Book of Common Prayer

¹⁸ They called them in and said, `Never speak or teach in this name again.'

¹⁹ But Peter and John answered them, `How does God look at it? Is it right for us to obey you or to obey him? You judge that for yourselves.

²⁰ As for us, we must tell the things we have seen and heard.'

²¹ So the high priest and those with him told them again. Then they let them go. They could not punish them because of the people. They all praised God for what had been done.

²² The man who had been healed was more than forty years old.

²³ When they were free, Peter and John went back to their own friends. They told them all that the chief priests and leaders had said to them.

²⁴ When they heard it, they talked to God together. They said, `Lord, you are God. You made the sky, and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them.

²⁵ Our father David was your servant. Through him you said by the Holy Spirit, "Why are the people who are not Jews so angry? And why do the people plan things for nothing?

²⁶ The kings of the earth joined their forces. And the rulers met together against the Lord and his Christ."

²⁷ `It is true that Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with Jews and those who were not Jews here in this city. They met to make secret plans against your holy Son Jesus, whom you made Christ.

²⁸ But they only did what you had already planned should be done.

^29-30 ord, hear their words. Listen to the wrong things they say against us. We are your servants. Help us to speak your word without fear. And heal the sick by your own power. Let signs and wonderful things be done in the name of your holy Son Jesus.'

³¹ When they had talked to God, the room they were in shook. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit. And they spoke the word of God without fear.

³¹ Then the leaders of the Jews picked up stones again to kill him.

³² So Jesus said to them, `I have done many good things that come from my Father. For which one of those are you going to kill me?'

³³ Then the Jewish leaders answered him, `We do not kill you for doing any good thing. But you do not respect God. You are only a man, and yet you say you are God.'

³⁴ Jesus answered them, `In your own books it is written that God said, "You are gods."

³⁶ Nothing can change the words in the holy writings. It is written that God spoke to men and that he called them gods. So he called some men gods. Then why do you say I do not respect God when I say that I am the Son of God? I am the one God chose and sent into the world.

³⁷ If I am not doing my Father's work, then do not believe me.

³⁸ But if I am doing my Father's work, believe the work that I do, even though you do not believe me. Then you will know and you will believe that my Father is in me and I am in him.'

³⁹ Because of what he said, they tried to catch Jesus again. But he got away from them.

⁴⁰ He went away again to the other side of the Jordan River. He went to the place where John [the Baptizer] was when he first baptized people. Jesus stayed there for a while.

⁴¹ Many people came to him there. They said, `John himself did not do any big work. But everything that John said about this man is true.'

⁴² Many people believed on Jesus there.