Bible in 90 Days

The Sermon on the Mount: The Beatitudes

5 Now when he^[a] saw the crowds, he went up the mountain and after he^[b] sat down, his disciples approached him. ² And opening his mouth he began to teach them, saying,

The Sermon on the Mount: Salt and Light

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt becomes tasteless, by what will it be made salty? It is good for nothing any longer except to be thrown outside and^[c] trampled under foot by people. ¹⁴ You are the light of the world. A city located on top of a hill cannot be hidden, ¹⁵ nor do they light a lamp and place it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it shines on all those in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

The Sermon on the Mount: The Law and the Prophets Fulfilled

¹⁷ “Do not think that I have come to destroy the law or the prophets. I have not come to destroy them but to fulfill them. ¹⁸ For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one tiny letter or one stroke of a letter will pass away from the law until all takes place. ¹⁹ Therefore whoever abolishes one of the least of these commandments and teaches people to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever keeps them and teaches them, this person will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I say to you that unless your righteousness greatly surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter into the kingdom of heaven.

The Sermon on the Mount: Anger Toward Others

²¹ “You have heard that it was said to the people of old,^[d] ‘Do not commit murder,’^[e] and ‘whoever commits murder will be subject to judgment.’ ²² But I say to you that everyone who is angry at his brother will be subject to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, ‘Stupid fool!’^[f] will be subject to the council, and whoever says, ‘Obstinate fool!’^[g] will be subject to fiery hell. ²³ Therefore if you present your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there before the altar and first go be reconciled to your brother, and then come and^[h] present your gift. ²⁵ Settle the case quickly with your accuser^[i] while you are with him on the way, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. ²⁶ Truly I say to you, you will never come out of there until you have paid back the last penny!

The Sermon on the Mount: Adultery and Lust

²⁷ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’^{[j] 28} But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹ And if your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it from you! For it is better for you that one of your members be destroyed than your whole body be thrown into hell. ³⁰ And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it from you! For it is better for you that one of your limbs be destroyed than your whole body go into hell.

The Sermon on the Mount: Divorce

³¹ “And it was said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’^{[k] 32} But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for a matter of sexual immorality, causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

The Sermon on the Mount: Taking Oaths

³³ “Again you have heard that it was said to the people of old,^[l] ‘Do not swear falsely,^[m] but fulfill your oaths to the Lord.’^{[n] 34} But I say to you, do not swear at all, either by heaven, because it is the throne of God, ³⁵ or by the earth, because it is the footstool of his feet, or by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great king. ³⁶ And do not swear by your head, because you are not able to make one hair white or black. ³⁷ But let your statement be ‘Yes, yes; no, no,’ and anything beyond these is from the evil one.^[o]

The Sermon on the Mount: Retaliation

³⁸ “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’^{[p] 39} But I say to you, do not resist the evildoer, but whoever strikes you on the right cheek,^[q] turn the other to him also. ⁴⁰ And the one who wants to go to court with you and take your tunic, let him have^[r] your outer garment also. ⁴¹ And whoever forces you to go one mile,^[s] go with him two. ⁴² Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

The Sermon on the Mount: Love for Enemies

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’^[t] and ‘Hate your enemy.’^{[u] 44} But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven, because he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust. ⁴⁶ For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not the tax collectors also do the same? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing that is remarkable? Do not the Gentiles also do the same? ⁴⁸ Therefore you be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.

The Sermon on the Mount: Charitable Giving

6 “And take care not to practice your righteousness before people to be seen by them; otherwise^[v] you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. ² Therefore whenever you practice charitable giving, do not sound a trumpet in front of you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, in order that they may be praised by people. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward in full! ³ But you, when you^[w] practice charitable giving, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ in order that your charitable giving may be in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

The Sermon on the Mount: How to Pray

⁵ And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to stand and^[x] pray in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, in order that they may be seen by people. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward in full! ⁶ But whenever you pray, enter into your inner room and shut your door and^[y] pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

⁷ “But when you^[z] pray, do not babble repetitiously like the pagans, for they think that because of their many words they will be heard. ⁸ Therefore do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need^[aa] before you ask him. ⁹ Therefore you pray in this way:

¹⁴ For if you forgive people their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive people, neither will your Father forgive your sins.

The Sermon on the Mount: How to Fast

¹⁶ “Whenever you fast, do not be sullen like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unrecognizable in order that they may be seen fasting by people. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward in full! ¹⁷ But when^[ac] you are fasting, put olive oil on your head^[ad] and wash your face ¹⁸ so that you will not be seen by people as fasting, but to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

The Sermon on the Mount: Treasure in Heaven

¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and consuming insect^[ae] destroy and where thieves break in and steal, ²⁰ but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor consuming insect^[af] destroy and where thieves do not break in or steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

²² “The eye is the lamp of the body. Therefore if your eye is sincere, your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be dark. Therefore if the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

²⁴ “No one is able to serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You are not able to serve God and money.^[ag]

The Sermon on the Mount: Anxiety

²⁵ “For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, what you will eat,^[ah] and not for your body, what you will wear. Is your life not more than food and your body more than clothing? ²⁶ Consider the birds of the sky, that they do not sow or reap or gather produce into barns, and your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth more than they are? ²⁷ And who among you, by^[ai] being anxious, is able to add one hour^[aj] to his life span? ²⁸ And why are you anxious about clothing? Observe the lilies of the field, how they grow: they do not toil or spin, ²⁹ but I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ But if God dresses the grass of the field in this way, although it^[ak] is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not do so much more for you, you of little faith? ³¹ Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?,’ ³² for the pagans seek after all these things. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and righteousness,^[al] and all these things will be added to you. ³⁴ Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow, because tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.^[am]

The Sermon on the Mount: On Judging Others

7 “Do not judge, so that you will not be judged. ² For by what judgment you judge, you will be judged, and by what measure you measure out, it will be measured out to you. ³ And why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the beam of wood in your own eye? ⁴ Or how will you say to your brother, ‘Allow me to remove the speck from your eye,’ and behold, the beam of wood is in your own eye? ⁵ Hypocrite! First remove the beam of wood from your own eye and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye!

⁶ “Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls in front of pigs, lest they trample them with their feet, and turn around and^[an] tear you to pieces.

The Sermon on the Mount: Ask, Seek, Knock

⁷ “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened for 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 what man is there among you, if his son will ask him for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or also if he will ask for a fish, will give him a snake? ¹¹ Therefore if you, although you^[ao] are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him? ¹² Therefore in all things, whatever you want that people should do to you, thus also you do to them. For this is the law and the prophets.

The Sermon on the Mount: The Narrow Gate

¹³ “Enter through the narrow gate, because broad is the gate and spacious is the road that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it, ¹⁴ because narrow^[ap] is the gate and constricted is the road that leads to life, and there are few who find it!

The Sermon on the Mount: Recognizing False Prophets

¹⁵ “Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inside are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶ You will recognize them by their fruits: they do not gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles, do they?^{[aq] 17} In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree is not able to produce bad fruit, nor a bad tree to produce good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ As a result, you will recognize them by their fruits.

The Sermon on the Mount: False Followers

²¹ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²² On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many miracles in your name?’ ²³ And then I will say to them plainly,^[ar] ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness!’

The Sermon on the Mount: Two Houses and Two Foundations

²⁴ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ And the rain came down and the rivers came and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it did not collapse, because its foundation was laid on the rock. ²⁶ And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷ And the rain came down and the rivers came and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it collapsed, and its fall was great.”

The Sermon on the Mount: Response

²⁸ And it happened when Jesus finished these words the crowds were amazed at his teaching, ²⁹ because he was teaching them like one who had authority, and not like their scribes.

A Leper Cleansed

8 And when^[as] he came down from the mountain, large crowds followed him. ² And behold, a leper approached and^[at] worshiped him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you are able to make me clean.” ³ And extending his hand he touched him, saying, “I am willing, be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. ⁴ And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.”

A Centurion’s Slave Healed

⁵ Now when^[au] he entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him, appealing to him ⁶ and saying, “Lord, my slave^[av] is lying paralyzed in my^[aw] house, terribly tormented!” ⁷ And he said to him, “I will come and^[ax] heal him.” ⁸ And the centurion answered and^[ay] said, “Lord, I am not worthy that you should come in under my roof. But only say the word and my slave will be healed. ⁹ For I also am a man under authority who has soldiers under me, and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another one, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it^[az].”

¹⁰ Now when^[ba] Jesus heard this,^[bb] he was astonished, and said to those who were following him,^[bc] “Truly I say to you, I have found such great faith with no one in Israel. ¹¹ But I say to you that many will come from east and west and be seated at the banquet^[bd] with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. ¹² But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!” ¹³ And Jesus said to the centurion, “Go, as you have believed it will be done for you.” And the slave^[be] was healed at that hour.

Many at Capernaum Are Healed

¹⁴ And when^[bf] Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying down and suffering with a fever. ¹⁵ And he touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to serve him.

¹⁶ Now when it^[bg] was evening, they brought to him many who were demon-possessed, and he expelled the spirits with a word. And he healed all those who were sick,^{[bh] 17} in order that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah would be fulfilled, who said,

Would-be Followers

¹⁸ Now when^[bj] Jesus saw many crowds^[bk] around him, he gave orders to depart to the other side.^{[bl] 19} And a scribe approached and^[bm] said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go!” ²⁰ And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” ²¹ And another of the disciples^[bn] said to him, “Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father.” ²² But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead!”

Calming of a Storm

²³ And as^[bo] he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. ²⁴ And behold, a great storm arose on the sea, so that the boat was being inundated by the waves, but he himself was asleep. ²⁵ And they came and^[bp] woke him, saying, “Lord, save us!^[bq] We are perishing!” ²⁶ And he said to them, “Why are you fearful, you of little faith?” Then he got up and^[br] rebuked the winds and the sea and there was a great calm. ²⁷ And the men were astonished, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?”

Demon-possessed Gadarenes Healed

²⁸ And when^[bs] he came to the other side,^[bt] to the region of the Gadarenes,^[bu] two demon-possessed men coming from among the tombs met him, very violent, so that no one was able to pass by along that road. ²⁹ And behold, they cried out, saying, “What do you have to do with us,^[bv] Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?”^{[bw] 30} Now a long way from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. ³¹ So the demons implored him, saying, “If you are going to expel us, send us into the herd of pigs.” ³² And he said to them, “Go!” So they departed and^[bx] went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed headlong down the steep slope into the sea and drowned in the water. ³³ Now the herdsmen fled and went into the town and^[by] reported everything, including the things concerning the demon-possessed men. ³⁴ And behold, the whole town came out to meet Jesus, and when they^[bz] saw him, they implored him^[ca] that he would depart from their region.

A Paralytic Healed

9 And getting into a boat, he crossed over and came to his own town.^{[cb] 2} And behold, they brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher, and when^[cc] Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Have courage, child, your sins are forgiven.” ³ And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming!” ⁴ And knowing^[cd] their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? ⁵ For which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? ⁶ But in order that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” then he said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your stretcher and go to your home.” ⁷ And he got up and^[ce] went to his home. ⁸ But when^[cf] the crowds saw this,^[cg] they were afraid and glorified God who had given such authority to men.

Matthew Called to Follow Jesus

⁹ And as^[ch] Jesus was going away from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth and said to him, “Follow me!” And he stood up and^[ci] followed him.

¹⁰ And it happened as^[cj] he was dining^[ck] in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners were coming and^[cl] dining^[cm] with Jesus and his disciples. ¹¹ And when they^[cn] saw it,^[co] the Pharisees began to say to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” ¹² And when he^[cp] heard it,^[cq] he said, “Those who are healthy do not have need of a physician, but those who are sick.^{[cr] 13} But go and^[cs] learn what it means, “I want mercy and not sacrifice.”^[ct] For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

On Fasting

¹⁴ Then the disciples of John^[cu] approached him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?” ¹⁵ And Jesus said to them, “The bridegroom’s attendants^[cv] are not able to mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them. But days are coming when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. ¹⁶ But no one puts a patch of unshrunken cloth on an old garment, for its patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear becomes worse. ¹⁷ Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise^[cw] the wineskins burst and the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are destroyed. But they put new wine into new wineskins and both are preserved.”

A Woman Healed and a Daughter Raised

¹⁸ As^[cx] he was saying these things to them, behold, one of the rulers came and^[cy] knelt down before him, saying, “My daughter has just now died, but come, place your hand on her and she will live!” ¹⁹ And Jesus and his disciples got up and^[cz] followed him. ²⁰ And behold, a woman who had been suffering with a hemorrhage twelve years approached from behind and^[da] touched the edge^[db] of his cloak, ²¹ for she said to herself, “If only I touch his cloak I will be healed.” ²² But Jesus, turning around and seeing her, said, “Have courage, daughter! Your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed from that hour.

²³ And when^[dc] Jesus came into the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the disorderly crowd, ²⁴ he said, “Go away, because the girl is not dead, but is sleeping.” And they ridiculed him. ²⁵ But when the crowd had been sent out, he entered and^[dd] took her hand, and the girl got up. ²⁶ And this report went out into that whole region.

Two Blind Men Healed

²⁷ And as^[de] Jesus was going away from there, two blind men followed him, crying out and saying, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” ²⁸ And when he^[df] came into the house, the blind men approached him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” ²⁹ Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be done for you.” ³⁰ And their eyes were opened, and Jesus sternly warned them, saying, “See that no one finds out.” ³¹ But they went out and^[dg] spread the report about him in that whole region.

A Demon Expelled

³² Now as^[dh] they were going away, behold, they brought to him a demon-possessed man who was unable to speak. ³³ And after^[di] the demon had been expelled, the one who had been mute spoke, and the crowds were astonished, saying, “This has never been seen before^[dj] in Israel!” ³⁴ But the Pharisees were saying,^[dk] “By the ruler of demons he expels the demons!”

A Plentiful Harvest But Few Workers

³⁵ And Jesus was going around all the towns and the villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every^[dl] disease and every^[dm] sickness. ³⁶ And when he^[dn] saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were weary and dejected, like sheep that did not have a shepherd. ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. ³⁸ Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest that he send out workers into his harvest.”

The Twelve Commissioned and Sent Out

10 And summoning his twelve disciples, he gave them authority over unclean spirits, so that they could expel them^[do] and could heal every^[dp] disease and every^[dq] sickness. ² Now these are the names of the twelve apostles: first Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, James^[dr] the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, ³ Philip, and Bartholomew, Thomas, and Matthew the tax collector, James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, ⁴ Simon the Zealot,^[ds] and Judas Iscariot—the one who also betrayed him.

⁵ Jesus sent out these twelve, instructing them saying, “Do not go on the road to the Gentiles, and do not enter into a city of the Samaritans, ⁶ but go instead to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ⁷ And as you^[dt] are going, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near!’ ⁸ Heal those who are sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, expel demons. Freely you have received; freely give. ⁹ Do not procure gold or silver or copper for your belts. ¹⁰ Do not take a traveler’s bag for the road, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff, for the worker is deserving of his provisions. ¹¹ And into whatever town or village you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there until you depart. ¹² And when you^[du] enter into the house, greet it. ¹³ And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. ¹⁴ And whoever does not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you^[dv] are going out of that house or that^[dw] town. ¹⁵ Truly I say to you, it will be more bearable for the region of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town!

Persecution of Disciples Predicted

¹⁶ “Behold, I am sending you out like sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. ¹⁷ But beware of people, because they will hand you over to councils, and they will flog you in their synagogues. ¹⁸ And you will be brought before both governors and kings because of me, for a witness to them and to the Gentiles. ¹⁹ But whenever they hand you over, do not be anxious how to speak^[dx] or what you should say, for what you should say will be given to you at that hour. ²⁰ For you are not the ones who are speaking, but the Spirit of your Father who is speaking through you.

²¹ “And brother will hand over brother to death, and a father his children, and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death, ²² and you will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the one who endures to the end—this one will be saved. ²³ And whenever they persecute you in this town, flee to another, for truly I say to you, you will never finish going through the towns of Israel until the Son of Man comes.

²⁴ “A disciple is not superior to his teacher, nor a slave superior to his master. ²⁵ It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household?

Fear God Rather Than People

²⁶ “Therefore do not be afraid of them, because nothing is hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing secret that will not become known. ²⁷ What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light, and what you hear in your ear, proclaim on the housetops. ²⁸ And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul, but instead be afraid of the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?^[dy] And one of them will not fall to the ground without the knowledge and consent^[dz] of your Father. ³⁰ And even the hairs of your head are all numbered! ³¹ Therefore do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

³² “Therefore everyone who acknowledges me before people, I also will acknowledge him before my Father who is in heaven. ³³ But whoever denies me before people, I also will deny him before my Father who is in heaven.

Not Peace, But a Sword of Divisiveness

³⁴ “Do not think that I have come to bring peace on the earth! I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵ For I have come to turn a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. ³⁶ And the enemies of a man will be the members of his household.^{[ea] 37} The one who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and the one who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. ³⁸ And whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ³⁹ The one who finds his life will lose it, and the one who loses his life because of me will find it.

On Rewards

⁴⁰ “The one who receives you receives me, and the one who receives me receives the one who sent me. ⁴¹ The one who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. ⁴² And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, truly I say to you, he will never lose his reward.”

A Question from John the Baptist

11 And it happened that when Jesus had finished giving orders to his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and to preach in their towns. ² Now when^[eb] John^[ec] heard in prison the deeds of Christ, he sent word^[ed] by his disciples ³ and^[ee] said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” ⁴ And Jesus answered and^[ef] said to them, “Go and^[eg] tell John what you hear and see: ⁵ the blind receive sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised, and the poor have good news announced to them.^{[eh] 6} And whoever is not offended by me is blessed.”

⁷ Now as^[ei] these were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? ⁸ But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in the houses of kings. ⁹ But why did you go out? To see a prophet?^[ej] Yes, I tell you, and even more than a prophet! ¹⁰ It is this man about whom it is written:

¹¹ Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen one greater than John the Baptist. But the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ¹² But from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven is treated violently, and the violent claim^[el] it. ¹³ For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John, ¹⁴ and if you are willing to accept it,^[em] he is Elijah, the one who is going to come. ¹⁵ The one who has ears, let him hear!

¹⁶ “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces who call out to one another, ¹⁷ saying,

¹⁸ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ ¹⁹ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a man who is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”^[en]

Woes Pronounced on Unrepentant Towns

²⁰ Then he began to reproach the towns in which the majority of his miracles had been done, because they did not repent: ²¹ “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. ²² Nevertheless I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and for Sidon on the day of judgment than for you! ²³ And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until today. ²⁴ Nevertheless I tell you that it will be more bearable for the region of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you!”

A Yoke That Is Easy

²⁵ At that time Jesus answered and^[eo] said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and have revealed them to young children.^{[ep] 26} Yes, Father, for to do so was your gracious will.^{[eq] 27} All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom^[er] the Son wants to reveal him.^{[es] 28} Come to me, all of you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke on you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy to carry and my burden is light.”

Plucking Grain on the Sabbath

12 At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. And his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck off heads of grain and eat them.^{[et] 2} But when^[eu] the Pharisees saw it,^[ev] they said to him, “Behold, your disciples are doing what it is not permitted to do on the Sabbath!” ³ So he said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those with him, ⁴ how he entered into the house of God and ate the bread of the presentation, which it was not permitted for him or for those with him to eat, but only for the priests? ⁵ Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple violate the sanctity of the Sabbath and are guiltless? ⁶ But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here! ⁷ And if you had known what it means,^[ew] ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. ⁸ For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

A Man with a Withered Hand Healed

⁹ And going on from there he came into their synagogue. ¹⁰ And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand, and they asked him, saying, “Is it permitted to heal on the Sabbath?” in order that they could accuse him. ¹¹ But he said to them, “What man will there be among you who will have one sheep and if this one fell into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it^[ex] out? ¹² Then to what degree is a man worth more than a sheep? So then, it is permitted to do good on the Sabbath.”

¹³ Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand,” and he stretched it^[ey] out, and it was restored as healthy as the other one. ¹⁴ But the Pharisees went out and plotted^[ez] against him in order that they could destroy him.

God’s Chosen Servant

¹⁵ Now Jesus, when he^[fa] learned of it,^[fb] withdrew from there, and many^[fc] followed him, and he healed them all. ¹⁶ And he warned them that they should not reveal his identity,^{[fd] 17} in order that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah would be fulfilled, who said,

A House Divided Cannot Stand

²² Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to him. And he healed him so that the man who was mute could speak and see. ²³ And all the crowds were amazed and began saying, “Perhaps this one is the Son of David!” ²⁴ But the Pharisees, when they^[fg] heard it,^[fh] said, “This man does not expel demons except by Beelzebul the ruler of demons!” ²⁵ But knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. ²⁶ And if Satan expels Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? ²⁷ And if I expel demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons expel them?^[fi] For this reason they will be your judges! ²⁸ But if I expel demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you! ²⁹ Or how can someone enter into the house of a strong man and steal his property, unless he first ties up the strong man? And then he can thoroughly plunder his house. ³⁰ The one who is not with me is against me, and the one who does not gather with me scatters. ³¹ For this reason I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven! ³² And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him either in this age or in the coming one!

Good Trees and Good Fruit or Bad Trees and Bad Fruit

³³ “Either make the tree good and its fruit is good, or make the tree bad and its fruit is bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. ³⁴ Offspring of vipers! How are you able to say good things when you^[fj] are evil? For from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. ³⁵ The good person from his^[fk] good treasury brings out good things, and the evil person from his^[fl] evil treasury brings out evil things. ³⁶ But I tell you that every worthless word that they speak, people will give an account for it on the day of judgment! ³⁷ For by your words you will be vindicated, and by your words you will be condemned.”

The Sign of Jonah

³⁸ Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you!” ³⁹ But he answered and^[fm] said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation desires a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah! ⁴⁰ For just as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. ⁴¹ The people of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and behold, something^[fn] greater than Jonah is here! ⁴² The queen of the south will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something^[fo] greater than Solomon is here!

An Unclean Spirit Returns

⁴³ “Now whenever an unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it travels through waterless places searching for rest, and does not find it.^{[fp] 44} Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came out.’ And when it^[fq] arrives it finds the house^[fr] unoccupied and swept and put in order. ⁴⁵ Then it goes and brings along with itself seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and^[fs] live there. And the last state of that person becomes worse than the first. So it will be for this evil generation also!”

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers

⁴⁶ And^[ft] while^[fu] he was still speaking to the crowds, behold, his mother and brothers were standing there outside, desiring to speak to him. ⁴⁷ And someone told him, “Behold, your mother and your brothers are standing there outside desiring to speak to you.” ⁴⁸ But he answered and^[fv] said to the one who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” ⁴⁹ And stretching out 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.”

The Parable of the Sower

13 On that day Jesus went out of the house and^[fw] was sitting by the sea.^{[fx] 2} And large crowds gathered close around him, so that he got into a boat to sit down, and all the crowd was standing on the shore. ³ And he spoke many things to them in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow, ⁴ and while he was sowing, some seed^[fy] fell on the side of the path, and the birds came and^[fz] devoured it. ⁵ And other seed fell on the rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up at once because it did not have any depth of soil. ⁶ But when^[ga] the sun rose it was scorched, and because it did not have enough root, it withered. ⁷ And other seed fell among the thorn plants, and the thorn plants came up and choked it. ⁸ But other seed fell on the good soil and produced grain,^[gb] this one a hundred times as much and this one sixty and this one thirty. ⁹ The one who has ears, let him hear!”

The Reason for the Parables

¹⁰ And the disciples came up and^[gc] said to him, “Why^[gd] do you speak to them in parables?” ¹¹ And he answered and^[ge] said to them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to those people it has not been granted. ¹² For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. ¹³ For this reason I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand, ¹⁴ and with reference to them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says,

¹⁶ But your eyes are blessed because they see, and your ears because they hear. ¹⁷ For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it,^[gi] and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it!^[gj]

The Parable of the Sower Interpreted

¹⁸ “You, therefore, listen to the parable of the sower: ¹⁹ When^[gk] anyone hears the word about the kingdom and does not understand it,^[gl] the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is what was sown on the side of the path. ²⁰ And what was sown on the rocky ground—this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. ²¹ But he does not have a root in himself, but lasts only a little while,^[gm] and when^[gn] affliction or persecution happens because of the word, immediately he falls away. ²² And what was sown into the thorn plants—this is the one who hears the word, and the anxiety of this world^[go] and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word and it becomes unproductive. ²³ But what was sown on the good soil—this is the one who hears the word and understands it,^[gp] who indeed bears fruit and produces, this one a hundred times as much, and this one sixty, and this one thirty.”

The Parable of the Weeds Among the Wheat

²⁴ He put before them another parable, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. ²⁵ But while his^[gq] people were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed darnel^[gr] in the midst of the wheat and went away. ²⁶ So when the wheat^[gs] sprouted and yielded grain, then the darnel appeared also. ²⁷ So the slaves of the master of the house came and^[gt] said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have darnel?’ ²⁸ And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ So the slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and^[gu] gather them?’ ²⁹ But he said, “No, lest when you^[gv] gather the darnel you uproot the wheat together with it. ³⁰ Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the season of the harvest I will tell the reapers, “First gather the darnel and tie it into bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my storehouse.”’”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

³¹ He put before them another parable, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and^[gw] sowed in his field. ³² It^[gx] is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it is grown it is larger than the garden herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.”

The Parable of the Yeast

³³ He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and^[gy] put into three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened.”

Parables Fulfill Prophecy

³⁴ Jesus spoke all these things to the crowds in parables, and he was saying nothing to them without a parable, ³⁵ in order that what was spoken through the prophet would be fulfilled, who said,

The Parable of the Weeds Interpreted

³⁶ Then he left the crowds and^[hb] came into the house, and his disciples came to him saying, “Explain the parable of the darnel in the field to us.” ³⁷ So he answered and^[hc] said, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, ³⁸ and the field is the world. And the good seed—these are the sons of the kingdom, but the darnel are the sons of the evil one. ³⁹ And the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. ⁴⁰ Thus just as the darnel is gathered and burned^[hd] with fire, so it will be at the end of the age. ⁴¹ The Son of Man will send out his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all the causes of sin and those who do lawless deeds, ⁴² and throw them into the fiery furnace.^[he] In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth! ⁴³ Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.^[hf] The one who has ears, let him hear!

The Parable of the Treasure Hidden in a Field

⁴⁴ “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, that a man found and^[hg] concealed, and in his joy he goes and sells everything that he has and buys that field.

The Parable of the Valuable Pearl

⁴⁵ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. ⁴⁶ And when he^[hh] found one very valuable pearl, he went and^[hi] sold everything that he possessed and purchased it.

The Parable of the Dragnet

⁴⁷ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish^[hj] of every kind, ⁴⁸ which when it was filled they pulled to shore and sat down and^[hk] collected the good fish^[hl] into containers, but the bad they threw out. ⁴⁹ Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the evil from among the righteous ⁵⁰ and throw them into the fiery furnace.^[hm] In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!

⁵¹ “Have you understood all these things?” They said to him, “Yes.” ⁵² And he said to them, “For this reason every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of the house who brings out of his storeroom new things and old things.”

Rejected at Nazareth

⁵³ And it happened that when Jesus had finished these parables he went away from there. ⁵⁴ And he came to his hometown and^[hn] began to teach^[ho] them in their synagogue, so that they were amazed and said, “From where did this man get this wisdom and these miracles? ⁵⁵ Is not this one the son of the carpenter? Is not his mother called Mary and his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? ⁵⁶ And are not all his sisters with us? From where then did this man get all these things?” ⁵⁷ And they were offended by him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own hometown and in his own household.” ⁵⁸ And he did not perform many miracles in that place because of their unbelief.

Herod Kills John the Baptist

14 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus ² and he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist! He has been raised from the dead, and for this reason miraculous powers are at work in him.” ³ For Herod, after^[hp] arresting John, bound him and put him^[hq] in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, ⁴ because John had been saying to him, “It is not permitted for you to have her.” ⁵ And although he^[hr] wanted to kill him, he feared the crowd, because they looked upon him as a prophet.

⁶ But when^[hs] Herod’s birthday celebration took place, the daughter of Herodias danced in the midst of them and pleased Herod. ⁷ Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. ⁸ And coached by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter!” ⁹ And although^[ht] the king was distressed, because of his oaths and his dinner guests^[hu] he commanded the request^[hv] to be granted. ¹⁰ And he sent orders^[hw] and^[hx] had John beheaded in the prison, ¹¹ and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it^[hy] to her mother. ¹² And his disciples came and^[hz] took away the corpse and buried it, and went and^[ia] told Jesus.

The Feeding of Five Thousand

¹³ Now when^[ib] Jesus heard it,^[ic] he withdrew from there in a boat to an isolated place by himself. And when^[id] the crowds heard it,^[ie] they followed him by land from the towns. ¹⁴ And as he^[if] got out, he saw the large crowd and had compassion on them and healed their sick. ¹⁵ Now when it^[ig] was evening, the disciples came to him saying, “The place is desolate and the hour is late.^[ih] Release the crowds so that they can go away into the villages and^[ii] purchase food for themselves.” ¹⁶ But Jesus said to them, “They do not need^[ij] to go away. You give them something^[ik] to eat.” ¹⁷ And they said to him, “We do not have anything^[il] here except five loaves and two fish.” ¹⁸ So he said, “Bring them here to me.” ¹⁹ And he commanded the crowds to recline for a meal on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and^[im] looking up to heaven, he gave thanks. And after^[in] breaking them,^[io] he gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave them^[ip] to the crowds. ²⁰ And they all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. ²¹ Now those who ate were about five thousand men, in addition to women and children.

Jesus Walks on the Water

²² And immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, while he sent away the crowds. ²³ And after he^[iq] sent away the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. So when^[ir] evening came, he was there alone. ²⁴ But the boat was already many stadia distant from the land, being beaten by the waves, because the wind was against it. ²⁵ And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. ²⁶ But the disciples, when they^[is] saw him walking on the sea, were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. ²⁷ But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Have courage, I am he! Do not be afraid!” ²⁸ And Peter answered him and^[it] said, “Lord, if it is you,^[iu] command me to come to you on the water!” ²⁹ So he said, “Come!” And getting out of the boat, Peter walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he^[iv] saw the strong wind, he was afraid. And beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” ³¹ And immediately Jesus extended his^[iw] hand and^[ix] caught him and said to him, “You of little faith! Why did you doubt?” ³² And when^[iy] they got into the boat, the wind abated. ³³ So those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God!”

Many Healed at Gennesaret

³⁴ And after they^[iz] had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. ³⁵ And when^[ja] the men of that place recognized him, they sent word into that whole surrounding region, and they brought to him all those who were sick.^{[jb] 36} And they were imploring him that they might only touch the edge^[jc] of his cloak, and all those who touched it^[jd] were cured.

Human Traditions and God’s Commandments

15 Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem, saying, ² “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat a meal.”^{[je] 3} So he answered and^[jf] said to them, “Why do you also break the commandment of God because of your tradition? ⁴ For God said, ‘Honor your^[jg] father and your^[jh] mother,’^[ji] and ‘The one who speaks evil of father or mother must certainly die^[jj].’^{[jk] 5} But you say, ‘Whoever says to his^[jl] father or his^[jm] mother, “Whatever benefit you would have received^[jn] from me is a gift to God,” ⁶ need not honor his father,’^[jo] and you make void the word of God for the sake of your tradition. ⁷ Hypocrites! Isaiah correctly prophesied about you saying,

Defilement from Within

¹⁰ And summoning the crowd, he said to them, “Hear and understand: ¹¹ It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth—this defiles a person.” ¹² Then the disciples came and^[jr] said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they^[js] heard this saying?” ¹³ And he answered and^[jt] said, “Every plant that my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted. ¹⁴ Let^[ju] them! They are blind guides of the blind. And if the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit.” ¹⁵ But Peter answered and^[jv] said to him, “Explain this parable to us.” ¹⁶ But he said, “Are you also still without understanding? ¹⁷ Do you not understand that everything that enters into the mouth goes into the stomach and is evacuated into the latrine? ¹⁸ But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these defile the person. ¹⁹ For from the heart come evil plans, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, abusive speech. ²⁰ These are the things that defile a person. But eating with unwashed hands does not defile a person!”

A Canaanite Woman’s Great Faith

²¹ And departing from there, Jesus went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. ²² And behold, a Canaanite woman from that district came and cried out, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely possessed by a demon!” ²³ But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came up and^[jw] asked him, saying, “Send her away, because she is crying out after us!” ²⁴ But he answered and^[jx] said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” ²⁵ But she came and^[jy] knelt down before him, saying, “Lord, help me!” ²⁶ And he answered and^[jz] said, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it^[ka] to the dogs!” ²⁷ So she said, “Yes, Lord, for even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” ²⁸ Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, your faith is great! Let it be done for you as you want.” And her daughter was healed from that hour.

Many Others Healed in Galilee

²⁹ And departing from there, Jesus went along the Sea of Galilee, and he went up on the mountain and^[kb] was sitting there. ³⁰ And large crowds came to him, having with them the mute, blind, lame, crippled,^[kc] and many others, and they put them down at his feet, and he healed them. ³¹ So then the crowd was astonished when they^[kd] saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, and the lame walking, and the blind seeing, and they praised the God of Israel.

The Feeding of Four Thousand

³² And Jesus summoned his disciples and^[ke] said, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have remained with me three days already and do not have anything to eat, and I do not want to send them away hungry lest they give out on the way.” ³³ And the disciples said to him, “Where in this desolate place can we get^[kf] so much bread that such a great crowd could be satisfied?” ³⁴ And Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” So they said, “Seven, and a few little fish.” ³⁵ And commanding the crowd to recline for a meal on the ground, ³⁶ he took the seven loaves and the fish and after he^[kg] had given thanks, he broke them^[kh] and began giving^[ki] them^[kj] 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 baskets full. ³⁸ Now those who ate were four thousand men, in addition to women and children. ³⁹ And after he^[kk] sent away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.