23. Kungeli xesha ke apho kwavumbuluka udushe e-Efese ngenxa yeNdlela yeNkosi.
24. UDemetriyo umfo owayebumba imifanekiso yendlu yesithixokazi *uArtemis ngesiliva, wayewenzela ingeniso enkulu ngolu shishino amagcisa aqeshwe nguye.
25. Wenza imbizo ke ekwabakho kuyo abaqeshwa kwakunye nabanye ababesenza umsebenzi okwanjengowakhe, wathi kubo: “Madoda, niyazi ukuba impumelelo yethu ixhomekeke kolu shishino.
26. Niyabona nizivela ngokwenu into eyenziwa yile nkewu uPawulos. Uthi *oothixo abenziwe ngabantu àbangabo konke, yaye uphumelele ekuboyiseni abantu abaninzi jikelele kule Efese, phantse wawugqiba ummandla waseAsiya uphela.
27. Ilapha ke ingozi, kule ndawo yokuba ushishino olu lwethu lufumane igama elibi. Kanti asikokuphela kwaloo nto, ikwakho nale ndawo yokuba nendlu yesithixokazi uArtemis ayiyi kwazelwa nto, ukanti nesidima sesithixokazi saseAsiya – nditsho esinqulwa lihlabathi liphela – siya kuphanza.”
28. Iwaphulaphule la mazwi indimbane leyo, yakhathazeka kakhulu, yadanduluka yathi: “Mkhulu uArtemis wamaEfese!”
29. Le ntshukumo yatyhutyha yonke idolophu. Bahlasela uGayo noAristarko baseMakedoni ababehamba kunye noPawulos, babaqweqwedisela kwiqonga lemidlalo.
30. UPawulos wafuna ukungena phakathi kwesihlwele eso, ukuze athethe naso, kodwa amakholwa akamvumelanga.
31. Abathile kumagosa ephondo laseAsiya, ababenobuhlobo noPawulos, nabo bamthumela umyalezo, bemcebisa ukuba angayi phaya eqongeni lemidlalo.
32. Kwangeli xesha ke intlanganiso xa iyonke yayisisiphithi-phithi nje. Kaloku abanye babekhwaza bethetha le, bambi bekhwaza bethetha leya; kuba kaloku uninzi lwaluhamba nje nezihlwele, lungazi nokuba indibano le yeyantoni na.
33. Abanye abantu bamchazela ngale nto yenzekayo uAlesandire, kuba amaJuda ayegqatse yena phambili. UAlesandire wawangawangisa ngesandla ukuba kuthi cwaka, efuna ukulamla.
34. Kodwa bathi bakumqonda ukuba ungumJuda, batsho ngazwinye, besenza intswahla, bekhwaza, bephinda-phinda besithi: “Mkhulu uArtemis wamaEfese!” Kwada kwaphela iiyure ezimbini besenza loo nto.
35. Kwathi ngelikade unobhala wedolophu wada wanako ukusithomalalisa isihlwele. Wathi: “MaEfese, wonke ubani uyazi ukuba le dolophu yase-Efese ngumgcini wendlu yesikhulukazi uArtemis, nowomfanekiso oqingqiweyo owavela ezulwini.
36. Akukho bani unako ukuziphikisa ezi zinto. Ngoko ke zolani, ningenzi nto ngokungakhathali.
37. La madoda nize nawo apha, nangona angebanga zinto zingcwele zendlu yonqulo okanye anyelise isithixokazi sethu.