1 And while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper regions and came to Ephesus; and finding certain disciples,
2 he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And they said to him, "No, we have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit."
3 And he said to them, "Into what then were you baptized?" And they said, "Into John's baptism."
4 Then Paul said, "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people that they should believe in the one who was coming after him, that is, in Christ Jesus."
5 When they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.
7 And all the men were about twelve.
8 And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God.
9 But when some were hardened and did not believe, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the lecture hall of one Tyrannus.
10 And this continued for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.
11 And God worked special miracles by the hands of Paul,
12 so that from his body handkerchiefs or aprons were brought to the sick, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.
13 Then certain of the wandering Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had the evil spirits, saying, "We adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches."
14 And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew and chief of the priests, who did this.
15 But the evil spirit answered and said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?"
16 Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
17 And this became known to all the Jews and Greeks who lived at Ephesus; and fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
18 And many of those who had believed came, confessing and declaring their deeds.
19 Many also of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them before all; and they counted the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.
20 So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.
21 After these things were accomplished, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, "After I have been there, I must also see Rome."
22 So he sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, but he himself stayed in Asia for a time.
23 And at that time there arose no small disturbance concerning the Way.
24 For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no small gain to the craftsmen;
25 whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, "Men, you know that by this craft we have our prosperity.
26 And you see and hear that not only at Ephesus but almost throughout all Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are no gods which are made with hands.
27 So not only is this trade of ours in danger of being set at nothing, but also the temple of the great goddess Artemis of being despised, and her magnificence of being destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship."
28 And when they heard this, they were full of wrath and cried out, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"
29 And the whole city was filled with confusion; and they rushed with one accord into the theater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul's traveling companions.
30 And when Paul wanted to go in among the people, the disciples would not let him.
31 And some of the officials of Asia also, who were his friends, sent to him and begged him not to venture into the theater.
32 Some therefore cried one thing and some another; for the assembly was confused, and the greater part did not know why they had come together.
33 And they drew Alexander out of the crowd, the Jews pushing him forward; and Alexander motioned with his hand and wanted to make a defense to the people.
34 But when they recognized that he was a Jew, all with one voice cried out for about two hours, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"
35 And when the town clerk had calmed the crowd, he said, "Men of Ephesus, what man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great goddess Artemis and of the image that fell from Zeus?
36 Since, then, these things cannot be spoken against, you ought to be calm and do nothing rash.
37 For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of your goddess.
38 If, then, Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a matter against anyone, court days are held and there are proconsuls; let them bring charges against one another.
39 But if you inquire anything concerning other matters, it shall be determined in the lawful assembly.
40 For indeed we are in danger of being charged with riot over today's events, there being no cause by which we can give an account of this disorderly gathering."
41 And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.