1 And it happened, while Apollos {Apollos: co-worker in ministry} was in Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus and found some disciples {mathetas: committed learners}.
2 And he asked them, “When you believed {pisteuo: first coming to faith}, did you receive the Holy Spirit {pneuma hagion, Divine Presence Received}?” They replied, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
3 And he said to them, “What, then, were you baptized {ebaptisthete: ceremonially immersed} into?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism {baptisma: immersion ritual}.”
4 And Paul said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance {metanoias: heart change} for the people, saying to the people that they should believe in the One coming after him—that is, in Jesus {Iesous, Coming Messiah}.”
5 And when they heard {akousantes: responsive listening} this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus {Kyrios Iesous, Messianic Authority}.
6 And when Paul had placed his hands {cheir: ritual contact} on them, the Holy Spirit {Pneuma Hagion, Empowering Presence} came upon them, and they were speaking in tongues and prophesying.
7 And all the men were about {hosei: approximate figure} twelve {dodeka: counted group}.
8 And after he entered the synagogue, he was speaking boldly for three months, discussing {dialegomenos: reasoned discussion} and persuading about the kingdom of God {Theos, Sovereign Ruler}.
9 But when some were being hardened and were not believing, speaking evil of the Way {hodos: early Christian faith} before the multitude, he withdrew from them and separated the disciples, discussing daily in the school of Tyrannus {Turannos: local teacher}.
10 But this continued for two years, so that all those who were living in Asia {Asia: Roman province} heard the word of the Lord {Kyrios, Proclaimed Ruler}, both Jews and Greeks.
11 And God {Theos, Worker Of Wonders} was doing miracles that were not ordinary through the hands of Paul {Paulos: Apostle To The Nations}.
12 So that even to the sick {asthenountas: physically weak}, handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits {pneumata: hostile powers} went out of them.
13 But some also of the itinerant Jewish exorcists {exorkistes: traveling spirit-expellers} attempted to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus {Kyrios Iesous, Invoked Authority} over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.”
14 Now there were seven {hepta: complete group counted} sons of a certain Sceva, a Jewish high priest, doing this {poiountes: engaged in ongoing practice}.
15 But the evil spirit {pneuma poneron: hostile demonic being} answered and said to them, “Jesus {Iesous, Supreme Authority Recognized} I know, and Paul I am acquainted with, but who are you?”
16 And the man {anthropos: possessed aggressor} in whom the evil spirit was, leaping upon them and mastering all of them, prevailed against them so that they fled {ekphygein: panicked escape} from that house naked and wounded.
17 And this became known to all the Jews and also the Greeks living in Ephesus, and fear fell upon all of them, and the name of the Lord Jesus {Kyrios Iesous, Exalted Lord} was magnified {emegalynthē: publicly honored}.
18 And many of those who had believed {pisteuo: settled trust} came, confessing and declaring their deeds {praxeis: practiced actions}.
19 Now many of those who had practiced magic arts {perierga: occult practices} brought their books together and burned them in the presence of all. And they totaled the prices of them and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver {argyriou: silver currency}.
20 In this manner the word of the Lord {Kyrios, Sovereign Master} was growing and prevailing with power {kratos: mighty force}.
21 When these things had been fulfilled, Paul {Paulos: Commissioned Apostle} purposed in the Spirit {pneuma, Sovereign Guide} to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and to go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”
22 And after sending into Macedonia {Makedonian: northern Greek region} two of those serving him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed for a time in Asia {Asian: Roman coastal province}.
23 But during that time, there arose no small disturbance {tarachos: public disorder} about the Way {hodou: early Christian movement}.
24 For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith {argyrokopos: worker in silver}, who made silver shrines of Artemis, was providing not a little profit {ergasia: substantial earnings} to the craftsmen.
25 Whom, having gathered together, and also the workmen in such trades, he said, “Men, you know that from this business {ergasia: trade occupation} our prosperity {euporia: material wealth} comes.”
26 And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but almost in all Asia {Asia: Roman province}, this Paul, having persuaded, turned away a great crowd, saying that the gods made by hands {cheiron: human craftsmanship} are not gods.
27 Not only is this part of ours in danger of falling into disgrace, but also the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be reckoned as nothing and is about to be deposed from her magnificence {megaleiotetos: majesty and splendor}—she whom all Asia and the inhabited world worship {sebetai: show religious reverence}.
28 But when they heard this, and had become full of wrath {thymos: intense anger}, they began crying out, saying, “Great is Artemis {Artemis: Ephesian goddess} of the Ephesians!”
29 And the city was filled with confusion {synchysis: public disorder}, and they rushed with one accord into the theater, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, traveling companions of Paul {Paulos: mission leader}.
30 But when Paul {Paulos: apostolic leader} wished to enter among the crowd, the disciples {mathetai: committed learners} would not permit him.
31 But some also of the Asiarchs {Asiarchon: provincial civic leaders}, who were his friends, sent to him and were urging him not to give himself into the theater {theatron: public assembly venue}.
32 Therefore, some were crying out one thing and others another, for the assembly {ekklesia: civic gathering} was confused {sugkechumene: in turmoil}, and the majority did not know for what reason they had come together.
33 But from the crowd {ochlos: agitated gathering} they brought forward Alexander, the Jews having put him forward; and Alexander, having motioned with his hand, wanted to make a defense to the crowd {demos: public crowd}.
34 But when they recognized that he was a Jew {Ioudaios: outsider to their cult}, one voice arose from them all, for about two hours, as they were shouting, “Great is Artemis {Artemis: Greek city goddess} of the Ephesians.”
35 But after the scribe {grammateus: city secretary} had quieted the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, who is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the temple-keeper {neokoros: sacred steward} of the great Artemis and of the thing that fell from Zeus?”
36 Therefore, since these things are undeniable, it is necessary for you to be quiet {katestalmenos: properly self-controlled} and to do nothing rash {propetes: reckless haste}.
37 For you have brought these men, who are neither temple-robbers {hierosylous: temple thieves} nor blasphemers of our goddess {theon: Artemis goddess}.
38 If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint {logon: formal legal charge} against anyone, the courts {agoraioi: public court assembly} are in session, and there are proconsuls; let them bring charges against one another.
39 But if you seek anything further {peraitero: beyond this matter}, it will be resolved in the lawful assembly {ekklesia: official civic meeting}.
40 For we are in danger of being accused {egkaleisthai: formally charged} of a riot concerning what has happened today, with no cause existing, about which we will not be able to give an account regarding this disturbance {systrophe: public disorder}.
41 And after he had said these things {tauta: prior words}, he dismissed {apolyo: official dismissal} the assembly.