Acts 19

1 Now it happened that while Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the upper regions and came to Ephesus and found some disciples. 2 And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you came to trust?” And they said to him, “No — we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” † 3 And he said, “Into what, then, were you immersed?” And they said, “Into John’s immersion.” 4 And Paul said, “John immersed with an immersion of a change of mind, telling the people to trust in the one coming after him — that is, in Jesus.” [a]

5 And when they heard this they were immersed into the name of the Lord Jesus; 6 and when Paul laid his hands on them the Holy Spirit came on them, and they were speaking in tongues and prophesying. 7 And the men were about twelve in all.

8 And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading about the kingdom of God. 9 But when some were hardened and would not be persuaded, speaking evil of the Way in front of the multitude, he withdrew from them and set the disciples apart, reasoning day by day in the school of Tyrannus. [b] 10 And this went on for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

11 And God was doing works of power through the hands of Paul that were not the ordinary kind, 12 so that even face cloths or aprons were carried from his skin to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out. [c] 13 But some also of the wandering Jewish exorcists undertook to name the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had the evil spirits, saying, “I put you on oath by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” [d] 14 And there were seven sons of a certain Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, doing this.

15 But the evil spirit answered and said to them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I am acquainted with; but you — who are you?” 16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them both, and prevailed against them, so that they ran out of that house naked and wounded. [e] 17 And this became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived in Ephesus, and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was made great.

18 And many of those who had come to trust were coming and acknowledging openly and reporting what they had been doing. [f] 19 And a good number of those who had practiced the meddling arts brought their books together and burned them in front of everyone; and they added up the prices of them and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver. [g] 20 So with power the word of the Lord was growing and prevailing.

21 Now when these things were completed, Paul purposed in the spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must see Rome also.” 22 And he sent into Macedonia two of those who served him, Timothy and Erastus, while he himself stayed on for a time in Asia.

23 And about that time there was no small disturbance about the Way. 24 For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver sanctuaries of Artemis, brought no small business to the craftsmen. [h] 25 He gathered them together, along with the workmen in trades like theirs, and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity comes from this business, 26 and you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable crowd, saying that gods made by hands are not gods. 27 And there is danger not only that this trade of ours will come into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be counted as nothing, and that she herself will be brought down from her magnificence — she whom all Asia and the inhabited world reverence.”

28 And when they heard this and became full of rage, they began shouting, saying, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29 And the city was filled with confusion, and with one mind they rushed into the theater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul’s companions on the road. 30 And when Paul wanted to go in to the assembly, the disciples would not let him; 31 and some of the Asiarchs also, who were his friends, sent to him and urged him not to venture into the theater. [i]

32 So some were shouting one thing and some another, for the gathering was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. [j] 33 And some of the crowd put Alexander forward, since the Jews pushed him ahead; and Alexander motioned with his hand and wanted to make a defense to the assembly. 34 But when they recognized that he was a Jew, one voice came from them all for about two hours as they shouted, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

35 And when the town clerk had quieted the crowd, he says, “Men of Ephesus, what person is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great Artemis and of what fell from Zeus? [k] 36 Since these things cannot be spoken against, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash. 37 For you have brought these men here, who are neither temple robbers nor blasphemers of our goddess.

38 “So if Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a case against anyone, court days are held and there are proconsuls; let them bring charges against one another. [l] 39 And if you are looking for anything further, it will be settled in the lawful gathering. 40 For we are in danger of being charged with rioting over today, since there is no cause we will be able to give in answer for this disorderly crowd.” And when he had said these things he dismissed the gathering. [m]