Acts of the Apostles 19

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 It happened that while Apol os was in Corinth, Paul made his way overland as far as Ephesus, wherehe found a number of disciples.	1 Now it happened that, while Apollo was at Corinth, Paul, after he had journeyed through the upper regions, arrived at Ephesus. And he met with certain disciples.
2 When he asked, 'Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?' they answered, 'No, wewere never even told there was such a thing as a Holy Spirit.'	2 And he said to them, “After believing, have you received the Holy Spirit?” But they said to him, “We have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
3 He asked, 'Then how were you baptised?' They replied, 'With John's baptism.'	3 Yet truly, he said, “Then with what have you been baptized?” And they said, “With the baptism of John.”
4 Paul said, 'John's baptism was a baptism of repentance; but he insisted that the people should believein the one who was to come after him -- namely Jesus.'	4 Then Paul said: “John baptized the people with the baptism of repentance, saying that they should believe in the One who is to come after him, that is, in Jesus.”
5 When they heard this, they were baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus,	5 Upon hearing these things, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 and the moment Paul had laid hands on them the Holy Spirit came down on them, and they began tospeak with tongues and to prophesy.	6 And when Paul had imposed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came over them. And they were speaking in tongues and prophesying.
7 There were about twelve of these men in al .	7 Now the men were about twelve in all.
8 He began by going to the synagogue, where he spoke out fearlessly and argued persuasively aboutthe kingdom of God. He did this for three months,	8 Then, upon entering the synagogue, he was speaking faithfully for three months, disputing and persuading them about the kingdom of God.
9 till the attitude of some of the congregation hardened into unbelief. As soon as they began attackingthe Way in public, he broke with them and took his disciples apart to hold daily discussions in the lecture room ofTyrannus.	9 But when certain ones became hardened and would not believe, cursing the Way of the Lord in the presence of the multitude, Paul, withdrawing from them, separated the disciples, disputing daily in a certain school of Tyrannus.
10 This went on for two years, with the result that al the inhabitants of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, wereable to hear the word of the Lord.	10 Now this was done throughout two years, so that all who were living in Asia listened to the Word of the Lord, both Jews and Gentiles.
11 So remarkable were the miracles worked by God at Paul's hands	11 And God was accomplishing powerful and uncommon miracles by the hand of Paul,
12 that handkerchiefs or aprons which had touched him were taken to the sick, and they were cured oftheir il nesses, and the evil spirits came out of them.	12 so much so that even when small cloths and wrappings were brought from his body to the sick, the illnesses withdrew from them and the wicked spirits departed.
13 But some itinerant Jewish exorcists too tried pronouncing the name of the Lord Jesus over peoplewho were possessed by evil spirits; they used to say, 'I adjure you by the Jesus whose spokesman is Paul.'	13 Then, even some of the traveling Jewish exorcists had attempted to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I bind you by oath through Jesus, whom Paul preaches.”
14 Among those who did this were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest.	14 And there were certain Jews, the seven sons of Sceva, leaders among the priests, who were acting in this way.
15 The evil spirit replied, 'Jesus I recognise, and Paul I know, but who are you?'	15 But a wicked spirit responded by saying to them: “Jesus I know, and Paul I know. But who are you?”
16 and the man with the evil spirit hurled himself at them and overpowered first one and then another,and handled them so violently that they fled from that house stripped of clothing and badly mauled.	16 And the man, in whom there was a wicked spirit, leaping at them and getting the better of them both, prevailed against them, so that they fled from that house, naked and wounded.
17 Everybody in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, heard about this episode; everyone was fil ed withawe, and the name of the Lord Jesus came to be held in great honour.	17 And so, this became known to all the Jews and Gentiles who were living at Ephesus. And a fear fell over them all. And the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
18 Some believers, too, came forward to admit in detail how they had used spel s	18 And many believers were arriving, confessing, and announcing their deeds.
19 and a number of them who had practised magic col ected their books and made a bonfire of them inpublic. The value of these was calculated to be fifty thousand silver pieces.	19 Then many of those who had followed odd sects brought together their books, and they burned them in the sight of all. And after determining the value of these, they found the price to be fifty thousand denarii.
20 In this powerful way the word of the Lord spread more and more widely and successful y.	20 In this way, the Word of God was increasing strongly and was being confirmed.
21 When al this was over Paul made up his mind to go back to Jerusalem through Macedonia andAchaia. 'After I have been there,' he said, 'I must go on to see Rome as wel .'	21 Then, when these things were completed, Paul decided in the Spirit, after crossing through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, “Then, after I have been there, it is necessary for me to see Rome also.”
22 So he sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, ahead of him to Macedonia, while he remainedfor a time in Asia.	22 But sending two of those who were ministering to him, Timothy and Erastus, into Macedonia, he himself remained for a time in Asia.
23 It was during this time that a serious disturbance broke out in connection with the Way.	23 Now at that time, there occurred no small disturbance concerning the Way of the Lord.
24 A silversmith cal ed Demetrius, who provided work for a large number of craftsmen making silvershrines of Diana,	24 For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith making silver shrines for Diana, was providing no small profit to craftsmen.
25 cal ed a general meeting of them with others in the same trade. 'As you know,' he said, 'it is on thisindustry that we depend for our prosperity.	25 And calling them together, with those who were employed in the same way, he said: “Men, you know that our income is from this craft.
26 Now you must have seen and heard how, not just in Ephesus but nearly everywhere in Asia, this manPaul has persuaded and converted a great number of people with his argument that gods made by hand are notgods at all.	26 And you are seeing and hearing that this man Paul, by persuasion, has turned away a great multitude, not only from Ephesus, but from nearly all of Asia, saying, ‘These things are not gods which have been made by hands.’
27 This threatens not only to discredit our trade, but also to reduce the sanctuary of the great goddessDiana to unimportance. It could end up by taking away the prestige of a goddess venerated al over Asia, andindeed al over the world.'	27 Thus, not only is this, our occupation, in danger of being brought into repudiation, but also the temple of the great Diana will be reputed as nothing! Then even her majesty, whom all of Asia and the world worships, will begin to be destroyed.”
28 This speech roused them to fury, and they started to shout, 'Great is Diana of the Ephesians!'	28 Upon hearing this, they were filled with anger, and they cried out, saying, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!”
29 The whole town was fil ed with the uproar and the mob made a concerted rush to the theatre,dragging along two of Paul's Macedonian travelling companions, Gaius and Aristarchus.	29 And the city was filled with confusion. And having seized Gaius and Aristarchus of Macedonia, companions of Paul, they rushed violently, with one accord, into the amphitheatre.
30 Paul wanted to make an appeal to the people, but the disciples refused to let him;	30 Then, when Paul wanted to enter to the people, the disciples would not permit him.
31 in fact, some of the Asiarchs, who were friends of his, sent messages urging him not to take the riskof going into the theatre.	31 And some of the leaders from Asia, who were his friends, also sent to him, requesting that he not present himself in the amphitheatre.
32 By now everybody was shouting different things, til the assembly itself had no idea what was goingon; most of them did not even know why they had gathered together.	32 But others were crying out various things. For the assembly was in confusion, and most did not know the reason they had been called together.
33 Some of the crowd prevailed upon Alexander, whom the Jews pushed forward; he raised his hand forsilence with the intention of explaining things to the people.	33 So they dragged Alexander from the crowd, while the Jews were propelling him forward. And Alexander, gesturing with his hand for silence, wanted to give the people an explanation.
34 As soon as they realised he was a Jew, they all started shouting in unison, 'Great is Diana of theEphesians!' and they kept this up for two hours.	34 But as soon as they realized him to be a Jew, all with one voice, for about two hours, were crying out, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!”
35 When the town clerk eventual y succeeded in calming the crowd, he said, 'Citizens of Ephesus! Isthere anybody who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the guardian of the temple of great Diana andof her statue that fell from heaven?	35 And when the scribe had calmed the crowds, he said: “Men of Ephesus, now what man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is in the service of the great Diana and of the offspring of Jupiter?
36 Nobody can contradict this and there is no need for you to get excited or do anything rash.	36 Therefore, since these things are not able to be contradicted, it is necessary for you to be calm and to do nothing rash.
37 These men you have brought here are not guilty of any sacrilege or blasphemy against our goddess.	37 For you have brought forward these men, who are neither sacrilegious nor blasphemers against your goddess.
38 If Demetrius and the craftsmen he has with him want to complain about anyone, there are the assizesand the proconsuls; let them take the case to court.	38 But if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a case against anyone, they can convene in the courts, and there are proconsuls. Let them accuse one another.
39 And if you want to ask any more questions you must raise them in the regular assembly.	39 But if you would inquire about other things, this can be decided in a lawful assembly.
40 We could easily be charged with rioting for today's happenings: there is no ground for it al , and wecan give no justification for this gathering.' When he had finished this speech he dismissed the assembly.	40 For now we are in peril of being convicted of sedition over today’s events, since there is no one guilty (against whom we are able to provide evidence) in this gathering.” And when he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.