Kwathi ukuba sezenzekile lezo zinto, uPawulu wazimisela emoyeni ukuya eJerusalema esedabulile iMakedoniya ne-Akhaya, wathi: “Emva kokufika kwami khona ngimelwe ukubona neRoma.” Wayesethumela eMakedoniya ababili kwabamkhonzayo oThimothewu no-Erastu; yena uqobo wasala isikhathi e-Asiya.
Kepha ngaleso sikhathi kwavela isiphithiphithi esingesincane maqondana naleyo Ndlela. Ngokuba umuntu othile ogama lakhe linguDemetriyu, umkhandi wesiliva owenza amathempelana esiliva kaDiyana, wazuzisa abakhandi besiliva inzuzo engencane, waqoqa bona kanye nezisebenzi ezinjalo, wathi: “Madoda, niyazi ukuthi kulo msebenzi kuvela ingcebo yethu, kepha seniyabona, niyezwa futhi ukuthi akukuphela e-Efesu kodwa cishe kulo lonke i-Asiya uPawulu lona udukisile abantu abaningi ngokubancenga, ethi akusibo onkulunkulu labo abenziwe ngezandla. Ngakho akusikho lokhu kuphela ukuba umsebenzi wethu usengozini yokudelelwa, kodwa nethempeli lonkulunkulukazi omkhulu uDiyana liyakuthiwa aliyinto yalutho, nobukhulukazi bakhe sebuzakuphela, yena elimkhonzayo lonke i-Asiya nezwe lonke.”
Kwathi bekuzwa lokho, bagcwala ulaka, bamemeza bathi: “Mkhulu uDiyana wabase-Efesu.” Umuzi wonke wagcwala isiphithiphithi, batheleka nganhliziyonye esigcawini sokubukela, babamba oGayu no-Aristarku, abaseMakedoniya, ababehamba noPawulu. Kepha uPawulu esefuna ukungena phakathi kwabantu, abafundi abamvumelanga. Nabanye bababusi base-Asiya, bengabahlobo bakhe, bathumela kuye, bamncenga ukuba angaze angena esigcawini sokubukela.
Khona-ke abanye bamemeza okunye nabanye okunye; ngokuba ibandla layaluza nje, nabaningi babengazi ukuthi babuthanele indabani. Base bekhipha u-Aleksandru esixukwini, abaJuda bamqhubela phambili; kepha u-Aleksandru waqhweba ngesandla, efuna ukuziphendulela kubantu. Kwathi ukuba bezwe ukuthi ungumJuda, bamemeza bonke ngazwi linye kwangathi amahora amabili, bathi: “Mkhulu uDiyana wabase-Efesu.”
Kepha umbhali esebathulisile abantu wathi: “Madoda ase-Efesu, kukhona yini phakathi kwabantu ongaziyo ukuthi umuzi wase-Efesu ungumlondi wethempeli likaDiyana omkhulu nowesithombe esawa ezulwini na? Ngakho lokhu lezo zinto zingephikwe, kufanele nithule, ningenzi lutho ngamawala. Ngokuba nilethile lawa madoda angesibo abaphangi bamathempeli nokuba abahlambalaza uNkulunkulu wethu. Ngakho uma uDemetriyu kanye nezingcweti zabakhandi besiliva benendaba nomuntu, zikhona izinsuku zokuthetha amacala, bakhona nababusi; mabamangalelane. Kepha uma nifuna utho ngaphezu kwalokho, kuyalungiswa ebandleni elimisiweyo. Ngokuba-ke sisengozini yokumangalelwa ngomsindo wanamuhla, lokhu kungekho sizathu esingazilandulela ngaso ngalesi siwiliwili.” Eseshilo lokho walimukisa ibandla.
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