Matthew 5:6-11:30

English Standard Version

⁶ “Blessed are those who hunger and ^(A)thirst ^(B)for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

⁷ “Blessed are ^(C)the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

⁸ “Blessed are ^(D)the pure in heart, for ^(E)they shall see God.

⁹ “Blessed are ^(F)the peacemakers, for ^(G)they shall be called ^(H)sons^[a] of God.

^10 (I)“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for ^(J)theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

^11 (K)“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely ^(L)on my account. ^12 (M)Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for ^(N)so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Salt and Light

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth, ^(O)but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.

^14 (P)“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. ^15 (Q)Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, so ^(R)that^[b] they may see your good works and ^(S)give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Christ Came to Fulfill the Law

^17 (T)“Do not think that I have come to abolish ^(U)the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but ^(V)to fulfill them. ¹⁸ For truly, I say to you, ^(W)until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. ^19 (X)Therefore whoever relaxes ^(Y)one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least ^(Z)in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great ^(AA)in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds ^(AB)that of the scribes and Pharisees, you ^(AC)will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Anger

^21 (AD)“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ^(AE)‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable ^(AF)to judgment.’ ²² But I say to you that ^(AG)everyone who is angry with his brother^[c] will be liable ^(AH)to judgment; whoever insults^[d] his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to ^(AI)the hell^[e] of fire. ^23 (AJ)So if ^(AK)you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. ^25 (AL)Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. ²⁶ Truly, I say to you, ^(AM)you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.^[f]

Lust

^27 (AN)“You have heard that it was said, ^(AO)‘You shall not commit adultery.’ ²⁸ But I say to you that ^(AP)everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ^29 (AQ)If your right eye ^(AR)causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into ^(AS)hell. ^30 (AT)And if your right hand ^(AU)causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into ^(AV)hell.

Divorce

^31 (AW)“It was also said, ^(AX)‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ ^32 (AY)But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and ^(AZ)whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Oaths

³³ “Again ^(BA)you have heard that it was said to those of old, ^(BB)‘You shall not swear falsely, but ^(BC)shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ ³⁴ But I say to you, ^(BD)Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for ^(BE)it is the throne of God, ³⁵ or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is ^(BF)the city of the great King. ³⁶ And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. ³⁷ Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; ^(BG)anything more than this comes from evil.^[g]

Retaliation

^38 (BH)“You have heard that it was said, ^(BI)‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ ³⁹ But I say to you, ^(BJ)Do not resist the one who is evil. But ^(BK)if anyone ^(BL)slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. ⁴⁰ And ^(BM)if anyone would sue you and take your tunic,^[h] let him have your cloak as well. ⁴¹ And if anyone ^(BN)forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. ^42 (BO)Give to the one who begs from you, and ^(BP)do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

Love Your Enemies

^43 (BQ)“You have heard that it was said, ^(BR)‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I say to you, ^(BS)Love your enemies and ^(BT)pray for those who persecute you, ^45 (BU)so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and ^(BV)sends rain on the just and on the unjust. ^46 (BW)For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your brothers,^[i] what more are you doing than others? Do not even ^(BX)the Gentiles do the same? ^48 (BY)You therefore must be ^(BZ)perfect, ^(CA)as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Giving to the Needy

6 “Beware of ^(CB)practicing your righteousness before other people in order ^(CC)to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

^2 (CD)“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may ^(CE)be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have ^(CF)received their reward. ³ But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ so that your giving may be in secret. ^(CG)And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

The Lord's Prayer

⁵ “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love ^(CH)to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. ^(CI)Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. ⁶ But when you pray, ^(CJ)go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. ^(CK)And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

⁷ “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as ^(CL)the Gentiles do, for ^(CM)they think that they will be heard ^(CN)for their many words. ⁸ Do not be like them, ^(CO)for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. ^9 (CP)Pray then like this:

^14 (DB)For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, ^15 (DC)but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Fasting

¹⁶ “And ^(DD)when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. ^(DE)Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. ¹⁷ But when you fast, ^(DF)anoint your head and wash your face, ¹⁸ that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. ^(DG)And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Lay Up Treasures in Heaven

^19 (DH)“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where ^(DI)moth and rust^[n] destroy and where thieves ^(DJ)break in and steal, ^20 (DK)but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

^22 (DL)“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, ^23 (DM)but if ^(DN)your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

^24 (DO)“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and ^(DP)money.^[o]

Do Not Be Anxious

^25 (DQ)“Therefore I tell you, ^(DR)do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ^26 (DS)Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. ^(DT)Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷ And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his ^(DU)span of life?^{[p] 28} And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹ yet I tell you, ^(DV)even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰ But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, ^(DW)O you of little faith? ³¹ Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For ^(DX)the Gentiles seek after all these things, and ^(DY)your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. ³³ But ^(DZ)seek first ^(EA)the kingdom of God and his righteousness, ^(EB)and all these things will be added to you.

^34 (EC)“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Judging Others

7 ^(ED)“Judge not, that you be not judged. ^2 (EE)For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and ^(EF)with the measure you use it will be measured to you. ³ Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but ^(EG)do not notice the log that is in your own eye? ⁴ Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

^6 (EH)“Do not give ^(EI)dogs what is holy, and do not throw your ^(EJ)pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.

Ask, and It Will Be Given

^7 (EK)“Ask, ^(EL)and it will be given to you; ^(EM)seek, and you will find; ^(EN)knock, and it will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. ⁹ Or which one of you, if his son asks him for ^(EO)bread, will give him ^(EP)a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? ¹¹ If you then, ^(EQ)who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will ^(ER)your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

The Golden Rule

¹² “So ^(ES)whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is ^(ET)the Law and the Prophets.

^13 (EU)“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy^[q] that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. ¹⁴ For the gate is narrow and ^(EV)the way is hard that leads to life, and ^(EW)those who find it are few.

A Tree and Its Fruit

^15 (EX)“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ^(EY)ravenous wolves. ¹⁶ You will recognize them ^(EZ)by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ So, ^(FA)every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. ^19 (FB)Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Thus you will recognize them ^(FC)by their fruits.

I Never Knew You

^21 (FD)“Not everyone who ^(FE)says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will ^(FF)enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who ^(FG)does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ^22 (FH)On that day ^(FI)many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not ^(FJ)prophesy in your name, and cast out demons ^(FK)in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ ^23 (FL)And then will I declare to them, ‘I ^(FM)never knew you; ^(FN)depart from me, ^(FO)you workers of lawlessness.’

Build Your House on the Rock

^24 (FP)“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like ^(FQ)a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. ²⁶ And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like ^(FR)a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷ And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

The Authority of Jesus

²⁸ And when Jesus finished these sayings, ^(FS)the crowds were astonished at his teaching, ^29 (FT)for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

Jesus Cleanses a Leper

8 When he came down from the mountain, ^(FU)great crowds followed him. ^2 (FV)And behold, a leper^[r] came to him and ^(FW)knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” ³ And Jesus^[s] stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. ⁴ And Jesus said to him, ^(FX)“See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, ^(FY)show yourself to the priest and ^(FZ)offer the gift that Moses commanded, ^(GA)for a proof to them.”

The Faith of a Centurion

^5 (GB)When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, ⁶ “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” ⁷ And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” ⁸ But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but ^(GC)only say the word, and my servant will be healed. ⁹ For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant,^[t] ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” ¹⁰ When Jesus heard this, ^(GD)he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with ^(GE)no one in Israel^[u] have I found such faith. ¹¹ I tell you, ^(GF)many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, ^12 (GG)while the sons of the kingdom ^(GH)will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place ^(GI)there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” ¹³ And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you ^(GJ)as you have believed.” ^(GK)And the servant was healed at that very moment.

Jesus Heals Many

^14 (GL)And when Jesus entered Peter's house, he saw ^(GM)his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. ¹⁵ He ^(GN)touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him. ¹⁶ That evening they brought to him many who were ^(GO)oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits ^(GP)with a word and healed all who were sick. ^17 (GQ)This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: ^(GR)“He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”

The Cost of Following Jesus

¹⁸ Now ^(GS)when Jesus saw a crowd around him, ^(GT)he gave orders to go over to the other side. ^19 (GU)And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” ²⁰ And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” ²¹ Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” ²² And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave ^(GV)the dead to bury their own dead.”

Jesus Calms a Storm

^23 (GW)And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. ²⁴ And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but ^(GX)he was asleep. ²⁵ And they went and woke him, saying, ^(GY)“Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” ²⁶ And he said to them, “Why are you ^(GZ)afraid, ^(HA)O you of little faith?” Then he rose and ^(HB)rebuked the winds and the sea, and ^(HC)there was a great calm. ²⁷ And the men ^(HD)marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even ^(HE)winds and sea obey him?”

Jesus Heals Two Men with Demons

^28 (HF)And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes,^[v] two ^(HG)demon-possessed^[w] men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. ²⁹ And behold, they ^(HH)cried out, “What have you to do with us, ^(HI)O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us ^(HJ)before the time?” ³⁰ Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. ³¹ And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.” ³² And he said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. ³³ The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the ^(HK)demon-possessed men. ³⁴ And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, ^(HL)they begged him to leave their region.

Jesus Heals a Paralytic

9 And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to ^(HM)his own city. ^2 (HN)And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus ^(HO)saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ^(HP)“Take heart, my son; ^(HQ)your sins are forgiven.” ³ And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, ^(HR)“This man is blaspheming.” ⁴ But Jesus, ^(HS)knowing^[x] their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? ⁵ For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? ⁶ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” ⁷ And he rose and went home. ⁸ When the crowds saw it, ^(HT)they were afraid, and ^(HU)they glorified God, who had ^(HV)given such authority to men.

Jesus Calls Matthew

^9 (HW)As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called ^(HX)Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

¹⁰ And as Jesus^[y] reclined at table in the house, behold, many ^(HY)tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. ¹¹ And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ^(HZ)“Why does your teacher eat with ^(IA)tax collectors and sinners?” ¹² But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. ¹³ Go and learn ^(IB)what this means: ^(IC)‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For ^(ID)I came not to call the righteous, ^(IE)but sinners.”

A Question About Fasting

¹⁴ Then ^(IF)the disciples of John came to him, saying, ^(IG)“Why do we and ^(IH)the Pharisees fast,^[z] but your disciples do not fast?” ¹⁵ And Jesus said to them, ^(II)“Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? ^(IJ)The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and ^(IK)then they will fast. ¹⁶ No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. ¹⁷ Neither is new wine put into old ^(IL)wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”

A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed

^18 (IM)While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and ^(IN)knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” ¹⁹ And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples. ²⁰ And behold, a woman ^(IO)who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched ^(IP)the fringe of his garment, ²¹ for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.” ²² Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, ^(IQ)“Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” ^(IR)And instantly^[aa] the woman was made well. ²³ And when Jesus came to the ruler's house and saw ^(IS)the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, ²⁴ he said, “Go away, for ^(IT)the girl is not dead but ^(IU)sleeping.” And they laughed at him. ²⁵ But ^(IV)when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and ^(IW)took her by the hand, and the girl arose. ²⁶ And the report of this went through all that district.

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men

^27 (IX)And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, ^(IY)Son of David.” ²⁸ When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” ^29 (IZ)Then he touched their eyes, saying, ^(JA)“According to your faith be it done to you.” ³⁰ And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, ^(JB)“See that no one knows about it.” ^31 (JC)But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.

Jesus Heals a Man Unable to Speak

³² As they were going away, behold, a ^(JD)demon-oppressed man who was mute ^(JE)was brought to him. ³³ And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds ^(JF)marveled, saying, “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.” ³⁴ But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.”

The Harvest Is Plentiful, the Laborers Few

^35 (JG)And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. ^36 (JH)When he saw the crowds, ^(JI)he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, ^(JJ)like sheep without a shepherd. ^37 (JK)Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; ³⁸ therefore ^(JL)pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to ^(JM)send out laborers into his harvest.”

The Twelve Apostles

10 ^(JN)And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. ^2 (JO)The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, ^(JP)who is called Peter, and ^(JQ)Andrew his brother; ^(JR)James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; ³ Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and ^(JS)Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;^{[ab] 4} Simon the Zealot,^[ac] and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles

^5 (JT)These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of ^(JU)the Samaritans, ^6 (JV)but go rather to ^(JW)the lost sheep of ^(JX)the house of Israel. ⁷ And proclaim as you go, saying, ^(JY)‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’^{[ad] 8 (JZ)}Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers,^[ae] cast out demons. ^(KA)You received without paying; give without pay. ^9 (KB)Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, ¹⁰ no bag for your journey, or two tunics^[af] or sandals or a staff, for ^(KC)the laborer deserves his food. ¹¹ And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. ¹² As you enter the house, ^(KD)greet it. ¹³ And if the house is ^(KE)worthy, let ^(KF)your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let ^(KG)your peace return to you. ¹⁴ And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, ^(KH)shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. ¹⁵ Truly, I say to you, ^(KI)it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for ^(KJ)the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.

Persecution Will Come

^16 (KK)“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be ^(KL)wise as serpents and ^(KM)innocent as doves. ¹⁷ Beware of men, for ^(KN)they will deliver you over to courts and flog you ^(KO)in their synagogues, ^18 (KP)and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, ^(KQ)to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. ^19 (KR)When ^(KS)they deliver you over, ^(KT)do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for ^(KU)what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. ^20 (KV)For it is not you who speak, but ^(KW)the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. ^21 (KX)Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, ^22 (KY)and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. ^(KZ)But the one who endures to the end will be saved. ²³ When they ^(LA)persecute you in one town, ^(LB)flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel ^(LC)before the Son of Man comes.

^24 (LD)“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant^[ag] above his master. ²⁵ It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. ^(LE)If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign^[ah] those of his household.

Have No Fear

²⁶ “So have no fear of them, ^(LF)for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. ²⁷ What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on ^(LG)the housetops. ²⁸ And ^(LH)do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him ^(LI)who can destroy both soul and body in hell.^{[ai] 29} Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?^[aj] And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. ³⁰ But ^(LJ)even the hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ Fear not, therefore; ^(LK)you are of more value than many sparrows. ^32 (LL)So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, ³³ but ^(LM)whoever denies me before men, ^(LN)I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

Not Peace, but a Sword

^34 (LO)“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. ^(LP)I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. ^35 (LQ)For I have come ^(LR)to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. ^36 (LS)And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. ^37 (LT)Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. ³⁸ And ^(LU)whoever does not take his cross and ^(LV)follow me is not worthy of me. ^39 (LW)Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Rewards

^40 (LX)“Whoever receives you receives me, and ^(LY)whoever receives me receives him who sent me. ^41 (LZ)The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward. ⁴² And ^(MA)whoever gives one of ^(MB)these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”

Messengers from John the Baptist

11 When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.

^2 (MC)Now when John heard ^(MD)in prison about the deeds of ^(ME)the Christ, he sent word by ^(MF)his disciples ³ and said to him, “Are you ^(MG)the one who is to come, or shall we ^(MH)look for another?” ⁴ And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: ^5 (MI)the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers^[ak] are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and ^(MJ)the poor have good news preached to them. ⁶ And blessed is the one who ^(MK)is not offended by me.”

⁷ As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out ^(ML)into the wilderness to see? ^(MM)A reed shaken by the wind? ⁸ What then did you go out to see? A man^[al] dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. ⁹ What then did you go out to see? ^(MN)A prophet?^[am] Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ¹⁰ This is he of whom it is written,

¹¹ Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ^12 (MP)From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence,^[an] and the violent take it by force. ^13 (MQ)For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, ¹⁴ and if you are willing to accept it, he is ^(MR)Elijah who is to come. ^15 (MS)He who has ears to hear,^[ao] let him hear.

¹⁶ “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates,

¹⁸ For John came ^(MT)neither eating ^(MU)nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ ¹⁹ The Son of Man came ^(MV)eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, ^(MW)a friend of ^(MX)tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”^[ap]

Woe to Unrepentant Cities

^20 (MY)Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. ^21 (MZ)“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in ^(NA)Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. ^22 (NB)But I tell you, it will be more bearable on ^(NC)the day of judgment for ^(ND)Tyre and Sidon than for you. ²³ And you, ^(NE)Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to ^(NF)Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. ^24 (NG)But I tell you that ^(NH)it will be more tolerable on ^(NI)the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.”

Come to Me, and I Will Give You Rest

^25 (NJ)At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, ^(NK)Lord of heaven and earth, that ^(NL)you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and ^(NM)revealed them to little children; ²⁶ yes, Father, for such was your ^(NN)gracious will.^{[aq] 27 (NO)}All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son ^(NP)except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone ^(NQ)to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. ^28 (NR)Come to ^(NS)me, all who labor and are ^(NT)heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and ^(NU)learn from me, for I am ^(NV)gentle and lowly in heart, and ^(NW)you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For ^(NX)my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”