The Death of John the Baptist

MATTHEW 14 [†] v At that time  w Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus, 2and he said to his servants,  x “This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” 3[†]For  y Herod had seized John and bound him and  z put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, [1] 4because John had been saying to him,  a “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5And though he wanted to put him to death,  b he feared the people, because they held him to be  c a prophet. 6But when Herod’s  d birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod, 7so that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. 8Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” 9And the king was sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given. 10He sent and had John beheaded in the prison, 11and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 12[†]And  e his disciples came and took the body and buried it, and they went and told Jesus.

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

13Now when Jesus heard this,  f he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14When he went ashore he  g saw a great crowd, and  g he had compassion on them and healed their sick. 15[†]Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over;  h send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16But Jesus said, “They need not go away;  i you give them something to eat.” 17They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” 18And he said, “Bring them here to me.” 19Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish,  j he looked up to heaven and  k said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 21And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Jesus Walks on the Water

22[†] l Immediately he  m made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23And after he had dismissed the crowds,  n he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When  o evening came, he was there alone, 24[†]but the boat by this time was a long way [2] from the land, [3] beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. 25[†]And  l in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. 26But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea,  p they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. 27[†]But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying,  q “Take heart; it is I.  q Do not be afraid.”

28[†]And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and  r walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30But when he saw the wind, [4] he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out,  s “Lord, save me.” 31Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him,  t “O you of little faith, why did you  u doubt?” 32And when they got into the boat,  s the wind ceased. 33And  v those in the boat  w worshiped him, saying,  x “Truly you are  y the Son of God.”

Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret

34[†] z And when they had crossed over, they came to land at  a Gennesaret. 35[†]And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent around to all that region and  b brought to him all who were sick 36and implored him that they might only touch  c the fringe of his garment. And  d as many as touched it were made well.

Traditions and Commandments

MATTHEW 15  e Then Pharisees and  f scribes came to Jesus  f from Jerusalem and said, 2[†] g “Why do your disciples break  h the tradition of the elders?  j For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” 3[†]He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4For God commanded,  k ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and,  l ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 5[†]But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” [1] 6[†]he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have  m made void the word [2] of God. 7 n You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:

8  o “‘This people honors me with their lips,

but their heart is far from me;

9 in vain do they worship me,

teaching as  p doctrines the commandments of men.’”

What Defiles a Person

10And he called the people to him and said to them,  q “Hear and understand: 11[†] r it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” 12Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were  s offended when they heard this saying?” 13He answered,  t “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted  u will be rooted up. 14[†]Let them alone;  v they are blind guides. [3] And  w if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” 15But Peter said to him,  x “Explain the parable to us.” 16And he said,  y “Are you also still without understanding? 17[†]Do you not see that  z whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? [4] 18But  a what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19For out of the heart come  b evil thoughts,  c murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness,  d slander. 20 e These are what defile a person. But  f to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”

The Faith of a Canaanite Woman

21 g And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22[†]And behold,  h a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying,  i “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” 23But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying,  j “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” 24[†]He answered,  k “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25But she came and  l knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26[†]And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and  m throw it to the dogs.” 27[†]She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat  n the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” 28Then Jesus answered her, “O woman,  o great is your faith!  p Be it done for you as you desire.”  q And her daughter was  p healed instantly. [5]

Jesus Heals Many

29 r Jesus went on from there and walked  s beside the Sea of Galilee. And he  t went up on the mountain and sat down there. 30And great crowds came to him, bringing with them  u the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, 31 v so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking,  w the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And  x they glorified  y the God of Israel.

Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand

32[†] z Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said,  a “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” 33And the disciples said to him, “Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?” 34[†]And Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said,  b “Seven, and a few small fish.” 35[†]And directing the crowd to sit down on the ground, 36he took the seven loaves and the fish, and  c having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 37And  d they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 38Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. 39[†]And after sending away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of  e Magadan.

The Pharisees and Sadducees Demand Signs

MATTHEW 16 [†] f And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and  g to test him  h they asked him to show them  i a sign from heaven. 2He answered them, [1]  j “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ 3And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’  k You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret  l the signs of the times. 4[†] m An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So  n he left them and departed.

The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees

5When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. 6[†]Jesus said to them, “Watch and  o beware of  p the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 7And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, “We brought no bread.” 8But  q Jesus, aware of this, said,  r “O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? 9 s Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember  t the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 10Or  u the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 11How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread?  o Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 v Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of  w the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

13[†] x 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  y John the Baptist, others say  z Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16[†]Simon Peter replied,  a “You are  b the Christ,  c the Son of  d the living God.” 17[†]And Jesus answered him,  e “Blessed are you,  f Simon Bar-Jonah! For  g flesh and blood has not revealed this to you,  h but my Father who is in heaven. 18[†]And I tell you,  i you are Peter, and  j on this rock [2] I will build my church, and  k the gates of  l hell [3] shall not prevail against it. 19[†]I will give you  m the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and  n whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed [4] in heaven.” 20[†] o Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection

21[†] p From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that  q he must go to Jerusalem and  r suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on  s the third day be raised. 22[†]And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! [5] This shall never happen to you.” 23[†]But he turned and said to Peter,  t “Get behind me, Satan! You are  u a hindrance [6] to me. For you  v are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus

24[†]Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him  w deny himself and  x take up his cross and follow me. 25For  x whoever would save his life [7] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26[†]For  y what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or  z what shall a man give in return for his soul? 27[†] a For the Son of Man is going to come with  b his angels in the glory of his Father, and  c then he will repay each person according to what he has done. 28[†]Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not  d taste death  e until they see the Son of Man  f coming in his kingdom.”

The Transfiguration

MATTHEW 17 [†] g And after six days Jesus took with him  h Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2[†]And he was  i transfigured before them, and  j his face shone like the sun, and  k his clothes became white as light. 3[†]And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4[†]And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for  l Elijah.” 5[†]He was still speaking when, behold,  m a bright cloud overshadowed them, and  m a voice from the cloud said,  n “This is my beloved Son, [1] with whom I am well pleased;  o listen to him.” 6[†]When  p the disciples heard this,  q they fell on their faces and were terrified. 7But Jesus came and  r touched them, saying, “Rise, and  s have no fear.” 8And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

9[†] t And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them,  u “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” 10[†]And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say  v that first Elijah must come?” 11He answered, “Elijah does come, and  w he will restore all things. 12But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but  x did to him whatever they pleased.  y So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” 13[†] z Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon

14 a And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, 15said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is  b an epileptic and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. 16And I brought him to your disciples, and  c they could not heal him.” 17And Jesus answered, “O faithless and  d twisted generation, how long am I to be with you?  e How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” 18And Jesus  f rebuked the demon, [2] and it [3] came out of him, and  g the boy was healed instantly. [4] 19Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20[†]He said to them,  h “Because of your little faith. For  i truly, I say to you,  j if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed,  k you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and  l nothing will be impossible for you.” [5]

Jesus Again Foretells Death, Resurrection

22[†] m As they were gathering [6] in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, 23and they will kill him, and he will be raised on  n the third day.” And they were greatly distressed.

The Temple Tax

24[†] o When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of  p the two-drachma tax went up to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the tax?” 25[†]He said, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying,  q “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or  r tax? From their sons or from others?” 26And when he said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. 27However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel. [7] Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.”

Who Is the Greatest?

MATTHEW 18 [†] t At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2[†]And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you  u turn and  v become like children, you  w will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 x Whoever humbles himself like this child is the  w greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

5[†] y “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6[†]but  z whoever causes one of these  a little ones who believe in me to sin, [1] it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

Temptations to Sin

7“Woe to the world for  b temptations to sin! [2]  c For it is necessary that temptations come,  d but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! 8 e And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into  f the eternal fire. 9 e And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the  f hell [3] of fire.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

10[†]“See that you do not despise  g one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven  h their angels always  i see the face of my Father who is in heaven. [4] 12[†] j What do you think?  k If a man 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? 13And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. 14So  l it is not the will of my [5] Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

If Your Brother Sins Against You

15[†] m “If your brother sins against you,  n go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have  o gained your brother. 16[†]But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established  p by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17[†]If he refuses to listen to them,  q tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church,  r let him be to you as  s a Gentile and  s a tax collector. 18[†]Truly, I say to you,  t whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed [6] in heaven. 19Again I say to you, if two of you  u agree on earth about anything they ask,  v it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20[†]For where two or three are  w gathered in my name,  x there am I among them.”

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

21[†]Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often  y will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?  z As many as seven times?” 22Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

23“Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished  a to settle accounts with his servants. [7] 24[†]When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him  b ten thousand  c talents. [8] 25[†] d And since he could not pay, his master ordered him  e to be sold, with his wife and  f children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26So the servant [9]  g fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27[†]And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and  d forgave him the debt. 28[†]But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred  h denarii, [10] and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 i And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34[†] j And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, [11]  k until he should pay all his debt. 35[†] l So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother  m from your heart.”

Teaching About Divorce

MATTHEW 19 [†]Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from  n Galilee and  o entered  p the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. 2And  q large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

3[†]And Pharisees came up to him and  r tested him by asking,  s “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” 4He answered,  t “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5and said,  u ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and  v the two shall become one flesh’? 6[†]So they are no longer two but one flesh.  w What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” 7They said to him,  x “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?” 8[†]He said to them, “Because of your  y hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9[†] z And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.” [1]

10[†]The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” 11But he said to them,  a “Not everyone can receive this saying, but only  b those to  c whom it is given. 12For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs  d for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.”

Let the Children Come to Me

13[†] e Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples  f rebuked the people, 14[†]but Jesus said,  g “Let the little children  h come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” 15And he laid his hands on them and went away.

The Rich Young Man

16[†] i And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to  j have  k eternal life?” 17[†]And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good.  l If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” 18[†]He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said,  m “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19Honor your father and mother, and,  n You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20[†]The young man said to him,  o “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” 21[†]Jesus said to him, “If you would be  p perfect, go,  q sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have  r treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 s When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

23[†]And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you,  t only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. 24[†] u Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter  v the kingdom of God.” 25[†]When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” 26[†]But Jesus  w looked at them and said,  x “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” 27Then Peter said in reply, “See,  y we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” 28[†]Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, [2]  z when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me  a will also sit on twelve thrones,  b judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29[†] c And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold [3] and will  d inherit eternal life. 30[†]But  e many who are  f first will be last, and the last first.

Laborers in the Vineyard

MATTHEW 20 [†]“For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2[†]After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius [1] a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ 5So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. 6And  g about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ 7They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ 8And  h when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his  i foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ 9And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. 10Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. 11And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, 12saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and  j the scorching heat.’ 13But he replied to one of them,  k ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14Take  l what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. 15 m Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or  n do you begrudge my generosity?’ [2] 16[†]So  o the last will be first, and the first last.”

Jesus Foretells His Death a Third Time

17[†] p And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, 18“See,  q we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will  r condemn him to death 19and  s deliver him over to the Gentiles  t to be mocked and flogged and  u crucified, and he will be raised on  v the third day.”

A Mother’s Request

20[†] w Then  x the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and  y kneeling before him she asked him for something. 21[†]And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine  z are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left,  a in your kingdom.” 22[†]Jesus answered,  b “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able  c to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” 23[†]He said to them,  d “You will drink  e my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant,  f but it is for those for whom it has been  g prepared by my Father.” 24[†]And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. 25But Jesus called them to him and said,  h “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles  i lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 26 j It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, [3] 27and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, [4] 28[†]even as the Son of Man came not to be served but  k to serve, and  l to give his life as a ransom for  m many.”

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men

29[†] n And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. 30[†]And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, [5] have mercy on us,  o Son of David!” 31The crowd  p rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 32And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” 33They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” 34And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.

The Triumphal Entry

MATTHEW 21 [†] q Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to  r the Mount of Olives, then Jesus  s sent two disciples, 2saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” 4[†]This took place  t to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,

5  u “Say to the daughter of Zion,

‘Behold, your king is coming to you,

 v humble, and mounted on a donkey,

on a colt, [1] the foal of a beast of burden.’”

6[†]The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8[†]Most of the crowd  w spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9[†]And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting,  x “Hosanna to  y the Son of David!  z Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna  a in the highest!” 10And  b when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11And the crowds said, “This is  c the prophet Jesus,  d from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

12[†] e And Jesus entered the temple [2] and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of  f the money-changers and the seats of those who sold  g pigeons. 13He said to them, “It is written,  h ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but  i you make it a den of robbers.”

14 j And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15[†] k But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple,  x “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, 16and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes;  l have you never read,

 m “‘Out of the mouth of  n infants and nursing babies

you have prepared praise’?”

17[†]And  o leaving them, he  p went out of the city to  q Bethany and lodged there.

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

18[†] r In the morning, as he was returning to the city,  s he became hungry. 19[†] t And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.

20When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” 21And Jesus answered them,  u “Truly, I say to you,  v if you have faith and  w do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain,  x ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. 22And  v whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive,  y if you have faith.”

The Authority of Jesus Challenged

23[†] z And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him  a as he was teaching, and said,  b “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 24Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25[†]The baptism of John,  c from where did it come?  d From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us,  e ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26But if we say, ‘From man,’  f we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was  g a prophet.” 27So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

28[†] h “What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in  i the vineyard today.’ 29And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he  j changed his mind and went. 30And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. 31Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you,  k the tax collectors and  l the prostitutes go into  m the kingdom of God before you. 32For John came to you  n in the way of righteousness, and  o you did not believe him, but  p the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward  j change your minds and believe him.

The Parable of the Tenants

33[†] q “Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted  r a vineyard  s and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and  t leased it to tenants, and  u went into another country. 34[†]When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants [3] to the tenants  t to get his fruit. 35 v And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and  w stoned another. 36 x Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. 37Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves,  y ‘This is the heir. Come,  z let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ 39And they took him and  a threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 b When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41They said to him,  c “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and  d let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”

42[†]Jesus said to them,  e “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

 f “‘The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone; [4]

this was the Lord’s doing,

and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

43[†]Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God  g will be taken away from you and given to a people  h producing its fruits. 44And  i the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and  j when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” [5]

45When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. 46And  l although they were seeking to arrest him,  m they feared the crowds, because they held him to be  n a prophet.

The Parable of the Wedding Feast

MATTHEW 22 [†]And again Jesus  o spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 p “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave  q a wedding feast for his son, 3[†]and  r sent his servants [1] to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 4 s Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my  t dinner,  u my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ 5But  v they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, 6while the rest seized his servants,  w treated them shamefully, and  x killed them. 7[†]The king was angry, and he sent his troops and  y destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not  z worthy. 9[†]Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ 10And those servants went out into the roads and  b gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11[†]“But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there  c a man who had no wedding garment. 12And he said to him,  d ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13[†]Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and  e cast him into the outer darkness. In that place  e there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14[†]For many are  f called, but few are  f chosen.”

Paying Taxes to Caesar

15[†] g Then the Pharisees went and plotted how  h to entangle him in his words. 16[†]And they sent  i their disciples to him, along with  j the Herodians, saying, “Teacher,  k we know that you are true and teach  l the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for  m you are not swayed by appearances. [2] 17[†]Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay  n taxes to  o Caesar, or not?” 18[†]But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why  p put me to the test, you hypocrites? 19[†]Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. [3] 20And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 21[†]They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them,  q “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22When they heard it, they marveled. And they  r left him and went away.

Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection

23[†]The same day  s Sadducees came to him,  t who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question, 24[†]saying, “Teacher, Moses said,  u ‘If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.’ 25Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no offspring left his wife to his brother. 26So too the second and third, down to the seventh. 27After them all, the woman died. 28In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her.”

29[†]But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong,  v because you know neither the Scriptures nor  w the power of God. 30For in the resurrection they neither  x marry nor  x are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 31[†]And as for the resurrection of the dead,  y have you not read what was said to you by God: 32 z ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.” 33And when the crowd heard it,  a they were astonished at his teaching.

The Great Commandment

34 b But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced  c the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35[†] d And one of them,  e a lawyer, asked him a question  f to test him. 36[†]“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37[†]And he said to him,  g “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38This is the great and first commandment. 39[†]And  h a second is like it:  i You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40[†] j On these two commandments depend  k all the Law and the Prophets.”

Whose Son Is the Christ?

41[†] l Now while the Pharisees  m were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, 42saying, “What do you think about  n the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him,  n “The son of David.” 43He said to them, “How is it then that David,  o in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying,

44  p “‘The Lord said to my Lord,

“Sit at my right hand,

until I put your enemies under your feet”’?

45If then David calls him Lord,  q how is he his son?” 46 r And no one was able to answer him a word,  s nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

Seven Woes to the Scribes and Pharisees

MATTHEW 23 Then Jesus  t said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2[†] u “The scribes and the Pharisees  v sit on Moses’ seat, 3[†]so do and observe whatever they tell you,  w but not the works they do.  x For they preach, but do not practice. 4[†] y They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, [1] and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. 5[†] t They do all their deeds  z to be seen by others. For they make  a their phylacteries broad and  b their fringes long, 6and they  c love the place of honor at feasts and  d the best seats in the synagogues 7[†]and  d greetings in  e the marketplaces and being called  f rabbi [2] by others. 8[†] g But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are  h all brothers. [3] 9 i And call no man your father on earth, for  j you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor,  k the Christ. 11 l The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 m Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

13[†]“But woe  n to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you  o shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you  p neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. [4] 15[†]Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single  q proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a  r child of  s hell [5] as yourselves.

16[†]“Woe to  t you,  u blind guides, who say,  v ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ 17You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or  w the temple that has made the gold sacred? 18And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by  x the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ 19You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or  y the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20[†]So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by  z him who dwells in it. 22And whoever swears by  a heaven swears by  b the throne of God and by  c him who sits upon it.

23[†] d “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For  e you tithe mint and dill and  f cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law:  g justice and mercy and faithfulness.  h These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 24[†]You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing  i a camel!

25 j “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For  k you clean the outside of  l the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of  m greed and self-indulgence. 26[†]You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of  l the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

27[†] n “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like  o whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and  p all uncleanness. 28So you also  q outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of  r hypocrisy and lawlessness.

29[†] s “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, 30saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31Thus you witness against yourselves that you are  t sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 u Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. 33You serpents,  v you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to  w hell? 34 x Therefore  y I send you  z prophets and wise men and  a scribes,  b some of whom you will kill and crucify, and  b some you will  c flog in your synagogues and  d persecute from town to town, 35[†]so that on you may come all  e the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous  f Abel to the blood of  g Zechariah the son of Barachiah, [6] whom you murdered between  h the sanctuary and  i the altar. 36Truly, I say to you,  j all these things will come upon this generation.

Lament over Jerusalem

37[†] k “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that  l kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have  m gathered  n your children together  o as a hen gathers her brood  p under her wings, and  q you were not willing! 38[†]See,  r your house is left to you desolate. 39[†]For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say,  s ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple

MATTHEW 24 [†] t Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 2[†]But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you,  u there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

Signs of the End of the Age

3[†]As he sat on  v the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him  w privately, saying, “Tell us,  x when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your  y coming and of  z the end of the age?” 4And Jesus answered them,  a “See that no one leads you astray. 5For  b many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am  c the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 6And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you  d are not alarmed, for this  e must take place, but the end is not yet. 7For  f nation will rise against nation, and  g kingdom against kingdom, and there will be  h famines and earthquakes in various places. 8[†]All these are but the beginning of  i the birth pains.

9“Then  j they will deliver you up  k to tribulation and  l put you to death, and  m you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. 10And then many will fall away [1] and  n betray one another and hate one another. 11And many  o false prophets will arise  p and lead many astray. 12And because lawlessness will be increased,  q the love of many will grow cold. 13[†] r But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14And this gospel of the kingdom  s will be proclaimed throughout the whole world  t as a testimony  u to all nations, and  v then the end will come.

The Abomination of Desolation

15[†]“So when you see the abomination of desolation  w spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in  x the holy place ( y let the reader understand), 16[†]then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 z Let the one who is on  a the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, 18and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 19And  b alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 20Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21For then there will be  c great tribulation,  d 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 human being would be saved. But for  e the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 23 f Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24For  g false christs and  h false prophets will arise and  i perform great signs and wonders,  h so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25See,  j I have told you beforehand. 26So, if they say to you, ‘Look,  k he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 l For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be  m the coming of the Son of Man. 28[†] n Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.

The Coming of the Son of Man

29[†]“Immediately after  o the tribulation of those days  p the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and  q the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30[†]Then  r will appear in heaven  s the sign of the Son of Man, and then  t all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and  u they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven  v with power and great glory. 31[†]And  w he will send out his angels with a loud  x trumpet call, and they will  y gather  z his elect from  a the four winds,  b from one end of heaven to the other.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

32“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 33So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near,  c at the very gates. 34[†] d Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35[†] e Heaven and earth will pass away, but  f my words will not pass away.

No One Knows That Day and Hour

36[†]“But concerning that day and hour  g no one knows, not even the angels of heaven,  h nor the Son, [2]  i but the Father only. 37 j For as were the days of Noah,  k so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 j For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking,  l marrying and giving in marriage, until  m the day when Noah entered the ark, 39and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away,  k so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40[†]Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 n Two women will be grinding  o at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42[†]Therefore,  p stay awake, for you do not know on what day  q your Lord is coming. 43 r But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night  s the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44Therefore you also must be  t ready, for  u the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

45“Who then is  v the faithful and  w wise servant, [3] whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 x Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 47Truly, I say to you,  y he will set him over all his possessions. 48[†]But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master  z is delayed,’ 49and begins to beat his fellow servants [4] and eats and drinks with  a drunkards, 50the master of that servant will come  b on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know 51and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place  c there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

MATTHEW 25 [†]“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like  d ten virgins who took their lamps [1] and went to meet  e the bridegroom. [2] 2Five of them were foolish, and five were  w wise. 3[†]For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5As the bridegroom  f was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6But  g at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7Then all those virgins rose and  h trimmed their lamps. 8And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and  i those who were ready went in with him to  j the marriage feast, and  k the door was shut. 11[†]Afterward the other virgins came also, saying,  l ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 l But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you,  m I do not know you.’ 13[†] n Watch therefore, for you  o know neither the day nor the hour.

The Parable of the Talents

14 p “For  q it will be like a man  r going on a journey, who called his servants [3] and entrusted to them his property. 15[†]To one he gave five  s talents, [4] to another two, to another one,  t to each according to his ability. Then he  r went away. 16He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18[†]But he who had received the one talent went and  u dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19Now  v after a long time the master of those servants came and  w settled accounts with them. 20[†]And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ 21His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and  x faithful servant. [5]  y You have been faithful over a little;  z I will set you over much. Enter into  a the joy of your master.’ 22And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’ 23His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24[†]He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be  b a hard man, reaping  c where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here  d you have what is yours.’ 26But his master answered him, ‘You  e wicked and  e slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27[†]Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29[†] f For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30[†]And  g cast  h the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place  g there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

The Final Judgment

31[†] i “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him,  j then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32[†]Before him  k will be gathered  l all the nations, and  m he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates  n the sheep from the goats. 33And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34[†]Then  o the King will say to  p those on his right, ‘Come, you  q who are blessed by my Father,  r inherit  s the kingdom  t prepared for you  u from the foundation of the world. 35For  v I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you  w gave me drink,  x I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 v I was naked and you clothed me,  y I was sick and you  z visited me,  a I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40[†]And  b the King will answer them,  c ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these  d my brothers, [6] you did it to me.’

41[†]“Then he will say to those on his left,  e ‘Depart from me, you  f cursed, into  g the eternal fire prepared for  h the devil and his angels. 42For  i I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these,  j you did not do it to me.’ 46And these will go away  k into eternal punishment, but the righteous  k into  l eternal life.”

The Plot to Kill Jesus

MATTHEW 26 [†]When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples, 2[†] m “You know that after two days  n the Passover is coming, and  o the Son of Man  p will be delivered up to be crucified.”

3[†] q Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in  r the palace of the high priest, whose name was  s Caiaphas, 4 t and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. 5[†]But they said, “Not during the feast,  u lest there be an uproar among the people.”

Jesus Anointed at Bethany

6[†] v Now when Jesus was at  w Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, [1] 7[†]a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. 8And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? 9[†]For this could have been sold for a large sum and  x given to the poor.” 10But  y Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. 11For  z you always have the poor with you, but  a you will not always have me. 12In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it  b to prepare me for burial. 13Truly, I say to you, wherever  c this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told  d in memory of her.”

Judas to Betray Jesus

14[†] e Then one of the twelve, whose name was  f Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15[†]and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they  g paid him  h thirty pieces of silver. 16And from that moment he sought an opportunity  i to betray him.

The Passover with the Disciples

17[†] j Now on  k the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 18He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him,  l ‘The Teacher says,  m My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’” 19And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.

20[†] n When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. [2] 21And as they were eating,  o he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” 23[†]He answered,  p “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. 24[†]The Son of Man goes  q as it is written of him, but  r woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!  s It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” 25[†]Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I,  t Rabbi?” He said to him,  u “You have said so.”

Institution of the Lord’s Supper

26[†] v Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and  w after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat;  x this is my body.” 27[†]And he took a cup, and when he  y had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28[†]for  x this is my  z blood of the [3] covenant, which is poured out for  a many  b for the forgiveness of sins. 29[†]I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you  c in my Father’s kingdom.”

Jesus Foretells Peter’s Denial

30[†] d And when they had sung a hymn,  e they went out to  f the Mount of Olives. 31[†]Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will  g strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32But after I am raised up,  h I will go before you to Galilee.” 33 i Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” 34[†] j Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night,  k before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” 35 l Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.

Jesus Prays in Gethsemane

36[†] m Then Jesus went with them  e to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” 37And taking with him  n Peter and  o the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38Then he said to them,  p “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and  q watch [4] with me.” 39[†]And going a little farther he fell on his face  r and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let  s this cup pass from me;  t nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” 40And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? 41[†] q Watch and  u pray that you  v may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it,  w your will be done.” 43And again he came and found them sleeping, for  x their eyes were heavy. 44So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for  y the third time, saying the same words again. 45Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. [5] See,  z the hour is at hand, and  a the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

47[†] b While he was still speaking,  c Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great 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; seize him.” 49[†]And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings,  d Rabbi!” And he kissed him. 50[†]Jesus said to him,  e “Friend,  f do what you came to do.” [6] Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. 51[†]And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his  g sword and struck the servant [7] of the high priest and cut off his ear. 52Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For  h all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53[†] i Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me  j more than twelve  k legions of angels? 54 l But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” 55At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day  m I sat in the temple  n teaching, and you did not seize me. 56[†]But  l all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.”  o Then all the disciples left him and fled.

Jesus Before Caiaphas and the Council

57[†] p Then  q those who had seized Jesus led him to  r Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered. 58And  s Peter was following him at a distance, as far as  r the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside he sat with  t the guards to see the end. 59[†]Now the chief priests and the whole council [8]  u were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death, 60but they found none,  v though many false witnesses came forward. At last  w two came forward 61[†]and said, “This man said,  x ‘I am able to  y destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in three days.’” 62And the high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” [9] 63[†] z But Jesus remained silent.  a And the high priest said to him,  b “I adjure you by  c the living God,  d tell us if you are  e the Christ,  f the Son of God.” 64[†]Jesus said to him,  g “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on  h you will see the Son of Man  i seated at the right hand of Power and  h coming on the clouds of heaven.” 65[†]Then the high priest  j tore his robes and said,  k “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. 66[†]What is your judgment?” They answered,  l “He deserves death.” 67Then  m they spit in his face  n and  o struck him. And some slapped him, 68saying, “Prophesy to us, you  p Christ! Who is it that struck you?”

Peter Denies Jesus

69 q Now Peter was sitting outside  r in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” 70But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.” 71[†]And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus  s of Nazareth.” 72And 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 too are one of them, for  t your accent betrays you.” 74[†]Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. 75And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus,  u “Before the rooster crows, you will  v deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

Jesus Delivered to Pilate

MATTHEW 27 [†] w When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people  x took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. 2[†]And they bound him and  y led him away and  z delivered him over to  a Pilate the governor.

Judas Hangs Himself

3[†]Then when  b Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus [1] was condemned,  c he changed his mind and brought back  d the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, 4saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us?  e See to it yourself.” 5[†]And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple,  f 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  g the treasury, since it is blood money.” 7[†]So they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers. 8Therefore  h that field has been called the Field of Blood  i to this day. 9[†] j Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying,  k “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, 10and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.”

Jesus Before Pilate

11[†] l Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you  m the King of the Jews?” Jesus said,  n “You have said so.” 12 o But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. 13Then Pilate said to him,  p “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” 14But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.

The Crowd Chooses Barabbas

15[†] q Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. 16And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or  r Jesus who is called Christ?” 18For he knew that it was out  s of envy that they had delivered him up. 19[†]Besides, while he was sitting on  t the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with  u that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today  v in a dream.” 20Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to  w ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. 21The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?”  x They all said, “Let him be crucified!” 23And he said, “Why,  y what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”

Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified

24[†]So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that  z a riot was beginning, he took water and  a washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of  b this man’s blood; [2]  c see to it yourselves.” 25[†]And all the people answered,  d “His blood be on us and  e on our children!” 26[†]Then he released for them Barabbas, and having  f scourged [3] Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.

Jesus Is Mocked

27[†] g Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the  h governor’s headquarters, [4] and they gathered the whole  i battalion [5] before him. 28[†]And they stripped him and put  j a scarlet robe on him, 29and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they  k mocked him, saying, “Hail,  l King of the Jews!” 30And  m they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and  n led him away to crucify him.

The Crucifixion

32[†] o  p As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to  o carry his cross. 33[†] q And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), 34[†] r they offered him wine to drink, mixed with  s gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. 35[†]And when they had crucified him,  t they divided his garments among them by casting lots. 36Then they sat down and  u kept watch over him there. 37[†]And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus,  v the King of the Jews.” 38[†]Then two  w robbers were crucified with him,  x one on the right and one on the left. 39[†]And  y those who passed by  z derided him,  a wagging their heads 40and saying,  b “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself!  c If you are  d the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41[†]So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, 42 e “He saved others;  f he cannot save himself.  g He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 h He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 i And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.

The Death of Jesus

45[†]Now from the sixth hour [6] there was darkness over all the land [7] until the ninth hour. [8] 46[†]And about the ninth hour Jesus  j cried out with a loud voice, saying,  k “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47[†]And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” 48[†]And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with  l sour wine, and put it on a reed and  m gave it to him to drink. 49But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” 50[†]And Jesus  n cried out again with a loud voice and  o yielded up his spirit.

51[†]And behold,  p the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And  q the earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52[†]The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of  r the saints  s who had fallen asleep were raised, 53and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into  t the holy city and appeared to many. 54 u When the centurion and those who were with him,  v keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said,  w “Truly this was the Son [9] of God!”

55[†]There were also  x many women there, looking on  y from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee,  z ministering to him, 56among whom were  z Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and  a the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

Jesus Is Buried

57[†] b When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. 58He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud 60and  c laid it in his own new tomb,  d which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled  e a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. 61[†]Mary Magdalene and  f the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

The Guard at the Tomb

62[†]The next day, that is, after the day of  g Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63and said, “Sir, we remember how  h that impostor said, while he was still alive,  i ‘After three days I will rise.’ 64Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day,  j lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” 65[†]Pilate said to them, “You have  k a guard [10] of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” 66So they went and made the tomb secure by  l sealing the stone and setting a guard.

The Resurrection

MATTHEW 28 [†] m Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and  n the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2[†]And behold, there was a great earthquake, for  o an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3[†] p His appearance was like lightning, and  q his clothing white as snow. 4And for fear of him the guards trembled and  r became like dead men. 5But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6He is not here, for he has risen,  s as he said. Come, see the place where he [1] lay. 7[†]Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold,  t he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” 8So they departed quickly from the tomb  u with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9[†]And behold, Jesus  v met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and  w took hold of his feet and  x worshiped him. 10[†]Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid;  y go and tell  z my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

The Report of the Guard

11[†]While they were going, behold, some of  a the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. 12And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers 13and said, “Tell people,  b ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14And if this comes to  c the governor’s ears, we will  d satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews  e to this day.

The Great Commission

16Now the eleven disciples  f went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17[†]And when they saw him they  g worshiped him, but some doubted. 18[†]And Jesus came and said to them,  h “All authority  i in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19[†] j Go therefore and  k make disciples of  l all nations,  j baptizing them  m in [2]  n the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20[†]teaching them  o to observe all that  p I have commanded you. And behold,  q I am with you always, to  r the end of the age.”