Book of Common Prayer

²³ So they chose a certain day. On that day many of them came to the house where Paul was staying. He told them about God's kingdom. He tried to make them understand about Jesus by the things that were written in the law of Moses and in the books of the prophets. He talked from morning until evening.

²⁴ Some of the people were ready to believe what he said, but others did not believe.

²⁵ They did not agree among themselves. So they started to go away. But before they left, Paul said one more thing. `What the Holy Spirit said was right. He spoke to your fathers long ago through Isaiah, the prophet of God.

²⁶ He said, "Go to these people and say, `You will hear but never understand. You will look but never see.

²⁷ The hearts of these people have become hard. They do not hear with their ears. They have shut their eyes. They do not want to see with their eyes. They do not want to hear with their ears. They do not want to understand with their hearts. If they did, they would turn back to me and I would forgive them.' " '

²⁸ Paul said, `Therefore know this. The message that God will save them has been sent to those who were not Jews. They will listen to it.'

²⁹ When Paul had said these words, the Jewish leaders went away. They were talking amongst themselves about these things.

³⁰ Paul stayed in Rome for two whole years in a house he paid money to live in. He was glad to see all who came to him.

³¹ He told them about God's kingdom and taught them about the Lord Jesus Christ. He did this freely without fear. No one stopped him.

²³ Jesus was walking through the grainfields on the Sabbath day. His disciples began to pick some of the seed (to eat) as they went along.

²⁴ The Pharisees said to Jesus, `Why do your disciples do what is not right on the Sabbath day?'

²⁵ Jesus answered them, `Have you not read what David did? He and his men who were with him were hungry.

²⁶ He went into God's house when Abiathar was the high priest. Some bread was there for God. It was not right for them to eat it. Only the priests have the right to eat it. But David took the bread and ate it. He also gave some of it to the people who were with him.'

²⁷ Jesus went on to say, `The Sabbath was made for the good of man. Man was not made for the Sabbath.

²⁸ So the Son of Man rules over the Sabbath day.'