Book of Common Prayer

^11-12 od did big works through Paul. Even some pieces of cloth he had touched were carried to sick people and they were healed. Also, people who had bad spirits in them were made free.

¹³ Some Jews were there who travelled about from place to place. They had power over bad spirits like witch-doctors. They tried to make people free from bad spirits by using the name of the Lord Jesus. They said to the spirits, `I tell you, in the name of Jesus, the one Paul talks about, come out!'

¹⁴ There was a Jew named Sceva. He was a chief priest. He had seven sons who did this.

¹⁵ But the bad spirit answered, `I know Jesus and I know Paul. But who are you?'

¹⁶ And the man who had the bad spirit in him jumped on them. He beat them all because he was stronger than they were. Their bodies were bleeding and their clothes were torn. They ran out of the house.

¹⁷ When all the Jews and the Greeks at Ephesus knew about this, they all feared. And they had great respect for the name of the Lord Jesus.

¹⁸ Many of the people who believed, told God all the bad things they used to do.

¹⁹ Many had been witch-doctors. They brought their books and burned them in front of all the people. All the books together had cost about 50,000 silver coins.

²⁰ God's word spread with power. It reached more and more people.

¹⁴ John was put in prison. Then Jesus went to Galilee. He told people the good news of God's kingdom.

¹⁵ `The time has come,' he said. `The kingdom of God is here. Stop your wrong ways, turn back to God and believe the good news.'

¹⁶ Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee. There he saw Simon and his brother Andrew. They were throwing a fishing net into the water. Their work was to catch fish.

¹⁷ Jesus said to them, `Come with me. The work I give you will be to catch people.'

¹⁸ Right away they left their nets and went with him.

¹⁹ Jesus went on from there and saw James and his brother John. Their father's name was Zebedee. They were in a boat mending their nets.

²⁰ Jesus called them. Right away they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the workmen and went with Jesus.