Acts 19

¹And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper country came to Ephesus, and found certain disciples: ²and he said unto them, Did ye receive the Holy Ghost when ye believed? And they saidunto him, Nay, we did not so much as hear whether the Holy Ghost was given. ³And he said, Into what then were ye baptized? And they said, Into John’s baptism. ⁴And Paul said, John baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Jesus. ⁵And when they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. ⁷And they were in all about twelve men. ⁸And he entered into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, reasoning and persuading as tothe things concerning the kingdom of God. ⁹But when some were hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. ¹⁰And this continued for the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. ¹¹And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: ¹²insomuch that unto the sick were carried away from his body handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out. ¹³But certain also of the strolling Jews, exorcists, took upon them to name over them which had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. ¹⁴And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, a chief priest, which did this. ¹⁵And the evil spirit answered and said unto them, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? ¹⁶And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and mastered both of them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. ¹⁷And this became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, that dwelt at Ephesus; and fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. ¹⁸Many also of them that had believed came, confessing, and declaring their deeds. ¹⁹And not a few of them that practised curious arts brought their books together, and burned them in the sight of all: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. ²⁰So mightily grew the word of the Lord and prevailed. ²¹Now after these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome. ²²And having sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while. ²³And about that time there arose no small stir concerning the Way. ²⁴For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines of Diana, brought no little business unto the craftsmen; ²⁵whom he gathered together, with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this business we have our wealth. ²⁶And ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands: ²⁷and not only is there danger that this our trade come into disrepute; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana be made of no account, and that she should even be deposed from her magnificence, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth. ²⁸And when they heard this, they were filled with wrath, and cried out, saying, Great isDiana of the Ephesians. ²⁹And the city was filled with the confusion: and they rushed with one accord into the theatre, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul’s companions in travel. ³⁰And when Paul was minded to enter in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not. ³¹And certain also of the chief officers of Asia, being his friends, sent unto him, and besought him not to adventure himself into the theatre. ³²Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was in confusion; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together. ³³And they brought Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made a defence unto the people. ³⁴But when they perceived that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great isDiana of the Ephesians. ³⁵And when the townclerk had quieted the multitude, he saith, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there who knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is temple-keeper of the great Diana, and of the imagewhich fell down from Jupiter? ³⁶Seeing then that these things cannot be gainsaid, ye ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rash. ³⁷For ye have brought hitherthese men, which are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess. ³⁸If therefore Demetrius, and the craftsmen that are with him, have a matter against any man, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls: let them accuse one another. ³⁹But if ye seek anything about other matters, it shall be settled in the regular assembly. ⁴⁰For indeed we are in danger to be accused concerning this day’s riot, there being no cause for it: and as touching it we shall not be able to give account of this concourse. ⁴¹And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.