Bible in 90 Days
The Sermon on the Mount
5 When He saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain,(A) and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2 Then[a] He began to teach them, saying:(B)
The Beatitudes
3 “The poor in spirit are blessed,(C)
for the kingdom of heaven(D) is theirs.
4 Those who mourn are blessed,(E)
for they will be comforted.
5 The gentle are blessed,(F)
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blessed,(G)
for they will be filled.
7 The merciful are blessed,
for they will be shown mercy.(H)
8 The pure in heart are blessed,
for they will see God.(I)
9 The peacemakers are blessed,
for they will be called sons of God.(J)
10 Those who are persecuted for righteousness are blessed,
for the kingdom of heaven(K) is theirs.
11 “You are blessed when they insult and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of Me. 12 Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted(L) the prophets who were before you.(M)
Believers Are Salt and Light
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled on by men.(N)
14 “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden.(O) 15 No one lights a lamp(P) and puts it under a basket,[b] but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house.(Q) 16 In the same way, let your light shine[c] before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.(R)
Christ Fulfills the Law
17 “Don’t assume that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.(S) 18 For I assure you: Until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter[d] or one stroke of a letter will pass from the law until all things are accomplished. 19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches people to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.(T) 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Murder Begins in the Heart
21 “You have heard that it was said to our ancestors,[e] Do not murder,(U)[f] and whoever murders will be subject to judgment.(V) 22 But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother[g] will be subject to judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Fool!’[h] will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But whoever says, ‘You moron!’ will be subject to hellfire.[i](W) 23 So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Reach a settlement quickly with your adversary while you’re on the way with him, or your adversary will hand you over to the judge, the judge to[j] the officer, and you will be thrown into prison.(X) 26 I assure you: You will never get out of there until you have paid the last penny![k]
Adultery in the Heart
27 “You have heard that it was said, Do not commit adultery.(Y)[l] 28 But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.(Z) 29 If your right eye causes you to sin,(AA) gouge it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.(AB) 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to go into hell!
Divorce Practices Censured
31 “It was also said, Whoever divorces(AC) his wife must give her a written notice of divorce.(AD)[m] 32 But I tell you, everyone who divorces his wife, except in a case of sexual immorality,[n] causes her to commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.(AE)
Tell the Truth
33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to our ancestors,[o] You must not break your oath, but you must keep your oaths to the Lord.(AF)[p] 34 But I tell you, don’t take an oath at all: either by heaven, because it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, because it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King.(AG) 36 Neither should you swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. 37 But let your word ‘yes’ be ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ be ‘no.’[q] Anything more than this is from the evil one.(AH)
Go the Second Mile
38 “You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.(AI)[r] 39 But I tell you, don’t resist[s] an evildoer. On the contrary, if anyone slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.(AJ) 40 As for the one who wants to sue you and take away your shirt,[t] let him have your coat[u] as well. 41 And if anyone forces[v] you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and don’t turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.(AK)
Love Your Enemies
43 “You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor(AL)[w] and hate your enemy. 44 But I tell you, love your enemies[x] and pray for those who[y] persecute you,(AM) 45 so that you may be[z] sons of your Father in heaven. For He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.(AN) 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing out of the ordinary?[aa](AO) Don’t even the Gentiles[ab] do the same? 48 Be perfect,(AP) therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
How to Give
6 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness[ac] in front of people, to be seen by them. Otherwise, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 So whenever you give to the poor, don’t sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be applauded by people. I assure you: They’ve got their reward!(AQ) 3 But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.[ad](AR)
How to Pray
5 “Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. I assure you: They’ve got their reward!(AS) 6 But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.[ae](AT) 7 When you pray, don’t babble like the idolaters,[af] since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words.(AU) 8 Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask Him.(AV)
The Model Prayer
9 “Therefore, you should pray like this:(AW)
Our Father in heaven,
Your name be honored as holy.(AX)
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.(AY)
11 Give us today our daily bread.[ag]
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.(AZ)
13 And do not bring us into[ah] temptation,(BA)
but deliver us from the evil one.[ai](BB)
[For Yours is the kingdom and the power
and the glory forever. Amen.][aj]
14 “For if you forgive people their wrongdoing,[ak] your heavenly Father will forgive you as well.(BC) 15 But if you don’t forgive people,[al] your Father will not forgive your wrongdoing.[am]
How to Fast
16 “Whenever you fast, don’t be sad-faced like the hypocrites. For they make their faces unattractive[an](BD) so their fasting is obvious to people. I assure you: They’ve got their reward! 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head, and wash your face,(BE) 18 so that you don’t show your fasting to people but to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.[ao]
God and Possessions
19 “Don’t collect for yourselves treasures[ap] on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.(BF) 20 But collect for yourselves treasures in heaven,(BG) where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light within you is darkness—how deep is that darkness!(BH)
24 “No one can be a slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot be slaves of God and of money.(BI)
The Cure for Anxiety
25 “This is why I tell you:(BJ) Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing?(BK) 26 Look at the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they?(BL) 27 Can any of you add a single cubit to his height[aq] by worrying? 28 And why do you worry about clothes? Learn how the wildflowers of the field grow: they don’t labor or spin thread. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these! 30 If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t He do much more for you—you of little faith?(BM) 31 So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 For the idolaters[ar] eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God[as](BN) and His righteousness,(BO) and all these things will be provided for you.(BP) 34 Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble(BQ) of its own.
Do Not Judge
7 “Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged.(BR) 2 For with the judgment you use,[at] you will be judged, and with the measure you use,[au] it will be measured to you.(BS) 3 Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the log in your own eye?(BT) 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look, there’s a log in your eye? 5 Hypocrite! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. 6 Don’t give what is holy to dogs or toss your pearls before pigs,(BU) or they will trample them with their feet, turn, and tear you to pieces.
Keep Asking, Searching, Knocking
7 “Keep asking,[av](BV) and it will be given to you.(BW) Keep searching,[aw] and you will find. Keep knocking,[ax] and the door[ay] will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds,(BX) and to the one who knocks, the door[az] will be opened. 9 What man among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you then, who are evil,(BY) know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! 12 Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them—this is the Law and the Prophets.[ba](BZ)
Entering the Kingdom
13 “Enter through the narrow gate.(CA) For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction,(CB) and there are many who go through it. 14 How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.
15 “Beware of false prophets(CC) who come to you in sheep’s(CD) clothing(CE) but inwardly are ravaging wolves.(CF) 16 You’ll recognize them by their fruit.(CG) Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles?(CH) 17 In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.(CI) 20 So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.(CJ)
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,(CK) but only the one who does the will(CL) of My Father in heaven.(CM) 22 On that day many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons(CN) in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name?’(CO) 23 Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!’[bb](CP)[bc]
The Two Foundations
24 “Therefore,(CQ) everyone who hears these words(CR) of Mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of Mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. And its collapse was great!”
28 When Jesus had finished this sermon,[bd](CS) the crowds were astonished at His teaching,(CT) 29 because He was teaching them like one who had authority, and not like their scribes.
A Man Cleansed
8 When He came down from the mountain, large crowds(CU) followed Him. 2 Right away(CV) a man with a serious skin disease came up and knelt before Him,(CW) saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”
3 Reaching out His hand He touched him, saying, “I am willing; be made clean.” Immediately his disease was healed.[be] 4 Then Jesus told him, “See that you don’t tell anyone;(CX) but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses prescribed, as a testimony to them.”(CY)
A Centurion’s Faith
5 When He entered Capernaum,(CZ) a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, 6 “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible agony!”
7 “I will come and heal him,” He told him.
8 “Lord,” the centurion replied, “I am not worthy to have You come under my roof. But only say the word, and my servant will be cured.(DA) 9 For I too am a man under authority, having soldiers under my command.[bf] I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”
10 Hearing this, Jesus was amazed and said to those following Him, “I assure you: I have not found anyone in Israel with so great a faith! 11 I tell you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.(DB) 12 But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”(DC) 13 Then Jesus told the centurion, “Go. As you have believed,(DD) let it be done for you.” And his servant was cured that very moment.[bg]
Healings at Capernaum
14 When Jesus went into Peter’s house,(DE) He saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15 So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. Then she got up and began to serve Him. 16 When evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. He drove out the spirits(DF) with a word and healed all who were sick,(DG) 17 so that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
Following Jesus
18 When Jesus saw large crowds[bi](DI) around Him, He gave the order to go to the other side of the sea.[bj] 19 A scribe approached Him and said,(DJ) “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go!”
20 Jesus told him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man(DK) has no place to lay His head.”
21 “Lord,” another of His disciples said, “first let me go bury my father.”[bk]
22 But Jesus told him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
Wind and Wave Obey the Master
23 As He got into the[bl] boat,(DL) His disciples(DM) followed Him. 24 Suddenly, a violent storm arose on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves. But He was sleeping. 25 So the disciples came and woke Him up, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to die!”
26 But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, you of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea.(DN) And there was a great calm.
27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this?—even the winds and the sea obey(DO) Him!”
Demons Driven Out by the Master
28 When He had come to the other side,(DP) to the region of the Gadarenes,[bm] two demon-possessed men met Him as they came out of the tombs. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. 29 Suddenly they shouted, “What do You have to do with us,[bn][bo] Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”(DQ)
30 Now a long way off from them, a large herd of pigs was feeding. 31 “If You drive us out,” the demons begged Him, “send us into the herd of pigs.”
32 “Go!” He told them. So when they had come out, they entered the pigs. And suddenly the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the water. 33 Then the men who tended them fled. They went into the city and reported everything—especially what had happened to those who were demon-possessed. 34 At that, the whole town went out to meet Jesus. When they saw Him, they begged Him to leave their region.(DR)
The Son of Man Forgives and Heals
9 So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own town.(DS) 2 Just then(DT) some men[bp] brought to Him a paralytic lying on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, “Have courage, son, your sins are forgiven.”(DU)
3 At this, some of the scribes said among themselves, “He’s blaspheming!”(DV)
4 But perceiving their thoughts,(DW) Jesus said, “Why are you thinking evil things in your hearts?[bq] 5 For which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6 But so you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then He told the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your mat, and go home.” 7 And he got up and went home. 8 When the crowds saw this, they were awestruck[br][bs] and gave glory(DX) to God who had given such authority to men.
The Call of Matthew
9 As Jesus went on from there,(DY) He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office, and He said to him, “Follow Me!” So he got up and followed Him.(DZ)
10 While He was reclining at the table in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came as guests to eat[bt] with Jesus and His disciples.(EA) 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”(EB)
12 But when He heard this, He said, “Those who are well don’t need a doctor, but the sick do.(EC) 13 Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice.(ED)[bu] For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.”[bv]
A Question about Fasting
14 Then John’s disciples came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?”(EE)
15 Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests[bw] be sad while the groom is with them? The time[bx] will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16 No one patches an old garment with unshrunk cloth, because the patch pulls away from the garment and makes the tear worse. 17 And no one puts[by] new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined. But they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”
A Girl Restored and a Woman Healed
18 As He was telling them these things,(EF) suddenly one of the leaders[bz] came and knelt down before Him, saying, “My daughter is near death,[ca] but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live.”(EG) 19 So Jesus and His disciples got up and followed(EH) him.
20 Just then, a woman who had suffered from bleeding for 12 years approached from behind and touched the tassel on His robe,(EI) 21 for she said to herself, “If I can just touch His robe, I’ll be made well!”[cb](EJ)
22 But Jesus turned and saw her. “Have courage, daughter,” He said. “Your faith has made you well.”[cc](EK) And the woman was made well from that moment.[cd]
23 When Jesus came to the leader’s house, He saw the flute players and a crowd lamenting loudly.(EL) 24 “Leave,” He said, “because the girl isn’t dead, but sleeping.”(EM) And they started laughing at Him. 25 But when the crowd had been put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up.(EN) 26 And this news spread throughout that whole area.(EO)
Healing the Blind
27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, shouting, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”(EP)
28 When He entered the house, the blind men approached Him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe(EQ) that I can do this?”
“Yes, Lord,” they answered Him.
29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, “Let it be done for you according to your faith!” 30 And their eyes were opened. Then Jesus warned them sternly, “Be sure that no one finds out!”[ce](ER) 31 But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout that whole area.
Driving Out a Demon
32 Just as they were going out, a demon-possessed man who was unable to speak was brought to Him.(ES) 33 When the demon had been driven out, the man[cf] spoke. And the crowds were amazed, saying, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel!”
34 But the Pharisees said, “He drives out demons by the ruler of the demons!”(ET)
The Lord of the Harvest
35 Then Jesus went to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom,(EU) and healing every[cg] disease and every sickness.[ch] 36 When He saw the crowds, He felt compassion for them, because they were weary and worn out,(EV) like sheep without a shepherd.(EW) 37 Then He said to His disciples,(EX) “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. 38 Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”
Commissioning the Twelve
10 Summoning His 12 disciples,(EY) He gave them authority over unclean spirits, to drive them out and to heal every[ci] disease and sickness.(EZ) 2 These are the names of the 12 apostles:(FA)
First, Simon, who is called Peter,
and Andrew his brother;
James the son of Zebedee,
and John his brother;
3 Philip and Bartholomew;[cj]
Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;
James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;[ck]
4 Simon the Zealot,[cl] and Judas Iscariot,[cm]
who also betrayed Him.(FB)
5 Jesus sent out these 12 after giving them instructions: “Don’t take the road leading to other nations, and don’t enter any Samaritan(FC) town. 6 Instead, go to the lost sheep(FD) of the house of Israel.(FE) 7 As you go, announce this: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’(FF) 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with skin diseases, drive out demons.(FG) You have received free of charge; give free of charge. 9 Don’t take along gold, silver, or copper for your money-belts.(FH) 10 Don’t take a traveling bag for the road, or an extra shirt, sandals, or a walking stick, for the worker(FI) is worthy of his food.
11 “When you enter any town or village, find out who is worthy, and stay there until you leave. 12 Greet a household when you enter it,(FJ) 13 and if the household is worthy, let your peace be on it. But if it is unworthy, let your peace return to you.(FK) 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet(FL) when you leave that house or town. 15 I assure you: It will be more tolerable on the day of judgment(FM) for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.(FN)
Persecutions Predicted
16 “Look, I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and as harmless as doves.(FO) 17 Because people will hand you over to sanhedrins[cn] and flog you in their synagogues,(FP) beware of them. 18 You will even be brought before governors and kings because of Me, to bear witness to them and to the nations.(FQ) 19 But when they hand you over, don’t worry about how or what you should speak.(FR) For you will be given what to say at that hour, 20 because you are not speaking, but the Spirit(FS) of your Father is speaking through you.(FT)
21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will even rise up against their parents and have them put to death.(FU) 22 You will be hated by everyone because of My name.(FV) But the one who endures to the end will be delivered.[co](FW) 23 When they persecute you in one town, escape to another.(FX) For I assure you: You will not have covered the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. 24 A disciple[cp] is not above his teacher, or a slave above his master.(FY) 25 It is enough for a disciple to become like his teacher and a slave like his master. If they called the head of the house ‘Beelzebul,’ how much more the members of his household!(FZ)
Fear God
26 “Therefore,(GA) don’t be afraid of them, since there is nothing covered that won’t be uncovered and nothing hidden that won’t be made known.(GB) 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light. What you hear in a whisper,[cq] proclaim on the housetops.(GC) 28 Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul;(GD) rather, fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.(GE) 29 Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny?[cr] Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s(GF) consent.[cs] 30 But even the hairs of your head have all been counted.(GG) 31 So don’t be afraid therefore; you are worth more than many sparrows.(GH)
Acknowledging Christ
32 “Therefore, everyone who will acknowledge Me before men, I will also acknowledge him before My Father in heaven.(GI) 33 But whoever denies Me before men,(GJ) I will also deny him before My Father in heaven. 34 Don’t assume that I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.(GK) 35 For I came to turn
a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
36 and a man’s enemies will be
the members of his household.(GL)[ct]
37 The person who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me;(GM) the person who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow[cu] Me is not worthy of Me. 39 Anyone finding[cv] his life will lose it,(GN) and anyone losing[cw] his life because of Me will find it.(GO)
A Cup of Cold Water
40 “The one who welcomes you welcomes Me,(GP) and the one who welcomes Me welcomes Him who sent Me.(GQ) 41 Anyone who[cx] welcomes a prophet(GR) because he is a prophet[cy] will receive a prophet’s reward. And anyone who[cz] welcomes a righteous person because he’s righteous[da] will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And whoever gives(GS) just a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple[db](GT)—I assure you: He will never lose his reward!”
In Praise of John the Baptist
11 When Jesus had finished giving orders to His 12 disciples, He moved on from there to teach and preach in their towns.(GU) 2 When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent a message by his disciples(GV) 3 and asked Him, “Are You the One who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”(GW)
4 Jesus replied to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: 5 the blind see, the lame walk, those with skin diseases are healed,[dc] the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor are told the good news.(GX) 6 And if anyone is not offended because of Me, he is blessed.”(GY)
7 As these men went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind?(GZ) 8 What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothes? Look, those who wear soft clothes are in kings’ palaces. 9 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and far more than a prophet.(HA) 10 This is the one it is written about:
11 “I assure you: Among those born of women no one greater than John the Baptist has appeared,[df] but the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been suffering violence,[dg] and the violent have been seizing it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John; 14 if you’re willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who is to come.(HC) 15 Anyone who has ears[dh] should listen!(HD)
An Unresponsive Generation
16 “To what should I compare this generation? It’s like children sitting in the marketplaces who call out to each other:
17 We played the flute for you,
but you didn’t dance;
we sang a lament,
but you didn’t mourn![di]
18 For John did not come eating or drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’(HE) 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard,(HF) a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’(HG) Yet wisdom is vindicated[dj] by her deeds.”[dk]
20 Then He proceeded to denounce the towns where most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent: 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin!(HH) Woe to you, Bethsaida!(HI) For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon,(HJ) they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes long ago! 22 But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment(HK) than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to Hades.(HL) For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until today. 24 But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”
The Son Gives Knowledge and Rest
25 At that time Jesus said,(HM) “I praise[dl] You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to infants.(HN) 26 Yes, Father, because this was Your good pleasure.[dm] 27 All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows[dn] the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son desires[do] to reveal Him.(HO)
28 “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.(HP) 29 All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me,(HQ) because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves.(HR) 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Lord of the Sabbath
12 At that time Jesus passed through the grainfields on the Sabbath.(HS) His disciples(HT) were hungry and began to pick and eat some heads of grain. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful(HU) to do on the Sabbath!”
3 He said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry— 4 how he entered the house of God, and they ate[dp] the sacred bread, which is not lawful for him or for those with him to eat, but only for the priests?(HV) 5 Or haven’t you read in the Law[dq] that on Sabbath days the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath and are innocent?(HW) 6 But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here!(HX) 7 If you had known what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice,(HY)[dr] you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”(HZ)
The Man with the Paralyzed Hand
9 Moving on from there, He entered their synagogue.(IA) 10 There He saw a man who had a paralyzed hand. And in order to accuse Him they asked Him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”(IB)
11 But He said to them, “What man among you, if he had a sheep[ds] that fell into a pit on the Sabbath, wouldn’t take hold of it and lift it out?(IC) 12 A man is worth far more than a sheep,(ID) so it is lawful to do what is good on the Sabbath.”
13 Then He told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and it was restored,(IE) as good as the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him.(IF)
The Servant of the Lord
15 When Jesus became aware of this, He withdrew from there. Huge crowds[dt] followed Him, and He healed them all.(IG) 16 He warned them not to make Him known,(IH) 17 so that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
18 Here is My Servant whom I have chosen,
My beloved in whom My soul delights;
I will put My Spirit on Him,
and He will proclaim justice to the nations.(II)
19 He will not argue or shout,
and no one will hear His voice in the streets.
20 He will not break a bruised reed,
and He will not put out a smoldering wick,
until He has led justice to victory.[du]
21 The nations will put their hope in His name.(IJ)[dv]
A House Divided
22 Then a demon-possessed man(IK) who was blind and unable to speak was brought to Him. He healed him, so that the man[dw] could both speak and see.(IL) 23 And all the crowds were astounded and said, “Perhaps this is the Son of David!”(IM)
24 When the Pharisees heard this, they said, “The man drives out demons only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.”(IN)
25 Knowing their thoughts,(IO) He told them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is headed for destruction, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 If Satan(IP) drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, who is it your sons drive them out by? For this reason they will be your judges.(IQ) 28 If I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.(IR) 29 How can someone enter a strong man’s house and steal his possessions unless he first ties up(IS) the strong man? Then he can rob his house. 30 Anyone who is not with Me is against Me,(IT) and anyone who does not gather with Me scatters. 31 Because of this,(IU) I tell you, people will be forgiven every sin and blasphemy,(IV) but the blasphemy against[dx] the Spirit will not be forgiven.[dy] 32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man,(IW) 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 one to come.(IX)
A Tree and Its Fruit
33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad[dz] and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.(IY) 34 Brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks from the overflow(IZ) of the heart. 35 A good man produces good things from his storeroom of good,[ea] and an evil man produces evil things from his storeroom of evil.(JA) 36 I tell you that on the day of judgment(JB) people will have to account(JC) for every careless word they speak.[eb] 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
The Sign of Jonah
38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”(JD)
39 But He answered them,(JE) “An evil and adulterous generation demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.(JF) 40 For as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish three days and three nights,(JG) so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. 41 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it,(JH) because they repented at Jonah’s proclamation; and look—something greater than Jonah is here!(JI) 42 The queen of the south(JJ) 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 look—something greater than Solomon is here!
An Unclean Spirit’s Return
43 “When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it roams through waterless places looking for rest but doesn’t find any.(JK) 44 Then it says, ‘I’ll go back to my house that I came from.’ And returning, it finds the house vacant, swept, and put in order. 45 Then off it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and settle down there. As a result, that man’s last condition is worse than the first.(JL) That’s how it will also be with this evil generation.”
True Relationships
46 He(JM) was still speaking to the crowds when suddenly His mother and brothers were standing outside wanting to speak to Him.(JN) 47 Someone told Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to You.”[ec]
48 But He replied to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” 49 And stretching out His hand toward His disciples,(JO) He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven, that person is My brother and sister and mother.”(JP)
The Parable of the Sower
13 On that day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea.(JQ) 2 Such large crowds gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat down, while the whole crowd stood on the shore.(JR)
3 Then He told them many things in parables,(JS) saying: “Consider the sower who went out to sow. 4 As he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 Others fell on rocky ground, where there wasn’t much soil, and they sprang up quickly since the soil wasn’t deep. 6 But when the sun came up they were scorched, and since they had no root, they withered. 7 Others fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them. 8 Still others fell on good ground and produced a crop: some 100, some 60, and some 30 times what was sown.(JT) 9 Anyone who has ears[ed] should listen!”(JU)
Why Jesus Used Parables
10 Then the disciples(JV) came up and asked Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”(JW)
11 He answered them, “Because the secrets of the kingdom of heaven have been given for you to know,(JX) but it has not been given to them. 12 For whoever has, more will be given to him, and he will have more than enough. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.(JY) 13 For this reason I speak to them in parables, because looking they do not see,(JZ) and hearing they do not listen or understand.(KA) 14 Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:
You will listen and listen,
yet never understand;
and you will look and look,
yet never perceive.(KB)
15 For this people’s heart has grown callous;
their ears are hard of hearing,
and they have shut their eyes;
otherwise they might see with their eyes
and hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn back—
and I would cure them.(KC)[ee]
16 “But your eyes are blessed(KD) because they do see, and your ears because they do hear!(KE) 17 For I assure you: Many prophets and righteous people longed to see the things you see yet didn’t see them; to hear the things you hear yet didn’t hear them.(KF)
The Parable of the Sower Explained
18 “You, then, listen to the parable of the sower:(KG) 19 When anyone hears the word[ef] about the kingdom and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one sown along the path.(KH) 20 And the one sown on rocky ground—this is one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy.(KI) 21 Yet he has no root in himself, but is short-lived. When pressure or persecution(KJ) comes because of the word, immediately he stumbles. 22 Now the one sown among the thorns—this is one who hears the word, but the worries of this age(KK) and the seduction[eg] of wealth(KL) choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 23 But the one sown on the good ground—this is one who hears and understands the word, who does bear fruit and yields: some 100, some 60, some 30 times what was sown.”
The Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds
24 He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.(KM) 25 But while people were sleeping, his enemy came, sowed weeds[eh] among the wheat, and left. 26 When the plants sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also appeared. 27 The landowner’s slaves(KN) came to him and said, ‘Master, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?’
28 “‘An enemy did this!’ he told them.
“‘So, do you want us to go and gather them up?’ the slaves asked him.
29 “‘No,’ he said. ‘When you gather up the weeds, you might also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I’ll tell the reapers: Gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles to burn them, but store the wheat in my barn.’”
The Parables of the Mustard Seed and of the Yeast
31 He(KO) presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven(KP) is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32 It’s the smallest of all the seeds, but when grown, it’s taller than the vegetables and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.”(KQ)
33 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into 50 pounds[ei] of flour until it spread through all of it.”[ej](KR)
Using Parables Fulfills Prophecy
34 Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables, and He would not speak anything to them without a parable,(KS) 35 so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled:
I will open My mouth in parables;
I will declare things kept secret
from the foundation of the world.(KT)[ek]
Jesus Interprets the Wheat and the Weeds
36 Then He dismissed the crowds and went into the house. His disciples approached Him and said, “Explain the parable of the weeds in the field to us.”(KU)
37 He replied: “The One who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 38 the field is the world; and the good seed—these are the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one,(KV) 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.(KW) 40 Therefore, just as the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age.(KX) 41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather from His kingdom everything that causes sin[el] and those guilty of lawlessness.[em](KY) 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace(KZ) where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.(LA) 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. Anyone who has ears[en] should listen!(LB)
The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and of the Priceless Pearl
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure, buried in a field, that a man found and reburied. Then in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field.(LC)
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. 46 When he found one priceless[eo] pearl, he went and sold everything he had, and bought it.(LD)
The Parable of the Net
47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a large net thrown into the sea. It collected every kind of fish,(LE) 48 and when it was full, they dragged it ashore, sat down, and gathered the good fish into containers, but threw out the worthless ones. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out, separate the evil people from the righteous,(LF) 50 and throw them into the blazing furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.(LG)
The Storehouse of Truth
51 “Have you understood all these things?”[ep]
“Yes,” they told Him.
52 “Therefore,” He said to them, “every student of Scripture[eq] instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who brings out of his storeroom what is new and what is old.”(LH) 53 When Jesus had finished these parables, He left there.
Rejection at Nazareth
54 He went to His hometown(LI) and began to teach them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “How did this wisdom and these miracles come to Him?(LJ) 55 Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?(LK) Isn’t His mother called Mary, and His brothers James,(LL) Joseph,[er] Simon, and Judas?(LM) 56 And His sisters, aren’t they all with us? So where does He 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 hometown and in his household.”(LN) 58 And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.
John the Baptist Beheaded
14 At that time(LO) Herod the tetrarch(LP) heard the report about Jesus. 2 “This is John the Baptist!” he told his servants. “He has been raised from the dead, and that’s why supernatural powers are at work in him.”(LQ)
3 For Herod had arrested John, chained[es] him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife,(LR) 4 since John had been telling him, “It’s not lawful(LS) for you to have her!” 5 Though he wanted to kill him, he feared the crowd, since they regarded him as a prophet.(LT)
6 But when Herod’s birthday celebration came, Herodias’s daughter danced before them[et] and pleased Herod. 7 So he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. 8 And prompted by her mother, she answered, “Give me John the Baptist’s head here on a platter!” 9 Although the king regretted it, he commanded that it be granted because of his oaths and his guests. 10 So he sent orders and had John beheaded in the prison. 11 His head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. 12 Then his disciples came, removed the corpse,[eu] buried it, and went and reported to Jesus.
Feeding 5,000
13 When Jesus heard about it,(LU) He withdrew from there by boat to a remote place to be alone. When the crowds heard this, they followed Him on foot from the towns. 14 As He stepped ashore,[ev] He saw a huge crowd, felt compassion for them, and healed their sick.(LV)
15 When evening came, the disciples(LW) approached Him and said, “This place is a wilderness, and it is already late.[ew] Send the crowds away so they can go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”
16 “They don’t need to go away,” Jesus told them. “You give them something to eat.”
17 “But we only have five loaves and two fish here,” they said to Him.
18 “Bring them here to Me,” He said. 19 Then He commanded the crowds to sit down[ex] on the grass. He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed them. He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.(LX) 20 Everyone ate and was filled. Then they picked up 12 baskets full of leftover pieces!(LY) 21 Now those who ate were about 5,000 men, besides women and children.
Walking on the Water
22 Immediately(LZ) He[ey] made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowds. 23 After dismissing the crowds, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone.(MA) 24 But the boat was already over a mile[ez] from land,[fa] battered by the waves, because the wind was against them. 25 Around three in the morning,[fb] He came toward them walking on the sea.(MB) 26 When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost!” they said, and cried out in fear.
27 Immediately Jesus spoke to them. “Have courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”(MC)
28 “Lord, if it’s You,” Peter answered Him, “command me to come to You on the water.”
29 “Come!” He said.
And climbing out of the boat, Peter started walking on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strength of the wind,[fc] he was afraid. And beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus reached out His hand, caught hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”(MD) 32 When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 Then those in the boat worshiped Him and said, “Truly You are the Son of God!”(ME)
Miraculous Healings
34 Once they crossed over,(MF) they came to land at Gennesaret.(MG) 35 When the men of that place recognized Him, they alerted[fd] the whole vicinity and brought to Him all who were sick. 36 They were begging Him that they might only touch the tassel on His robe. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.(MH)
The Tradition of the Elders
15 Then(MI) Pharisees and scribes came from Jerusalem to Jesus and asked,(MJ) 2 “Why do Your disciples(MK) break the tradition of the elders? For they don’t wash their hands when they eat!”[fe](ML)
3 He answered them, “And why do you break God’s commandment because of your tradition? 4 For God said:[ff]
Honor your father and your mother;(MM)[fg] and,
The one who speaks evil of father or mother
must be put to death.(MN)[fh]
5 But you say, ‘Whoever tells his father or mother, “Whatever benefit you might have received from me is a gift committed to the temple”— 6 he does not have to honor his father.’[fi] In this way, you have revoked God’s word[fj] because of your tradition. 7 Hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you when he said:
8 These people[fk] honor Me with their lips,
but their heart is far from Me.
9 They worship Me in vain,
teaching as doctrines the commands of men.”(MO)[fl]
Defilement Is from Within
10 Summoning the crowd, He told them, “Listen and understand: 11 It’s not what goes into the mouth that defiles(MP) a man, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”(MQ)
12 Then the disciples came up and told Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard this statement?”
13 He replied, “Every plant that My heavenly Father didn’t plant will be uprooted.(MR) 14 Leave them alone! They are blind guides.[fm] And if the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit.”(MS)
15 Then Peter replied to Him, “Explain this parable to us.”(MT)
16 “Are even you still lacking in understanding?” He[fn] asked. 17 “Don’t you realize[fo] that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is eliminated?[fp] 18 But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a man.(MU) 19 For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies,(MV) blasphemies.(MW) 20 These are the things that defile a man, but eating with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”(MX)
A Gentile Mother’s Faith
21 When Jesus left there,(MY) He withdrew to the area of Tyre and Sidon.(MZ) 22 Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came and kept crying out,[fq] “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is cruelly tormented by a demon.”(NA)
23 Yet He did not say a word to her. So His disciples(NB) approached Him and urged Him, “Send her away because she cries out after us.”[fr]
24 He replied, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”(NC)
25 But she came, knelt before Him, and said, “Lord, help me!”
26 He answered, “It isn’t right to take the children’s bread and throw it to their dogs.”(ND)
27 “Yes, Lord,” she said, “yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table!”
28 Then Jesus replied to her, “Woman, your faith is great. Let it be done for you as you want.” And from that moment[fs] her daughter was cured.(NE)
Healing Many People
29 Moving on from there,(NF) Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee.(NG) He went up on a mountain and sat there, 30 and large crowds came to Him, having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, those unable to speak, and many others. They put them at His feet, and He healed them. 31 So the crowd was amazed when they saw those unable to speak talking, the deformed restored, the lame walking, and the blind seeing.(NH) And they gave glory to the God of Israel.
Feeding 4,000
32 Now Jesus summoned His disciples and said,(NI) “I have compassion on the crowd, because they’ve already stayed with Me three days and have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry; otherwise they might collapse on the way.”
33 The disciples said to Him, “Where could we get enough bread in this desolate place(NJ) to fill such a crowd?”
34 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked them.
“Seven,” they said, “and a few small fish.”
35 After commanding the crowd to sit down on the ground, 36 He took the seven loaves and the fish, and He gave thanks, broke them, and kept on giving them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.(NK) 37 They all ate and were filled. Then they collected the leftover pieces—seven large baskets full. 38 Now those who ate were 4,000 men, besides women and children. 39 After dismissing the crowds, He got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.[ft](NL)
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