¶ And it came to pass, that,¹ while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul² having passed through the upper coasts came³ to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,

He said unto them, Have ye⁴ received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have⁵ not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.

And he said unto them, Unto what⁶ then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's⁷ baptism.

Then said Paul, John⁸ verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.

When they⁹ heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

And when Paul had laid¹⁰ his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost¹¹ came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied¹².

And all the men were about twelve.

¶ And he went¹³ into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing¹⁴ and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.

But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake¹⁶ evil of that way before the multitude, he departed¹⁷ from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily¹⁸ in the school of one Tyrannus.

¶ And this¹⁹ continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia²⁰ heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both²¹ Jews and Greeks.

²²And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul:

²³So 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.

¶ Then certain of the vagabond²⁴ Jews, exorcists²⁵, took²⁶ upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure²⁷ you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.

And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so.

²⁸And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?

²⁹And 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.

And this was known to all³⁰ the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear³¹ fell on them all, and the name³² of the Lord Jesus was magnified.

And many that believed came, and confessed³³, and shewed their deeds.

Many of them also which used³⁴ curious³⁵ arts brought their books together, and burned³⁶ them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty³⁷ thousand pieces of silver.

¶³⁸So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.

¶ After these things were ended, Paul purposed⁴⁰ in the spirit, when⁴¹ he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go⁴² to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must⁴³ also see Rome.

So he sent into Macedonia⁴⁴ two of them that ministered⁴⁵ unto him, Timotheus and Erastus⁴⁶; but he himself stayed in Asia for a season.

And the same time there⁴⁷ arose no small stir about that⁴⁸ way.

For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines⁴⁹ for Diana⁵⁰, brought⁵¹ no small gain unto the craftsmen;

Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know⁵² that by this craft we have our wealth.

Moreover ye see and hear, that not⁵³ alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they⁵⁴ be no gods, which are made⁵⁵ with hands:

So that not⁵⁶ 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, whom⁵⁷ all Asia and the world worshippeth.

And when they⁵⁸ heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried⁵⁹ out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.

And the whole⁶⁰ city was filled with confusion: and having caught Gaius⁶¹ and Aristarchus⁶², men of Macedonia⁶³, Paul's companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theatre⁶⁴.

¶ And when Paul⁶⁵ would have entered in unto the people, the disciples⁶⁶ suffered him not.

And certain of the chief⁶⁷ of Asia, which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring⁶⁸ him that he would not adventure himself into the theatre.

Some therefore cried⁶⁹ one thing, and some another: for the assembly was confused; and the⁷⁰ more part knew not wherefore they were come together.

And they drew Alexander⁷¹ out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned⁷² with the hand, and would have made his⁷³ defence unto the people.

But when they knew⁷⁴ that he was a Jew, all⁷⁵ with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great⁷⁶ is Diana of the Ephesians.

And when the townclerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men⁷⁷ of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper⁷⁸ of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter⁷⁹?

Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against, ye ought⁸⁰ to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly.

For ye have brought hither these men, which⁸¹ are neither robbers of churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess.

Wherefore if Demetrius⁸², and the craftsmen which are with him, have⁸³ a matter against any man, the law is open⁸⁴, and there are deputies: let them implead one another.

But if ye enquire any thing concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful⁸⁵ assembly.

¶ For we are⁸⁶ in danger to be called in question for this day's uproar⁸⁷, there being no cause whereby we may give an account of this concourse.

And when⁸⁸ he had thus spoken, he dismissed⁸⁹ the assembly.