Acts 19

   19 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the inland regions and came to Ephesus, where he found some disciples. 2He said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?’ They replied, ‘No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.’ 3Then he said, ‘Into what then were you baptized?’ They answered, ‘Into John’s baptism.’ 4Paul said, ‘John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.’ 5On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied? 7altogether there were about twelve of them.

8 He entered the synagogue and for three months spoke out boldly, and argued persuasively about the kingdom of God. 9When some stubbornly refused to believe and spoke evil of the Way before the congregation, he left them, taking the disciples with him, and argued daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.* 10This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord.
11 God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12so that when the handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were brought to the sick, their diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out of them. 13Then some itinerant Jewish exorcists tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, ‘I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.’ 14Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. 15But the evil spirit said to them in reply, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?’ 16Then the man with the evil spirit leapt on them, mastered them all, and so overpowered them that they fled out of the house naked and wounded. 17When this became known to all residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, everyone was awestruck; and the name of the Lord Jesus was praised. 18Also many of those who became believers confessed and disclosed their practices. 19A number of those who practised magic collected their books and burned them publicly; when the value of these books* was calculated, it was found to come to fifty thousand silver coins. 20So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.

21 Now after these things had been accomplished, Paul resolved in the Spirit to go through Macedonia and Achaia, and then to go on to Jerusalem. He said, ‘After I have gone there, I must also see Rome.’ 22So he sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he himself stayed for some time longer in Asia.

23 About that time no little disturbance broke out concerning the Way. 24A man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the artisans. 25These he gathered together, with the workers of the same trade, and said, ‘Men, you know that we get our wealth from this business. 26You also see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost the whole of Asia this Paul has persuaded and drawn away a considerable number of people by saying that gods made with hands are not gods. 27And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be scorned, and she will be deprived of her majesty that brought all Asia and the world to worship her.’

28 When they heard this, they were enraged and shouted, ‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!’ 29The city was filled with the confusion; and people* rushed together to the theatre, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul’s travelling-companions. 30Paul wished to go into the crowd, but the disciples would not let him; 31even some officials of the province of Asia,* who were friendly to him, sent him a message urging him not to venture into the theatre. 32Meanwhile, some were shouting one thing, some another; for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. 33Some of the crowd gave instructions to Alexander, whom the Jews had pushed forward. And Alexander motioned for silence and tried to make a defence before the people. 34But when they recognized that he was a Jew, for about two hours all of them shouted in unison, ‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!’ 35But when the town clerk had quietened the crowd, he said, ‘Citizens of Ephesus, who is there that does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the temple-keeper of the great Artemis and of the statue that fell from heaven?* 36Since these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash. 37You have brought these men here who are neither temple-robbers nor blasphemers of our* goddess. 38If therefore Demetrius and the artisans with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls; let them bring charges there against one another. 39If there is anything further* you want to know, it must be settled in the regular assembly. 40For we are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since there is no cause that we can give to justify this commotion.’ 41When he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.

使徒行传 19

1.亚波罗在哥林多的时候,保罗经过了上边一带地方,就来到以弗所。在那里遇见几个门徒。 2.问他们说,你们信的时候,受了圣灵没有。他们回答说,没有,也未曾听见有圣灵赐下来  3.保罗说,这样,你们受的是什么洗呢。他们说,是约翰的洗。 4.保罗说,约翰所行的是悔改的洗,告诉百姓,当信那在他以后要来的,就是耶稣。 5.他们听见这话,就奉主的名受洗。 6.保罗按手在他们头上,圣灵便降在他们身上。他们就说方言,又说豫言。(或作又讲道)。 7.一共约有十二个人。 8.保罗进会堂,放胆讲道,一连三个月,辩论神国的事,劝化众人。 9.后来有些人,心里刚硬不信,在众人面前毁谤这道,保罗就离开他们,也叫门徒与他们分离,便在推喇奴的学房,天天辩论。 10.这样有两年之久,叫一切住在亚西亚的,无论是游太人,是希利尼人,都听见主的道。 11.神藉保罗的手,行了些非常的奇事。
12.甚至有人从保罗身上拿手巾,或围裙,放在病人身上,病就退了,恶鬼也出去了。
13.那时,有几个游行各处,念咒赶鬼的犹太人,向那被恶鬼附的人,擅自称主耶稣的名,说,我奉保罗所传的耶稣,敕令你们出来。
14.作这事的,有犹太祭司长士基瓦的七个儿子。
15.恶鬼回答他们说,耶稣我认识,保罗我也知道。你们却是谁呢。
16.恶鬼所附的人,就跳在他们身上,胜了其中二人,制伏他们,叫他们赤着身子受了伤,从那房子里逃出去了。
17.凡住在以弗所的,无论是犹太人,是希利尼人,都知道这事,也都惧怕,主耶稣的名从此就尊大了。 18.那已经信的,多有人来承认诉说自己所行的事。
19.平素行邪术的,也有许多人把书拿来,堆积在众人面前焚烧。他们算计书价,便知道共合五万块钱。 20.主的道大大兴旺而且得胜,就是这样。
21.这些事完了,保罗心里定意,经过了马其顿,亚该亚就往耶路撒冷去,又说,我到了那里以后,也必须往罗马去看看。
22.于是从帮助他的人中,打发提摩太,以拉都二人,往马其顿去。自己暂时等在亚西亚。
23.那时,因为这道起的扰乱不小。
24.有一个银匠,名叫底米丢,是制造亚底米神银龛的,他使这样手艺人生意发达。
25.他聚集他们和同行的工人,说,众位,你们知道我们是倚靠这生意发财。
26.这保罗不但在以弗所,也几乎在亚西亚全地,引诱迷惑许多人,说,人手所作的不是神,这是你们所看见所听见的。
27.这样,不独我们这事业,被人藐视,就是大女神亚底米的庙,也要被人轻忽,连亚西亚全地,和普天下,所敬拜的大女神之威荣,也要销灭了。
28.众人听见,就怒气填胸,喊着说,大哉以弗所人的亚底米阿。
29.满城都轰动起来。众人拿住保罗同行的马其顿人,该犹,和亚里达古,齐心拥进戏园里去。 30.保罗想要进去,到百姓那里,门徒却不许他去。
31.还有亚西亚几位首领,是保罗的朋友,打发人来劝他,不要冒险到戏园里去。
32.聚集的人,纷纷乱乱,有喊叫这个的,有喊叫那个的,大半不知道为什么聚集。
33.有人把亚力山大从众人中带出来,犹太人推他往前,亚力山大就摆手,要向百姓分诉。
34.只因他们认出他是犹太人,就大家同声喊着说,大哉以弗所人的亚底米阿。如此约有两小时
35.那城里的书记,安抚了众人,就说,以弗所人哪,谁不知道以弗所人的城,是看守大亚底米的庙,和从丢斯那里落下来的像呢。
36.这事既是驳不倒的,你们就当安静,不可造次。
37.你们把这些人带来,他们并没有偷窃庙中之物,也没有谤??我们的女神。
38.若是底米丢和他同行的人,有控告人的事,自有放告的日子。(或作自有公堂)也有方伯,可以彼此对告。 39.你们若问别的事,就可以照常例聚集断定。 40.今日的搅扰,本是无缘无故,我们难免被查问。论到这样聚众,我们也说不出所以然来。
41.说了这话,便叫众人散去。