Book of Common Prayer

The letter to Ephesus

2 “Write this to the angel of the church in Ephesus. ‘These are the words of the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, and who walks in among the seven golden lampstands. ² I know what you have done, your hard labor and patience. I know that you cannot tolerate evil people, and that you have tested those who pass themselves off as apostles, but are not, and you have demonstrated them to be frauds. ³ You have patience, and you have put up with a great deal because of my name, and you haven’t grown weary. ⁴ I do, however, have one thing against you: you have abandoned the love you showed at the beginning. ⁵ So remember the place from which you have fallen. Repent, and do the works you did at the beginning. If not—if you don’t repent—I will come and remove your lampstand out of its place. ⁶ You do, though, have this in your favor: you hate what the Nicolaitans are doing, and I hate it too. ⁷ Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the spirit is saying to the churches. The tree of life stands in God’s paradise, and I will give the right to eat from it to anyone who conquers.’

Water into wine

2 On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, ² and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding.

³ The wine ran out.

Jesus’ mother came over to him.

“They haven’t got any wine!” she said.

⁴ “Oh, Mother!” replied Jesus. “What’s that got to do with you and me? My time hasn’t come yet.”

⁵ His mother spoke to the servants.

“Do whatever he tells you,” she said.

⁶ Six stone water-jars were standing there, ready for use in the Jewish purification rites. Each held about twenty or thirty gallons.

⁷ “Fill the jars with water,” said Jesus to the servants. And they filled them, right up to the brim.

⁸ “Now draw some out,” he said, “and take it to the chief steward.” They did so.

⁹ When the chief steward tasted the water that had turned into wine (he didn’t know where it had come from, but the servants who had drawn the water knew), he called the bridegroom.

¹⁰ “What everybody normally does,” he said, “is to serve the good wine first, and then the worse stuff when people have had plenty to drink. But you’ve kept the good wine till now!”

¹¹ This event, in Cana of Galilee, was the first of Jesus’ signs. He displayed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.