Book of Common Prayer

⁶ Here is something to remember. `The man who plants a little bit will get only a little from it. The man who plants much will get much from it.'

⁷ Everyone should give what he wants in his heart to give. He should be glad to give it, and should not give it because he was forced to give. `God loves a person who gives gladly.'

⁸ God is able to give you even more blessings than you need. In all things you will always have all you need for yourselves, and you will have enough to help all others.

⁹ The holy writings say, `A good man gives away many things. He gives to the poor people. He will always be a good man in the sight of God.'

¹⁰ God is the one who gives seed to plant and bread to eat. He will give you enough to give away and will make it become more and more. Of the good things you do he will give you a big harvest.

¹¹ You will become rich in every way. And then you will have enough to give plenty to all people. And many people will thank God for your gifts which we will bring them.

¹² This gift of money will help to give God's people what they need. It will also make many people thank God.

¹³ This gift will prove something to them. They will praise God because you obey the good news of Christ. They will praise God because you have given this gift to help them and all the others.

¹⁴ They will love you and talk to God about you, because God has blessed you very much.

¹⁵ Thank God for his gift so great that no words can ever tell it all!

²⁰ So many people came again that they could not even eat.

²¹ When Jesus' family heard about this, they came to take him away. They said, `He is crazy.'

²² The scribes who came from Jerusalem also talked about Jesus. They said, `Beelzebub, the chief of bad spirits, is in this man. He drives out bad spirits by the help of Beelzebub.'

²³ Jesus called the people and talked to them in stories. He asked, `How can Satan drive out Satan?

²⁴ If one part of a country fights against another part of the country, that country cannot be strong.

²⁵ If one part of a family fights against the other part of the family, it cannot stand.

²⁶ If Satan fights against himself and the bad spirits fight against each other, he cannot stand. It will be the end of him.

²⁷ If anyone wants to go into a strong man's house and steal his things, he must first tie the strong man. Then he can steal his things.

²⁸ `I tell you the truth. All wrong things that people do and say about anyone will be forgiven.

²⁹ But people who say wrong things against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. A person who does that will be punished for ever.'

³⁰ Jesus said all this because the scribes said, `A bad spirit is in him.'