Book of Common Prayer

²² `You men of Israel, listen to this. God showed you that he was pleased with this man, Jesus of Nazareth. He proved it by the big works and the wonderful signs which he did by Jesus right here among you people. And you yourselves know it.

^23-24 This same Jesus was given up. You let bad men take him. You let them nail him to a cross and kill him. This is just the way God had planned it. He knew how it would happen. But God raised him back to life. He set him free from the pain of death. Death could not hold him.

²⁵ `King David spoke about Jesus long ago. He said, "I saw the Lord before me always. He is at my right hand so that I may not be shaken.

^26-27 That made my heart very happy. It made my tongue sing for joy. And even my body also will rest in peace because you will not leave my body in the grave. You will not let your Holy One die and be spoiled.

²⁸ You have shown me the ways of life. You will make me very happy when I am with you."

²⁹ `My brothers, I can talk very plainly to you about your father, David. He died and was buried. His grave is still here today.

³⁰ He was a prophet. He knew that God had promised him that someone born of his family would sit on his chair to rule. That one was Christ.

³¹ David knew what would happen. So he said that Christ would be raised from death. Christ was not left in the grave. His body was not spoiled. David said all this before it ever happened.

³² And now we all saw it. We are telling people that God raised this Jesus back to life.

³³ `God made him great by making him sit at his right side. God gave him the Holy Spirit as he had promised. So he sent this which you now see and hear.

^34-35 avid himself has not gone up into the heavens. What he said was, "The Lord God said to my Lord, `Sit at my right hand till I bring your enemies down and put your feet on them.' "

³⁶ `So let all the people of Israel know this: God has made Jesus to be Lord and Christ. This is the same Jesus whom you nailed to the cross.'

¹¹ While the women were going, some of the soldiers who had guarded the grave came into the city. They told the chief priests all that had happened.

¹² The chief priests had a meeting with the leaders of the people and talked the matter over. They gave much money to the soldiers.

¹³ They said, `Tell the people, "His disciples came by night and took away the body while we were sleeping."

¹⁴ If the ruler hears about this, then we will talk to him so that he will not punish you.'

¹⁵ The soldiers took the money. They did as they were told to do. And even to this day, many of the Jewish leaders say this is what happened to Jesus.

¹⁶ The eleven disciples went to Galilee. They went to the hill where Jesus had told them to meet him.

¹⁷ When they saw him, they bowed down in front of him. But some people were not sure.

¹⁸ Jesus came and talked to them. He said, `All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

¹⁹ So go and make disciples in all countries. Baptise them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

²⁰ Teach them to do all the things I have told you to do. I am with you always, even to the end of time.'