Book of Common Prayer
The snake on Malta
28 When we reached safety, we discovered that the island was called Malta. 2 The local inhabitants treated us with unusual kindness: they set to and built a fire for us all, since it was cold and had started to rain. 3 Paul had collected quite a bundle of brushwood, and was putting it on the fire, when a viper, escaping the heat, fastened onto his hand. 4 The natives saw the animal clinging to his hand.
“Aha!” they said to one another. “This man must be a murderer! He’s been rescued from the sea, but Justice hasn’t allowed him to live.”
5 Paul, however, shook off the snake into the fire and suffered no harm. 6 They kept watching him to see if he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But when they had waited and watched for quite some time, and nothing untoward had happened to him, they changed their minds.
“He must be a god,” they said.
7 Publius, the leading man of the island, owned lands in the region where we were. He welcomed us, and entertained us in a most friendly fashion for three days. 8 Publius’ father was lying sick in bed with a fever and with dysentery. Paul went in to see him and prayed; then he laid his hands on him and cured him. 9 At this, everyone else on the island who was sick came and was cured. 10 They gave us many honors, and when we were getting ready to sail away they gave us everything we needed.
To Rome at last
11 After three months we set sail on a ship that had been spending the winter on the island. It was from Alexandria, and had the insignia of the Heavenly Twins. 12 We arrived at Syracuse, and stayed three days. 13 From there we raised anchor and sailed across to Rhegium. After one day there, a south wind arose, and on the second day we arrived at Puteoli, 14 where we found Christians, who encouraged us to stay with them for seven days.
And so we came to Rome. 15 Christians from there, hearing about us, came to meet us as far as Appian Forum and Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took heart.
16 When we arrived in Rome, Paul was allowed to lodge privately. He had a soldier to guard him.
27 “You’re all going to desert me,” said Jesus, “because it’s written,
I shall attack the shepherd
and then the sheep will scatter.
28 “But after I am raised up, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”
29 Peter spoke up.
“Everyone else may desert you,” he said, “but I won’t.”
30 “I’m telling you the truth,” Jesus replied. “Today—this very night, before the cock has crowed twice—you will renounce me three times.”
31 This made Peter all the more vehement. “Even if I have to die with you,” he said, “I will never renounce you.”
And all the rest said the same.
32 They came to a place called Gethsemane.
“Stay here,” said Jesus to the disciples, “while I pray.”
33 He took Peter, James and John with him, and became quite overcome and deeply distressed.
34 “My soul is disturbed within me,” he said, “right to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch.”
35 He went a little further, and fell on the ground and prayed that, if possible, the moment might pass from him.
36 “Abba, Father,” he said, “all things are possible for you! Take this cup away from me! But—not what I want, but what you want.”
37 He returned and found them sleeping. “Are you asleep, Simon?” he said to Peter. “Couldn’t you keep watch for a single hour? 38 Watch and pray, so that you won’t come into the time of trouble. The spirit is eager, but the body is weak.”
39 Once more he went off and prayed, saying the same words. 40 And again, when he returned, he found them asleep, because their eyes were very heavy. They had no words to answer him. 41 But the third time he came, he said to them, “All right—sleep as much as you like now. Have a good rest. The job is done, the time has come—and look! The son of man is betrayed into the clutches of sinners. 42 Get up, let’s be on our way. Here comes the man who’s going to betray me.”
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.