Book of Common Prayer

¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God, and the first begotten of all creatures. ¹⁶ For by him were all things created: things that are in heaven and things that are in earth, things visible and things invisible, whether they be majesty, or lordship, or rule, or power. All things are created by him and in him, ¹⁷ and he is before all things, and in him all things have their being.

¹⁸ And he is the head of the body; that is to say, of the congregation. He is the beginning and first begotten of the dead, so that in all things he may have the pre-eminence. ¹⁹ For it pleased the Father that in him all fullness should dwell, ²⁰ and by him to reconcile all things to himself, and to set at peace by him, through the blood of his cross, both things in heaven and things in earth.

²¹ And you, who were in times past strangers and enemies because your minds were set in evil works, he has now reconciled ²² in the body of his flesh through death, to make you holy, unblameable, and without fault in his own sight – ²³ if you continue grounded and established in the faith, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, of which you have heard how it is preached among all creatures under heaven, and of which I, Paul, am made a minister.

¹² And it came to pass in those days that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. ¹³ And as soon as it was day, he called his disciples. And of them he chose twelve, whom he also called apostles: ¹⁴ Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; ¹⁵ Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alpheus, and Simon called Zelotes; ¹⁶ Judas, James’ son; and Judas Iscariot, which same was the traitor.

¹⁷ And he came down with them, and stood in the open field with the company of his disciples and a great crowd of people out of all parts of Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases, ¹⁸ and people also who were vexed with foul spirits, and they were healed. ¹⁹ And all the people pressed in to touch him, because power went out of him and healed them all.

²⁰ And he lifted up his eyes upon the disciples and said, Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. ²¹ Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. ²² Blessed are you when men hate you and thrust you out of their company, and rail, and abhor your name as an evil thing, for the Son of man’s sake. ²³ Rejoice then, and be glad, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. Likewise did their fathers treat the prophets.

²⁴ But woe is to you who are rich, for you have therein your consolation. ²⁵ Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger. Woe to you who now laugh, for you will wail and weep. ²⁶ Woe to you when all men praise you, for likewise did their fathers praise the false prophets.