Sabbath Questions

12 [a](A)At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples became hungry and began to (B)pick the heads of grain and eat. Now when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what (C)is not lawful to do on a Sabbath!” But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and his companions— how he entered the house of God, and (D)they ate the [b]consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests alone? Or have you not read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple [c]violate the Sabbath, and yet are innocent? But I say to you that something (E)greater than the temple is here. But if you had known what this [d]means: ‘(F)I desire [e]compassion, [f]rather than sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned [g]the innocent.

Lord of the Sabbath

For (G)the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

(H)Departing from there, He went into their synagogue. 10 And a man was there whose hand was withered. And they questioned [h]Jesus, asking, “(I)Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might bring charges against Him. 11 But He said to them, (J)What man [i]is there among you who [j]has a sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 (K)How much more valuable then is a person than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do [k]good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then He *said to the man, “Stretch out your hand!” (L)He stretched it out, and it was restored to [l]normal, like the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and [m](M)conspired against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.

15 But Jesus, [n]aware of this, withdrew from there. Many followed Him, and (N)He healed them all, 16 and (O)warned them not to [o]tell who He was. 17 This happened so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled:

18 (P)Behold, My [p]Servant whom I [q]have chosen;
(Q)My Beloved in whom My soul [r]delights;
(R)I will put My Spirit upon Him,
(S)And He will proclaim [s]justice to the [t]Gentiles.
19 (T)He will not quarrel, nor cry out;
Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.
20 (U)A bent reed He will not break off,
And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish,
Until He [u]leads [v]justice to victory.
21 (V)And in His name the [w]Gentiles will hope.”

The Pharisees Rebuked

22 (W)Then a (X)demon-possessed man who was blind and unable to speak was brought to [x]Jesus, and He healed him so that the man who was unable to speak talked and [y]could see. 23 And all the crowds were amazed and were saying, “This man cannot be the (Y)Son of David, can he?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man (Z)casts out demons only by [z]Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.”

25 (AA)And (AB)knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 And if (AC)Satan is casting out Satan, he [aa]has become divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if (AD)by [ab]Beelzebul I cast out the demons, (AE)by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore, they will be your judges. 28 But (AF)if I cast out the demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or, how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first ties up the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.

The Unpardonable Sin

30 (AG)The one who is not with Me is against Me; and the one who does not gather with Me scatters.

31 (AH)Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. 32 (AI)And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in (AJ)this age or in the age to come.

Words Reveal Character

33 “Either [ac]assume the tree to be good as well as its fruit good, or [ad]assume the tree to be bad as well as its fruit bad; for (AK)the tree is known by its fruit. 34 (AL)You [ae]offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, express any good things? (AM)For the mouth speaks from that which fills the heart. 35 (AN)The good person brings out of his good treasure good things; and the evil person brings out of his evil treasure evil things. 36 But I tell you that for every [af]careless word that people [ag]speak, they will give an account of it on the (AO)day of judgment. 37 For [ah]by your words you will be justified, and [ai]by your words you will be condemned.”

The Desire for Signs

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, (AP)we want to see a [aj]sign from You.” 39 But He answered and said to them, (AQ)An evil and adulterous generation craves a [ak]sign; and so no [al]sign will be given to it except the [am]sign of Jonah the prophet; 40 for just as (AR)Jonah was in the stomach of the sea monster for three days and three nights, so will (AS)the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for (AT)three days and three nights. 41 (AU)The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because (AV)they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something (AW)greater than Jonah is here. 42 (AX)The Queen of the South will rise up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something (AY)greater than Solomon is here.

43 (AZ)Now when the unclean spirit comes out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. 45 Then it goes and brings along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they come in and live there; and (BA)the last condition of that person becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.”

Changed Relationships

46 (BB)While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His (BC)mother and (BD)brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him. 47 [[an]Someone said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak to You.”] 48 But [ao]Jesus replied to the one who was telling Him and said, “Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?” 49 And extending His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold: My mother and My brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother, and sister, and mother.”

Jesus Teaches in Parables

13 On that day Jesus had gone out of (BE)the house and was sitting (BF)by the sea. And large crowds gathered to Him, so (BG)He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach.

And He told them many things in (BH)parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow; and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and they sprang up immediately, because they had no depth of soil. But after the sun rose, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. Others fell [ap]among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. But others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a (BI)hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times as much. (BJ)The one who has ears, [aq]let him hear.”

An Explanation for Parables

10 And the disciples came up and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11 And [ar]Jesus answered them, (BK)To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 12 (BL)For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while (BM)seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 And [as]in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,

[at](BN)You shall keep on listening, [au]but shall not understand;
And [av]you shall keep on looking, [aw]but shall not perceive;
15 (BO)For the heart of this people has become dull,
With their ears they scarcely hear,
And they have closed their eyes,
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
Hear with their ears,
Understand with their heart, and return,
And I would heal them.’

16 (BP)But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17 For truly I say to you that (BQ)many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

The Sower Explained

18 (BR)Listen then to the parable of the sower. 19 When anyone hears (BS)the [ax]word of the kingdom and does not understand it, (BT)the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one sown with seed beside the road. 20 The one sown with seed on the rocky places, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution occurs because of the [ay]word, immediately he [az](BU)falls away. 22 And the one sown with seed among the thorns, this is the one who hears the word, and the anxiety of (BV)the [ba]world and the (BW)deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it [bb]becomes unfruitful. 23 But the one sown with seed on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces, some (BX)a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times as much.”

Weeds among Wheat

24 Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, (BY)The kingdom of heaven [bc]is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed [bd]weeds among the wheat, and left. 26 And when the [be]wheat sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also became evident. 27 And the slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? [bf]How then does it have weeds?’ 28 And he said to them, ‘[bg]An enemy has done this!’ The slaves *said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he *said, ‘No; while you are gathering up the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and at the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the weeds and bind them in bundles to burn them; but (BZ)gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

The Mustard Seed

31 He presented another parable to them, saying, (CA)The kingdom of heaven is like (CB)a mustard seed, which a person took and sowed in his field; 32 and this is smaller than all the other seeds, but when it is fully grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that (CC)the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.”

The Leaven

33 He spoke another parable to them: (CD)The kingdom of heaven is like [bh]leaven, which a woman took and hid in (CE)three [bi]sata of flour until it was all leavened.”

34 All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and He did not speak anything to them (CF)without a parable. 35 This was so that what was spoken through the prophet would be [bj]fulfilled:

(CG)I will open My mouth in parables;
I will proclaim things hidden since the foundation of the world.”

The Weeds Explained

36 Then He left the crowds and went into (CH)the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, “(CI)Explain to us the parable of the [bk]weeds of the field.” 37 And He said, “The one who sows the good seed is (CJ)the Son of Man, 38 and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are (CK)the sons of the kingdom; and the weeds are (CL)the sons of (CM)the evil one; 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is (CN)the [bl]end of the age; and the reapers are angels. 40 So just as the weeds are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at (CO)the [bm]end of the age. 41 (CP)The Son of Man (CQ)will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom [bn]all (CR)stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, 42 and they (CS)will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place (CT)there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 (CU)Then the righteous will shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. (CV)The one who has ears, [bo]let him hear.

Hidden Treasure

44 (CW)The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from [bp]joy over it he goes and (CX)sells everything that he has, and buys that field.

A Costly Pearl

45 “Again, (CY)the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, 46 and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold everything that he had and bought it.

A Dragnet

47 “Again, (CZ)the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered fish of every kind; 48 and when it was filled, they pulled it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away. 49 So it will be at (DA)the [bq]end of the age: the angels will come forth and remove the wicked from among the righteous, 50 and they (DB)will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place (DC)there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

51 “Have you understood all these things?” They *said to Him, “Yes.” 52 And [br]Jesus said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure new things and old.”

Jesus Revisits Nazareth

53 (DD)When Jesus had finished these parables, He departed from there. 54 And (DE)He came to [bs]His hometown and (DF)began teaching them in their synagogue, with the result that (DG)they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man acquire this wisdom and these [bt]miraculous powers? 55 Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is (DH)His mother not called Mary, and His (DI)brothers, James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? 56 And (DJ)His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man acquire all these things?” 57 And they took (DK)offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, (DL)A prophet is not dishonored except in his [bu]hometown and in his own household.” 58 And He did not do many [bv]miracles there because of their unbelief.

John the Baptist Beheaded

14 [bw](DM)At that time [bx](DN)Herod [by]the tetrarch heard the news about Jesus, and said to his servants, “(DO)This is John the Baptist; he himself has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

For when (DP)Herod had John arrested, he bound him and put him (DQ)in prison because of (DR)Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. For John had been saying to him, “(DS)It is not lawful for you to have her.” Although Herod wanted to put him to death, he feared the crowd, because they regarded [bz]John as (DT)a prophet.

But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of (DU)Herodias danced [ca]before them and pleased (DV)Herod, so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. And after being prompted by her mother, she *said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” And although he was grieved, the king commanded it to be given because of his oaths and [cb]his dinner guests. 10 He sent word and had John beheaded in the prison. 11 And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 12 [cc]John’s disciples came and took away the body and buried [cd]it; and they went and reported to Jesus.

Five Thousand Men Fed

13 (DW)Now when Jesus heard about John, He withdrew from there in a boat to a secluded place by Himself; and when the [ce]people heard about this, they followed Him on foot from the cities. 14 When He came [cf]ashore, He (DX)saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and (DY)healed their sick.

15 Now when it was evening, the disciples came to Him and said, “This place is secluded and the hour is already past to eat; send the crowds away, so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go; you give them something to eat!” 17 They *said to Him, “We have nothing here except (DZ)five loaves and two fish.” 18 And He said, “Bring them here to Me.” 19 And ordering the crowds to [cg]sit down on the grass, He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looked up toward heaven. He (EA)blessed the food and breaking the loaves, He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 And they all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up what was left over of the broken pieces: twelve full (EB)baskets. 21 There were about five thousand men who ate, besides women and children.

Jesus Walks on the Water

22 (EC)Immediately afterward He compelled the disciples to get into the boat and to go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. 23 After He had sent the crowds away, (ED)He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone. 24 But the boat was already [ch]a long distance from the land, [ci]battered by the waves; for the wind was [cj](EE)contrary. 25 And in (EF)the [ck]fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. 26 When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is (EG)a ghost!” And they cried out [cl]in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, (EH)Take courage, [cm]it is I; (EI)do not be afraid.”

28 Peter responded and said to Him, “Lord, if [cn]it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” 29 And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. 30 But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and when he began to sink, he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out with His hand and took hold of him, and *said to him, (EJ)You of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “You are truly (EK)God’s Son!”

34 (EL)When they had crossed over, they came to land at (EM)Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place [co]recognized Him, they sent word into all that surrounding region and brought to Him all who were sick; 36 and they pleaded with Him that they might just touch (EN)the [cp]border of His cloak; and all who (EO)touched it were cured.

Tradition and Commandment

15 (EP)Then some Pharisees and scribes *came to Jesus (EQ)from Jerusalem and said, “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they (ER)do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” And He answered and said to them, “Why do you yourselves also break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, ‘(ES)Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘(ET)The one who speaks evil of father or mother is to [cq]be put to death.’ But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever I have that would help you has been [cr]given to God,” he is not to [cs]honor his father or mother.’ And by this you have invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy about you, by saying:

(EU)This people honors Me with their lips,
But their heart is far away from Me.
And in vain do they worship Me,
Teaching as (EV)doctrines the commandments of men.’”

10 After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said to them, “Hear and understand! 11 (EW)It is not what enters the mouth that defiles the person, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles the person.”

12 Then the disciples came and *said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were [ct]offended when they heard this statement?” 13 But He answered and said, (EX)Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted. 14 Leave them alone; (EY)they are blind guides [cu]of blind people. And (EZ)if a person who is blind guides another who is blind, both will fall into a pit.”

The Heart of Man

15 Peter [cv]said to Him, “(FA)Explain the parable to us.” 16 [cw]Jesus said, “Are you also still lacking in understanding? 17 Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is [cx]eliminated? 18 But (FB)the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and those things defile the person. 19 (FC)For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, acts of adultery, other immoral sexual acts, thefts, false testimonies, and [cy]slanderous statements. 20 These are the things that defile the person; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the person.”

The Faith of a Canaanite Woman

21 (FD)Jesus went away from there, and withdrew into the region of (FE)Tyre and (FF)Sidon. 22 And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, (FG)Son of David; my daughter is severely (FH)demon-possessed.” 23 But He did not answer her with even a word. And His disciples came up and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, because she keeps shouting [cz]at us!” 24 But He answered and said, “I was sent only to (FI)the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and (FJ)began [da]to bow down before Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” 26 Yet He answered and said, “It is not [db]good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27 And she said, “Yes, Lord; but please help, for even the dogs feed on the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” 28 Then Jesus said to her, “O woman, (FK)your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed [dc]at once.

Healing Crowds

29 (FL)Departing from there, Jesus went along (FM)the Sea of Galilee, and after going up on the mountain, He was sitting there. 30 And [dd]large crowds came to Him bringing with them those who were limping, had impaired limbs, were blind, or were unable to speak, and many others, and they laid them down at His feet; and (FN)He healed them. 31 So the crowd was astonished as they saw those who were unable to speak talking, those with impaired limbs [de]restored, those who were limping walking around, and those who were blind seeing; and they (FO)glorified the God of Israel.

Four Thousand Men Fed

32 (FP)Now Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, (FQ)I feel compassion for the [df]people, because they [dg]have remained with Me now for three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way.” 33 The disciples *said to Him, “Where would we get so many loaves in this desolate place to satisfy such a large crowd?” 34 And Jesus *said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” 35 And He directed the [dh]people to [di]sit down on the ground; 36 and He took the seven loaves and the fish; and after (FR)giving thanks, He broke them and started giving them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 37 And they all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, seven large (FS)baskets full. 38 And those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.

39 And sending away the crowds, Jesus got into (FT)the boat and came to the region of (FU)Magadan.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 12:1 Or On that occasion
  2. Matthew 12:4 Lit loaves of presentation
  3. Matthew 12:5 Or profane
  4. Matthew 12:7 Lit is
  5. Matthew 12:7 Or mercy
  6. Matthew 12:7 Lit and not
  7. Matthew 12:7 Plural in the Gr
  8. Matthew 12:10 Lit Him
  9. Matthew 12:11 Lit will be from you
  10. Matthew 12:11 Lit will have
  11. Matthew 12:12 Lit well
  12. Matthew 12:13 Lit health
  13. Matthew 12:14 Lit took counsel
  14. Matthew 12:15 Lit knowing
  15. Matthew 12:16 Lit make Him known
  16. Matthew 12:18 Lit Child
  17. Matthew 12:18 Lit chose
  18. Matthew 12:18 Or took pleasure
  19. Matthew 12:18 Or judgment
  20. Matthew 12:18 Or nations
  21. Matthew 12:20 Or brings forth
  22. Matthew 12:20 Or judgment
  23. Matthew 12:21 Or nations
  24. Matthew 12:22 Lit Him
  25. Matthew 12:22 Lit saw
  26. Matthew 12:24 Or Beezebul; meaning uncertain, perhaps lord prince, referring to Satan
  27. Matthew 12:26 Lit was
  28. Matthew 12:27 See note v 24
  29. Matthew 12:33 Lit make
  30. Matthew 12:33 Lit make
  31. Matthew 12:34 Or brood
  32. Matthew 12:36 Or useless
  33. Matthew 12:36 Lit will speak
  34. Matthew 12:37 Or in accordance with
  35. Matthew 12:37 Or in accordance with
  36. Matthew 12:38 I.e., confirming miracle
  37. Matthew 12:39 I.e., confirming miracle
  38. Matthew 12:39 I.e., confirming miracle
  39. Matthew 12:39 I.e., confirming miracle
  40. Matthew 12:47 This verse is not found in early mss
  41. Matthew 12:48 Lit He
  42. Matthew 13:7 Lit upon
  43. Matthew 13:9 Or hear! Or listen!
  44. Matthew 13:11 Lit He
  45. Matthew 13:14 Lit for them
  46. Matthew 13:14 Lit With a hearing you shall hear; a Heb idiom
  47. Matthew 13:14 Lit and
  48. Matthew 13:14 Lit Seeing you shall see
  49. Matthew 13:14 Lit and
  50. Matthew 13:19 I.e., message
  51. Matthew 13:21 I.e., message
  52. Matthew 13:21 I.e., from the faith
  53. Matthew 13:22 Or age
  54. Matthew 13:22 Or proves to be unfruitful
  55. Matthew 13:24 Lit has been compared to
  56. Matthew 13:25 Prob. darnel, a weed resembling wheat
  57. Matthew 13:26 Lit grass
  58. Matthew 13:27 Lit From where
  59. Matthew 13:28 Lit A hostile person
  60. Matthew 13:33 I.e., fermented dough
  61. Matthew 13:33 A Gr term for a Heb measure, totaling about 48 lb. or 22 kg of flour
  62. Matthew 13:35 Lit fulfilled, saying
  63. Matthew 13:36 Prob. darnel, a weed resembling wheat
  64. Matthew 13:39 Or consummation
  65. Matthew 13:40 Or consummation
  66. Matthew 13:41 Or everything that is offensive
  67. Matthew 13:43 Or hear! Or listen!
  68. Matthew 13:44 Or his joy, he goes
  69. Matthew 13:49 Or consummation
  70. Matthew 13:52 Lit He
  71. Matthew 13:54 Or His own part of the country
  72. Matthew 13:54 Or miracles
  73. Matthew 13:57 Or own part of the country
  74. Matthew 13:58 Or works of power
  75. Matthew 14:1 Or On that occasion
  76. Matthew 14:1 I.e., Herod Antipas
  77. Matthew 14:1 I.e., a regional ruler
  78. Matthew 14:5 Lit him
  79. Matthew 14:6 Lit in the midst
  80. Matthew 14:9 Lit those who reclined at the table with him
  81. Matthew 14:12 Lit his
  82. Matthew 14:12 Lit him
  83. Matthew 14:13 Lit the crowds
  84. Matthew 14:14 Lit out
  85. Matthew 14:19 Lit recline
  86. Matthew 14:24 Lit many stadia from; a Roman stadion perhaps averaged 607 ft. or 185 m
  87. Matthew 14:24 Lit tormented
  88. Matthew 14:24 Or adverse
  89. Matthew 14:25 I.e., 3-6 a.m.
  90. Matthew 14:26 Lit from
  91. Matthew 14:27 Lit I am
  92. Matthew 14:28 Lit You are
  93. Matthew 14:35 Or found out about
  94. Matthew 14:36 Or tassel; i.e., a ritual tassel sewn to corners of garments for Jewish men
  95. Matthew 15:4 Lit die the death
  96. Matthew 15:5 Lit a gift; i.e., an offering
  97. Matthew 15:6 I.e., by supporting them with it
  98. Matthew 15:12 Lit caused to stumble
  99. Matthew 15:14 Later mss add of blind people
  100. Matthew 15:15 Lit answering, said
  101. Matthew 15:16 Lit and He
  102. Matthew 15:17 Lit thrown out into the latrine
  103. Matthew 15:19 Or abusive speech
  104. Matthew 15:23 Lit behind us
  105. Matthew 15:25 Or worshiped
  106. Matthew 15:26 Or proper
  107. Matthew 15:28 Lit from that hour
  108. Matthew 15:30 Lit many
  109. Matthew 15:31 Or healthy
  110. Matthew 15:32 Lit crowd
  111. Matthew 15:32 Lit are remaining
  112. Matthew 15:35 Lit crowd
  113. Matthew 15:35 Lit recline

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. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”(D)

He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?(E) 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) 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? I tell you that something greater than the temple is here.(H) If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’[a](I) you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man(J) is Lord of the Sabbath.”

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. 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. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred,(BI) sixty or thirty times what was sown. 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) 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.”

Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison(DP) because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife,(DQ) for John had been saying to him: “It is not lawful for you to have her.”(DR) Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet.(DS)

On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 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, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”(EL)

Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 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) But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:

“‘These people honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
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

  1. Matthew 12:7 Hosea 6:6
  2. Matthew 12:21 Isaiah 42:1-4
  3. Matthew 13:15 Isaiah 6:9,10 (see Septuagint)
  4. Matthew 13:33 Or about 27 kilograms
  5. Matthew 13:35 Psalm 78:2
  6. Matthew 15:4 Exodus 20:12; Deut. 5:16
  7. Matthew 15:4 Exodus 21:17; Lev. 20:9
  8. Matthew 15:9 Isaiah 29:13
  9. Matthew 15:14 Some manuscripts blind guides of the blind

12 At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat.

But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.

But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;

How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?

Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?

But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.

But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.

For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.

And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue:

10 And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.

11 And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?

12 How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.

13 Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.

14 Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.

15 But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;

16 And charged them that they should not make him known:

17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,

18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.

19 He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.

20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.

21 And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.

22 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.

23 And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?

24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.

25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:

26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?

27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.

28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.

29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.

30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.

31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.

32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

38 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.

39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:

40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

42 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.

44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.

45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.

46 While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.

47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.

48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?

49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!

50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

13 The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.

And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.

19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;

21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?

28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?

29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.

30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

31 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:

32 Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:

35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.

37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;

38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;

39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.

40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.

41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;

42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:

46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:

48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.

49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,

50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

51 Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.

52 Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

53 And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence.

54 And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?

55 Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?

56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?

57 And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.

58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

14 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus,

And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.

For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife.

For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.

And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.

But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod.

Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask.

And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist's head in a charger.

And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her.

10 And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.

11 And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother.

12 And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

13 When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities.

14 And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.

15 And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.

16 But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.

17 And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.

18 He said, Bring them hither to me.

19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

20 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.

21 And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.

22 And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.

23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.

24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.

25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.

26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.

27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.

28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.

29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.

33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

34 And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret.

35 And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased;

36 And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.

15 Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,

Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.

But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.

But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;

And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,

This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

10 And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:

11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?

13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.

14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

15 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.

16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?

17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?

18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.

19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:

20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.

21 Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.

22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.

23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.

24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.

26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.

27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.

28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

29 And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there.

30 And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them:

31 Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.

32 Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.

33 And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?

34 And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes.

35 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.

36 And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

37 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full.

38 And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children.

39 And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala.