Acts 19

19 ¹While Apollos dey Corinth, Paul waka cross di inside-land region reach Ephesus, where e find some disciples. ²E ask dem, “When una believe, una receive the Holy Spirit?” Dem answer am say, “No o, we never even hear say the Holy Spirit dey.”

³So e ask, “Wetin dem come baptize una into?” Dem talk say, “Na into John baptism.”

⁴Paul talk say, “John baptize with baptism of repentance, e dey tell people make dem believe for the one wey dey come after am—na Jesus.”

⁵As dem hear dis one, dem baptize dem for the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶As Paul put im hand for dem head, the Holy Spirit come on top dem; dem talk for different tongues, dem prophesy. ⁷All of dem join na like twelve men.

⁸Paul enter di synagogue, e dey talk with mind for three months, e dey reason and dey convince dem about di kingdom of our Papa. ⁹But when some of dem come hard head, dem refuse to believe and dey talk bad about the Way for front of di crowd, e comot from dem, e take di disciples, e dey reason every day for Tyrannus lecture hall. ¹⁰Dis one continue for two years, so everybody wey dey live for Asia, Jews and Greeks, hear di word of the Lord Jesus.

¹¹Our Papa do miracle wey pass ordinary through Paul hand, ¹²so even handkerchief and cloth wey touch im body, dem carry am go give sick people, and di sickness comot for dem body and evil spirits comot go.

¹³Some Jewish people wey dey waka about dey drive demon come try dey call di name of the Lord Jesus for those wey get evil spirits, dem talk say, “I command una by the Jesus wey Paul dey preach.” ¹⁴Na seven pikin of one Jewish high priest wey im name na Sceva dey do dis thing.

¹⁵But di evil spirit answer dem, “Jesus, I know am, and Paul, I sabi am, but una, na who una be?” ¹⁶And di man wey get di evil spirit jump on top dem, e overpower all of dem, e win dem, so dem run comot for dat house naked and with wound. ¹⁷All di Jews and Greeks wey dey live for Ephesus hear about dis one. Fear catch all of dem, and dem praise di name of the Lord Jesus well well. ¹⁸Plenty of those wey don become believers come too, dem dey confess and dey open up di things wey dem bin dey do. ¹⁹Plenty wey bin dey do juju gather dem book together, dem burn am for front of everybody. Dem add up di price, dem find say e worth 50,000 days work pay. ^a a v19 Each piece of silver na drachma — near di pay wey worker dey collect for one day work. Di book wey dem burn worth like fifty thousand days work pay. ²⁰So di word of the Lord Jesus continue to grow with power and dey win.

²¹When dis one finish, Paul decide for im spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia go Jerusalem, e talk say, “After I don go there, I must see Rome too.” ²²E send two of im helpers, Timothy and Erastus, go Macedonia, while e stay small more for Asia by imself. ²³Around dat time, one serious wahala rise up about di Way. ²⁴For one man wey im name na Demetrius, na silver worker wey dey make silver shrine of Artemis, e dey give plenty craftsmen work. ^b b v24 Artemis of Ephesus na di city big mother-goddess. Her temple na one of di seven wonders of di old world and na di heart of di city money matter. ²⁵E gather dem and workers wey dey do di same kind trade, e talk say, “Men, una know say na from dis trade our money dey come. ²⁶Una dey see and dey hear say dis Paul don convince and turn plenty plenty people—no be only for Ephesus but near all of Asia—e dey tell dem say gods wey hand make no be gods at all. ²⁷Di danger no be only say our trade go lose im good name, but say di temple of di great goddess Artemis go count for nothing, and she, wey all Asia and di whole world dey worship, dem go strip her greatness comot.”

²⁸As dem hear dis one, vex catch dem, dem shout, “Great na Artemis of di Ephesus people!” ²⁹Di city full with confusion; dem rush together enter di theater, dem drag Gaius and Aristarchus, wey be Macedonia people, wey be Paul waka-mates. ³⁰When Paul wan enter among di crowd, di disciples no gree am. ³¹Even some big men of di province, wey be im friends, send word beg am make e no risk enter di theater. ³²Meanwhile some dey shout one thing, others dey shout another thing—di gathering just dey confuse, and most of dem no even know why dem gather. ³³Some for di crowd coach Alexander, wey di Jews push forward; e wave im hand, e wan defend imself for front of di people. ³⁴But when dem realize say na Jew e be, dem shout as one for like two hours, “Great na Artemis of di Ephesus people!”

³⁵When di town clerk quiet di crowd, e talk say, “Men of Ephesus, na who no know say di Ephesus people city na di temple keeper of di great Artemis and of di image wey fall from heaven? ^c c v35 Plenty people believe say dis sacred thing na meteorite wey fall from di sky — dem take am as proof say Artemis favour dey on di city. ³⁶Since nobody fit deny dis things, una suppose to cool head and no do anything wey una no think well. ³⁷For una don bring dis men come here wey no thief for temple and wey no talk bad about our goddess. ³⁸So if Demetrius and im fellow craftsmen get case against anybody, court dey open and proconsuls dey available—make dem accuse each other there. ³⁹But if una dey find anything more, dem go settle am for di proper gathering. ⁴⁰We fit dey charged for today riot, since we no get any reason wey go justify dis noise-noise.” ⁴¹And when e don talk dis one, e dismiss di gathering.