23
Now there happened at that time no little disturbance concerning the Way.
24
For someone {named} Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver replicas of the temple of Artemis, was bringing no little business to the craftsmen.
25
{These} he gathered together, and the workers occupied with such things, [and] said, "Men, you know that from this business {we get our prosperity},
26
and you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this man Paul has persuaded [and] turned away a large crowd [by] saying that the [gods] made by hands are not gods.
27
So not only is there a danger this line of business of ours [will] come into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Artemis [will] be regarded as nothing--and [she] is about to be brought down even from her grandeur, [she] whom the whole [of] Asia and the [entire] world worship!"
28
And [when they] heard [this] and became full of rage, they began to shout, saying, "Great [is] Artemis of the Ephesians!"
29
And the city was filled with the tumult, and with one purpose they rushed into the theater, seizing Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians [who were] traveling companions of Paul.
30
But [when] Paul wanted to enter into the popular assembly, the disciples would not let him.
31
And even some of the Asiarchs who were his friends sent [word] to him [and] were urging [him] not to risk himself [by going] into the theater.