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Matthew 12-15
Contemporary English Version
Matthew 12-15
Contemporary English Version
A Question about the Sabbath
(Mark 2.23-28; Luke 6.1-5)
12 (A) One Sabbath, Jesus and his disciples were walking through some wheat fields.[a] His disciples were hungry and began picking and eating grains of wheat. 2 Some Pharisees noticed this and said to Jesus, “Why are your disciples picking grain on the Sabbath? They are not supposed to do this!”
3 (B) Jesus answered:
You surely must have read what David did when he and his followers were hungry. 4 (C) He went into the house of God, and then they ate the sacred loaves of bread that only priests are supposed to eat. 5 (D) Haven't you read in the Law of Moses that the priests are allowed to work in the temple on the Sabbath? But no one says they are guilty of breaking the law of the Sabbath. 6 I tell you there is something here greater than the temple. 7 (E) Don't you know what the Scriptures mean when they say, “Instead of offering sacrifices to me, I want you to be merciful to others?” If you knew what this means, you would not condemn these innocent disciples of mine. 8 So the Son of Man is Lord over the Sabbath.
A Man with a Paralyzed Hand
(Mark 3.1-6; Luke 6.6-11)
9 Jesus left and went into one of their synagogues, 10 where there was a man whose hand was paralyzed. Some Pharisees wanted to accuse Jesus of doing something wrong, so they asked him, “Is it right to heal someone on the Sabbath?”
11 (F) Jesus answered, “If one of your sheep fell into a ditch on the Sabbath, wouldn't you lift it out? 12 People are worth much more than sheep, and so it is right to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then Jesus told the man, “Hold out your hand.” The man did, and it became as healthy as the other one.
14 The Pharisees left and started making plans to kill Jesus.
God's Chosen Servant
15 When Jesus found out what was happening, he left there and large crowds followed him. He healed all of their sick, 16 but warned them not to tell anyone about him. 17 So God's promise came true, just as Isaiah the prophet had said,
18 (G) “Here is my chosen servant!
I love him,
and he pleases me.
I will give him my Spirit,
and he will bring justice
to the nations.
19 He won't shout or yell
or call out in the streets.
20 He won't break off a bent reed
or put out a dying flame,
but he will make sure
that justice is done.
21 All nations will place
their hope in him.”
Jesus and the Ruler of the Demons
(Mark 3.20-30; Luke 11.14-23; 12.10)
22 Some people brought to Jesus a man who was blind and could not talk because he had a demon in him. Jesus healed the man, and then he was able to talk and see. 23 The crowds were so amazed they asked, “Could Jesus be the Son of David?”[b]
24 (H) When the Pharisees heard this, they said, “He forces out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons!”
25 Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he said to them:
Any kingdom where people fight each other will end up ruined. And a town or family that fights will soon destroy itself. 26 So if Satan fights against himself, how can his kingdom last? 27 If I use the power of Beelzebul to force out demons, whose power do your own followers use to force them out? Your followers are the ones who will judge you. 28 But when I force out demons by the power of God's Spirit, it proves that God's kingdom has already come to you. 29 (I) How can anyone break into a strong man's house and steal his things, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can take everything.
30 (J) If you are not on my side, you are against me. If you don't gather in the harvest with me, you scatter it. 31-32 (K) I tell you any sinful thing you do or say can be forgiven. Even if you speak against the Son of Man, you can be forgiven. But if you speak against the Holy Spirit, you can never be forgiven, either in this life or in the life to come.
A Tree and Its Fruit
(Luke 6.43-45)
33 (L) A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. You can tell what a tree is like by the fruit it produces. 34 (M) You are a bunch of evil snakes, so how can you say anything good? Your words show what is in your hearts. 35 Good people bring good things out of their hearts, but evil people bring evil things out of their hearts. 36 I promise you on the day of judgment, everyone will have to account for every careless word they have spoken. 37 On that day they will be told they are either innocent or guilty because of the things they have said.
A Sign from Heaven
(Mark 8.11,12; Luke 11.29-32)
38 (N) Some Pharisees and teachers of the Law of Moses said, “Teacher, we want you to show us a sign from heaven.”
39 (O) But Jesus replied:
You want a sign because you are evil and won't believe! But the only sign you will get is the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 (P) He was in the stomach of a big fish for three days and nights, just as the Son of Man will be deep in the earth for three days and nights. 41 (Q) On the day of judgment the people of Nineveh[c] will stand there with you and condemn you. They turned to God when Jonah preached, and yet here is something far greater than Jonah. 42 (R) The Queen of the South[d] will also stand there with you and condemn you. She traveled a long way to hear Solomon's wisdom, and yet here is something much greater than Solomon.
Return of an Evil Spirit
(Luke 11.24-26)
43 When an evil spirit leaves a person, it travels through the desert, looking for a place to rest. But when the demon doesn't find a place, 44 it says, “I will go back to the home I left.” When it gets there and finds the place empty, clean, and neat, 45 it goes off and finds seven other evil spirits even worse than itself. They all come and make their home there, and the person ends up in worse shape than before. That's how it will be with you evil people of today.
Jesus' Mother and Brothers
(Mark 3.31-35; Luke 8.19-21)
46 While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and brothers came and stood outside because they wanted to talk with him. 47 Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside and want to talk with you.”[e]
48 Jesus answered, “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” 49 Then he pointed to his disciples and said, “These are my mother and my brothers! 50 Anyone who obeys my Father in heaven is my brother or sister or mother.”
A Story about a Farmer
(Mark 4.1-9; Luke 8.4-8)
13 That same day Jesus left the house and went out beside Lake Galilee, where he sat down to teach.[f] 2 (S) Such large crowds gathered around him that he had to sit in a boat, while the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he taught them many things by using stories. He said:
A farmer went out to scatter seed in a field. 4 While the farmer was scattering the seed, some of it fell along the road and was eaten by birds. 5 Other seeds fell on thin, rocky ground and quickly started growing because the soil wasn't very deep. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched and dried up, because they did not have deep roots. 7 Some other seeds fell where thornbushes grew up and choked the plants. 8 But a few seeds did fall on good ground where the plants produced 100 or 60 or 30 times as much as was scattered. 9 If you have ears, pay attention!
Why Jesus Used Stories
(Mark 4.10-12; Luke 8.9,10)
10 Jesus' disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you use stories to speak to the people?”
11 Jesus answered:
I have explained the secrets about the kingdom of heaven to you, but not to others. 12 (T) Everyone who has something will be given more. But people who don't have anything will lose even what little they have. 13 I use stories when I speak to them because when they look, they cannot see, and when they listen, they cannot hear or understand. 14 (U) So God's promise came true, just as the prophet Isaiah had said,
“These people will listen
and listen,
but never understand.
They will look and look,
but never see.
15 All of them have
stubborn minds!
They refuse to listen;
they cover their eyes.
They cannot see or hear
or understand.
If they could,
they would turn to me,
and I would heal them.”
16 (V) But God has blessed you, because your eyes can see and your ears can hear! 17 Many prophets and good people were eager to see what you see and to hear what you hear. But I tell you they did not see or hear.
Jesus Explains the Story about the Farmer
(Mark 4.13-20; Luke 8.11-15)
18 Now listen to the meaning of the story about the farmer:
19 The seeds that fell along the road are the people who hear the message about the kingdom, but don't understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches the message from their hearts. 20 The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it at once. 21 But they don't have deep roots, and they don't last very long. As soon as life gets hard or the message gets them in trouble, they give up.
22 The seeds that fell among the thornbushes are also people who hear the message. But they start worrying about the needs of this life and are fooled by the desire to get rich. So the message gets choked out, and they never produce anything. 23 The seeds that fell on good ground are the people who hear and understand the message. They produce as much as 100 or 60 or 30 times what was planted.
Weeds among the Wheat
24 Jesus then told them this story:
The kingdom of heaven is like what happened when a farmer scattered good seed in a field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, an enemy came and scattered weed seeds in the field and then left.
26 When the plants came up and began to mature, the farmer's servants could see the weeds. 27 The servants came and asked, “Sir, didn't you scatter good seed in your field? Where did these weeds come from?”
28 “An enemy did this,” he replied.
His servants then asked, “Do you want us to go out and pull up the weeds?”
29 “No!” he answered. “You might also pull up the wheat. 30 Leave the weeds alone until harvest time. Then I'll tell my workers to gather the weeds and tie them up and burn them. But I'll order them to store the wheat in my barn.”
Stories about a Mustard Seed and Yeast
(Mark 4.30-32; Luke 13.18-21)
31 Jesus told them another story:
The kingdom of heaven is like what happens when a farmer plants a mustard seed in a field. 32 Although it is the smallest of all seeds, it grows larger than any garden plant and becomes a tree. Birds even come and nest on its branches.
33 Jesus also said:
The kingdom of heaven is like what happens when a woman mixes a little yeast into three big batches of flour. Finally, all the dough rises.
The Reason for Teaching with Stories
(Mark 4.33,34)
34 Jesus used stories when he spoke to the people. In fact, he did not tell them anything without using stories. 35 (W) So God's promise came true, just as the prophet[g] had said,
“I will use stories
to speak my message
and to explain things hidden
since the creation
of the world.”
Jesus Explains the Story about the Weeds
36 After Jesus left the crowd and went inside,[h] his disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the story about the weeds in the wheat field.”
37 Jesus answered:
The one who scattered the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seeds are the people who belong to the kingdom. The weeds are those who belong to the evil one, 39 and the one who scattered them is the devil. The harvest is the end of time, and angels are the ones who bring in the harvest.
40 Weeds are gathered and burned. That's how it will be at the end of time. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom everyone who does wrong or causes others to sin. 42 Then he will throw them into a flaming furnace, where people will cry and grit their teeth in pain. 43 (X) But everyone who has done right will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom. If you have ears, pay attention!
A Hidden Treasure
44 The kingdom of heaven is like what happens when someone finds a treasure hidden in a field and buries it again. Such a person is happy and goes and sells everything in order to buy that field.
A Valuable Pearl
45 The kingdom of heaven is like what happens when a shop owner is looking for fine pearls. 46 After finding a very valuable one, the owner goes and sells everything in order to buy that pearl.
A Fish Net
47 The kingdom of heaven is like what happens when a net is thrown into a lake and catches all kinds of fish. 48 When the net is full, it is dragged to the shore, and the fishermen sit down to separate the fish. They keep the good ones, but throw the bad ones away. 49 That's how it will be at the end of time. Angels will come and separate the evil people from the ones who have done right. 50 Then those evil people will be thrown into a flaming furnace, where they will cry and grit their teeth in pain.
New and Old Treasures
51 Jesus asked his disciples if they understood all these things. They said, “Yes, we do.”
52 So he told them, “Every student of the Scriptures who becomes a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like someone who brings out new and old treasures from the storeroom.”
The People of Nazareth Turn against Jesus
(Mark 6.1-6; Luke 4.16-30)
53 When Jesus had finished telling these stories, he left 54 and went to his hometown. He taught in their synagogue, and the people were so amazed that they asked, “Where does he get all this wisdom and the power to work these miracles? 55 Isn't he the son of the carpenter? Isn't Mary his mother, and aren't James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas his brothers? 56 Don't his sisters still live here in our town? How can he do all this?” 57 (Y) So the people were upset because of what he was doing.
But Jesus said, “Prophets are honored by everyone, except the people of their hometown and their own family.” 58 And because the people did not have any faith, Jesus did not work many miracles there.
The Death of John the Baptist
(Mark 6.14-29; Luke 9.7-9)
14 About this time Herod the ruler[i] heard the news about Jesus 2 and told his officials, “This is John the Baptist! He has come back from death, and that's why he has the power to work these miracles.”
3-4 (Z) Herod had earlier arrested John and had him chained and put in prison. He did this because John had told him, “It isn't right for you to take Herodias, the wife of your brother Philip.” 5 Herod wanted to kill John. But the people thought John was a prophet, and Herod was afraid of what they might do.
6 When Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests. She pleased Herod 7 so much he swore to give her whatever she wanted. 8 But the girl's mother told her to say, “Here on a serving plate I want the head of John the Baptist!”
9 Herod was sorry for what he had said. But he did not want to break the promise he had made in front of his guests. So he ordered a guard 10 to go to the prison and cut off John's head. 11 It was taken on a serving plate to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. 12 John's followers took his body and buried it. Then they told Jesus what had happened.
Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
(Mark 6.30-44; Luke 9.10-17; John 6.1-14)
13 After Jesus heard about John, he crossed Lake Galilee[j] to go to some place where he could be alone. But the crowds found out and followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus got out of the boat, he saw the large crowd. He felt sorry for them and healed everyone who was sick.
15 That evening the disciples came to Jesus and said, “This place is like a desert, and it's already late. Let the crowds leave, so they can go to the villages and buy some food.”
16 Jesus replied, “They don't have to leave. Why don't you give them something to eat?”
17 But they said, “We have only five small loaves of bread[k] and two fish.” 18 Jesus asked his disciples to bring the food to him, 19 and he told the crowd to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish. He looked up toward heaven and blessed the food. Then he broke the bread and handed it to his disciples, and they gave it to the people.
20 After everyone had eaten all they wanted, Jesus' disciples picked up twelve large baskets of leftovers.
21 There were about 5,000 men who ate, not counting the women and children.
Jesus Walks on the Water
(Mark 6.45-52; John 6.15-21)
22 At once, Jesus made his disciples get into a boat and start back across the lake.[l] But he stayed until he had sent the crowds away. 23 Then he went up on a mountain where he could be alone and pray. Later in the evening, he was still there.
24 By this time the boat was a long way from the shore. It was going against the wind and was being tossed around by the waves. 25 A little while before morning, Jesus came walking on the water toward his disciples. 26 When they saw him, they thought he was a ghost. They were terrified and started screaming.
27 At once, Jesus said to them, “Don't worry! I am Jesus. Don't be afraid.”
28 Peter replied, “Lord, if it really is you, tell me to come to you on the water.”
29 “Come on!” Jesus said. Peter then got out of the boat and started walking on the water toward him.
30 But when Peter saw how strong the wind was, he was afraid and started sinking. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.
31 At once, Jesus reached out his hand. He helped Peter up and said, “You surely don't have much faith. Why do you doubt?”
32 When Jesus and Peter got into the boat, the wind died down. 33 The men in the boat worshiped Jesus and said, “You really are the Son of God!”
Jesus Heals Sick People in Gennesaret
(Mark 6.53-56)
34 Jesus and his disciples crossed the lake and came to shore near the town of Gennesaret. 35 The people found out he was there, and they sent word to everyone who lived in this part of the country. So they brought all the sick people to Jesus. 36 They begged him just to let them touch his clothes, and everyone who did was healed.
The Teaching of the Ancestors
(Mark 7.1-13)
15 About this time some Pharisees and teachers of the Law of Moses came from Jerusalem. They asked Jesus, 2 “Why don't your disciples obey what our ancestors taught us to do? They don't even wash their hands[m] before they eat.”
3 Jesus answered:
Why do you disobey God and follow your own teaching? 4 (AA) Didn't God command you to respect your father and mother? Didn't he tell you to put to death all who curse their parents? 5 But you let people get by without helping their parents when they should. You let them say that what they have has been offered to God.[n] 6 Is this any way to show respect to your parents? You ignore God's commands in order to follow your own teaching. 7 And you are nothing but show-offs! Isaiah the prophet was right when he wrote that God had said,
8 (AB) “All of you praise me
with your words,
but you never really
think about me.
9 It is useless for you
to worship me,
when you teach rules
made up by humans.”
What Really Makes People Unclean
(Mark 7.14-23)
10 Jesus called the crowd together and said, “Pay attention and try to understand what I mean. 11 The food you put into your mouth doesn't make you unclean and unfit to worship God. The bad words that come out of your mouth are what make you unclean.”
12 Then his disciples came over to him and asked, “Do you know you insulted the Pharisees by what you said?”
13 Jesus answered, “Every plant that my Father in heaven did not plant will be pulled up by the roots. 14 (AC) Stay away from those Pharisees! They are like blind people leading other blind people, and all of them will fall into a ditch.”
15 Peter replied, “What did you mean when you talked about the things that make people unclean?”
16 Jesus then said:
Don't any of you know by now what I am talking about? 17 Don't you know that the food you put into your mouth goes into your stomach and then out of your body? 18 (AD) But the words that come out of your mouth come from your heart. And they are what make you unfit to worship God. 19 Out of your heart come evil thoughts, murder, unfaithfulness in marriage, vulgar deeds, stealing, telling lies, and insulting others. 20 These are what make you unclean. Eating without washing your hands will not make you unfit to worship God.
A Woman's Faith
(Mark 7.24-30)
21 Jesus left and went to the territory near the towns of Tyre and Sidon. 22 Suddenly a Canaanite woman[o] from there came out shouting, “Lord and Son of David,[p] have pity on me! My daughter is full of demons.” 23 Jesus did not say a word. But the woman kept following along and shouting, so his disciples came up and asked him to send her away.
24 Jesus said, “I was sent only to the people of Israel! They are like a flock of lost sheep.”
25 The woman came closer. Then she knelt down and begged, “Please help me, Lord!”
26 Jesus replied, “It isn't right to take food away from children and feed it to dogs.”[q]
27 “Lord, this is true,” the woman said, “but even puppies get the crumbs that fall from their owner's table.”
28 Jesus answered, “Dear woman, you really do have a lot of faith, and you will be given what you want.” At that moment her daughter was healed.
Jesus Heals Many People
29 From there, Jesus went along Lake Galilee. Then he climbed a hill and sat down. 30 Large crowds came and brought many people who were paralyzed or blind or lame or unable to talk. They placed them, and many others, in front of Jesus, and he healed them all. 31 Everyone was amazed at what they saw and heard. People who had never spoken could now speak. The lame were healed, the paralyzed could walk, and the blind were able to see. Everyone was praising the God of Israel.
Jesus Feeds Four Thousand
(Mark 8.1-10)
32 Jesus called his disciples together and told them, “I feel sorry for these people. They have been with me for three days, and they don't have anything to eat. I don't want to send them away hungry. They might faint on their way home.”
33 His disciples said, “This place is like a desert. Where can we find enough food to feed such a crowd?”
34 Jesus asked them how much food they had. They replied, “Seven small loaves of bread[r] and a few little fish.”
35 After Jesus had told the people to sit down, 36 he took the seven loaves of bread and the fish and gave thanks. He then broke them and handed them to his disciples, who passed them around to the crowds.
37 Everyone ate all they wanted, and the leftovers filled seven large baskets.
38 There were 4,000 men who ate, not counting the women and children.
39 After Jesus had sent the crowds away, he got into a boat and sailed across the lake. He came to shore near the town of Magadan.[s]
Footnotes
- 12.1 walking through some wheat fields: It was the custom to let hungry travelers pick grains of wheat.
- 12.23 Could Jesus be the Son of David: Or “Does Jesus think he is the Son of David?” See the note at 9.27.
- 12.41 Nineveh: During the time of Jonah this city was the capital of the Assyrian Empire, which was Israel's worst enemy. But Jonah was sent there to preach, so that the people would turn to the Lord and be saved.
- 12.42 South: Sheba, probably a country in southern Arabia.
- 12.47 with you: Some manuscripts do not have verse 47.
- 13.1 sat down to teach: See the note at 5.1.
- 13.35 the prophet: Some manuscripts have “the prophet Isaiah.”
- 13.36 went inside: Or “went home.”
- 14.1 Herod the ruler: Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great (see 2.1).
- 14.13 crossed Lake Galilee: To the east side.
- 14.17 small loaves of bread: These would have been flat and round or in the shape of a bun.
- 14.22 back across the lake: To the west side.
- 15.2 wash their hands: The Jewish people had strict laws about washing their hands before eating, especially if they had been out in public.
- 15.5 has been offered to God: According to Jewish custom, when people said something was offered to God, it belonged to him and could not be used for anyone else, not even for their own parents.
- 15.22 Canaanite woman: This woman was not Jewish.
- 15.22 Son of David: See the note at 9.27.
- 15.26 feed it to dogs: Some Jewish people referred to Gentiles as dogs.
- 15.34 small loaves of bread: See the note at 14.17.
- 15.39 Magadan: The location is unknown.
Matthew 12-15
New International Version
Matthew 12-15
New International Version
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath(A)(B)
12 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain(C) and eat them. 2 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”(D)
3 He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?(E) 4 He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests.(F) 5 Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath(G) and yet are innocent? 6 I tell you that something greater than the temple is here.(H) 7 If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’[a](I) you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 For the Son of Man(J) is Lord of the Sabbath.”
9 Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, 10 and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus,(K) they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”(L)
11 He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out?(M) 12 How much more valuable is a person than a sheep!(N) Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.(O)
God’s Chosen Servant
15 Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill.(P) 16 He warned them not to tell others about him.(Q) 17 This was to fulfill(R) what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
18 “Here is my servant whom I have chosen,
the one I love, in whom I delight;(S)
I will put my Spirit on him,(T)
and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
19 He will not quarrel or cry out;
no one will hear his voice in the streets.
20 A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out,
till he has brought justice through to victory.
21 In his name the nations will put their hope.”[b](U)
Jesus and Beelzebul(V)
22 Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see.(W) 23 All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”(X)
24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul,(Y) the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”(Z)
25 Jesus knew their thoughts(AA) and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan(AB) drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul,(AC) by whom do your people(AD) drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God(AE) has come upon you.
29 “Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.
30 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.(AF) 31 And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.(AG) 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age(AH) or in the age to come.(AI)
33 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.(AJ) 34 You brood of vipers,(AK) how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks(AL) what the heart is full of. 35 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”(AM)
The Sign of Jonah(AN)(AO)
38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign(AP) from you.”(AQ)
39 He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.(AR) 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish,(AS) so the Son of Man(AT) will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.(AU) 41 The men of Nineveh(AV) will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah,(AW) and now something greater than Jonah is here. 42 The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came(AX) from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here.
43 “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.(AY) That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”
Jesus’ Mother and Brothers(AZ)
46 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother(BA) and brothers(BB) stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”
48 He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven(BC) is my brother and sister and mother.”
The Parable of the Sower(BD)(BE)(BF)
13 That same day Jesus went out of the house(BG) and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat(BH) and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred,(BI) sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”(BJ)
10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven(BK) has been given to you,(BL) but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.(BM) 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:
“Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.(BN)
14 In them is fulfilled(BO) the prophecy of Isaiah:
“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’[c](BP)
16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.(BQ) 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see(BR) but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom(BS) and does not understand it, the evil one(BT) comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.(BU) 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth(BV) choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”(BW)
The Parable of the Weeds
24 Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like(BX) a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
27 “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’
28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.
“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
29 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”(BY)
The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast(BZ)(CA)
31 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like(CB) a mustard seed,(CC) which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”(CD)
33 He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like(CE) yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds[d] of flour(CF) until it worked all through the dough.”(CG)
34 Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable.(CH) 35 So was fulfilled(CI) what was spoken through the prophet:
“I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.”[e](CJ)
The Parable of the Weeds Explained
36 Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable(CK) of the weeds in the field.”
37 He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.(CL) 38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one,(CM) 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest(CN) is the end of the age,(CO) and the harvesters are angels.(CP)
40 “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man(CQ) will send out his angels,(CR) and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.(CS) 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun(CT) in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.(CU)
The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like(CV) treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.(CW)
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like(CX) a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
The Parable of the Net
47 “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like(CY) a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds(CZ) of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous(DA) 50 and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.(DB)
51 “Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked.
“Yes,” they replied.
52 He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”
A Prophet Without Honor(DC)
53 When Jesus had finished these parables,(DD) he moved on from there. 54 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue,(DE) and they were amazed.(DF) “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. 55 “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?(DG) Isn’t his mother’s(DH) name Mary, and aren’t his brothers(DI) James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56 Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense(DJ) at him.
But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.”(DK)
58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
John the Baptist Beheaded(DL)
14 At that time Herod(DM) the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus,(DN) 2 and he said to his attendants, “This is John the Baptist;(DO) he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
3 Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison(DP) because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife,(DQ) 4 for John had been saying to him: “It is not lawful for you to have her.”(DR) 5 Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet.(DS)
6 On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much 7 that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 9 The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted 10 and had John beheaded(DT) in the prison. 11 His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. 12 John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it.(DU) Then they went and told Jesus.
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand(DV)(DW)
13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them(DX) and healed their sick.(DY)
15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”
16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
17 “We have here only five loaves(DZ) of bread and two fish,” they answered.
18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves.(EA) Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Jesus Walks on the Water(EB)(EC)
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.(ED) Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,”(EE) they said, and cried out in fear.
27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage!(EF) It is I. Don’t be afraid.”(EG)
28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
29 “Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,”(EH) he said, “why did you doubt?”
32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”(EI)
34 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him 36 and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak,(EJ) and all who touched it were healed.
That Which Defiles(EK)
15 Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”(EL)
3 Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’[f](EM) and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’[g](EN) 5 But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ 6 they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:
8 “‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
9 They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules.(EO)’[h](EP)”
10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them,(EQ) but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”(ER)
12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”
13 He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted(ES) will be pulled up by the roots. 14 Leave them; they are blind guides.[i](ET) If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”(EU)
15 Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.”(EV)
16 “Are you still so dull?”(EW) Jesus asked them. 17 “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart,(EX) and these defile them. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.(EY) 20 These are what defile a person;(EZ) but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”
The Faith of a Canaanite Woman(FA)
21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.(FB) 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David,(FC) have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”(FD)
23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”(FE)
25 The woman came and knelt before him.(FF) “Lord, help me!” she said.
26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith!(FG) Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.
Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand(FH)(FI)(FJ)
29 Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. 30 Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them.(FK) 31 The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.(FL)
32 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people;(FM) they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”
33 His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?”
34 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.
“Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”
35 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. 36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them(FN) and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. 37 They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.(FO) 38 The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children. 39 After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.
Footnotes
- Matthew 12:7 Hosea 6:6
- Matthew 12:21 Isaiah 42:1-4
- Matthew 13:15 Isaiah 6:9,10 (see Septuagint)
- Matthew 13:33 Or about 27 kilograms
- Matthew 13:35 Psalm 78:2
- Matthew 15:4 Exodus 20:12; Deut. 5:16
- Matthew 15:4 Exodus 21:17; Lev. 20:9
- Matthew 15:9 Isaiah 29:13
- Matthew 15:14 Some manuscripts blind guides of the blind
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