He called them together with the workers of similar occupation, and said: “Men, you know that we have our prosperity by this trade.
Parallel translations
- WEB whom he gathered together, with the workmen of like occupation, and said, “Sirs, you know that by this business we have our wealth.
- KJV Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth.
- BSB Demetrius assembled the craftsmen, along with the workmen in related trades. “Men,” he said, “you know that this business is our source of prosperity.
- NASB he gathered these men together with the workmen of similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity depends upon this business.
- NLT He called them together, along with others employed in similar trades, and addressed them as follows: “Gentlemen, you know that our wealth comes from this business.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Demetrius gathered the tradesmen and reminded them their wealth depended on this idol-making business.
Overview
He frankly appealed to their financial self-interest, making profit the real motive behind the coming uproar. Religious zeal would be invoked, but money was the driving concern. The verse exposes how human hearts often cloak material greed in pious language.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Acts 16:19But when her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas, and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers.
- Hos 12:7–8A merchant has dishonest scales in his hand. He loves to defraud.
- 2 Pet 2:3In covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words: whose sentence now from of old doesn’t linger, and their destruction will not slumber.
- Rev 18:3For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her sexual immorality, the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from the abundance of her luxury.”
- Rev 18:11–19The merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise any more;
- Hos 4:8They feed on the sin of my people, and set their heart on their iniquity.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.
How Acts 19:25 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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