Book of Common Prayer
Disturbing prophecies
21 When we had left them behind and had set sail, we made a straight course to Cos, and went on the next day to Rhodes and from there to Patara. 2 There we found a ship heading for Phoenicia, and we got on board and set sail. 3 We came in sight of Cyprus, passed it on our left side, sailed to Syria and arrived in Tyre, which was where the boat was going to unload its cargo. 4 We found some disciples and stayed there a week—and they told Paul, by the spirit, not to go to Jerusalem. 5 When our time there was up, we left and went on our way, with everyone, women and children included, coming with us out of the city. We knelt down on the seashore and prayed. 6 Then we said our farewells to one another. We got on the ship and they returned home.
7 The end of our voyage from Tyre saw us arrive at Ptolemais. There we greeted the Christians, and stayed a day with them. 8 On the next day we left and went on to Caesarea, and went into the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven, and stayed with him. 9 He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.
10 After we’d been there several days, Agabus the prophet arrived from Jerusalem. 11 He came to us, took Paul’s girdle, and tied himself up with it, hand and foot.
“This is what the holy spirit says,” he declared. “The Judaeans in Jerusalem will tie up the man to whom this girdle belongs, just like this, and they will hand him over to the Gentiles.”
12 When we heard that, we and the people of that place begged Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.
13 Then Paul responded.
“What are you doing with all this weeping,” he said, “breaking my heart in pieces? I am quite prepared not only to be tied up but to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
14 When we realized we couldn’t dissuade him, we gave up the attempt.
“May the Lord’s will be done,” was all we said.
The healing of the man with a virulent skin disease
12 It so happened that, as Jesus was in one particular town, there was a man whose skin was covered all over with a virulent disease. When he saw Jesus, he fell on his face.
“Lord,” he begged, “if you want, you can make me clean.”
13 Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him.
“I do want to,” he said. “Be clean.”
And the skin disease disappeared immediately.
14 Jesus instructed the man not to tell anyone. “Go and show yourself to the priest,” he said, “and make the offering commanded by Moses in connection with your healing, as evidence for them.”
15 The news about Jesus, though, spread all round, and large crowds came to hear and to be healed from their diseases. 16 He used to slip away to remote places and pray.
The healing of the paralytic lowered through the roof
17 One day, as Jesus was teaching, there were Pharisees and legal experts sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee, and from Judaea and Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was with Jesus, enabling him to heal. 18 Just then some men appeared, carrying a paralyzed man on a mattress; they were trying to bring him in and lay him before Jesus. 19 The crowd made it impossible for them to get through, so they went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles, mattress and all, so that he landed right in the middle, in front of Jesus.
20 Jesus saw what trust they had.
“My friend,” he said, “your sins are forgiven.”
21 The legal experts and Pharisees began to argue. “Who does he think he is?” they said. “He’s blaspheming! Nobody can forgive sins—only God can do that!”
22 Jesus knew their line of thought.
“Why are you complaining in your hearts?” he replied. 23 “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24 But if you want to be convinced that the son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins—” (here he turned to the paralyzed man) “—I say to you, get up, pick up your mattress, and go home.”
25 At once he got up in front of them all, picked up what he’d been lying on, and went off home, praising God.
26 A sense of awe came over everyone. They praised God, and were filled with fear. “We’ve seen extraordinary things today,” they said.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.