Book of Common Prayer

⁷ `Write this to the angel of the church people in Philadelphia: Here are the words of the one who is holy and true. He has David's key. No one will shut what he opens. And no one will open what he shuts.

⁸ `He says, "I know what you do. Look, I have opened a door in front of you. No one can shut it. I know that you do not have much power. But you have obeyed my word and you have never said you did not believe in me.

⁹ Look! I will bring some people who belong to Satan's group. They call themselves Jews, but they are not real Jews. They lie. Look, I will make them come and kneel down in front of you. They will know that I have loved you.

¹⁰ You have obeyed my word and been patient. So I will keep you safe in the time of trouble which will come all over the world. It will test the people who live on earth.

¹¹ I am coming again soon! Hold on to the faith which you have, so that no one will stop you receiving your reward in heaven.

¹² I will make the person who wins become a strong post in the temple of my God. I will keep him strong. He will never leave it again. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of my God's city. This city is the new Jerusalem. It comes down out of heaven from my God. And I will write my new name on him."

¹³ `He who can hear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.'

¹⁵ The people wanted to take Jesus by force to make him a king. When he saw this, he left again and went on the hill by himself.

¹⁶ In the evening his disciples went down to the lake [called the sea of Galilee].

¹⁷ They got in a boat and crossed over the sea toward the town of Capernaum. It was dark, but Jesus had not come back to them.

¹⁸ A strong wind was blowing. It made the water very rough.

¹⁹ They rowed the boat into the middle of the lake. Then they saw Jesus walking on the water. He came close to the boat. They were afraid.

²⁰ But Jesus said to them, `It is I. Do not fear.'

²¹ Then they were glad to take him into the boat. Then at once the boat reached the land to which they were going.

²² The people who stayed back on the land had seen one boat only. They had seen the disciples get in it and go away without Jesus.

²³ But there were some other boats from Tiberias. It was near the place where they had eaten bread, after the Lord had thanked God for it.

²⁴ The next day the people saw that Jesus and his disciples were not there. Then they went to Capernaum in boats to look for Jesus.

²⁵ When they found Jesus on the other side of the lake, they said, `Teacher, when did you get here?'

²⁶ Jesus said, `I tell you the truth. You do not want me because you saw the big works I did, but you want me because you ate all the bread you wanted.

²⁷ Do not work for the food that spoils, but work for the food that will never spoil, the food that will give you life for ever. The Son of Man will give you that food. God my Father has chosen him to do that.'