Book of Common Prayer

Paul’s journey by ship. Of Philip the evangelist, and of Agabus the prophet, who warned Paul not to go to Jerusalem. He remains steadfast in his purpose, and is taken in the temple.

21 And once we had launched forth and drawn away from them, we went with a straight course to Cos, and the day following to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. ² And we found a ship ready to sail to Phoenicia, and went aboard and set sail. ³ Then we came in sight of Cyprus, and we passed it on the left hand and sailed to Syria. We put in at Tyre, because the ship was to unload her cargo there.  ⁴ And when we found brethren, we stayed there seven days. And they told Paul through the Spirit that he should not go up to Jerusalem.

⁵ And when the days were ended, we departed and went our ways; and they all brought us on our way, with their wives and children, till we got to the outskirts of the city. And we kneeled down on the shore and prayed. And when we had taken our leave of one another, ⁶ we boarded ship, and they returned home again.

⁷ When we had completed the voyage from Tyre, we went on to Ptolemais and greeted the brethren, and stayed with them one day. ⁸ The next day, we who were of Paul’s company departed and went to Caesarea. And we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven deacons, and stayed with him. ⁹ This man had four daughters, virgins who prophesied.

¹⁰ And while we tarried there a good many days, there came a certain prophet from Judea named Agabus. ¹¹ When he had come to us, he took Paul’s girdle and bound his hands and feet, and said, Thus says the Holy Spirit: in this manner the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man that owns this girdle, and will deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.

¹² When we heard this, both we and others of the same place besought Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. ¹³ Then Paul answered and said, What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.

¹⁴ When we could not turn his mind, we gave up, saying, May the will of the Lord be fulfilled.

¹² And it happened, as he was in a certain town, behold, there was a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and besought him, saying, Lord, if you will, you can make me clean. ¹³ And Jesus stretched forth his hand and touched him, saying, I will; be clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him. ¹⁴ And Jesus told him not to tell anyone, but to go and show himself to the priest, and to make an offering for his cleansing, as Moses had commanded, for a witness to them. ¹⁵ But word of him went abroad all the more, and crowds of people came together to hear him and to be healed by him of their infirmities.

¹⁶ And he kept himself apart in the remote places, and gave himself to prayer.

¹⁷ And it happened on a certain day that he was teaching, and there sat the Pharisees and doctors of the law, who had come out of all the towns of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was to heal the people. ¹⁸ And behold, some men brought a man lying in his bed, who was taken with paralysis, and were trying to find a way to bring him in and to lay him before Jesus. ¹⁹ And when they could not find a way to bring him in, because of the press of people, they went up on the top of the house and let him down through the tiling, bed and all, in the midst before Jesus. ²⁰ When he saw their faith, he said to him, Man, your sins are forgiven you. ²¹ And the scribes and the Pharisees began to think, saying, What fellow is this, who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins, but God only?

²² When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered and said to them, What are you thinking in your hearts? ²³ Which is easier to say: Your sins are forgiven you, or to say, Rise and walk?  ²⁴ But so that you may know that the Son of man has power to forgive sins on earth – He said to the paralytic, I say to you, arise; take up your bed and go home to your house.

²⁵ And immediately he rose up before them, took up the bed he laid on, and departed to his own house, praising God.

²⁶ And they were all amazed, and they lauded God and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things today.