In Greek verses 19-21 are one sentence, but it is obviously useful to break up this rather long sentence into a number of shorter sentences in order to show relationships more effectively and to deal more meaningfully with the sequence of events.

The expression their chance of making money was gone may be rendered as “that they would no longer be able to make money out of the girl” or “that the slave girl would no longer be able to make money for them.”

The authorities translates a general term which is used of the magistrates of a city. Although “market place” is what the Greek literally says, public square (so also An American Translation*), “main square” (New English Bible), or “city square” (Barclay) is more naturally the meaning, because the reference is to a place where public court was conducted. (See Jerusalem Bible “to the law courts in the market place.”)

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Acts of the Apostles. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .