²⁴ A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in a lot of business for the craftsmen there.

Paul and Silas in Prison

¹⁶ Once when we were going to the place of prayer,^(A) we were met by a female slave who had a spirit^(B) by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling.

⁹ Those who want to get rich^(A) fall into temptation and a trap^(B) and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰ For the love of money^(C) is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith^(D) and pierced themselves with many griefs.^(E)

³⁴ But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”^(A)

³⁵ The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: “Fellow Ephesians,^(B) doesn’t all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven?

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!”^(A)

¹⁹ When her owners realized that their hope of making money^(A) was gone, they seized Paul and Silas^(B) and dragged^(C) them into the marketplace to face the authorities.