| NET Bible | New International Version |
| 1While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul went through the inland regions and came to Ephesus. He found some disciples there | 1While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples |
| 2and said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They replied, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." | 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 said, "Into what then were you baptized?" "Into John's baptism," they replied. | 3So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?" "John's baptism," they replied. |
| 4Paul said, "John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus." | 4Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. 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, | 5On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. |
| 6and when Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy. | 6When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. |
| 7(Now there were about twelve men in all.) | 7There were about twelve men in all. |
| 8So Paul entered the synagogue and spoke out fearlessly for three months, addressing and convincing them about the kingdom of God. | 8Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. |
| 9But when some were stubborn and refused to believe, reviling the Way before the congregation, he left them and took the disciples with him, addressing them every day in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. | 9But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. |
| 10This went on for two years, so that all who lived in the province of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord. | 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 was performing extraordinary miracles by Paul's hands, | 11God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, |
| 12so that when even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his body were brought to the sick, their diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. | 12so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them. |
| 13But some itinerant Jewish exorcists tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were possessed by evil spirits, saying, "I sternly warn you by Jesus whom Paul preaches." | 13Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." |
| 14(Now seven sons of a man named Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were doing this.) | 14Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. |
| 15But the evil spirit replied to them, "I know about Jesus and I am acquainted with Paul, but who are you?" | 15One day the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?" |
| 16Then the man who was possessed by the evil spirit jumped on them and beat them all into submission. He prevailed against them so that they fled from that house naked and wounded. | 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. |
| 17This became known to all who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks; fear came over them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was praised. | 17When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. |
| 18Many of those who had believed came forward, confessing and making their deeds known. | 18Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done. |
| 19Large numbers of those who had practiced magic collected their books and burned them up in the presence of everyone. When the value of the books was added up, it was found to total fifty thousand silver coins. | 19A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. |
| 20In this way the word of the Lord continued to grow in power and to prevail. | 20In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power. |
| 21Now after all these things had taken place, Paul resolved to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. He said, "After I have been there, I must also see Rome." | 21After all this had happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. "After I have been there," he said, "I must visit Rome also." |
| 22So after sending two of his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, he himself stayed on for a while in the province of Asia. | 22He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed in the province of Asia a little longer. |
| 23At that time a great disturbance took place concerning the Way. | 23About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. |
| 24For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought a great deal of business to the craftsmen. | 24A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in a lot of business for the craftsmen there. |
| 25He gathered these together, along with the workmen in similar trades, and said, "Men, you know that our prosperity comes from this business. | 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. |
| 26And you see and hear that this Paul has persuaded and turned away a large crowd, not only in Ephesus but in practically all of the province of Asia, by saying that gods made by hands are not gods at all. | 26And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all. |
| 27There is danger not only that this business of ours will come into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be regarded as nothing, and she whom all the province of Asia and the world worship will suffer the loss of her greatness." | 27There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited; and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty." |
| 28When they heard this they became enraged and began to shout, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" | 28When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" |
| 29The city was filled with the uproar, and the crowd rushed to the theater together, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, the Macedonians who were Paul's traveling companions. | 29Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's traveling companions from Macedonia, and all of them rushed into the theater together. |
| 30But when Paul wanted to enter the public assembly, the disciples would not let him. | 30Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him. |
| 31Even some of the provincial authorities who were his friends sent a message to him, urging him not to venture into the theater. | 31Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater. |
| 32So 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. | 32The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there. |
| 33Some of the crowd concluded it was about Alexander because the Jews had pushed him to the front. Alexander, gesturing with his hand, was wanting to make a defense before the public assembly. | 33The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander to the front, and they shouted instructions to him. He motioned for silence in order to make a defense before the people. |
| 34But when they recognized that he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" for about two hours. | 34But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" |
| 35After the city secretary quieted the crowd, he said, "Men of Ephesus, what person is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the keeper of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image that fell from heaven? | 35The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: "Fellow Ephesians, doesn't all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven? |
| 36So because these facts are indisputable, you must keep quiet and not do anything reckless. | 36Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to calm down and not do anything rash. |
| 37For you have brought these men here who are neither temple robbers nor blasphemers of our goddess. | 37You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess. |
| 38If then Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint against someone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls; let them bring charges against one another there. | 38If, then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They can press charges. |
| 39But if you want anything in addition, it will have to be settled in a legal assembly. | 39If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly. |
| 40For we are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since there is no cause we can give to explain this disorderly gathering." | 40As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of what happened today. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it." |
| 41After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly. | 41After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly. |
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