and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered him, "So far from that, we never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."

He then asked, "With what sort of baptism then were you baptized?" They answered, "With John's baptism."

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.

On hearing this they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus,

and when Paul laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began to speak in foreign tongues and to prophesy.

And they were in all about twelve men.

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.

as an instrument that the people carried off to the sick, towels or aprons used by him, and at their touch they were cured of their diseases, and the evil spirits went out of them.

An attempt was made by some itinerant Jews, who were exorcists, to use the Name of the Lord Jesus over those who had wicked spirits in them. "I adjure you," they would say, "by the Jesus, whom Paul preaches."

And they were seven sons of Sceva a Jew, a chief priest, who did this.

So the man in whom the evil spirit was, leaped upon them and so violently overpowered two of them that they ran out of the house stripped of their clothes and wounded.

When this became known to everyone living in Ephesus, Jews and Greeks alike, they all became terrified, and the name of the Lord Jesus began to be held in high honor.

Many who became believers kept coming to confess and talk about what they had been doing.

Many people who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them up before the public gaze. They estimated the price of them and found it to be ten thousand dollars.

and with them the workmen they employed about such things, and said, My friends, ye know that by this employment we get our wealth.

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:

And not only is this interest in danger to us to come into disrepute; but even the temple of the great goddess Diana to be considered for nought, and they are about even to despise the majesty of her, whom all Asia and the world worships.

When they heard this, they became furious and kept on shouting, "Great Artemis of Ephesus!"

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.

So they kept on shouting, some one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and the majority of them did not know why they had met.

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.

But as soon as they saw that he was a Jew, a shout went up from them all as the shout of one man, lasting for two hours: "Great Artemis of Ephesus!"

For you have brought these men here, although they are not guilty of sacrilege or of abusive speech against our goddess.

So if Demetrius and his workers have a charge against anyone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They should accuse one another there.

But if you want to address other matters, they can be settled in the regular, scheduled assembly.

They went on to Troas and waited there for us,

And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together.

Then they took the boy home alive, and were greatly comforted.

For Paul had determined to leave Ephesus as they sailed, because he would not spend the time in Asia. For he hasted to be, if he could possibly, at Jerusalem at the day of Pentecost.

When they arrived, he said to them: "You know how I lived among you all the time from the day I first set foot in the province of Asia, and how I continued

[You know how] I testified to both Jews and Greeks [i.e., Gentiles], that they must repent [i.e., change their attitudes and behavior] toward God, and have faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come among you, and they will not spare the flock;

and men will arise from among yourselves, speaking perverse things, that they may draw off disciples after them.

There was loud weeping by them all, as they threw their arms around Paul's neck and kept on kissing him with affection,

(44:37) because they were especially pained at his saying that they would never see his face again. Then they went down to the ship with him.

So we looked up the disciples there and stayed a week with them. Because of impressions made by the Spirit they kept on warning Paul not to set foot in Jerusalem.

And when we had accomplished those days, we departed and went our way; and they all brought us on our way, with wives and children, till we were out of the city: and we kneeled down on the shore, and prayed.

there we bade one another goodbye, and we went aboard the ship, while they went back.

And the morrow, they about Paul having come out, came to Cesarea: and having come to Philip's house, bearer of good news, being of the seven, we remained with him.

This man had four virgin [i.e., unmarried] daughters, who were female prophets [i.e., they spoke by inspiration].

and he having come unto us, and having taken up the girdle of Paul, having bound also his own hands and feet, said, 'Thus saith the Holy Spirit, The man whose is this girdle -- so shall the Jews in Jerusalem bind, and they shall deliver him up to the hands of nations.'

And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem.

Some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us. They took us to the home of Mnason to be his guests. He was from Cyprus and had been an early disciple.

They gave the glory to God, when they heard it, and said to him, "You see, brother, how many thousand believers there are among the Jews, all of them zealous champions of the law.

They have been repeatedly told about you that you continuously teach the Jews who live among the heathen to turn their backs on Moses, and that you continue to tell them to stop circumcising their children, and to stop observing the cherished customs.

What is your duty, then? They will certainly hear that you have come.

Take them along with you, purify yourself with them, and bear the expense for them of having their heads shaved. Then everybody will know that none of those things they have been told about you are so, but that you yourself are living as a constant observer of the law.

As for the heathen who have become believers, we have sent them our resolution that they must avoid anything that is contaminated by idols, the tasting of blood, the meat of strangled animals, and sexual immorality."

Then Paul took the [four] men, and the next day he purified himself along with them [by submitting to the ritual]. He went into the temple to give notice of [the time] when the days of purification [ending each vow] would be fulfilled and the usual offering could be presented on behalf of each one.

And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him,

as they kept shouting, "Men of Israel, help! help! This is the man who teaches everybody everywhere against our people and the law and this place; yea, more than that, he has actually brought Greeks into the temple and desecrated this sacred place."

For they had previously seen Trophimus of Ephesus in the city with him, and so they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.

And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut.

Now while they were trying to kill him, news reached the colonel of the regiment that all Jerusalem was in a ferment.

So he at once got together some soldiers and captains and hurried down against them, but as soon as they saw the colonel and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

But they kept shouting in the crowd, some one thing, some another. As he could not with certainty find out about it, because of the tumult, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks.

When they got to the stairway [of the headquarters building] the soldiers had to carry Paul because of the [unrestrained] violence of the mob,

Just as they were going to take him into the barracks, Paul said to the colonel, "May I say something to you?" "Do you know Greek?" the colonel asked.

And when he let him do so, Paul, from the steps, made a sign with his hand to the people, and when they were all quiet, he said to them in the Hebrew language,

When they heard him speaking to them in Hebrew, they became even more quiet, and he continued:

as also the chief priest doth testify to me, and all the eldership; from whom also having received letters unto the brethren, to Damascus, I was going on, to bring also those there bound to Jerusalem that they might be punished,

The men who were with me saw the light, but they did not hear the voice of Him who was speaking to me.

And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.

So I said, 'Lord, they know for themselves that from one synagogue to another I used to imprison and flog those who believed in you,

and when they were shedding the blood of Stephen, Thy witness, I was standing by, fully approving of it, and I held the clothes of those who were killing him.'

They listened to him until he said this, and then all at once they shouted, "Away with such a fellow from the earth! He is certainly not fit to live!"

While they were shouting and tossing their clothes about and flinging dust into the air,

the colonel ordered Paul to be brought into the barracks, and told them to examine him by flogging, in order that he might find out why they were crying out against him in such a way.

But when they had tied him for the flogging, Paul asked the captain who was standing by, "Is it lawful for you to flog a Roman, and one who is uncondemned at that?"

Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God's high priest?

And there developed a great clamor. And some of the scholars of the Pharisees part having risen, they argued vehemently, saying, We find nothing wrong in this man. But if a spirit spoke to him, or a heavenly agent, we should not fi

The quarrel was becoming violent, and the tribune was afraid that they would tear Paul to pieces. So he ordered the soldiers to go down, take him away from them by force, and bring him into the barracks.

And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.

And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy.

They went to the high priests and elders and said to them, "We have taken a solemn oath not to taste a morsel till we have killed Paul.

So the colonel took him by the arm and stepping aside where they could be alone, asked, "What is it that you have to tell me?"

And he said, The Jews have agreed to desire thee that thou wouldest bring down Paul to morrow into the council, as though they would inquire somewhat of him more perfectly.

But do not yield to them, for more than forty of them are lying in wait for him; they have taken an oath not to eat or drink till they have killed him. They are all ready now, just waiting for your promise."

and having called near a certain two of the centurions, he said, 'Make ready soldiers two hundred, that they may go on unto Caesarea, and horsemen seventy, and spearmen two hundred, from the third hour of the night;

And provide them beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe unto Felix the governor.

This man had been seized by the Jews and they were on the point of killing him when I came upon them with the soldiers and rescued him, because I had learned that he was a Roman citizen.

As I wanted to know the exact charge they were making against him, I brought him before their council,

I found out that he was being accused over questions regarding their law, but that they had no charges against him deserving of the death penalty, or [even] of being kept in prison.

And when it was told me how that the Jews laid wait for the man, I sent straightway to thee, and gave commandment to his accusers also to say before thee what they had against him. Farewell.

So the soldiers took Paul, as they had been ordered to do, and brought him by night as far as Antipatris.

The next day they returned to the barracks, leaving the mounted men to go on with him;

they, on reaching Caesarea, delivered the letter to the governor and turned Paul over to him, too.

Five days later, the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and a prosecuting attorney, Tertullus, and through him they presented their case against Paul before the governor.

The Jews also joined in the charges and maintained that they were true.

and they have never found me debating with anybody in the temple nor making a disturbance in the synagogues or about the city,

and they cannot prove the charges they have just made against me.

But I certainly admit this as a fact that in accordance with The Way -- that they call heresy -- I continue to worship the God of my forefathers, and I still believe in everything taught in the law and written in the prophets,

and I have the same hope in God that they cherish for themselves, that there is to be a resurrection of the upright and the wicked.

Now, after many years, intending to do, alms, unto my nation, I arrived, - also to present offerings; among which they found me, purified in the temple, not with a multitude, nor with tumult;

While I was performing these duties they found me just as I had completed the rites of my purification in the temple; however, there was no crowd with me and no disturbance at all.

But there were some Jews from Asia who ought to be here before you and to present their charges, if they have any, against me.

Or let these men themselves tell what wrong they found in me when I appeared before the council --

And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews informed him against Paul; and they besought him,

and begged the governor as a favor to have Paul come to Jerusalem, because they were plotting an ambush to kill him on the way.