24. There was a silversmith named Demetrius who made miniature silver shrines of Artemis and provided no little work for the craftsmen.
25. He called a meeting of these and other workers in related crafts and said, “Men, you know well that our prosperity derives from this work.
26. As you can now see and hear, not only in Ephesus but throughout most of the province of Asia this Paul has persuaded and misled a great number of people by saying that gods made by hands are not gods at all.
27. The danger grows, not only that our business will be discredited, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be of no account, and that she whom the whole province of Asia and all the world worship will be stripped of her magnificence.”
28. When they heard this, they were filled with fury and began to shout, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
29. The city was filled with confusion, and the people rushed with one accord into the theater, seizing Gaius and Aristarchus, the Macedonians, Paul’s traveling companions.
30. Paul wanted to go before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him,
31. and even some of the Asiarchs who were friends of his sent word to him advising him not to venture into the theater.
32. Meanwhile, some were shouting one thing, others something else; the assembly was in chaos, and most of the people had no idea why they had come together.
33. Some of the crowd prompted Alexander, as the Jews pushed him forward, and Alexander signaled with his hand that he wished to explain something to the gathering.
34. But when they recognized that he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison, for about two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
35. Finally the town clerk restrained the crowd and said, “You Ephesians, what person is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image that fell from the sky?
36. Since these things are undeniable, you must calm yourselves and not do anything rash.
37. The men you brought here are not temple robbers, nor have they insulted our goddess.
38. If Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a complaint against anyone, courts are in session, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another.
39. If you have anything further to investigate, let the matter be settled in the lawful assembly,