Acts 19
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New Living TranslationHolman Christian Standard Bible
1While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions until he reached Ephesus, on the coast, where he found several believers.1While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions and came to Ephesus. 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 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“Then what baptism did you experience?” he asked. And they replied, “The baptism of John.”3Then what baptism were you baptized with?" he asked them." With John's baptism," they replied.
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.”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."
5As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.5When they heard 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 to speak in other languages and to prophesy.
7There were about twelve men in all. Paul Ministers in Ephesus7Now there were about 12 men in all.
8Then Paul went to the synagogue and preached boldly for the next 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 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 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 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.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 gave Paul the power to perform unusual miracles.11God was performing extraordinary miracles by Paul's hands,
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 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.
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 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 leading priest, were doing this.14Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, 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?”15The evil spirit answered them, "I know Jesus, and I recognize Paul--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.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.
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.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 became believers confessed their sinful practices.18And many who had become believers came confessing and disclosing 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.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 message about the Lord spread widely and had a powerful effect.20In this way the Lord's message flourished and prevailed.
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!”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 his two assistants, Timothy and Erastus, ahead to Macedonia while he stayed awhile longer in the province of Asia. The Riot in Ephesus22So after sending two of those who assisted him, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.
23About that time, serious trouble developed in Ephesus concerning the Way.23During that time there was a major disturbance about 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 person named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis, provided a great deal of business for 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.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.
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!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!
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!”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."
28At this their anger boiled, and they 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 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 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 in, too, but the believers wouldn’t let him.30Though Paul wanted to go in before the people, the disciples did 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.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.
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.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 and told him to explain the situation. He motioned for silence and tried to speak.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 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, a united cry went up from all of them for about two hours: "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.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 this is an undeniable fact, you should stay calm and not do anything rash.36Therefore, since these things are undeniable, you must keep calm and not do anything 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 not temple robbers or 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.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.
39And if there are complaints about other matters, they can be settled in a legal assembly.39But if you want something else, it must be decided in a legal 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.”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."
41 Then he dismissed them, and they dispersed.41After saying this, 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.Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.
Acts 18
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