They worshipped the dragon because he gave authority to the beast. And they worshipped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast? Who is able to wage war against it? ’
You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this man Paul has persuaded and misled a considerable number of people by saying that gods made by hand are not gods.
So they took the bull that he gave them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, ‘Baal, answer us! ’ But there was no sound; no one answered. Then they danced around the altar they had made.
Some Jews in the crowd gave instructions to Alexander after they pushed him to the front. Motioning with his hand, Alexander wanted to make his defence to the people.
When the town clerk had calmed the crowd down, he said, ‘People of Ephesus! What person is there who doesn’t know that the city of the Ephesians is the temple guardian of the great Artemis, and of the image that fell from heaven?