18. Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done.
19. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.
20. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.
21. After all this had happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. “After I have been there,” he said, “I must visit Rome also.”
22. He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed in the province of Asia a little longer.
23. About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way.
24. A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in a lot of business for the craftsmen there.
25. He called them together, along with the workers in related trades, and said: “You know, my friends, that we receive a good income from this business.
26. And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all.
27. There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited; and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty.”
28. When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
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!”