Paul in Ephesus
1 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior of the province and arrived in Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?”
“We have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit,” they answered.
3 “Well, then, what kind of baptism did you receive?” Paul asked.
“The baptism of John,” they answered.
4 Paul said, “The baptism of John was for those who turned from their sins; and he told the people of Israel to believe in the one who was coming after him—that is, in Jesus.”
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 Paul placed his hands on them, and the Holy Spirit came upon them; they spoke in strange tongues and also proclaimed God's message. 7 They were about twelve men in all.
8 Paul went into the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly with the people, holding discussions with them and trying to convince them about the Kingdom of God. 9 But some of them were stubborn and would not believe, and before the whole group they said evil things about the Way of the Lord. So Paul left them and took the believers with him, and every day he held discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10 This went on for two years, so that all the people who lived in the province of Asia, both Jews and Gentiles, heard the word of the Lord.
The Sons of Sceva
11 God was performing unusual miracles through Paul. 12 Even handkerchiefs and aprons he had used were taken to the sick, and their diseases were driven away, and the evil spirits would go out of them. 13 Some Jews who traveled around and drove out evil spirits also tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus to do this. They said to the evil spirits, “I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches.” 14 Seven brothers, who were the sons of a Jewish High Priest named Sceva, were doing this.
15 But the evil spirit said to them, “I know Jesus, and I know about Paul; but you—who are you?”
16 The man who had the evil spirit in him attacked them with such violence that he overpowered them all. They ran away from his house, wounded and with their clothes torn off. 17 All the Jews and Gentiles who lived in Ephesus heard about this; they were all filled with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was given greater honor. 18 Many of the believers came, publicly admitting and revealing what they had done. 19 Many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in public. They added up the price of the books, and the total came to fifty thousand silver coins. 20 In this powerful way the word of the Lord kept spreading and growing stronger.
The Riot in Ephesus
21 After these things had happened, Paul made up his mind to travel through Macedonia and Achaia and go on to Jerusalem. “After I go there,” he said, “I must also see Rome.” 22 So he sent Timothy and Erastus, two of his helpers, to Macedonia, while he spent more time in the province of Asia.
23 It was at this time that there was serious trouble in Ephesus because of the Way of the Lord. 24 A certain silversmith named Demetrius made silver models of the temple of the goddess Artemis, and his business brought a great deal of profit to the workers. 25 So he called them all together with others whose work was like theirs and said to them, “Men, you know that our prosperity comes from this work. 26 Now, you can see and hear for yourselves what this fellow Paul is doing. He says that hand-made gods are not gods at all, and he has succeeded in convincing many people, both here in Ephesus and in nearly the whole province of Asia. 27 There is the danger, then, that this business of ours will get a bad name. Not only that, but there is also the danger that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will come to mean nothing and that her greatness will be destroyed—the goddess worshiped by everyone in Asia and in all the world!”
28 As the crowd heard these words, they became furious and started shouting, “Great is Artemis of Ephesus!” 29 The uproar spread throughout the whole city. The mob grabbed Gaius and Aristarchus, two Macedonians who were traveling with Paul, and rushed with them to the theater. 30 Paul himself wanted to go before the crowd, but the believers would not let him. 31 Some of the provincial authorities, who were his friends, also sent him a message begging him not to show himself in the theater. 32 Meanwhile the whole meeting was in an uproar: some people were shouting one thing, others were shouting something else, because most of them did not even know why they had come together. 33 Some of the people concluded that Alexander was responsible, since the Jews made him go up to the front. Then Alexander motioned with his hand for the people to be silent, and he tried to make a speech of defense. 34 But when they recognized that he was a Jew, they all shouted together the same thing for two hours: “Great is Artemis of Ephesus!”
35 At last the city clerk was able to calm the crowd. “Fellow Ephesians!” he said. “Everyone knows that the city of Ephesus is the keeper of the temple of the great Artemis and of the sacred stone that fell down from heaven. 36 Nobody can deny these things. So then, you must calm down and not do anything reckless. 37 You have brought these men here even though they have not robbed temples or said evil things about our goddess. 38 If Demetrius and his workers have an accusation against anyone, we have the authorities and the regular days for court; charges can be made there. 39 But if there is something more that you want, it will have to be settled in a legal meeting of citizens. 40 For after what has happened today, there is the danger that we will be accused of a riot. There is no excuse for all this uproar, and we would not be able to give a good reason for it.” 41 After saying this, he dismissed the meeting.
Pāvils Efesā
1 Kamēr Apolls bija Korintā, Pāvils, pārstaigājis augšējos apgabalus, nonāca Efesā un tur, sastapis dažus mācekļus, 2 tiem jautāja: “Vai jūs saņēmāt Svēto Garu, kad kļuvāt ticīgi?” Bet viņi atbildēja: “Pat dzirdējuši neesam, ka Svētais Gars ir.” 3 Viņš jautāja: “Kādā kristībā jūs esat kristīti?” Viņi atbildēja: “Jāņa kristībā.” 4 Pāvils sacīja: “Jānis kristīja uz atgriešanos no grēkiem un tautai mācīja, lai tic tam, kas nāks pēc viņa, – Jēzum.” 5 To dzirdējuši, viņi tika kristīti Kunga Jēzus vārdā, 6 un, kad Pāvils uzlika rokas, pār viņiem nāca Svētais Gars, un viņi sāka runāt mēlēs un pravietot. 7 Tādu vīru bija kādi divpadsmit. 8 Tad viņš iegāja sinagogā un drosmīgi sludināja trīs mēnešus, runādams un pārliecinādams par Dieva valstību. 9 Bet, kad daži ar nocietinātu sirdi neticēja un sapulcējušos ļaužu priekšā zākāja šo ticības ceļu, viņš kopā ar mācekļiem nošķīrās no tiem un ik dienas sarunājās Tiranna skolā . 10 Tas turpinājās divus gadus, tā ka visi Āzijas provinces iedzīvotāji dzirdēja Kunga vārdu – gan jūdi, gan grieķi.
Augstā priestera Skevas dēli
11 Dievs darīja neredzētus brīnumus caur Pāvila rokām, 12 tā ka pat, uzliekot slimajiem sviedrautus un apģērba gabalus, kas bijuši klāt pie viņa miesas, viņi no slimībām tika dziedināti un ļaunie gari izdzīti. 13 Arī daži apkārtklejojoši jūdu eksorcisti sāka piesaukt Kunga Jēzus vārdu pie ļauno garu apsēstiem, sacīdami: “Zvērinu ar Jēzu, kuru sludina Pāvils.” 14 Tā darīja kāda jūdu augstā priestera Skevas septiņi dēli. 15 Tad ļaunais gars tiem sacīja: “Jēzus man ir zināms, un pazīstu Pāvilu, bet kas esat jūs?” 16 Pēkšņi cilvēks, kam bija ļaunais gars, metās viņiem virsū un ar spēku pievārēja viņus, tā ka tie kaili un savainoti aizbēga no tā nama. 17 Tas kļuva zināms visiem jūdiem un grieķiem, kas dzīvoja Efesā, un pār visiem nāca lielas bailes, un Kunga Jēzus vārds tika augsti godināts. 18 Daudzi ticīgie nāca, atzinās un izstāstīja, ko bija darījuši. 19 Un krietni daudz to, kas bija nodarbojušies ar maģiju, sanesa savas grāmatas un visu priekšā tās sadedzināja. Grāmatu vērtība saskaitot izrādījās piecdesmit tūkstoši sudrabā. 20 Tā Kunga vārds auga un nostiprinājās lielā spēkā.
Efesas rotkaļi pret Pāvilu
21 Kad tas viss bija noticis, Pāvils, garā mudināts, nolēma pārstaigāt Maķedoniju un Ahaju un tad doties uz Jeruzālemi. Viņš sacīja: “Kad būšu tur bijis, man jāredz arī Roma.” 22 Nosūtījis uz Maķedoniju divus savus palīgus, Timoteju un Erastu, viņš pats kādu laiku palika Āzijā. 23 Tajā laikā izcēlās liels nemiers Kunga mācības dēļ. 24 Kāds sudrabkalis, vārdā Dēmētrijs, kas darināja no sudraba Artemīdas tempļa veidojumus, sagādādams rotkaļiem ienesīgu nodarbošanos, 25 saaicināja kopā visus šā darba darītājus un sacīja: “Vīri, jūs zināt, ka šī nodarbošanās nes mums peļņu. 26 Un jūs redzat un dzirdat, ka ne tikai Efesā, bet gandrīz visā Āzijas provincē šis Pāvils ir pārliecinājis un sapulcinājis ap sevi lielu ļaužu pūli, sludinādams, ka tie nav dievi, kas darināti cilvēku rokām. 27 Mums draud ne tikai tas, ka mūsu amats nonāks negodā, bet arī tas, ka lielās dievietes Artemīdas templis tiks noniecināts un iznīks tās dievietes varenība, kuru bīstas visa Āzija un pasaule.” 28 To dzirdēdami, tie kļuva dusmu pilni un kliedza: “Varena ir efesiešu Artemīda!” 29 Visu pilsētu pārņēma sajukums, visi kā viens metās uz amfiteātri, sagrābuši Pāvila pavadoņus – maķedoniešus Gāju un Aristarhu. 30 Kad Pāvils gribēja ieiet pūlī, mācekļi viņam to neļāva. 31 Arī daži aziarhi , būdami viņa draugi, ar sūtņu starpniecību mudināja viņu nedoties uz amfiteātri. 32 Katrs kliedza kaut ko savu; sapulcē izcēlās sajukums, un vairākums vairs nesaprata, kādēļ šeit sapulcējušies. 33 Pēc jūdu priekšlikuma ļaužu pūlis izstūma priekšā Aleksandru. Un Aleksandrs māja, lai tauta apklust un viņš varētu sacīt aizstāvības runu. 34 Uzzinājuši, ka viņš ir jūds, pūlis gandrīz vai divas stundas kliedza vienā balsī: “Varena ir Efesas Artemīda.” 35 Tad pilsētas rakstvedis, nomierinājis pūli, sacīja: “Efesas vīri, kurš cilvēks gan nezina, ka Efesas pilsēta sargā varenās Artemīdas templi un akmens tēlu, kas nokritis no debesīm? 36 Tā kā tas ir neapstrīdami, mums ir jābūt savaldīgiem un nav jādara nekas pārsteidzīgs. 37 Jūs esat atveduši šos vīrus, kas nav nedz tempļu aplaupītāji, nedz mūsu dievietes zaimotāji. 38 Ja Dēmētrijam un viņa amatniekiem ir pret kādu apsūdzība, tādēļ jau ir tiesas dienas un ir prokonsuli, lai viņi tiesājas savā starpā. 39 Bet, ja jūs gribat celt citu prasību, tad to lems likumīgā sapulce. 40 Mums jābīstas, ka šodien pret mums var izvirzīt apsūdzību par dumpi, jo nav iegansta, ar ko mēs varētu attaisnot šos nemierus.” To sacījis, viņš atlaida sapulci.
