Dedication to Theophilus
1Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those athings which 1have been fulfilled among us,
2just as those who bfrom the beginning were ceyewitnesses and ministers of the word ddelivered them to us,
3it seemed good to me also, having 2had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, emost excellent Theophilus,
4fthat you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.
John’s Birth Announced to Zacharias
5There was gin the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, hof the division of iAbijah. His jwife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
6And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
7But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.
8So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division,
9according to the custom of the priesthood, 3his lot fell kto burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
10lAnd the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.
11Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of mthe altar of incense.
12And when Zacharias saw him, nhe was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
13But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and oyou shall call his name John.
14“And you will have joy and gladness, and pmany will rejoice at his birth.
15“For he will be qgreat in the sight of the Lord, and rshall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, seven from his mother’s womb.
16“And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.
17t“He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
18And Zacharias said to the angel, u“How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.” Zechariah’s and Mary’s Songs Compared
19And the angel answered and said to him, “I am vGabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you 4these glad wtidings.
20“But behold, xyou will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.”
21And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple.
22But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.
23So it was, as soon as ythe days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house.
24Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying,
25“Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to ztake away my reproach among people.”
Christ’s Birth Announced to Mary
26Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
27to a virgin abetrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
28And having come in, the angel said to her, b“Rejoice, highly favored one, cthe Lord is with you; 5blessed are you among women!”
29But 6when she saw him, dshe was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.
30Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found efavor with God.
31f“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and gshall call His name JESUS.
32“He will be great, hand will be called the Son of the Highest; and ithe Lord God will give Him the jthrone of His kfather David.
33l“And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
34Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I 7do not know a man?”
35And the angel answered and said to her, m“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called nthe Son of God.
36“Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.
37“For owith God nothing will be impossible.”
38Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, pto a city of Judah,
40and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.
41And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was qfilled with the Holy Spirit.
42Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, r“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
43“But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44“For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
45s“Blessed is she who 8believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”
The Song of Mary
46And Mary said:
t“My soul 9magnifies the Lord, Mary’s Allusions to Hannah’s Song
47And my spirit has urejoiced in vGod my Savior.
48For wHe has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth xall generations will call me blessed.
49For He who is mighty yhas done great things for me,
And zholy is His name.
50And aHis mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation.
51bHe has shown strength with His arm;
cHe has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52dHe has put down the mighty from their thrones,
And exalted the lowly.
53He has efilled the hungry with good things,
And the rich He has sent away empty.
54He has helped His fservant Israel,
gIn remembrance of His mercy,
55hAs He spoke to our ifathers,
To Abraham and to his jseed forever.”
56And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.
Birth of John the Baptist
57Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son.
58When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they krejoiced with her.
Circumcision of John the Baptist
59So it was, lon the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias.
60His mother answered and said, m“No; he shall be called John.”
61But they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.”
62So they made signs to his father—what he would have him called.
63And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, “His name is John.” So they all marveled.
64Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God.
65Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea.
66And all those who heard them nkept them in their hearts, saying, “What kind of child will this be?” And othe hand of the Lord was with him.
Zacharias’ Prophecy
67Now his father Zacharias pwas filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:
68“Blessedq is the Lord God of Israel,
For rHe has visited and redeemed His people,
69sAnd has raised up a horn of salvation for us
In the house of His servant David,
70tAs He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets,
Who have been usince the world began,
71That we should be saved from our enemies
And from the hand of all who hate us,
72vTo perform the mercy promised to our fathers
And to remember His holy covenant,
73wThe oath which He swore to our father Abraham:
74To grant us that we,
Being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
Might xserve Him without fear,
75yIn holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.
76“And you, child, will be called the zprophet of the Highest;
For ayou will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,
77To give bknowledge of salvation to His people
By the remission of their sins,
78Through the tender mercy of our God,
With which the 10Dayspring from on high 11has visited us;
79cTo give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To dguide our feet into the way of peace.”
80So ethe child grew and became strong in spirit, and fwas in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.
Christ Born of Mary
1And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. Caesar and Christ
2aThis census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.
3So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
4Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to bthe city of David, which is called Bethlehem, cbecause he was of the house and lineage of David,
5to be registered with Mary, dhis betrothed 1wife, who was with child.
6So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.
7And eshe brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a 2manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Glory in the Highest
8Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9And 3behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, fand they were greatly afraid.
10Then the angel said to them, g“Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy hwhich will be to all people.
11i“For there is born to you this day in the city of David ja Savior, kwho is Christ the Lord.
12“And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a 4manger.”
13lAnd suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
15So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”
16And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.
17Now when they had seen Him, they made 6widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.
18And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19pBut Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.
20Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and qpraising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
Circumcision of Jesus
21rAnd when eight days were completed 7for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called sJESUS, the name given by the angel tbefore He was conceived in the womb.
Jesus Presented in the Temple
22Now when uthe days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord
23v(as it is written in the law of the Lord, w“Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the LORD”),
24and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, x“A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
Simeon Sees God’s Salvation
25And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, ywaiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
26And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not zsee death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
27So he came aby the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law,
28he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:
29“Lord, bnow You are letting Your servant depart in peace,
According to Your word;
30For my eyes chave seen Your salvation
31Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
32dA light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.”
338And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him.
34Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the efall and rising of many in Israel, and for fa sign which will be spoken against
35“(yes, ga sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
Anna Bears Witness to the Redeemer
36Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of hAsher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity;
37and this woman was a widow 9of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers inight and day.
38And coming in that instant she gave thanks to 10the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who jlooked for redemption in Jerusalem.
The Family Returns to Nazareth
39So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth.
40kAnd the Child grew and became strong 11in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.
The Boy Jesus Amazes the Scholars
41His parents went to lJerusalem mevery year at the Feast of the Passover.
42And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the ncustom of the feast.
43When they had finished the odays, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And 12Joseph and His mother did not know it;
44but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day’s journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances.
45So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him.
46Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.
47And pall who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.
48So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.”
49And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be qabout rMy Father’s business?”
50But sthey did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.
Jesus Advances in Wisdom and Favor
51Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was 13subject to them, but His mother tkept all these things in her heart.
52And Jesus uincreased in wisdom and stature, vand in favor with God and men.
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
(Matt. 3:1–6; Mark 1:2–6; John 1:19–23)
1Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, aPontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,
21while bAnnas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to cJohn the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.
3dAnd he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance efor the remission of sins,
4as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying:
f“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the LORD;
Make His paths straight.
5Every valley shall be filled
And every mountain and hill brought low;
The crooked places shall be made straight
And the rough ways smooth;
John Preaches to the People
(Matt. 3:7–12; Mark 1:7, 8; John 1:24–28)
7Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, h“Brood2 of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8“Therefore bear fruits iworthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
9“And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore jevery tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
10So the people asked him, saying, k“What shall we do then?”
11He answered and said to them, l“He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, mlet him do likewise.”
12Then ntax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?”
13And he said to them, o“Collect no more than what is appointed for you.”
14Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?” So he said to them, “Do not 3intimidate anyone por accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”
15Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not,
16John answered, saying to all, q“I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will rbaptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
17“His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and sgather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.”
18And with many other exhortations he preached to the people.
19tBut Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his 4brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,
20also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison.
John Baptizes Jesus
(Matt. 3:13–17; Mark 1:9–11; John 1:29–34)
21When all the people were baptized, uit came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.
22And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am vwell pleased.”
The Genealogy of Jesus Christ
(Gen. 5:1–32; 11:10–26; Ruth 4:18–22; 1 Chr. 1:1–4, 24–27, 34; 2:1–15; Matt. 1:2–16)
23Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at wabout thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) xthe son of Joseph, the son of Heli,
24the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Janna, the son of Joseph,
25the son of Mattathiah, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai,
26the son of Maath, the son of Mattathiah, the son of Semei, the son of Joseph, the son of Judah,
27the son of Joannas, the son of Rhesa, the son of yZerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,
28the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmodam, the son of Er,
29the son of Jose, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,
30the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonan, the son of Eliakim,
31the son of Melea, the son of Menan, the son of Mattathah, the son of zNathan, athe son of David,
32bthe son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon,
33the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,
34the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, cthe son of Terah, the son of Nahor,
35the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah,
36dthe son of Cainan, the son of eArphaxad, fthe son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,
37the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Cainan,
38the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, gthe son of God.
Satan Tempts Jesus
(Matt. 4:1–11; Mark 1:12, 13)
1Then aJesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and bwas led by the Spirit 1into the wilderness, Disease and Medicine in the Ancient World
2being 2tempted for forty days by the devil. And cin those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.
3And the devil said to Him, “If You are dthe Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”
4But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, e‘Man shall not live by bread alone, 3but by every word of God.’ ”
54Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for fthis has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.
7“Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”
8And Jesus answered and said to him, 5“Get behind Me, Satan! 6For it is written, g‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”
9hThen he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here.
10“For it is written:
i‘He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you,’
11“and,
j‘In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”
12And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been said, k‘You shall not 7tempt the LORD your God.’ ”
13Now when the devil had ended every 8temptation, he departed from Him luntil an opportune time.
Jesus Begins His Galilean Ministry
(Matt. 4:12–17; Mark 1:14, 15)
14mThen Jesus returned nin the power of the Spirit to oGalilee, and pnews of Him went out through all the surrounding region.
15And He qtaught in their synagogues, rbeing glorified by all.
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
16So He came to sNazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, tHe went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.
17And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
18“Theu Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me 9to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To vset at liberty those who are 10oppressed;
19To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”
20Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.
21And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is wfulfilled in your hearing.”
22So all bore witness to Him, and xmarveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, y“Is this not Joseph’s son?”
23He said to them, “You will surely say this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in zCapernaum,11 do also here in aYour country.’ ”
24Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no bprophet is accepted in his own country.
25“But I tell you truly, cmany widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land;
26“but to none of them was Elijah sent except to 12Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.
27d“And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”
28So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were efilled with 13wrath,
29fand rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff.
30Then gpassing through the midst of them, He went His way.
Jesus Casts Out an Unclean Spirit
31Then hHe went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths. The Capernaum Synagogue
32And they were iastonished at His teaching, jfor His word was with authority.
33kNow in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice,
34saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? lI know who You are—mthe Holy One of God!”
35But Jesus rebuked him, saying, 14“Be quiet, and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him.
36Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, “What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.”
37And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region.
Peter’s Mother-in-Law Healed
(Matt. 8:14, 15; Mark 1:29–31)
38nNow He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. But Simon’s wife’s mother was 15sick with a high fever, and they omade request of Him concerning her.
39So He stood over her and prebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them.
Many Healed After Sabbath Sunset
(Matt. 8:16, 17; Mark 1:32–34)
40qWhen the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.
41rAnd demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, s“You are 16the Christ, the Son of God!” And He, trebuking them, did not allow them to 17speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.
Jesus Preaches in Galilee
42uNow when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them;
43but He said to them, “I must vpreach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.”
Four Fishermen Called as Disciples
1So ait was, as the multitude pressed about Him to bhear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret,
2and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets.
3Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He csat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.
4When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, d“Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”
5But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught enothing; nevertheless fat Your word I will let down the net.”
6And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.
7So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.
8When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, g“Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”
9For he and all who were with him were hastonished at the catch of fish which they had taken;
10and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. iFrom now on you will catch men.”
11So when they had brought their boats to land, jthey 1forsook all and followed Him.
Jesus Cleanses a Leper
12kAnd it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of lleprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and 2implored Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”
13Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” mImmediately the leprosy left him.
14nAnd He charged him to tell no one, “But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to them, ojust as Moses commanded.”
15However, pthe report went around concerning Him all the more; and qgreat multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities.
16rSo He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and sprayed.
Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralytic
17Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present 3to heal them.
18tThen behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him.
19And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst ubefore Jesus.
20When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”
21vAnd the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? wWho can forgive sins but God alone?”
22But when Jesus xperceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts?
23“Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’?
24“But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the man who was paralyzed, y“I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”
25Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, zglorifying God.
26And they were all amazed, and they aglorified God and were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen strange things today!”
Matthew the Tax Collector
27bAfter these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, c“Follow Me.”
28So he left all, rose up, and dfollowed Him.
29eThen Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And fthere were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them.
304And their scribes and the Pharisees 5complained against His disciples, saying, g“Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
31Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
32h“I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
Jesus Is Questioned About Fasting
33Then they said to Him, i“Why6 do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink?”
34And He said to them, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the jbridegroom is with them?
35“But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days.”
36kThen He spoke a parable to them: “No one 7puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old.
37“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined.
38“But new wine must be put into new wineskins, 8and both are preserved.
39“And no one, having drunk old wine, 9immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The old is 10better.’ ”
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath
1Now ait happened 1on the second Sabbath after the first that He went through the grainfields. And His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands. Qumran and the New Testament
2And some of the Pharisees said to them, “Why are you doing bwhat is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?”
3But Jesus answering them said, “Have you not even read this, cwhat David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:
4“how he went into the house of God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those with him, dwhich is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?”
5And He said to them, “The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”
Healing on the Sabbath
6eNow it happened on another Sabbath, also, that He entered the synagogue and taught. And a man was there whose right hand was withered.
7So the scribes and Pharisees watched Him closely, whether He would fheal on the Sabbath, that they might find an gaccusation against Him.
8But He hknew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, “Arise and stand here.” And he arose and stood.
9Then Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one thing: iIs it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or 2to destroy?”
10And when He had looked around at them all, He said to 3the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored 4as whole as the other.
11But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.
The Twelve Apostles
12Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in jprayer to God.
13And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; kand from them He chose ltwelve whom He also named apostles:
14Simon, mwhom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew;
15Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot;
16Judas nthe son of James, and oJudas Iscariot who also became a traitor.
Jesus Heals a Great Multitude
(cf. Matt. 4:24, 25; Mark 3:7–12)
17And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples pand a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases,
18as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed.
19And the whole multitude qsought to rtouch Him, for spower went out from Him and healed them all.
The Beatitudes
20Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:
t“Blessed are you poor,
For yours is the kingdom of God.
21uBlessed are you who hunger now,
wBlessed are you who weep now,
For you shall xlaugh.
22yBlessed are you when men hate you,
And when they zexclude you,
And revile you, and cast out your name as evil,
For the Son of Man’s sake.
23aRejoice in that day and leap for joy!
For indeed your reward is great in heaven,
For bin like manner their fathers did to the prophets.
Jesus Pronounces Woes
24“Butc woe to you dwho are rich,
For eyou have received your consolation.
25fWoe to you who are full,
For you shall hunger.
gWoe to you who laugh now,
For you shall mourn and hweep.
26iWoe 6to you when 7all men speak well of you,
For so did their fathers to the false prophets.
Love Your Enemies
27j“But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
28k“bless those who curse you, and lpray for those who spitefully use you.
29m“To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. nAnd from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.
30o“Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.
31p“And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.
32q“But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
33“And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
34r“And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.
35“But slove your enemies, tdo good, and ulend, 8hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and vyou will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.
36w“Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
Do Not Judge
37x“Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. yForgive, and you will be forgiven.
38z“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your abosom. For bwith the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”
39And He spoke a parable to them: c“Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch?
40d“A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.
41e“And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?
42“Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.
A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit
43f“For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.
44“For gevery tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.
45h“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil 9treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out iof the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Build on the Rock
46j“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?
47k“Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:
48“He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was 10founded on the rock.
49“But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it 11fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”
Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant
1Now when He concluded all His sayings in the hearing of the people, He aentered Capernaum.
2And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die.
3So when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal his servant.
4And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was deserving,
5“for he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue.”
6Then Jesus went with them. And when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof.
7“Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You. But bsay the word, and my servant will be healed.
8“For I also am a man placed under cauthority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
9When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!”
10And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well 1who had been sick.
Jesus Raises the Son of the Widow of Nain
11Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd.
12And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her.
13When the Lord saw her, He had dcompassion on her and said to her, e“Do not weep.”
14Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, farise.”
15So he who was dead gsat up and began to speak. And He hpresented him to his mother.
16iThen fear 2came upon all, and they jglorified God, saying, k“A great prophet has risen up among us”; and, l“God has visited His people.”
17And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region.
John the Baptist Sends Messengers to Jesus
18mThen the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things.
19And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to 3Jesus, saying, “Are You nthe Coming One, or 4do we look for another?”
20When the men had come to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, ‘Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?’ ”
21And that very hour He cured many of 5infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight.
22oJesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: pthat the blind qsee, the lame rwalk, the lepers are scleansed, the deaf thear, the dead are raised, uthe poor have the gospel preached to them.
23“And blessed is he who is not 6offended because of Me.”
24vWhen the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?
25“But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in kings’ courts.
26“But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.
27“This is he of whom it is written:
w‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.’
28“For I say to you, among those born of women there is 7not a xgreater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”
29And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors 8justified God, yhaving been baptized with the baptism of John.
30But the Pharisees and 9lawyers rejected zthe will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.
3110And the Lord said, a“To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like?
32“They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying:
‘We played the flute for you,
And you did not dance;
We mourned to you,
And you did not weep.’
33“For bJohn the Baptist came cneither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’
34“The Son of Man has come deating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a 11winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’
35e“But wisdom is justified by all her children.”
A Sinful Woman Forgiven
36fThen one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat.
37And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil,
38and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.
39Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, g“This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”
40And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” So he said, “Teacher, say it.”
41“There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred hdenarii, and the other fifty.
42“And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”
43Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.”
44Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no iwater for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.
45“You gave Me no jkiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.
46k“You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.
47l“Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”
48Then He said to her, m“Your sins are forgiven.”
49And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, n“Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50Then He said to the woman, o“Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
Many Women Minister to Jesus
1Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and 1bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him,
2and acertain women who had been healed of evil spirits and 2infirmities—Mary called Magdalene, bout of whom had come seven demons,
3and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for 3Him from their 4substance.
The Parable of the Sower
4cAnd when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable:
5“A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it.
6“Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture.
7“And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.
8“But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded 5a crop a hundredfold.” When He had said these things He cried, d“He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
The Purpose of Parables
(Matt. 13:10–17; Mark 4:10–12)
9eThen His disciples asked Him, saying, “What does this parable mean?”
10And He said, “To you it has been given to know the 6mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that
f‘Seeing they may not see,
And hearing they may not understand.’
The Parable of the Sower Explained
(Matt. 13:18–23; Mark 4:13–20)
11g“Now the parable is this: The seed is the hword of God.
12“Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
13“But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of 7temptation fall away.
14“Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, iriches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.
15“But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with jpatience.8
The Parable of the Revealed Light
16k“No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the llight.
17m“For nothing is secret that will not be nrevealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.
18“Therefore take heed how you hear. oFor whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he 9seems to phave will be taken from him.”
Jesus’ Mother and Brothers Come to Him
(Matt. 12:46–50, Mark 3:31–35)
19qThen His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd.
20And it was told Him by some, who said, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You.”
21But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”
Wind and Wave Obey Jesus
22rNow it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples. And He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.” And they launched out.
23But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in 10jeopardy.
24And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm.
25But He said to them, s“Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, t“Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!”
A Demon-Possessed Man Healed
26uThen they sailed to the country of the 11Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee.
27And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons 12for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs.
28When he saw Jesus, he vcried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, w“What have I to do with xYou, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!”
29For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.
30Jesus asked him, saying, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” because many demons had entered him.
31And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out yinto the abyss.
32Now a herd of many zswine was feeding there on the mountain. So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them. And He permitted them.
33Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.
34When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country.
35Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, asitting at the bfeet of Jesus, clothed and in his cright mind. And they were afraid.
36They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was 13healed.
37dThen the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the 14Gadarenes easked Him to fdepart from them, for they were seized with great gfear. And He got into the boat and returned.
38Now hthe man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying,
39“Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.” And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.
A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed
40So it was, when Jesus returned, that the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him.
41iAnd behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down at Jesus’ feet and begged Him to come to his house,
42for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she jwas dying. But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him.
43kNow a woman, having a lflow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any,
44came from behind and mtouched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped.
45And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?” When all denied it, Peter 15and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, 16and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ”
46But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived npower going out from Me.”
47Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.
48And He said to her, “Daughter, 17be of good cheer; oyour faith has made you well. pGo in peace.”
49qWhile He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, “Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the 18Teacher.”
50But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, “Do not be afraid; ronly believe, and she will be made well.”
51When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go 19in except 20Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl.
52Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, s“Do not weep; she is not dead, tbut sleeping.”
53And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead.
54But He 21put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, “Little girl, uarise.”
55Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. And He commanded that she be given something to eat.
56And her parents were astonished, but vHe charged them to tell no one what had happened.
Sending Out the Twelve
1Then aHe called His twelve disciples together and bgave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.
2cHe sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
3dAnd He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece.
4e“Whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart.
5f“And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, gshake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them.”
6hSo they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.
Herod Seeks to See Jesus
7iNow Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by Him; and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead,
8and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen again.
9Herod said, “John I have beheaded, but who is this of whom I hear such things?” jSo he sought to see Him.
Feeding the Five Thousand
(Matt. 14:13–21; Mark 6:30–44; John 6:1–15)
10kAnd the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. lThen He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.
11But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing.
12mWhen the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted place here.”
13But He said to them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people.”
14For there were about five thousand men. Then He said to His disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of fifty.”
15And they did so, and made them all sit down.
16Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He nblessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude.
17So they all ate and were 1filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them.
Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ
(Matt. 16:13–20; Mark 8:27–30)
18oAnd it happened, as He was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”
19So they answered and said, p“John the Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again.”
20He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” qPeter answered and said, “The Christ of God.”
Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection
(Matt. 16:20–23; Mark 8:30–33)
21rAnd He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one,
22saying, s“The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.”
Take Up the Cross and Follow Him
(Matt. 16:24–27; Mark 8:34–38)
23tThen He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross 2daily, and follow Me.
24u“For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.
25v“For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?
26w“For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be xashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels.
27y“But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God.”
Jesus Transfigured on the Mount
(Matt. 16:28–17:9; Mark 9:2–10; 2 Pet. 1:16–18)
28zNow it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.
29As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.
30And behold, two men talked with Him, who were aMoses and bElijah,
31who appeared in glory and spoke of His 3decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
32But Peter and those with him cwere heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.
33Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three 4tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said.
34While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the dcloud.
35And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, e“This is 5My beloved Son. fHear Him!”
36When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone. gBut they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.
A Boy Is Healed
(Matt. 17:14–21; Mark 9:14–29)
37hNow it happened on the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, that a great multitude met Him.
38Suddenly a man from the multitude cried out, saying, “Teacher, I implore You, look on my son, for he is my only child.
39“And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out; it convulses him so that he foams at the mouth; and it departs from him with great difficulty, bruising him.
40“So I implored Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.”
41Then Jesus answered and said, “O 6faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and 7bear with you? Bring your son here.”
42And as he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him. Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father.
Jesus Again Predicts His Death
(Matt. 17:22, 23; Mark 9:30–32)
43And they were all amazed at the majesty of God. But while everyone marveled at all the things which Jesus did, He said to His disciples,
44i“Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.”
45jBut they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying.
Who Is the Greatest?
46kThen a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest.
47And Jesus, lperceiving the thought of their heart, took a mlittle child and set him by Him,
48and said to them, n“Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and owhoever receives Me preceives Him who sent Me. qFor he who is least among you all will be great.”
Jesus Forbids Sectarianism
49rNow John answered and said, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us.”
50But Jesus said to him, “Do not forbid him, for she who is not against 8us is on 9our side.”
A Samaritan Village Rejects the Savior
51Now it came to pass, when the time had come for tHim to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem,
52and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him.
53But uthey did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.
54And when His disciples vJames and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, 10just as wElijah did?”
55But He turned and rebuked them, 11and said, “You do not know what manner of xspirit you are of.
5612“For ythe Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.
The Cost of Discipleship
57zNow it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.”
58And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man ahas nowhere to lay His head.”
59bThen He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”
60Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.”
61And another also said, “Lord, cI will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.”
62But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is dfit for the kingdom of God.”
The Seventy Sent Out
1After these things the Lord appointed 1seventy others also, and asent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.
2Then He said to them, b“The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore cpray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.
3“Go your way; dbehold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.
4e“Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and fgreet no one along the road.
5g“But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’
6“And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.
7h“And remain in the same house, ieating and drinking such things as they give, for jthe laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house.
8“Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.
9k“And heal the sick there, and say to them, l‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
10“But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say,
11m‘The very dust of your city which clings to 2us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.’
123“But I say to you that nit will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city.
Woe to the Impenitent Cities
13o“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! pFor if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
14“But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.
15q“And you, Capernaum, 4who are rexalted to heaven, swill be brought down to Hades.
16t“He who hears you hears Me, uhe who rejects you rejects Me, and vhe who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.”
The Seventy Return with Joy
17Then wthe 5seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”
18And He said to them, x“I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
19“Behold, yI give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
20“Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but 6rather rejoice because zyour names are written in heaven.”
Jesus Rejoices in the Spirit
21aIn that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.
22b“All7 things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and cno one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”
23Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, d“Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see;
24“for I tell you ethat many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it.”
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
(Matt. 22:34–40; Mark 12:28–34)
25And behold, a certain 8lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, f“Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
26He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?”
27So he answered and said, g“ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and h‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ”
28And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and iyou will live.”
29But he, wanting to jjustify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among 9thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
31“Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, khe passed by on the other side.
32“Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side.
33“But a certain lSamaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had mcompassion.
34“So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35“On the next day, 10when he departed, he took out two ndenarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’
36“So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?”
37And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, o“Go and do likewise.”
Mary and Martha Worship and Serve
38Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named pMartha welcomed Him into her house.
39And she had a sister called Mary, qwho also rsat at 11Jesus’ feet and heard His word.
40But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”
41And 12Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.
42“But sone thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
The Model Prayer
1Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”
2So He said to them, “When you pray, say:
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
3Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
3Give us day by day our daily bread.
For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And do not lead us into temptation,
4But deliver us from the evil one.”
A Friend Comes at Midnight
5And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves;
6‘for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’;
7“and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’?
8“I say to you, cthough he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.
Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking
9d“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; eseek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
10“For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
11f“If a son asks for 5bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?
12“Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
13“If you then, being evil, know how to give ggood gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
A House Divided Cannot Stand
(Matt. 12:22–30; Mark 3:22–27)
14hAnd He was casting out a demon, and it was mute. So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke; and the multitudes marveled. Healing Miracles in the New Testament
15But some of them said, i“He casts out demons by 6Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”
16Others, testing Him, jsought from Him a sign from heaven.
17kBut lHe, knowing their thoughts, said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls.
18“If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub.
19“And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.
20“But if I cast out demons mwith the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.
21n“When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace.
22“But owhen a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his 7spoils.
23p“He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.
An Unclean Spirit Returns
24q“When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’
25“And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order.
26“Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and rthe last state of that man is worse than the first.”
Keeping the Word
27And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, s“Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!”
28But He said, t“More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
Seeking a Sign
29uAnd while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, “This is an evil generation. It seeks a vsign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah 8the prophet.
30“For as wJonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation.
31x“The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a ygreater than Solomon is here.
32“The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for zthey repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.
The Lamp of the Body
(Matt. 6:22, 23)
33a“No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a bbasket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light.
34c“The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is 9good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is 10bad, your body also is full of darkness.
35“Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness.
36“If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.”
Woe to the Pharisees and Lawyers
37And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him. So He went in and sat down to eat.
38dWhen the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner.
39eThen the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but fyour inward part is full of 11greed and wickedness.
40“Foolish ones! Did not gHe who made the outside make the inside also?
41h“But rather give alms of 12such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you.
42i“But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and jpass by justice and the klove of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.
43l“Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the 13best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.
44m“Woe to you, 14scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! nFor you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them.”
45Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, “Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also.”
46And He said, “Woe to you also, lawyers! oFor you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.
47p“Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.
48“In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs.
49“Therefore the wisdom of God also said, q‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’
50“that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation,
51r“from the blood of Abel to sthe blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.
52t“Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.”
5315And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things,
54lying in wait for Him, 16and useeking to catch Him in something He might say, 17that they might accuse Him.
Beware of Hypocrisy
(Matt. 10:26, 27)
1In athe meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, b“Beware of the 1leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
2c“For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.
3“Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.
Jesus Teaches the Fear of God
4d“And I say to you, eMy friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
5“But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, ffear Him!
6“Are not five sparrows sold for two 2copper coins? And gnot one of them is forgotten before God.
7“But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Confess Christ Before Men
(Matt. 10:32, 33)
8h“Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me ibefore men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God.
9“But he who jdenies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.
10“And kanyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.
11l“Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say.
12“For the Holy Spirit will mteach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
The Parable of the Rich Fool
13Then one from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
14But He said to him, n“Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?”
15And He said to them, o“Take heed and beware of 3covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”
16Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.
17“And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’
18“So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.
19‘And I will say to my soul, p“Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; qeat, drink, and be merry.” ’
20“But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night ryour soul will be required of you; sthen whose will those things be which you have provided?’
21“So is he who lays up treasure for himself, tand is not rich toward God.”
Do Not Worry
22Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, udo not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on.
23“Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.
24“Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and vGod feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?
25“And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
26“If you then are not able to do the least, why 4are you anxious for the rest?
27“Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even wSolomon in all his glory was not 5arrayed like one of these.
28“If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of xlittle faith?
29“And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.
30“For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father yknows that you need these things.
31z“But seek 6the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.
32“Do not fear, little flock, for ait is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
33b“Sell what you have and give calms; dprovide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.
34“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The Faithful Servant and the Evil Servant
35e“Let your waist be girded and fyour lamps burning;
36“and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately.
37g“Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them.
38“And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
39h“But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would 7have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.
40i“Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
41Then Peter said to Him, “Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?”
42And the Lord said, j“Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food 8in due season?
43“Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.
44k“Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.
45l“But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk,
46“the master of that servant will come on a mday when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
47“And nthat servant who oknew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
48p“But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.
Christ Brings Division
49q“I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!
50“But rI have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is saccomplished!
51t“Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, ubut rather division.
52v“For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three.
53w“Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”
Discern the Time
54Then He also said to the multitudes, x“Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming’; and so it is.
55“And when you see the ysouth wind blow, you say, ‘There will be hot weather’; and there is.
56“Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern zthis time?
Make Peace with Your Adversary
57“Yes, and why, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right?
58a“When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort balong the way to settle with him, lest he drag you to the judge, the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.
59“I tell you, you shall not depart from there till you have paid the very last mite.”
Repent or Perish
1There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had 1mingled with their sacrifices.
2And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things?
3“I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.
4“Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem?
5“I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”
The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree
6He also spoke this parable: a“A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none.
7“Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it 2use up the ground?’
8“But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it.
93‘And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can bcut it down.’ ”
A Spirit of Infirmity
10Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.
11And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way 4raise herself up.
12But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your cinfirmity.”
13dAnd He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
14But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had ehealed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, f“There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and gnot on the Sabbath day.”
15The Lord then answered him and said, 5“Hypocrite! hDoes not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it?
16“So ought not this woman, ibeing a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?”
17And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were jdone by Him.
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
(Matt. 13:31, 32; Mark 4:30–32)
18kThen He said, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it?
19“It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a 6large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.”
The Parable of the Leaven
20And again He said, “To what shall I liken the kingdom of God?
21“It is like 7leaven, which a woman took and hid in three lmeasures8 of meal till it was all leavened.”
The Narrow Way
(Matt. 7:13, 14)
22mAnd He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.
23Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there nfew who are saved?” And He said to them,
24o“Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for pmany, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
25q“When once the Master of the house has risen up and rshut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, s‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, t‘I do not know you, where you are from,’
26“then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’
27u“But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. vDepart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’
28w“There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, xwhen you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out.
29“They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God.
30y“And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last.”
319On that very day some Pharisees came, saying to Him, “Get out and depart from here, for Herod wants to kill You.”
32And He said to them, “Go, tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day zI shall be 10perfected.’
33“Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem.
Jesus Laments over Jerusalem
34a“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!
35“See! bYour house is left to you desolate; and 11assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, c‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ ”