Book of Common Prayer

¹⁸ Wives, obey your husbands. This is the right way to live when you belong to the Lord.

¹⁹ Husbands, love your wives and do not be unkind to them.

²⁰ Children, obey your parents in everything. This pleases the Lord.

²¹ Fathers, do not make your children angry. They might stop trying to do right.

²² Servants, obey your boss in everything. Obey always, not only when he is looking at you as if you were pleasing a man. Do it with all your heart because you respect the Lord.

²³ Whatever your work is, do it gladly. Do it as you would do it unto the Lord and not for people.

²⁴ You know you will get pay from the Lord, for you are the servants of the Lord Christ.

²⁵ The person who does wrong will be punished for the wrong he has done. God does not love one person more than another.

4 You who are a boss, do what is right to your servants. You know that you also have a Master in heaven.

² Always take time to talk to God. Put your mind on what you are saying. And thank God for what he has done.

³ Talk to God about us too. Ask him to open a way for us to tell people his message. We want to tell God's plan about Christ. That is why I am in prison because of that plan.

⁴ I want to be free to talk about it as I should do.

⁵ Act the right way to people who are not Christians. Make good use of your time.

⁶ Always say good things when you talk. Talk in a way that will make people listen. Then you will know how to answer people.

⁷ Tychicus will tell you all about me. He is a brother whom I love. He is a very good helper and works with me in the Lord's work.

⁸ I am sending him to you so that you will know about us and so that he may comfort your hearts.

⁹ I am sending Onesimus with him. He is also a good brother whom I love. He is one of you. They will tell you all about everything here.

¹⁰ Here are the people who send you greetings: Aristarchus, who is in prison with me, and Mark, a cousin of Barnabas. I have already told you to welcome him if he comes to you.

¹¹ Jesus, whose other name is Justus, also sends greetings. These men are the only Jews who are doing God's work with me. And they have comforted me much.

¹² Epaphras sends you greetings. He is one of you and is a servant of Christ Jesus. He always talks to God about you with all his heart. He asks God to help you to be strong so that you will become grown-up Christians and know all that God wants you to do.

¹³ I myself have seen how hard he has worked for you and for the people in the cities of Laodicea and Hierapolis.

¹⁴ Luke, the doctor whom I love, and Demas also greet you.

¹⁵ Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and also to Nympha and the church people who meet in her house.

¹⁶ When you have read this letter, then be sure that it is also read to the church people in Laodicea. And be sure that you read the letter which will be sent to you from Laodicea.

¹⁷ Tell Archippus, `See that you do all the work which the Lord has given you to do.'

¹⁸ I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember that I am in prison. God bless you.

³⁶ One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to come and eat with him. So Jesus went into the Pharisee's house and sat down to eat.

³⁷ In that city was a bad woman. When she knew that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she came and brought a bottle of oil. It was oil that smelled very sweet and cost much money.

³⁸ She stood behind Jesus by his feet, and she was crying. She began to wash his feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. Then she kissed his feet and put oil on them.

³⁹ The Pharisee who had asked Jesus to his house saw this. He said to himself, `If this man were a prophet of God, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She is a bad woman.'

⁴⁰ Jesus said to him, `Simon, I have something to say to you.' And he said, `Teacher, say it.'

⁴¹ Jesus said, `There was a man who used to lend money to people. Two people owed him money. One man owed him five hundred pieces of silver money. The other owed him fifty pieces.

⁴² They could not pay the money, so he let them both free. Now which one of them will love him more?'

⁴³ Simon answered, `I would say the one he let off the most.' Jesus said, `You are right.'

⁴⁴ Then he turned towards the woman. He said to Simon, `Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me water to wash my feet. But she has washed my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.

⁴⁵ You did not kiss me. But since she came in, she has kissed my feet again and again.

⁴⁶ You did not put oil on my head. But she has put sweet smelling oil on my feet.

⁴⁷ So I tell you, she has done many wrong things, but she has been forgiven because she loved me so much. But one who has been forgiven a little loves me only a little'

⁴⁸ Jesus said to the woman, `The wrong things you have done are forgiven.'

⁴⁹ Then those who were at the table with him began to say to themselves, `Who is this man? He even forgives people for the wrong things they have done.'

⁵⁰ Jesus said to the woman, `You are saved because you believed. Go in peace.'