29
Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia, and all of them rushed into the theater together.
30
Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him.
31
Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater.
32
The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there.
33
The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander to the front, and they shouted instructions to him. He motioned for silence in order to make a defense before the people.
34
But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”