Reformation and Revival in Judah's Temple

1. Hezekiah began to reign when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. 2. He did that which was right in Yahweh’s eyes, according to all that David his father had done. 3. In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of Yahweh’s house, and repaired them. 4. He brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the wide place on the east, 5. and said to them, “Listen to me, you Levites! Now sanctify yourselves, and sanctify Yahweh, the God of your fathers’ house, and carry the filthiness out of the holy place. 6. For our fathers were unfaithful, and have done that which was evil in Yahweh our God’s sight, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of Yahweh, and turned their backs. 7. Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place to the God of Israel. 8. Therefore Yahweh’s wrath was on Judah and Jerusalem, and he has delivered them to be tossed back and forth, to be an astonishment, and a hissing, as you see with your eyes. 9. For, behold, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this. 10. Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with Yahweh, the God of Israel, that his fierce anger may turn away from us. 11. My sons, don’t be negligent now; for Yahweh has chosen you to stand before him, to minister to him, and that you should be his ministers, and burn incense.” 12. Then the Levites arose, Mahath, the son of Amasai, and Joel the son of Azariah, of the sons of the Kohathites; and of the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi, and Azariah the son of Jehallelel; and of the Gershonites, Joah the son of Zimmah, and Eden the son of Joah; 13. and of the sons of Elizaphan, Shimri and Jeuel; and of the sons of Asaph, Zechariah and Mattaniah; 14. and of the sons of Heman, Jehuel and Shimei; and of the sons of Jeduthun, Shemaiah and Uzziel. 15. They gathered their brothers, sanctified themselves, and went in, according to the commandment of the king by Yahweh’s words, to cleanse Yahweh’s house. 16. The priests went into the inner part of Yahweh’s house to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in Yahweh’s temple into the court of Yahweh’s house. The Levites took it from there to carry it out to the brook Kidron. 17. Now they began on the first day of the first month to sanctify, and on the eighth day of the month they came to Yahweh’s porch. They sanctified Yahweh’s house in eight days, and on the sixteenth day of the first month they finished. 18. Then they went in to Hezekiah the king within the palace, and said, “We have cleansed all Yahweh’s house, including the altar of burnt offering with all its vessels, and the table of show bread with all its vessels. 19. Moreover all the vessels, which king Ahaz in his reign threw away when he was unfaithful, have we prepared and sanctified. Behold, they are before Yahweh’s altar.” 20. Then Hezekiah the king arose early, gathered the princes of the city, and went up to Yahweh’s house. 21. They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats, for a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and for Judah. He commanded the priests the sons of Aaron to offer them on Yahweh’s altar. 22. So they killed the bulls, and the priests received the blood, and sprinkled it on the altar. They killed the rams, and sprinkled the blood on the altar. They also killed the lambs, and sprinkled the blood on the altar. 23. They brought near the male goats for the sin offering before the king and the assembly; and they laid their hands on them. 24. Then the priests killed them, and they made a sin offering with their blood on the altar, to make atonement for all Israel; for the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering should be made for all Israel. 25. He set the Levites in Yahweh’s house with cymbals, with stringed instruments, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, of Gad the king’s seer, and Nathan the prophet; for the commandment was from Yahweh by his prophets. 26. The Levites stood with David’s instruments, and the priests with the trumpets. 27. Hezekiah commanded them to offer the burnt offering on the altar. When the burnt offering began, Yahweh’s song also began, along with the trumpets and David king of Israel’s instruments. 28. All the assembly worshiped, the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded. All this continued until the burnt offering was finished. 29. When they had finished offering, the king and all who were present with him bowed themselves and worshiped. 30. Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praises to Yahweh with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. They sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshiped. 31. Then Hezekiah answered, “Now you have consecrated yourselves to Yahweh. Come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into Yahweh’s house.” The assembly brought in sacrifices and thank offerings, and as many as were of a willing heart brought burnt offerings. 32. The number of the burnt offerings which the assembly brought was seventy bulls, one hundred rams, and two hundred lambs. All these were for a burnt offering to Yahweh. 33. The consecrated things were six hundred head of cattle and three thousand sheep. 34. But the priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the burnt offerings. Therefore their brothers the Levites helped them, until the work was ended, and until the priests had sanctified themselves; for the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests. 35. Also the burnt offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace offerings, and with the drink offerings for every burnt offering. So the service of Yahweh’s house was set in order. 36. Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced, because of that which God had prepared for the people; for the thing was done suddenly. 1. Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to Yahweh’s house at Jerusalem, to keep the Passover to Yahweh, the God of Israel. 2. For the king had taken counsel with his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem to keep the Passover in the second month. 3. For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number, and the people had not gathered themselves together to Jerusalem. 4. The thing was right in the eyes of the king and of all the assembly. 5. So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the Passover to Yahweh, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem, for they had not kept it in great numbers in the way it is written. 6. So the couriers went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, “You children of Israel, turn again to Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that he may return to the remnant of you that have escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria. 7. Don’t be like your fathers and like your brothers, who trespassed against Yahweh, the God of their fathers, so that he gave them up to desolation, as you see. 8. Now don’t be stiff-necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to Yahweh, and enter into his sanctuary, which he has sanctified forever, and serve Yahweh your God, that his fierce anger may turn away from you. 9. For if you turn again to Yahweh, your brothers and your children will find compassion before those who led them captive, and will come again into this land, because Yahweh your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him.” 10. So the couriers passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, even to Zebulun, but people ridiculed them and mocked them. 11. Nevertheless some men of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem. 12. Also the hand of God came on Judah to give them one heart, to do the commandment of the king and of the princes by Yahweh’s word. 13. Many people assembled at Jerusalem to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great assembly. 14. They arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and they took away all the altars for incense and threw them into the brook Kidron. 15. Then they killed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought burnt offerings into Yahweh’s house. 16. They stood in their place after their order, according to the law of Moses the man of God. The priests sprinkled the blood which they received of the hand of the Levites. 17. For there were many in the assembly who had not sanctified themselves: therefore the Levites were in charge of killing the Passovers for everyone who was not clean, to sanctify them to Yahweh. 18. For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover other than the way it is written. For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, “May the good Yahweh pardon everyone 19. who sets his heart to seek God, Yahweh, the God of his fathers, even if they aren’t clean according to the purification of the sanctuary.” 20. Yahweh listened to Hezekiah, and healed the people. 21. The children of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness. The Levites and the priests praised Yahweh day by day, singing with loud instruments to Yahweh. 22. Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who had good understanding in the service of Yahweh. So they ate throughout the feast for the seven days, offering sacrifices of peace offerings, and making confession to Yahweh, the God of their fathers. 23. The whole assembly took counsel to keep another seven days, and they kept another seven days with gladness. 24. For Hezekiah king of Judah gave to the assembly for offerings one thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep; and the princes gave to the assembly a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep: and a great number of priests sanctified themselves. 25. All the assembly of Judah, with the priests and the Levites, and all the assembly who came out of Israel, and the foreigners who came out of the land of Israel, and who lived in Judah, rejoiced. 26. So there was great joy in Jerusalem; for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there was nothing like this in Jerusalem. 27. Then the priests the Levites arose and blessed the people. Their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy habitation, even to heaven. 1. Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah, and broke the pillars in pieces, cut down the Asherah poles, and broke down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, also in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities. 2. Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites after their divisions, every man according to his service, both the priests and the Levites, for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister, to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of Yahweh’s camp. 3. He also appointed the king’s portion of his possessions for the burnt offerings, for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths, for the new moons, and for the set feasts, as it is written in Yahweh’s law. 4. Moreover he commanded the people who lived in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might give themselves to Yahweh’s law. 5. As soon as the commandment went out, the children of Israel gave in abundance the first fruits of grain, new wine, oil, honey, and of all the increase of the field; and they brought in the tithe of all things abundantly. 6. The children of Israel and Judah, who lived in the cities of Judah, also brought in the tithe of cattle and sheep, and the tithe of dedicated things which were consecrated to Yahweh their God, and laid them in heaps. 7. In the third month they began to lay the foundation of the heaps, and finished them in the seventh month. 8. When Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed Yahweh and his people Israel. 9. Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites about the heaps. 10. Azariah the chief priest, of the house of Zadok, answered him and said, “Since people began to bring the offerings into Yahweh’s house, we have eaten and had enough, and have plenty left over, for Yahweh has blessed his people; and that which is left is this great store.” 11. Then Hezekiah commanded them to prepare rooms in Yahweh’s house, and they prepared them. 12. They brought in the offerings, the tithes, and the dedicated things faithfully. Conaniah the Levite was ruler over them, and Shimei his brother was second. 13. Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers under the hand of Conaniah and Shimei his brother, by the appointment of Hezekiah the king and Azariah the ruler of God’s house. 14. Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the gatekeeper at the east gate, was over the freewill offerings of God, to distribute Yahweh’s offerings and the most holy things. 15. Under him were Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, in the cities of the priests, in their office of trust, to give to their brothers by divisions, to the great as well as to the small; 16. besides those who were listed by genealogy of males, from three years old and upward, even everyone who entered into Yahweh’s house, as the duty of every day required, for their service in their offices according to their divisions; 17. and those who were listed by genealogy of the priests by their fathers’ houses, and the Levites from twenty years old and upward, in their offices by their divisions; 18. and those who were listed by genealogy of all their little ones, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, through all the congregation; for in their office of trust they sanctified themselves in holiness. 19. Also for the sons of Aaron the priests, who were in the fields of the suburbs of their cities, in every city, there were men who were mentioned by name, to give portions to all the males among the priests, and to all who were listed by genealogy among the Levites. 20. Hezekiah did so throughout all Judah; and he did that which was good, right, and faithful before Yahweh his God. 21. In every work that he began in the service of God’s house, in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.

1. He came to Derbe and Lystra: and behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewess who believed; but his father was a Greek. 2. The brothers who were at Lystra and Iconium gave a good testimony about him. 3. Paul wanted to have him go out with him, and he took and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts; for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4. As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered the decrees to them to keep which had been ordained by the apostles and elders who were at Jerusalem. 5. So the assemblies were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily. 6. When they had gone through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7. When they had come opposite Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit didn’t allow them. 8. Passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. 9. A vision appeared to Paul in the night. There was a man of Macedonia standing, begging him, and saying, “Come over into Macedonia and help us.” 10. When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go out to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the Good News to them. 11. Setting sail therefore from Troas, we made a straight course to Samothrace, and the day following to Neapolis; 12. and from there to Philippi, which is a city of Macedonia, the foremost of the district, a Roman colony. We were staying some days in this city. 13. On the Sabbath day we went outside of the city by a riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down, and spoke to the women who had come together. 14. A certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one who worshiped God, heard us; whose heart the Lord opened to listen to the things which were spoken by Paul. 15. When she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and stay.” So she persuaded us. 16. As we were going to prayer, a certain girl having a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much gain by fortune telling. 17. Following Paul and us, she cried out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us a way of salvation!” 18. She was doing this for many days. But Paul, becoming greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” It came out that very hour. 19. But when her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas, and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. 20. When they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men, being Jews, are agitating our city, 21. and advocate customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans.” 22. The multitude rose up together against them, and the magistrates tore their clothes from them, and commanded them to be beaten with rods. 23. When they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely, 24. who, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison, and secured their feet in the stocks. 25. But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were loosened. 27. The jailer, being roused out of sleep and seeing the prison doors open, drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, “Don’t harm yourself, for we are all here!” 29. He called for lights, sprang in, fell down trembling before Paul and Silas, 30. brought them out, and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31. They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32. They spoke the word of the Lord to him, and to all who were in his house. 33. He took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes, and was immediately baptized, he and all his household. 34. He brought them up into his house, and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, with all his household, having believed in God. 35. But when it was day, the magistrates sent the sergeants, saying, “Let those men go.” 36. The jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go; now therefore come out, and go in peace.” 37. But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, without a trial, men who are Romans, and have cast us into prison! Do they now release us secretly? No, most certainly, but let them come themselves and bring us out!” 38. The sergeants reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans, 39. and they came and begged them. When they had brought them out, they asked them to depart from the city. 40. They went out of the prison, and entered into Lydia’s house. When they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them, and departed. 1. Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2. Paul, as was his custom, went in to them, and for three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3. explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” 4. Some of them were persuaded, and joined Paul and Silas, of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and not a few of the chief women. 5. But the unpersuaded Jews took along some wicked men from the marketplace, and gathering a crowd, set the city in an uproar. Assaulting the house of Jason, they sought to bring them out to the people. 6. When they didn’t find them, they dragged Jason and certain brothers before the rulers of the city, crying, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here also, 7. whom Jason has received. These all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus!” 8. The multitude and the rulers of the city were troubled when they heard these things. 9. When they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go. 10. The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Beroea. When they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue. 11. Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. 12. Many of them therefore believed; also of the prominent Greek women, and not a few men. 13. But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Beroea also, they came there likewise, agitating the multitudes. 14. Then the brothers immediately sent out Paul to go as far as to the sea, and Silas and Timothy still stayed there. 15. But those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens. Receiving a commandment to Silas and Timothy that they should come to him very quickly, they departed. 16. Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw the city full of idols. 17. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who met him. 18. Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also were conversing with him. Some said, “What does this babbler want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be advocating foreign deities,” because he preached Jesus and the resurrection. 19. They took hold of him, and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is, which is spoken by you? 20. For you bring certain strange things to our ears. We want to know therefore what these things mean.” 21. Now all the Athenians and the strangers living there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell or to hear some new thing. 22. Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus, and said, “You men of Athens, I perceive that you are very religious in all things. 23. For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ What therefore you worship in ignorance, this I announce to you. 24. The God who made the world and all things in it, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands, 25. neither is he served by men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself gives to all life and breath, and all things. 26. He made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the surface of the earth, having determined appointed seasons, and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27. that they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28. ‘For in him we live, and move, and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring.’ 29. Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold, or silver, or stone, engraved by art and design of man. 30. The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should repent, 31. because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained; of which he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.” 32. Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, “We want to hear you again concerning this.” 33. Thus Paul went out from among them. 34. But certain men joined with him, and believed, among whom also was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them. 1. After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth. 2. He found a certain Jew named Aquila, a man of Pontus by race, who had recently come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome. He came to them, 3. and because he practiced the same trade, he lived with them and worked, for by trade they were tent makers. 4. He reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded Jews and Greeks. 5. But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul was compelled by the Spirit, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. 6. When they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook out his clothing and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am clean. From now on, I will go to the Gentiles!” 7. He departed there, and went into the house of a certain man named Justus, one who worshiped God, whose house was next door to the synagogue. 8. Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his house. Many of the Corinthians, when they heard, believed and were baptized. 9. The Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, “Don’t be afraid, but speak and don’t be silent; 10. for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many people in this city.” 11. He lived there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. 12. But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat, 13. saying, “This man persuades men to worship God contrary to the law.” 14. But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If indeed it were a matter of wrong or of wicked crime, you Jews, it would be reasonable that I should bear with you; 15. but if they are questions about words and names and your own law, look to it yourselves. For I don’t want to be a judge of these matters.” 16. So he drove them from the judgment seat. 17. Then all the Greeks laid hold on Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. Gallio didn’t care about any of these things. 18. Paul, having stayed after this many more days, took his leave of the brothers, and sailed from there for Syria, together with Priscilla and Aquila. He shaved his head in Cenchreae, for he had a vow. 19. He came to Ephesus, and he left them there; but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews. 20. When they asked him to stay with them a longer time, he declined; 21. but taking his leave of them, he said, “I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem, but I will return again to you if God wills.” Then he set sail from Ephesus. 22. When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the assembly, and went down to Antioch. 23. Having spent some time there, he departed, and went through the region of Galatia, and Phrygia, in order, establishing all the disciples. 24. Now a certain Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by race, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus. He was mighty in the Scriptures. 25. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, although he knew only the baptism of John. 26. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside, and explained to him the way of God more accurately. 27. When he had determined to pass over into Achaia, the brothers encouraged him, and wrote to the disciples to receive him. When he had come, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace; 28. for he powerfully refuted the Jews, publicly showing by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ. 1. While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having passed through the upper country, came to Ephesus, and found certain disciples. 2. He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They said to him, “No, we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3. He said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.” 4. Paul said, “John indeed baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe in the one who would come after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6. When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke with other languages and prophesied. 7. They were about twelve men in all. 8. He entered into the synagogue, and spoke boldly for a period of three months, reasoning and persuading about the things concerning God’s Kingdom. 9. But when some were hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. 10. This continued for two years, so that all those who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. 11. God worked special miracles by the hands of Paul, 12. so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were carried away from his body to the sick, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out. 13. But some of the itinerant Jews, exorcists, took on themselves to invoke over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, “We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.” 14. There were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did this. 15. The evil spirit answered, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?” 16. The man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17. This became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived at Ephesus. Fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. 18. Many also of those who had believed came, confessing, and declaring their deeds. 19. Many of those who practiced magical arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. They counted their price, and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20. So the word of the Lord was growing and becoming mighty. 21. Now after these things had ended, Paul determined in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” 22. Having sent into Macedonia two of those who served him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while. 23. About that time there arose no small stir concerning the Way. 24. For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen, 25. whom he gathered together, with the workmen of like occupation, and said, “Sirs, you know that by this business we have our wealth. 26. You see and hear, that not at Ephesus alone, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are no gods, that are made with hands. 27. Not only is there danger that this our trade come into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be counted as nothing, and her majesty destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worships.” 28. When they heard this they were filled with anger, and cried out, saying, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29. The whole city was filled with confusion, and they rushed with one accord into the theater, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul’s companions in travel. 30. When Paul wanted to enter in to the people, the disciples didn’t allow him. 31. Certain also of the Asiarchs, being his friends, sent to him and begged him not to venture into the theater. 32. Some therefore cried one thing, and some another, for the assembly was in confusion. Most of them didn’t know why they had come together. 33. They brought Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. Alexander beckoned with his hand, and would have made a defense to the people. 34. But when they perceived that he was a Jew, all with one voice for a time of about two hours cried out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 35. When the town clerk had quieted the multitude, he said, “You men of Ephesus, what man is there who doesn’t know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great goddess Artemis, and of the image which fell down from Zeus? 36. Seeing then that these things can’t be denied, you ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rash. 37. For you have brought these men here, who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of your goddess. 38. If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a matter against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls. Let them press charges against one another. 39. But if you seek anything about other matters, it will be settled in the regular assembly. 40. For indeed we are in danger of being accused concerning today’s riot, there being no cause. Concerning it, we wouldn’t be able to give an account of this commotion.” 41. When he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly. 1. After the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, took leave of them, and departed to go into Macedonia. 2. When he had gone through those parts, and had encouraged them with many words, he came into Greece. 3. When he had spent three months there, and a plot was made against him by Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he determined to return through Macedonia. 4. These accompanied him as far as Asia: Sopater of Beroea; Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians; Gaius of Derbe; Timothy; and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. 5. But these had gone ahead, and were waiting for us at Troas. 6. We sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and came to them at Troas in five days, where we stayed seven days. 7. On the first day of the week, when the disciples were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and continued his speech until midnight. 8. There were many lights in the upper room where we were gathered together. 9. A certain young man named Eutychus sat in the window, weighed down with deep sleep. As Paul spoke still longer, being weighed down by his sleep, he fell down from the third floor, and was taken up dead. 10. Paul went down, and fell upon him, and embracing him said, “Don’t be troubled, for his life is in him.” 11. When he had gone up, and had broken bread, and eaten, and had talked with them a long while, even until break of day, he departed. 12. They brought the boy in alive, and were greatly comforted. 13. But we, going ahead to the ship, set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there; for he had so arranged, intending himself to go by land. 14. When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard, and came to Mitylene. 15. Sailing from there, we came the following day opposite Chios. The next day we touched at Samos and stayed at Trogyllium, and the day after we came to Miletus. 16. For Paul had determined to sail past Ephesus, that he might not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hastening, if it were possible for him, to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. 17. From Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called to himself the elders of the assembly. 18. When they had come to him, he said to them, “You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you all the time, 19. serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears, and with trials which happened to me by the plots of the Jews; 20. how I didn’t shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, teaching you publicly and from house to house, 21. testifying both to Jews and to Greeks repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus. 22. Now, behold, I go bound by the Spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there; 23. except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions wait for me. 24. But these things don’t count; nor do I hold my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to fully testify to the Good News of the grace of God. 25. “Now, behold, I know that you all, among whom I went about preaching God’s Kingdom, will see my face no more. 26. Therefore I testify to you today that I am clean from the blood of all men, 27. for I didn’t shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. 28. Take heed, therefore, to yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the assembly of the Lord and God which he purchased with his own blood. 29. For I know that after my departure, vicious wolves will enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30. Men will arise from among your own selves, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31. Therefore watch, remembering that for a period of three years I didn’t cease to admonish everyone night and day with tears. 32. Now, brothers, I entrust you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build up, and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33. I coveted no one’s silver, or gold, or clothing. 34. You yourselves know that these hands served my necessities, and those who were with me. 35. In all things I gave you an example, that so laboring you ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” 36. When he had spoken these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. 37. They all wept a lot, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him, 38. sorrowing most of all because of the word which he had spoken, that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship.

1. Like snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool. 2. Like a fluttering sparrow, like a darting swallow, so the undeserved curse doesn’t come to rest. 3. A whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools! 4. Don’t answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him. 5. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes. 6. One who sends a message by the hand of a fool is cutting off feet and drinking violence. 7. Like the legs of the lame that hang loose, so is a parable in the mouth of fools. 8. As one who binds a stone in a sling, so is he who gives honor to a fool. 9. Like a thorn bush that goes into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools. 10. As an archer who wounds all, so is he who hires a fool or he who hires those who pass by. 11. As a dog that returns to his vomit, so is a fool who repeats his folly. 12. Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. 13. The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road! A fierce lion roams the streets!” 14. As the door turns on its hinges, so does the sluggard on his bed. 15. The sluggard buries his hand in the dish. He is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth. 16. The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer with discretion. 17. Like one who grabs a dog’s ears is one who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own. 18. Like a madman who shoots torches, arrows, and death, 19. is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, “Am I not joking?” 20. For lack of wood a fire goes out. Without gossip, a quarrel dies down. 21. As coals are to hot embers, and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindling strife. 22. The words of a whisperer are as dainty morsels, they go down into the innermost parts. 23. Like silver dross on an earthen vessel are the lips of a fervent one with an evil heart. 24. A malicious man disguises himself with his lips, but he harbors evil in his heart. 25. When his speech is charming, don’t believe him; for there are seven abominations in his heart. 26. His malice may be concealed by deception, but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly. 27. Whoever digs a pit shall fall into it. Whoever rolls a stone, it will come back on him. 28. A lying tongue hates those it hurts; and a flattering mouth works ruin.