Book of Common Prayer

¹⁴ where we found brethren and were invited to stay with them seven days; and so we went on toward Rome.

¹⁵ And from Rome, when the brethren heard of us, they came out as far as Appii Forum and the Three Taverns to meet us. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and gained courage. ¹⁶ And when he reached Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the chief captain of the host. But Paul was allowed to dwell by himself, with one soldier to guard him.

¹⁷ And it came about after three days that Paul called the chief Jews together. And when they were assembled, he said to them, Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people or laws of our fathers, yet I was delivered a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans, ¹⁸ who, when they had examined me, would have let me go, because they found no cause of death in me. ¹⁹ But when the Jews cried out against this, I was constrained to appeal to Caesar – not because I had anything to accuse my people of. ²⁰ So I have called for you in order to see you and to speak with you, because it is for the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.

²¹ And they said to him, We have not received any letters out of Judea concerning you, nor did any of the brethren who came here report or speak any ill of you. ²² But we will hear from you what you think. For we have heard of this sect, that everywhere it is spoken against.

²³ And when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging. To them he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, and preached to them of Jesus, both out of the law of Moses and also out of the prophets, even from morning to night.

The parable of the wicked mammon. Not one tittle of God’s word shall perish. Of the rich man and poor Lazarus.

16 And he said also to his disciples, There was a certain rich man who had a steward that was accused of wasting his goods. ² And he summoned him and said to him, How is it that I hear this of you? Give accounts of your stewardship, for you may no longer be steward.

³ The steward said within himself, What can I do? For my master will take away from me the stewardship. I cannot dig, and to beg I am ashamed. ⁴ I know what to do, so that when I am put out of the stewardship, people may receive me into their houses.

⁵ Then he called all his master’s debtors, and said to the first, How much do you owe to my master? ⁶ And he said, A hundred tons of oil. And the steward said to him, Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty. ⁷ Then he said to another, What do you owe? And he said, A hundred quarters of wheat. The steward said to him, Take your bill and write eighty.

⁸ And the lord commended the unjust steward because he had done wisely. For among their own, the children of this world are wiser than the children of light. ⁹ And I say also to you, make friends for yourselves with the wicked mammon, so that when you depart this world, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

¹⁰ He who is faithful in that which is least, the same is faithful in much. And he who is unfaithful in the least is unfaithful also in much. ¹¹ So then, if you have not been faithful in the wicked mammon, who will believe you in that which is true? ¹² And if you have not been faithful in another man’s business, who will give you your own?

¹³ No servant can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will lean to the one and neglect the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon.