Book of Common Prayer

¹⁴ where, having found brothers, we were invited to stay with them for seven^[a] days. And so^[b] we came^[c] to Rome. ¹⁵ And from there the brothers, having heard the things concerning us, came as far as the Forum^[d] of Appius and the Three Taverns^[e] to meet us— whom having seen, Paul, having given-thanks to God, took courage^[f].

In Rome Paul Explains His Circumstance To The Jews, Who Ask To Hear His Message

¹⁶ And when we entered into Rome, it was permitted to Paul to stay by himself ^[g], with the soldier guarding him. ¹⁷ And it came about after three days that he called-together the ones being leading ones of the Jews. And they having come together, he was saying to them, “I, men, brothers, having done nothing contrary to our people or our ancestors’ customs, was handed-over as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans— ¹⁸ who, having examined me, were wanting to release me because of there being no charge worthy of death in connection with me. ¹⁹ But the Jews speaking-against it, I was compelled to appeal-to Caesar— not as-though having anything to accuse my nation. ²⁰ For this reason therefore, I called-for you, to see and speak to you. For I am wearing this chain for the sake of the hope of Israel”. ²¹ And the ones said to him, “We neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor did any of the brothers having arrived report or speak anything evil concerning you. ²² And we consider-it-fitting that we hear from you the things which you think. For indeed concerning this sect^[h], it is known to us that it is being spoken-against everywhere”.

Some Believed Paul’s Message, Others Rejected. Paul Turns To The Gentiles

²³ And having appointed a day for him, more came to him at his lodging— to whom he was explaining it from early-in-the-morning until evening, solemnly-testifying as to the kingdom of God, and persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets.

The Unrighteous Steward: Use Earthly Money For Heavenly Gain

16 And He was also saying to the disciples, “There was a certain rich man who had a steward^[a]. And this one was accused to him as squandering his possessions. ² And having called him, he said to him, ‘What is this I am hearing about you? Render the account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward’. ³ And the steward said within himself, ‘What should I do, because my master is taking-away the stewardship^[b] from me? I am not strong-enough to dig. I am ashamed to beg. ⁴ I know what I will do so that they will welcome me into their houses when I am removed from the stewardship’. ⁵ And having summoned each one of the debtors of his master, he was saying to the first, ‘How much do you owe to my master?’ ⁶ And the one said, ‘A hundred baths^[c] of olive-oil’. And the one said to him, ‘Take your writings^[d], and having sat-down quickly, write fifty’. ⁷ Then he said to another, ‘And you, how much do you owe?’ And the one said, ‘A hundred cor^[e] of wheat’. He says to him, ‘Take your writings, and write eighty’. ⁸ And the master praised the unrighteous steward because he acted shrewdly^[f]. Because the sons of ^[g] this age are more shrewd in-relation-to their own kind than the sons of the light. ⁹ And I say to you— make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails^[h] they^[i] will welcome you into the eternal dwellings. ¹⁰ The one trustworthy^[j] in a very-little thing is also trustworthy in much. And the one unrighteous in a very little thing is also unrighteous in much. ¹¹ Therefore if you did not prove-to-be trustworthy with unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true^[k] thing to you? ¹² And if you did not prove-to-be trustworthy with the thing belonging to another^[l], who will give you your own thing? ¹³ No household-servant can be serving^[m] two masters. For either he will hate^[n] the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and disregard the other. You cannot be serving God and wealth^[o]”.