²⁴ When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar^(A) was starting, he took water and washed his hands^(B) in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,”^(C) he said. “It is your responsibility!”^(D)

Gideon’s Death

²⁸ Thus Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head^(A) again. During Gideon’s lifetime, the land had peace^(B) forty years.

¹⁰ The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks.^(A)

Paul the Roman Citizen

²² The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him!^(A) He’s not fit to live!”^(B)

³⁰ The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul,^(A) they dragged him^(B) from the temple, and immediately the gates were shut.

²⁸ When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”^{(A) 29} Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius^(B) and Aristarchus,^(C) Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia,^(D) and all of them rushed into the theater together. ³⁰ Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples^(E) 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.^(F) 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^(G) 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!”^(H)

³⁵ The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: “Fellow Ephesians,^(I) 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? ³⁶ Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to calm down and not do anything rash. ³⁷ You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples^(J) nor blasphemed our goddess. ³⁸ If, then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen^(K) have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls.^(L) They can press charges. ³⁹ If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly. ⁴⁰ As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of what happened today. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it.” ⁴¹ After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.

⁵ But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city.^(A) They rushed to Jason’s^(B) house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.^[a]