MATTHEW
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An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the
son of David, the son of Abraham. 2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac
the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah
the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and
Hezron the father of Aram, 4 and Aram the father of Aminadab, and Aminadab the
father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 and Salmon the father of
Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of
Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of King David. And David was the father of Solomon
by the wife of Uriah, 7 and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the
father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, 8 and Asaph the father of
Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of
Uzziah, 9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and
Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the
father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.
12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Salathiel,
and Salathiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud,
and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 and Azor the
father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud,
15 and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and
Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of
Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah. 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 the Messiah, fourteen generations. 18 Now the birth of Jesus the
Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph,
but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy
Spirit. 19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her
to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. 20 But just when he had
resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
"Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child
conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you are to
name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." 22 All this took
place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 "Look,
the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,"
which means, "God is with us." 24 When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the
angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, 25 but had no marital
relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.
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In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of
Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, "Where is the child
who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and
have come to pay him homage." 3 When King Herod heard this, he was frightened,
and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and calling together all the chief priests and
scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5
They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the
prophet: 6 'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least
among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my
people Israel.'" 7 Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from
them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8 Then he sent them to
Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have
found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." 9 When they
had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that
they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child
was. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.
11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they
knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they
offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in
a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
13 Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream
and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain
there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy
him." 14 Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to
Egypt, 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what
had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, "Out of Egypt I have called my
son." 16 When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was
infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who
were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the
wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet
Jeremiah: 18 "A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel
weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more."
19 When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph
in Egypt and said, 20 "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." 21 Then Joseph
got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. 22 But
when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod,
he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to
the district of Galilee. 23 There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so
that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, "He will be
called a Nazorean."
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In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of
Judea, proclaiming, 2 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." 3 This
is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, "The voice of one
crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths
straight.'" 4 Now John wore clothing of camel's hair with a leather belt around
his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then the people of
Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the
Jordan, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their
sins. 7 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said
to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8
Bear fruit worthy of repentance. 9 Do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have
Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise
up children to Abraham. 10 Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees;
every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into
the fire. 11 "I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more
powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He
will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his
hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the
granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." 13 Then Jesus came
from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have
prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" 15
But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way
to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus had been
baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to
him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17
And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well
pleased."
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Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be
tempted by the devil. 2 He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he
was famished. 3 The tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God,
command these stones to become loaves of bread." 4 But he answered, "It is
written, 'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from
the mouth of God.'" 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on
the pinnacle of the temple, 6 saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw
yourself down; for it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you,'
and 'On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot
against a stone.'" 7 Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'Do not put the
Lord your God to the test.'" 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain
and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; 9 and he said
to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." 10
Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! for it is written, 'Worship the Lord
your God, and serve only him.'" 11 Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels
came and waited on him. 12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he
withdrew to Galilee. 13 He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the
sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 so that what had been spoken
through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 15 "Land of Zebulun, land of
Naphtali, on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles--
16 the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat
in the region and shadow of death light has dawned." 17 From that time Jesus
began to proclaim, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." 18 As he
walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter,
and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea--for they were fishermen. 19
And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people." 20
Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 As he went from there, he
saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat
with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. 22
Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him. 23 Jesus went
throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news
of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people. 24
So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought to him all the sick,
those who were afflicted with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics,
and paralytics, and he cured them. 25 And great crowds followed him from
Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.
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When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he
sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to speak, and taught them,
saying: 3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 "Blessed are the
meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 "Blessed are those who hunger and
thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 "Blessed are the merciful,
for they will receive mercy. 8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see
God. 9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10
"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven. 11 "Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you
and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be
glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted
the prophets who were before you. 13 "You are the salt of the earth; but if salt
has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for
anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. 14 "You are the light of
the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. 15 No one after lighting a lamp
puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all
in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that
they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. 17 "Do not
think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to
abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass
away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until
all is accomplished. 19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these
commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the
kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great
in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds
that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
21 "You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, 'You shall not
murder'; and 'whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.' 22 But I say to you
that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment;
and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if
you say, 'You fool,' you will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So when you are
offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has
something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go; first
be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. 25
Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with
him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard,
and you will be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will never get out
until you have paid the last penny. 27 "You have heard that it was said, 'You
shall not commit adultery.' 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a
woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your
right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you
to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30
And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is
better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into
hell. 31 "It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a
certificate of divorce.' 32 But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife,
except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever
marries a divorced woman commits adultery. 33 "Again, you have heard that it was
said to those of ancient times, 'You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the
vows you have made to the Lord.' 34 But I say to you, Do not swear at all,
either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his
footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not
swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let your
word be 'Yes, Yes' or 'No, No'; anything more than this comes from the evil one.
38 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a
tooth.' 39 But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes
you on the right cheek, turn the other also; 40 and if anyone wants to sue you
and take your coat, give your cloak as well; 41 and if anyone forces you to go
one mile, go also the second mile. 42 Give to everyone who begs from you, and do
not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you. 43 "You have heard that it was
said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I say to you,
Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be
children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on
the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. 46 For if you
love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors
do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are
you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Be perfect,
therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
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"Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be
seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 "So
whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do
in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others.
Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give alms, do
not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your alms
may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 5
"And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand
and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen
by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6 But whenever you
pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in
secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7 "When you are
praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that
they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your
Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 "Pray then in this way: Our
Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be
done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And
forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And do not bring
us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. 14 For if you forgive
others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; 15 but if
you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. 16
"And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they
disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell
you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head
and wash your face, 18 so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by
your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward
you. 19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust
consume and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but store up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do
not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be
also. 22 "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your
whole body will be full of light; 23 but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole
body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great
is the darkness! 24 "No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate
the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You
cannot serve God and wealth. 25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your
life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you
will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look
at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and
yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And
can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? 28 And why do
you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they
neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not
clothed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field,
which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more
clothe you--you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What will
we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?' 32 For it is the
Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows
that you need all these things. 33 But strive first for the kingdom of God and
his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 "So do
not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's
trouble is enough for today.
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"Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. 2 For with the
judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the
measure you get. 3 Why do you see the speck in your neighbor's eye, but do not
notice the log in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your neighbor, 'Let me
take the speck out of your eye,' while the log is in your own eye? 5 You
hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly
to take the speck out of your neighbor's eye. 6 "Do not give what is holy to
dogs; and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under
foot and turn and maul you. 7 "Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you
will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 8 For everyone who asks
receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door
will be opened. 9 Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread,
will give a stone? 10 Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? 11 If
you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much
more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him! 12 "In
everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law
and the prophets. 13 "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and
the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. 14
For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are
few who find it. 15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's
clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their
fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? 17 In the same
way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A
good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every
tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus
you will know them by their fruits. 21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord,
Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of
my Father in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not
prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of
power in your name?' 23 Then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; go away
from me, you evildoers.' 24 "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and
acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25 The rain
fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not
fall, because it had been founded on rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words
of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house
on sand. 27 The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat
against that house, and it fell--and great was its fall!" 28 Now when Jesus had
finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, 29 for
he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.
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When Jesus had come down from the mountain, great crowds followed
him; 2 and there was a leper who came to him and knelt before him, saying,
"Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean." 3 He stretched out his hand and
touched him, saying, "I do choose. Be made clean!" Immediately his leprosy was
cleansed. 4 Then Jesus said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go,
show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a
testimony to them." 5 When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him,
appealing to him 6 and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in
terrible distress." 7 And he said to him, "I will come and cure him." 8 The
centurion answered, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but
only speak the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I also am a man under
authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes, and to
another, 'Come,' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this,' and the slave does
it." 10 When Jesus heard him, he was amazed and said to those who followed him,
"Truly I tell you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. 11 I tell you,
many will come from east and west and will eat with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob
in the kingdom of heaven, 12 while the heirs of the kingdom will be thrown into
the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." 13 And
to the centurion Jesus said, "Go; let it be done for you according to your
faith." And the servant was healed in that hour. 14 When Jesus entered Peter's
house, he saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever; 15 he touched her
hand, and the fever left her, and she got up and began to serve him. 16 That
evening they brought to him many who were possessed with demons; and he cast out
the spirits with a word, and cured all who were sick. 17 This was to fulfill
what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah, "He took our infirmities and
bore our diseases." 18 Now when Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave
orders to go over to the other side. 19 A scribe then approached and said,
"Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." 20 And Jesus said to him, "Foxes
have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to
lay his head." 21 Another of his disciples said to him, "Lord, first let me go
and bury my father." 22 But Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury
their own dead." 23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him.
24 A windstorm arose on the sea, so great that the boat was being swamped by the
waves; but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him up, saying, "Lord, save
us! We are perishing!" 26 And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, you of
little faith?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a
dead calm. 27 They were amazed, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even the
winds and the sea obey him?" 28 When he came to the other side, to the country
of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs coming out of the tombs met him. They were so
fierce that no one could pass that way. 29 Suddenly they shouted, "What have you
to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?" 30
Now a large herd of swine was feeding at some distance from them. 31 The demons
begged him, "If you cast us out, send us into the herd of swine." 32 And he said
to them, "Go!" So they came out and entered the swine; and suddenly, the whole
herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the water. 33 The
swineherds ran off, and on going into the town, they told the whole story about
what had happened to the demoniacs. 34 Then the whole town came out to meet
Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their neighborhood.
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And after getting into a boat he crossed the sea and came to his
own town. 2 And just then some people were carrying a paralyzed man lying on a
bed. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son;
your sins are forgiven." 3 Then some of the scribes said to themselves, "This
man is blaspheming." 4 But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, said, "Why do you
think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are
forgiven,' or to say, 'Stand up and walk'? 6 But so that you may know that the
Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"--he then said to the
paralytic--" Stand up, take your bed and go to your home." 7 And he stood up and
went to his home. 8 When the crowds saw it, they were filled with awe, and they
glorified God, who had given such authority to human beings. 9 As Jesus was
walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said
to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. 10 And as he sat at dinner
in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and
his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why
does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" 12 But when he heard
this, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who
are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For
I have come to call not the righteous but sinners." 14 Then the disciples of
John came to him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your
disciples do not fast?" 15 And Jesus said to them, "The wedding guests cannot
mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? The days will come when
the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16 No one sews
a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak, for the patch pulls away from the
cloak, and a worse tear is made. 17 Neither is new wine put into old wineskins;
otherwise, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are
destroyed; but new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved."
18 While he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader of the synagogue
came in and knelt before him, saying, "My daughter has just died; but come and
lay your hand on her, and she will live." 19 And Jesus got up and followed him,
with his disciples. 20 Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from
hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his
cloak, 21 for she said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be made
well." 22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, "Take heart, daughter; your
faith has made you well." And instantly the woman was made well. 23 When Jesus
came to the leader's house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a
commotion, 24 he said, "Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping." And
they laughed at him. 25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and
took her by the hand, and the girl got up. 26 And the report of this spread
throughout that district. 27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed
him, crying loudly, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!" 28 When he entered the
house, the blind men came to him; and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I
am able to do this?" They said to him, "Yes, Lord." 29 Then he touched their
eyes and said, "According to your faith let it be done to you." 30 And their
eyes were opened. Then Jesus sternly ordered them, "See that no one knows of
this." 31 But they went away and spread the news about him throughout that
district. 32 After they had gone away, a demoniac who was mute was brought to
him. 33 And when the demon had been cast out, the one who had been mute spoke;
and the crowds were amazed and said, "Never has anything like this been seen in
Israel." 34 But the Pharisees said, "By the ruler of the demons he casts out the
demons." 35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their
synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every
disease and every sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for
them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37
Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are
few; 38 therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his
harvest."
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Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority
over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every
sickness. 2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known
as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3
Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of
Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who
betrayed him. 5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Go
nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6 but go rather
to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim the good news,
'The kingdom of heaven has come near.' 8 Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse
the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment.
9 Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, 10 no bag for your journey,
or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for laborers deserve their food. 11
Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there
until you leave. 12 As you enter the house, greet it. 13 If the house is worthy,
let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to
you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the
dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. 15 Truly I tell you, it
will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment
than for that town. 16 "See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of
wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 Beware of them, for
they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; 18 and you
will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them
and the Gentiles. 19 When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to
speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at
that time; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father
speaking through you. 21 Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his
child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; 22 and
you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end
will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for
truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before
the Son of Man comes. 24 "A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above
the master; 25 it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the
slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul,
how much more will they malign those of his household! 26 "So have no fear of
them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret
that will not become known. 27 What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light;
and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. 28 Do not fear those
who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both
soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of
them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 And even the hairs of
your head are all counted. 31 So do not be afraid; you are of more value than
many sparrows. 32 "Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also
will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; 33 but whoever denies me before
others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven. 34 "Do not think that I
have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a
sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter
against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and
one's foes will be members of one's own household. 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; 38 and whoever does not take up the cross and
follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Those who find their life will lose it, and
those who lose their life for my sake will find it. 40 "Whoever welcomes you
welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Whoever
welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward; and
whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will
receive the reward of the righteous; 42 and whoever gives even a cup of cold
water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple--truly I tell you,
none of these will lose their reward."
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Now when Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he
went on from there to teach and proclaim his message in their cities. 2 When
John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples 3
and said to him, "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for
another?" 4 Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the
blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf
hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. 6 And
blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me." 7 As they went away, Jesus began
to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to
look at? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 What then did you go out to see? Someone
dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. 9
What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a
prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written, 'See, I am sending my
messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.' 11 Truly I tell
you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist;
yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of
John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the
violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until
John came; 14 and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come.
15 Let anyone with ears listen! 16 "But to what will I compare this generation?
It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, 17
'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not
mourn.' 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a
demon'; 19 the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a
glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is
vindicated by her deeds." 20 Then he began to reproach the cities in which most
of his deeds of power had been done, because they did not repent. 21 "Woe to
you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had
been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and
ashes. 22 But I tell you, on the day of judgment it will be more tolerable for
Tyre and Sidon than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to
heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades. For if the deeds of power done in
you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I tell
you that on the day of judgment it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom
than for you." 25 At that time Jesus said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven
and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the
intelligent and have revealed them to infants; 26 yes, Father, for such was your
gracious will. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no
one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 "Come to me, all you that
are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my
yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you
will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
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At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the sabbath;
his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2
When the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, "Look, your disciples are doing
what is not lawful to do on the sabbath." 3 He said to them, "Have you not read
what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He entered the house of
God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him or his
companions to eat, but only for the priests. 5 Or have you not read in the law
that on the sabbath the priests in the temple break the sabbath and yet are
guiltless? 6 I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. 7 But if you
had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not
have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is lord of the sabbath." 9 He
left that place and entered their synagogue; 10 a man was there with a withered
hand, and they asked him, "Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath?" so that they
might accuse him. 11 He said to them, "Suppose one of you has only one sheep and
it falls into a pit on the sabbath; will you not lay hold of it and lift it out?
12 How much more valuable is a human being than a sheep! So it is lawful to do
good on the sabbath." 13 Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He
stretched it out, and it was restored, as sound as the other. 14 But the
Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him. 15 When Jesus
became aware of this, he departed. Many crowds followed him, and he cured all of
them, 16 and he ordered them not to make him known. 17 This was to fulfill what
had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah: 18 "Here is my servant, whom I have
chosen, my beloved, with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon
him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. 19 He will not wrangle or cry
aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. 20 He will not break a
bruised reed or quench a smoldering wick until he brings justice to victory. 21
And in his name the Gentiles will hope." 22 Then they brought to him a demoniac
who was blind and mute; and he cured him, so that the one who had been mute
could speak and see. 23 All the crowds were amazed and said, "Can this be the
Son of David?" 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "It is only by
Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons, that this fellow casts out the demons." 25
He knew what they were thinking and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against
itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26
If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his
kingdom stand? 27 If I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own
exorcists cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by
the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to
you. 29 Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his property,
without first tying up the strong man? Then indeed the house can be plundered.
30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me
scatters. 31 Therefore I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and
blasphemy, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Whoever
speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks
against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age
to come. 33 "Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree
bad, and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of
vipers! How can you speak good things, when you are evil? For out of the
abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person brings good things
out of a good treasure, and the evil person brings evil things out of an evil
treasure. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account
for every careless word you utter; 37 for by your words you will be justified,
and by your words you will be condemned." 38 Then some of the scribes and
Pharisees said to him, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you." 39 But he
answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign
will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For just as Jonah
was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so for three
days and three nights the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth. 41 The
people of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn
it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and see, something
greater than Jonah is here! 42 The queen of the South will rise up at the
judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of
the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and see, something greater than
Solomon is here! 43 "When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it
wanders through waterless regions looking for a resting place, but it finds
none. 44 Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' When it
comes, it finds it empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then it goes and brings
along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and live there;
and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So will it be also
with this evil generation." 46 While he was still speaking to the crowds, his
mother and his brothers were standing outside, wanting to speak to him. 47
Someone told him, "Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside,
wanting to speak to you." 48 But to the one who had told him this, Jesus
replied, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" 49 And pointing to his
disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the
will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."
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That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the
sea. 2 Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat
there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things
in parables, saying: "Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some
seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 Other seeds fell
on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly,
since they had no depth of soil. 6 But when the sun rose, they were scorched;
and since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns,
and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and
brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 Let anyone
with ears listen!" 10 Then the disciples came and asked him, "Why do you speak
to them in parables?" 11 He answered, "To you it has been given to know the
secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to
those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from
those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 13 The reason I
speak to them in parables is that 'seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they
do not listen, nor do they understand.' 14 With them indeed is fulfilled the
prophecy of Isaiah that says: 'You will indeed listen, but never understand, and
you will indeed look, but never perceive. 15 For this people's heart has grown
dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; so that
they might not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and understand
with their heart and turn-- and I would heal them.' 16 But blessed are your
eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 Truly I tell you, 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. 18 "Hear then the parable of the
sower. 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it,
the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was
sown on the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who
hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet such a person has no
root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on
account of the word, that person immediately falls away. 22 As for what was sown
among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and
the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. 23 But as for what was
sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who
indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and
in another thirty." 24 He put before them another parable: "The kingdom of
heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while
everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then
went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared
as well. 27 And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, 'Master, did
you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?' 28
He answered, 'An enemy has done this.' The slaves said to him, 'Then do you want
us to go and gather them?' 29 But he replied, 'No; for in gathering the weeds
you would uproot the wheat along with them. 30 Let both of them grow together
until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the
weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my
barn.'" 31 He put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a
mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; 32 it is the smallest of
all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a
tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches." 33 He
told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman
took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened." 34
Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables; without a parable he told
them nothing. 35 This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet:
"I will open my mouth to speak in parables; I will proclaim what has been hidden
from the foundation of the world." 36 Then he left the crowds and went into the
house. And his disciples approached him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of
the weeds of the field." 37 He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the
Son of Man; 38 the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the
kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed
them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are
angels. 40 Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it
be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will
collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, 42 and they will
throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of
teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their
Father. Let anyone with ears listen! 44 "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure
hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and
sells all that he has and buys that field. 45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is
like a merchant in search of fine pearls; 46 on finding one pearl of great
value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. 47 "Again, the kingdom of
heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind;
48 when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into
baskets but threw out the bad. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The
angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50 and throw them
into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 51
"Have you understood all this?" They answered, "Yes." 52 And he said to them,
"Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like
the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is
old." 53 When Jesus had finished these parables, he left that place. 54 He came
to his hometown and began to teach the people in their synagogue, so that they
were astounded and said, "Where did this man get this wisdom and these deeds of
power? 55 Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And
are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56 And are not all
his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this?" 57 And they took
offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "Prophets are not without honor except
in their own country and in their own house." 58 And he did not do many deeds of
power there, because of their unbelief.
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At that time Herod the ruler heard reports about Jesus; 2 and he
said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist; he has been raised from the
dead, and for this reason these powers are at work in him." 3 For Herod had
arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his
brother Philip's wife, 4 because John had been telling him, "It is not lawful
for you to have her." 5 Though Herod wanted to put him to death, he feared the
crowd, because they regarded him as a prophet. 6 But when Herod's birthday came,
the daughter of Herodias danced before the company, and she pleased Herod 7 so
much that he promised on oath to grant her whatever she might ask. 8 Prompted by
her mother, she said, "Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter."
9 The king was grieved, yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he
commanded it to be given; 10 he sent and had John beheaded in the prison. 11 The
head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, who brought it to her
mother. 12 His disciples came and took the body and buried it; then they went
and told Jesus. 13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat
to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him
on foot from the towns. 14 When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had
compassion for them and cured their sick. 15 When it was evening, the disciples
came to him and said, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send
the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for
themselves." 16 Jesus said to them, "They need not go away; you give them
something to eat." 17 They replied, "We have nothing here but five loaves and
two fish." 18 And he said, "Bring them here to me." 19 Then he ordered the
crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he
looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the
disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 And all ate and were
filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets
full. 21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and
children. 22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead
to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed
the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he
was there alone, 24 but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far
from the land, for the wind was against them. 25 And early in the morning he
came walking toward them on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking
on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in
fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, "Take heart, it is I; do
not be afraid." 28 Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come
to you on the water." 29 He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat, started
walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he noticed the strong
wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save
me!" 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him,
"You of little faith, why did you doubt?" 32 When they got into the boat, the
wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the
Son of God." 34 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. 35
After the people of that place recognized him, they sent word throughout the
region and brought all who were sick to him, 36 and begged him that they might
touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.
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Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and
said, 2 "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do
not wash their hands before they eat." 3 He answered them, "And why do you break
the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God said, 'Honor
your father and your mother,' and, 'Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must
surely die.' 5 But you say that whoever tells father or mother, 'Whatever
support you might have had from me is given to God,' then that person need not
honor the father. 6 So, for the sake of your tradition, you make void the word
of God. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied rightly about you when he said: 8
'This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; 9 in
vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.'" 10 Then he
called the crowd to him and said to them, "Listen and understand: 11 it is not
what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the
mouth that defiles." 12 Then the disciples approached and said to him, "Do you
know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?" 13 He
answered, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.
14 Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person
guides another, both will fall into a pit." 15 But Peter said to him, "Explain
this parable to us." 16 Then he said, "Are you also still without understanding?
17 Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes
out into the sewer? 18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart,
and this is what defiles. 19 For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder,
adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a
person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile." 21 Jesus left that
place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 Just then a Canaanite
woman from that region came out and started shouting, "Have mercy on me, Lord,
Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon." 23 But he did not answer her
at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, "Send her away, for she
keeps shouting after us." 24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of
the house of Israel." 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help
me." 26 He answered, "It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to
the dogs." 27 She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall
from their masters' table." 28 Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, great is your
faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed
instantly. 29 After Jesus had left that place, he passed along the Sea of
Galilee, and he went up the mountain, where he sat down. 30 Great crowds came to
him, bringing with them the lame, the maimed, the blind, the mute, and many
others. They put them at his feet, and he cured them, 31 so that the crowd was
amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed whole, the lame walking, and
the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel. 32 Then Jesus called his
disciples to him and said, "I have compassion for the crowd, because they have
been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to
send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way." 33 The disciples said
to him, "Where are we to get enough bread in the desert to feed so great a
crowd?" 34 Jesus asked them, "How many loaves have you?" They said, "Seven, and
a few small fish." 35 Then ordering the crowd to sit down on the ground, 36 he
took the seven loaves and the fish; and after giving thanks he broke them and
gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 37 And
all of them ate and were filled; and they took up the broken pieces left over,
seven baskets full. 38 Those who had eaten were four thousand men, besides women
and children. 39 After sending away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to
the region of Magadan.
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The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test Jesus they asked
him to show them a sign from heaven. 2 He answered them, "When it is evening,
you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.' 3 And in the morning,
'It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to
interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the
times. 4 An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be
given to it except the sign of Jonah." Then he left them and went away. 5 When
the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. 6
Jesus said to them, "Watch out, and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and
Sadducees." 7 They said to one another, "It is because we have brought no
bread." 8 And becoming aware of it, Jesus said, "You of little faith, why are
you talking about having no bread? 9 Do you still not perceive? Do you not
remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you
gathered? 10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you
gathered? 11 How could you fail to perceive that I was not speaking about bread?
Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!" 12 Then they understood
that he had not told them to beware of the yeast of bread, but of the teaching
of the Pharisees and Sadducees. 13 Now when Jesus came into the district of
Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of
Man is?" 14 And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and
still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15 He said to them, "But who do
you say that I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of
the living God." 17 And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of
Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in
heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my
church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. 19 I will give you
the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound
in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." 20 Then he
sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. 21
From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to
Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief
priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22 And Peter
took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, "God forbid it, Lord! This must
never happen to you." 23 But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan!
You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine
things but on human things." 24 Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any want to
become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow
me. 25 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose
their life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit them if they
gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return
for their life? 27 "For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory
of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. 28 Truly
I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they
see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."
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Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his
brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. 2 And he was
transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes
became dazzling white. 3 Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah,
talking with him. 4 Then Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be
here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses,
and one for Elijah." 5 While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud
overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, "This is my Son, the
Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!" 6 When the disciples heard
this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. 7 But Jesus came and
touched them, saying, "Get up and do not be afraid." 8 And when they looked up,
they saw no one except Jesus himself alone. 9 As they were coming down the
mountain, Jesus ordered them, "Tell no one about the vision until after the Son
of Man has been raised from the dead." 10 And the disciples asked him, "Why,
then, do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" 11 He replied, "Elijah is
indeed coming and will restore all things; 12 but I tell you that Elijah has
already come, and they did not recognize him, but they did to him whatever they
pleased. So also the Son of Man is about to suffer at their hands." 13 Then the
disciples understood that he was speaking to them about John the Baptist. 14
When they came to the crowd, a man came to him, knelt before him, 15 and said,
"Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly; he
often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 And I brought him to your
disciples, but they could not cure him." 17 Jesus answered, "You faithless and
perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I
put up with you? Bring him here to me." 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it
came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly. 19 Then the disciples came to
Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" 20 He said to them,
"Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size
of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and
it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you." 21 22 As they were
gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be
betrayed into human hands, 23 and they will kill him, and on the third day he
will be raised." And they were greatly distressed. 24 When they reached
Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax came to Peter and said, "Does your
teacher not pay the temple tax?" 25 He said, "Yes, he does." And when he came
home, Jesus spoke of it first, asking, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do
kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their children or from others?" 26
When Peter said, "From others," Jesus said to him, "Then the children are free.
27 However, so that we do not give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a
hook; take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will
find a coin; take that and give it to them for you and me."
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At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the
greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" 2 He called a child, whom he put among them,
3 and said, "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you
will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever becomes humble like this child
is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 Whoever welcomes one such child in
my name welcomes me. 6 "If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these
little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone
were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea. 7
Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! Occasions for stumbling are bound
to come, but woe to the one by whom the stumbling block comes! 8 "If your hand
or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away; it is better
for you to enter life maimed or lame than to have two hands or two feet and to
be thrown into the eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear
it out and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life with one eye than
to have two eyes and to be thrown into the hell of fire. 10 "Take care that you
do not despise one of these little ones; for, I tell you, in heaven their angels
continually see the face of my Father in heaven. 11 12 What do you think? If a
shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave
the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?
13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the
ninety-nine that never went astray. 14 So it is not the will of your Father in
heaven that one of these little ones should be lost. 15 "If another member of
the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are
alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. 16 But if you
are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word
may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If the member
refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to
listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax
collector. 18 Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in
heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19 Again,
truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will
be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered
in my name, I am there among them." 21 Then Peter came and said to him, "Lord,
if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As
many as seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him, "Not seven times, but, I tell you,
seventy-seven times. 23 "For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared
to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24 When he began the
reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; 25 and, as
he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and
children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. 26 So the slave fell
on his knees before him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you
everything.' 27 And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and
forgave him the debt. 28 But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of
his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat,
he said, 'Pay what you owe.' 29 Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with
him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' 30 But he refused; then he
went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. 31 When his fellow
slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and
reported to their lord all that had taken place. 32 Then his lord summoned him
and said to him, 'You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you
pleaded with me. 33 Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had
mercy on you?' 34 And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he
would pay his entire debt. 35 So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of
you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart."
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When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and
went to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. 2 Large crowds followed him, and
he cured them there. 3 Some Pharisees came to him, and to test him they asked,
"Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?" 4 He answered, "Have
you not read that the one who made them at the beginning 'made them male and
female,' 5 and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? 6 So they are no
longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one
separate." 7 They said to him, "Why then did Moses command us to give a
certificate of dismissal and to divorce her?" 8 He said to them, "It was because
you were so hard-hearted that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from
the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife,
except for unchastity, and marries another commits adultery." 10 His disciples
said to him, "If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to
marry." 11 But he said to them, "Not everyone can accept this teaching, but only
those to whom it is given. 12 For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth,
and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others, and there are
eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.
Let anyone accept this who can." 13 Then little children were being brought to
him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples spoke
sternly to those who brought them; 14 but Jesus said, "Let the little children
come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of
heaven belongs." 15 And he laid his hands on them and went on his way. 16 Then
someone came to him and said, "Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal
life?" 17 And he said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? There is
only one who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." 18
He said to him, "Which ones?" And Jesus said, "You shall not murder; You shall
not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; 19
Honor your father and mother; also, You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
20 The young man said to him, "I have kept all these; what do I still lack?" 21
Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and
give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come,
follow me." 22 When the young man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he
had many possessions. 23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly I tell you, it
will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell
you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone
who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." 25 When the disciples heard this, they
were greatly astounded and said, "Then who can be saved?" 26 But Jesus looked at
them and said, "For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are
possible." 27 Then Peter said in reply, "Look, we have left everything and
followed you. What then will we have?" 28 Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you,
at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man is seated on the throne of his
glory, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the
twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or
sisters or father or mother or children or fields, for my name's sake, will
receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first
will be last, and the last will be first.
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"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out
early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with
the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 When he
went out about nine o'clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; 4
and he said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever
is right.' So they went. 5 When he went out again about noon and about three
o'clock, he did the same. 6 And about five o'clock he went out and found others
standing around; and he said to them, 'Why are you standing here idle all day?'
7 They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go
into the vineyard.' 8 When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his
manager, 'Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and
then going to the first.' 9 When those hired about five o'clock came, each of
them received the usual daily wage. 10 Now when the first came, they thought
they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. 11
And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, 12 saying,
'These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have
borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.' 13 But he replied to one of
them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual
daily wage? 14 Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last
the same as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what
belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?' 16 So the last will be
first, and the first will be last." 17 While Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he
took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and said to them on the way, 18
"See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to
the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death; 19 then they
will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified; and
on the third day he will be raised." 20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee
came to him with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked a favor of him. 21
And he said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Declare that these two
sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your
kingdom." 22 But Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you
able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?'' They said to him, "We are
able." 23 He said to them, "You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right
hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it
has been prepared by my Father." 24 When the ten heard it, they were angry with
the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to him and said, "You know that the
rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over
them. 26 It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you
must be your servant, 27 and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your
slave; 28 just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give
his life a ransom for many." 29 As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd
followed him. 30 There were two blind men sitting by the roadside. When they
heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted, "Lord, have mercy on us, Son of
David!" 31 The crowd sternly ordered them to be quiet; but they shouted even
more loudly, "Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David!" 32 Jesus stood still and
called them, saying, "What do you want me to do for you?" 33 They said to him,
"Lord, let our eyes be opened." 34 Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their
eyes. Immediately they regained their sight and followed him.
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When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at
the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, "Go into the
village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt
with her; untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you,
just say this, 'The Lord needs them.' And he will send them immediately." 4 This
took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying, 5 "Tell
the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a
donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey." 6 The disciples went and did as
Jesus had directed them; 7 they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their
cloaks on them, and he sat on them. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on
the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9
The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, "Hosanna to
the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna
in the highest heaven!" 10 When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in
turmoil, asking, "Who is this?" 11 The crowds were saying, "This is the prophet
Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee." 12 Then Jesus entered the temple and drove out
all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of
the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 13 He said to them,
"It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer'; but you are making
it a den of robbers." 14 The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and
he cured them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the amazing
things that he did, and heard the children crying out in the temple, "Hosanna to
the Son of David," they became angry 16 and said to him, "Do you hear what these
are saying?" Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read, 'Out of the mouths
of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise for yourself'?" 17 He
left them, went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there. 18 In the
morning, when he returned to the city, he was hungry. 19 And seeing a fig tree
by the side of the road, he went to it and found nothing at all on it but
leaves. Then he said to it, "May no fruit ever come from you again!" And the fig
tree withered at once. 20 When the disciples saw it, they were amazed, saying,
"How did the fig tree wither at once?" 21 Jesus answered them, "Truly I tell
you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what has been done
to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown
into the sea,' it will be done. 22 Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith,
you will receive." 23 When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the
elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, "By what
authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?" 24 Jesus
said to them, "I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then
I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 Did the baptism of
John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?" And they argued with one
another, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say to us, 'Why then did you not
believe him?' 26 But if we say, 'Of human origin,' we are afraid of the crowd;
for all regard John as a prophet." 27 So they answered Jesus, "We do not know."
And he said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these
things. 28 "What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and
said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' 29 He answered, 'I will not';
but later he changed his mind and went. 30 The father went to the second and
said the same; and he answered, 'I go, sir'; but he did not go. 31 Which of the
two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them,
"Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the
kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness
and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed
him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.
33 "Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put
a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he
leased it to tenants and went to another country. 34 When the harvest time had
come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. 35 But the
tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36
Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the
same way. 37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my
son.' 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." 39 So they seized him,
threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 Now when the owner of the
vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" 41 They said to him, "He will
put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants
who will give him the produce at the harvest time." 42 Jesus said to them, "Have
you never read in the scriptures: 'The stone that the builders rejected has
become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is amazing in our
eyes'? 43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you
and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom. 44 The one who
falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom
it falls." 45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they
realized that he was speaking about them. 46 They wanted to arrest him, but they
feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.
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Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: 2 "The
kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his
son. 3 He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding
banquet, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other slaves, saying, 'Tell
those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat
calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding
banquet.' 5 But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to
his business, 6 while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed
them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and
burned their city. 8 Then he said to his slaves, 'The wedding is ready, but
those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore into the main streets, and invite
everyone you find to the wedding banquet.' 10 Those slaves went out into the
streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall
was filled with guests. 11 "But when the king came in to see the guests, he
noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, 12 and he said to him,
'Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?' And he was speechless.
13 Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and throw him
into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 14
For many are called, but few are chosen." 15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted
to entrap him in what he said. 16 So they sent their disciples to him, along
with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach
the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you
do not regard people with partiality. 17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it
lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?" 18 But Jesus, aware of their
malice, said, "Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? 19 Show me
the coin used for the tax." And they brought him a denarius. 20 Then he said to
them, "Whose head is this, and whose title?" 21 They answered, "The emperor's."
Then he said to them, "Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the
emperor's, and to God the things that are God's." 22 When they heard this, they
were amazed; and they left him and went away. 23 The same day some Sadducees
came to him, saying there is no resurrection; and they asked him a question,
saying, 24 "Teacher, Moses said, 'If a man dies childless, his brother shall
marry the widow, and raise up children for his brother.' 25 Now there were seven
brothers among us; the first married, and died childless, leaving the widow to
his brother. 26 The second did the same, so also the third, down to the seventh.
27 Last of all, the woman herself died. 28 In the resurrection, then, whose wife
of the seven will she be? For all of them had married her." 29 Jesus answered
them, "You are wrong, because you know neither the scriptures nor the power of
God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage,
but are like angels in heaven. 31 And as for the resurrection of the dead, have
you not read what was said to you by God, 32 'I am the God of Abraham, the God
of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is God not of the dead, but of the living."
33 And when the crowd heard it, they were astounded at his teaching. 34 When the
Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, 35
and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 "Teacher, which
commandment in the law is the greatest?" 37 He said to him, "'You shall love the
Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your
mind.' 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like
it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 On these two commandments
hang all the law and the prophets." 41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered
together, Jesus asked them this question: 42 "What do you think of the Messiah?
Whose son is he?" They said to him, "The son of David." 43 He said to them, "How
is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying, 44 'The Lord said to
my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet"'? 45
If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?" 46 No one was able to give
him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.
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Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 "The
scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; 3 therefore, do whatever they
teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what
they teach. 4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the
shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move
them. 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their
phylacteries broad and their fringes long. 6 They love to have the place of
honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, 7 and to be greeted with
respect in the marketplaces, and to have people call them rabbi. 8 But you are
not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students. 9
And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father--the one in
heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor,
the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 All who exalt
themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted. 13
"But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you lock people out of
the kingdom of heaven. For you do not go in yourselves, and when others are
going in, you stop them. 14 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
For you cross sea and land to make a single convert, and you make the new
convert twice as much a child of hell as yourselves. 16 "Woe to you, blind
guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the sanctuary is bound by nothing, but
whoever swears by the gold of the sanctuary is bound by the oath.' 17 You blind
fools! For which is greater, the gold or the sanctuary that has made the gold
sacred? 18 And you say, 'Whoever swears by the altar is bound by nothing, but
whoever swears by the gift that is on the altar is bound by the oath.' 19 How
blind you are! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift
sacred? 20 So whoever swears by the altar, swears by it and by everything on it;
21 and whoever swears by the sanctuary, swears by it and by the one who dwells
in it; 22 and whoever swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by the
one who is seated upon it. 23 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
For you tithe mint, dill, and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters
of the law: justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practiced
without neglecting the others. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but
swallow a camel! 25 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you
clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of greed
and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup,
so that the outside also may become clean. 27 "Woe to you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside
look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and of all
kinds of filth. 28 So you also on the outside look righteous to others, but
inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. 29 "Woe to you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the
graves of the righteous, 30 and you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our
ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the
prophets.' 31 Thus you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of
those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your
ancestors. 33 You snakes, you brood of vipers! How can you escape being
sentenced to hell? 34 Therefore I send you prophets, sages, and scribes, some of
whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and
pursue from town to town, 35 so that upon you may come all the righteous blood
shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of
Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 Truly I
tell you, all this will come upon this generation. 37 "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the
city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have
I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her
wings, and you were not willing! 38 See, your house is left to you, desolate. 39
For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is the one who
comes in the name of the Lord.'"
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As Jesus came out of the temple and was going away, his
disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 2 Then he asked
them, "You see all these, do you not? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be
left here upon another; all will be thrown down." 3 When he was sitting on the
Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, "Tell us, when
will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the
age?" 4 Jesus answered them, "Beware that no one leads you astray. 5 For many
will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Messiah!' and they will lead many
astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not
alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will
rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and
earthquakes in various places: 8 all this is but the beginning of the birth
pangs. 9 "Then they will hand you over to be tortured and will put you to death,
and you will be hated by all nations because of my name. 10 Then many will fall
away, and they will betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false
prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because of the increase of
lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the
end will be saved. 14 And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed
throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will
come. 15 "So when you see the desolating sacrilege standing in the holy place,
as was spoken of by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand), 16 then
those in Judea must flee to the mountains; 17 the one on the housetop must not
go down to take what is in the house; 18 the one in the field must not turn back
to get a coat. 19 Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing
infants in those days! 20 Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a
sabbath. 21 For at that time there will be great suffering, such as has not been
from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. 22 And if
those days had not been cut short, no one would be saved; but for the sake of
the elect those days will be cut short. 23 Then if anyone says to you, 'Look!
Here is the Messiah!' or 'There he is!'--do not believe it. 24 For false
messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce great signs and omens, to
lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 Take note, I have told you
beforehand. 26 So, if they say to you, 'Look! He is in the wilderness,' do not
go out. If they say, 'Look! He is in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. 27 For
as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be
the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will
gather. 29 "Immediately after the suffering 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. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will
appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will
see 'the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven' with power and great glory.
31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will
gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 32
"From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and
puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So also, when you see
all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 34 Truly I tell
you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place.
35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 36 "But
about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son,
but only the Father. 37 For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of
the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and
drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark,
39 and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too
will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two will be in the field; one will
be taken and one will be left. 41 Two women will be grinding meal together; one
will be taken and one will be left. 42 Keep awake therefore, for you do not know
on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But understand this: if the owner of the
house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have
stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you
also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour. 45 "Who
then is the faithful and wise slave, whom his master has put in charge of his
household, to give the other slaves their allowance of food at the proper time?
46 Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives. 47
Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all his possessions. 48 But
if that wicked slave says to himself, 'My master is delayed,' 49 and he begins
to beat his fellow slaves, and eats and drinks with drunkards, 50 the master of
that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour that he
does not know. 51 He will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites,
where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
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"Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids
took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish,
and five were wise. 3 When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with
them; 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom
was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a
shout, 'Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' 7 Then all those
bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish said to the wise,
'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' 9 But the wise replied,
'No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the
dealers and buy some for yourselves.' 10 And while they went to buy it, the
bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding
banquet; and the door was shut. 11 Later the other bridesmaids came also,
saying, 'Lord, lord, open to us.' 12 But he replied, 'Truly I tell you, I do not
know you.' 13 Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
14 "For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted
his property to them; 15 to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another
one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 The one who had
received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five
more talents. 17 In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more
talents. 18 But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole
in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 After a long time the master of
those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20 Then the one who had
received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying,
'Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more
talents.' 21 His master said to him, 'Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you
have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things;
enter into the joy of your master.' 22 And the one with the two talents also
came forward, saying, 'Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have
made two more talents.' 23 His master said to him, 'Well done, good and
trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in
charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' 24 Then the one who
had received the one talent also came forward, saying, 'Master, I knew that you
were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not
scatter seed; 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground.
Here you have what is yours.' 26 But his master replied, 'You wicked and lazy
slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I
did not scatter? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers,
and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take
the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. 29 For to all
those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from
those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 30 As for this
worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping
and gnashing of teeth.' 31 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the
angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32 All the nations
will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a
shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will put the sheep at his
right hand and the goats at the left. 34 Then the king will say to those at his
right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you
gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger
and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you
took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' 37 Then the righteous will
answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or
thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38 And when was it that we saw you a
stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it
that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' 40 And the king will answer
them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are
members of my family, you did it to me.' 41 Then he will say to those at his
left hand, 'You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared
for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was
thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not
welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you
did not visit me.' 44 Then they also will answer, 'Lord, when was it that we saw
you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not
take care of you?' 45 Then he will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you
did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' 46 And
these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal
life."
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When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his
disciples, 2 "You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son
of Man will be handed over to be crucified." 3 Then the chief priests and the
elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, who was called
Caiaphas, 4 and they conspired to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. 5 But
they said, "Not during the festival, or there may be a riot among the people." 6
Now while Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, 7 a woman came
to him with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment, and she poured it on his
head as he sat at the table. 8 But when the disciples saw it, they were angry
and said, "Why this waste? 9 For this ointment could have been sold for a large
sum, and the money given to the poor." 10 But Jesus, aware of this, said to
them, "Why do you trouble the woman? She has performed a good service for me. 11
For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. 12 By
pouring this ointment on my body she has prepared me for burial. 13 Truly I tell
you, wherever this good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done
will be told in remembrance of her." 14 Then one of the twelve, who was called
Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, "What will you give me if
I betray him to you?" They paid him thirty pieces of silver. 16 And from that
moment he began to look for an opportunity to betray him. 17 On the first day of
Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Where do you want us to
make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?" 18 He said, "Go into the
city to a certain man, and say to him, 'The Teacher says, My time is near; I
will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.'" 19 So the disciples
did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover meal. 20 When it
was evening, he took his place with the twelve; 21 and while they were eating,
he said, "Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me." 22 And they became
greatly distressed and began to say to him one after another, "Surely not I,
Lord?" 23 He answered, "The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me
will betray me. 24 The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that
one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one
not to have been born." 25 Judas, who betrayed him, said, "Surely not I, Rabbi?"
He replied, "You have said so." 26 While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of
bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said,
"Take, eat; this is my body." 27 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he
gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you; 28 for this is my blood of
the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I
tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when
I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." 30 When they had sung the hymn,
they went out to the Mount of Olives. 31 Then Jesus said to them, "You will all
become deserters because of me this night; for it is written, 'I will strike the
shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' 32 But after I am
raised up, I will go ahead of you to Galilee." 33 Peter said to him, "Though all
become deserters because of you, I will never desert you." 34 Jesus said to him,
"Truly I tell you, this very night, before the cock crows, you will deny me
three times." 35 Peter said to him, "Even though I must die with you, I will not
deny you." And so said all the disciples. 36 Then Jesus went with them to a
place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, "Sit here while I go over
there and pray." 37 He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and
began to be grieved and agitated. 38 Then he said to them, "I am deeply grieved,
even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me." 39 And going a little
farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is
possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want." 40
Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter,
"So, could you not stay awake with me one hour? 41 Stay awake and pray that you
may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh
is weak." 42 Again he went away for the second time and prayed, "My Father, if
this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done." 43 Again he came and
found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So leaving them again, he
went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words. 45 Then he came
to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and taking your rest?
See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of
sinners. 46 Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand." 47 While he
was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; with him was a large
crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the
people. 48 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "The one I will kiss
is the man; arrest him." 49 At once he came up to Jesus and said, "Greetings,
Rabbi!" and kissed him. 50 Jesus said to him, "Friend, do what you are here to
do." Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and arrested him. 51 Suddenly, one
of those with Jesus put his hand on his sword, drew it, and struck the slave of
the high priest, cutting off his ear. 52 Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword
back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53 Do
you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more
than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then would the scriptures be
fulfilled, which say it must happen in this way?" 55 At that hour Jesus said to
the crowds, "Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as though I
were a bandit? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not
arrest me. 56 But all this has taken place, so that the scriptures of the
prophets may be fulfilled." Then all the disciples deserted him and fled. 57
Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, in whose
house the scribes and the elders had gathered. 58 But Peter was following him at
a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest; and going inside, he sat
with the guards in order to see how this would end. 59 Now the chief priests and
the whole council were looking for false testimony against Jesus so that they
might put him to death, 60 but they found none, though many false witnesses came
forward. At last two came forward 61 and said, "This fellow said, 'I am able to
destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.'" 62 The high priest
stood up and said, "Have you no answer? What is it that they testify against
you?" 63 But Jesus was silent. Then the high priest said to him, "I put you
under oath before the living God, tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of
God." 64 Jesus said to him, "You have said so. But I tell you, From now on you
will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the
clouds of heaven." 65 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "He has
blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? You have now heard his blasphemy. 66
What is your verdict?" They answered, "He deserves death." 67 Then they spat in
his face and struck him; and some slapped him, 68 saying, "Prophesy to us, you
Messiah! Who is it that struck you?" 69 Now Peter was sitting outside in the
courtyard. A servant-girl came to him and said, "You also were with Jesus the
Galilean." 70 But he denied it before all of them, saying, "I do not know what
you are talking about." 71 When he went out to the porch, another servant-girl
saw him, and she said to the bystanders, "This man was with Jesus of Nazareth."
72 Again he denied it with an oath, "I do not know the man." 73 After a little
while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, "Certainly you are also one of
them, for your accent betrays you." 74 Then he began to curse, and he swore an
oath, "I do not know the man!" At that moment the cock crowed. 75 Then Peter
remembered what Jesus had said: "Before the cock crows, you will deny me three
times." And he went out and wept bitterly.
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When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the
people conferred together against Jesus in order to bring about his death. 2
They bound him, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate the governor. 3 When
Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he repented and brought back
the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. 4 He said, "I
have sinned by betraying innocent blood." But they said, "What is that to us?
See to it yourself." 5 Throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he
departed; and he went and hanged himself. 6 But the chief priests, taking the
pieces of silver, said, "It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since
they are blood money." 7 After conferring together, they used them to buy the
potter's field as a place to bury foreigners. 8 For this reason that field has
been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9 Then was fulfilled what had been
spoken through the prophet Jeremiah, "And they took the thirty pieces of silver,
the price of the one on whom a price had been set, on whom some of the people of
Israel had set a price, 10 and they gave them for the potter's field, as the
Lord commanded me." 11 Now Jesus stood before the governor; and the governor
asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus said, "You say so." 12 But when
he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he did not answer. 13 Then
Pilate said to him, "Do you not hear how many accusations they make against
you?" 14 But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the
governor was greatly amazed. 15 Now at the festival the governor was accustomed
to release a prisoner for the crowd, anyone whom they wanted. 16 At that time
they had a notorious prisoner, called Jesus Barabbas. 17 So after they had
gathered, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus
Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?" 18 For he realized that it was out
of jealousy that they had handed him over. 19 While he was sitting on the
judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, "Have nothing to do with that innocent
man, for today I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about him." 20
Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas
and to have Jesus killed. 21 The governor again said to them, "Which of the two
do you want me to release for you?" And they said, "Barabbas." 22 Pilate said to
them, "Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?" All of them
said, "Let him be crucified!" 23 Then he asked, "Why, what evil has he done?"
But they shouted all the more, "Let him be crucified!" 24 So when Pilate saw
that he could do nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some
water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this
man's blood; see to it yourselves." 25 Then the people as a whole answered, "His
blood be on us and on our children!" 26 So he released Barabbas for them; and
after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified. 27 Then the soldiers
of the governor took Jesus into the governor's headquarters, and they gathered
the whole cohort around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him,
29 and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head. They
put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, "Hail,
King of the Jews!" 30 They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the
head. 31 After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own
clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. 32 As they went out, they
came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon; they compelled this man to carry his
cross. 33 And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a
Skull), 34 they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but when he tasted
it, he would not drink it. 35 And when they had crucified him, they divided his
clothes among themselves by casting lots; 36 then they sat down there and kept
watch over him. 37 Over his head they put the charge against him, which read,
"This is Jesus, the King of the Jews." 38 Then two bandits were crucified with
him, one on his right and one on his left. 39 Those who passed by derided him,
shaking their heads 40 and saying, "You who would destroy the temple and build
it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the
cross." 41 In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and
elders, were mocking him, saying, 42 "He saved others; he cannot save himself.
He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will
believe in him. 43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he wants to;
for he said, 'I am God's Son.'" 44 The bandits who were crucified with him also
taunted him in the same way. 45 From noon on, darkness came over the whole land
until three in the afternoon. 46 And about three o'clock Jesus cried with a loud
voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you
forsaken me?" 47 When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, "This man is
calling for Elijah." 48 At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with
sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink. 49 But the others
said, "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him." 50 Then Jesus
cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last. 51 At that moment the
curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and
the rocks were split. 52 The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the
saints who had fallen asleep were raised. 53 After his resurrection they came
out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many. 54 Now when the
centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the
earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said, "Truly this man
was God's Son!" 55 Many women were also there, looking on from a distance; they
had followed Jesus from Galilee and had provided for him. 56 Among them were
Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the
sons of Zebedee. 57 When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea,
named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. 58 He went to Pilate and asked
for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59 So Joseph
took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth 60 and laid it in his own
new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the
door of the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there,
sitting opposite the tomb. 62 The next day, that is, after the day of
Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63 and
said, "Sir, we remember what that impostor said while he was still alive, 'After
three days I will rise again.' 64 Therefore command the tomb to be made secure
until the third day; otherwise his disciples may go and steal him away, and tell
the people, 'He has been raised from the dead,' and the last deception would be
worse than the first." 65 Pilate said to them, "You have a guard of soldiers;
go, make it as secure as you can." 66 So they went with the guard and made the
tomb secure by sealing the stone.
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After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning,
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And suddenly there was
a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and
rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and
his clothing white as snow. 4 For fear of him the guards shook and became like
dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; I know that you
are looking for Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for he has been
raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell
his disciples, 'He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead
of you to Galilee; there you will see him.' This is my message for you." 8 So
they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his
disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came to
him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, "Do
not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see
me." 11 While they were going, some of the guard went into the city and told the
chief priests everything that had happened. 12 After the priests had assembled
with the elders, they devised a plan to give a large sum of money to the
soldiers, 13 telling them, "You must say, 'His disciples came by night and stole
him away while we were asleep.' 14 If this comes to the governor's ears, we will
satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." 15 So they took the money and did as
they were directed. And this story is still told among the Jews to this day. 16
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had
directed them. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18
And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been
given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching
them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you
always, to the end of the age."
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