Book of Common Prayer

¹¹ (See, I am writing this to you in big letters with my own hand.)

¹² Some people want to do things that can be seen. They try to force you to be circumcised. They want to hide from trouble which would come to them if they talk about the cross of Christ.

¹³ Even those who are circumcised do not obey the law. But they want you to be circumcised. Then they can be proud that they made you do it.

¹⁴ But I will not be proud of anything but of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of it, the things of the world have become dead to me, and I have become dead to the world.

¹⁵ It does not matter if a person is circumcised or not, but he must become a new person.

¹⁶ May all who live by this rule have peace. And may God bless them. They are the true people of Israel and they belong to God.

¹⁷ From now on, please do not trouble me. For I have marks on my body that show I belong to the Lord Jesus.

¹⁸ My brothers, may the kindness and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ bless your spirit. May he do it!

17 Six days after this, Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John with him. He led them up a hill by themselves.

² Jesus was changed in front of them. His face was bright like the sun. His clothes were white, like light.

³ Then they saw Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus.

⁴ Peter said to Jesus, `Lord, this is a good place for us. If you want, we will make three places here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.'

⁵ While he was saying this, a bright cloud came over them. A voice in the cloud said, `This is my dear Son. I am very pleased with him. Listen to him.'

⁶ When the disciples heard it, they bowed their faces to the ground. They were very much afraid.

⁷ But Jesus came and touched them. He said, `Get up. Do not fear.'

⁸ When they looked up, they saw no one but Jesus.

⁹ When they came down the hill, Jesus said to them, `Do not tell anyone what you saw. Do not tell it until after the Son of Man has been raised from death.'

¹⁰ The disciples asked him, `Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?'

¹¹ Jesus answered, `Elijah does come. He will get everything ready.

¹² I tell you that Elijah has come already. The people did not know him. And they did to him just what they wanted to do. So also the Son of Man will be troubled by them.'

¹³ Then the disciples knew that he was talking about John the Baptizer.