Bible in 90 Days
The Trial in Front of the Jewish Council(A)
57 Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the chief priest, where the experts in Moses’ Teachings and the leaders had gathered together. 58 Peter followed at a distance until he came to the chief priest’s courtyard. He went inside and sat with the guards to see how this would turn out.
59 The chief priests and the whole council were searching for false testimony to use against Jesus in order to execute him. 60 But they did not find any, although many came forward with false testimony. At last two men came forward. 61 They stated, “This man said, ‘I can tear down God’s temple and rebuild it in three days.’ ”
62 The chief priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Don’t you have any answer to what these men testify against you?”
63 But Jesus was silent.
Then the chief priest said to him, “Swear an oath in front of the living God and tell us, are you the Messiah, the Son of God?”
64 Jesus answered him, “Yes, I am. But I alone can guarantee that from now on you will see the Son of Man in the honored position—the one next to God the Father on the heavenly throne [a]. He will be coming on the clouds of heaven.”
65 Then the chief priest tore his robes in horror and said, “He has dishonored God! Why do we need any more witnesses? You’ve just heard him dishonor God! 66 What’s your verdict?”
They answered, “He deserves the death penalty!”
67 Then they spit in his face, hit him with their fists, and some of them slapped him. 68 They said, “You Christ, if you’re a prophet, tell us who hit you.”
Peter Denies Jesus(B)
69 Peter was sitting in the courtyard. A female servant came to him and said, “You, too, were with Jesus the Galilean.”
70 But Peter denied it in front of them all by saying, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
71 As he went to the entrance, another female servant saw him. She told those who were there, “This man was with Jesus from Nazareth.”
72 Again Peter denied it and swore with an oath, “I don’t know the man!”
73 After a little while the men standing there approached Peter and said, “It’s obvious you’re also one of them. Your accent gives you away!”
74 Then Peter began to curse and swear with an oath, “I don’t know the man!” Just then a rooster crowed. 75 Peter remembered what Jesus had said: “Before a rooster crows, you will say three times that you don’t know me.” Then Peter went outside and cried bitterly.
The Death of Judas
27 Early in the morning all the chief priests and the leaders of the people decided to execute Jesus. 2 They tied him up, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate, the governor.
3 Then Judas, who had betrayed Jesus, regretted what had happened when he saw that Jesus was condemned. He brought the 30 silver coins back to the chief priests and leaders. 4 He said, “I’ve sinned by betraying an innocent man.”
They replied, “What do we care? That’s your problem.”
5 So he threw the money into the temple, went away, and hanged himself.
6 The chief priests took the money and said, “It’s not right to put it into the temple treasury, because it’s blood money.” 7 So they decided to use it to buy a potter’s field for the burial of strangers. 8 That’s why that field has been called the Field of Blood ever since. 9 Then what the prophet Jeremiah had said came true, “They took the 30 silver coins, the price the people of Israel had placed on him, 10 and used the coins to buy a potter’s field, as the Lord had directed me.”
Pilate Questions Jesus(C)
11 Jesus stood in front of the governor, ⌞Pilate⌟. The governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“Yes, I am,” Jesus answered.
12 While the chief priests and leaders were accusing him, he said nothing. 13 Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear how many charges they’re bringing against you?”
14 But Jesus said absolutely nothing to him in reply, so the governor was very surprised.
The Crowd Rejects Jesus(D)
15 At every Passover festival the governor would free one prisoner whom the crowd wanted. 16 At that time there was a well-known prisoner by the name of Barabbas. 17 So when the people gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which man do you want me to free for you? Do you want me to free Barabbas or Jesus, who is called Christ?” 18 Pilate knew that they had handed Jesus over to him because they were jealous.
19 While Pilate was judging the case, his wife sent him a message. It said, “Leave that innocent man alone. I’ve been very upset today because of a dream I had about him.”
20 But the chief priests and leaders persuaded the crowd to ask for the release of Barabbas and the execution of Jesus.
21 The governor asked them, “Which of the two do you want me to free for you?”
They said, “Barabbas.”
22 Pilate asked them, “Then what should I do with Jesus, who is called Christ?”
“He should be crucified!” they all said.
23 Pilate asked, “Why? What has he done wrong?”
But they began to shout loudly, “He should be crucified!”
24 Pilate saw that he was not getting anywhere. Instead, a riot was breaking out. So Pilate took some water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. He said, “I won’t be guilty of killing this man. Do what you want!”
25 All the people answered, “The responsibility for killing him will rest on us and our children.”
26 Then Pilate freed Barabbas for the people. But he had Jesus whipped and handed over to be crucified.
The Soldiers Make Fun of Jesus(E)
27 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the palace and gathered the whole troop around him. 28 They took off his clothes and put a bright red cape on him. 29 They twisted some thorns into a crown, placed it on his head, and put a stick in his right hand. They knelt in front of him and made fun of him by saying, “Long live the king of the Jews!” 30 After they had spit on him, they took the stick and kept hitting him on the head with it.
The Crucifixion(F)
31 After the soldiers finished making fun of Jesus, they took off the cape and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
32 On the way they found a man named Simon. He was from the city of Cyrene. The soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross.
33 They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). 34 They gave him a drink of wine mixed with a drug called gall. When he tasted it, he refused to drink it. 35 After they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by throwing dice. 36 Then they sat there and kept watch over him. 37 They placed a written accusation above his head. It read, “This is Jesus, the king of the Jews.”
38 At that time they crucified two criminals with him, one on his right and the other on his left.
39 Those who passed by insulted him. They shook their heads 40 and said, “You were going to tear down God’s temple and build it again in three days. Save yourself! If you’re the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41 The chief priests together with the experts in Moses’ Teachings and the leaders made fun of him in the same way. They said, 42 “He saved others, but he can’t save himself. So he’s Israel’s king! Let him come down from the cross now, and we’ll believe him. 43 He trusted God. Let God rescue him now if he wants. After all, this man said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” 44 Even the criminals crucified with him were insulting him the same way.
Jesus Dies on the Cross(G)
45 At noon darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 46 About three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” 47 When some of the people standing there heard him say that, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.” 48 One of the men ran at once, took a sponge, and soaked it in some vinegar. Then he put it on a stick and offered Jesus a drink. 49 The others said, “Leave him alone! Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”
50 Then Jesus loudly cried out once again and gave up his life.
51 Suddenly, the curtain in the temple was split in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split open. 52 The tombs were opened, and the bodies of many holy people who had died came back to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after he had come back to life, and they went into the holy city where they appeared to many people.
54 An army officer and those watching Jesus with him saw the earthquake and the other things happening. They were terrified and said, “Certainly, this was the Son of God!”
55 Many women were there watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee and had always supported him. 56 Among them were Mary from Magdala, Mary (the mother of James and Joseph), and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.
Jesus Is Placed in a Tomb(H)
57 In the evening a rich man named Joseph arrived. He was from the city of Arimathea and had become a disciple of Jesus. 58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate ordered that it be given to him.
59 Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth. 60 Then he laid it in his own new tomb, which had been cut in a rock. After rolling a large stone against the door of the tomb, he went away. 61 Mary from Magdala and the other Mary were sitting there, facing the tomb.
The Chief Priests and Pharisees Secure Jesus’ Tomb
62 The next day, which was the day of rest—a holy day, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together and went to Pilate. 63 They said, “Sir, we remember how that deceiver said while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will be brought back to life.’ 64 Therefore, give the order to make the tomb secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may steal him and say to the people, ‘He has been brought back to life.’ Then the last deception will be worse than the first.”
65 Pilate told them, “You have the soldiers you want for guard duty. Go and make the tomb as secure as you know how.”
66 So they went to secure the tomb. They placed a seal on the stone and posted the soldiers on guard duty.
Jesus Comes Back to Life(I)
28 After the day of rest—a holy day, as the sun rose Sunday morning, Mary from Magdala and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
2 Suddenly, there was a powerful earthquake. An angel of the Lord had come down from heaven, rolled the stone away, and was sitting on it. 3 He was as bright as lightning, and his clothes were as white as snow. 4 The guards were so deathly afraid of him that they shook.
5 The angel said to the women, “Don’t be afraid! I know you’re looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He’s not here. He has been brought back to life as he said. Come, see the place where he was lying. 7 Then go quickly, and tell his disciples that he has been brought back to life. He’s going ahead of them into Galilee. There they will see him. Take note that I have told you.”
8 They hurried away from the tomb with fear and great joy and ran to tell his disciples.
9 Suddenly, Jesus met them and greeted them. They went up to him, bowed down to worship him, and took hold of his feet.
10 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Go, tell my followers to go to Galilee. There they will see me.”
The Guards Report to the Chief Priests
11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city. They told the chief priests everything that had happened.
12 The chief priests gathered together with the leaders and agreed on a plan. They gave the soldiers a large amount of money 13 and told them to say that Jesus’ disciples had come at night and had stolen his body while they were sleeping. 14 ⌞They added,⌟ “If the governor hears about it, we’ll take care of it, and you’ll have nothing to worry about.”
15 The soldiers took the money and did as they were told. Their story has been spread among the Jewish people to this day.
Jesus Gives Instructions to the Disciples
16 The eleven disciples went to the mountain in Galilee where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they bowed down in worship, though some had doubts.
18 When Jesus came near, he spoke to them. He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 So wherever you go, make disciples of all nations: Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach them to do everything I have commanded you.
“And remember that I am always with you until the end of time.”
John Prepares the Way(J)
1 This is the beginning of the Good News about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2 The prophet Isaiah wrote,
“I am sending my messenger ahead of you
to prepare the way for you.”
3 “A voice cries out in the desert:
‘Prepare the way for the Lord!
Make his paths straight!’ ”
4 John the Baptizer was in the desert telling people about a baptism of repentance [b] for the forgiveness of sins. 5 All Judea and all the people of Jerusalem went to him. As they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.
6 John was dressed in clothes made from camel’s hair. He wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey.
7 He announced, “The one who comes after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to bend down and untie his sandal straps. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
John Baptizes Jesus(K)
9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan River. 10 As Jesus came out of the water, he saw heaven split open and the Spirit coming down to him as a dove. 11 A voice from heaven said, “You are my Son, whom I love. I am pleased with you.”
Satan Tempts Jesus(L)
12 At once the Spirit brought him into the desert, 13 where he was tempted by Satan for 40 days. He was there with the wild animals, and the angels took care of him.
Calling of the First Disciples(M)
14 After John had been put in prison, Jesus went to Galilee and told people the Good News of God. 15 He said, “The time has come, and God’s kingdom is near. Change the way you think and act, and believe the Good News.”
16 As he was going along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew. They were throwing a net into the sea because they were fishermen. 17 Jesus said to them, “Come, follow me! I will teach you how to catch people instead of fish.” 18 They immediately left their nets and followed him.
19 As Jesus went on a little farther, he saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were in a boat preparing their nets ⌞to go fishing⌟. 20 He immediately called them, and they left their father Zebedee and the hired men in the boat and followed Jesus.
Jesus Forces an Evil Spirit out of a Man(N)
21 Then they went to Capernaum. On the next day of rest—a holy day, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teachings. Unlike their experts in Moses’ Teachings, he taught them with authority.
23 At that time there was a man in the synagogue who was controlled by an evil spirit. He shouted, 24 “What do you want with us, Jesus from Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
25 Jesus ordered the spirit, “Keep quiet, and come out of him!” 26 The evil spirit threw the man into convulsions and came out of him with a loud shriek.
27 Everyone was stunned. They said to each other, “What is this? This is a new teaching that has authority behind it! He gives orders to evil spirits, and they obey him.”
28 The news about him spread quickly throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.
Jesus Cures Simon’s Mother-in-Law and Many Others(O)
29 After they left the synagogue, they went directly to the house of Simon and Andrew. James and John went with them. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever. The first thing they did was to tell Jesus about her. 31 Jesus went to her, took her hand, and helped her get up. The fever went away, and she prepared a meal for them.
32 In the evening, when the sun had set, people brought to him everyone who was sick and those possessed by demons. 33 The whole city had gathered at his door. 34 He cured many who were sick with various diseases and forced many demons out of people. However, he would not allow the demons to speak. After all, they knew who he was.
Spreading the Good News in Galilee(P)
35 In the morning, long before sunrise, Jesus went to a place where he could be alone to pray. 36 Simon and his friends searched for him. 37 When they found him, they told him, “Everyone is looking for you.”
38 Jesus said to them, “Let’s go somewhere else, to the small towns that are nearby. I have to spread ⌞the Good News⌟ in them also. This is why I have come.”
39 So he went to spread ⌞the Good News⌟ in the synagogues all over Galilee, and he forced demons out of people.
Jesus Cures a Man with a Skin Disease(Q)
40 Then a man with a serious skin disease came to him. The man fell to his knees and begged Jesus, “If you’re willing, you can make me clean.” [c]
41 Jesus felt sorry for him, reached out, touched him, and said, “I’m willing. So be clean!”
42 Immediately, his skin disease went away, and he was clean.
43 Jesus sent him away at once and warned him, 44 “Don’t tell anyone about this! Instead, show yourself to the priest. Then offer the sacrifices which Moses commanded as proof to people that you are clean.”
45 When the man left, he began to talk freely. He spread his story so widely that Jesus could no longer enter any city openly. Instead, he stayed in places where he could be alone. But people still kept coming to him from everywhere.
Jesus Forgives Sins(R)
2 Several days later Jesus came back to Capernaum. The report went out that he was home. 2 Many people had gathered. There was no room left, even in front of the door. Jesus was speaking ⌞God’s⌟ word to them.
3 Four men came to him carrying a paralyzed man. 4 Since they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof over the place where Jesus was. Then they lowered the cot on which the paralyzed man was lying.
5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
6 Some experts in Moses’ Teachings were sitting there. They thought, 7 “Why does he talk this way? He’s dishonoring God. Who besides God can forgive sins?”
8 At once, Jesus knew inwardly what they were thinking. He asked them, “Why do you have these thoughts? 9 Is it easier to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, pick up your cot, and walk’? 10 I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then he said to the paralyzed man, 11 “I’m telling you to get up, pick up your cot, and go home!”
12 The man got up, immediately picked up his cot, and walked away while everyone watched. Everyone was amazed and praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”
Jesus Chooses Levi [Matthew] to Be a Disciple(S)
13 Jesus went to the seashore again. Large crowds came to him, and he taught them.
14 When Jesus was leaving, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, sitting in a tax office. Jesus said to him, “Follow me!” So Levi got up and followed him.
15 Later Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house. Many tax collectors and sinners who were followers of Jesus were eating with him and his disciples. 16 When the experts in Moses’ Teachings who were Pharisees saw him eating with sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
17 When Jesus heard that, he said to them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor; those who are sick do. I’ve come to call sinners, not people who think they have God’s approval.”
Jesus Is Questioned about Fasting(T)
18 John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came to Jesus and said to him, “Why do John’s disciples and the Pharisees’ disciples fast, but your disciples don’t?”
19 Jesus replied, “Can wedding guests fast while the groom is still with them? As long as they have the groom with them, they cannot fast. 20 But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them. Then they will fast.
21 “No one patches an old coat with a new piece of cloth that will shrink. Otherwise, the new patch will shrink and rip away some of the old cloth, and the tear will become worse. 22 People don’t pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the wine will make the skins burst, and both the wine and the skins will be ruined. Rather, new wine is to be poured into fresh skins.”
Jesus Has Authority over the Day of Rest—a Holy Day(U)
23 Once on a day of rest—a holy day, Jesus was going through the grainfields. As the disciples walked along, they began to pick the heads of grain.
24 The Pharisees asked him, “Look! Why are your disciples doing something that is not permitted on the day of rest—a holy day?”
25 Jesus asked them, “Haven’t you ever read what David did when he and his men were in need and were hungry? 26 Haven’t you ever read how he went into the house of God when Abiathar was chief priest and ate the bread of the presence? He had no right to eat those loaves. Only the priests have that right. Haven’t you ever read how he also gave some of it to his men?”
27 Then he added, “The day of rest—a holy day, was made for people, not people for the day of rest. 28 For this reason the Son of Man has authority over the day of rest—a holy day.”
Jesus Heals on the Day of Rest—a Holy Day(V)
3 Jesus went into a synagogue again. A man who had a paralyzed hand was there. 2 The people were watching Jesus closely. They wanted to see whether he would heal the man on the day of rest—a holy day, so that they could accuse him of doing something wrong.
3 So he told the man with the paralyzed hand, “Stand in the center ⌞of the synagogue⌟.” 4 Then he asked them, “Is it right to do good or to do evil on the day of rest—a holy day, to give a person back his health or to let him die?”
But they were silent. 5 Jesus was angry as he looked around at them. He was deeply hurt because their minds were closed. Then he told the man, “Hold out your hand.” The man held it out, and his hand became normal again.
6 The Pharisees left, and with Herod’s followers they immediately plotted to kill Jesus.
Many People Are Cured(W)
7 Jesus left with his disciples for the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd from Galilee, Judea, 8 Jerusalem, Idumea, and from across the Jordan River, and from around Tyre and Sidon followed him. They came to him because they had heard about everything he was doing. 9 Jesus told his disciples to have a boat ready so that the crowd would not crush him. 10 He had cured so many that everyone with a disease rushed up to him in order to touch him. 11 Whenever people with evil spirits saw him, they would fall down in front of him and shout, “You are the Son of God!” 12 He gave them orders not to tell people who he was.
Jesus Appoints Twelve Apostles(X)
13 Jesus went up a mountain, called those whom he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve whom he called apostles.[d] They were to accompany him and to be sent out by him to spread ⌞the Good News⌟. 15 They also had the authority to force demons out of people.
16 He appointed these twelve: Simon (whom Jesus named Peter), 17 James and his brother John (Zebedee’s sons whom Jesus named Boanerges, which means “Thunderbolts”), 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, 19 and Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed Jesus).
Jesus Is Accused of Working with Beelzebul(Y)
20 Then Jesus went home. Another crowd gathered so that Jesus and his disciples could not even eat. 21 When his family heard about it, they went to get him. They said, “He’s out of his mind!”
22 The experts in Moses’ Teachings who had come from Jerusalem said, “Beelzebul is in him,” and “He forces demons out of people with the help of the ruler of demons.”
23 Jesus called them together and used this illustration: “How can Satan force out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot last. 25 And if a household is divided against itself, that household will not last. 26 So if Satan rebels against himself and is divided, he cannot last. That will be the end of him.
27 “No one can go into a strong man’s house and steal his property. First he must tie up the strong man. Then he can go through the strong man’s house and steal his property.
28 “I can guarantee this truth: People will be forgiven for any sin or curse. 29 But whoever curses the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. He is guilty of an everlasting sin.” 30 Jesus said this because the experts in Moses’ Teachings had said that he had an evil spirit.
The True Family of Jesus(Z)
31 Then his mother and his brothers arrived. They stood outside and sent someone to ask him to come out. 32 The crowd sitting around Jesus told him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside looking for you.”
33 He replied to them, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 34 Then looking at those who sat in a circle around him, he said, “Look, here are my mother and my brothers. 35 Whoever does what God wants is my brother and sister and mother.”
A Story about a Farmer(AA)
4 Jesus began to teach again by the Sea of Galilee. A very large crowd gathered around him, so he got into a boat and sat in it. The boat was in the water while the entire crowd lined the shore. 2 He used stories as illustrations to teach them many things.
While he was teaching them, he said, 3 “Listen! A farmer went to plant seed. 4 Some seeds were planted along the road, and birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds were planted on rocky ground, where there wasn’t much soil. The plants sprouted quickly because the soil wasn’t deep. 6 When the sun came up, they were scorched. They didn’t have any roots, so they withered. 7 Other seeds were planted among thornbushes. The thornbushes grew up and choked them, and they didn’t produce anything. 8 But other seeds were planted on good ground, sprouted, and produced thirty, sixty, or one hundred times as much as was planted.” 9 He added, “Let the person who has ears listen!”
10 When he was alone with his followers and the twelve apostles, they asked him about the stories.
11 Jesus replied to them, “The mystery about God’s kingdom has been given ⌞directly⌟ to you. To those on the outside, it is given in stories:
12 ‘They see clearly but don’t perceive.
They hear clearly but don’t understand.
They never return to me
and are never forgiven.’ ”
13 Jesus asked them, “Don’t you understand this story? How, then, will you understand any of the stories I use as illustrations?
14 “The farmer plants the word. 15 Some people are like seeds that were planted along the road. Whenever they hear the word, Satan comes at once and takes away the word that was planted in them. 16 Other people are like seeds that were planted on rocky ground. Whenever they hear the word, they accept it at once with joy. 17 But they don’t develop any roots. They last for a short time. When suffering or persecution comes along because of the word, they immediately fall ⌞from faith⌟. 18 Other people are like seeds planted among thornbushes. They hear the word, 19 but the worries of life, the deceitful pleasures of riches, and the desires for other things take over. They choke the word so that it can’t produce anything. 20 Others are like seeds planted on good ground. They hear the word, accept it, and produce crops—thirty, sixty, or one hundred times as much as was planted.”
A Story about a Lamp
21 Jesus said to them, “Does anyone bring a lamp into a room to put it under a basket or under a bed? Isn’t it put on a lamp stand? 22 There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed. There is nothing kept secret that will not come to light. 23 Let the person who has ears listen!”
24 He went on to say, “Pay attention to what you’re listening to! ⌞Knowledge⌟ will be measured out to you by the measure ⌞of attention⌟ you give. This is the way knowledge increases. 25 Those who understand ⌞these mysteries⌟ will be given ⌞more knowledge⌟. However, some people don’t understand ⌞these mysteries⌟. Even what they understand will be taken away from them.”
A Story about Seeds That Grow
26 Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seeds on the ground. 27 He sleeps at night and is awake during the day. The seeds sprout and grow, although the man doesn’t know how. 28 The ground produces grain by itself. First the green blade appears, then the head, then the head full of grain. 29 As soon as the grain is ready, he cuts it with a sickle, because harvest time has come.”
A Story about a Mustard Seed(AB)
30 Jesus asked, “How can we show what God’s kingdom is like? To what can we compare it? 31 It’s like a mustard seed planted in the ground. The mustard seed is one of the smallest seeds on earth. 32 However, when planted, it comes up and becomes taller than all the garden plants. It grows such large branches that birds can nest in its shade.”
33 Jesus spoke ⌞God’s⌟ word to them using many illustrations like these. In this way people could understand what he taught. 34 He did not speak to them without using an illustration. But when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything to them.
Jesus Calms the Sea(AC)
35 That evening, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side.”
36 Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus along in a boat just as he was. Other boats were with him.
37 A violent windstorm came up. The waves were breaking into the boat so that it was quickly filling up. 38 But he was sleeping on a cushion in the back of the boat.
So they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to die?”
39 Then he got up, ordered the wind to stop, and said to the sea, “Be still, absolutely still!” The wind stopped blowing, and the sea became very calm.
40 He asked them, “Why are you such cowards? Don’t you have any faith yet?”
41 They were overcome with fear and asked each other, “Who is this man? Even the wind and the sea obey him!”
Jesus Cures a Demon-Possessed Man(AD)
5 They arrived in the territory of the Gerasenes on the other side of the Sea of Galilee. 2 As Jesus stepped out of the boat, a man came out of the tombs and met him. The man was controlled by an evil spirit 3 and lived among the tombs. No one could restrain him any longer, not even with a chain. 4 He had often been chained hand and foot. However, he snapped the chains off his hands and broke the chains from his feet. No one could control him. 5 Night and day he was among the tombs and on the mountainsides screaming and cutting himself with stones.
6 The man saw Jesus at a distance. So he ran ⌞to Jesus⌟, bowed down in front of him, 7 and shouted, “Why are you bothering me now, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won’t torture me.” 8 He shouted this because Jesus said, “You evil spirit, come out of the man.”
9 Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
He told Jesus, “My name is Legion [Six Thousand], because there are many of us.” 10 He begged Jesus not to send them out of the territory.
11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on a mountainside nearby. 12 The demons begged him, “Send us into the pigs! Let us enter them!”
13 Jesus let them do this. The evil spirits came out of the man and went into the pigs. The herd of about two thousand pigs rushed down the cliff into the sea and drowned.
14 Those who took care of the pigs ran away. In the city and countryside they reported everything that had happened. So the people came to see what had happened. 15 They came to Jesus and saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. The man was sitting there dressed and in his right mind. The people were frightened. 16 Those who saw this told what had happened to the demon-possessed man and the pigs. 17 Then the people began to beg Jesus to leave their territory.
18 As Jesus stepped into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged him, “Let me stay with you.” 19 But Jesus would not allow it. Instead, he told the man, “Go home to your family, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been to you.”
20 So the man left. He began to tell how much Jesus had done for him in the Ten Cities.[e] Everyone was amazed.
Jairus’ Daughter and a Woman with Chronic Bleeding(AE)
21 Jesus again crossed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee in a boat. A large crowd gathered around him by the seashore.
22 A synagogue leader named Jairus also arrived. When he saw Jesus, he quickly bowed down in front of him. 23 He begged Jesus, “My little daughter is dying. Come, lay your hands on her so that she may get well and live.”
24 Jesus went with the man. A huge crowd followed Jesus and pressed him on every side.
25 In the crowd was a woman who had been suffering from chronic bleeding for twelve years. 26 Although she had been under the care of many doctors and had spent all her money, she had not been helped at all. Actually, she had become worse. 27 Since she had heard about Jesus, she came from behind in the crowd and touched his clothes. 28 She said, “If I can just touch his clothes, I’ll get well.” 29 Her bleeding stopped immediately. She felt cured from her illness.
30 At that moment Jesus felt power had gone out of him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”
31 His disciples said to him, “How can you ask, ‘Who touched me,’ when you see the crowd pressing you on all sides?”
32 But he kept looking around to see the woman who had done this. 33 The woman trembled with fear. She knew what had happened to her. So she quickly bowed in front of him and told him the whole truth.
34 Jesus told her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace! Be cured from your illness.”
35 While Jesus was still speaking to her, some people came from the synagogue leader’s home. They told the synagogue leader, “Your daughter has died. Why bother the teacher anymore?”
36 When Jesus overheard what they said, he told the synagogue leader, “Don’t be afraid! Just believe.”
37 Jesus allowed no one to go with him except Peter and the two brothers James and John. 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a noisy crowd there. People were crying and sobbing loudly. 39 When he came into the house, he asked them, “Why are you making so much noise and crying? The child isn’t dead. She’s just sleeping.”
40 They laughed at him. So he made all of them go outside. Then he took the child’s father, mother, and his three disciples and went to the child. 41 Jesus took the child’s hand and said to her, “Talitha, koum!” which means, “Little girl, I’m telling you to get up!”
42 The girl got up at once and started to walk. (She was twelve years old.) They were astonished.
43 Jesus ordered them not to let anyone know about this. He also told them to give the little girl something to eat.
Nazareth Rejects Jesus(AF)
6 Jesus left that place and went to his hometown. His disciples followed him. 2 When the day of rest—a holy day, came, he began to teach in the synagogue. He amazed many who heard him. They asked, “Where did this man get these ideas? Who gave him this kind of wisdom and the ability to do such great miracles? 3 Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” So they took offense at him.
4 But Jesus told them, “The only place a prophet isn’t honored is in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his own house.” 5 He couldn’t work any miracles there except to lay his hands on a few sick people and cure them. 6 Their unbelief amazed him.
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve(AG)
Then Jesus went around to the villages and taught.
7 He called the twelve apostles, sent them out two by two, and gave them authority over evil spirits. 8 He instructed them to take nothing along on the trip except a walking stick. They were not to take any food, a traveling bag, or money in their pockets. 9 They could wear sandals but could not take along a change of clothes.
10 He told them, “Whenever you go into a home, stay there until you’re ready to leave that place. 11 Wherever people don’t welcome you or listen to you, leave and shake the dust from your feet as a warning to them.”
12 So the apostles went and told people that they should turn to God and change the way they think and act. 13 They also forced many demons out of people and poured oil on many who were sick to cure them.
Recalling John’s Death(AH)
14 King Herod heard about Jesus, because Jesus’ name had become well-known. Some people were saying, “John the Baptizer has come back to life. That’s why he has the power to perform these miracles.” 15 Others said, “He is Elijah.” Still others said, “He is a prophet like one of the other prophets.” 16 But when Herod heard about it, he said, “I had John’s head cut off, and he has come back to life!”
17 Herod had sent men who had arrested John, tied him up, and put him in prison. Herod did that for Herodias, whom he had married. (She used to be his brother Philip’s wife.) 18 John had been telling Herod, “It’s not right for you to be married to your brother’s wife.”
19 So Herodias held a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she wasn’t allowed to do it 20 because Herod was afraid of John. Herod knew that John was a fair and holy man, so he protected him. When he listened to John, he would become very disturbed, and yet he liked to listen to him.
21 An opportunity finally came on Herod’s birthday. Herod gave a dinner for his top officials, army officers, and the most important people of Galilee. 22 His daughter, that is, Herodias’ daughter, came in and danced. Herod and his guests were delighted with her. The king told the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.” 23 He swore an oath to her: “I’ll give you anything you ask for, up to half of my kingdom.”
24 So she went out and asked her mother, “What should I ask for?”
Her mother said, “Ask for the head of John the Baptizer.”
25 So the girl hurried back to the king with her request. She said, “I want you to give me the head of John the Baptizer on a platter at once.”
26 The king deeply regretted his promise. But because of his oath and his guests, he didn’t want to refuse her. 27 Immediately, the king sent a guard and ordered him to bring John’s head. The guard cut off John’s head in prison. 28 Then he brought the head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.
29 When John’s disciples heard about this, they came for his body and laid it in a tomb.
Jesus Feeds Five Thousand(AI)
30 The apostles gathered around Jesus. They reported to him everything they had done and taught. 31 So he said to them, “Let’s go to a place where we can be alone to rest for a while.” Many people were coming and going, and Jesus and the apostles didn’t even have a chance to eat.
32 So they went away in a boat to a place where they could be alone. 33 But many people saw them leave and recognized them. The people ran from all the cities and arrived ahead of them. 34 When Jesus got out of the boat, he saw a large crowd and felt sorry for them. They were like sheep without a shepherd. So he spent a lot of time teaching them.
35 When it was late, his disciples came to him. They said, “No one lives around here, and it’s already late. 36 Send the people to the closest farms and villages to buy themselves something to eat.”
37 Jesus replied, “You give them something to eat.”
They said to him, “Should we go and spend about a year’s wages on bread to feed them?”
38 He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.”
When they found out, they told him, “Five loaves of bread and two fish.”
39 Then he ordered all of them to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 They sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties.
41 After he took the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and blessed the food. He broke the loaves apart and kept giving them to the disciples to give to the people. He also gave pieces of the two fish to everyone. 42 All of them ate as much as they wanted. 43 When they picked up the leftover pieces, they filled twelve baskets with bread and fish. 44 There were 5,000 men who had eaten the bread.
Jesus Walks on the Sea(AJ)
45 Jesus quickly made his disciples get into a boat and cross to Bethsaida ahead of him while he sent the people away. 46 After saying goodbye to them, he went up a mountain to pray. 47 When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and he was alone on the land.
48 Jesus saw that they were in a lot of trouble as they rowed, because they were going against the wind. Between three and six o’clock in the morning, he came to them. He was walking on the sea. He wanted to pass by them. 49 When they saw him walking on the sea, they thought, “It’s a ghost!” and they began to scream. 50 All of them saw him and were terrified.
Immediately, he said, “Calm down! It’s me. Don’t be afraid!” 51 He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped blowing. The disciples were astounded. 52 (They didn’t understand what had happened with the loaves of bread. Instead, their minds were closed.)
53 They crossed the sea, came to shore at Gennesaret, and anchored there.
54 As soon as they stepped out of the boat, the people recognized Jesus. 55 They ran all over the countryside and began to carry the sick on cots to any place where they heard he was. 56 Whenever he would go into villages, cities, or farms, people would put their sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch the edge of his clothes. Everyone who touched his clothes was made well.
Jesus Challenges the Pharisees’ Traditions(AK)
7 The Pharisees and some experts in Moses’ Teachings who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus. 2 They saw that some of his disciples were unclean [f] because they ate without washing their hands.
3 (The Pharisees, like all other Jewish people, don’t eat unless they have properly washed their hands. They follow the traditions of their ancestors. 4 When they come from the marketplace, they don’t eat unless they have washed first. They have been taught to follow many other rules. For example, they must also wash their cups, jars, brass pots, and dinner tables.[g])
5 The Pharisees and the experts in Moses’ Teachings asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples follow the traditions taught by our ancestors? They are unclean because they don’t wash their hands before they eat!”
6 Jesus told them, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites in Scripture:
‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
7 Their worship of me is pointless,
because their teachings are rules made by humans.’
8 “You abandon the commandments of God to follow human traditions.” 9 He added, “You have no trouble rejecting the commandments of God in order to keep your own traditions! 10 For example, Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’ and ‘Whoever curses father or mother must be put to death.’ 11 But you say, ‘If a person tells his father or mother that whatever he might have used to help them is corban (that is, an offering to God), 12 he no longer has to do anything for his father or mother.’ 13 Because of your traditions you have destroyed the authority of God’s word. And you do many other things like that.”
14 Then he called the crowd again and said to them, “Listen to me, all of you, and try to understand! 15 Nothing that goes into a person from the outside can make him unclean. It’s what comes out of a person that makes him unclean. 16 Let the person who has ears listen!” [h]
17 When he had left the people and gone home, his disciples asked him about this illustration.
18 Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand? Don’t you know that whatever goes into a person from the outside can’t make him unclean? 19 It doesn’t go into his thoughts but into his stomach and then into a toilet.” (By saying this, Jesus declared all foods acceptable.) 20 He continued, “It’s what comes out of a person that makes him unclean. 21 Evil thoughts, sexual sins, stealing, murder, 22 adultery, greed, wickedness, cheating, shameless lust, envy, cursing, arrogance, and foolishness come from within a person. 23 All these evils come from within and make a person unclean.”
The Faith of a Greek Woman(AL)
24 Jesus left that place and went to the territory of Tyre. He didn’t want anyone to know that he was staying in a house there. However, it couldn’t be kept a secret.
25 A woman whose little daughter had an evil spirit heard about Jesus. She went to him and bowed down. 26 The woman happened to be Greek, born in Phoenicia in Syria. She asked him to force the demon out of her daughter.
27 Jesus said to her, “First, let the children eat all they want. It’s not right to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.”
28 She answered him, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat some of the children’s scraps.”
29 Jesus said to her, “Because you have said this, go! The demon has left your daughter.”
30 The woman went home and found the little child lying on her bed, and the demon was gone.
Jesus Cures a Deaf Man
31 Jesus then left the neighborhood of Tyre. He went through Sidon and the territory of the Ten Cities [i] to the Sea of Galilee.
32 Some people brought to him a man who was deaf and who also had a speech defect. They begged Jesus to lay his hand on him. 33 Jesus took him away from the crowd to be alone with him. He put his fingers into the man’s ears, and after spitting, he touched the man’s tongue. 34 Then he looked up to heaven, sighed, and said to the man, “Ephphatha!” which means, “Be opened!” 35 At once the man could hear and talk normally.
36 Jesus ordered the people not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them, the more they spread the news. 37 Jesus completely amazed the people. They said, “He has done everything well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute talk.”
Jesus Feeds Four Thousand(AM)
8 About that time there was once again a large crowd with nothing to eat. Jesus called his disciples and said to them, 2 “I feel sorry for the people. They have been with me three days now and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them home before they’ve eaten, they will become exhausted on the road. Some of them have come a long distance.”
4 His disciples asked him, “Where could anyone get enough bread to feed these people in this place where no one lives?”
5 Jesus asked them, “How many loaves of bread do you have?”
They answered, “Seven.”
6 He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. He took the seven loaves and gave thanks to God. Then he broke the bread and gave it to his disciples to serve to the people. 7 They also had a few small fish. He blessed them and said that the fish should also be served to the people. 8 The people ate as much as they wanted. The disciples picked up the leftover pieces and filled seven large baskets. 9 About four thousand people were there. Then he sent the people on their way.
10 After that, Jesus and his disciples got into a boat and went into the region of Dalmanutha.
The Pharisees Ask for a Sign from Heaven(AN)
11 The Pharisees went to Jesus and began to argue with him. They tested him by demanding that he perform a miraculous sign from heaven.
12 With a deep sigh he asked, “Why do these people demand a sign? I can guarantee this truth: If these people are given a sign, it will be far different than what they want!”
13 Then he left them there.
The Yeast of the Pharisees(AO)
He got into a boat again and crossed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. 14 The disciples had forgotten to take any bread along and had only one loaf with them in the boat.
15 Jesus warned them, “Be careful! Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod!”
16 They had been discussing with one another that they didn’t have any bread.
17 Jesus knew what they were saying and asked them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you don’t have any bread? Don’t you understand yet? Don’t you catch on? Are your minds closed? 18 Are you blind and deaf? Don’t you remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets did you fill with leftover pieces?”
They told him, “Twelve.”
20 “When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many large baskets did you fill with leftover pieces?”
They answered him, “Seven.”
21 He asked them, “Don’t you catch on yet?”
Jesus Gives Sight to a Blind Man
22 As they came to Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to Jesus. They begged Jesus to touch him. 23 Jesus took the blind man’s hand and led him out of the village. He spit into the man’s eyes and placed his hands on him. Jesus asked him, “Can you see anything?”
24 The man looked up and said, “I see people. They look like trees walking around.”
25 Then Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes a second time, and the man saw clearly. His sight was normal again. He could see everything clearly even at a distance. 26 Jesus told him when he sent him home, “Don’t go into the village.”
Peter Declares His Belief about Jesus(AP)
27 Then Jesus and his disciples went to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say I am?”
28 They answered him, “Some say you are John the Baptizer, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets.”
29 He asked them, “But who do you say I am?”
Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah!”
30 He ordered them not to tell anyone about him.
Jesus Foretells That He Will Die and Come Back to Life(AQ)
31 Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man would have to suffer a lot. He taught them that he would be rejected by the leaders, the chief priests, and the experts in Moses’ Teachings. He would be killed, but after three days he would come back to life. 32 He told them very clearly what he meant.
Peter took him aside and objected to this. 33 Jesus turned, looked at his disciples, and objected to what Peter said. Jesus said, “Get out of my way, Satan! You aren’t thinking the way God thinks but the way humans think.”
What It Means to Follow Jesus(AR)
34 Then Jesus called the crowd to himself along with his disciples. He said to them, “Those who want to follow me must say no to the things they want, pick up their crosses, and follow me. 35 Those who want to save their lives will lose them. But those who lose their lives for me and for the Good News will save them. 36 What good does it do for people to win the whole world yet lose their lives? 37 Or what should a person give in exchange for life? 38 If people are ashamed of me and what I say in this unfaithful and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of those people when he comes with the holy angels in his Father’s glory.”
9 He said to them, “I can guarantee this truth: Some people who are standing here will not die until they see God’s kingdom arrive with power.”
Moses and Elijah Appear with Jesus(AS)
2 After six days Jesus took only Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain where they could be alone.
Jesus’ appearance changed in front of them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone on earth could bleach them. 4 Then Elijah and Moses appeared to them and were talking with Jesus.
5 Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it’s good that we’re here. Let’s put up three tents—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6 (Peter didn’t know how to respond. He and the others were terrified.)
7 Then a cloud overshadowed them. A voice came out of the cloud and said, “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”
8 Suddenly, as they looked around, they saw no one with them but Jesus.
9 On their way down the mountain, Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone what they had seen. They were to wait until the Son of Man had come back to life. 10 They kept in mind what he said but argued among themselves what he meant by “come back to life.” 11 So they asked him, “Don’t the experts in Moses’ Teachings say that Elijah must come first?”
12 Jesus said to them, “Elijah is coming first and will put everything in order again. But in what sense was it written that the Son of Man must suffer a lot and be treated shamefully? 13 Indeed, I can guarantee that Elijah has come. Yet, people treated him as they pleased, as Scripture says about him.”
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