Ma'ashym (Acts) — 19
Shaul’s Third Missionary Journey
1 While Apollos was in Corinth, Shaul traveled through the interior regions until he reached Ephesus, on the coast, where he found several believers of the Dabar.
2 “Did you receive the RUACH Ha'Qadash when you believed in the Truth?” Shaul asked them. “No,” they replied, “we have not even heard that there is a RUACH Ha'Qadash.”
3 “Then what baptism did you experience?” Shaul asked them. And they replied, “The baptism of Yahukanun.”
4 Shaul said, “Yahukanun’s baptism called for repentance from sin. But Yahukanun himself told the people to believe in the one who would come later, He means 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏_YAHUSHA Ha'Mashyach.”
5 As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the Name of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏_YAHUSHA Ha'Mashyach.
6 Then when Shaul laid his hands on them, the RUACH Ha'Qadash came on them, and they spoke in other tongues and prophesied.
7 There were about twelve men in all.
8 Then Shaul went to the Yahudym congregation and preached boldly for the next three months, arguing persuasively about the Kingdom of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH.
9 But some became stubborn, rejecting Shaul‘s message and publicly speaking against the Way of Truth. So Shaul left the Yahudym congregation and took the Qadash assembly with him. Then he held daily discussions at the lecture hall of Tyrannus.
10 This went on for the next two years, so that people throughout the province of Asia both Yahudym and Greeks heard the Dabar of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH.
11 For 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH gave Shaul the power to perform unusual miracles.
12 When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched Shaul‘s skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled.
13 A group of Yahudym was traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏_YAHUSHA in their incantation, saying, “I command you in the name of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏_YAHUSHA, whom Shaul preaches, to come out!”
14 Seven sons of Sceva, a leading Kuhanym, were doing this.
15 But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, “I know 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏_YAHUSHA, and I know Shaul, but who are you?”
16 Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered.
17 The story of what happened spread quickly all through Ephesus, to Yahudym and Greeks alike. A solemn fear descended on the city, and the name of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏_YAHUSHA Ha'Mashyach was greatly honored.
18 Many who became believers confessed their sinful practices.
19 A number of them who had been practicing sorcery brought their incantation books and burned them at a public bonfire. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver.
20 So the message about 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏_YAHUSHA spread widely and had a powerful effect.
21 Afterward Shaul felt compelled by the RUACH to go over to Macedonia and Achaia before going to Yahushalam. “And after that,” he said, “I must go on to Rome!”
22 Shaul sent his two assistants, Timothy and Erastus, ahead to Macedonia while he stayed awhile longer in the province of Asia.
The Riot in Ephesus
23 After some time, serious trouble developed in Ephesus concerning the Way of TRUTH.
24 It began with Demetrius, a silversmith who had a large business manufacturing silver shrines of the Greek female deity Artemis. He kept many craftsmen busy.
25 Demetrius called them together, along with others employed in similar trades, and addressed them as follows: “Gentlemen, you know that our wealth comes from this business.
26 But as you have seen and heard, this man Shaul has persuaded many people that handmade idols are not really mighty ones at all. And he as done this not only here in Ephesus but throughout the entire province!
27 Of course, I am not just talking about the loss of public respect for our business. I am also concerned that People will begin to think that the temple of the great female deity Artemis is not important, and the deity herself, whom everyone in the province of Asia and the whole world worships, will ·lose and will be stripped of her majesty.
28 At this their anger boiled, and they began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
29 Soon the whole city was filled with confusion. Everyone rushed to the amphitheater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, who were Shaul’s traveling companions from Macedonia.
30 Shaul wanted to go in, too, but the believers of way of Truth, would not let Shaul go there.
31 Some of the officials of the province, friends of Shaul, also sent a message to him, begging him not to risk his life by entering the amphitheater.
32 Inside, the people were all shouting, some one thing and some another. Everything was in confusion. In fact, most of them did not even know why they were there.
33 The Yahudym in the crowd pushed Alexander forward and told him to explain the situation, he motioned for silence and tried to speak.
34 But when the crowd realized he was a Yahudym, they started shouting again and kept it up for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
35 At last the mayor was able to quiet them down enough to speak. “Citizens of Ephesus,” he said. “Everyone knows that Ephesus is the official guardian of the temple of Artemis, whose image fell down to us from the sky.
36 Since this is an undeniable fact, you should stay calm and not do anything rash.
37 You have brought these men here, but they have stolen nothing from the temple and have not spoken against our female idol.
38 “If Demetrius and the craftsmen have a case against them, the courts are in session and the officials can hear the case at once. Let them make formal charges.
39 And if there are complaints about other matters, they can be settled in a legal assembly.
40 I am afraid we are in danger of being charged with rioting by the Roman government, since there is no cause for all this commotion. And if Rome demands an explanation, we will not know what to say.”
41 Then he dismissed them, and they dispersed.