Read the Gospels in 40 Days
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
25 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five[a] of the virgins[b] were foolish, and five were wise. 3 When[c] the foolish ones took their lamps, they did not take extra[d] olive oil[e] with them. 4 But the wise ones took flasks of olive oil with their lamps. 5 When[f] the bridegroom was delayed a long time, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is here! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The[g] foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ 9 ‘No,’ they replied.[h] ‘There won’t be enough for you and for us. Go instead to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 But while they had gone to buy it, the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went inside with him to the wedding banquet. Then[i] the door was shut. 11 Later,[j] the other virgins came too, saying, ‘Lord, lord! Let us in!’[k] 12 But he replied,[l] ‘I tell you the truth,[m] I do not know you!’ 13 Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour.[n]
The Parable of the Talents
14 “For it is like a man going on a journey, who summoned his slaves[o] and entrusted his property to them. 15 To[p] one he gave five talents,[q] to another two, and to another one, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The one who had received five talents went off right away and put his money to work[r] and gained five more. 17 In the same way, the one who had two gained two more. 18 But the one who had received one talent went out and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money in it. 19 After[s] a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled his accounts with them. 20 The[t] one who had received the five talents came and brought five more, saying, ‘Sir,[u] you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ 21 His master answered,[v] ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful in a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 The[w] one with the two talents also came and said, ‘Sir, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more.’ 23 His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 Then the one who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Sir, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed, 25 so[x] I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered,[y] ‘Evil and lazy slave! So you knew that I harvest where I didn’t sow and gather where I didn’t scatter? 27 Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers,[z] and on my return I would have received my money back with interest![aa] 28 Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten.[ab] 29 For the one who has will be given more,[ac] and he will have more than enough. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.[ad] 30 And throw that worthless slave into the outer darkness,[ae] where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
The Judgment
31 “When[af] the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All[ag] the nations will be assembled before him, and he will separate people one from another like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He[ah] will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him,[ai] ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When[aj] did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or naked and clothe you? 39 When[ak] did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the king will answer them,[al] ‘I tell you the truth,[am] just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters[an] of mine, you did it for me.’
41 “Then he will say[ao] to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels! 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 did not receive me as a guest, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they too will answer,[ap] ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not give you whatever you needed?’ 45 Then he will answer them,[aq] ‘I tell you the truth,[ar] just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.’ 46 And these will depart into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”[as]
The Plot Against Jesus
26 When[at] Jesus had finished saying all these things, he told his disciples, 2 “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be handed over[au] to be crucified.”[av] 3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people met together in the palace of the high priest, who was named Caiaphas. 4 They[aw] planned to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. 5 But they said, “Not during the feast, so that there won’t be a riot among the people.”[ax]
Jesus’ Anointing
6 Now while Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper,[ay] 7 a woman came to him with an alabaster jar[az] of expensive perfumed oil,[ba] and she poured it on his head as he was at the table.[bb] 8 When[bc] the disciples saw this, they became indignant and said, “Why this waste? 9 It[bd] could have been sold at a high price and the money[be] given to the poor!” 10 When[bf] Jesus learned of this, he said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She[bg] has done a good service for me. 11 For you will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me![bh] 12 When[bi] she poured this oil on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. 13 I tell you the truth,[bj] wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”
The Plan to Betray Jesus
14 Then one of the twelve, the one named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What will you give me to betray him into your hands?”[bk] So they set out thirty silver coins for him. 16 From that time[bl] on, Judas[bm] began looking for an opportunity to betray him.
The Passover
17 Now on the first day of the feast of[bn] Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus and said,[bo] “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?”[bp] 18 He[bq] said, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is near. I will observe the Passover with my disciples at your house.”’” 19 So[br] the disciples did as Jesus had instructed them, and they prepared the Passover. 20 When[bs] it was evening, he took his place at the table[bt] with the twelve.[bu] 21 And while they were eating he said, “I tell you the truth,[bv] one of you will betray me.”[bw] 22 They[bx] became greatly distressed[by] and each one began to say to him, “Surely not I, Lord?” 23 He[bz] answered, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me[ca] will betray me. 24 The Son of Man will go as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for him if he had never been born.” 25 Then[cb] Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?” Jesus[cc] replied, “You have said it yourself.”
The Lord’s Supper
26 While[cd] they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after giving thanks he broke it, gave it to his disciples, and said, “Take, eat, this is my body.” 27 And after taking the cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood, the blood[ce] of the covenant,[cf] that is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I[cg] tell you, from now on I will not drink of this fruit[ch] of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” 30 After[ci] singing a hymn,[cj] they went out to the Mount of Olives.
The Prediction of Peter’s Denial
31 Then Jesus said to them, “This night you will all fall away because of me, for it is written:
‘I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’[ck]
32 But after I am raised, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” 33 Peter[cl] said to him, “If they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away!” 34 Jesus said to him, “I tell you the truth,[cm] on this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” 35 Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will never deny you.” And all the disciples said the same thing.
Gethsemane
36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and became anguished and distressed. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, even to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake with me.” 39 Going a little farther, he threw himself down with his face to the ground and prayed,[cn] “My Father, if possible,[co] let this cup[cp] pass from me! Yet not what I will, but what you will.” 40 Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. He[cq] said to Peter, “So, couldn’t you stay awake with me for one hour? 41 Stay awake and pray that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 He went away a second time and prayed,[cr] “My Father, if this cup[cs] cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will must be done.” 43 He came again and found them sleeping; they could not keep their eyes open.[ct] 44 So leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the 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? Look, the hour is approaching, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Get up, let us go. Look! My betrayer[cu] is approaching!”
Betrayal and Arrest
47 While he was still speaking, Judas,[cv] one of the twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests and elders of the people. 48 (Now the betrayer[cw] had given them a sign, saying, “The one I kiss is the man.[cx] Arrest him!”)[cy] 49 Immediately[cz] he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi,” and kissed him.[da] 50 Jesus[db] said to him, “Friend, do what you are here to do.” Then they came and took hold[dc] of Jesus and arrested him. 51 But[dd] one of those with Jesus grabbed[de] his sword, drew it out, and struck the high priest’s slave,[df] cutting off his ear. 52 Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back in its place![dg] For all who take hold of the sword will die by the sword. 53 Or do you think that I cannot call on my Father, and that he would send me more than twelve legions[dh] of angels right now? 54 How then would the scriptures that say it must happen this way be fulfilled?” 55 At that moment Jesus said to the crowd, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me like you would an outlaw?[di] Day after day I sat teaching in the temple courts, yet[dj] you did not arrest me. 56 But this has happened so that the scriptures of the prophets would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.
Condemned by the Sanhedrin
57 Now the ones who had arrested Jesus led him to Caiaphas, the high priest, in whose house[dk] the experts in the law[dl] and the elders had gathered. 58 But Peter was following him from a distance, all the way to the high priest’s courtyard. After[dm] going in, he sat with the guards[dn] to see the outcome. 59 The[do] chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were trying to find false testimony against Jesus so that they could put him to death. 60 But they did not find anything, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally[dp] two came forward 61 and declared, “This man[dq] said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’” 62 So[dr] the high priest stood up and said to him, “Have you no answer? What is this that they are testifying against you?” 63 But Jesus was silent. The[ds] high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ,[dt] the Son of God.” 64 Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand[du] of the Power[dv] and coming on the clouds of heaven.”[dw] 65 Then the high priest tore his clothes and declared,[dx] “He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? Now[dy] you have heard the blasphemy! 66 What is your verdict?”[dz] They[ea] answered, “He is guilty and deserves[eb] death.” 67 Then they spat in his face and struck him with their fists. And some slapped him, 68 saying, “Prophesy for us, you Christ![ec] Who hit you?”[ed]
Peter’s Denials
69 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A[ee] slave girl[ef] came to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” 70 But he denied it in front of them all:[eg] “I don’t know what you’re talking about!” 71 When[eh] he went out to the gateway, another slave girl[ei] saw him and said to the people there, “This man was with Jesus the Nazarene.” 72 He denied it again with an oath, “I do not know the man!” 73 After[ej] a little while, those standing there came up to Peter and said, “You really are one of them too—even your accent[ek] gives you away!” 74 At that he began to curse, and he swore with an oath, “I do not know the man!” At that moment a rooster crowed.[el] 75 Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.[em]
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