Book of Common Prayer

¹⁴ After John was taken, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God ¹⁵ and saying, The time has come, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe the gospel!

¹⁶ As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting nets into the sea, for they were fishermen. ¹⁷ And Jesus said to them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. ¹⁸ And straightaway they left their nets and followed him. ¹⁹ And when he had gone a little further, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother as they were in the boat mending their nets. ²⁰ And right away he called them. And they left their father Zebedee in the boat with his hired servants, and went their way after him.

¹⁶ Behold, I send you forth as sheep among wolves. Be therefore wise as serpents and innocent as doves. ¹⁷ Beware of men, for they will deliver you up to the councils, and will scourge you in their synagogues. ¹⁸ And you will be brought to the head governors and kings for my sake, in witness to them and to the Gentiles.

¹⁹ But when they deliver you up, do not be anxious about how or what you will speak, for it will be given you even in that same hour what you should say. ²⁰ For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

²¹ Brother will betray brother to death, and the father the son. And children will arise against their fathers and mothers, and will put them to death. ²² And you will be hated by all men for my name. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. ²³ When they persecute you in one place, flee into another. I tell you for a truth, you will not finish all the cities of Israel before the Son of man comes.

²⁴ The disciple is not above his teacher, nor yet the servant above his lord. ²⁵ It is enough for the disciple to be as his teacher is, and that the servant be as his lord is. If they have called the Lord of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household so? ²⁶ Fear them not therefore. There is nothing so closed that it will not be opened, and nothing so hid that it will not be known.

²⁷ What I tell you in darkness, that speak in light. And what you hear in the ear, that preach on the house tops. ²⁸ And fear not those who kill the body, and are not able to kill the soul. But rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body into hell. ²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And yet none of them lights on the ground without your Father. ³⁰ And now all the hairs of your heads are numbered. ³¹ Fear not therefore: you are of more value than many sparrows.

³² Whosoever therefore acknowledges me before men, him will I acknowledge also before my Father who is in heaven.