Acts 19:23–41

²³About that time there occurred no small disturbance concerning ^athe Way.

²⁴For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of ¹Artemis, ^awas bringing no little ²business to the craftsmen;

²⁵these he gathered together with the workmen of similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity ¹depends upon this business.

²⁶“You see and hear that not only in ^aEphesus, but in almost all of ^1bAsia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people, saying that ^2cgods made with hands are no gods at all.

²⁷“Not only is there danger that this trade of ours fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess ¹Artemis be regarded as worthless and that she whom all of ^2aAsia and ^bthe ³world worship will even be dethroned from her magnificence.”

²⁸When they heard this and were filled with rage, they began crying out, saying, “Great is ¹Artemis of the ^aEphesians!”

²⁹The city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed ¹with one accord into the theater, dragging along ^aGaius and ^bAristarchus, Paul’s traveling ^ccompanions from ^dMacedonia.

³⁰And when Paul wanted to go into the ¹assembly, ^athe disciples would not let him.

³¹Also some of the ¹Asiarchs who were friends of his sent to him and repeatedly urged him not to ²venture into the theater.

^32aSo then, some were shouting one thing and some another, for the ¹assembly was in confusion and the majority did not know ²for what reason they had come together.

³³Some of the crowd ¹concluded it was Alexander, since the Jews had put him forward; and having ^amotioned with his hand, Alexander was intending to make a defense to the ²assembly.

³⁴But when they recognized that he was a Jew, a single outcry arose from them all as they shouted for about two hours, “Great is ¹Artemis of the Ephesians!”

³⁵After quieting the crowd, the town clerk said, “Men of ^aEphesus, what man is there after all who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is guardian of the temple of the great ¹Artemis and of the image which fell down from ²heaven?

³⁶“So, since these are undeniable facts, you ought to keep calm and to do nothing rash.

³⁷“For you have brought these men here who are neither ^arobbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess.

³⁸“So then, if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint against any man, the courts are in session and ^1aproconsuls are available; let them bring charges against one another.

³⁹“But if you want anything beyond this, it shall be settled in the ¹lawful ²assembly.

⁴⁰“For indeed we are in danger of being accused of a riot in connection with today’s events, since there is no real cause for it, and in this connection we will be unable to account for this disorderly gathering.”

⁴¹After saying this he dismissed the ¹assembly.