Bible in 90 Days
The Yeast of the Pharisees and the Sadducees
16 The Pharisees and Sadducees approached,(A) and as a test, asked Him to show them a sign from heaven.(B)
2 He answered them: “When evening comes you say, ‘It will be good weather because the sky is red.’ 3 And in the morning, ‘Today will be stormy because the sky is red and threatening.’ You[a] know how to read the appearance of the sky, but you can’t read the signs of the times.[b] 4 An evil and adulterous generation demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of[c] Jonah.”(C) Then He left them and went away.
5 The disciples reached the other shore,[d] and they had forgotten to take bread.
6 Then Jesus told them, “Watch out and beware of the yeast[e] of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”(D)
7 And they discussed among themselves, “We didn’t bring any bread.”
8 Aware of this, Jesus said, “You of little faith!(E) Why are you discussing among yourselves that you do not have bread? 9 Don’t you understand yet? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the 5,000 and how many baskets you collected? 10 Or the seven loaves for the 4,000 and how many large baskets you collected?(F) 11 Why is it you don’t understand that when I told you, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees,’ it wasn’t about bread?”(G) 12 Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the yeast in bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.(H)
Peter’s Confession of the Messiah
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi,[f](I) He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”[g]
14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”(J)
15 “But you,” He asked them, “who do you say that I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!”(K)
17 And Jesus responded, “Simon son of Jonah,[h](L) you are blessed because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father in heaven.(M) 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter,[i] and on this rock[j] I will build My church,(N) and the forces[k] of Hades will not overpower it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven,(O) and whatever you bind on earth is already bound[l] in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth is already loosed[m] in heaven.”
20 And He gave the disciples orders to tell no one that He was[n] the Messiah.(P)
His Death and Resurrection Predicted
21 From(Q) then on Jesus began to point out to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day.(R) 22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, “Oh no,[o] Lord! This will never happen to You!”
23 But He turned and told Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me because you’re not thinking about God’s concerns,[p] but man’s.”(S)
Take Up Your Cross
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.(T) 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will find it.(U) 26 What will it benefit a man if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life?(V) 27 For the Son of Man is going to come with His angels in the glory of His Father,(W) and then He will reward each according to what he has done. 28 I assure you: There are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”(X)
The Transfiguration
17 After six days(Y) Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John and led them up on a high mountain by themselves.(Z) 2 He was transformed[q] in front of them, and His face shone like the sun. Even His clothes became as white as the light.(AA) 3 Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.
4 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it’s good for us to be here! If You want, I will make[r] three tabernacles here: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”(AB)
5 While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud covered[s] them, and a voice from the cloud said:
This is My beloved Son.
I take delight in Him.
Listen to Him!(AC)
6 When the disciples(AD) heard it, they fell facedown and were terrified.
7 Then Jesus came up, touched them, and said, “Get up; don’t be afraid.”(AE) 8 When they looked up they saw no one except Him[t]—Jesus alone. 9 As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them,(AF) “Don’t tell anyone about the vision until the Son of Man is raised[u] from the dead.”
10 So the disciples questioned Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”(AG)
11 “Elijah is coming[v] and will restore everything,” He replied.[w](AH) 12 “But I tell you: Elijah has already come, and they didn’t recognize him. On the contrary, they did whatever they pleased to him. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.”[x](AI) 13 Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them about John the Baptist.
The Power of Faith over a Demon
14 When they reached the crowd,(AJ) a man approached and knelt down before Him. 15 “Lord,” he said, “have mercy on my son, because he has seizures[y] and suffers severely. He often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 I brought him to Your disciples, but they couldn’t heal him.”(AK)
17 Jesus replied, “You unbelieving and rebellious[z] generation! How long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.”(AL) 18 Then Jesus rebuked the demon,[aa] and it[ab] came out of him,(AM) and from that moment[ac] the boy was healed.
19 Then the disciples approached Jesus privately and said, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
20 “Because of your little faith,” He[ad] told them. “For I assure you: If you have faith the size of[ae] a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move.(AN) Nothing will be impossible for you.(AO) [21 However, this kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting.]”[af]
The Second Prediction of His Death
22 As(AP) they were meeting[ag] in Galilee, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men. 23 They will kill Him, and on the third day He will be raised up.” And they were deeply distressed.
Paying the Temple Tax
24 When they came to Capernaum, those who collected the double-drachma tax[ah] approached Peter and said, “Doesn’t your Teacher pay the double-drachma tax?”(AQ)
25 “Yes,” he said.
When he went into the house, Jesus spoke to him first,[ai] “What do you think, Simon? Who do earthly kings collect tariffs or taxes from? From their sons or from strangers?”[aj](AR)
26 “From strangers,” he said.[ak]
“Then the sons are free,” Jesus told him. 27 “But, so we won’t offend them, go to the sea, cast in a fishhook, and take the first fish that you catch. When you open its mouth you’ll find a coin.[al] Take it and give it to them for Me and you.”(AS)
Who Is the Greatest?
18 At that time[am](AT) the disciples(AU) came to Jesus and said, “Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”(AV)
2 Then He called a child to Him and had him stand among them. 3 “I assure you,” He said, “unless you are converted[an] and become like children,(AW) you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.(AX) 4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child—this one is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes[ao] one child like this in My name welcomes Me.
6 “But whoever causes the downfall of one of these little ones who believe in Me—it would be better for him if a heavy millstone[ap] were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depths of the sea!(AY) 7 Woe to the world because of offenses. For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes.(AZ) 8 If your hand or your foot causes your downfall, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire.(BA) 9 And if your eye causes your downfall, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, rather than to have two eyes and be thrown into hellfire
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
10 “See that you don’t look down on one of these little ones,(BC) because I tell you that in heaven their angels(BD) continually view the face of My Father in heaven.(BE) [11 For the Son of Man(BF) has come to save the lost.][ar] 12 What do you think?(BG) If a man has 100 sheep, and one of them goes astray, won’t he leave the 99 on the hillside and go and search for the stray?(BH) 13 And if he finds it, I assure you: He rejoices over that sheep[as] more than over the 99 that did not go astray. 14 In the same way, it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones perish.
Restoring a Brother
15 “If your brother sins against you,[at] go and rebuke him in private.[au] If he listens to you, you have won your brother.(BI) 16 But if he won’t listen, take one or two more with you, so that by the testimony[av] of two or three witnesses every fact may be established.(BJ)[aw] 17 If he pays no attention to them, tell the church.[ax](BK) But if he doesn’t pay attention even to the church, let him be like an unbeliever[ay] and a tax collector to you.(BL) 18 I assure you: Whatever you bind on earth is already bound[az] in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth is already loosed[ba] in heaven.(BM) 19 Again, I assure you: If two of you on earth agree about any matter that you[bb] pray for, it will be done for you[bc] by My Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there among them.”
The Parable of the Unforgiving Slave
21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how many times could my brother sin against me and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”(BN)
22 “I tell you, not as many as seven,” Jesus said to him, “but 70 times seven.[bd] 23 For this reason, the kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves. 24 When he began to settle accounts, one who owed 10,000 talents[be] was brought before him. 25 Since he had no way to pay it back, his master commanded that he, his wife, his children, and everything he had be sold to pay the debt.(BO)
26 “At this, the slave fell facedown before him and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you everything!’ 27 Then the master of that slave had compassion, released him, and forgave him the loan.
28 “But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him 100 denarii.[bf](BP) He grabbed him, started choking him, and said, ‘Pay what you owe!’
29 “At this, his fellow slave fell down[bg] and began begging him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ 30 But he wasn’t willing. On the contrary, he went and threw him into prison until he could pay what was owed. 31 When the other slaves saw what had taken place, they were deeply distressed and went and reported to their master everything that had happened.
32 “Then, after he had summoned him, his master said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’(BQ) 34 And his master got angry and handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he could pay everything that was owed. 35 So My heavenly Father will also do to you if each of you does not forgive his brother[bh] from his[bi] heart.”(BR)
The Question of Divorce
19 When Jesus had finished this instruction,(BS) He departed from Galilee and went to the region of Judea across the Jordan.(BT) 2 Large crowds followed Him, and He healed them there.(BU) 3 Some Pharisees approached Him to test Him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife on any grounds?”(BV)
4 “Haven’t you read,” He replied, “that He who created[bj] them in the beginning made them male and female,”(BW)[bk] 5 and He also said:
“For this reason a man will leave
his father and mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two will become one flesh?(BX)[bl]
6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, man must not separate.”
7 “Why then,” they asked Him, “did Moses command us to give divorce papers(BY) and to send her away?”
8 He told them, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of the hardness of your hearts. But it was not like that from the beginning. 9 And I tell you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”[bm](BZ)
10 His disciples(CA) said to Him, “If the relationship of a man with his wife is like this, it’s better not to marry!”
11 But He told them, “Not everyone can accept this saying, but only those it has been given(CB) to. 12 For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb, there are eunuchs who were made by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves that way because of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.”
Blessing the Children
13 Then children were brought to Him so He might put His hands on them and pray. But the disciples rebuked them.(CC) 14 Then Jesus said, “Leave the children alone, and don’t try to keep them from coming to Me, because the kingdom of heaven is made up of people like this.”[bn](CD) 15 After putting His hands on them, He went on from there.
The Rich Young Ruler
16 Just then someone came up and asked Him,(CE) “Teacher, what good must I do to have eternal life?”(CF)
17 “Why do you ask Me about what is good?”[bo] He said to him. “There is only One who is good.[bp] If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”(CG)
18 “Which ones?” he asked Him. Jesus answered:
Do not murder;
do not commit adultery;
do not steal;
do not bear false witness;(CH)
19 honor your father and your mother;
and love your neighbor as yourself.(CI)[bq]
20 “I have kept all these,”[br] the young man told Him. “What do I still lack?”
21 “If you want to be perfect,”[bs] Jesus said to him, “go, sell your belongings and give to the poor,(CJ) and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”
22 When the young man heard that command, he went away grieving, because he had many possessions.
Possessions and the Kingdom
23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “I assure you: It will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven!(CK) 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”(CL)
25 When the disciples heard this, they were utterly astonished and asked, “Then who can be saved?”
26 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”(CM)
27 Then Peter responded to Him, “Look, we have left everything and followed You. So what will there be for us?”
28 Jesus said to them, “I assure you: In the Messianic Age,[bt](CN) when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne,(CO) you who have followed Me will also sit on 12 thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses, brothers or sisters, father or mother,[bu] children, or fields because of My name will receive 100 times more and will inherit eternal life.(CP) 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.(CQ)
The Parable of the Vineyard Workers
20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.(CR) 2 After agreeing with the workers on one denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 When he went out about nine in the morning,[bv] he saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 To those men he said, ‘You also go to my vineyard, and I’ll give you whatever is right.’ So off they went. 5 About noon and at three,[bw] he went out again and did the same thing. 6 Then about five[bx] he went and found others standing around,[by] and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day doing nothing?’
7 “‘Because no one hired us,’ they said to him.
“‘You also go to my vineyard,’ he told them.[bz] 8 When evening came, the owner of the vineyard told his foreman, ‘Call the workers and give them their pay,(CS) starting with the last and ending with the first.’[ca]
9 “When those who were hired about five[cb] came, they each received one denarius. 10 So when the first ones came, they assumed they would get more, but they also received a denarius each. 11 When they received it, they began to complain to the landowner: 12 ‘These last men put in one hour, and you made them equal to us who bore the burden of the day and the burning heat!’(CT)
13 “He replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I’m doing you no wrong. Didn’t you agree with me on a denarius?(CU) 14 Take what’s yours and go. I want to give this last man the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my business?[cc] Are you jealous[cd] because I’m generous?’[ce](CV)
16 “So the last will be first, and the first last.”[cf](CW)
The Third Prediction of His Death
17 While going up to Jerusalem,(CX) Jesus took the 12 disciples aside privately and said to them on the way: 18 “Listen! We are going up to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death.(CY) 19 Then they will hand Him over to the Gentiles(CZ) to be mocked, flogged,[cg] and crucified, and He will be resurrected[ch] on the third day.”
Suffering and Service
20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons approached Him with her sons.(DA) She knelt down to ask Him for something.(DB) 21 “What do you want?” He asked her.
“Promise,”[ci] she said to Him, “that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right and the other on Your left, in Your kingdom.”(DC)
22 But Jesus answered, “You don’t know what you’re asking. Are you able to drink the cup[cj] that I am about to drink?”[ck](DD)
“We are able,” they said to Him.
23 He told them, “You will indeed drink My cup.[cl] But to sit at My right and left is not Mine to give; instead, it belongs to those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.”(DE) 24 When the 10 disciples heard this, they became indignant with the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them over and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles dominate them, and the men of high position exercise power over them. 26 It must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,(DF) 27 and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave; 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,(DG) and to give His life—a ransom for many.”(DH)
Two Blind Men Healed
29 As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him.(DI) 30 There were two blind men sitting by the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 31 The crowd told them to keep quiet, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!”(DJ)
32 Jesus stopped, called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?”
33 “Lord,” they said to Him, “open our eyes!” 34 Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they could see, and they followed Him.
The Triumphal Entry
21 When they approached Jerusalem(DK) and came to Bethphage at the Mount of Olives,(DL) Jesus then sent two disciples, 2 telling them, “Go into the village ahead of you. At once you will find a donkey tied there, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to Me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you should say that the Lord needs them, and immediately he will send them.”
4 This took place so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled:
5 Tell Daughter Zion,
“Look, your King is coming to you,
gentle, and mounted on a donkey,
even on a colt,
the foal of a beast of burden.”(DM)[cm]
6 The disciples went and did just as Jesus directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt; then they laid their robes on them, and He sat on them. 8 A very large crowd spread their robes on the road; others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them on the road. 9 Then the crowds who went ahead of Him and those who followed kept shouting:
Hosanna to the Son of David!
He who comes in the name
of the Lord is the blessed One![cn]
Hosanna in the highest heaven!(DN)
10 When He entered Jerusalem, the whole city was shaken, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds kept saying, “This is the prophet Jesus(DO) from Nazareth in Galilee!”
Cleansing the Temple Complex
12 Jesus went into the temple complex[co](DP) and drove out all those buying and selling in the temple. He overturned the money changers’ tables and the chairs of those selling doves.(DQ) 13 And He said to them, “It is written, My house will be called a house of prayer.[cp] But you are making it a den of thieves!”(DR)[cq]
Children Praise Jesus
14 The blind and the lame came to Him in the temple complex, and He healed them. 15 When the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonders that He did and the children shouting in the temple complex, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant 16 and said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?”
“Yes,” Jesus told them. “Have you never read:
17 Then He left them, went out of the city to Bethany,(DT) and spent the night there.
The Barren Fig Tree
18 Early in the morning,(DU) as He was returning to the city, He was hungry. 19 Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He went up to it and found nothing on it except leaves. And He said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” At once the fig tree withered.
20 When the disciples saw it, they were amazed and said, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?”
21 Jesus answered them, “I assure you: If you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you tell this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will be done.(DV) 22 And if you believe, you will receive(DW) whatever you ask for in prayer.”
Messiah’s Authority Challenged
23 When He entered the temple complex,(DX) the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to Him as He was teaching and said, “By what authority are You doing these things? Who gave You this authority?”(DY)
24 Jesus answered them, “I will also ask you one question, and if you answer it for Me, then I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 Where did John’s baptism come from? From heaven or from men?”
They began to argue among themselves, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’(DZ) 26 But if we say, ‘From men,’ we’re afraid of the crowd,(EA) because everyone thought John was a prophet.”(EB) 27 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”
And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
The Parable of the Two Sons
28 “But what do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘My son, go, work in the vineyard today.’(EC)
29 “He answered, ‘I don’t want to!’ Yet later he changed his mind and went. 30 Then the man went to the other and said the same thing.
“‘I will, sir,’ he answered. But he didn’t go.
31 “Which of the two did his father’s will?”
“The first,” they said.
Jesus said to them, “I assure you: Tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you! 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness,(ED) and you didn’t believe him. Tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him, but you, when you saw it, didn’t even change your minds then and believe him.
The Parable of the Vineyard Owner
33 “Listen(EE) to another parable:(EF) There was a man, a landowner, who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a watchtower.(EG) He leased it to tenant farmers and went away.(EH) 34 When the grape harvest[ct] drew near, he sent his slaves to the farmers to collect his fruit. 35 But the farmers took his slaves, beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.(EI) 36 Again, he sent other slaves, more than the first group, and they did the same to them. 37 Finally, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.
38 “But when the tenant farmers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance!’(EJ) 39 So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those farmers?”
41 “He will completely destroy those terrible men,” they told Him, “and lease his vineyard to other farmers who will give him his produce at the harvest.”[cu](EK)
42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.[cv]
This came from the Lord
and is wonderful in our eyes?(EL)[cw]
43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing its[cx] fruit. [44 Whoever falls on this stone will be broken to pieces;(EM) but on whoever it falls, it will grind him to powder!]”[cy]
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables,(EN) they knew He was speaking about them. 46 Although they were looking for a way to arrest Him, they feared the crowds, because they[cz] regarded Him as a prophet.(EO)
The Parable of the Wedding Banquet
22 Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables: 2 “The kingdom of heaven(EP) may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son.(EQ) 3 He sent out his slaves to summon those invited to the banquet,(ER) but they didn’t want to come. 4 Again, he sent out other slaves, and said, ‘Tell those who are invited: Look, I’ve prepared my dinner; my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’(ES)
5 “But they paid no attention and went away, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6 And the others seized his slaves, treated them outrageously and killed them. 7 The king[da] was enraged, so he sent out his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned down their city.
8 “Then he told his slaves, ‘The banquet is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.(ET) 9 Therefore go to where the roads exit the city and invite everyone you find to the banquet.’(EU) 10 So those slaves went out on the roads and gathered everyone they found, both evil and good. The wedding banquet was filled with guests.[db] 11 But when the king came in to view the guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed for a wedding.(EV) 12 So he said to him, ‘Friend,(EW) how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless.
13 “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him up hand and foot,[dc] and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”(EX)
God and Caesar
15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to trap Him by what He said.[dd](EY) 16 They sent their disciples to Him, with the Herodians.(EZ) “Teacher,” they said, “we know that You are truthful and teach truthfully the way of God. You defer to no one, for You don’t show partiality.[de](FA) 17 Tell us, therefore, what You think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar(FB) or not?”
18 But perceiving their malice, Jesus said, “Why are you testing Me, hypocrites? 19 Show Me the coin used for the tax.” So they brought Him a denarius. 20 “Whose image and inscription is this?” He asked them.
21 “Caesar’s,” they said to Him.
Then He said to them, “Therefore give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”(FC) 22 When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left Him and went away.
The Sadducees and the Resurrection
23 The same day some Sadducees,(FD) who say there is no resurrection, came up to Him and questioned Him:(FE) 24 “Teacher, Moses said, if a man dies, having no children, his brother is to marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.(FF)[df] 25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first got married and died. Having no offspring, he left his wife to his brother. 26 The same happened to the second also, and the third, and so to all seven.[dg] 27 Then last of all the woman died. 28 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will she be of the seven? For they all had married her.”[dh]
29 Jesus answered them, “You are deceived, because you don’t know the Scriptures or the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like[di] angels in heaven.(FG) 31 Now concerning the resurrection of the dead, haven’t you read what was spoken to you by God: 32 I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob?(FH)[dj] He[dk] is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”
33 And when the crowds heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.
The Primary Commands
34 When(FI) the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they came together. 35 And one of them, an expert in the law, asked a question to test Him:(FJ) 36 “Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?”[dl]
37 He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.(FK)[dm] 38 This is the greatest and most important[dn] command. 39 The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.(FL)[do] 40 All the Law and the Prophets depend[dp] on these two commands.”(FM)
The Question about the Messiah
41 While the Pharisees were together, Jesus questioned them,(FN) 42 “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose Son is He?”
“David’s,” they told Him.
43 He asked them, “How is it then that David, inspired by the Spirit,[dq] calls Him ‘Lord’(FO):
44 The Lord declared to my Lord,
‘Sit at My right hand
until I put Your enemies under Your feet’?[dr](FP)[ds]
45 “If David calls Him ‘Lord,’ how then can the Messiah be his Son?” 46 No one was able to answer Him at all,[dt] and from that day no one dared to question Him anymore.(FQ)
Religious Hypocrites Denounced
23 Then(FR) Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples:(FS) 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees are seated in the chair of Moses.[du](FT) 3 Therefore do whatever they tell you, and observe it. But don’t do what they do,[dv] because they don’t practice what they teach.(FU) 4 They tie up heavy loads that are hard to carry[dw] and put them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves aren’t willing to lift a finger[dx] to move them.(FV) 5 They do everything[dy] to be observed by others: They enlarge their phylacteries[dz](FW) and lengthen their tassels.[ea](FX) 6 They love the place of honor at banquets, the front seats in the synagogues,(FY) 7 greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by people.
8 “But as for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi,’ because you have one Teacher,[eb] and you are all brothers.(FZ) 9 Do not call anyone on earth your father, because you have one Father, who is in heaven.(GA) 10 And do not be called masters either, because you have one Master,[ec] the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant.(GB) 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.(GC)
13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You lock up the kingdom of heaven from people. For you don’t go in, and you don’t allow those entering to go in.(GD)
[14 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You devour widows’ houses and make long prayers just for show.[ed] This is why you will receive a harsher punishment.][ee]
15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to make one proselyte,(GE) and when he becomes one, you make him twice as fit for hell[ef] as you are!
16 “Woe to you, blind guides,(GF) who say, ‘Whoever takes an oath by the sanctuary, it means nothing. But whoever takes an oath(GG) by the gold of the sanctuary is bound by his oath.’[eg] 17 Blind fools![eh] For which is greater, the gold or the sanctuary that sanctified the gold? 18 Also, ‘Whoever takes an oath by the altar, it means nothing. But whoever takes an oath by the gift that is on it is bound by his oath.’[ei] 19 Blind people![ej] For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?(GH) 20 Therefore, the one who takes an oath by the altar takes an oath by it and by everything on it. 21 The one who takes an oath by the sanctuary takes an oath by it and by Him who dwells(GI) in it. 22 And the one who takes an oath by heaven takes an oath by God’s throne(GJ) and by Him who sits on it.(GK)
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You pay a tenth of[ek] mint, dill, and cumin,[el] yet you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice,(GL) mercy, and faith. These things should have been done without neglecting the others. 24 Blind guides!(GM) You strain out a gnat, yet gulp down a camel!
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed[em] and self-indulgence!(GN) 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup,[en] so the outside of it[eo] may also become clean.
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs,(GO) which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every impurity. 28 In the same way, on the outside you seem righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, 30 and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we wouldn’t have taken part with them in shedding the prophets’ blood.’[ep] 31 You, therefore, testify against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ sins
33 “Snakes! Brood of vipers! How can you escape being condemned to hell?[er](GQ) 34 This is why I am sending you prophets,(GR) sages, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues(GS) and hound from town to town. 35 So all the righteous blood shed on the earth will be charged to you,[es] from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah,(GT) son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.(GU) 36 I assure you: All these things will come on this generation!(GV)
Jesus’ Lamentation over Jerusalem
37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem!(GW) She who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks[et] under her wings, yet you were not willing!(GX) 38 See, your house is left to you desolate.(GY) 39 For I tell you, you will never see Me again until you say, ‘He who comes in the name of the Lord is the blessed One’!”(GZ)[eu]
Destruction of the Temple Predicted
24 As Jesus left and was going out of the temple complex,(HA) His disciples(HB) came up and called His attention to the temple buildings. 2 Then He replied to them, “Don’t you see all these things? I assure you: Not one stone will be left here on another that will not be thrown down!”
Signs of the End of the Age
3 While He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached Him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what is the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”(HC)
4 Then Jesus replied to them: “Watch out that no one deceives(HD) you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many.(HE) 6 You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines[ev](HF) and earthquakes in various places.(HG) 8 All these events are the beginning of birth pains.(HH)
Persecutions Predicted
9 “Then they will hand you over for persecution,[ew] and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of My name.(HI) 10 Then many will take offense, betray one another and hate one another. 11 Many false prophets(HJ) will rise up and deceive many. 12 Because lawlessness(HK) will multiply, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be delivered.[ex] 14 This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world[ey] as a testimony to all nations.(HL) And then the end will come.(HM)
The Great Tribulation
15 “So when you see the abomination that causes desolation,[ez][fa] spoken of by the prophet Daniel,(HN) standing in the holy place”(HO) (let the reader understand[fb]), 16 “then those in Judea must flee to the mountains! 17 A man on the housetop[fc] must not come down to get things out of his house.(HP) 18 And a man in the field must not go back to get his clothes. 19 Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days! 20 Pray that your escape may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For at that time there will be great tribulation,(HQ) the kind that hasn’t taken place from the beginning of the world until now and never will again! 22 Unless those days were limited, no one would[fd] survive.[fe] But those days will be limited because of the elect.(HR)
23 “If anyone tells you then, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’(HS) or, ‘Over here!’ do not believe it!(HT) 24 False messiahs[ff] and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to lead astray,(HU) if possible, even the elect. 25 Take note: I have told you in advance. 26 So if they tell you, ‘Look, He’s in the wilderness!’ don’t go out; ‘Look, He’s in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.(HV) 28 Wherever the carcass is, there the vultures[fg] will gather.(HW)
The Coming of the Son of Man
29 “Immediately after the tribulation(HX) of those days:
The sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not shed its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the celestial powers will be shaken.
30 “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the peoples of the earth[fh] will mourn;[fi] and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.(HY) 31 He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet,(HZ) and they will gather His elect from the four winds,(IA) from one end of the sky to the other.
The Parable of the Fig Tree
32 “Now learn this parable(IB) from the fig tree: As soon as its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 In the same way, when you see all these things, recognize[fj] that He[fk] is near—at the door!(IC) 34 I assure you: This generation will certainly not pass away until all these things take place.(ID) 35 Heaven and earth will pass away,(IE) but My words will never pass away.(IF)
No One Knows the Day or Hour
36 “Now concerning that day and hour no one knows—neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son[fl] —except the Father only.(IG) 37 As the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. 38 For in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah boarded the ark.(IH) 39 They didn’t know[fm] until the flood came and swept them all away. So this is the way the coming of the Son of Man will be: 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and one left.(II) 42 Therefore be alert, since you don’t know what day[fn] your Lord is coming.(IJ) 43 But know this: If the homeowner had known what time[fo] the thief was coming, he would have stayed alert and not let his house be broken into.(IK) 44 This is why you also must be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.(IL)
Faithful Service to the Messiah
45 “Who then is a faithful and sensible slave,(IM) whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give them food at the proper time?(IN) 46 That slave whose master finds him working(IO) when he comes will be rewarded. 47 I assure you: He will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But if that wicked slave says in his heart, ‘My master is delayed,’ 49 and starts to beat his fellow slaves, and eats and drinks with drunkards,(IP) 50 that slave’s master will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not know. 51 He will cut him to pieces[fp] and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The Parable of the 10 Virgins
25 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like 10 virgins[fq] who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom.(IQ) 2 Five of them were foolish and five were sensible.(IR) 3 When the foolish took their lamps, they didn’t take olive oil with them. 4 But the sensible ones took oil in their flasks with their lamps. 5 Since the groom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 “In the middle of the night there was a shout: ‘Here’s the groom! Come out to meet him.’
7 “Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. 8 But the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’
9 “The sensible ones answered, ‘No, there won’t be enough for us and for you. Go instead to those who sell, and buy oil for yourselves.’
10 “When they had gone to buy some, the groom arrived. Then those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut.(IS)
11 “Later the rest of the virgins also came and said, ‘Master, master, open up for us!’
12 “But he replied, ‘I assure you: I do not know you!’
13 “Therefore be alert, because you don’t know either the day or the hour.[fr]
The Parable of the Talents
14 “For it is just like a man going on a journey.(IT) He called his own slaves and turned over his possessions to them. 15 To one he gave five talents;[fs] to another, two; and to another, one—to each according to his own ability. Then he went on a journey.(IU) Immediately 16 the man who had received five talents went, put them to work, and earned five more. 17 In the same way the man with two earned two more. 18 But the man who had received one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.
19 “After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five talents approached, presented five more talents, and said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. Look, I’ve earned five more talents.’
21 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy!’(IV)
22 “Then the man with two talents also approached. He said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. Look, I’ve earned two more talents.’
23 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy!’
24 “Then the man who had received one talent also approached and said, ‘Master, I know you. You’re a difficult man, reaping where you haven’t sown and gathering where you haven’t scattered seed.(IW) 25 So I was afraid and went off and hid your talent in the ground. Look, you have what is yours.’
26 “But his master replied to him, ‘You evil, lazy slave!(IX) If you knew that I reap where I haven’t sown and gather where I haven’t scattered, 27 then[ft] you should have deposited my money with the bankers. And when I returned I would have received my money[fu] back with interest.
28 “‘So take the talent from him and give it to the one who has 10 talents. 29 For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.(IY) 30 And throw this good-for-nothing slave into the outer darkness.(IZ) In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
The Sheep and the Goats
31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels[fv](JA) with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.(JB) 32 All the nations[fw](JC) will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.(JD) 33 He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom(JE) prepared for you from the foundation of the world.(JF)
35 For I was hungry
and you gave Me something to eat;
I was thirsty
and you gave Me something to drink;
I was a stranger and you took Me in;
36 I was naked and you clothed Me;
I was sick and you took care of Me;
I was in prison and you visited Me.’(JG)
37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or without clothes and clothe You? 39 When did we see You sick, or in prison, and visit You?’
40 “And the King will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’(JH) 41 Then He will also say to those on the left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels!(JI)
42 For I was hungry
and you gave Me nothing to eat;
I was thirsty
and you gave Me nothing to drink;
43 I was a stranger
and you didn’t take Me in;
I was naked
and you didn’t clothe Me,
sick and in prison
and you didn’t take care of Me.’
44 “Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or without clothes, or sick, or in prison, and not help You?’
45 “Then He will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me either.’(JJ)
46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”(JK)
The Plot to Kill Jesus
26 When Jesus had finished saying all this,(JL) He told His disciples, 2 “You know[fx] that the Passover takes place after two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”(JM)
3 Then the chief priests[fy] and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,(JN) 4 and they conspired to arrest Jesus in a treacherous way and kill Him.(JO) 5 “Not during the festival,” they said, “so there won’t be rioting among the people.”
The Anointing at Bethany
6 While Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon,(JP) a man who had a serious skin disease, 7 a woman approached Him with an alabaster jar of very expensive fragrant oil. She poured it on His head as He was reclining at the table. 8 When the disciples(JQ) saw it, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. 9 “This might have been sold for a great deal and given to the poor.”
10 But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a noble thing for Me. 11 You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me.(JR) 12 By pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she has prepared Me for burial. 13 I assure you: Wherever this gospel(JS) is proclaimed in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told in memory of her.”
14 Then(JT) one of the Twelve—the man called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests(JU) 15 and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?” So they weighed out 30 pieces of silver for him.(JV) 16 And from that time he started looking for a good opportunity to betray Him.
Betrayal at the Passover
17 On the first day of Unleavened Bread(JW) the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do You want us to prepare the Passover so You may eat it?”
18 “Go into the city to a certain man,” He said, “and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My time is near; I am celebrating the Passover at your place[fz] with My disciples.’”(JX) 19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover. 20 When evening came, He was reclining at the table with the Twelve. 21 While they were eating, He said, “I assure you: One of you will betray Me.”(JY)
22 Deeply distressed, each one began to say to Him, “Surely not I, Lord?”
23 He replied, “The one who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl—he will betray Me. 24 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him,(JZ) but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”
25 Then Judas, His betrayer, replied, “Surely not I, Rabbi?”(KA)
“You have said it,” He told him.
The First Lord’s Supper
26 As they were eating,(KB) Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to the disciples,(KC) and said, “Take and eat it; this is My body.”(KD) 27 Then He took a cup, and after giving thanks, He gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood that establishes the covenant;[ga] it is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins.(KE) 29 But I tell you, from this moment I will not drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it in a new way[gb] in My Father’s kingdom(KF) with you.” 30 After singing psalms,[gc] they went out to the Mount of Olives.(KG)
Peter’s Denial Predicted
31 Then Jesus said to them, “Tonight all of you will run away[gd] because of Me, for it is written:
32 But after I have been resurrected, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”(KI)
33 Peter told Him, “Even if everyone runs away because of You, I will never run away!”
34 “I assure you,” Jesus said to him, “tonight, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times!”(KJ)
35 “Even if I have to die with You,” Peter told Him, “I will never deny You!” And all the disciples said the same thing.
The Prayer in the Garden
36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane,[gf](KK) and He told the disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 Taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.(KL) 38 Then He said to them, “My soul is swallowed up in sorrow[gg] —to the point of death.[gh] Remain here and stay awake with Me.”(KM) 39 Going a little farther,[gi] He fell facedown and prayed, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.”(KN)
40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping. He asked Peter, “So, couldn’t you[gj] stay awake with Me one hour? 41 Stay awake and pray, so that you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42 Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, “My Father, if this[gk] cannot pass[gl] unless I drink it, Your will be done.”(KO) 43 And He came again and found them sleeping, because they could not keep their eyes open.[gm]
44 After leaving them, He went away again and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. 45 Then He came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting?[gn] Look, the time is near. The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.(KP) 46 Get up; let’s go! See, My betrayer is near.”
The Judas Kiss
47 While He was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, suddenly arrived.(KQ) A large mob, with swords and clubs, was with him from the chief priests and elders of the people. 48 His betrayer had given them a sign: “The One I kiss, He’s the One; arrest Him!” 49 So he went right up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.
50 “Friend,”(KR) Jesus asked him, “why have you come?”[go]
Then they came up, took hold of Jesus, and arrested Him. 51 At that moment one of those with Jesus reached out his hand and drew his sword. He struck the high priest’s slave and cut off his ear.(KS)
52 Then Jesus told him, “Put your sword back in its place because all who take up a sword will perish by a sword.(KT) 53 Or do you think that I cannot call on My Father, and He will provide Me at once with more than 12 legions[gp] of angels?(KU) 54 How, then, would the Scriptures be fulfilled(KV) that say it must happen this way?”
55 At that time Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs, as if I were a criminal,[gq] to capture Me? Every day I used to sit, teaching in the temple complex, and you didn’t arrest Me.(KW) 56 But all this has happened so that the prophetic Scriptures[gr](KX) would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples(KY) deserted Him and ran away.
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