Book of Common Prayer

The dragon is angry

⁷ Then war broke out in heaven, with Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fighting back. ⁸ But they could not win, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. ⁹ So the great dragon was thrown down to the earth—the ancient serpent who is called the devil and the satan, who deceives the whole world. His angels were thrown down with him. ¹⁰ Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, “Now at last has come salvation and power: the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Messiah! The accuser of our family has been thrown down, the one who accuses them before God day and night. ¹¹ They conquered him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony, because they did not love their lives unto death. ¹² So rejoice, you heavens and all who live there! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you in great anger, knowing that he only has a short time.”

¹³ When the dragon saw that he had been cast down to the earth, he set off in pursuit of the woman who had borne the baby boy. ¹⁴ The woman, however, was given a pair of wings from a great eagle, so that she could fly away from the presence of the serpent into the desert, to the place where she is looked after for a time, two times and half a time. ¹⁵ The serpent, for its part, spat out of its mouth a jet of water like a river after the woman, to carry her off with the force of the water. ¹⁶ But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing up the river which the dragon had spat out of his mouth. ¹⁷ Then the dragon was angry with the woman, and went off to wage war against the rest of her children, those who keep God’s commands and the testimony of Jesus.

⁵³ He went outside, and the scribes and Pharisees began to be very threatening towards him. They interrogated him about several things, ⁵⁴ lying in wait for him to catch him in something he might say.

Further warnings

12 Crowds were gathering in their thousands, so much so that they were trampling on each other. Jesus began to say to his disciples, “Watch out for the leaven of the Pharisees—I mean, their hypocrisy. This is a matter of first importance.

² “Nothing is concealed that won’t be uncovered; nothing is hidden that won’t be made known. ³ So whatever you say in the darkness will be heard in the light, and whatever you speak indoors into someone’s ear will be proclaimed from the housetops.

⁴ “So, my friends, I have this to say to you: don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more they can do. ⁵ I will show you who to fear: fear the one who starts by killing and then has the right to throw people into Gehenna. Yes, let me tell you, that’s the one to fear!

⁶ “How much do five sparrows cost? Two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten in God’s presence. ⁷ But the hairs of your head have all been counted. Don’t be afraid! You are worth more than lots of sparrows.

⁸ “Let me tell you: if anyone acknowledges me before others, the son of man will acknowledge that person before God’s angels. ⁹ But if anyone denies me before others, that person will be denied before God’s angels.

¹⁰ “Everyone who speaks a word against the son of man will have it forgiven; but the one who blasphemes against the holy spirit will not be forgiven.

¹¹ “When they bring you before synagogues, rulers and authorities, don’t worry about how to give an answer or what to say. ¹² The holy spirit will teach you what to say at that very moment.”