1 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having passed through the upper country, came to Ephesus and found certain disciples. 2 He said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?"
They said to him, "No, we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."
3 He said, "Into what then were you baptized?"
They said, "Into John’s baptism."
4 Paul said, "John indeed baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe in the one who would come after him, that is, in Jesus."
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them and they spoke with other languages and prophesied. 7 They were about twelve men in all.
8 He entered into the synagogue and spoke boldly for a period of three months, reasoning and persuading about the things concerning God’s Kingdom.
9 But when some were hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them and separated the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. 10 This continued for two years, so that all those who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.
11 God worked special miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were carried away from his body to the sick, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out. 13 But some of the itinerant Jews, exorcists, took on themselves to invoke over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, "We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches." 14 There were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did this.
15 The evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?" 16 The man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17 This became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived at Ephesus. Fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. 18 Many also of those who had believed came, confessing and declaring their deeds. 19 Many of those who practiced magical arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. They counted their price, and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So the word of the Lord was growing and becoming mighty.
21 Now after these things had ended, Paul determined in the Spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, "After I have been there, I must also see Rome."
22 Having sent into Macedonia two of those who served him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while. 23 About that time there arose no small disturbance concerning the Way. 24 For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen, 25 whom he gathered together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, "Sirs, you know that by this business we have our wealth. 26 You see and hear that not at Ephesus alone, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are no gods that are made with hands. 27 Not only is there danger that this our trade come into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be counted as nothing and her majesty destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worships."
28 When they heard this they were filled with anger, and cried out, saying, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" 29 The whole city was filled with confusion, and they rushed with one accord into the theater, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul’s companions in travel. 30 When Paul wanted to enter in to the people, the disciples didn’t allow him. 31 Certain also of the Asiarchs, being his friends, sent to him and begged him not to venture into the theater. 32 Some therefore cried one thing, and some another, for the assembly was in confusion. Most of them didn’t know why they had come together. 33 They brought Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. Alexander beckoned with his hand, and would have made a defense to the people. 34 But when they perceived that he was a Jew, all with one voice for a time of about two hours cried out, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"
35 When the town clerk had quieted the multitude, he said, "You men of Ephesus, what man is there who doesn’t know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great goddess Artemis, and of the image which fell down from Zeus? 36 Seeing then that these things can’t be denied, you ought to be quiet and to do nothing rash. 37 For you have brought these men here, who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of your goddess. 38 If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a matter against anyone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. Let them press charges against one another. 39 But if you seek anything about other matters, it will be settled in the regular assembly. 40 For indeed we are in danger of being accused concerning today’s riot, there being no cause. Concerning it, we wouldn’t be able to give an account of this commotion." 41 When he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.
1 亚波罗在哥林多的时候， 保罗经过内地一带， 来到以弗所。他遇见几个门徒，
2 问他们说： "你们信的时候， 受了圣灵没有？"他们说： "没有， 连圣灵赐下来这件事， 我们也没有听过。"
3 保罗问： "那么你们受的是什么洗呢？"他们说： "是约翰的洗礼。"
4 保罗说： "约翰施的是悔改的洗礼， 他告诉人民当信在他以后要来的那一位， 就是耶稣。"
5 他们听见了， 就受洗归入主耶稣的名下。
6 保罗为他们按手， 圣灵就降在他们身上， 他们就用各种的语言讲话， 并且说预言。
7 他们一共约有十二人。
8 一连三个月， 保罗都到会堂里去， 放胆宣讲， 辩论 神的国的事， 劝导人。
9 可是有些人心里刚硬， 不受劝化， 在群众面前毁谤这道， 保罗就离开他们， 也叫门徒与他们分开。他每天在推喇奴学院跟人辩论。
10 这样过了两年， 全亚西亚的居民， 无论犹太人或希腊人， 都听见了主的道。
11 神借着保罗的手， 行了一些不平凡的神迹。
12 甚至有人把保罗贴身的手巾围巾拿去， 放在病人身上， 病就好了， 邪灵也出来了。
13 那时， 有几个赶鬼的犹太人， 周游各处， 擅自用主耶稣的名， 向身上有邪灵的人说： "我奉保罗所传的耶稣的名， 命令你们出来。"
14 有一个犹太人士基瓦， 是祭司长， 他的七个儿子都作这事。
15 邪灵回答他们： "耶稣我认识， 保罗我也知道； 你们是谁？"
16 邪灵所附的那人就扑到他们身上， 制伏了两人， 胜过了他们， 使他们赤着身带着伤， 从那房子逃了出来。
17 所有住在以弗所的犹太人和希腊人， 都知道这件事； 大家都惧怕， 尊主耶稣的名为大。
18 也有许多信了的人， 来承认和述说自己行过的事。
19 又有许多行巫术的人， 把他们的书带来， 当众烧掉。他们估计书价， 才知道共值五万块银子。
20 这样， 主的道大有能力地兴旺起来， 而且得胜。
21 这些事以后， 保罗心里定意要经过马其顿、亚该亚， 往耶路撒冷去。他说： "我到了那边以后， 也该去罗马看看。"
22 于是从服事他的人中， 派了提摩太和以拉都两人去马其顿， 自己暂时留在亚西亚。
23 那时， 因这道起了大扰乱，
24 有一个银匠， 名叫低米丢， 是制造亚底米女神银龛的。他让技工们作了不少的生意。
25 他把这些人和同业的工人聚集起来， 说： "各位， 你们知道， 我们是靠这生意赚钱的。
26 现在你们看见了， 也听见了， 这个保罗不单在以弗所， 而且几乎在整个亚西亚， 说服了， 也带坏了许多人， 说： ‘人手所做的， 都不是神。’
27 这样， 不只我们这一行要给人鄙视， 就是大女神亚底米的庙也会给人撇弃， 连全亚西亚和普天下所敬拜的女神也要垮台， 威荣尽都失掉了。"
28 他们听了， 怒气冲冲喊着说： "以弗所人的女神， 伟大的亚底米啊！ "
29 全城骚动起来， 他们捉住了保罗的旅伴马其顿人该犹和亚里达古， 齐心冲进了剧场。
30 保罗想要到人群当中去， 门徒却不许。
31 还有几位亚西亚的首长， 是保罗的朋友， 派人来劝他， 不要冒险到剧场里去。
32 那时大家叫这个喊那个， 乱成一团， 大多数的人都不知道聚集的原因。
33 犹太人把亚历山大推到前面， 群众中有人把这事的因由告诉他。亚历山大作了一个手势， 要向民众申辩。
34 大家一认出他是犹太人， 就异口同声高呼： "以弗所人的女神， 伟大的亚底米啊！ "喊了约有两个钟头。
35 后来， 书记官安抚群众说： "以弗所人哪！ 谁不知道你们的城， 是看守大亚底米的庙， 又是看守宙斯那里降下的神像的呢？
36 这些事既然是驳不倒的， 你们就应当平心静气， 不可轻举妄动。
37 你们带来的这些人， 既没有行劫庙宇， 也没有亵渎我们的女神。
38 如果低米丢和同他一起的技工要控告谁， 大可以告上法庭， 或呈交总督； 让他们彼此控告好了。
39 如果还有其他的事件， 可以在合法的集会里， 谋求解决。
40 今天的动乱， 本来是无缘无故的， 我们可能有被控告的危险； 关于这次的骚动， 我们实在无法解释。"
41 说了这些话， 就把群众解散了。