10. This went on for two years, so that all who lived in the province of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord.
11. God was performing extraordinary miracles by Paul’s hands,
12. so that when even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his body were brought to the sick, their diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.
13. But some itinerant Jewish exorcists tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were possessed by evil spirits, saying, “I sternly warn you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.”
14. (Now seven sons of a man named Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were doing this.)
15. But the evil spirit replied to them, “I know about Jesus and I am acquainted with Paul, but who are you?”
16. Then the man who was possessed by the evil spirit jumped on them and beat them all into submission. He prevailed against them so that they fled from that house naked and wounded.
17. This became known to all who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks; fear came over them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was praised.
18. Many of those who had believed came forward, confessing and making their deeds known.
19. Large numbers of those who had practiced magic collected their books and burned them up in the presence of everyone. When the value of the books was added up, it was found to total fifty thousand silver coins.
20. In this way the word of the Lord continued to grow in power and to prevail.
21. Now after all these things had taken place, Paul resolved to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. He said, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”
22. So after sending two of his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, he himself stayed on for a while in the province of Asia.
23. At that time a great disturbance took place concerning the Way.
24. For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought a great deal of business to the craftsmen.
25. He gathered these together, along with the workmen in similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity comes from this business.
26. And you see and hear that this Paul has persuaded and turned away a large crowd, not only in Ephesus but in practically all of the province of Asia, by saying that gods made by hands are not gods at all.
27. There is danger not only that this business of ours will come into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be regarded as nothing, and she whom all the province of Asia and the world worship will suffer the loss of her greatness.”
28. When they heard this they became enraged and began to shout, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
29. The city was filled with the uproar, and the crowd rushed to the theater together, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, the Macedonians who were Paul’s traveling companions.
30. But when Paul wanted to enter the public assembly, the disciples would not let him.