him,¹¹ that is, in Jesus.” 19:5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, 19:6 and when Paul placed¹² his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came¹³ on them, and they began to speak¹⁴ in tongues and to prophesy.¹⁵ 19:7 (Now there were about twelve men in all.)¹⁶

19:8 So Paul¹⁷ entered¹⁸ the synagogue and spoke out fearlessly¹⁹ for three months, addressing²⁰ and convincing²¹ them about the kingdom of God.²² 19:9 But when²³ some were stubborn²⁴ and refused to believe, reviling²⁵ the Way²⁶ before the congregation, he left²⁷ them and took the disciples with him,²⁸ addressing²⁹ them every day³⁰ in the lecture hall³¹ of Tyrannus. 19:10 This went on for two years, so that all who lived in Asia,³² both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord.

19:11 God was performing extraordinary³³ miracles by Paul’s hands, 19:12 so that when even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his body³⁴ were brought³⁵ to the sick, their diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.³⁶ 19:13 But some itinerant³⁷ Jewish exorcists tried to invoke the name³⁸ of the Lord Jesus over those who were possessed by³⁹ evil spirits, saying, “I sternly warn⁴⁰ you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.” 19:14 (Now seven sons of a man named⁴¹ Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were doing this.)⁴² 19:15 But the evil spirit replied to them,⁴³ “I know about Jesus⁴⁴ and I am acquainted with⁴⁵ Paul, but who are you?”⁴⁶ 19:16 Then the man who was possessed by⁴⁷ the evil spirit jumped on⁴⁸ them and beat them all into submission.⁴⁹ He prevailed⁵⁰ against them so that they fled from that house naked and wounded. 19:17 This became known to all who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks; fear came on⁵¹ them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was praised.⁵² 19:18 Many of those who had believed came forward,⁵³ confessing and making their deeds known.⁵⁴ 19:19 Large numbers⁵⁵ of those who had practiced magic⁵⁶ collected their books⁵⁷ and burned them up in the presence of everyone.⁵⁸ When⁵⁹ the value of the books was added up, it was found to total fifty thousand silver coins.⁶⁰ 19:20 In this way the word of the Lord continued to grow in power⁶¹ and to prevail.⁶²

19:21 Now after all these things had taken place,⁶³ Paul resolved⁶⁴ to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia⁶⁵ and Achaia.⁶⁶ He said,⁶⁷ “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”⁶⁸ 19:22 So after sending⁶⁹ two of his assistants,⁷⁰ Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia,⁷¹ he himself stayed on for a while in Asia.⁷²

19:23 At⁷³ that time⁷⁴ a great disturbance⁷⁵ took place concerning the Way.⁷⁶ 19:24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines⁷⁷ of Artemis,⁷⁸ brought a great deal⁷⁹ of business⁸⁰ to the craftsmen. 19:25 He gathered⁸¹ these⁸² together, along with the workmen in similar trades,⁸³ and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity⁸⁴ comes from this business. 19:26 And you see and hear that this Paul has persuaded⁸⁵ and turned away⁸⁶ a large crowd,⁸⁷ not only in Ephesus but in practically all of Asia,⁸⁸ by saying⁸⁹ that gods made by hands are not gods at all.⁹⁰ 19:27 There is danger not only that this business of ours will come into disrepute,⁹¹ but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis⁹² will be regarded as nothing,⁹³ and she whom all Asia⁹⁴ and the world worship will suffer the loss of her greatness.”⁹⁵

19:28 When⁹⁶ they heard⁹⁷ this they became enraged⁹⁸ and began to shout,⁹⁹ “Great is Artemis¹⁰⁰ of the Ephesians!” 19:29 The¹⁰¹ city was filled with the uproar,¹⁰² and the crowd¹⁰³ rushed to the theater¹⁰⁴ together,¹⁰⁵ dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, the Macedonians who were Paul’s traveling companions. 19:30 But when Paul wanted to enter the public assembly,¹⁰⁶ the disciples would not let him. 19:31 Even some of the provincial authorities¹⁰⁷ who were his friends sent¹⁰⁸ a message¹⁰⁹ to him, urging him not to venture¹¹⁰ into the theater. 19:32 So then some were shouting one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had met together.¹¹¹ 19:33 Some of the crowd concluded¹¹² it was about¹¹³ Alexander, because the Jews had pushed him to the front.¹¹⁴ Alexander, gesturing¹¹⁵ with his hand, was wanting to make a defense¹¹⁶ before the public assembly.¹¹⁷ 19:34 But when they recognized¹¹⁸ that he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison,¹¹⁹ “Great is Artemis¹²⁰ of the Ephesians!” for about two hours.¹²¹ 19:35 After the city secretary¹²² quieted the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, what person¹²³ is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the keeper¹²⁴ of the temple of the great Artemis¹²⁵ and of her image that fell from heaven?¹²⁶ 19:36 So because these facts¹²⁷ are indisputable,¹²⁸ you must keep quiet¹²⁹ and not do anything reckless.¹³⁰ 19:37 For you have brought these men here who are neither temple robbers¹³¹ nor blasphemers of our goddess.¹³² 19:38 If then Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint¹³³ against someone, the courts are open¹³⁴ and there are proconsuls; let them bring charges against one another there.¹³⁵ 19:39 But if you want anything in addition,¹³⁶ it will have to be settled¹³⁷ in a legal assembly.¹³⁸ 19:40 For¹³⁹ we are in danger of being charged with rioting¹⁴⁰ today, since there is no cause we can give to explain¹⁴¹ this disorderly gathering.”¹⁴² 19:41 After¹⁴³ he had said¹⁴⁴ this,¹⁴⁵ he dismissed the assembly.¹⁴⁶