Book of Common Prayer
The angel has the book open. He swears that there shall be no more time. He gives the book to John, who eats it up.
10 And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven clothed with a cloud, and a rainbow upon his head. And his face was as the sun, and his feet as it were pillars of fire. 2 And he had in his hand a little book open. And he put his right foot upon the sea and his left foot on the land, 3 and bellowed with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. And when he had cried out, seven thunders spoke their voices. 4 And when the seven thunders had spoken their voices, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, Seal up those things that the seven thunders spoke, and write them not.
5 And the angel that I saw standing upon the sea and upon the land lifted his hand up to heaven, 6 and swore by him who lives forevermore, who created heaven and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that time shall be no more, 7 but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he begins to blow, even the mystery of God shall be finished, as he preached by his servants the prophets.
8 And the voice that I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, Go, and take the little book that is open in the hand of the angel that stands upon the sea and upon the land. 9 And I went to the angel and said to him, Give me the little book. And he said to me, Take it and eat it up; and it will make your belly bitter, but it will be in your mouth as sweet as honey. 10 And I took the little book out of his hand and ate it up. And it was in my mouth as sweet as honey; and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. 11 And he said to me, You must prophesy again among the people and nations and tongues, and to many kings.
He teaches his disciples to pray, drives out a devil, and rebukes the blasphemous Pharisees. They require signs and tokens. He eats with the Pharisee, and reproves the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, scribes, and hypocrites.
11 And it happened as he was praying in a certain place that when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him, Master, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples. 2 And he said to them, When you pray, say, Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, even in earth as it is in heaven. 3 Give us our daily bread evermore. 4 And forgive us our sins, for even we forgive every person that trespasses against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
5 And he said to them, If any of you had a friend, and went to him at midnight and said to him, Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 because a friend of mine has come from a journey to me and I have nothing to set before him, 7 and the man inside were to answer and say, Don’t trouble me; the door is now shut, and my servants are with me in the chamber; I cannot rise and give them to you – 8 I say to you, though he would not arise and give him a loaf because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he would rise and give him as many as he needed. 9 And so I say to you: ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
10 For everyone that asks, receives, and he that seeks, finds, and to him who knocks, it will be opened. 11 If the son asks for bread from any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for fish, will he give him a serpent for a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If you then who are evil can give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father of heaven give a holy spirit to those who desire it of him?
Copyright © 2016 by Ruth Magnusson (Davis). Includes emendations to February 2022. All rights reserved.