Book of Common Prayer

2 My brothers, you yourselves know that our visit to you was not for nothing.

² The people at the city of Philippi treated us very badly. As you know, we had much trouble. But God helped us, and we did not fear to tell you God's good news. But many things were against us and tried to stop us.

³ Our message was not a lie. What we told you was not wrong. And we did not try to fool you.

⁴ But God chose us to tell people the good news. And so we do not speak to please men, but to please God. He is the one who knows what is in our hearts.

⁵ We never said nice things about people that were not true. You know this. We never talked to get something out of it for ourselves. God knows this.

⁶ And we did not ask you or anybody else to help us or to praise us. Of course, we are apostles of Christ, and we had the right to do so.

⁷ But we were kind when we were with you. We were like a woman taking care of her own children.

⁸ Because we loved you, we were glad to give you God's good news. We were also glad to give you our lives, because we loved you very much.

⁹ My brothers, you remember how hard we worked. We worked night and day so that we would not trouble any of you. And we told you God's good news.

¹⁰ We lived in a holy and right way among you Christians. We did nothing wrong to you. You know this yourselves and God knows it too.

¹¹ You know how we talked to each of you as a father talks to his children. We comforted, helped, and taught you.

¹² We told you to live to please God. He called you to his own kingdom and greatness.

⁹ Then Jesus began to tell the people this story. `A man planted a farm. He let some men use the farm. They paid him money for the rent. Then he went to a country far away and stayed a long time.

¹⁰ `At harvest time the owner sent one of his servants to the men who used the farm. He wanted to have some fruit from the farm. But the men beat the servant and sent him away without any fruit.

¹¹ So he sent another servant. They beat this one also, and did wrong things to him. And they sent him away without any fruit.

¹² He sent a servant the third time. They hurt this one also and threw him out of the farm.

¹³ `Then the man who owned the farm said, "What shall I do? I will send my dear son. Maybe they will respect him."

¹⁴ `But when the men saw him they said to each other, "This is the one who will have everything when his father dies. Let us kill him. Then everything will belong to us."

¹⁵ They dragged him off the farm and killed him. `What will the man who owned the farm do to them?

¹⁶ He will come back and kill those men. And he will give the farm to other men to use.' When the chief priests and scribes heard this, they said, `May it not be so!'

¹⁷ `But Jesus looked right at them. He said, `What about this writing then? "The stone which the builders would not use is now the chief corner stone."

¹⁸ Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces. But if that stone falls on anyone, it will crush him.'