22
And having sent into Macedonia two of
1his helpers,
2Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia
3for a while.
23
About that time
4there arose no little disturbance concerning
5the Way.
24
For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis,
6brought no little business to the craftsmen.
25
7These he gathered together, with the workmen in similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth.
26
And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people,
8saying that
9gods made with hands are not gods.
27
And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the
10great goddess Artemis may be counted as nothing, and that she may even be deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world worship. ”
28
When they heard this they were enraged and were crying out,
11“Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! ”
29
So the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed together into the theater, dragging with them Gaius and
12Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul’s
13companions in travel.
30
But when Paul wished to go in among the crowd, the disciples would not let him.
31
And even some of the Asiarchs, who were friends of his, sent to him and were urging him not to venture into the theater.
32
14Now some cried out one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together.