Book of Common Prayer

²⁶ The angel of the Lord spoke to Philip. `Get up,' said the angel. `Go south to the road that goes from Jerusalem to Gaza. It is desert there.'

²⁷ So Philip went. He saw a man from the country of Ethiopia. This man was a servant of Candace, the queen of the Ethiopian people. She gave this servant much power. He took care of her money. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship.

²⁸ Now he was on his way back. He sat in his carriage reading from the book which was written long ago by Isaiah, the prophet of God.

²⁹ The Spirit of the Lord said to Stephen, `Go over to that man in the carriage.'

³⁰ So Philip went running to him. He heard him reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah. `Do you understand what you are reading?' Philip asked.

³¹ `How can I? I have no man to teach me,' he answered. He asked Philip to get into the carriage and ride with him.

³² This is what he was reading: `He was led as a sheep to be killed. A lamb says nothing while its wool is being cut, so he also says nothing.

³³ He was put down very low. He was not allowed to have a proper trial. He had no children to follow after him. For his life is taken from the earth.'

³⁴ Then the man from Ethiopia asked Philip, `Please tell me, who is the prophet talking about, himself or some other man?'

³⁵ Then Philip told him about Jesus. He began with what the man read in the book.

³⁶ While they were going along, they came to some water by the road. The man said, `See, here is water. What is there to stop me from being baptised?'

³⁷ Philip answered, `If you believe with all your heart, you may be baptised.' The man said, `I do believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.'

³⁸ The man told the driver to stop. Then both he and Philip went down into the water, and Philip baptised him.

³⁹ When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away. The man did not see him again, but he went on his way and was very happy.

⁴⁰ Next, Philip came to the town of Azotus. He told the good news in all the cities through which he passed. Then he came to Caesarea.

¹³ Pilate then called the chief priests, and the rulers, and the people.

¹⁴ He said to them, `You brought this man to me. You said he is leading your people to do wrong. I have asked questions here in front of you. I have found nothing wrong in this man.

¹⁵ Herod did the same. He sent him back to us. This man has done nothing for which he should die.

¹⁶ So I will beat him and let him go.'

¹⁷ At the feast Pilate always let one man go free.

¹⁸ But they all shouted, `Kill this man! Let Barabbas go free for us!'

¹⁹ (Barabbas had been put in prison because he led some people who had been fighting in the city. He had killed a man.)

²⁰ Pilate talked to the people again. He wanted to let Jesus go free.

²¹ But they shouted, `Nail him to a cross! Nail him to a cross!"

²² Pilate said to them the third time, `Why, what wrong thing has he done? I have not found any wrong thing for which he should die. So I will beat him and let him go.'

²³ But they shouted all the more loudly, saying, `Nail him to a cross!' And Pilate gave in to their shouting.

²⁴ So he said they could have it their way.

²⁵ He let the other man go free. (He was the one who had been put in prison because he fought and had killed a man. He was the one the people asked Pilate to let go free.) And Pilate did to Jesus what they wanted him to do.