The Healing of a Man with a Bad Skin Disease ^(A)

8 Jesus came down from the mountain. Many people followed Him. ² A man with a bad skin disease came and got down before Him and worshiped Him. He said, “Lord, if You will, You can heal me!” ³ Then Jesus put His hand on him and said, “I will. You are healed!” At once the man was healed. ⁴ Jesus said to him, “Go now, but tell no one. Let the religious leader see you. Give the gift in worship that Moses told you to give. This will show them you have been healed.” ^(B)

Healing of the Captain’s Servant ^(C)

⁵ Jesus came to the city of Capernaum. A captain of the army came to Him. He asked for help, ⁶ saying, “Lord, my servant is sick in bed. He is not able to move his body. He is in much pain.” ⁷ Jesus said to the captain, “I will come and heal him.” ⁸ The captain said, “Lord, I am not good enough for You to come to my house. Only speak the word, and my servant will be healed. ⁹ I am a man who works for someone else and I have men working under me. I say to this man, ‘Go!’ and he goes. I say to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”

¹⁰ When Jesus heard this, He was surprised and wondered about it. He said to those who followed Him, “For sure, I tell you, I have not found so much faith in the Jewish nation. ¹¹ I say to you, many people will come from the east and from the west. They will sit down with Abraham and with Isaac and with Jacob in the holy nation of heaven. ¹² But those who should have belonged to the holy nation of heaven will be thrown out into outer darkness, where there will be crying and grinding of teeth.” ¹³ Jesus said to the captain, “Go your way. It is done for you even as you had faith to believe.” The servant was healed at that time.

Peter’s Mother-In-Law Healed ^(D)

¹⁴ Jesus came to Peter’s house. He saw Peter’s wife’s mother in bed. She was very sick. ¹⁵ He touched her hand and the sickness left her. She got up and cared for Jesus.

Many People Are Healed ^(E)

¹⁶ That evening they brought to Jesus many people who had demons in them. The demons were put out when Jesus spoke to them. All the sick people were healed. ¹⁷ It happened as the early preacher Isaiah said it would happen. He said, “He took on Himself our sickness and carried away our diseases.” ^(F)

Testing Some Followers ^(G)

¹⁸ Jesus saw many people and told them to go to the other side of the lake. ¹⁹ A teacher of the Law came to Jesus. He said, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.” ²⁰ Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes. Birds have nests. But the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”

²¹ Another of His followers said to Him, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” ²² Jesus said to him, “Follow Me. Let the people who are dead bury their own dead.”

The Wind and Waves Obey Jesus ^(H)

²³ Jesus got into a boat. His followers followed Him. ²⁴ At once a bad storm came over the lake. The waves were covering the boat. Jesus was sleeping. ²⁵ His followers went to Him and called, “Help us, Lord, or we will die!” ²⁶ He said to them, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then He stood up. He spoke sharp words to the wind and the waves. Then the wind stopped blowing. ²⁷ Then men were surprised and wondered about it. They said, “What kind of a man is He? Even the winds and the waves obey Him.”

Demons Ask Jesus to Let Them Live in Pigs ^(I)

²⁸ Jesus came to the other side of the lake into the country of the Gadarenes. Two men came to Him from among the graves. They had demons in them and were very wild men. They were so bad that no one would go near them. ²⁹ They called out, saying, “What do You want of us, You Son of God? Have You come here to make us suffer before it is our time to suffer?”

³⁰ A long way from there many pigs were eating. ³¹ The demons begged Jesus, saying, “If You put us out, send us into the pigs.” ³² Jesus said to the demons, “Go!” They came out of the men and went into the pigs. At once the pigs ran down the mountain side. They fell into the water and died.

³³ The men who cared for the pigs ran fast into the city and told everything. They told what happened to the men who had the demons. ³⁴ Every person in the city came to meet Jesus. When they saw Jesus, they asked Him to leave their country.

The Healing of a Man Who Could Not Move His Body ^(J)

9 Jesus got into a boat. He crossed over to the other side and came into His own city. ² They took a man to Him who was on his bed. This man was not able to move his body. Jesus saw their faith. He said, “Son, take hope. Your sins are forgiven.” ³ Some of the teachers of the Law said to themselves, “This man speaks as if He is God, but He is not!” ⁴ Jesus knew what they were thinking. He said, “Why do you think bad thoughts in your hearts? ⁵ Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk?’ ⁶ But this is to show you that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins.” He said to the sick man, “Get up! Take your bed and go home.” ⁷ He got up and went to his home. ⁸ All the people saw this. They were surprised and wondered about it. Then they gave thanks to God because He had given such power to men.

Jesus Calls Matthew ^(K)

⁹ As Jesus went from there, He saw a man called Matthew. Matthew was sitting at his work gathering taxes. Jesus said to him, “Follow Me.” Matthew got up and followed Jesus. ¹⁰ Jesus ate in Matthew’s house. Many men who gathered taxes and many who were sinners came to Matthew’s house and sat down with Jesus and His followers. ¹¹ The proud religious law-keepers saw this. They said to the followers of Jesus, “Why does your Teacher eat with men who gather taxes and with sinners?” ¹² Jesus heard them and said, “People who are well do not need a doctor. ¹³ But go and understand these words, ‘I want loving-kindness and not a gift to be given.’ ^(L) For I have not come to call good people. I have come to call those who are sinners.”

Jesus Teaches about Going without Food So You Can Pray Better ^(M)

¹⁴ Then the followers of John the Baptist came to Jesus. They asked, “Why do we and the proud religious law-keepers many times go without food so we can pray better? But Your followers never go without food so they can pray better.” ¹⁵ Jesus said, “Can the friends at a wedding be sorry when the man just married is with them? But the days will come when the man just married will be taken from them. Then they will not eat food so they can pray better.

¹⁶ “No one sews a piece of new cloth on an old coat, because if the new piece pulls away, it makes the hole bigger. ¹⁷ Men do not put new wine into old skin bags. If they did, the skins would break and the wine would run out. The bags would be no good. They put new wine into new skin bags and both can be used.”

Two Healed Through Faith ^(N)

¹⁸ While Jesus talked to them, a leader of the people came and got down before Him, and worshiped Him. He said, “My daughter has just died. But come, lay Your hand on her and she will live.” ¹⁹ Jesus got up and followed him. His followers went also. ²⁰ Just then a woman who had been sick with a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind. She touched the bottom of His coat. ²¹ She said to herself, “If I only touch the bottom of His coat, I will be healed.” ²² Then Jesus turned around. He saw her and said, “Daughter, take hope! Your faith has healed you.” At once the woman was healed.

²³ Jesus came into the leader’s house. He saw the people playing music and making much noise. ²⁴ He said to them, “Go now! For the girl is not dead, but is sleeping.” But they laughed at Him. ²⁵ He sent the people outside. Then He went in and took the girl’s hand. She was raised up. ²⁶ News of this went out into all the country.

The Healing of Two Blind Men

²⁷ Jesus went on from there. Two blind men followed Him. They called out, “Take pity on us, Son of David.” ²⁸ Jesus went into the house. The blind men came to Him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do you have faith that I can do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Sir!” ²⁹ Then Jesus put His hands on their eyes and said, “You will have what you want because you have faith.” ³⁰ Their eyes were opened. Jesus told them to tell no one. ³¹ But when they had gone, they told about Him everywhere in the country.

³² As they went on their way, a man who had a demon and could not talk was brought to Jesus. ³³ When the demon was put out of him, the man was able to talk. Many people were surprised and wondered about it. They said, “We have never seen in the nation of the Jews like this.” ³⁴ But the proud religious law-keepers said, “He puts out demons by the help of the leader of the demons.”

³⁵ Jesus went on to all the towns and cities. He taught in their places of worship. He preached the Good News of the holy nation of God. He healed every sickness and disease the people had. ³⁶ As He saw many people, He had loving-pity on them. They were troubled and were walking around everywhere. They were like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then He said to His followers, “There is much grain ready to gather. But the workmen are few. ³⁸ Pray then to the Lord Who is the Owner of the grain fields that He will send workmen to gather His grain.”

Jesus Calls Twelve Followers and Sends Them Out ^(O)

10 Jesus called His twelve followers to Him. He gave them power to put out demons and to heal all kinds of sickness and disease. ² These are the names of the twelve followers. There were Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John who were the sons of Zebedee. ³ There were Philip and Bartholomew and Thomas. There was Matthew, the man who gathered taxes. There were James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeaus, and ⁴ Simon the Canaanite. There was Judas Iscariot who handed Jesus over to be killed.

⁵ Jesus sent out these twelve followers. He told them to go, saying, “Stay away from people who are not Jews. And do not go to any town in the country of Samaria. ⁶ But go to the Jewish people who are lost. ⁷ As you go, preach. Say, ‘The holy nation of heaven is near.’ ⁸ Heal the sick and those with bad skin diseases. Raise the dead. Put out demons. You have received much, now give much. ⁹ Do not take gold or silver or brass money with you. ¹⁰ Do not take a bag of things for the trip. Do not take two coats or shoes or a walking stick. A workman should receive his food and what he needs.

¹¹ “When you come to a city or town, find a home that is respected and stay there until you leave. ¹² As you go into a house, tell them you hope good comes to them. ¹³ And if the house is respected, give them your good wishes. If it is not respected, let your good wishes come back to you. ¹⁴ Whoever does not receive you or does not listen to what you say, as you leave that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. ¹⁵ For sure, I tell you, it will be easier for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day men stand before God and are told they are guilty, than for that city.

¹⁶ “I am sending you out like sheep with wolves all around you. Be wise like snakes and gentle like doves. ¹⁷ But look out for men. They will take you up to their courts and they will hurt you in their places of worship. ¹⁸ They will take you in front of the leaders of the people and of the kings because of Me. You will tell them and the people who do not know God about Me. ¹⁹ When you are put into their hands, do not worry what you will say or how you will say it. The words will be given you when the time comes. ²⁰ It will not be you who will speak the words. The Spirit of your Father will speak through you.

²¹ “A brother will hand over a brother to be put to death. A father will hand over his child to be put to death. Children will hand over their parents to be put to death. ²² You will be hated by all people because of Me. But he who stays true to the end will be saved. ²³ When they make it hard for you in one town, go to another. For sure, I tell you, before you have gone through the Jewish cities, the Son of Man will come.

²⁴ “A follower is not greater than his teacher. A servant who is owned by someone is not greater than his owner. ²⁵ A follower should be happy to be as his teacher, and a servant who is owned by someone should be happy to be as his owner. If they have called the head of the house Satan, how much more will they speak against those of the house. ²⁶ Then do not be afraid of them. For nothing is covered up that will not be brought out into the light. There is nothing hid that will not be made known. ²⁷ You tell in the light what I tell you in the dark. You must speak with a loud voice from the roofs of houses what you have heard. ²⁸ Do not be afraid of them who kill the body. They are not able to kill the soul. But fear Him Who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹ Are not two small birds sold for a very small piece of money? And yet not one of the birds falls to the earth without your Father knowing it. ³⁰ God knows how many hairs you have on your head. ³¹ So do not be afraid. You are more important than many small birds.

³² “Whoever makes Me known in front of men, I will make him known to My Father in heaven. ³³ But whoever does not make Me known in front of men and acts as if he does not know Me, I will not make him known to My Father in heaven.

³⁴ “Do not think I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵ I came to turn a man against his father. I came to turn a daughter against her mother. I came to turn a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. ³⁶ A man will be hated by his own family.

Giving Up Things of This Earth ^(P)

³⁷ “He who loves his father and mother more than Me is not good enough for Me. He who loves son or daughter more than Me is not good enough for Me. ³⁸ He who does not take his cross and follow Me is not good enough for Me. ³⁹ He who wants to keep his life will have it taken away from him. He who loses his life because of Me will have it given back to him.

⁴⁰ “Whoever receives you, receives Me. Whoever receives Me, receives Him Who sent Me. ⁴¹ Whoever receives a preacher who speaks for God because he is a preacher, will get the reward of a preacher who speaks for God. Whoever receives a man right with God, because he is a man right with God, will get the reward of a man right with God. ⁴² For sure, I tell you, anyone who gives a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he follows Me, will not lose his reward.”

John the Baptist Asks about Jesus ^(Q)

11 When Jesus finished telling His twelve followers what to do, He went away from there to teach and preach in their towns.

² When John the Baptist was in prison, he heard what Jesus was doing. He sent his followers. ³ They asked, “Are You the One Who was to come, or should we look for another?” ⁴ Jesus said to them, “Go and tell John what you see and hear. ⁵ The blind are made to see. Those who could not walk are walking. Those who have had bad skin diseases are healed. Those who could not hear are hearing. The dead are raised up to life and the Good News is preached to poor people. ⁶ He is happy who is not ashamed of Me and does not turn away because of Me.”

Jesus Tells about John the Baptist ^(R)

⁷ As the followers of John the Baptist went away, Jesus began to tell the people about John. He said, “What did you go out to see in the desert? A small tree shaking in the wind? ⁸ But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in good clothes? Those who are dressed in good clothes are in the houses of kings. ⁹ What did you go out to see? One who speaks for God? Yes, I tell you, he is more than one who speaks for God. ¹⁰ This is the man the Holy Writings spoke of when they said, ‘See! I will send My helper to carry news ahead of You. He will make Your way ready for You!’ ^{(S) 11} For sure, I tell you, of those born of women, there is no one greater than John the Baptist. The least in the holy nation of heaven is greater than he. ¹² From the days of John the Baptist until now, the holy nation of heaven has suffered very much. Fighting men try to take it. ¹³ All the early preachers and the Law told about it until the time of John. ¹⁴ And if you will believe it, he is Elijah who was to come. ^{(T) 15} You have ears, then listen!

Jesus Speaks Against Cities in Galilee

¹⁶ “What are the people of this day like? They are like children playing in the center of town where people gather. They call to their friends. ¹⁷ They say, ‘We played music for you, but you did not dance. We showed sorrow in front of you, but you did not show sorrow.’ ¹⁸ John came and did not eat or drink. They said, ‘He has a demon.’ ¹⁹ Then the Son of Man came and ate and drank. They said, ‘See! He eats too much and likes wine. He is a friend of men who gather taxes and of sinners!’ But wisdom shows itself to be right by what it does.”

²⁰ Then He began to say strong words against the cities where most of His powerful works were done. He spoke to them because they were not sorry for their sins and did not turn from them. ²¹ “It is bad for you, city of Chorazin! It is bad for you, town of Bethsaida! For if the powerful works which were done in you had been done in the cities of Tyre and Sidon, they would have turned from their sins long ago. They would have shown their sorrow by putting on clothes made from hair and would have sat in ashes. ²² I tell you, it will be better for Tyre and Sidon on the day men stand before God and are told they are guilty, than for you.

²³ “And Capernaum, are you to be lifted up into heaven? You will be taken down to hell. If the powerful works which were done in you had been done in the city of Sodom, it would be here to this day. ²⁴ But I say to you that it will be better for the land of Sodom on the day men stand before God and are told they are guilty, than for you.”

Jesus Prays to His Father

²⁵ At that time Jesus said, “Thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You hid these things from the wise and from those who have much learning. You have shown them to little children. ²⁶ Yes, Father, it was good in Your sight.

²⁷ “Everything has been given to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son but the Father. No one knows the Father but the Son, and those to whom the Son wants to make the Father known.

Jesus Calls People to Follow Him

²⁸ “Come to Me, all of you who work and have heavy loads. I will give you rest. ²⁹ Follow My teachings and learn from Me. I am gentle and do not have pride. You will have rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My way of carrying a load is easy and My load is not heavy.”