Read the Gospels in 40 Days
The Temptation of Jesus
4 Then(A) Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.(B) 2 After he had fasted forty days and forty nights,(C) he was hungry. 3 Then the tempter approached him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”(D)
4 He answered, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”[a](E)
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple,(F) 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written:
He will give his angels(G) orders concerning you,
and they will support you with their hands
so that you will not strike
your foot against a stone.”[b](H)
7 Jesus told him, “It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God.”[c](I)
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 And he said to him, “I will give you all these things if you will fall down and worship me.”[d]
10 Then Jesus told him, “Go away,[e] Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.”[f](J)
11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and began to serve him.(K)
Ministry in Galilee
12 When he heard that John had been arrested,(L) he withdrew into Galilee.(M) 13 He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum(N) by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. 14 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
15 Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
along the road by the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles.
16 The people who live in darkness
have seen a great light,
and for those living in the land of the shadow of death,
a light has dawned.[g][h] (O)
17 From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven(P) has come near.”
The First Disciples
18 As(Q) he was walking along the Sea of Galilee,(R) he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter), and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. 19 “Follow me,” he told them, “and I will make you fish for[i] people.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him.
21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat with Zebedee their father, preparing their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
Teaching, Preaching, and Healing
23 Now Jesus began to go all over Galilee,(S) teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every[j] disease and sickness[k] among the people.(T) 24 Then the news about him spread throughout Syria.(U) So they brought to him all those who were afflicted, those suffering from various diseases and intense pains, the demon-possessed, the epileptics, and the paralytics.(V) And he healed them. 25 Large crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.(W)
The Sermon on the Mount
5 When he saw the crowds, he went up on the mountain,(X) and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then[l] he began to teach them, saying:(Y)
The Beatitudes
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,(Z)
for the kingdom of heaven(AA) is theirs.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,(AB)
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the humble,(AC)
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,(AD)
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.(AE)
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.(AF)
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.(AG)
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for the kingdom of heaven(AH) is theirs.
11 “You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. 12 Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted(AI) the prophets who were before you.(AJ)
Believers Are Salt and Light
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty?[m] It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.(AK)
14 “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden.(AL) 15 No one lights a lamp(AM) and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house.(AN) 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.(AO)
Christ Fulfills the Law
17 “Don’t think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.(AP) 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter[n] or one stroke of a letter will pass away from the law until all things are accomplished. 19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.(AQ) 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.
Murder Begins in the Heart
21 “You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, Do not murder,[o](AR) and whoever murders will be subject to judgment.(AS) 22 But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother or sister[p] will be subject to judgment. Whoever insults[q] his brother or sister will be subject to the court.[r] Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to hellfire.[s](AT) 23 So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Reach a settlement quickly with your adversary while you’re on the way with him to the court, or your adversary will hand you over to the judge, and the judge to[t] the officer, and you will be thrown into prison.(AU) 26 Truly I tell you, you will never get out of there until you have paid the last penny.[u]
Adultery Begins in the Heart
27 “You have heard that it was said, Do not commit adultery.[v](AV) 28 But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.(AW) 29 If your right eye causes you to sin,(AX) gouge it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.(AY) 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
Divorce Practices Censured
31 “It was also said, Whoever divorces(AZ) his wife must give her a written notice of divorce.[w](BA) 32 But I tell you, everyone who divorces his wife, except in a case of sexual immorality, causes her to commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.(BB)
Tell the Truth
33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to our ancestors,You must not break your oath, but you must keep your oaths to the Lord.[x](BC) 34 But I tell you, don’t take an oath at all: either by heaven, because it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, because it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King.(BD) 36 Do not swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. 37 But let your ‘yes’ mean ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ mean ‘no.’ Anything more than this is from the evil one.(BE)
Go the Second Mile
38 “You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.[y](BF) 39 But I tell you, don’t resist[z] an evildoer. On the contrary, if anyone slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.(BG) 40 As for the one who wants to sue you and take away your shirt, let him have your coat as well. 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and don’t turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.(BH)
Love Your Enemies
43 “You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor[aa](BI) and hate your enemy. 44 But I tell you, love your enemies[ab] and pray for those who[ac] persecute you,(BJ) 45 so that you may be[ad] children of your Father in heaven. For he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.(BK) 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what are you doing out of the ordinary?[ae](BL) Don’t even the Gentiles[af] do the same? 48 Be perfect,(BM) therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
How to Give
6 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness[ag] in front of others to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward with your Father in heaven. 2 So whenever you give to the poor, don’t sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be applauded by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward.(BN) 3 But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.[ah](BO)
How to Pray
5 “Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward.(BP) 6 But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.[ai](BQ) 7 When you pray, don’t babble like the Gentiles, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words.(BR) 8 Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask him.(BS)
The Lord’s Prayer
9 “Therefore, you should pray like this: (BT)
Our Father in heaven,
your name be honored as holy.(BU)
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.(BV)
11 Give us today our daily bread.[aj]
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.(BW)
13 And do not bring us into[ak] temptation,(BX)
but deliver us from the evil one.[al](BY)
14 “For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well.(BZ) 15 But if you don’t forgive others,[am] your Father will not forgive your offenses.
How to Fast
16 “Whenever you fast, don’t be gloomy like the hypocrites. For they disfigure their faces (CA) so that their fasting is obvious to people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,(CB) 18 so that your fasting isn’t obvious to others but to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.[an]
God and Possessions
19 “Don’t store up for yourselves treasures[ao] on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.(CC) 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,(CD) where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light within you is darkness, how deep is that darkness!(CE)
24 “No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. (CF)
The Cure for Anxiety
25 “Therefore I tell you:(CG) Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing?(CH) 26 Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they?(CI) 27 Can any of you add one moment to his life span[ap] by worrying? 28 And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. 30 If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more for you—you of little faith?(CJ) 31 So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God[aq](CK) and his righteousness,(CL) and all these things will be provided for you.(CM) 34 Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble(CN) of its own.
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