Berean Study Bible

English Standard Version

1While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the interior and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples

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

2and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” “No,” they answered, “we have not 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“Into what, then, were you baptized?” Paul asked. “The baptism of John,” they replied.

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

4Paul explained: “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the One coming after him, that is, in 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.”

5On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.

5On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

6And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in 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.

7There were about twelve men in all.

8Then Paul went into the synagogue and spoke boldly there for 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 when some of them stubbornly refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way, Paul took his disciples and left the synagogue to conduct daily discussions in 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 continued for two years, so that everyone who lived in the province of Asia, Jews and Greeks alike, 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 did extraordinary miracles through the hands of Paul,

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

12so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and the diseases and evil spirits left them.

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.

13Now there were some itinerant Jewish exorcists who tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those with evil spirits. They would say, “I bind you by Jesus, whom Paul proclaims.”

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 Jewish chief priest, were doing this.

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

15Eventually, one of the evil spirits answered them, “Jesus I know, and I know about 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 jumped on them and overpowered them all. The attack was so violent that they ran out of the house naked and wounded.

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.

17This became known to all the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, and fear came over all of them. So the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor.

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 had believed now came forward, confessing and disclosing their deeds.

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

19And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books and burned them in front of everyone. When the value of the books was calculated, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.

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 word of the Lord powerfully continued to spread and prevail.

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

21After these things had happened, Paul resolved in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia. “After I have been there,” he said, “I must see Rome as well.”

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 two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed for a time in the province of Asia.

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

23About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way.

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

24It began with a silversmith named Demetrius who made silver shrines of Artemis, bringing much business to the craftsmen.

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

25Demetrius assembled the craftsmen, along with the workmen in related trades. “Men,” he said, “you know that this business is our source of prosperity.

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

26And you can see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in nearly the whole province of Asia, Paul has persuaded a great number of people to turn away. He says that man-made gods are no gods at all.

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.

27There is danger not only that our business will fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited and her majesty deposed—she who is worshiped by all the province of Asia and the whole world.”

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.”

28When the men heard this, they were enraged and 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 in disarray. They rushed together into the theatre, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, 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 before the assembly, but the disciples would not allow him.

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

31Even some of Paul’s friends who were officials of the province of Asia sent word to him, begging him not to venture into the theatre.

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

32Meanwhile the assembly was in turmoil. Some were shouting one thing and some another, and most of them did not 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 to explain himself, and he motioned for silence so he could make his defense to the people.

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 they realized that he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: “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!”

35Finally the city clerk quieted the crowd and declared, “Men of Ephesus, doesn’t everyone know that the city of Ephesus is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell 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 these things are undeniable, you ought to be calm and not do anything rash.

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

37For you have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed our temple nor blasphemed our goddess.

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

38So if Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open and proconsuls are available. Let them bring charges against one another there.

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.

39But if you are seeking anything beyond this, it must be settled in a legal assembly.

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

40For we are in jeopardy of being charged with rioting for today’s events, and we have no justification to account for this commotion.”

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.”

41After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.

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

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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.