Book of Common Prayer

A praise psalm by David.^[a]

20 In those days Hezekiah was sick and dying. Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, “Yahweh says, ‘Set your house in order; for you will die, and not live.’”

² Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed to Yahweh, saying, ³ “Remember now, Yahweh, I beg you, how I have walked before you in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

⁴ Before Isaiah had gone out into the middle part of the city, Yahweh’s word came to him, saying, ⁵ “Turn back, and tell Hezekiah the prince of my people, ‘Yahweh, the God of David your father, says, “I have heard your prayer. I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you. On the third day, you will go up to Yahweh’s house. ⁶ I will add to your days fifteen years. I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.”’”

⁷ Isaiah said, “Take a cake of figs.”

They took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.

⁸ Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What will be the sign that Yahweh will heal me, and that I will go up to Yahweh’s house the third day?”

⁹ Isaiah said, “This will be the sign to you from Yahweh, that Yahweh will do the thing that he has spoken: should the shadow go forward ten steps, or go back ten steps?”

¹⁰ Hezekiah answered, “It is a light thing for the shadow to go forward ten steps. No, but let the shadow return backward ten steps.”

¹¹ Isaiah the prophet cried to Yahweh; and he brought the shadow ten steps backward, by which it had gone down on the sundial of Ahaz.

¹² At that time Berodach Baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick. ¹³ Hezekiah listened to them, and showed them all the storehouse of his precious things—the silver, the gold, the spices, and the precious oil, and the house of his armor, and all that was found in his treasures. There was nothing in his house, or in all his dominion, that Hezekiah didn’t show them.

¹⁴ Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah, and said to him, “What did these men say? From where did they come to you?”

Hezekiah said, “They have come from a far country, even from Babylon.”

¹⁵ He said, “What have they seen in your house?”

Hezekiah answered, “They have seen all that is in my house. There is nothing among my treasures that I have not shown them.”

¹⁶ Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear Yahweh’s word. ¹⁷ ‘Behold, the days come that all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have laid up in store to this day, will be carried to Babylon. Nothing will be left,’ says Yahweh. ¹⁸ ‘They will take away some of your sons who will issue from you, whom you will father; and they will be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’”

¹⁹ Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “Yahweh’s word which you have spoken is good.” He said moreover, “Isn’t it so, if peace and truth will be in my days?”

²⁰ Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he made the pool, and the conduit, and brought water into the city, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? ²¹ Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and Manasseh his son reigned in his place.

12 Now about that time, King Herod stretched out his hands to oppress some of the assembly. ² He killed James, the brother of John, with the sword. ³ When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This was during the days of unleavened bread. ⁴ When he had arrested him, he put him in prison and delivered him to four squads of four soldiers each to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover. ⁵ Peter therefore was kept in the prison, but constant prayer was made by the assembly to God for him. ⁶ The same night when Herod was about to bring him out, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains. Guards in front of the door kept the prison.

⁷ And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Stand up quickly!” His chains fell off his hands. ⁸ The angel said to him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” He did so. He said to him, “Put on your cloak and follow me.” ⁹ And he went out and followed him. He didn’t know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he saw a vision. ¹⁰ When they were past the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened to them by itself. They went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.

¹¹ When Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I truly know that the Lord has sent out his angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from everything the Jewish people were expecting.” ¹² Thinking about that, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. ¹³ When Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. ¹⁴ When she recognized Peter’s voice, she didn’t open the gate for joy, but ran in and reported that Peter was standing in front of the gate.

¹⁵ They said to her, “You are crazy!” But she insisted that it was so. They said, “It is his angel.” ¹⁶ But Peter continued knocking. When they had opened, they saw him and were amazed. ¹⁷ But he, beckoning to them with his hand to be silent, declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. He said, “Tell these things to James and to the brothers.” Then he departed and went to another place.

¹¹ Soon afterwards, he went to a city called Nain. Many of his disciples, along with a great multitude, went with him. ¹² Now when he came near to the gate of the city, behold, one who was dead was carried out, the only born^[a] son of his mother, and she was a widow. Many people of the city were with her. ¹³ When the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Don’t cry.” ¹⁴ He came near and touched the coffin, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!” ¹⁵ He who was dead sat up and began to speak. Then he gave him to his mother.

¹⁶ Fear took hold of all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and, “God has visited his people!” ¹⁷ This report went out concerning him in the whole of Judea and in all the surrounding region.