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.
11. God was performing unusual miracles through Paul.
12. Even handkerchiefs and aprons he had used were taken to those who were ill, and their diseases were driven away, and the evil spirits would go out of them.
13. Some Jews who travelled round 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 honour.
18. Many of the believers came, publicly admitting and revealing what they had done.
19. Many of those who had practised magic brought their books together and burnt them in public. They added up the price of the books, and the total came to 50,000 silver coins.
20. In this powerful way the word of the Lord kept spreading and growing stronger.