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Chapter 19 |
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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, |
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2 | He said unto them, Have ye
received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not
so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. |
| 3 | And he said
unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's
baptism. |
| 4
| Then said Paul, John 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. |
| 5 | When they
heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. |
| 6 | And
when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they
spake with tongues, and prophesied. |
| 7 | And all the men were about
twelve. |
| 8 |
And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space
of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of
God. |
| 9 |
But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake
evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the
disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus. |
| 10 | And this
continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard
the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. |
| 11 | And God
wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: |
| 12 | So 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 them to call over them which
had evil spirits the name of the LORD Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus
whom Paul preacheth. |
| 14 | And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a
Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. |
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15 | And the evil spirit
answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? |
| 16 |
And 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
| And 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. |
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18 | And many that believed came, and confessed, and
shewed their deeds. |
| 19 | Many of them also which used curious arts
brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted
the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. |
| 20 |
So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed. |
| 21 | After these
things were ended, Paul purposed 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 | So he sent into Macedonia two of them that
ministered unto him, Timotheus and Erastus; but he himself stayed in Asia for a
season. |
| 23
| And the same time there arose no small stir about that
way. |
| 24 |
For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made
silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen; |
| 25 |
Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye
know that by this craft we have our wealth. |
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26 | Moreover ye see and
hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath
persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are
made with hands: |
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27 | So 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
worshippeth. |
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28 | And when they heard these sayings, they were full
of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. |
| 29 |
And 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. |
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30 | And when Paul would have entered in
unto the people, the disciples suffered him not. |
| 31 | And certain
of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring him that
he would not adventure himself into the theatre. |
| 32 | Some
therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was confused: and
the more part knew not wherefore they were come together. |
| 33 | And they
drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And
Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made his defence unto the
people. |
| 34
| But 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.
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| 35 | And when the townclerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of
Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians
is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down
from Jupiter? |
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36 | Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken
against, ye ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly. |
| 37 | For ye
have brought hither these men, which are neither robbers of churches, nor yet
blasphemers of your goddess. |
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38 | Wherefore if Demetrius, and the
craftsmen which are with him, have a matter against any man, the law is open,
and there are deputies: let them implead one another. |
| 39 | But if ye
enquire any thing concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful
assembly. |
| 40
| For we are in danger to be called in question for this
day's uproar, there being no cause whereby we may give an account of this
concourse. |
| 41
| And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the
assembly. |
