Book of Common Prayer

¹² Therefore my dearly beloveds, as you have always obeyed, not only when I was present, but now much more in my absence, even so work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. ¹³ For it is God who works in you both the will and also the deed, of his own good will.

¹⁴ Do all things without murmuring and disputing, ¹⁵ so that you may be faultless and pure, and the children of God without rebuke in the midst of a corrupt and perverse nation – among whom see that you shine as lights in the world, ¹⁶ holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain, have not laboured in vain. ¹⁷ Yea, and even if I am offered up upon the offering and sacrifice of your faith, I am glad, and rejoice with you all. ¹⁸ And you also, be glad for the same cause, and rejoice with me.

¹⁹ I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be of good comfort when I know your state. ²⁰ For I have no man who is minded so like me, who with such pure affection cares for your matters. ²¹ For all others seek their own, and not that which is Jesus Christ’s. ²² You know the proof of him, how as a son with the father he bestowed his labour upon the gospel with me. ²³ I hope to send him as soon as I know how it will go with me. ²⁴ I trust in the Lord that I also myself may come shortly.

²⁵ I supposed it necessary to send to you brother Epaphroditus, my companion in labour and fellow-soldier – your apostle, and my minister at my need. ²⁶ For he longed after you, and was full of heaviness because you had heard that he was sick. ²⁷ And without question he was sick, and that near to death. But God had mercy on him – not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. ²⁸ I sent him therefore the more quickly, so that when you saw him you might rejoice again, and I might be less sorrowful. ²⁹ Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness. And make much of such a one, ³⁰ because for the work of Christ he went so far that he was near to death, and regarded not his life, to provide that service which was lacking on your part toward me.

¹³ When they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and remain there till I bring you word. For Herod will seek the child to kill him.

¹⁴ Then he arose, and took the child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt, ¹⁵ and was there until the death of Herod, to fulfil that which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, which says, Out of Egypt have I called my Son.

¹⁶ Then Herod, perceiving that the wise men had gotten around him, was exceedingly angry, and sent forth and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem and in all its vicinity – as many as were two years old and under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. ¹⁷ Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, ¹⁸ On the hills a voice was heard, mourning, weeping, and great lamentation: Rachel weeping for her children. And she would not be comforted, because they were no more.

¹⁹ When Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, ²⁰ saying, Arise, and take the child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel. For they are dead who sought the child’s life.

²¹ Then he arose up and took the child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. ²² But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. After he was warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee, ²³ and went and dwelt in a village called Nazareth, to fulfil that which was spoken by the prophets: He shall be called a Nazarite.