Book of Common Prayer

Stephen and Moses

¹⁷ “God had sworn an oath to Abraham,” Stephen continued. “When the time drew near for this promise to be fulfilled, the people had increased and multiplied in Egypt, ¹⁸ until another king arose over Egypt, one who had not known Joseph. ¹⁹ He got the better of our people, and ill-treated our ancestors, forcing them to abandon their newborn children so that they would die.

²⁰ “It was at that time that Moses was born, and he was a noble-looking child. He was nursed for three months in his father’s house. ²¹ But, when they abandoned him, Pharaoh’s daughter claimed him and brought him up as her own son. ²² So Moses was educated in the full teaching of Egyptian wisdom, and he was powerful in what he said and did.

²³ “When he had grown to about forty years old, it came into his heart to see how his family, the children of Israel, were doing. ²⁴ He saw someone being wronged, and came to the man’s defense; he took revenge on behalf of the man who was being oppressed, by striking down the Egyptian. ²⁵ He thought his kinsfolk would grasp the fact that God was sending him to their rescue, but they didn’t.

²⁶ “The next day he showed up as two Hebrews were fighting, and he tried to bring them back together again. ‘Now then, you two,’ he said, ‘you are brothers! Why are you wronging each other?’ ²⁷ But the man who was wronging the other wasn’t having it. ‘Who d’you think you are?’ he retorted, pushing him away. ‘Who made you a ruler or judge over us? ²⁸ Do you want to kill me in the same way you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ ²⁹ At that word, Moses ran away, and lived as a guest in the land of Midian, where he had two sons.

³¹ “Simon, Simon, listen to this. The satan demanded to have you. He wanted to shake you into bits like wheat. ³² But I prayed for you; I prayed that you wouldn’t run out of faith. And, when you turn back again, you must give strength to your brothers.”

³³ “Master,” replied Simon, “I’m ready to go with you to prison—or to death!”

³⁴ “Let me tell you, Peter,” replied Jesus, “before the cock crows today, you will three times deny that you know me.

³⁵ “When I sent you out,” Jesus said to them, “without purse or bag or sandals, were you short of anything?”

“Nothing,” they replied.

³⁶ “But now,” he said, “anyone who has a purse should take it, and the same with a bag. And anyone who doesn’t have a sword should sell his cloak and buy one. ³⁷ Let me tell you this: when the Bible says, ‘He was reckoned with the lawless,’ it must find its fulfillment in me. Yes; everything about me must reach its goal.”

³⁸ “Look, Master,” they said, “we’ve got a couple of swords here.”

“That’s enough!” he said to them.