| New Living Translation | NET 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 went through the inland regions and came to Ephesus. He found some disciples there |
| 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 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." |
| 3“Then what baptism did you experience?” he asked. And they replied, “The baptism of John.” | 3So Paul said, "Into what then were you baptized?" "Into 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 to believe in the one who was to 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 placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy. |
| 7There were about twelve men in all. Paul Ministers in Ephesus | 7(Now there 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. | 8So Paul entered the synagogue and spoke out fearlessly for three months, addressing and convincing 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 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. |
| 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 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. |
| 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 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. |
| 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!” | 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." |
| 14Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this. | 14(Now seven sons of a man named Sceva, a Jewish high 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?” | 15But the evil spirit replied to them, "I know about Jesus and I am acquainted with 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 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. |
| 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 all who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks; fear came over them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was praised. |
| 18Many who became believers confessed their sinful practices. | 18Many of those who had believed came forward, confessing and making their deeds known. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 20So the message about the Lord spread widely and had a powerful effect. | 20In this way the word of the Lord continued to grow in power and to prevail. |
| 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 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." |
| 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 | 22So after sending two of his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, he himself stayed on for a while in the province of Asia. |
| 23About that time, serious trouble developed in Ephesus concerning the Way. | 23At that time a great disturbance took place 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 a great deal of 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. | 25He gathered these together, along with the workmen in similar trades, and said, "Men, you know that our prosperity comes 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! | 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. |
| 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!” | 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." |
| 28At this their anger boiled, and they began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” | 28When they heard this they became enraged and began to shout, "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. | 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. |
| 30Paul wanted to go in, too, but the believers wouldn’t let him. | 30But when Paul wanted to enter the public assembly, 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. | 31Even some of the provincial authorities who were his friends sent a message to him, 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. | 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. |
| 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 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. |
| 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, they all shouted in unison, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" for about two hours. |
| 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. | 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? |
| 36Since this is an undeniable fact, you should stay calm and not do anything rash. | 36So because these facts are indisputable, you must keep quiet and not do anything reckless. |
| 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 temple robbers 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 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. |
| 39And if there are complaints about other matters, they can be settled in a legal assembly. | 39But if you want anything in addition, it will have to be settled 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.” | 40For we are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since there is no cause we can give to explain this disorderly gathering." |
| 41 Then he dismissed them, and they dispersed. | 41After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly. |
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