New Living Translation

English Standard Version

1While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions until he reached Ephesus, on the coast, where he found several believers.

1And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples.

2“Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” he asked them. “No,” they replied, “we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

2And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

3“Then what baptism did you experience?” he asked. And they replied, “The baptism of John.”

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

4Paul said, “John’s baptism called for repentance from sin. But John himself told the people to believe in the one who would come later, meaning Jesus.”

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

5As soon as 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.

6Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in other tongues and prophesied.

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

7There were about twelve men in all. Paul Ministers in Ephesus

7There were about twelve men in all.

8Then Paul went to the synagogue and preached boldly for the next three months, arguing persuasively about the Kingdom of God.

8And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God.

9But some became stubborn, rejecting his message and publicly speaking against the Way. So Paul left the synagogue and took the believers with him. Then he held daily discussions at the lecture hall of Tyrannus.

9But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus.

10This went on for the next two years, so that people throughout the province of Asia—both Jews and Greeks—heard the word of the Lord.

10This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

11God gave Paul the power to perform unusual miracles.

11And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul,

12When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled.

12so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.

13A group of Jews was traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their incantation, saying, “I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!”

13Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.”

14Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this.

14Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this.

15But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?”

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

16Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered.

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

17The story of what happened spread quickly all through Ephesus, to Jews and Greeks alike. A solemn fear descended on the city, and the name of the Lord Jesus was greatly honored.

17And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled.

18Many who became believers confessed their sinful practices.

18Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices.

19A number of them who had been practicing sorcery brought their incantation books and burned them at a public bonfire. The value of the books was several million dollars.

19And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver.

20So the message about the Lord spread widely and had a powerful effect.

20So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.

21Afterward Paul felt compelled by the Spirit to go over to Macedonia and Achaia before going to Jerusalem. “And after that,” he said, “I must go on to Rome!”

21Now after these events Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”

22He sent his two assistants, Timothy and Erastus, ahead to Macedonia while he stayed awhile longer in the province of Asia. The Riot in Ephesus

22And having sent into Macedonia two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.

23About that time, serious trouble developed in Ephesus concerning the Way.

23About that time there arose no little disturbance concerning the Way.

24It began with Demetrius, a silversmith who had a large business manufacturing silver shrines of the Greek goddess Artemis. He kept many craftsmen busy.

24For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen.

25He called them together, along with others employed in similar trades, and addressed them as follows: “Gentlemen, you know that our wealth comes from this business.

25These he gathered together, with the workmen in similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth.

26But as you have seen and heard, this man Paul has persuaded many people that handmade gods aren’t really gods at all. And he’s done this not only here in Ephesus but throughout the entire province!

26And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods.

27Of course, I’m not just talking about the loss of public respect for our business. I’m also concerned that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will lose its influence and that Artemis—this magnificent goddess worshiped throughout the province of Asia and all around the world—will be robbed of her great prestige!”

27And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be counted as nothing, and that she may even be deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world worship.”

28At this their anger boiled, and they began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

28When they heard this they were enraged and were crying out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

29Soon the whole city was filled with confusion. Everyone rushed to the amphitheater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, who were Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia.

29So the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed together into the theater, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul’s companions in travel.

30Paul wanted to go in, too, but the believers wouldn’t let him.

30But when Paul wished to go in among the crowd, the disciples would not let him.

31Some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, also sent a message to him, begging him not to risk his life by entering the amphitheater.

31And even some of the Asiarchs, who were friends of his, sent to him and were urging him not to venture into the theater.

32Inside, the people were all shouting, some one thing and some another. Everything was in confusion. In fact, most of them didn’t even know why they were there.

32Now some cried out one thing, some another, for 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 and told him to explain the situation. He motioned for silence and tried to speak.

33Some of the crowd prompted Alexander, whom the Jews had put forward. And Alexander, motioning with his hand, wanted to make a defense to the crowd.

34But when the crowd realized he was a Jew, they started shouting again and kept it up for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

34But when they recognized that he was a Jew, for about two hours they all cried out with one voice, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

35At last the mayor was able to quiet them down enough to speak. “Citizens of Ephesus,” he said. “Everyone knows that Ephesus is the official guardian of the temple of the great Artemis, whose image fell down to us from heaven.

35And when the town clerk had quieted the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, who is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great Artemis, and of the sacred stone that fell from the sky?

36Since this is an undeniable fact, you should stay calm and not do anything rash.

36Seeing then that these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash.

37You have brought these men here, but they have stolen nothing from the temple and have not spoken against our goddess.

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

38“If Demetrius and the craftsmen have a case against them, the courts are in session and the officials can hear the case at once. Let them make formal charges.

38If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another.

39And if there are complaints about other matters, they can be settled in a legal assembly.

39But if you seek anything further, it shall be settled in the regular assembly.

40I am afraid we are in danger of being charged with rioting by the Roman government, since there is no cause for all this commotion. And if Rome demands an explanation, we won’t know what to say.”

40For we really are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since there is no cause that we can give to justify this commotion.”

41 Then he dismissed them, and they dispersed.

41And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.