Book of Common Prayer

13 In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers. They were Barnabas, Simeon Niger, Lucius from Cyrene, Manaen who grew up with Herod the ruler, and Saul.

² They were worshipping the Lord and fasting [not eating food for a time]. The Holy Spirit said, `Give me Barnabas and Saul to do the work for which I have called them.'

³ The men fasted and talked to God. Then they laid their hands on Barnabas and Paul and sent them on their way.

⁴ Barnabas and Saul left Antioch. The Holy Spirit sent them to the town of Seleucia. From there they went in a boat to the island of Cyprus.

⁵ When they reached the town of Salamis, they told God's word in the meeting places of the Jews. John was with them to help.

⁶ They went through all the island to the town of Paphos. There they met a witch doctor. He was a Jew named Bar-Jesus. He was not a true prophet.

⁷ This witch-doctor was with Sergius Paulus, the ruler of the country. Sergius Paulus was a wise man. He wanted to hear God's word, so he called for Barnabas and Saul.

⁸ The witch-doctor was also called Elymas. He tried to stop them. He did not want the ruler to believe the truth.

⁹ Then Saul, who is also called Paul, being filled with the Holy Spirit, looked at him.

¹⁰ `You son of the devil!' he said. `You do nothing but tell lies and make much trouble. You hate everything that is right. The Lord's way is right. Will you not stop spoiling his way?

¹¹ See now, the Lord's hand is upon you. You will be blind and will not be able to see the sun for a while.' And right then something like a dark cloud came over Elymas' eyes. He went around begging someone to take his hand and lead him.

¹² The ruler saw what had happened. And he was very much surprised at the teaching about the Lord. He believed it.

9 On his way out of the temple Jesus saw a man who had been born blind.

² His disciples asked Jesus, `Master, was this man born blind because of the wrong things he did, or was it the wrong things his parents did?'

³ Jesus answered, `It was not that he or his parents did any wrong thing. But it was so that people would see what God will do in him.

⁴ There is one who has sent me. I must do his work while it is still daylight. Night is coming. Then it will be too dark to work.

⁵ As long as I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.'

⁶ When Jesus had said this, he spat on the ground. Then he put some of the wet dirt on the man's eyes.

⁷ And he said, `Go. wash your eyes in that water hole called Siloam.' (Siloam means Sent.) The man went and washed his eyes. After that, he was able to see.

⁸ His neighbours and other people had seen him when he was blind. They said, `Is not this the same man who used to sit here and beg?'

⁹ Some people said, `Yes, this is the same man.' Others said, `He is like that man.' But the man himself said, `I am that man.'

¹⁰ They asked him, `How is it that you can see now?'

¹¹ He answered them, `That man whose name is Jesus made some mud. He rubbed it on my eyes and told me to go and wash them in the water hole Siloam. And when I had washed my eyes, I could see.'

¹² `Where is the man?' they asked. He said, `I do not know.'

¹³ They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind.

¹⁴ The day Jesus made the mud and healed the man was the Sabbath day.

¹⁵ Then the Pharisees also asked the man, `How is it that you can see now?' He answered them, `The man put mud on my eyes. I washed my eyes and now I can see.'

¹⁶ Then some of the Pharisees said, `This man is not from God. He does not obey the Sabbath day law.' The others said, `But how can a bad man do such a big work?' So the Pharisees did not agree together in what they thought about Jesus.

¹⁷ Then they asked the man who had been born blind, `What do you say about the man who healed you?' He answered, `I say he is a prophet from God.'