| Berean Study Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the interior and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples | 1While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions and came to Ephesus. He found some disciples |
| 2and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” “No,” they answered, “we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” | 2and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?"" No," they told him, "we haven't even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."" |
| 3“Into what, then, were you baptized?” Paul asked. “The baptism of John,” they replied. | 3Then what baptism were you baptized with?" he asked them." With John's baptism," they replied. |
| 4Paul explained: “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the One coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” | 4Paul said, "John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people that they should believe in the One who would come after him, that is, in Jesus." |
| 5On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. | 5When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. |
| 6And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. | 6And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak in other languages and to prophesy. |
| 7There were about twelve men in all. | 7Now there were about 12 men in all. |
| 8Then Paul went into the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. | 8Then he entered the synagogue and spoke boldly over a period of three months, engaging in discussion and trying to persuade them about the things of the kingdom of God. |
| 9But when some of them stubbornly refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way, Paul took his disciples and left the synagogue to conduct daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. | 9But when some became hardened and would not believe, slandering the Way in front of the crowd, he withdrew from them and met separately with the disciples, conducting discussions every day in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. |
| 10This continued for two years, so that everyone who lived in the province of Asia, Jews and Greeks alike, heard the word of the Lord. | 10And this went on for two years, so that all the inhabitants of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the message about the Lord. |
| 11God did extraordinary miracles through the hands of Paul, | 11God was performing extraordinary miracles by Paul's hands, |
| 12so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and the diseases and evil spirits left them. | 12so that even facecloths or work aprons that had touched his skin were brought to the sick, and the diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out of them. |
| 13Now there were some itinerant Jewish exorcists who tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those with evil spirits. They would say, “I bind you by Jesus, whom Paul proclaims.” | 13Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists attempted to pronounce the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "I command you by the Jesus that Paul preaches!" |
| 14Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. | 14Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. |
| 15Eventually, one of the evil spirits answered them, “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” | 15The evil spirit answered them, "I know Jesus, and I recognize Paul--but who are you?" |
| 16Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. The attack was so violent that they ran out of the house naked and wounded. | 16Then the man who had the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them all, and prevailed against them, so that they ran out of that house naked and wounded. |
| 17This became known to all the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, and fear came over all of them. So the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. | 17This became known to everyone who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. Then fear fell on all of them, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. |
| 18Many who had believed now came forward, confessing and disclosing their deeds. | 18And many who had become believers came confessing and disclosing their practices, |
| 19And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books and burned them in front of everyone. When the value of the books was calculated, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. | 19while many of those who had practiced magic collected their books and burned them in front of everyone. So they calculated their value and found it to be 50,000 pieces of silver. |
| 20So the word of the Lord powerfully continued to spread and prevail. | 20In this way the Lord's message flourished and prevailed. |
| 21After these things had happened, Paul resolved in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia. “After I have been there,” he said, “I must see Rome as well.” | 21When these events were over, Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem. "After I've been there," he said, "I must see Rome as well!" |
| 22He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed for a time in the province of Asia. | 22So after sending two of those who assisted him, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, he himself stayed in Asia for a while. |
| 23About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. | 23During that time there was a major disturbance about the Way. |
| 24It began with a silversmith named Demetrius who made silver shrines of Artemis, bringing much business to the craftsmen. | 24For a person named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis, provided a great deal of business for the craftsmen. |
| 25Demetrius assembled the craftsmen, along with the workmen in related trades. “Men,” he said, “you know that this business is our source of prosperity. | 25When he had assembled them, as well as the workers engaged in this type of business, he said: "Men, you know that our prosperity is derived from this business. |
| 26And you can see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in nearly the whole province of Asia, Paul has persuaded a great number of people to turn away. He says that man-made gods are no gods at all. | 26You both see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this man Paul has persuaded and misled a considerable number of people by saying that gods made by hand are not gods! |
| 27There is danger not only that our business will fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited and her majesty deposed—she who is worshiped by all the province of Asia and the whole world.” | 27So not only do we run a risk that our business may be discredited, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be despised and her magnificence come to the verge of ruin--the very one all of Asia and the world adore." |
| 28When the men heard this, they were enraged and began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” | 28When they had heard this, they were filled with rage and began to cry out, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" |
| 29Soon the whole city was in disarray. They rushed together into the theatre, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia. | 29So the city was filled with confusion, and they rushed all together into the amphitheater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul's traveling companions. |
| 30Paul wanted to go before the assembly, but the disciples would not allow him. | 30Though Paul wanted to go in before the people, the disciples did not let him. |
| 31Even some of Paul’s friends who were officials of the province of Asia sent word to him, begging him not to venture into the theatre. | 31Even some of the provincial officials of Asia, who were his friends, sent word to him, pleading with him not to take a chance by going into the amphitheater. |
| 32Meanwhile the assembly was in turmoil. Some were shouting one thing and some another, and most of them did not even know why they were there. | 32Meanwhile, some were shouting one thing and some another, because the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. |
| 33The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander forward to explain himself, and he motioned for silence so he could make his defense to the people. | 33Then some of the crowd gave Alexander advice when the Jews pushed him to the front. So motioning with his hand, Alexander wanted to make his defense to the people. |
| 34But when they realized that he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” | 34But when they recognized that he was a Jew, a united cry went up from all of them for about two hours: "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" |
| 35Finally the city clerk quieted the crowd and declared, “Men of Ephesus, doesn’t everyone know that the city of Ephesus is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven? | 35However, when the city clerk had calmed the crowd down, he said, "Men of Ephesus! What man is there who doesn't know that the city of the Ephesians is the temple guardian of the great Artemis, and of the image that fell from heaven? |
| 36Since these things are undeniable, you ought to be calm and not do anything rash. | 36Therefore, since these things are undeniable, you must keep calm and not do anything rash. |
| 37For you have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed our temple nor blasphemed our goddess. | 37For you have brought these men here who are not temple robbers or blasphemers of our goddess. |
| 38So if Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open and proconsuls are available. Let them bring charges against one another there. | 38So if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a case against anyone, the courts are in session, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. |
| 39But if you are seeking anything beyond this, it must be settled in a legal assembly. | 39But if you want something else, it must be decided in a legal assembly. |
| 40For we are in jeopardy of being charged with rioting for today’s events, and we have no justification to account for this commotion.” | 40In fact, we run a risk of being charged with rioting for what happened today, since there is no justification that we can give as a reason for this disorderly gathering." |
| 41After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly. | 41After saying this, he dismissed the assembly. |
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