Acts 19
English Standard Version
Paul in Ephesus
19 And it happened that while (A)Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed (B)through the inland[a] country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. 2 And he said to them, (C)“Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, (D)we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 And he said, (E)“Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into (F)John's baptism.” 4 And Paul said, (G)“John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people (H)to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, (I)they were baptized in[b] the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And (J)when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and (K)they began speaking in tongues and (L)prophesying. 7 There were about twelve men in all.
8 And (M)he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them (N)about the kingdom of God. 9 (O)But when some became stubborn and (P)continued in unbelief, speaking evil of (Q)the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus.[c] 10 This continued for (R)two years, so that (S)all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
The Sons of Sceva
11 And (T)God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 (U)so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and (V)the evil spirits came out of them. 13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish (W)exorcists (X)undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, (Y)“I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” 14 Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. 15 But the evil spirit answered them, (Z)“Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” 16 And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all[d] of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17 And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and (AA)the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. 18 Also many of those who were now believers came, (AB)confessing and divulging their practices. 19 And 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. 20 So the word of the Lord (AC)continued to increase and prevail mightily.
A Riot at Ephesus
21 Now after these events Paul resolved in the Spirit (AD)to pass through (AE)Macedonia and Achaia and (AF)go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, (AG)I must also see Rome.” 22 And having sent into Macedonia two of (AH)his helpers, (AI)Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia (AJ)for a while.
23 About that time (AK)there arose no little disturbance concerning (AL)the Way. 24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, (AM)brought no little business to the craftsmen. 25 (AN)These he gathered together, with the workmen in similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth. 26 And 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, (AO)saying that (AP)gods made with hands are not gods. 27 And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the (AQ)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.”
28 When they heard this they were enraged and were crying out, (AR)“Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29 So the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed together into the theater, dragging with them Gaius and (AS)Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul's (AT)companions in travel. 30 But when Paul wished to go in among the crowd, the disciples would not let him. 31 And even some of the Asiarchs,[e] who were friends of his, sent to him and were urging him not to venture into the theater. 32 (AU)Now 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. 33 Some of the crowd prompted Alexander, whom the Jews had put forward. And Alexander, (AV)motioning with his hand, wanted to make a defense to the crowd. 34 But when they recognized that he was a Jew, for about two hours they all cried out with one voice, (AW)“Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
35 And 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 (AX)the sky?[f] 36 Seeing then that these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash. 37 For you have brought (AY)these men here who are neither (AZ)sacrilegious nor blasphemers of our goddess. 38 If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open, and there are (BA)proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. 39 But if you seek anything further,[g] it shall be settled in the regular assembly. 40 For we really are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since there is no cause that we can give to justify this commotion.” 41 And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.
Footnotes
- Acts 19:1 Greek upper (that is, highland)
- Acts 19:5 Or into
- Acts 19:9 Some manuscripts add from the fifth hour to the tenth (that is, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
- Acts 19:16 Or both
- Acts 19:31 That is, high-ranking officers of the province of Asia
- Acts 19:35 The meaning of the Greek is uncertain
- Acts 19:39 Some manuscripts seek about other matters
Gevurot 19
Orthodox Jewish Bible
19 And it came about while Rav Apollos was in Corinth that Rav Sha’ul traveled through the upper regions and arrived at Ephesus, finding some of [Moshiach’s] talmidim there.
2 And Rav Sha’ul said to them, "Did you receive the Ruach Hakodesh when you came to emunah?" But they said to Rav Sha’ul, "But we never heard that there is a Ruach Hakodesh!"
3 And Rav Sha’ul said, "Into what then were you given tevilah?" And they said, "Into the tevilah of Yochanan."
4 And Rav Sha’ul said, "Yochanan gave a tevilah of teshuva to the people, saying that they should have emunah in Hu HaBah [Moshiach], the one coming after him, that is, in Yehoshua." [Lk 3:16]
5 And having heard this, they were given Moshiach’s tevilah of teshuva in haShem of the Moshiach Adoneinu Yehoshua.
6 And when Rav Sha’ul placed his hands upon them, the Ruach Hakodesh came upon them, and they were speaking in leshonot and they were speaking dvarim hanevu’ah.
7 And the anashim were about sheneym asar in number.
8 And having joined the minyan at the shul, Rav Sha’ul was speaking with ometz lev during the course of shloshah chodashim, debating and persuading concerning the things of the Malchut Hashem.
9 But when some unbelievers in the shul were being hardened and were disobeying, speaking Chillul Hashem of the Derech Hashem before the multitude, Rav Sha’ul withdrew from them. Rav Sha’ul took the Moshiach’s talmidim and yom yom was saying shiurim in the [Messianic] yeshiva of Tyrannus.
10 And this happened over a period of two years with the intended result that all the ones inhabiting [the Roman Province of] Asia heard the dvar Hashem, both Yehudim and Yevanim.
11 And gevaltike moftim and niflaot Hashem effected at the hands of Rav Sha’ul,
12 so that when a handkerchief or an apron touched the skin of Rav Sha’ul and was brought to the cholim, the machlot (sicknesses) and the shedim (demons) left them.
13 And some traveling Jewish exorcists attempted to use haShem of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu Yehoshua over the ones possessed of ruchot ra’ot, saying, "I exorcize and cast you out by the Yehoshua whom Rav Sha’ul preaches!"
14 And there were doing this very thing shivat banim of a certain Skeva, a Jewish "Kohen Gadol."
15 And in reply the ruach hara’ah (the shed, demon) said to them, "I am acquainted with Yehoshua, I have da’as of Sha’ul, but, you, who are you?!"
16 And the ish in whom was the ruach hara’ah leaped upon them and subdued all [shivah] of them, and overpowered them, so that they fled, naked and wounded, from the bais.
17 And this became known to all the Yehudim and also the Yevanim inhabiting Ephesus, and pachad (terror) fell upon all of them, and they were exalting haShem of Adoneinu Yehoshua.
18 And many of the ones having come to emunah were making vidduy of their ma’asim, disclosing them.
19 And a number of the ones who had practiced kishshuf (magic, sorcery) brought together their occult sfarim and were burning them publicly; and they added up the price of these occult sfarim, and they found it to be fifty thousand silver pieces.
20 So the dvar Hashem, the Besuras HaGeulah, was growing with ko’ach and was prevailing.
21 And when these things were fulfilled, Rav Sha’ul resolved in his ruach to travel through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Yerushalayim, saying "After I have gone there, it is necessary for me also to see Rome."
22 So Rav Sha’ul sent to Macedonia two of the mesharetim (ministers, servants) with him‖Timotiyos and Erastus, while he stayed a little while longer in [the Province of] Asia.
23 Now during that time there was no small disturbance concerning the Derech Hashem.
24 For a certain one, Demetrius by name, a silversmith and maker of silver idol shrines for Artemis, was providing no small revach (profit) for the craftsmen.
25 Demetrius also assembled the craftsmen occupied with that trade and he said, "Anashim, you have da’as that our prosperity is from this trade,
26 "And you see and hear that not only here in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Rav Sha’ul has persuaded and drawn away a large multitude saying, ‘Elilim made with human hands are not Elohim.’ [Dt 4:28; Ps 115:4; Isa 44:10-20; Jer 10:3-5]
27 "And this is not only a danger to us, that our part, our trade, will fall into disrepute, but also the temple of the elah hagedolah Artemis may be considered as nothing, and also may be about to suffer the loss of her majesty, which all Asia and the Olam Hazeh worship."
28 And having listened and having become full of ka’as, the idol makers were crying out, saying, "Gedolah is Artemis of the Ephesians!"
29 And the city was filled with tohu, and they rushed with one impulse into the theater, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, who were Macedonians and traveling fellow po’alim of Rav Sha’ul.
30 And Rav Sha’ul desired to enter into the crowd in the theater, but the talmidim were not allowing him.
31 And also some of the Asiarchs who were his chaverim, sent to him, begging him not to venture into the theater.
32 Then some began shouting one thing, some another, in the theater, for the kahal was in confusion, and most had no da’as of the purpose of the kahal (assembly).
33 And from the multitude Alexander was pushed forward by Yehudim and some prompted him with shouts, while Alexander waved his hand, wanting to defend himself to the kahal.
34 But having known what the man was, that he was a Yehudi, all in the theater shouted in unison for lav davka two hours crying out, "Gedolah is Artemis of the Ephesians."
35 And the town clerk, when he had restrained the crowd, said, "Anashim, citizens of Ephesus, who indeed is there among Bnei Adam who does not have da’as that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of the tzelem (image) that fell from Shomayim?
36 "Since these things are undeniable, it is necessary for you to calm down and to do nothing reckless.
37 "For you brought these anashim here who are neither temple robbers nor speakers of evil against our religion.
38 "Therefore, if Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a tainah (grievance) against anyone, the civil courts are in session and there are proconsuls. Let it be there that they bring charges against one another.
39 "And if you seek anything further, let your settlement be obtained in the lawful assembly.
40 "For indeed we are in danger of being indicted for an intifadah (uprising) today, for there is no justification we can render to excuse this disorder and commotion."
41 And having said these things, the town clerk dismissed the kahal (assembly).
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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