Book of Common Prayer

28 When we were safe on land, we found that the island we were on was called Malta.

² The people there were very kind to us. They made a fire for us and took care of us. It was cold and raining.

³ Paul gathered some sticks of wood. He put them on the fire. A bad snake came out of the heat and hung onto his hand.

⁴ The people of Malta saw the snake hanging on his hand. `Oh,' they said to each other. `This man has no doubt killed someone. He did not die in the water, but it is not right for him to live.'

⁵ Paul shook the snake off into the fire. It did not hurt him.

⁶ The people thought surely he would swell up or would drop down dead at once. They waited a long time and saw that nothing bad happened to him. Then they said, `We were wrong. He must be a god.'

⁷ The ruler of the island was a man named Publius. He owned some of the land there. He took us to his house for three days and was very kind to us.

⁸ The father of Publius was sick with fever, and blood was coming from his body. Paul went to see him. He talked to God and put his hands on the man. He healed him.

⁹ After this, other sick people on the island came to Paul. And they too were healed.

¹⁰ They gave us many things. When we went away, they put on the boat for us the things that we would need.

¹¹ A boat from the town of Alexandria was at the island all through the winter time. It was marked with a sign of the Twin Brothers. After we had been on the island for three months, we went on that boat.

¹² Then we went to the city of Syracuse and stayed for three days.

¹³ After that we turned the boat along the coast. We reached the town of Rhegium. When we had been there for a day, a south wind began to blow. On the second day we came to the city of Puteoli.

^14-15 here we found some Christian brothers. They asked us to stay with them for seven days. Then we went to Rome. Some of the Christians at Rome had heard about us. They came to places called the Market Place of Appius and the Three Hotels. There they met us. When Paul saw them, he thanked God. It made him strong and glad to see these brothers.

¹⁶ When we came to Rome, Paul was allowed to stay in a house by himself with the soldier who guarded him.

²⁷ Jesus said to them, `All of you will leave me this night. the holy writings say, "I will kill the one who takes care of the sheep. And the sheep will run away."

²⁸ But after I am raised from death, I will go to Galilee to meet you.'

²⁹ Peter said, `Even if all the others leave you, I will never leave you.'

³⁰ Jesus said, `I tell you the truth. This very night, before the cock calls two times, you will say three times that you do not know me.'

³¹ Peter said, `Even if I must die with you, I will never say I do not know you!' They all said the same thing.

³² Then they came to a place called Gethsemane. Jesus said to his disciples, `Sit here. I will go and talk with God.'

³³ He took Peter, James, and John along with him. Jesus began to be sad and troubled.

³⁴ He said to them, `My heart is very sad. I am almost dying! Stay here and watch.'

³⁵ Jesus went on a little farther. He fell on the ground and asked God that, if it could be so, this big trouble might pass by him.

³⁶ He said, `Oh, my Father, you can do all things. Take this cup away from me. But do not do what I want, but what you want.'

³⁷ Jesus went back and found the disciples sleeping. He said to Peter, `Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour?

³⁸ All of you must watch and talk with God so that you will not do wrong. A person's heart can want to do it, but his body is weak.'

³⁹ Jesus went away again and said the same words to God again.

⁴⁰ Jesus went back again and found the disciples sleeping. They could not keep their eyes open. They did not know what to say to Jesus.

⁴¹ Then he went back the third time. He said, `Are you still sleeping and resting?. It is enough. The time has come now. The Son of Man is given over to bad people.

⁴² Get up. Let us go. Look, here comes the one who will give me over to people who hate me!'