Acts 19:8-41
English Standard Version
8 And (A)he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them (B)about the kingdom of God. 9 (C)But when some became stubborn and (D)continued in unbelief, speaking evil of (E)the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus.[a] 10 This continued for (F)two years, so that (G)all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
The Sons of Sceva
11 And (H)God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 (I)so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and (J)the evil spirits came out of them. 13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish (K)exorcists (L)undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, (M)“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, (N)“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[b] 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 (O)the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. 18 Also many of those who were now believers came, (P)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 (Q)continued to increase and prevail mightily.
A Riot at Ephesus
21 Now after these events Paul resolved in the Spirit (R)to pass through (S)Macedonia and Achaia and (T)go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, (U)I must also see Rome.” 22 And having sent into Macedonia two of (V)his helpers, (W)Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia (X)for a while.
23 About that time (Y)there arose no little disturbance concerning (Z)the Way. 24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, (AA)brought no little business to the craftsmen. 25 (AB)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, (AC)saying that (AD)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 (AE)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, (AF)“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 (AG)Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul's (AH)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,[c] who were friends of his, sent to him and were urging him not to venture into the theater. 32 (AI)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, (AJ)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, (AK)“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 (AL)the sky?[d] 36 Seeing then that these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash. 37 For you have brought (AM)these men here who are neither (AN)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 (AO)proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. 39 But if you seek anything further,[e] 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.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 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
Job 15-18
English Standard Version
Eliphaz Accuses: Job Does Not Fear God
15 Then (A)Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
2 “Should (B)a wise man answer with (C)windy knowledge,
and fill his (D)belly with (E)the east wind?
3 Should he argue in unprofitable talk,
or in words with which he can do no good?
4 But you are doing away with the fear of God[a]
and hindering meditation before God.
5 For your iniquity teaches your mouth,
and you choose the tongue of the crafty.
6 Your (F)own mouth condemns you, and not I;
(G)your own lips testify against you.
7 (H)“Are you the first man who was born?
Or (I)were you brought forth (J)before the hills?
8 Have you listened in (K)the council of God?
And do you limit wisdom to yourself?
9 (L)What do you know that we do not know?
What do you understand that is not clear to us?
10 (M)Both the gray-haired and the aged are among us,
older than your father.
11 Are the comforts of God too small for you,
or the word that deals gently with you?
12 Why does your heart carry you away,
and why do your eyes flash,
13 that you turn your (N)spirit against God
and bring such words out of your mouth?
14 (O)What is man, (P)that he can be pure?
Or he who is (Q)born of a woman, that he can be righteous?
15 Behold, God[b] (R)puts no trust in his (S)holy ones,
and the heavens are not pure in his sight;
16 (T)how much less one who is abominable and (U)corrupt,
a man who (V)drinks injustice like water!
17 “I will show you; hear me,
and what I have seen I will declare
18 (what wise men have told,
without hiding it (W)from their fathers,
19 to whom alone the land was given,
and no (X)stranger passed among them).
20 The wicked man writhes in pain all his days,
through all the (Y)years that are laid up for (Z)the ruthless.
21 (AA)Dreadful sounds are in his ears;
in (AB)prosperity the destroyer will come upon him.
22 He does not believe that he will return out of darkness,
and he is marked for the sword.
23 He (AC)wanders abroad for bread, saying, ‘Where is it?’
He knows that a day of darkness is ready at his hand;
24 distress and anguish terrify him;
they (AD)prevail against him, like a king ready for battle.
25 Because he has stretched out his hand against God
and defies the Almighty,
26 (AE)running (AF)stubbornly against him
with a thickly bossed shield;
27 because he has (AG)covered his face with his fat
and gathered fat upon his waist
28 and has lived in desolate cities,
in houses that none should inhabit,
which were ready to become heaps of ruins;
29 he will not be rich, and his wealth will not endure,
nor will his possessions spread over the earth;[c]
30 he will not depart from darkness;
the flame will dry up his shoots,
and by (AH)the breath of his mouth he will depart.
31 Let him not (AI)trust in emptiness, deceiving himself,
for emptiness will be his payment.
32 It will be paid in full (AJ)before his time,
and his branch will not be green.
33 He will shake off his unripe grape like the vine,
and cast off his blossom like the olive tree.
34 For (AK)the company of the godless is barren,
and (AL)fire consumes the tents of bribery.
35 They (AM)conceive trouble and give birth to evil,
and their (AN)womb prepares deceit.”
Job Replies: Miserable Comforters Are You
16 Then Job answered and said:
2 “I have heard (AO)many such things;
(AP)miserable comforters are you all.
3 Shall (AQ)windy words have an end?
Or what provokes you that you answer?
4 I also could speak as you do,
if you were in my place;
I could join words together against you
and (AR)shake my head at you.
5 I could strengthen you with my mouth,
and the solace of my lips would assuage your pain.
6 “If I speak, my pain is not assuaged,
and if I forbear, how much of it leaves me?
7 Surely now God has worn me out;
(AS)he has[d] made desolate all my company.
8 And he has shriveled me up,
which is (AT)a witness against me,
and my (AU)leanness has risen up against me;
it testifies to my face.
9 He has (AV)torn me in his wrath (AW)and hated me;
he has (AX)gnashed his teeth at me;
my adversary sharpens his eyes against me.
10 Men have (AY)gaped at me with their mouth;
they have (AZ)struck me insolently on the cheek;
they (BA)mass themselves together against me.
11 God gives me up to the ungodly
and casts me into the hands of the wicked.
12 I was at ease, and he broke me apart;
he seized me by the neck and dashed me to pieces;
he set me up as his (BB)target;
13 his (BC)archers surround me.
He slashes open my kidneys (BD)and does not spare;
he (BE)pours out my gall on the ground.
14 He breaks me with (BF)breach upon breach;
he (BG)runs upon me like a warrior.
15 I have sewed (BH)sackcloth upon my skin
and have laid (BI)my strength (BJ)in the dust.
16 My face is red with weeping,
and on my eyelids is (BK)deep darkness,
17 although there is no (BL)violence in my hands,
and my prayer is pure.
18 “O earth, (BM)cover not my blood,
and let my (BN)cry find no resting place.
19 Even now, behold, my (BO)witness is in heaven,
and he who testifies for me is (BP)on high.
20 My friends (BQ)scorn me;
my eye pours out tears to God,
21 that he would (BR)argue the case of a man with God,
as[e] a son of man does with his neighbor.
22 For when a few years have come
I shall go the way (BS)from which I shall not return.
Job Continues: Where Then Is My Hope?
17 “My spirit is broken; my days are (BT)extinct;
(BU)the graveyard is ready for me.
2 Surely there are mockers about me,
and my eye dwells on their (BV)provocation.
3 “Lay down a pledge for me with you;
who is there who will put up (BW)security for me?
4 Since you have closed their hearts to understanding,
therefore you will not let them triumph.
5 He who informs against his friends to get a share of their property—
the (BX)eyes of his children will fail.
6 “He has made me (BY)a byword of the peoples,
and I am one before whom men spit.
7 My (BZ)eye has grown dim from vexation,
and all my members are like (CA)a shadow.
8 The upright are (CB)appalled at this,
and the innocent stirs himself up against the godless.
9 Yet the righteous holds to his way,
and he who has (CC)clean hands grows stronger and stronger.
10 But you, (CD)come on again, all of you,
and I shall not find a wise man among you.
11 My (CE)days are past; my plans are broken off,
the desires of my heart.
12 They (CF)make night into day:
‘The light,’ they say, ‘is near to the darkness.’[f]
13 If I hope for (CG)Sheol as (CH)my house,
if I make my bed in darkness,
14 if I say to the pit, ‘You are my father,’
and to the worm, ‘My mother,’ or ‘My sister,’
15 where then is my hope?
Who will see my hope?
16 Will it go down to the bars of (CI)Sheol?
Shall we (CJ)descend together (CK)into the dust?”[g]
Bildad Speaks: God Punishes the Wicked
18 Then (CL)Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:
2 “How long will you (CM)hunt for words?
Consider, and then we will speak.
3 Why are we counted as (CN)cattle?
Why are we stupid in your sight?
4 You who (CO)tear yourself in your anger,
shall the earth be forsaken for you,
or (CP)the rock be removed out of its place?
5 “Indeed, (CQ)the light of the wicked is put out,
and the flame of his fire does not shine.
6 The light is (CR)dark in his tent,
and his lamp above him is put out.
7 His strong steps are shortened,
and his (CS)own schemes throw him down.
8 For he is cast into a net by his own feet,
and he walks on its mesh.
9 (CT)A trap seizes him by the heel;
a snare lays hold of him.
10 A rope is hidden for him in the ground,
a trap for him in the path.
11 (CU)Terrors frighten him on every side,
and chase him at his heels.
12 His strength is famished,
and calamity is (CV)ready for his stumbling.
13 It consumes the parts of his skin;
(CW)the firstborn of death consumes his limbs.
14 He is torn from the tent in which he trusted
and is brought to (CX)the king of terrors.
15 In his tent dwells that which is none of his;
(CY)sulfur is scattered over his habitation.
16 His (CZ)roots dry up beneath,
and his branches (DA)wither above.
17 His (DB)memory perishes from the earth,
and he has no name in the street.
18 (DC)He is thrust from light into darkness,
and driven out of the world.
19 He has no (DD)posterity or progeny among his people,
and no survivor where he used to live.
20 They of the west are appalled at his (DE)day,
and (DF)horror seizes them of the east.
21 Surely such are the dwellings of the unrighteous,
such is the place of him who (DG)knows not God.”
Footnotes
- Job 15:4 Hebrew lacks of God
- Job 15:15 Hebrew he
- Job 15:29 Or nor will his produce bend down to the earth
- Job 16:7 Hebrew you have; also verse 8
- Job 16:21 Hebrew and
- Job 17:12 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
- Job 17:16 Or Will they go down to the bars of Sheol? Is rest to be found together in the dust?
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Bible Gateway Recommends
