1:1 This is the record of the genealogy¹ of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

1:2 Abraham was the father² of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 1:3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah (by Tamar), Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, 1:4Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, 1:5Salmon the father of Boaz (by Rahab), Boaz the father of Obed (by Ruth), Obed the father of Jesse, 1:6and Jesse the father of David the King.

David was the father of Solomon (by the wife of Uriah³), 1:7 Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa,⁴ 1:8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, 1:9 Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 1:10Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon,⁵ Amon the father of Josiah, 1:11 Josiah⁶ the father of Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

1:12 After⁷ the deportation to Babylon, Jeconiah became the father of Shealtiel,⁸ Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 1:13 Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, 1:14 Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, 1:15 Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, 1:16 Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, by whom⁹ Jesus was born, who is called Christ.¹⁰

1:17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to Christ,¹¹ fourteen generations.

1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ happened this way. While his mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they came together,¹² she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 1:19 Because Joseph, her husband to be,¹³ was a righteous man, and because he did not want to disgrace her, he intended to divorce her¹⁴ privately. 1:20When¹⁵ he had contemplated this, an¹⁶ angel of the Lord¹⁷ appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 1:21 She will give birth to a son and you will name him¹⁸ Jesus,¹⁹ because he will save his people from their sins.” 1:22 This all happened so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled: 1:23 “Look! The virgin will conceive and bear a son, and they will call him²⁰ Emmanuel,”²¹ which means²² “God with us.”²³ 1:24 When²⁴ Joseph awoke from sleep he did what the angel of the Lord told him. He took his wife, 1:25 but did not have marital relations²⁵ with her until she gave birth to a son, whom he called²⁶ Jesus.

2:1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, in the time¹ of King Herod,² wise men³ from the East came to Jerusalem 2:2 saying, “Where is the one who is born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose⁴ and have come to worship him. 2:3 When King Herod⁵ heard this he was alarmed, and all Jerusalem with him. 2:4 After assembling all the chief priests and experts in the law⁶ he asked them where the Christ⁷ was to be born. 2:5 “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they said, “for it is written this way by the prophet:

2:6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are in no way least among the rulers of Judah,
for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”⁸

2:7 Then Herod⁹ privately summoned the wise men and determined from them when the star had appeared. 2:8 He¹⁰ sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and look carefully for this child. When you find him, inform me so that I can go and worship him as well.” 2:9After¹¹ listening to the king they left, and once again¹² the star they saw in its rising¹³ led them until it stopped above the place where the child was.2:10 When they saw the star they shouted joyfully.¹⁴ 2:11As they came into the house and saw the child with Mary his mother, they bowed down¹⁵ and worshiped him. They opened their treasure boxes and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense,¹⁶ and myrrh.¹⁷ 2:12 After being warned in a dream not to return to Herod,¹⁸ they went back by another route to their own country.

2:13 After¹⁹ they had gone, an²⁰ angel of the Lord²¹ appeared in a dream to Joseph saying, “Get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you; for Herod²² is going to look for the child to kill him.” 2:14Then he got up, took the child and his mother at night, and went to Egypt. 2:15 He stayed there until Herod²³ died. In this way what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet was fulfilled: “I called my Son out of Egypt.”²⁴

2:16 When Herod²⁵ saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he became outraged. He sent men²⁶ to kill all the children in Bethlehem and nearby from the age of two and under, according to the time he had learned from the wise men. 2:17 Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:

2:18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and loud wailing,
Rachel weeping for her children;
and she did not want to be comforted, because they were²⁷ gone.”²⁸

2:19 After²⁹ Herod³⁰ had died, an angel of the Lord³¹ appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 2:20saying, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.” 2:21 So³² he got up and took the child and his mother and returned to the land of Israel. 2:22 But when he heard that Archelaus³³ was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod,³⁴ he was afraid to go there. After³⁵ being warned in a dream, he went to the region of Galilee. 2:23 He came to a town called Nazareth³⁶ and lived there. Then what had been spoken by the prophets was fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.³⁷

3:1 In those days John the Baptist came into the wilderness¹ of Judea proclaiming,²3:2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” 3:3 (For he is the one who was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet,³

“The voice⁴ of one calling out in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’”⁵

3:4 Now John’s clothing was made from camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.) 3:5 Then people⁶ were going out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region around the Jordan,3:6 and as they confessed their sins they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

3:7But when he saw many Pharisees⁷ and Sadducees⁸ coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 3:8 Therefore produce fruit⁹ that proves your¹⁰ repentance;3:9 and don’t think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones! 3:10 Even now the ax is laid at¹¹ the root of the trees; and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

3:11 “I baptize you with water, for repentance, but the one coming after me is more powerful than I—I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.¹² 3:12 His winnowing fork¹³ is in his hand, and he will clean out his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the storehouse;¹⁴ but the chaff he will burn up with inextinguishable fire.”¹⁵

3:13Then Jesus came from Galilee to John to be baptized by him in the Jordan River.¹⁶ 3:14But John¹⁷ tried to prevent¹⁸ him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you come to me?” 3:15 So Jesus replied¹⁹ to him, “Let it happen now,²⁰ for it is right for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John²¹ yielded²² to him. 3:16 After²³ Jesus was baptized, just as he was coming up out of the water, the²⁴ heavens²⁵ opened²⁶ and he saw the Spirit of God²⁷ descending like a dove²⁸ and coming on him. 3:17 And²⁹ a voice from heaven said,³⁰ “This is my one dear Son;³¹ in him³² I take great delight.”³³

4:1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness¹ to be tempted by the devil. 4:2 After he fasted forty days and forty nights he was famished.² 4:3 The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.”³ 4:4 But he answered,⁴ “It is written, ‘Man⁵ does not live⁶ by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”⁷ 4:5 Then the devil took him to the holy city,⁸ had him stand⁹ on the highest point¹⁰ of the temple, 4:6and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you’ and ‘with their hands they will lift you up, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”¹¹ 4:7 Jesus said to him, “Once again it is written: ‘You are not to put the Lord your God to the test.’”¹² 4:8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their grandeur.¹³ 4:9 And he said to him, “I will give you all these things if you fall down and worship¹⁴ me.” 4:10 Then Jesus said to him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: ‘You are to worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’”¹⁵ 4:11Then the devil left him, and angels¹⁶ came and began ministering to his needs.

4:12 Now¹⁷ when Jesus¹⁸ heard that John had been taken into custody,¹⁹ he went into Galilee. 4:13While in Galilee, he moved from Nazareth to make his home in Capernaum²⁰ by the sea,²¹ in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, 4:14 so that what was spoken by Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled²²:

4:15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way by the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;
4:16 the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light;
and on those sitting in the region and the shadow of death a light has dawned.”²³

4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach this message:²⁴ “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

4:18 As²⁵ he was walking by the Sea of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon (called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea (for they were fishermen).²⁶ 4:19 He said to them, “Follow me, and I will turn you into fishers of people.”²⁷ 4:20 They²⁸ left their nets immediately and followed him. 4:21 Going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in a boat²⁹ with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. Then³⁰ Jesus called them. 4:22 They³¹ immediately left the boat and their father and followed him.

4:23 Jesus³² went throughout all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues,³³ preaching thegospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of disease and sickness among the people. 4:24So a report about him spread throughout Syria. People³⁴ brought to him all who suffered with various illnesses and afflictions, those possessed by demons, epileptics, paralytics; and he healed them. 4:25 And great crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis,³⁵ Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan River.³⁶

5:1When¹ he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain.² After he sat down his disciples came to him. 5:2Then³ he began to teach⁴ them by saying:

5:3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, because they will be comforted.

5:5 “Blessed are the meek, because they will inherit the earth.

5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, because they will be satisfied.

5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, because they will be shown mercy.

5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, because they will see God.

5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, because they will be called the children of God.

5:10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

5:11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things about you falsely on account of me. 5:12 Rejoice and be glad because your reward is great in heaven, for they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way.

5:13“You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its flavor,⁵ how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and walked on by people. 5:14You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill cannot be hidden. 5:15 People⁶ do not light a lamp and put it under a basket but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven.

5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish but to fulfill.5:18 I⁷ tell you the truth,⁸ until heaven and earth pass away not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter⁹ will pass from the law until everything takes place. 5:19 So anyone who breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others¹⁰ to do this, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches others to do so will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 5:20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness goes beyond that of the experts in the law¹¹ and the Pharisees,¹² you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

5:21 “You have heard that it was said to an older generation,¹³ ‘Do not murder,’¹⁴ and ‘whoever murders will be subjected to judgment.’ 5:22 But I say to you that anyone who is angry with a brother will be subjected to judgment. And whoever insults¹⁵ a brother will be brought before¹⁶ the council,¹⁷ and whoever says ‘Fool’¹⁸ will be sent¹⁹ to fiery hell.²⁰ 5:23 So then, if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 5:24leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother and then come and present your gift. 5:25 Reach agreement²¹ quickly with your accuser while on the way to court, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to a warden, and you will be thrown into prison. 5:26 I tell you the truth,²² you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.²³

5:27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’²⁴ 5:28But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 5:29If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into hell.²⁵ 5:30 If your right hand causesyou to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into hell.

5:31 “It was said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a legal document.’²⁶ 5:32 But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife except for immorality makes her commit adultery, and anyone who marries a woman who has been divorced commits adultery.

5:33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to an older generation,²⁷ ‘Do not break an oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.’²⁸ 5:34 But I say to you, do not take oaths at all; not by heaven, because it is the throne of God, 5:35 not by earth, because it is his footstool, and not by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King. 5:36Do not take an oath by your head, because you are not able to make one hair white or black. 5:37 Let your word be ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no.’ More than this is from the evil one.²⁹

5:38“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’³⁰ 5:39 But I say to you, do not resist the evildoer.³¹ But whoever strikes you on the³² right cheek, turn the other to him as well.5:40 And if someone wants to sue you and to take your tunic,³³also give him your coat. 5:41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile,³⁴ go with him two. 5:42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not reject³⁵ the one who wants to borrow from you.

5:43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’³⁶ and ‘hate your enemy.’ 5:44 But I say to you, love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you, 5:45 so that you may be like³⁷ your Father in heaven, since he causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 5:46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? The tax collectors do that too, don’t they? 5:47 And if you only greet your brothers, what more do you do? The Gentiles do that too, don’t they?5:48 So then, you be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

6:1 “Be¹ careful about not living righteously merely² to be seen by people. Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in heaven. 6:2 Thus whenever you do charitable giving,³ do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in synagogues⁴ and on streets so that people will praise them. I tell you the truth,⁵ they have their reward. 6:3 But when you do your giving, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 6:4 so that your gift may be in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

6:5 “Whenever⁶ you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray while standing in synagogues⁷ and on street corners so that people can see them. Truly I say to you, they have their reward. 6:6 But whenever you pray, go into your room,⁸ close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. 6:7When⁹ you pray, do not babble repetitiously like the Gentiles, because they think that by their many words they will be heard. 6:8 Do¹⁰ not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 6:9 So pray this way:

Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored,
6:10may your kingdom come,
may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
6:11 Please give us bread for today,
6:12 and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
6:13 Please do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.¹¹

6:14“For if you forgive others¹² their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 6:15 But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins.

6:16 “When¹³ you fast, do not look sullen like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unattractive¹⁴ so that people will see them fasting. I tell you the truth,¹⁵ they have their reward. 6:17 When¹⁶ you fast put oil on your head and wash your face 6:18 so that it will not be obvious to others when you are fasting, but only to your Father who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

6:19“Do not accumulate for yourself treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. 6:20 But accumulate for yourself treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

6:22“The eye is the lamp of the body. If then your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light. 6:23 But if your eye is bad,¹⁷ your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

6:24“No one is able to serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. No one is able to serve God and possessions.¹⁸

6:25 “Because of this I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat or drink, or about your body, as to what you will wear. Isn’t there more to life than food and more to the body than clothing? 6:26 Look at the birds of the sky:¹⁹ they do not sow, or harvest, or gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you more valuable²⁰ than they are? 6:27Can any of you add time to his life by worrying?²¹ 6:28 Why worry about clothing? Think about how the flowers²² of the field grow. They do not work or spin, 6:29 yet I say to you that Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these! 6:30 And if God clothes the grass of the field this way, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire to heat the oven,²³ won’t he clothe you even more, you people of little faith?6:31 So then, don’t worry saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 6:32For the unconverted²⁴ pursue these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 6:33 But seek first his kingdom²⁵ and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you. 6:34 So then, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.²⁶

7:1 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. 7:2 For by the standard you judge you will be judged, and the measure you use will be the measure you receive.¹ 7:3 Why² do you see the speck³ in your brother’s eye, but fail to see the beam of timber⁴ in your own eye? 7:4 Or why do you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ while there is a beam in your own eye? 7:5 You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. 7:6 Do not give what is holy to dogs or throw your pearls before pigs; otherwise they will trample them under their feet and turn around and tear you to pieces.

7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened for you. 7:8 For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 7:9 Is⁵ there anyone among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?7:10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?7:11 So then, if you, who are evil,⁶ know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 7:12In⁷ everything, do to others as you would want them to do to you, for this fulfills⁸ the law and the prophets.

7:13 “Enter through the narrow gate, because the gate is wide and the way is spacious that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.7:14 But the gate is narrow and the way is difficult that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

7:15 “Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves.⁹ 7:16 You will recognize them by their fruit. People¹⁰ don’t gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles, do they? 7:17 In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 7:18 A good tree is not able to bear bad fruit, nor a bad tree to bear good fruit. 7:19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 7:20So then, you will recognize them by their fruit.

7:21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of heaven, only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 7:22 On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons and do¹¹ many powerful deeds?’ 7:23 Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, lawbreakers!’¹²

7:24 “Everyone¹³ who hears these words of mine and does them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. 7:25 The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house; but it did not collapse because it had been founded on rock. 7:26 Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 7:27 The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, and it collapsed; it was a tremendous fall!”¹⁴

7:28When¹⁵ Jesus finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed by his teaching, 7:29 because he taught them like one who had authority, and not like their experts in the law.¹⁶

8:1After he came down from the mountain, large crowds followed him. 8:2 And a leper¹ approached, and bowed low before him, saying,² “Lord, you are able to cleanse me, if you are willing.”8:3 He reached out his hand and touched him saying, “I am willing. Be clean!” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 8:4 Then Jesus said to him, “See that you do not speak to anyone; but go, show yourself to a priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded as a testimony to them.”³

8:5 When he came into Capernaum a centurion⁴ came to him asking for help,⁵ 8:6 saying, “Lord, my servant⁶ is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible anguish.” 8:7 Jesus⁷ said to him, “I will come and heal him.”8:8 But the centurion replied,⁸ “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Instead, just speak a word and my servant will be healed.8:9 For I too am a man under authority; I have⁹ soldiers under me, and I say to this one, ‘Go’ and he goes, and to another ‘Come’ and he comes, and to my slave¹⁰ ‘Do this’ and he does it.”8:10 When¹¹ Jesus heard this he was amazed and said to those who followed him, “I tell you the truth,¹² I have not found faith like this in anyone in Israel! 8:11 I¹³ tell you, many will come from the east and west to share the banquet¹⁴ with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, 8:12 but the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”8:13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; just as you believed, it will be done for you.” And the servant¹⁵ was healed at that hour.

8:14 When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying down, ill with a fever.8:15 He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she got up and began to serve them.8:16When it was evening, many demon-possessed people were brought to him. He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick.8:17 In this way what was spoken by Isaiah the prophet was fulfilled:¹⁶

“He took our weaknesses, and carried our diseases.”¹⁷

8:18Now when Jesus saw great crowds¹⁸ around him, he gave orders to go to the other side of the sea. 8:19 Then an¹⁹ expert in the law²⁰ came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 8:20 Jesus said to him, “Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky²¹ have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” 8:21 Another²² of the²³ disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 8:22 But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”²⁴

8:23 As he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 8:24 And a great storm developed on the sea so that the waves began to swamp the boat. But he was asleep. 8:25 So they came and got him up saying, “Lord, save us! We are going to die!” 8:26But he said to them, “Why are you cowardly, you people of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. 8:27And the men²⁵ were amazed and said,²⁶ “What sort of person is this that even the winds and the sea obey him?”

8:28 When he came to the other side, to the region of the Gadarenes,²⁷ two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were extremely violent, so that no one was able to pass by that way.8:29 They²⁸ cried out, “Son of God, leave us alone!²⁹ Have you come here to torment us before the time?”³⁰ 8:30 A³¹ large herd of pigs was feeding some distance from them.8:31 Then the demons asked him,³² “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.” 8:32 And he said,³³ “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs. Then the herd rushed over the cliff into the sea, and they drowned in the water. 8:33 The³⁴ herdsmen ran off, went into the town,³⁵ and told everything that had happened to the men who had been demon-possessed. 8:34 Then³⁶ the entire town³⁷ came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they begged him to leave.

9:1 After getting into a boat he crossed to the other side and came to his own town.¹ 9:2All of a sudden² people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher.³When⁴ Jesus saw their faith he said to the paralytic, “Have courage, son! Your sins are forgiven.”9:3 Then⁵ some of the experts in the law⁶ said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming!” 9:4 When Jesus saw their reaction he said, “Why do you respond with evil in your hearts? 9:5 What is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’?9:6 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on the earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic⁷— “Stand up, take your stretcher, and go home.”⁸ 9:7 And he stood up and went home.⁹ 9:8 When¹⁰ the crowd saw this they were afraid and honored God who had given such authority to men.¹¹

9:9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth.¹² “Follow me,” he said to him. And he got up and followed him.9:10 While¹³ Jesus¹⁴ was dining¹⁵ in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with Jesus and his disciples. 9:11 When the Pharisees¹⁶ saw this they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 9:12 When¹⁷ Jesus heard this he said, “The healthy don’t need a physician, but those who are sick do. 9:13 Go and learn what this saying means: ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice.’¹⁸ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

9:14 Then John’s disciples came and asked, “Why do we and the Pharisees¹⁹ fast often, but your disciples don’t fast?” 9:15 Jesus said to them, “The wedding guests²⁰ are not able to mourn while the bridegroom is with them, are they? The²¹ days will come when the bridegroom is taken away, and then they will fast! 9:16No²² one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, because the patch will pull away from the garment and the tear will be worse. 9:17 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins;²³ otherwise the skins will burst and the wine will pour out and the skins will be destroyed.²⁴ Instead they put new wine into new wineskins and both are preserved.”

9:18 As he was saying these things, a ruler came, bowed low before him, and said, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her and she will live.” 9:19 So²⁵ Jesus and his disciples got up and followed him.9:20 But²⁶ a woman who had been suffering with a hemorrhage for twelve years²⁷ came up behind him and touched the edge²⁸ of his cloak. 9:21 For she kept saying to herself,²⁹ “If only I touch his cloak, I will be healed.”³⁰ 9:22 But when Jesus turned and saw her he said, “Have courage, daughter! Your faith has healed³¹ you.” And the woman was healed³² from that hour. 9:23When Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the disorderly crowd,9:24 he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead, only sleeping.” So³³ they began to laugh³⁴ at him. 9:25 When³⁵ the crowd had been dispersed, he went in and took her hand, and the girl got up. 9:26 And the news of this spread throughout that region.³⁶

9:27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, shouting out,³⁷ “Son of David, have mercy on us!”9:28When³⁸ he went into the house, the blind men came to him. Jesus³⁹ said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” 9:29 Then he touched their eyes saying, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.” 9:30 And their eyes were opened. But Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about this.”9:31 But they went out and spread the news about him throughout that entire region.⁴⁰

9:32As⁴¹ they were going away,⁴² a man who could not talk and was demon-possessed was brought to him. 9:33After the demon was cast out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowds were amazed and said, “Never has anything like this been seen in Israel!” 9:34 But the Pharisees⁴³ said, “He casts out demons by the ruler of demons.”

9:35Then Jesus went throughout all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues,⁴⁴ preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and sickness.⁴⁵ 9:36 When⁴⁶ he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were bewildered and helpless,⁴⁷ like sheep without a shepherd. 9:37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few, 9:38 so ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.”

10:1Jesus¹ called his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits so they could cast them out and heal every kind of disease and sickness.² 10:2 Now³ these are the names of the twelve apostles: First, Simon (called Peter), and Andrew his brother; James son of Zebedee and John his brother;10:3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus and Thaddaeus; 10:4 Simon the Zealot⁴ and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.⁵

10:5 Jesus sent out these twelve instructing them as follows:⁶ “Do not go to Gentile regions⁷ and do not enter any Samaritan town.⁸ 10:6 Go⁹ instead to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 10:7 As¹⁰ you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’10:8 Heal the sick, raise the dead,¹¹ cleanse lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. 10:9 Do not take gold, silver or copper in your belts,10:10no bag for the journey, or two tunics,¹² or sandals or staff; for the worker is worthy of his provision. 10:11 Whatever¹³ town or village you enter, find out who is worthy there¹⁴ and stay with them¹⁵ until you leave. 10:12 As¹⁶ you enter the house, give it greetings.¹⁷ 10:13And if the house is worthy, let your peace come on it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 10:14 And if anyone will not welcome you or listen to your message, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or that town.10:15I tell you the truth,¹⁸ it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that town.

10:16 “I¹⁹ am sending you out like sheep surrounded by wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.10:17Beware²⁰ of people, because they will hand you over to courts²¹ and flog²² you in their synagogues.²³ 10:18 And you will be brought before governors and kings on account of me, as a witness to them and the Gentiles. 10:19 Whenever²⁴ they hand you over, do not be anxious about how to speak or what to say; for what you should say will be given to you at that time. 10:20 For it is not you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

10:21 “Brother²⁵ will hand over brother to death, and a father his child. And children will rise against²⁶ parents and have them put to death.10:22 And you will be hated by all on account of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 10:23 Whenever²⁷ they persecute you in one place,²⁸ flee to another. I tell you the truth,²⁹ you will not finish going through all the cities and towns³⁰ of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

10:24 “A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave³¹ above his master.10:25 It is enough for the disciple to become like his teacher, and the slave³² like his master. If they have called the head of the house ‘Beelzebul,’ how much more will they defame the members of his household!

10:26 “Do³³ not be afraid of them. There³⁴ is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing secret that will not become known.10:27 What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops.10:28 Do³⁵ not be afraid of those who can kill the body but are not able to kill the soul. Instead, fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.³⁶ 10:29 Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny?³⁷ Yet not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.³⁸10:30 Even³⁹ all the hairs of your head are counted. 10:31 So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

10:32 “Whoever, then, acknowledges me before people, I will acknowledge⁴⁰ before my Father in heaven. 10:33 But whoever denies me before people, I will deny him also before my Father in heaven.

10:34“Do not think that I have come to bring⁴¹ peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword. 10:35 For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, 10:36 and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.⁴²

10:37“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.10:38 And whoever does not take up his cross and follow me, is not worthy of me.10:39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for me⁴³ will find it.

10:40“Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. 10:41 Whoever receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. Whoever⁴⁴ receives a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 10:42And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple, I tell you the truth,⁴⁵ he will not lose his reward.

11:1 When¹ Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their towns.

11:2Now² when John³ in prison heard about the deeds Christ⁴ had done, he sent a question⁵ by his disciples:11:3 “Are you the one who is coming, or should we wait for another?”11:4 Jesus gave them this answer:⁶ “Go tell John what you hear and see-11:5the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news proclaimed to them. 11:6 Whoever⁷ does not stumble because of me is blessed.”

11:7While⁸ they were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness⁹ to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 11:8 What¹⁰ did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothes? Those¹¹ who wear soft clothes are in the homes of kings.11:9 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, even more than a prophet. 11:10 This is the one about whom it is written:

‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.’¹²

11:11 “I tell you the truth,¹³ among those born of women, no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is.11:12From¹⁴ the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and forceful people lay hold of it.¹⁵ 11:13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John appeared.¹⁶ 11:14 And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah, who is to come. 11:15 The one who has ears, listen!

11:16 “To¹⁷ what will I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces who call out to one another,¹⁸ 11:17 ‘We played the flute for you, yet you did not dance; we sang a lament, yet you did not mourn.’

11:18 “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ 11:19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him,¹⁹ a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is shown to be right by her deeds.”

11:20 Then Jesus began to criticize openly the towns and cities²⁰ in which he had done many of his miracles, because they did not repent. 11:21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles done among you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 11:22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.11:23 And you, Capernaum, you won’t be lifted up to heaven, will you? No, you will be brought down to Hades!²¹ For if the miracles done among you had been done in Sodom, it would have continued to this day.11:24 But I tell you, it will be more bearable for the region of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you!”

11:25At that time Jesus said,²² “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and revealed them to infants; 11:26 yes, Father, for this was pleasing to you. 11:27 All things have been given to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son, and those to whom the Son decides to reveal him.²³ 11:28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 11:29 Take my yoke²⁴ on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 11:30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.”

12:1 At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on a Sabbath. His¹ disciples were hungry, and they began to pick the grain and eat.12:2 When² the Pharisees³ saw this they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing something illegal⁴ on the Sabbath.” 12:3 He⁵ said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and those with him were hungry— 12:4 how he went into the house of God and they ate⁶ the bread of presentation, which was not lawful for him or those with him to eat, but only for the priests? 12:5 Or have you not read in the law that the priests in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are not guilty? 12:6 I⁷ tell you that something greater than the temple is here.12:7 If⁸ you had known what this means: ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice,’⁹ you would not have condemned the innocent. 12:8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

12:9Then¹⁰ Jesus¹¹ left that place and went into their synagogue.¹²12:10 A¹³ man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him,¹⁴ “Is it lawful¹⁵ to heal on the Sabbath?” so that they could accuse him.12:11 He¹⁶ said to them, “Would not anyone of you, if he had one sheep that fell into a pit on the Sabbath, take hold of it and lift it out? 12:12 How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 12:13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So¹⁷ he stretched it out and it was restored, as healthy as the other. 12:14 But the Pharisees¹⁸ went out and plotted against him, as to how they could assassinate¹⁹ him.

12:15Now when Jesus learned of this, he went away from there. Great²⁰ crowds²¹ followed him, and he healed them all. 12:16 But he sternly warned them not to make him known. 12:17This fulfilled what was spoken by Isaiah the prophet:²²

12:18 “Here is my servant whom I have chosen,
my loved one, in whom I²³ take great delight.
I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
12:19 He will not quarrel or cry out,
nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
12:20 He will not break a bruised reed or extinguish a smoldering wick,
until he brings justice to victory.
12:21 And in his name the Gentiles²⁴ will hope.”²⁵

12:22 Then they brought to him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute. Jesus²⁶ healed him so that he could speak and see.²⁷ 12:23 All the crowds were amazed and said, “Could this one be the Son of David?” 12:24 But when the Pharisees²⁸ heard this they said, “He does not cast out demons except by Beelzebul, the ruler of demons!”12:25 Now when he²⁹ became aware of what they were thinking, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed, and no town or household divided against itself will stand. 12:26 So if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 12:27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? For this reason they will be your judges. 12:28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has already come on³⁰ you. 12:29 How³¹ else can someone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can thoroughly plunder the house. 12:30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 12:31For this reason I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 12:32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven.³² But anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven,³³ neither in this age nor the age to come.

12:33“Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is known by its fruit.12:34Offspring of vipers! How are you able to say anything good, since you are evil? For the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart. 12:35 The good man³⁴ brings good things out of a good treasure, and the evil man brings evil things out of an evil treasure. 12:36 I³⁵ tell you that on the day of judgment, people will give an account for every worthless word they speak. 12:37 For by your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned.”

12:38 Then some of the experts in the law³⁶ along with some Pharisees³⁷ answered him,³⁸ “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” 12:39 But he answered them,³⁹ “An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 12:40 For just as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish⁴⁰ for three days and three nights,⁴¹ so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.12:41 The people⁴² of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; yet⁴³ something greater than Jonah is here! 12:42 The Queen of the South will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; yet⁴⁴ something greater than Solomon is here!

12:43 “When⁴⁵ an unclean spirit goes out of a person, it travels through waterless places looking for rest, and does not find it.12:44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house that I came from.’ When it returns⁴⁶ it finds the house⁴⁷ empty, swept clean and put in order. 12:45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter in and live there; and the final condition of that person is worse than the first. It will be that way for this evil generation as well!”

12:46 While he was still speaking to the crowds,⁴⁸ his mother and brothers came and⁴⁹ stood outside, asking⁵⁰ to speak to him.12:47 Someone⁵¹ told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside wanting⁵² to speak to you.” 12:48 To the one who had said this, Jesus⁵³ replied,⁵⁴ “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” 12:49 And pointing⁵⁵ toward his disciples he said, “These⁵⁶ are my mother and my brothers!12:50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

13:1On that day after Jesus went out of the house he sat by the sea. 13:2And such a great crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat to sit while¹ the whole crowd stood on the shore. 13:3 He² told them many things in parables, saying: “Pay attention!³ A sower went out to sow. 13:4 And as he sowed, some seed fell along the way, and the birds came and ate it up. 13:5 Other⁴ seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because it did not have enough depth of earth,13:6 but when the sun came up, it was scorched; and since it did not have a root, it withered. 13:7 Other⁵ seed fell among thorns, that grew up and choked it. 13:8 Other⁶ seed fell on good soil and it produced grain, some a hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty. 13:9The one who has ears, listen!”

13:10Then⁷ the disciples came to him and said, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 13:11He replied,⁸ “You have been given the opportunity to know the secrets⁹ of the kingdom of heaven, but they have not. 13:12 For whoever has will be given more, and will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.13:13 For this reason I speak to them in parables—that although they see they do not see and although they hear they do not hear nor do they understand.13:14 And concerning them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

‘You will listen carefully¹⁰ yet will never understand,
you will look closely¹¹ yet will never comprehend.
13:15 For the heart of this people has become dull;
they¹² are hard of hearing,
and they have shut their eyes,
so that they would not see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’¹³

13:16“But your eyes are blessed because they see, and your ears because they hear. 13:17 I tell you the truth,¹⁴ many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

13:18“So listen to the parable of the sower:13:19 When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches what was sown in his heart; this is the seed sown along the way.13:20 What¹⁵ was sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word of God and immediately receives it with joy. 13:21But this one has no root and does not endure;¹⁶ when¹⁷ trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he falls away. 13:22 What¹⁸ was sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but worldly cares and wealthy pleasures choke the word, so it produces nothing. 13:23 But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands. He bears fruit, yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.”¹⁹

13:24 He gave them another parable:²⁰ “The kingdom of heaven is like a person who sowed good seed in his field.13:25 But while everyone was sleeping, an enemy came and sowed weeds²¹ among the wheat and went away.13:26 When²² the plants sprouted and bore grain, then the weeds also appeared.13:27 So the slaves²³ of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?’ 13:28 He²⁴ said, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So²⁵ the slaves²⁶ replied, ‘Do you want us to go and gather them?’ 13:29 But he said, ‘No, since in gathering the weeds you may uproot the wheat with them.13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At²⁷ harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned, but then²⁸ gather²⁹ the wheat into my barn.”’”

13:31 He gave³⁰ them another parable:³¹ “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed³² that a person took and sowed in his field. 13:32It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest garden plant and becomes a tree,³³ so that the birds of the sky³⁴ come and live in its branches.”

13:33He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and added to³⁵ three measures³⁶ of flour until all the dough had risen.”³⁷

13:34 Jesus spoke all these things in parables to the crowds; he did not speak to them without a parable. 13:35 This fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet:³⁸

“I will open my mouth in parables,
I will announce what has been hidden from the foundation of the world.”³⁹

13:36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” 13:37 He⁴⁰ answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.13:38 The⁴¹ field is the world and the good seed are the people⁴² of the kingdom. The⁴³ weeds are the people⁴⁴ of the evil one, 13:39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The⁴⁵ harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.13:40 As⁴⁶ the weeds are collected and burned with fire, so it will be at the end of the age.13:41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom everything that causes sin as well as all lawbreakers.⁴⁷ 13:42 They will throw them into the fiery furnace,⁴⁸ where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 13:43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.⁴⁹ The one who has ears, listen!

13:44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, hidden in a field, thata person found and hid. Then because of joy he went and sold all that he had and bought that field.

13:45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. 13:46 When⁵⁰ he found a pearl of great value, he went out and sold everything he had and bought it.

13:47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea that caught all kinds of fish. 13:48 When it was full, they pulled it ashore, sat down, and put the good fish into containers and threw the bad away. 13:49 It will be this way at the end of the age. Angels will come and separate the evil from the righteous 13:50 and throw them into the fiery furnace,⁵¹ where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

13:51 “Have you understood all these things?” They replied, “Yes.”13:52 Then he said to them, “Therefore every expert in the law⁵² who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his treasure what is new and old.”

13:53 Now when⁵³ Jesus finished these parables, he went away from there.13:54 Then he⁵⁴ came to his hometown and taught them in their synagogue.⁵⁵ They⁵⁶ were amazed and said, “Where did this man get such wisdom and miraculous powers? 13:55 Isn’t he the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother called Mary? And aren’t his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 13:56 And aren’t all his sisters here with us? Where then did he get these things?” 13:57And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own hometown and in his own house.”13:58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.

14:1At that time Herod the tetrarch¹ heard reports about Jesus, 14:2 and he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead! And for this reason powers are at work in him.”14:3(Now Herod had arrested John, bound him,² and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife; 14:4 for John had repeatedly told³ him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”)⁴ 14:5 Although⁵ he wanted to kill John, he feared the crowd, because they accepted him as a prophet. 14:6 But on Herod’s birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod, 14:7 so much that he promised with an oath⁶ to give her whatever she asked. 14:8 Instructed⁷ by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” 14:9 The king⁸ was grieved, but because of his oath and the guests he commanded it to be given;14:10 and he sent and had John beheaded in the prison. 14:11 His⁹ head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother.14:12Then John’s¹⁰ disciples came and took the body and buried it and went and told Jesus.

14:13 Now when Jesus heard this he went away from there privately in a boat to an isolated place. But the crowd heard about it¹¹ and followed him on foot from the towns.14:14 As he got out he saw the great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.14:15 As¹² it became evening his disciples came to him saying, “This is an isolated place and the hour is already late. Send the crowds away so that they can go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”14:16 But he¹³ said to them, “They do not need to go. You give them something to eat.”14:17 They¹⁴ said to him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.” 14:18 “Bring them here to me,” he said.14:19 Then¹⁵ he instructed the crowds to recline for a meal on the grass, and he took the five loaves and two fish, and looking up to heaven he gave thanks. Then he broke the loaves and passed them to the disciples,¹⁶ who in turn gave them to the crowds.¹⁷14:20 They¹⁸ all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve full baskets of leftover pieces.14:21 Not counting women and children, the number of men who ate was about five thousand.

14:22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, while he sent away the crowds.14:23 And after he dispersed the crowds, he went up into the mountain by himself to pray. When¹⁹ evening came, he was there alone.14:24Meanwhile the boat, already far from land,²⁰ was taking a beating from the waves, because the wind was against it. 14:25 As the night was ending,²¹ Jesus came to them walking on the sea.14:26 When²² the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified and said, “It is a ghost!” and cried out with fear.14:27 But immediately he²³ spoke to them:²⁴ “Have courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” 14:28 Peter²⁵ said to him,²⁶ “Lord, if it is you, order me to come to you on the water.” 14:29 So he said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. 14:30 But when he saw the strong wind he became afraid. And starting to sink, he cried out,²⁷ “Lord, save me!” 14:31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”14:32 When²⁸ they went up into the boat, the wind ceased.14:33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

14:34After they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret.²⁹14:35 When the people there recognized him, they sent word into all the surrounding area. Then³⁰ they brought all their sick to him,14:36 and asked if³¹ they could only touch the edge of his cloak. And all who touched it were healed.

15:1Then Pharisees¹ and experts in the law² came from Jerusalem to Jesus and said,³ 15:2 “Why do your disciples disobey the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their⁴ hands when they eat.”⁵15:3 He answered them,⁶ “And why do you disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition? 15:4 For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’⁷ and ‘Whoever insults his father or mother must be put to death.’⁸ 15:5But you say, ‘If someone says to his father or mother, “Whatever benefit you would have received from me is given to God,”⁹ 15:6 he certainly does not honor his father.’ You nullify the word of God on account of your tradition.15:7 Hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly concerning you when he said,

15:8 ‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their hearts¹⁰ are far from me;
15:9 and they worship me in vain,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”¹¹

15:10Then Jesus¹² called the crowd to him and said,¹³ “Listen and understand. 15:11What defiles a person is not what goes into the mouth; it is what¹⁴ comes out of the mouth that defiles a person.” 15:12Then the disciples came to him and said, “Do you know that when the Pharisees¹⁵ heard this saying they were offended?” 15:13 And he replied,¹⁶ “Every plant that my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted. 15:14 Leave them! They are blind guides. If one blind person leads another blind person both will fall into a pit.” 15:15 But Peter¹⁷ said to him, “Explain this parable to us.”15:16 Jesus¹⁸ said, “Even after all this, are you still without understanding? 15:17 Do you not understand that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach and then passes out into the latrine? 15:18 But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a person. 15:19 For out of the heart come evil opinions, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 15:20 These are the things that defile a person; it is not eating with unwashed hands that defiles a person.” ¹⁹

15:21 After going out of that place, Jesus went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 15:22 A²⁰ Canaanite woman from that area came²¹ and cried out,²² “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is horribly demon-possessed!” 15:23 But he did not answer her a word. Then²³ his disciples came²⁴ and begged him,²⁵ “Send her away, because she keeps on crying out after us.”15:24 So²⁶ he answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 15:25 But she came²⁷ and bowed down²⁸ before him and said,²⁹ “Lord, help me!” 15:26 “It is not right³⁰ to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs,”³¹ he said.³²15:27 “Yes, Lord,” she said, “but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” 15:28 Then³³ Jesus answered her, “Woman, your faith is great! Let what you want be done for you.” And her daughter was healed from that hour.

15:29When he left there, Jesus went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up a mountain, where he sat down.15:30 Then³⁴ great crowds came to him bringing with them the lame, blind, crippled, mute, and many others. They³⁵ laid them at his feet, and he healed them. 15:31 As a result, the crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing, and they praised the God of Israel.

15:32 Then Jesus called the³⁶ disciples and said, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have already been here with me three days and they have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry since they may faint from exhaustion³⁷ on the way.” 15:33 The³⁸ disciples said to him, “Where can we get enough bread in this desolate place to feed so great a crowd?” 15:34 Jesus³⁹ said to them, “How much bread do you have?” They⁴⁰ replied, “Seven loaves and a few small fish.” 15:35 After instructing the crowd to sit down on the ground, 15:36 he took the seven loaves and the fish; and after giving thanks, he broke them and began distributing them to the disciples, who then distributed them to the crowd.⁴¹ 15:37 They⁴² all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up seven baskets full of pieces left over. 15:38 Not counting children and women,⁴³ there were four thousand men who ate.⁴⁴ 15:39 After sending away the crowd, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.⁴⁵

16:1 Now when the Pharisees¹ and Sadducees² came to test Jesus,³ they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. 16:2 He⁴ said, “When evening comes you say, ‘It will be fair weather, because the sky is red,’ 16:3 and in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, because the sky is red and darkening.’⁵ You know how to judge correctly the appearance of the sky,⁶ but you cannot evaluate the signs of the times. 16:4 A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” And he left them and went away.

16:5 When the disciples went to the other side, they forgot to take bread. 16:6 “Watch out,” Jesus said to them, “beware of the yeast of the Pharisees⁷ and Sadducees.”⁸ 16:7 So⁹ they debated among themselves, saying, “It is because we brought no bread.” 16:8 When he was aware of this,¹⁰ Jesus said, “People of little faith, why are you arguing¹¹ among yourselves about having no bread? 16:9 Don’t you understand yet? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you took up?16:10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand and how many baskets you took up? 16:11 How could you not understand that I did not speak to you about bread? But beware of the yeast of the Pharisees¹² and Sadducees!”¹³ 16:12Then they understood that he had not told them to keep on guard against the yeast in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees¹⁴ and Sadducees.¹⁵

16:13 When¹⁶ Jesus came to the area of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples,¹⁷ “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”16:14 They¹⁸ answered, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”16:15 He said to them, “And who do you say that I am?” 16:16 Simon Peter¹⁹ answered, “You are the Christ,²⁰ the Son of the living God.” 16:17And Jesus answered him,²¹ “You are blessed, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven! 16:18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades²² will not overpower it. 16:19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on the earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven.” 16:20 Then he instructed his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.²³

16:21From that time on²⁴ Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and experts in the law,²⁵ and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 16:22 So Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid,²⁶ Lord! This must not happen to you.” 16:23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, because you are not thinking the thoughts of God, but of men.”²⁷ 16:24Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 16:25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life on account of me will find it. 16:26 For what does it benefit a person if he gains the whole world but forfeits his soul?²⁸ Or what can a person give in exchange for his soul?16:27 For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.²⁹ 16:28 I tell you the truth,³⁰ there are some standing here who will not³¹ taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

17:1 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, his brother, and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. 17:2 And he was transfigured before them. His¹ face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.17:3 Then Moses² and Elijah also appeared to them, talking with him. 17:4 So³ Peter said⁴ to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, I will make three shelters⁵—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 17:5 While he was still speaking, a⁶ bright cloud surrounded them, and a voice from the cloud said,⁷ “This is my one dear Son,⁸ in whom I take great delight. Listen to him!” 17:6 When the disciples heard this, they were overwhelmed with fear and threw themselves down with their faces to the ground.⁹ 17:7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Do not be afraid.” 17:8 When¹⁰ they looked up, all they saw was Jesus alone.

17:9 As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them,¹¹ “Do not tell anyone about the vision until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” 17:10The¹² disciples asked him,¹³ “Why then do the experts in the law¹⁴ say that Elijah must come first?” 17:11 He¹⁵ answered, “Elijah does come first and will restore all things. 17:12 And I tell you that Elijah has already come. Yet they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wanted. In¹⁶ the same way, the Son of Man will suffer at their hands.” 17:13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them about John the Baptist.

17:14 When¹⁷ they came to the crowd, a man came to him, knelt before him, 17:15 and said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, because he is epileptic¹⁸ and suffers terribly, for he often falls into the fire and into the water. 17:16 I¹⁹ brought him to your disciples, but they were not able to heal him.” 17:17 Jesus²⁰ answered, “You unbelieving and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you?²¹ How long must I endure you? Bring him here to me.”17:18 Then²² Jesus rebuked the demon and it came out of him; and the child was healed from that moment. 17:19 Then the disciples came²³ to Jesus privately and said, “Why weren’t we able to cast it out?” 17:20 He²⁴ told them, “It was because of your little faith. I tell you the truth,²⁵ if you have faith like a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; nothing²⁶ will be impossible for you.”²⁷

17:22When²⁸ they gathered together in Galilee, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men, 17:23 and they will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised.” And they became greatly distressed.

17:24 After²⁹ they arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax³⁰ came to Peter and said, “Your teacher pays the double drachma tax, doesn’t he?” 17:25 He said, “Yes.” When Peter came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first,³¹ “What do you think, Simon? From whom do earthly kings collect tolls or taxes—from their sons³² or from foreigners?” 17:26 After³³ he said, “From foreigners,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons³⁴ are free. 17:27 But so that we do not offend them, go to the sea and throw out a hook. Take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth, you will find a four drachma coin.³⁵Take that and give it to them for me and you.”

18:1At that time the disciples came to Jesus saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 18:2 He called a child whom he stood among them 18:3and said, “I tell you the truth,¹ unless you turn around and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven! 18:4 Whoever² humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 18:5 And whoever welcomes a child like this in my name welcomes me.

18:6“But if anybody causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,³ it would be better for him to have a huge millstone⁴hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.18:7 Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks. It⁵ is necessary that stumbling blocks come, but woe to the person through whom they come.18:8If⁶ your hand or your foot causes you to sin,⁷ cut it off and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have⁸ two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 18:9 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, than to have⁹ two eyes and be thrown into fiery hell.¹⁰

18:10“See that you do not disdain one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.¹¹18:12 What do you think? If someone owns a hundred sheep and one goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go look for the one that went astray?18:13 And if he finds it, I tell you the truth,¹² he will rejoice more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. 18:14In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that one of these little ones be lost.

18:15“If¹³ your brother sins,¹⁴ go and show him his fault¹⁵ when the two of you are alone. If he listens to you, you have regained your brother.18:16But if he does not listen, take one or two others with you, that ‘at the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter may be established.’¹⁶ 18:17 If¹⁷ he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. If¹⁸ he refuses to listen to the church, treat him like¹⁹ a Gentile or tax collector.²⁰

18:18 “I tell you the truth,²¹ whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven. 18:19 Again, I tell you the truth,²² if two of you on earth agree about whatever they ask, my Father in heaven will do it for them.²³18:20 For where two or three are assembled in my name, I am there among them.”

18:21Then Peter came to him and said, “Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother²⁴ who sins against me? As many as seven times?” 18:22 Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, I tell you, but seventy-seven times.²⁵

18:23 “For this reason, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves.²⁶ 18:24 As²⁷ he began settling his accounts, a man who owed ten thousand talents²⁸ was brought to him.18:25 Because²⁹ he was not able to repay, the lord ordered him to be sold, along with³⁰ his wife, children and whatever he possessed, and repayment to be made. 18:26 Then the slave³¹ threw himself to the ground prostrate³² before him, saying, ‘Be patient with me, and I will repay you everything.’ 18:27 The³³ lord had compassion on that slave³⁴ and released him, and forgave him the debt. 18:28 After³⁵ he went out, that same slave³⁶ found one of his fellow slaves who owed him one hundred silver coins;³⁷ then³⁸ he grabbed him by the throat and started to choke him,³⁹ saying, ‘Pay back what you owe!’ 18:29Then his fellow slave threw himself down and begged him,⁴⁰ ‘Be patient with me, and I will repay you.’ 18:30 But he refused. Instead, he went out and threw him in prison until he repaid the debt. 18:31 When⁴¹ his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were very upset and went and told their lord everything that had happened.18:32 Then his lord called the first slave⁴² and said to him, ‘Evil slave!⁴³ I forgave you all that debt because you begged me! 18:33 Should you not have shown mercy to your fellow slave, just as I showed it to you?’ 18:34 And in anger his lord turned him over to the prison guards to torture him⁴⁴ until he repaid all he owed. 18:35 So also my heavenly Father will do to you, if each of you does not forgive your⁴⁵ fellow believer⁴⁶ from your heart.”

19:1Now when¹ Jesus finished these sayings, he left Galilee and went to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan River.² 19:2 Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

19:3Then some Pharisees³ came to him. Testing him they asked, “Is it lawful⁴ to divorce a wife for any cause?” 19:4 He⁵ answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’⁶ 19:5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be united with his wife, and the two will be one flesh’?⁷19:6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. So then, what God has joined together, no one is to separate.” 19:7 They said to him, “Why then did Moses command us ‘to give a legal document and to divorce’?”⁸ 19:8 Jesus⁹ said to them, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were so hard, but from the beginning it was not this way. 19:9Now I say to you that whoever divorces his wife (except for immorality) and marries another commits adultery.”19:10 The¹⁰ disciples said to him, “If this is the case of a husband with a wife, it is better not to marry!” 19:11 He¹¹ said to them, “Not everyone can accept this statement, except those to whom it has been given. 19:12 For there are some eunuchs who were that way from birth,¹² and some who were made eunuchs by others,¹³ and some who became eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who is able to accept this should accept it.”

19:13 Then little children were brought to him, so that he would lay his hands on them and pray. His¹⁴ disciples criticized them sharply. 19:14 But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to prevent them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 19:15 And he placed his hands on them and went on his way.¹⁵

19:16 Then¹⁶ someone came to him and said, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to gain eternal life?”19:17 He¹⁷ said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? Only one is good. If¹⁸ you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 19:18 “Which ones?” he asked. Jesus¹⁹ replied, “‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false witness, 19:19 honor your father and mother’²⁰ and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”²¹ 19:20 The young man said to him, “I have kept all these things. What do I still lack?”19:21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give the proceeds²² to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.²³ Then come, follow me.” 19:22When²⁴ the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had many possessions.²⁵

19:23Then Jesus said his disciples, “I tell you the truth,²⁶ it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. 19:24 Again I say,²⁷ it is easier for a camel²⁸ to go through the eye of a needle²⁹ than for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of God.” 19:25 The³⁰ disciples were greatly astonished when they heard this and said, “Then who can be saved?” 19:26 Jesus³¹ looked at them and said, “This is impossible with people, but with God all things are possible.” 19:27 Then Peter said³² to him, “We³³ have left everything and followed you. What then will there be for us?” 19:28 Jesus³⁴ said to them, “I tell you the truth,³⁵ you who have followed me, in the age when all things are renewed,³⁶ when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you also will sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 19:29 And whoever has left houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or children, or fields because of me³⁷ will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 19:30But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

20:1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner¹ who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.20:2 And after agreeing with the workers for the standard wage,² he sent them into his vineyard. 20:3 When it was about nine o’clock in the morning,³ he went out again and saw others standing around in the marketplace without work. 20:4 And he said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and I will give you whatever is right.’ 20:5 So they went. When⁴ he went out again about noon and three o’clock that afternoon,⁵ he did the same thing. 20:6And about five o’clock that afternoon⁶ he went out and found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why are you standing here all day without work?’ 20:7 They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go and work in the vineyard too.’ 20:8When⁷ it was evening⁸ the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the workers and give the pay⁹ starting with the last hired until the first.’ 20:9 When those hired about five o’clock came, each received a full day’s pay.¹⁰ 20:10 And when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more. But each one also received the standard wage. 20:11 When¹¹ they received it, they began to complain¹² against the landowner, 20:12 saying, ‘These last fellows worked one hour, and you have made them equal to us who bore the hardship and burning heat of the day.’ 20:13 And the landowner¹³ replied to one of them,¹⁴ ‘Friend, I am not treating you unfairly. Didn’t you agree with me to work for the standard wage?¹⁵ 20:14 Take what is yours and go. I¹⁶ want to give to this last man¹⁷ the same as I gave to you. 20:15 Am I not¹⁸ permitted to do what I want with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’¹⁹ 20:16So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

20:17 As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve²⁰ aside privately and said to them on the way, 20:18 “We²¹ are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the experts in the law;²² they will condemn him to death,20:19 and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged severely²³ and crucified. And on the third day, he will be raised!”

20:20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling down she asked something from him.20:21 He²⁴ said to her, “What do you want?” She said, “Permit²⁵ these two sons of mine to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left,²⁶ in your kingdom.” 20:22 Jesus²⁷ answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup I am about to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” 20:23 He told them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right and left is not mine to give. Rather, it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” 20:24 When the other ten²⁸ heard this,²⁹ they were angry with the two brothers. 20:25 But Jesus called them and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high position use their authority over them. 20:26 It must not be this way among you! But whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant. 20:27 And whoever wants to be first must be your slave³⁰— 20:28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

20:29 As they were going out of Jericho, a large crowd followed them. 20:30 Two³¹ blind men were sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by they shouted out,³² “Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David!” 20:31The³³ crowd criticized them sharply to get them to be quiet. But they shouted even more loudly, “Have mercy on us,³⁴ Son of David!” 20:32 Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.³⁵ 20:33 “Lord,” they said to him, “let our eyes be opened.” 20:34Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately³⁶ they received their sight and followed him.

21:1 Now¹ when they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage,² at the Mount of Olives,³ Jesus sent two of his disciples,21:2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you.⁴ Right away you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 21:3 If anyone says anything to you, you are to say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” 21:4 This⁵ took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet:⁶

21:5 “Tell the daughter of Zion,
‘Look, your king is coming to you,
unassuming and seated on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”⁷

21:6 So⁸ the disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 21:7 They brought the donkey and the colt, and placed their cloaks on them, and he sat on them.21:8 A⁹ great crowd spread their cloaks on the way. Others¹⁰ cut branches from the trees and spread them on the way. 21:9 The¹¹ crowds that went ahead of him and those following were shouting,¹² “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!¹³ Hosanna in the highest!” 21:10As he entered Jerusalem the whole city was thrown into an uproar,¹⁴ saying, “Who is this?” 21:11 And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.”

21:12 Then¹⁵ Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all those who were selling and buying in the temple courts, and turned over the tables of the moneychangers and the chairs of those selling doves. 21:13 And he said to them, “It is written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer’;¹⁶ but you are turning it into a den¹⁷ of robbers.”¹⁸

21:14The blind and lame came to him in the temple courts, and he healed them. 21:15 But when the chief priests and the experts in the law¹⁹ saw the wonderful things he did, and heard the children crying out in the temple courts,²⁰ “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant 21:16 and said to him, “Do you hear what they are saying?” Jesus²¹ said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouths of children and nursing infants you have prepared praise for yourself’?”²² 21:17 And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.

21:18Now²³ early in the morning, as he returned to the city, he was hungry. 21:19 And seeing a fig tree²⁴ by the road he went to it, but found nothing on it except leaves. He²⁵ said to it, “Never again will there be fruit from you!” And the fig tree withered at once. 21:20When the disciples saw it they were amazed, saying, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” 21:21 Jesus²⁶ answered them, “I tell you the truth,²⁷ if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be picked up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.21:22 And whatever you ask in prayer, if you believe,²⁸ you will receive.”

21:23 Now after Jesus²⁹ entered the temple courts, the chief priests and elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 21:24 Jesus³⁰ answered, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. 21:25 Where did John’s baptism come from? From heaven or from men?”³¹ They³² discussed this with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 21:26 But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the crowd, for they all consider John to be a prophet.” 21:27 So³³ they answered Jesus,³⁴ “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

21:28 “What³⁵ do you think? A man had two sons. He³⁶ went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 21:29 The boy answered,³⁷ ‘I will not.’ But later he had a change of heart³⁸ and went. 21:30 The father³⁹ went to the other son and said the same thing. This boy answered,⁴⁰ ‘I will, sir,’ but did not go.21:31Which of the two did his father’s will?” They said, “The first.”⁴¹ Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth,⁴² tax collectors and prostitutes will go ahead of you into the kingdom of God!21:32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe. Although⁴³ you saw this, you did not later change your minds⁴⁴ and believe him.

21:33 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner⁴⁵ who planted a vineyard. He put a fence around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a watchtower. Then⁴⁶ he rented it to tenant farmers and went on a journey.21:34 When⁴⁷ the harvest time was near, he sent his slaves⁴⁸ to the tenants to collect his portion of the crop. 21:35 But the tenants seized his slaves,⁴⁹ beat one, killed another and stoned another. 21:36 Then⁵⁰ he sent other slaves,⁵¹ more than the first, and they treated them the same way. 21:37 Finally⁵² he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 21:38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and get his inheritance!’ 21:39So⁵³ they seized him,⁵⁴ threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 21:40 Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 21:41 They said to him, “He will put those evil men to a miserable death, and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants who will give him his portion at the harvest.”

21:42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures:

‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.⁵⁵
This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?⁵⁶

21:43 For this reason I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people⁵⁷ that will produce its fruit. 21:44The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and the one on whom it falls will be crushed.”⁵⁸ 21:45When⁵⁹ the chief priests and the Pharisees⁶⁰ heard his parables, they knew that he was speaking about them.21:46 They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.

22:1 Jesus spoke¹ to them again in parables, saying:22:2 “The kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. 22:3 He sent his slaves² to summon those who had been invited to the banquet, but they would not come. 22:4 Again he sent other slaves,³ saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Look! The feast I have prepared for you is ready.⁴ My oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.”’ 22:5 But they were indifferent and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. 22:6 The⁵ rest seized his slaves,⁶ insolently mistreated them, and killed them. 22:7 The⁷ king was furious! He sent his soldiers who put those murderers to death⁸ and set their town⁹ on fire. 22:8 Then he said to his slaves,¹⁰ ‘The wedding is ready, but the ones who had been invited were not worthy. 22:9 So go into the main streets and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ 22:10 And those slaves¹¹ went out into the streets and gathered all they found, both bad and good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. 22:11But when the king came in to see the wedding guests, he saw a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 22:12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ But he had nothing to say.¹² 22:13 Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Tie him up hand and foot and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!’ 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”

22:15 Then the Pharisees¹³ went out and planned together to entrap him with his own words.¹⁴ 22:16 They sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful, and teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You¹⁵ do not court anyone’s favor because you do not show partiality. 22:17 Tell us then, what do you think? Is it right¹⁶ to pay taxes¹⁷ to Caesar¹⁸ or not?”

22:18 But Jesus knew their evil intentions and said, “Hypocrites! Why are you testing me? 22:19Show me the coin used for the tax.” So¹⁹ they brought him a denarius.²⁰ 22:20 Jesus²¹ said to them, “Whose likeness²² is this and whose inscription?” 22:21 “Caesar’s,” they said. “Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s,” he²³ said.22:22 Now when they heard this they were stunned;²⁴ and they left him and went away.

22:23 The same day Sadducees²⁵ (who say there is no resurrection)²⁶ came to him. And they asked him, 22:24 “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and have children²⁷ for his brother.’²⁸ 22:25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children he left his wife to his brother. 22:26 The second did the same, and the third, down to the seventh.22:27 Last²⁹ of all, the woman died. 22:28 In the resurrection, then, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had married her.” 22:29Jesus³⁰ answered them, “You are misled, because you don’t know the scriptures or the power of God. 22:30 For at the resurrection, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.22:31 But as for the resurrection, have you not read what was spoken to you by God,³¹22:32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?³² He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” 22:33 When the crowds heard this, they were amazed at his teaching.

22:34 Now³³ when the Pharisees³⁴ heard that he had silenced the Sadducees,³⁵ they assembled together.³⁶ 22:35 And one of them, an expert in religious law,³⁷ asked him a question to test³⁸ him: 22:36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”³⁹ 22:37 Jesus⁴⁰ said to him, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’⁴¹ 22:38 This is the first and greatest⁴² commandment. 22:39 A second is like it, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’⁴³ 22:40 All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments.”

22:41 While⁴⁴ the Pharisees⁴⁵ were assembled Jesus asked them a question:⁴⁶22:42 “What do you think about the Christ?⁴⁷ Whose son is he?” They said, “The son of David.” 22:43 He said to them, “How then does David by the Spirit call him ‘Lord,’ saying, 22:44 ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet”’?⁴⁸ 22:45 If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” 22:46No one⁴⁹ was able to answer him a word, and from that day on no one dared to question him any longer.

23:1Then Jesus said to the crowds and his disciples,23:2 “The¹ experts in the law² and the Pharisees³ sit on Moses’ seat. 23:3 Therefore pay attention to what they tell you and do it. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they teach.⁴ 23:4 They⁵ tie up heavy loads, hard to carry, and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. 23:5 They⁶ do all their deeds to be seen by people, for they make their phylacteries⁷ wide and their tassels⁸ long. 23:6They⁹ love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues,¹⁰ 23:7 and to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have people call them ‘Rabbi.’ 23:8 But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher and you are all brothers. 23:9 And call no one your ‘father’ on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 23:10 Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one teacher, the Christ.¹¹ 23:11The¹² greatest among you will be your servant. 23:12And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

23:13 “But woe to you experts in the law¹³ and you Pharisees,¹⁴ hypocrites! You keep locking people out of the kingdom of heaven!¹⁵ For you neither enter nor permit those trying to enter to go in.¹⁶

23:15 “Woe to you experts in the law¹⁷ and you Pharisees,¹⁸ hypocrites! You cross land and sea to make one convert,¹⁹ and when you get one,²⁰ you make him twice as much a child of hell²¹ as yourselves!

23:16 “Woe to you blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing. But whoever swears by the gold of the temple is bound by the oath.’ 23:17 Blind fools! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 23:18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing. But if anyone swears by the gift on it is bound by the oath.’ 23:19 You are blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 23:20 So whoever swears by the altar, swears by it and by everything on it. 23:21 And whoever swears by the temple, swears by it and the one who dwells in it. 23:22 And whoever swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and the one who sits on it.

23:23 “Woe to you experts in the law²² and you Pharisees,²³ hypocrites! You give a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin,²⁴ yet you neglect what is more important in the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness! You²⁵ needed to do these without neglecting the other. 23:24 Blind guides! You strain out a gnat yet swallow a camel!²⁶

23:25 “Woe to you, experts in the law²⁷ and you Pharisees,²⁸ hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.23:26 Blind Pharisee!²⁹ First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside may become clean too!

23:27 “Woe to you, experts in the law³⁰ and you Pharisees,³¹ hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of the bones of the dead and of everything unclean.³² 23:28 In the same way, on the outside you look righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

23:29 “Woe to you, experts in the law³³ and you Pharisees,³⁴ hypocrites! You³⁵ build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves³⁶ of the righteous. 23:30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our forefathers,³⁷ we would not have participated with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 23:31 By saying this you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 23:32 Fill up then the measure of your forefathers!³⁸ 23:33 You snakes, you offspring of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?³⁹

23:34 “For this reason I⁴⁰ am sending you prophets and wise men and experts in the law,⁴¹ some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog⁴² in your synagogues⁴³ and pursue from town to town,23:35so that on you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah,⁴⁴ whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 23:36 I tell you the truth,⁴⁵ this generation will be held responsible for all these things.⁴⁶

23:37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How many times I wanted to gather your children together, like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 23:38 Look, your house is left to you desolate!23:39 For I tell you, you will not see me from now until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’”⁴⁷

24:1 Now¹ as Jesus was going out of the temple courts and walking away, his disciples came to show him the temple buildings. 24:2 And he answered them,² “Do you see all these things? I tell you the truth,³ not one stone will be left here on another. All will be torn down.”⁴

24:3As⁵ he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us when these things will happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”24:4 Jesus answered them,⁶ “Watch out that no one leads you astray. 24:5 For many will come in my name, saying, “I am the Christ,”⁷ and they will lead many astray. 24:6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Make sure that you are not alarmed, for this must happen, but it is not yet the end. 24:7 For nation will rise up in arms⁸ against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines⁹ and earthquakes in various places. 24:8 All¹⁰ these things are the beginning of birth pains.

24:9“Then they will hand you over to be persecuted and will kill you. You will be hated by all the nations¹¹ because of my name. 24:10 Then many will be led into sin,¹² and they will betray one another and hate one another. 24:11 And many false prophets will appear and deceive¹³ many; 24:12 and because lawlessness will increase so much, the love of many will grow cold.24:13 But the person who endures to the end will be saved. 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole inhabited earth as a testimony to all the nations,¹⁴ and then the end will come.

24:15“So when you see ‘the abomination of desolation’¹⁵—spoken about by Daniel the prophet—standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 24:16 then those in Judea must escape to the mountains.24:17 The one on the roof¹⁶ must not go down¹⁷ to take anything out of his house, 24:18 and the one in the field must not go back to get his cloak. 24:19 Woe¹⁸ to those who are pregnant and to nursing mothers in those days!24:20 Pray¹⁹ that your flight will not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 24:21 For then there will be great persecution,²⁰ unlike anything that has happened from the beginning of the world until now, or ever will happen. 24:22 And if those days had not been reduced in number, no one would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be reduced in number. 24:23Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’²¹ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe him. 24:24 For false Christs²² and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to lead astray (if possible) even the elect. 24:25 Remember,²³ I have told you ahead of time.24:26So then, if someone²⁴ says to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’²⁵ do not go out; or ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 24:27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, that is the way the coming of the Son of Man will be. 24:28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures²⁶ will be gathered.

24:29 “Immediately²⁷ after the persecution²⁸ of those days,

‘The sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven,
and the powers of heaven will be shaken.’²⁹

24:30 “Then³⁰ the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven,³¹ and³² all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They³³ will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven³⁴ with power and great glory. 24:31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet blast, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven³⁵ to the other.

24:32 “Learn³⁶ this parable from the fig tree: whenever its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 24:33 So too, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the gates. 24:34 I tell you the truth,³⁷ this generation will not pass away until all these things occur. 24:35Heaven and earth will pass away, but these words of mine will never pass away.

24:36 “Now concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven,³⁸ except the Father alone. 24:37For just like the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be.24:38 For in those days before the flood, people³⁹ were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark. 24:39 And they knew nothing until the flood came and took them all away. It will be the same at the coming of the Son of Man.⁴⁰ 24:40 Then there will be two in the field; one will be taken and one left. 24:41Two women will be grinding with a mill;⁴¹ one will be taken and one left.

24:42“Therefore be alert, because you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.24:43 But understand this: if the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have been alert and would not have let his house be broken into.24:44 Therefore you be ready too, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

24:45 “Who then is the faithful and wise slave,⁴² whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves⁴³ their food at the proper time? 24:46 That slave⁴⁴ whom his master finds doing this when he returns will be blessed.24:47 I tell you the truth,⁴⁵ he will put him in charge of all his possessions.24:48 But if that evil slave⁴⁶ says to himself,⁴⁷ ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ 24:49 and he begins to beat his fellow slaves and to eat and drink with drunkards, 24:50 that slave’s⁴⁸ master will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not foresee. 24:51The master⁴⁹ will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

25:1 “At that time, the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 25:2 Five¹ of the virgins² were foolish, and five were wise. 25:3 When³ the foolish ones took their lamps, they did not take olive oil⁴ with them. 25:4But the wise ones took flasks of olive oil with their lamps. 25:5 When⁵ the bridegroom took his time in coming, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 25:6 But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is here! Come out to meet him.’⁶ 25:7 Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 25:8 The⁷ foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ 25:9 But the wise said, ‘No! There will not be enough for you and for us. Go instead to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ 25:10 But while they had gone to buy it, the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went inside with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. 25:11 Later,⁸ the other virgins came too, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open the door⁹ for us.’ 25:12 But he replied,¹⁰ ‘I tell you the truth,¹¹ I do not know you!’ 25:13Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour.

25:14 “For it is like a man going on a journey, who summoned his slaves¹² and entrusted his property to them.25:15 To¹³ one he gave five talents,¹⁴ to another two, and to another one, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.25:16 The one who had received five talents went off right away and put his money to work¹⁵ and gained five more.25:17 In the same way, the one who had two gained two more. 25:18 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. 25:19 After¹⁶ a long time, the master of those slaves¹⁷ came and settled his accounts with them.25:20 The¹⁸ one who had received the five talents came and brought five more, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ 25:21 His master answered,¹⁹ ‘Well done, good and faithful slave!²⁰ You have been faithful in a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’25:22 The²¹ one with the two talents also came, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more.’ 25:23 His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave!²² You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 25:24 Then the one who had received the one talent came, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed, 25:25 so²³ I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ 25:26 But his master answered,²⁴ ‘Evil and lazy slave!²⁵ So you knew that I harvest where I didn’t sow and gather where I didn’t scatter? 25:27 Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers,²⁶ and on my return I would have received my money back with interest!25:28 Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 25:29For the one who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 25:30 And throw that worthless slave²⁷ into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

25:31 “When²⁸ the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 25:32 All²⁹ the nations will be assembled before him, and he will separate people one from another like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.25:33 He³⁰ will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 25:34 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. 25:35 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,25:36 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.’ 25:37Then the righteous will answer him,³¹ ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 25:38 When³² did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or naked and clothe you?25:39 When³³ did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’25:40 And the king will answer them,³⁴ ‘I tell you the truth,³⁵ just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me.’

25:41 “Then he will say³⁶ to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed,³⁷ into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels! 25:42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. 25:43 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.’25:44 Then they too will answer,³⁸ ‘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?’ 25:45 Then he will answer them,³⁹ ‘I tell you the truth,⁴⁰ just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.’ 25:46And these will depart into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

26:1 When¹ Jesus had finished saying all these things, he told his disciples, 26:2 “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be handed over² to be crucified.” 26:3Then the chief priests and the elders of the people met together in the palace of the high priest, who was named Caiaphas. 26:4 They³ planned to arrest Jesus by treachery and kill him.26:5 But they said, “Not during the feast, so that there will not be a riot among the people.”

26:6 Now while Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, 26:7 a woman came to him with an alabaster flask⁴ of expensive perfumed oil,⁵ and she poured it on his head as he was at the table.⁶26:8 When⁷ the disciples saw this, they were angry and said, “Why this waste? 26:9 For this could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.” 26:10When⁸ Jesus learned of this, he said to them, “Why do you bother this woman? She⁹ has done a good service for me. 26:11 For you will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. 26:12 When¹⁰ she poured this oil on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. 26:13 I tell you the truth,¹¹ wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”

26:14 Then one of the twelve, the one named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests26:15 and said, “What will you give me to betray him to you?”¹² So they set out thirty silver coins for him. 26:16 From that time¹³ on Judas¹⁴ looked for an opportunity to betray him.

26:17 Now¹⁵ on the first day of the feast of¹⁶ Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus and said,¹⁷ “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” 26:18 He¹⁸ 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.’” 26:19 So¹⁹ the disciples did as Jesus had instructed them and prepared the Passover. 26:20 When²⁰ it was evening, he took his place at the table²¹ with the twelve.26:21And while they were eating he said, “I tell you the truth,²² one of you will betray me.” 26:22 They²³ became deeply grieved²⁴ and each one began to say to him, “Surely not I, Lord?”26:23 He²⁵ answered, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. 26:24 The Son of Man will go as it is written about him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for that man if he had not been born.” 26:25 Then²⁶ Judas, who would betray him, said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?” Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself.”

26:26 While²⁷ they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after giving thanks he broke it and gave it to his disciples and said, “Take, eat, this is my body.” 26:27 And after taking the cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, 26:28 for this is my blood of the covenant²⁸ that is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 26:29 I²⁹ tell you, from now on I will not drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” 26:30After³⁰ singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

26:31 Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night, for it is written: ‘I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’³¹ 26:32 But after I am raised, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” 26:33 Peter³² said to him, “Though all fall away because of you, I will never fall away!” 26:34Jesus said to him, “I tell you the truth,³³ on this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” 26:35 Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And all the disciples said the same thing.

26:36 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.” 26:37 Then he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and became anguished and distressed. 26:38 Then he said to them, “I am in deep anguish,³⁴ even to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch³⁵ with me.” 26:39 Going³⁶ a little farther, he threw himself down with his face to the ground and prayed,³⁷ “My Father, if possible,³⁸ let this cup pass from me! Yet not what I will, but what you will.” 26:40 Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. He³⁹ said to Peter, “So, couldn’t you stay alert⁴⁰ with me for one hour? 26:41 Stay alert and pray so that you will not come to the time of testing.⁴¹ The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 26:42 He went away a second time and prayed,⁴² “My Father, if it is not possible for this to pass away unless I drink it, your will must be done.” 26:43 And when he came again, he found them sleeping, because they could not keep their eyes open.⁴³ 26:44 So he left them again and went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same thing once more. 26:45 Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and relaxing? Look, the hour is approaching, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 26:46 Get up, let us go. Look! My betrayer⁴⁴ is approaching!”

26:47 While he was still speaking, Judas⁴⁵ (one of the twelve) came and with him a large crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and elders of the people.26:48 (Now the betrayer⁴⁶ had given them a sign, saying, “The one I kiss is the man.⁴⁷ Arrest him!”)⁴⁸ 26:49Immediately⁴⁹ he came to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi,” and kissed him.26:50 Jesus⁵⁰ said to him, “Friend, do what you are here to do.” Then they came and took hold⁵¹ of Jesus and arrested him. 26:51 But⁵² one of those with Jesus grabbed⁵³ his sword, drew it out and struck the slave⁵⁴ of the high priest, cutting off his ear.26:52 Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back in its place!⁵⁵ For all who take hold of the sword will die by the sword. 26:53 Or do you think that I cannot call on my Father, and that he would send me more than twelve legions⁵⁶ of angels right now? 26:54 How then would the scriptures that say it must happen this way be fulfilled?” 26:55 At that hour Jesus said to the crowd, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me like you would a robber? Day after day I sat teaching in the temple courts, yet⁵⁷ you did not seize me. 26:56 But all this has happened so that the scriptures of the prophets would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and ran away.

26:57 Now⁵⁸ the ones who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the experts in the law⁵⁹ and the elders had gathered. 26:58 But Peter was following him from a distance, all the way to the courtyard of the high priest. After⁶⁰ going in, he sat with the officers⁶¹ to see the outcome. 26:59 The⁶² chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were trying to find false testimony against Jesus so that they could put him to death.26:60 But they did not find anything, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally⁶³ two came forward26:61 and said, “This man⁶⁴ said, ‘I can destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’” 26:62 So⁶⁵ the high priest stood up and said to him, “Do you have no answer? What is this that they are testifying against you?” 26:63 But Jesus remained silent. The⁶⁶ high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ,⁶⁷ the Son of God.” 26:64 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 hand⁶⁸ of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”⁶⁹ 26:65 Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, “He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? Now⁷⁰ you have heard the blasphemy! 26:66 What is you verdict?”⁷¹ They⁷² answered, “He is guilty and deserves⁷³ death.” 26:67 Then they spat in his face and struck him with their fists. And some slapped him, 26:68 saying, “Prophesy for us, you Christ!⁷⁴ Who hit you?⁷⁵”

26:69 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A⁷⁶ slave girl came to him and said, “You were with Jesus the Galilean too.” 26:70 But he denied it in front of them all, saying, “I don’t know what you are talking about!” 26:71 When⁷⁷ he went out to the gateway, another slave girl⁷⁸ saw him and said to the people there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 26:72 And he denied it again with an oath, “I do not know the man!”26:73 After⁷⁹ a little while, those standing there came up to Peter and said, “You really are one of them too, because⁸⁰ your accent⁸¹ shows it clearly.” 26:74 At that he began to curse and swear, “I do not know the man!” And immediately the rooster crowed. 26:75 Then Peter remembered that Jesus had said, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

27:1 When¹ it was early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people plotted against Jesus to execute him. 27:2 They² tied him up, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate the governor.

27:3 Now when³ Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that he had been condemned, he regretted what he had done and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders, 27:4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? You take care of it yourself!” 27:5 So⁴ Judas threw the silver coins into the temple and left. Then he went out and hanged himself. 27:6 The⁵ chief priests took the silver and said, “It is not lawful to put this into the temple treasury, since it is blood money.” 27:7 After⁶ consulting together they bought the Potter’s Field with it, as a burial place for foreigners. 27:8 For this reason that field has been called the ‘Field of Blood’ to this day.27:9 Then what was spoken by Jeremiah⁷ the prophet was fulfilled:

“They took the thirty silver coins,
the price of the one whose price had been set by the people of Israel,⁸
27:10 and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”⁹

27:11 Then¹⁰ Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him,¹¹ “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus¹² said, “You say so yourself.” 27:12 But when he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he did not respond. 27:13 Then Pilate said to him, “Don’t you hear how many charges they are bringing against you?” 27:14 But he did not answer even one accusation, so that the governor was quite amazed.

27:15 During the feast the governor was accustomed to release one prisoner to the crowd, whomever they wanted. 27:16 At that time they had in custody a notorious prisoner called Jesus¹³ Barabbas. 27:17 So after they had assembled, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus¹⁴ Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Christ?”¹⁵ 27:18 (For he knew that they had handed him over because of envy.)¹⁶ 27:19 As¹⁷ he was sitting on the judgment seat,¹⁸ his wife sent a message¹⁹ to him,²⁰ “Do not have anything to do with that innocent man, because I have suffered greatly as a result of a dream²¹ about him today.” 27:20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed.27:21 The²² governor asked them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas!” 27:22 Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called the Christ?”²³ They all said, “Crucify him!”²⁴ 27:23 And he asked, “Why, what wrong has he done?” But they shouted more insistently, “Crucify him!”

27:24 When²⁵ Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but that instead a riot was starting, he took some water, washed his hands before the crowd and said, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. You take care of it yourselves!”²⁶ 27:25 In²⁷ reply all the people said, “Let his blood be on us and on our children!” 27:26 Then he released Barabbas for them. But after he had Jesus flogged²⁸ he handed him over to be crucified. 27:27Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the governor’s residence²⁹ and gathered the whole cohort³⁰ around him. 27:28They³¹ stripped him and put a scarlet robe around him, 27:29 and after plaiting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head. They³² put a staff³³ in his right hand, and kneeling down before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 27:30 They³⁴ spat on him and took the staff³⁵ and hit him repeatedly³⁶ on the head.27:31When³⁷ they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

27:32 As³⁸ they were going out, they found a man from Cyrene named Simon, whom they drafted to carry his cross. 27:33They³⁹ came to a place called Golgotha⁴⁰ (which means ‘Place of the Skull’)⁴¹ 27:34 and offered Jesus⁴² wine mixed with gall to drink. But after tasting it, he would not drink it. 27:35 When⁴³ they had crucified him, they divided his clothes by throwing dice.⁴⁴27:36 Then they sat down and kept guard over him there. 27:37 Above⁴⁵ his head they put the charge against him, that read as follows:⁴⁶ “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” 27:38Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.27:39 Those⁴⁷ who passed by defamed him, shaking their heads 27:40 and saying, “You who can destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If⁴⁸ you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!”27:41 In⁴⁹ the same way the chief priests along with the experts in the law⁵⁰ and elders were mocking him, saying, 27:42 “He saved others, but he cannot save himself! He is the King of Israel! If he comes down⁵¹ now from the cross, we will believe in him! 27:43 He trusts in God—let God, if he wills, deliver him now, because he said, ‘I am the Son of God!’” 27:44The⁵² robbers who were crucified with him also spoke abusively to him.

27:45 Now from⁵³ noon until three o’clock,⁵⁴ darkness came over all the land. 27:46 At⁵⁵ about three o’clock Jesus shouted with a loud voice,⁵⁶ “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”⁵⁷ 27:47 When⁵⁸ some of those standing there heard it, they said, “This one is calling for Elijah.” 27:48 Immediately⁵⁹ one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine,⁶⁰ put it on a stick,⁶¹ and gave it to him to drink. 27:49 But the rest said, “Leave him alone. Let us see if Elijah will come to save him.” 27:50 Then Jesus cried out again in a loud voice and gave up his spirit. 27:51 Just then⁶² the temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom. The⁶³ earth shook and the rocks were split apart. 27:52 Tombs also were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had died⁶⁴ were raised. 27:53 (They⁶⁵ came out of the tombs after his resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.) 27:54 Now when the centurion⁶⁶ and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and what took place, they were extremely terrified and said, “Truly this one was God’s Son!” 27:55Many⁶⁷ women who had followed Jesus from Galilee and supported⁶⁸ him were also there, watching from a distance. 27:56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

27:57 Now⁶⁹ when it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus.27:58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered that it be given to him.27:59 Joseph⁷⁰ took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth27:60 and placed it⁷¹ in his own new tomb that he had cut in the rock. Then he rolled a great stone in the door⁷² of the tomb and went away. 27:61 (Now Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there, opposite the tomb.)

27:62 The⁷³ next day (which is after the day of preparation) the chief priests and the Pharisees⁷⁴ assembled before Pilate 27:63 and said, “Sir, we remember that while that deceiver was still alive he said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 27:64 So give orders to secure the tomb until the third day. Otherwise his disciples may come and steal his body⁷⁵ and say to the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.” 27:65 Pilate said to them, “Take⁷⁶ a guard of soldiers. Go and make it as secure as you can.” 27:66 So⁷⁷ they went with the soldiers⁷⁸ of the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.

28:1 Now¹ after the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 28:2 And² there was a severe earthquake, for an angel³ of the Lord descending from heaven came and rolled back the stone, and sat on it.28:3 His⁴ appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 28:4 The⁵ guards were shaken and became like dead men because they were so afraid of him. 28:5 But the angel said⁶ to the women, “Do not be afraid, because I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 28:6 He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said. Come and see the place where he was lying. 28:7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead. He⁷ is going ahead of you into Galilee. You will see him there.’ Listen, I have told you.” 28:8 So⁸ they left the tomb quickly, with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 28:9But⁹ Jesus met them, saying, “Greetings!” They¹⁰ came to him, held on to his feet and worshiped him.28:10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee. They will see me there.”

28:11 While¹¹ they were going, some¹² of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests everything that had happened. 28:12 After¹³ they had assembled with the elders and formed a plan, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, 28:13 telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came at night and stole his body¹⁴ while we were asleep.’ 28:14 If¹⁵ this matter is heard before the governor,¹⁶ we will satisfy him¹⁷ and keep you out of trouble.”¹⁸ 28:15 So they took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story is told among the Jews to this day.¹⁹

28:16 So²⁰ the eleven disciples went to Galilee to the mountain Jesus had designated. 28:17 When²¹ they saw him, they worshiped him,²² but some doubted.²³ 28:18 Then Jesus came up and said to them,²⁴ “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 28:19 Therefore go²⁵ and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 28:20 teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember,²⁶ I am with you²⁷ always, to the end of the age.”