Book of Common Prayer

¹⁶ One day we were going to the meeting place where people talked with God. We met a girl who had a bad spirit. She used to tell people what was going to happen. Her masters received much money when she did this.

¹⁷ This girl kept on following Paul and us. She was shouting, `These men are servants of the High God. They are telling us how to be saved.'

¹⁸ She did this for many days. This troubled Paul. He turned and said to the spirit in her, `In the name of Jesus Christ, I say to you, come out of her!' And the spirit came out at once.

¹⁹ Her masters saw that they had lost this way of getting money. They caught Paul and Silas and took them by force to the rulers in the court.

²⁰ When they had brought them before the judges, they said, `These men are Jews. And they are making much trouble in our city.

²¹ They are teaching people laws which we may not obey because we are Roman people.'

²² All the people standing around were against Paul and Silas. The judges tore off the clothes of Paul and Silas. They gave orders that they should be beaten.

²³ They beat them very hard. Then they put them in prison. `Take care,' they said to the prison guard. `Be sure that these prisoners do not run away.'

²⁴ And so the guard put them in the back room in the prison. They locked their feet in holes cut in heavy pieces of wood.

²⁰ Some of the people who came to worship God at the feast were Greek people.

²¹ They came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee. They said, `Sir, we want to see Jesus.'

²² Philip came to Andrew and told him. Then they both went and told Jesus.

²³ Jesus said, `The time has come when the Son of Man will be made great.

²⁴ I tell you the truth. If a seed of grain is not put in the ground to die, it will be only a seed. But if it dies, it will bear many seeds.

²⁵ Anyone who tries to keep his life will lose it. Anyone who gives up his life in this world will live for ever in the next world.

²⁶ If anyone wants to do my work, he must go where I go. Then he and I will be together. My Father will honour everyone who works for me.