1 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul, having traveled through the interior regions, arrived in Ephesus, where he happened upon some disciples. 2 “Did ᵖyou receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” he asked them.

3 “No,” they replied. “We have not heard that there even is such a thing as the Holy Spirit.”

“What kind of baptism did ᵖyou receive, then?” Paul asked. “The baptism performed by John,” they answered.

4 “John,” said Paul, “performed a baptism of repentance, telling the people that it was the one coming after him in whom they were to place their faith, that is, in Jesus.”

5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy. 7 (There were about twelve men in all.)

8 Going into the synagogue, Paul continued to speak fearlessly over a period of three months, addressing and trying to persuade people about the Kingdom of God. 9 When some, however, became hardened and refused to believe, speaking evil things about the Way in front of the congregation, he withdrew from them and met separately with the disciples, addressing them in the lecture hall of Tyrannus day after day. 10 Now this went on for two years, and as a result the message about the Lord was heard by all who lived in the province of Asia, both Jews and Gentiles. 11 God was performing through Paul’s hands some truly extraordinary miracles. 12 On the sick, for instance, people even brought over and placed sweat rags and work aprons that Paul had used, at the touch of which the diseases left them and the evil spirits departed.

13 Now some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists also tried to invoke over those who had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, “I put ᵖyou under oath by the Jesus whom Paul himself proclaims.” 14 There were seven sons belonging to a man named Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who were doing this. 15 Well, here is how the evil spirit responded to them: “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize. ᵖYou, however—who are ᵖyou?” 16 And when the man with the evil spirit had jumped on them and overpowered them all, he handled them so violently that they fled from that house injured and with their clothes torn off. 17 When news of this event reached all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Gentiles, fear came over all of them, and the name of the Lord Jesus came to be held in high honor. 18 Many of those who had believed came and openly confessed the evil things they had done. 19 A considerable number of those who had practiced sorcery, moreover, on bringing their scrolls together, began to burn them in front of everyone. When the value of the scrolls was added up, it came to a good fifty-thousand days’ wages. 20 Thus it was the Lord’s supreme power according to which the message continued to spread and have a strong effect.

21 After these events, Paul resolved in the Spirit+ to go on to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. “After I’ve been to Jerusalem,” he said, “it is God’s will for me to visit, too, Rome.”

22 After sending on to Macedonia two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, Paul himself stayed a while longer in the province of Asia. 23 Now there arose during that time some serious public unrest concerning the Way. 24 A certain man, you see, Demetrius his name, a silversmith who made little silver replicas of the temple of the Greek goddess Artemis, furnished the craftsmen with a great deal of business. 25 When he had called these craftsmen together, along with others who worked in similar trades, he said, “Men, ᵖyou know that it is this trade that provides us with a good living. 26 Yet as ᵖyou can see and hear, not only in Ephesus, but in nearly the whole province of Asia, this fellow Paul has won over and misled a quite considerable number of people, telling them that gods made by human hands aren’t really gods at all! 27 And there is danger not only that this line of business of ours will lose its credibility, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis herself will be utterly despised, and that she will be robbed of her majesty—she who is worshiped all throughout Asia and the rest of the empire!”

28 When they heard this, they became enraged and began to shout, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29 Soon the whole city was filled with confusion. The crowd rushed together into the amphitheater, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia. 30 As for Paul, although he wanted to go in before the crowd, the disciples wouldn’t let him. 31 Even some of the provincial authorities, who were Paul’s friends, sent him a message pleading with him not to risk his life by going into the theater.

32 While some, therefore, were shouting one thing and others something else, since the assembly was in confusion, with most of the people not even knowing why they had gathered, 33 some of the crowd concluded that it was about Alexander, since the Jews had pushed him to the front. Alexander, then, motioning with his hand, wanted to make a defense before the crowd. 34 When they recognized, however, that he was a Jew, they all started shouting together in unison, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” They kept this up for about a good two hours.

35 When the city clerk had quieted down the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, what person is there of the whole human race, who does not know the city of Ephesus to be none other than the honorary temple keeper of the great Artemis and her sacred stone that fell from heaven? 36 Since these facts are beyond all dispute, then, ᵖyou must be calm and not do anything rash. 37 For ᵖyou have brought these men here even though they have neither robbed temples nor insulted our goddess. 38 If, therefore, on the one hand, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have against someone a complaint, the courts are open on certain days, and the provincial governor can himself hear the case; they must make formal charges. 39 If, on the other hand, there is any further grievance concerning which ᵖyou desire resolution, a legal assembly is where it must be settled. 40 For we are in danger of being charged with rioting on account of what has happened today, and there are simply no good grounds on which we would be able to justify this disorderly gathering.” 41 And these things having said, he dismissed the assembly.