Book of Common Prayer

Paul Defends Himself Against Their Charges

¹⁰ And Paul responded, the governor having nodded to him to speak, “Knowing-about you being a judge^[a] to this nation for many years, I cheerfully speak-a-defense as to the things concerning myself— ¹¹ you being able to learn that it is not more than twelve days from which day I went up to Jerusalem to worship. ¹² And neither in the temple did they find me arguing with anyone or causing an onset of a crowd— nor in the synagogues, nor throughout the city! ¹³ Nor are they able to prove to you the things concerning which they now are accusing me. ¹⁴ But I confess this to you— that according to the Way which they call a sect, thus I am worshiping^[b] the God of my ancestor^[c], believing all the things in accordance with the Law, and the things having been written in the Prophets, ¹⁵ having a hope in God which these ones themselves also are waiting-for^[d]— that there will-certainly be a resurrection of both righteous ones and unrighteous ones. ¹⁶ In this^[e] indeed I am striving to have a blameless conscience toward God and people continually. ¹⁷ Now after many years I came to do acts-of-almsgiving^[f] for my nation, and offerings, ¹⁸ during which they found me in the temple, having been purified^[g]— not with a crowd, nor with a commotion. ¹⁹ But there were some Jews from Asia— who ought-to-have been present before you and accusing me, if they have something against me. ²⁰ Or let these ones themselves say what crime they found, I having stood before the Sanhedrin— ²¹ other-than concerning this one shout which I cried-out while standing among them, that ‘I am being judged before you today concerning the resurrection of the dead’”.

Jesus Says To The One Who Invited Him, Serve Those Who Cannot Repay

¹² And He was also saying to the one having invited Him, “Whenever you make a morning-meal^[a] or a dinner, do not be calling your friends, nor your brothers, nor your relatives, nor rich neighbors— that they also might not perhaps invite you in return, and it become a repayment^[b] to you. ¹³ But whenever you make a reception, be inviting poor ones, crippled ones, lame ones, blind ones, ¹⁴ and you will be blessed because they do not have the means to repay you. For it will be repaid to you at the resurrection of the righteous”.

When The Invited Are Not Willing To Come, The Uninvited Will Be Welcomed

¹⁵ And one of the ones reclining back with Him [to eat], having heard these things, said to Him, “Blessed is whoever will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” ¹⁶ But the One said to him— “A certain man was making a great dinner, and he invited many. ¹⁷ And he sent-out his slave at the hour of the dinner to say to the ones having been invited, ‘Come, because it is already prepared’. ¹⁸ And they all alike began to excuse-themselves. The first said to him, ‘I bought a field. And I have a necessity, having gone out, to see it. I ask you, have me excused’. ¹⁹ And another said, ‘I bought five pair^[c] of oxen, and I am proceeding to test them. I ask you, have me excused’. ²⁰ And another said, ‘I married a woman, and for this reason I am not able to come’. ²¹ And having come, the slave reported these things to his master. Then, having become-angry^[d], the house-master said to his slave, ‘Go out quickly into the wide-roads^[e] and lanes^[f] of the city, and bring in here the poor ones and crippled ones and blind ones and lame ones’. ²² And the slave said, ‘Master, what you commanded has been done, and there is still room’. ²³ And the master said to the slave, ‘Go out to the roads^[g] and fences, and compel^[h] them to come in, in order that my house may be filled. ²⁴ For I say to you^[i] all that none of those men having been invited will taste my dinner’”.