21. After all this had happened, Paul decided to visit Macedonia and Achaia on his way to Jerusalem. Paul had said, “From there I will go on to Rome.”
22. So he sent his two helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia. But he stayed on in Asia for a while.
23. At that time there was serious trouble because of the Lord's Way.
24. A silversmith named Demetrius had a business that made silver models of the temple of the goddess Artemis. Those who worked for him earned a lot of money.
25. Demetrius brought together everyone who was in the same business and said:Friends, you know that we make a good living at this.
26. But you have seen and heard how this man Paul is upsetting a lot of people, not only in Ephesus, but almost everywhere in Asia. He claims that the gods we humans make are not really gods at all.
27. Everyone will start saying terrible things about our business. They will stop respecting the temple of the goddess Artemis, who is worshipped in Asia and all over the world. Our great goddess will be forgotten!
28. When the workers heard this, they got angry and started shouting, “Great is Artemis, the goddess of the Ephesians!”
29. Soon the whole city was in a riot, and some men grabbed Gaius and Aristarchus, who had come from Macedonia with Paul. Then everyone in the crowd rushed to the place where the town meetings were held.
30. Paul wanted to go out and speak to the people, but the Lord's followers would not let him.
31. A few of the local officials were friendly to Paul, and they sent someone to warn him not to go.
32. Some of the people in the meeting were shouting one thing, and others were shouting something else. Everyone was completely confused, and most of them did not even know why they were there.
33. Several of the Jewish leaders pushed a man named Alexander to the front of the crowd and started telling him what to say. He motioned with his hand and tried to explain what was going on.