Book of Common Prayer

²⁵ We must not be proud of ourselves. We must not make one another angry. We must not want what other people have.

6 My brothers, perhaps a man has done something wrong. If so, you who are strong in the Spirit must help him to do the right thing again. Help him in a gentle way. Take care yourself, that you are not tried and will want to do wrong.

² Help each other in your troubles. In that way you obey Christ's law.

³ A man who thinks that he is an important person when he is not, that man fools himself.

⁴ Let every man test his own work. Then he will be proud of his own work. He will not be proud because he thinks his own work is better than someone else's work.

⁵ Each man must carry his own load.

⁶ People are taught the word of God. They should give some of all the good things they have to those who teach them.

⁷ Do not be fooled about this. God cannot be fooled. A man gets what he plants.

⁸ The man who plants the wrong things he wants to do will get death, because of those wrong things. But the person who plants what the Spirit wants him to do will live for ever, because of the Spirit.

⁹ We must not get tired of doing good things. If we do not stop doing them, we will get something back when the right time comes.

¹⁰ So then, when we can, we should do good to all people. But most of all, we should do it to those who are in God's family.

¹⁴ When they came to the disciples, they saw many people around them. Some scribes were talking with the disciples.

¹⁵ The people were all very much surprised when they saw Jesus. They ran to him and greeted him.

¹⁶ Jesus asked his disciples, `What are you talking about with them?'

¹⁷ One of the people said, `Teacher, I brought my son to you. A bad spirit is in him so he cannot talk.

¹⁸ Wherever it takes hold of him, it throws him around. It makes him foam at his mouth. It makes him make noises with his teeth. He is getting weak and thin. I asked your disciples to drive the bad spirit out, but they could not do it.'

¹⁹ Jesus said, `You people today do not believe. How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.'

²⁰ So they brought the boy to him. As soon as the bad spirit saw him, he threw the boy around. The boy fell on the ground and rolled around. Foam was coming from his mouth.

²¹ Jesus asked the father, `How long has he had this spirit?' He answered, `Since he was a child.

²² Often it has thrown him in the fire and in the water. It has tried to kill him. If you can do anything for him, show us that you share our suffering by helping us.'

²³ Jesus said to him, `You say, "If you can." Anything can be done for the person who believes.'

²⁴ Right away the father of the child, with tears in his eyes, said loudly, `I do believe! Help me to believe more!'

²⁵ Jesus saw many people come running together. He talked to the bad spirit: `You bad spirit who stops the boy from hearing and talking! I tell you, come out of him and do not go into him again!'

²⁶ The bad spirit screamed and threw the boy around. Then it came out of him and left him like a dead person. Many of the people even said, `The boy is dead.'

²⁷ But Jesus took his hand and helped him to get up. The boy stood up.

²⁸ Jesus went into the house. His disciples were alone with him. They asked him, `Why could we not drive out the bad spirit?'

²⁹ Jesus said to them, `This kind of bad spirit does not come out unless people talk to God and fast.'