Acts 19:19

An Understandable Version (2005 edition)

And a large number of them, who had been involved in occultic practices, brought their books [on the occult] and began burning them publicly. When they calculated the cost [of the books] it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. [Note: The actual amount was approximately 150 years of a farm laborer’s pay, or more than 5 million dollars in 2005].

Cross References

Acts 13:8

But the magician, [also] named Elymas [an Arabic-Semitic word] (which means “the magician”) opposed them, trying to discourage the governor from hearing about the faith.

Acts 13:6

When they had traveled across the whole island they came to Paphos [a town on the island of Cyprus]; [there] they met a certain magician named Bar-Jesus, who was a Jewish false prophet.

Hebrews 10:34

For you showed sympathy for those who were in prison and accepted it joyfully when your [own] possessions were taken away, [because] you knew that you yourselves had a better and more permanent possession [in heaven].

Luke 14:33

So therefore, every one of you who does not say ‘goodbye’ to everything he owns cannot be my disciple.

Luke 15:8

“Or what woman, who has ten silver coins [Note: These coins each amounted to about one twelve-hour day of a farm laborer’s pay, or about $108 in 2005], and if she loses one of them, would not light a lamp, sweep the house and search for it diligently until she finds it?

Acts 19:18

Many of the believers also came confessing their sins and describing what they had [previously] done.