1 ¶ And it came to pass that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having passed through the upper coasts, came to Ephesus, and finding certain disciples,

2 h e said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Spirit since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there is any Holy Spirit.

3 A nd he said unto them, Into what then were ye baptized? And they said, Into John’s baptism.

4 T hen said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people that they should believe on him who should come after him, that is, on Christ, Jesus.

5 W hen they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.

6 A nd when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

7 A nd all the men were about twelve.

8 ¶ And he went into the synagogue and spoke freely for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.

9 B ut when some were hardened and disobedient, but cursing the way before the multitude, he departed from them and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus.

10 A nd this continued by the space of two years so that all those who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.

11 A nd God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul

12 s o that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.

13 ¶ Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon themselves to invoke over those who had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.

14 ( And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew and prince of the priests, who did so.)

15 A nd the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I am acquainted with, but who are ye?

16 A nd the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them and overcame them and prevailed against them so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

17 A nd this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.

18 A nd many that believed came, confessing and declaring their deeds.

19 I n the same manner many who had practiced vain arts brought their books together and burned them before everyone, and they counted the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.

20 S o the word of God grew mightily and prevailed.

21 ¶ After these things were ended, Paul purposed by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem, after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, saying, After I have been there, it behooves me to see Rome also.

22 S o he sent into Macedonia two of those that ministered unto him, Timothy and Erastus, but he himself stayed in Asia for a season.

23 A nd the same time there arose no small stir about the way.

24 F or a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen,

25 w hom he called together with the workmen of like occupation and said, Sirs, ye know that by this gain we have our wealth.

26 M oreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands

27 s o that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought, but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship.

28 A nd when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.

29 A nd the whole city was filled with confusion, and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul’s companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theatre.

30 A nd when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not.

31 A nd certain of the chief persons of Asia, who were his friends, sent unto him, asking him that he not present himself in the theatre.

32 S ome therefore cried one thing, and some another, for the assembly was confused; and most of them did not know why they were come together.

33 A nd they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand and would have made his defense unto the people.

34 B ut when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.

35 T hen the town scribe, appeasing the people, said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that does not know how the city of the Ephesians is honored of the great goddess Diana and of the image which fell down from Jupiter?

36 S eeing then that these things cannot be gainsaid, ye ought to be quiet and to do nothing rashly.

37 F or ye have brought here these men, who are neither guilty of sacrilege, nor blasphemers of your goddess.

38 T herefore if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a matter against any man, the law is open, and there are proconsuls; let them accuse one another.

39 B ut if ye enquire any thing concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly.

40 F or we are in danger of being accused of sedition for this day’s uproar, there being no cause by which we may give an account of this concourse.

41 A nd when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.