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.
Paulus mOefese
1 Apolos ngunda a ri mOkorinte, Paulus wa tapakaṋa orukondwa aruhe rwehi ndo nu eya kOefese. Nu mOefese eye wa vazere mo ovakambure tjiva, 2 ne ve pura nai: “Eṋe mwa pewa Ombepo Ondjapuke indu tji mwa rira ovakambura?”
Owo arire tji va ziri ave tja: “Eṱe katu na pu twa zuva nangarire ingwi okutja ku nOmbepo Ondjapuke.”
3 Paulus a pura a tja: “Neṋe hapo mwa pewa ombapitisimo yatjike?”
Owo ave ziri nai: “Twa pewa ombapitisimo ya Johanes.”
4 Paulus otja tja: “Ombapitisimo ya Johanes ya ri oyaimba mbe ritanaura kourunde wawo; neye wa raerere Ovaisrael kutja ve kambure mu ingwi ngu mee ya kombunda ye, okutja omu Jesus.”
5 Nowo tji va zuvire omambo nga, arire tji va papitisiwa mena ra Muhona Jesus. 6 Paulus wa yambeka omake ku wo, nOmbepo Ondjapuke ai ya kombanda yawo; owo va hungire omaraka wozonganda nu wina ave zuvarisa ombuze ya Ndjambi. 7 Owo va ri ovarumendu mangara omurongo na vevari avehe kumwe.
8 Paulus wa hita mosinagoge, nu oure womieze vitatu a hungire nouvanḓe kuna ovandu ama patasana na wo, nama roro kutja owo ve yakure ouhona wa Ndjambi. 9 Nungwari tjiva vawo va ri noviuru ovikututu, nu kave vangere okukambura nave hungirire ondjira ya Muhona oviṋa ovivi komurungu waavehe. Paulus ope ve sira na toora ovakambure a i puna wo, neyuva arihe aa kakara nomahungi novandu mondjuwo yomahongero ya Tiranus. 10 Nu pa tjitwa nao oure wozombura mbari, kokutja ovature avehe vorukondwa rwehi ra Asie, Ovajuda naimba mbe he ri Ovajuda, ve zuve embo ra Muhona.
Ovazandu va Skeva
11 Ndjambi wa tjitire oviungura ovihimise nomake wa Paulus. 12 Nangarire ouriyeke we womondjaṱu notuhira twe twa tuwa kovavere, nomitjise vyawo avi veruka, nozombepo ozohakohoke aze piti mu wo. 13 Ovajuda tjiva mbaa ve ryanga nokupitisa ozombepo ozohakohoke movandu, wina va rorere okutjita nao mena ra Muhona Jesus. Owo aave tja nai kozombepo ozohakohoke nḓa: “Ami me mu rakiza mena ra Jesus ngu zuvarisiwa i Paulus kutja mu pite momundu ngwi.” 14 Otjiṋa hi aatji tjitwa i ovazandu hambombari wOmupristeri Otjiuru Omujuda wena Skeva. 15 Nungwari ombepo ohakohoke ya tja ku wo: “Ami Jesus mbi mu i, nu Paulus wina mbi mu i; nu hapo eṋe oweṋe oowaṋi?”
16 Omundu ngwi ngwa ri nombepo ohakohoke we ve rwisa nomasa tjinene nga tje ve uru avehe. Owo va purukuta mondjuwo ye ave tupuke, tjandje va hara ovirwaro, nu va kasewa muzu. 17 Ovajuda naimba mbe he ri Ovajuda avehe, mba turire mOefese va zuva otjiṋa hi; owo avehe va tira tjinene, nena ra Muhona Jesus arire tji ra pewa ondjozikiro onene. 18 Novakambure ovengi ve ya ave rihepurire mokati kovandu imbi oviungura vyawo vyoundjai nu ave vi tjiukisa ku wo. 19 Otjingi tjaimba mba tjitire oundjai va woronganisa omambo wawo nave ye nyosire momurungu wovandu. Owo va vara onḓengu yotjimariva tjomambo nga, notjivaro atjihe kumwe tja vazere ovimariva ovisilveri 50,000. 20 Momuhingo omuhimise mbwi embo ra Muhona otji ra handjaukira ko nari zeuparere ko.
Ezunganeno mOefese
21 Oviṋa mbi tji vya za nokutjitwa, Paulus otje rimana okuryanga mehi ra Makedonie nora Akaja nokuyenda kOjerusalem. Eye wa tja: “Tji mba zu nokukavaza ngo, wina me sokukamuna Oroma.” 22 Eye arire tja hindi ovavatere ve vevari, Timoteus na Erastus, kOmakedonie, eye omuini ngunda ama kara omayuva ouṱiṱi morukondwa rwehi ra Asie.
23 Momayuva tjingewo nga mwa ri ezunganeno enene tjinene mOefese mena rondjira ya Muhona. 24 Omuhambure wosilveri worive wena Demetrius wa hambura oviserekarera vyosilveri vyondjuwo onḓere yomukuru wotjisenginina oserekaze Artemis, noviungura vye mbi vya eta ovihohe ovingi tjinene kovaungure.Otjiserekarera tjotjisenginina tjoserekaze Artemis 25 Neye otje ve woronganisa avehe puna ovakwao mba mbaa ve ungura otjiungura tjingetjo na tja ku wo: “Varumendu, eṋe mamu tjiwa kutja outumbe wetu u za motjiungura hi. 26 Nambano eṋe oveni mamu munu nokuzuva oviṋa omurumendu ngwi Paulus mbi ma tjiti. Eye u tja oomukuru mba ungurwa nomake wovandu kaoomukuru oparukaze, neye wa tanaurira ovandu ovengi okuriyameka ku ye, imwi mOefese na morukondwa mangara aruhe rwehi ra Asie. 27 Nu pe noumba wokutja otjiungura tjetu hi matji pewa ena evi. Karo ndi ena evi porwaro, nungwari wina pe noumba wokutja ondjuwo onḓere yomukuru omunene wotjisenginina oserekaze Artemis mai rire pouriri, nokutja ounene we mau yandisiwa, orondu omukuru oserekaze ngwi Artemis u rikotamenwa i avehe mehi ra Asie na mouye auhe!”
28 Notjimbumba tjovandu tji tja zuvire omambo nga arire tji tja pindike tjinene nu atji ravaere nai: “Artemis wa Efese eye omunene!” 29 Notjihuro atjihe tja zungana. Imba ovazunganise va kambura Gajus na Aristarkus, Ovamakedoni vevari mbaa ve ryanga puna Paulus, nu ave ve nanene koruveze rwomawongarero wovandu. 30 Paulus omuini wa vangere okukahungira notjimbumba, nungwari ovakambure ve mu tjaera. 31 Ovahonapare tjiva vorukondwa ndo, mba ri omapanga wa Paulus, wina va hinda ombuze yokukemuhekena kutja e he keriraisa omuini pomawongarero ngo. 32 Ovandu avehe tjandje nai mave rokoha mombongarero: Tjiva aave ravaere otjiṋa hi, novakwao ave ravaere tjarwe, owo tjinga aave ha tjiwa kutja hapo va woronganene tjike. 33 Ovandu tjiva va raera Aleksander kutja mape kayenda tjike, Ovajuda tjinga ave mu undurira komurunga wovandu. Tjazumba Aleksander e ve ṋanga neke kutja ve mwine nu a hara okuhungira kuna wo. 34 Nungwari owo tji va zemburuka kutja eye Omujuda, avehe pamwe arire tji va ravaere neraka rimwe oure wozoiri mbari amave tja: “Artemis wa Efese eye omunene!”
35 Korusenina omutjangerepo wotjihuro otja mwinisa otjimbumba na tja: “Vakwetu va Efese, amuhe mamu tjiwa kutja otjihuro Efese otji tji ri otjiṱakamise tjondjuwo onḓere onene ya Artemis na indi ewe ezere nda wa keyuru. 36 Kape nomundu ngu hi nokutjiwa oviṋa mbi. Okutja otji mwa sokuporimana amu ha tjiti oviṋa vyouyova. 37 Oweṋe mbu mwa eta ovarumendu mba poṋa mba nangarire kutja owo kave pundire oviṋa vyozondjuwo ozonḓere nu kave yambururire omukuru wetu oserekaze. 38 Ndovazu Demetrius novaungure va puna ye ve notjiposa kuna omundu, eṱe tu novapangure, nu pa zikamisiwa omayuva wombanguriro, oviposa vyawo ngavi twarewe ngo. 39 Nungwari tji mu notjiṋa tjarwe komurungu tji mamu vanga, otjo tji sokukaṱuninwa mombongarero yovature avehe votjihuro. 40 Tjapo imbi mbya tjitwa ndinondi mavi tu etere oumba wokurondorwa kutja twa tjiti ezunganeno. Ka ri ohepero okutjita omazunganeno aehe nga, neṱe kamaatu yenene okuyandja eziriro esemba kotjiṋa hi.” 41 Nu tja za nokuhungura omambo nga arire tja pata indji ombongarero.
