MODERN LITERAL VERSION

19:1 And it happened, that while Apollos was in Corinth, Paul having gone through the upper parts of the country came to Ephesus and found some disciples.
19:2 He said to them, Did you* receive the Holy Spirit when you* believed?
And they said to him, But if there is a Holy Spirit, we did not hear of such.

19:3 And he said to them, Then* into what were you* immersed*?
And they said, Into the immersion* of John.

19:4 And Paul said, John indeed immersed* in the immersion* of repentance, saying to the people that* they should believe in him who is coming after him, that is, in the Christ Jesus.
19:5 And when they heard this, they were immersed* into the name of the Lord Jesus.
19:6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in foreign languages and prophesied.
19:7 And they were in all approximately twelve men.

19:8 And he entered into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading as to the things concerning the kingdom of God.
19:9 But when some were hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the crowd, he withdrew from them and separated* the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of a certain one named Tyrannus.
19:10 And this happened for two years; so-that all those dwelling in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.
19:11 And God did exceptional miracles through the hands of Paul;
19:12 so-that even handkerchiefs or aprons from the touch of his skin were carried away to those who were sick and the diseases were set-free from them and the evil spirits went out from them.

19:13 But also, some from the strolling Jews, exorcists, undertook the task to name the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had the evil spirits, saying, I implore you* by the Jesus whom Paul is preaching.
19:14 And there were some (seven sons of Sceva) and a Jew, a high-priest, who were doing this.

19:15 And the evil spirit answered and said to them, Jesus I know and Paul I know, but who are you*?
19:16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was, leaped upon them and mastered them and prevailed against them, so-that they escaped out of that house, naked and traumatized.

19:17 And this became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, dwelling in Ephesus, and fear fell upon them all and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled.
19:18 Many of those who had also believed came, confessing and proclaiming their practices.
19:19 And a considerable number of those who practiced magical arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all, and they calculated the price of them and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver.
19:20 So the word of the Lord grew and prevailed in dominion.

19:21 Now when these things were fulfilled, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had gone through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After becoming there, it is essential for me to also see Rome.
19:22 And having sent Timothy and Erastus, two of those serving him, into Macedonia, he himself held back in Asia for a short time.
{56-58 AD. Ephesus. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians is written.}

19:23 And it happened throughout that time there was not just a little disturbance concerning the Way.
19:24 For* a certain man, named Demetrius, (a silversmith making* silver shrines of Artemis), provided not just a little business to the craftsmen;
19:25 whom he accumulated together with the other workers of such things and said, Men, you* know that we have our prosperity from this business.
19:26 And you* view and hear, that not only from Ephesus, but almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and seduced a considerable number of people, saying that they are not gods, which are born through man's hands.
19:27 And not only is there peril in that this career of ours may come into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis is to be counted *for nothing and her majesty is also about to be demolished, whom all Asia and the inhabited-earth is worshiping.

19:28 And when they heard this they became full of wrath and cried out, saying, Great is Artemis of Ephesus.
19:29 And all the city was filled with confusion and they rushed united into the theater, having seized Paul's traveling-associates, Gaius and Aristarchus, who were Macedonians.
19:30 And when Paul intended to enter into the public area, the disciples did not permit him.
19:31 And also, some of those from Asia, being his friends, sent for him and pleaded with him not to give himself to the theater crowd.
19:32 Therefore some cried one thing and some another; for* the assembly was confused, and most did not know why they had come together.
19:33 And they pushed Alexander forward out of the crowd with the Jews, casting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand and wished to make a defense to the public.
19:34 But when they fully knew that he was a Jew, one voice became out of all, for approximately two hours, crying, Great is Artemis of the Ephesians.
19:35 And having the composure of the crowd, the town scribe says, Men of Ephesus, for* what man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple-keeper of the great goddess Artemis and of the image which fell from Zeus?
19:36 Therefore these things being undeniable, it is essential for you* to possess composure and to do nothing that is rash.
19:37 For* you* have brought here these men, who are neither temple looters nor are blaspheming your goddess.
19:38 Therefore indeed, if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him, have an account toward anyone, the lower-courts have been brought here and there are proconsuls here. Let them accuse one another.
19:39 But if you* seek anything concerning other things, it will be interpreted in the lawful assembly.
19:40 For* we also are in peril to be accused concerning today's riot, no cause exists for it and concerning it, we will not be able to give account of this conspiracy.
19:41 And when he had spoken these things, he dismissed the assembly.
{May 58 to March 59 AD. Games in honor of Diana at Ephesus. 10 months in Europe (Macedonia & Greece). Paul's Second Letter to the Corinthians is written.}