⁹ But some of them^(A) became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way.^(B) So Paul left them. He took the disciples^(C) with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. ¹⁰ This went on for two years,^(D) so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia^(E) heard the word of the Lord.^(F)

¹¹ God did extraordinary miracles^(G) through Paul, ¹² so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured^(H) and the evil spirits left them.

¹³ Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits^(I) tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus^(J) whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” ¹⁴ Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. ¹⁵ One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” ¹⁶ Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.

¹⁷ When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus,^(K) they were all seized with fear,^(L) and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. ¹⁸ Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done. ¹⁹ A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.^{[a] 20} In this way the word of the Lord^(M) spread widely and grew in power.^(N)

²¹ After all this had happened, Paul decided^[b] to go to Jerusalem,^(O) passing through Macedonia^(P) and Achaia.^(Q) “After I have been there,” he said, “I must visit Rome also.”^{(R) 22} He sent two of his helpers,^(S) Timothy^(T) and Erastus,^(U) to Macedonia, while he stayed in the province of Asia^(V) a little longer.

The Riot in Ephesus

²³ About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way.^(W)