Acts 19:18-41

¹⁸many also of those who did believe were coming, confessing and declaring their acts,

¹⁹and many of those who had practised the curious arts, having brought the books together, were burning them before all; and they reckoned together the prices of them, and found it five myriads of silverlings;

²⁰so powerfully was the word of God increasing and prevailing.

²¹And when these things were fulfilled, Paul purposed in the Spirit, having gone through Macedonia and Achaia, to go on to Jerusalem, saying — 'After my being there, it behoveth me also to see Rome;'

²²and having sent to Macedonia two of those ministering to him — Timotheus and Erastus — he himself stayed a time in Asia.

²³And there came, at that time, not a little stir about the way,

²⁴for a certain one, Demetrius by name, a worker in silver, making silver sanctuaries of Artemis, was bringing to the artificers gain not a little,

²⁵whom, having brought in a crowd together, and those who did work about such things, he said, 'Men, ye know that by this work we have our wealth;

²⁶and ye see and hear, that not only at Ephesus, but almost in all Asia, this Paul, having persuaded, did turn away a great multitude, saying, that they are not gods who are made by hands;

²⁷and not only is this department in danger for us of coming into disregard, but also, that of the great goddess Artemis the temple is to be reckoned for nothing, and also her greatness is about to be brought down, whom all Asia and the world doth worship.'

²⁸And they having heard, and having become full of wrath, were crying out, saying, 'Great is the Artemis of the Ephesians!'

²⁹and the whole city was filled with confusion, they rushed also with one accord into the theatre, having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul's fellow-travellers.

³⁰And on Paul's purposing to enter in unto the populace, the disciples were not suffering him,

³¹and certain also of the chief men of Asia, being his friends, having sent unto him, were entreating him not to venture himself into the theatre.

³²Some indeed, therefore, were calling out one thing, and some another, for the assembly was confused, and the greater part did not know for what they were come together;

³³and out of the multitude they put forward Alexander — the Jews thrusting him forward — and Alexander having beckoned with the hand, wished to make defence to the populace,

³⁴and having known that he is a Jew, one voice came out of all, for about two hours, crying, 'Great is the Artemis of the Ephesians!'

³⁵And the public clerk having quieted the multitude, saith, 'Men, Ephesians, why, who is the man that doth not know that the city of the Ephesians is a devotee of the great goddess Artemis, and of that which fell down from Zeus?

³⁶these things, then, not being to be gainsaid, it is necessary for you to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly.

³⁷'For ye brought these men, who are neither temple-robbers nor speaking evil of your goddess;

³⁸if indeed, therefore, Demetrius and the artificers with him with any one have a matter, court days are held, and there are proconsuls; let them accuse one another.

³⁹'And if ye seek after anything concerning other matters, in the legal assembly it shall be determined;

⁴⁰for we are also in peril of being accused of insurrection in regard to this day, there being no occasion by which we shall be able to give an account of this concourse;'

⁴¹and these things having said, he dismissed the assembly.