The Genealogy of Jesus Christ
MATTHEW 1 a The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, b the son of David, c the son of Abraham.
2 d Abraham was the father of Isaac, and e Isaac the father of Jacob, and f Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3and g Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, [1] 4and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5and Salmon the father of Boaz by h Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6and i Jesse the father of David the king.
And j David was the father of Solomon by k the wife of Uriah, 7and l Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, [2] 8and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, m and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, [3] and Amos the father of Josiah, 11and n Josiah the father of o Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.
12And after the deportation to Babylon: p Jechoniah was the father of q Shealtiel, [4] and r Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, 15and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16and Jacob the father of s Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.
17So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to t the Christ fourteen generations.
The Birth of Jesus Christ
18Now the birth of u Jesus Christ [5] took place in this way. v When his mother Mary had been betrothed [6] to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child w from the Holy Spirit. 19And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling x to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20But as he considered these things, behold, y an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will bear a son, and z you shall call his name Jesus, a for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 b All this took place c to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
23 d “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name e Immanuel”
(which means, God f with us). 24When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And g he called his name Jesus.
The Visit of the Wise Men
MATTHEW 2 Now h after Jesus was born in i Bethlehem of Judea j in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men [1] from k the east came to Jerusalem, 2saying, “Where is he who has been born l king of the Jews? For we saw m his star when it rose [2] and have come to n worship him.” 3When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where o the Christ was to be born. 5They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
6 p “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will q shepherd my people Israel.’”
7Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” 9After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, r they offered him gifts, s gold and t frankincense and u myrrh. 12And v being warned w in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
The Flight to Egypt
13Now when they had departed, behold, x an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15and remained there until the death of Herod. y This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, z “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
Herod Kills the Children
16Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. 17 a Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:
18 b “A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be comforted, because they c are no more.”
The Return to Nazareth
19But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for d those who sought the child’s life are dead.” 21And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and e being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. 23And he went and lived in a city called f Nazareth, g so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
MATTHEW 3 h In those days i John the Baptist came preaching in j the wilderness of Judea, 2 k “Repent, for l the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,
m “The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
n ‘Prepare [1] the way of the Lord;
make his paths straight.’”
4Now John wore o a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was p locusts and q wild honey. 5Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, r confessing their sins.
7But when he saw many of s the Pharisees and t Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, u “You brood of v vipers! Who warned you to flee from w the wrath to come? 8Bear fruit x in keeping with repentance. 9And do not presume to say to yourselves, y ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from z these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 10Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. a Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
11 b “I baptize you with water c for repentance, but d he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you e with the Holy Spirit and f fire. 12His g winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and h gather his wheat into the barn, i but the chaff he will burn with j unquenchable fire.”
The Baptism of Jesus
13 k Then Jesus came l from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 m John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, o the heavens were opened to him, [2] and he p saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17and behold, q a voice from heaven said, r “This is my beloved Son, [3] with whom I am well pleased.”
The Temptation of Jesus
MATTHEW 4 s Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness t to be tempted by the devil. 2And after fasting u forty days and forty nights, he v was hungry. 3And w the tempter came and said to him, “If you are x the Son of God, command y these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4But he answered, z “It is written,
a “‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
5 b Then the devil took him to c the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,
d “‘He will command his angels concerning you,’
and
“‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
7Jesus said to him, “Again e it is written, f ‘You shall not g put the Lord your God to the test.’” 8 h Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, i Satan! For j it is written,
k “‘You shall worship the Lord your God
and l him only shall you serve.’”
11Then the devil left him, and behold, m angels came and were ministering to him.
Jesus Begins His Ministry
12Now when he heard that n John had been arrested, o he withdrew into Galilee. 13And leaving p Nazareth he went and lived in q Capernaum by r the sea, in the territory of s Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 t so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
15 u “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—
16 v the people dwelling in darkness
have seen a great light,
and for those dwelling in the region and w shadow of death,
on them a light has dawned.”
17 x From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, z “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Jesus Calls the First Disciples
18 a While walking by b the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you c fishers of men.” [1] 20Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
Jesus Ministers to Great Crowds
23 d And he went throughout all Galilee, e teaching in their synagogues and f proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and g healing every disease and every affliction among the people. 24So his fame spread throughout all h Syria, and g they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and i pains, j those oppressed by demons, k epileptics, and l paralytics, and he healed them. 25 m And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the n Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.
The Sermon on the Mount
MATTHEW 5 Seeing the crowds, o he went up on the mountain, and when he p sat down, his disciples came to him.
The Beatitudes
2And q he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
3 r “Blessed are s the poor in spirit, for u theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4“Blessed are v those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5“Blessed are the w meek, for they w shall inherit the earth.
6“Blessed are those who hunger and x thirst y for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7“Blessed are z the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8“Blessed are a the pure in heart, for b they shall see God.
9“Blessed are c the peacemakers, for d they shall be called e sons [1] of God.
10 f “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for u theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 g “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely h on my account. 12 i Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for j so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Salt and Light
13“You are the salt of the earth, k but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
14 l “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 m Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before others, so n that [2] they may see your good works and o give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Christ Came to Fulfill the Law
17 p “Do not think that I have come to abolish q the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but r to fulfill them. 18For truly, I say to you, s until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 t Therefore whoever relaxes u one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least v in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great v in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds w that of the scribes and Pharisees, you x will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Anger
21 y “You have heard that it was said to those of old, z ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable a to judgment.’ 22But I say to you that b everyone who is angry with his brother [3] will be liable a to judgment; whoever insults [4] his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to c the hell [5] of fire. 23 d So if e you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 f Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 26Truly, I say to you, g you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. [6]
Lust
27 h “You have heard that it was said, i ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28But I say to you that j everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 k If your right eye l causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into m hell. 30 k And if your right hand l causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into m hell.
Divorce
31 h “It was also said, n ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 o But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and p whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Oaths
33“Again h you have heard that it was said to those of old, q ‘You shall not swear falsely, but r shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 34But I say to you, s Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for t it is the throne of God, 35or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is u the city of the great King. 36And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; v anything more than this comes from evil. [7]
Retaliation
38 h “You have heard that it was said, y ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39But I say to you, z Do not resist the one who is evil. But a if anyone b slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40And z if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, [8] let him have your cloak as well. 41And if anyone c forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 d Give to the one who begs from you, and e do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.
Love Your Enemies
43 f “You have heard that it was said, g ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44But I say to you, i Love your enemies and j pray for those who persecute you, 45 k so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and l sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 m For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47And if you greet only your brothers, [9] what more are you doing than others? Do not even n the Gentiles do the same? 48 o You therefore must be p perfect, q as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Giving to the Needy
MATTHEW 6 “Beware of r practicing your righteousness before other people in order s to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
2 t “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may u be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have v received their reward. 3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret. w And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
The Lord’s Prayer
5“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love x to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. y Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6But when you pray, z go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. a And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
7“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as b the Gentiles do, for c they think that they will be heard d for their many words. 8Do not be like them, e for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 f Pray then like this:
g “Our Father in heaven,
h hallowed be i your name. [1]
10 j Your kingdom come,
l on earth as it is in heaven.
11 m Give us n this day our daily bread, [3]
12 and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And o lead us not into temptation,
but p deliver us from q evil. [4]
14 r For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 s but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Fasting
16“And t when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. u Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17But when you fast, v anoint your head and wash your face, 18that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. w And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Lay Up Treasures in Heaven
19 x “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where y moth and rust [5] destroy and where thieves z break in and steal, 20 x but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 a “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 a but if b your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
24 c “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and d money. [6]
Do Not Be Anxious
25 e “Therefore I tell you, f do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 g Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. h Are you not of more value than they? 27And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his i span of life? [7] 28And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29yet I tell you, j even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, k O you of little faith? 31Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For l the Gentiles seek after all these things, and m your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33But n seek first o the kingdom of God and his righteousness, p and all these things will be added to you.
34 q “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Judging Others
MATTHEW 7 r “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 s For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and t with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but u do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
6 v “Do not give w dogs what is holy, and do not throw your x pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.
Ask, and It Will Be Given
7 y “Ask, z and it will be given to you; a seek, and you will find; b knock, and it will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9Or which one of you, if his son asks him for c bread, will give him c a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11If you then, d who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will z your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
The Golden Rule
12“So e whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is f the Law and the Prophets.
13 g “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy [1] that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14For the gate is narrow and h the way is hard that leads to life, and i those who find it are few.
A Tree and Its Fruit
15 j “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are k ravenous wolves. 16You will recognize them l by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17So, m every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 n Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus you will recognize them l by their fruits.
I Never Knew You
21 o “Not everyone who p says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will q enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who r does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 s On that day t many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not u prophesy in your name, and cast out demons v in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 t And then will I declare to them, ‘I w never knew you; x depart from me, y you workers of lawlessness.’
Build Your House on the Rock
24 z “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
The Authority of Jesus
28And when Jesus finished these sayings, b the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 c for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
Jesus Cleanses a Leper
MATTHEW 8 When he came down from the mountain, d great crowds followed him. 2 e And behold, a leper [1] came to him and f knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” 3And Jesus [2] stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4And Jesus said to him, g “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, h show yourself to the priest and i offer the gift that Moses commanded, j for a proof to them.”
The Faith of a Centurion
5 k When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, 6“Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” 7And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but l only say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, [3] ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10When Jesus heard this, m he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with n no one in Israel [4] have I found such faith. 11I tell you, o many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, 12 p while the sons of the kingdom q will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place r there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you s as you have believed.” t And the servant was healed at that very moment.
Jesus Heals Many
14 u And when Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw v his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. 15He w touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him. 16That evening they brought to him many who were x oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits y with a word and healed all who were sick. 17 z This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: a “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”
The Cost of Following Jesus
18Now b when Jesus saw a crowd around him, c he gave orders to go over to the other side. 19 d And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 21Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 22And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave e the dead to bury their own dead.”
Jesus Calms a Storm
23 f And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but g he was asleep. 25And they went and woke him, saying, h “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” 26And he said to them, “Why are you i afraid, j O you of little faith?” Then he rose and k rebuked the winds and the sea, and l there was a great calm. 27And the men m marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even n winds and sea obey him?”
Jesus Heals Two Men with Demons
28 o And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, [5] two p demon-possessed [6] men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. 29And behold, they q cried out, “What have you to do with us, r O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us s before the time?” 30Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. 31And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.” 32And he said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. 33The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the t demon-possessed men. 34And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, u they begged him to leave their region.
Jesus Heals a Paralytic
MATTHEW 9 And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to v his own city. 2 w And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus x saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, y “Take heart, my son; z your sins are forgiven.” 3And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, a “This man is blaspheming.” 4But Jesus, b knowing [1] their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 6But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” 7And he rose and went home. 8When the crowds saw it, c they were afraid, and c they glorified God, who had d given such authority to men.
Jesus Calls Matthew
9 e As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called f Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
10And as Jesus [2] reclined at table in the house, behold, many g tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 11And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, h “Why does your teacher eat with g tax collectors and sinners?” 12But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13Go and learn i what this means, j ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For k I came not to call the righteous, l but sinners.”
A Question About Fasting
14Then m the disciples of John came to him, saying, n “Why do we and o the Pharisees fast, [3] but your disciples do not fast?” 15And Jesus said to them, p “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? q The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and r then they will fast. 16No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. 17Neither is new wine put into old s wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”
A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed
18 t While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and u knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” 19And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples. 20And behold, a woman v who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched w the fringe of his garment, 21for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.” 22Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, x “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” y And instantly [4] the woman was made well. 23And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw z the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, 24he said, “Go away, for a the girl is not dead but b sleeping.” And they laughed at him. 25But c when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and d took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26And the report of this went through all that district.
Jesus Heals Two Blind Men
27 e And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, f Son of David.” 28When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” 29 g Then he touched their eyes, saying, h “According to your faith be it done to you.” 30And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, i “See that no one knows about it.” 31 j But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.
Jesus Heals a Man Unable to Speak
32As they were going away, behold, a k demon-oppressed man who was mute l was brought to him. 33And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds m marveled, saying, “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.” 34But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.”
The Harvest Is Plentiful, the Laborers Few
35 n And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 o When he saw the crowds, p he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, q like sheep without a shepherd. 37 r Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38therefore s pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to t send out laborers into his harvest.”
The Twelve Apostles
MATTHEW 10 u And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. 2 v The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, w who is called Peter, and x Andrew his brother; x James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and y Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; [1] 4Simon the Zealot, [2] and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles
5 u These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of z the Samaritans, 6 a but go rather to b the lost sheep of c the house of Israel. 7And proclaim as you go, saying, d ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 e Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, [3] cast out demons. f You received without paying; give without pay. 9 g Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, 10no bag for your journey, or two tunics [4] or sandals or a staff, for h the laborer deserves his food. 11And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. 12As you enter the house, i greet it. 13And if the house is j worthy, let i your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let i your peace return to you. 14And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, l shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. 15Truly, I say to you, m it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for n the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.
Persecution Will Come
16 o “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be p wise as serpents and q innocent as doves. 17Beware of men, for r they will deliver you over to courts and flog you s in their synagogues, 18 r and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, t to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. 19 r When u they deliver you over, v do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for w what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. 20 x For it is not you who speak, but y the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 z Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, 22 a and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. b But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 23When they c persecute you in one town, d flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel e before the Son of Man comes.
24 f “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant [5] above his master. 25It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. g If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign [6] those of his household.
Have No Fear
26“So have no fear of them, i for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on j the housetops. 28And k do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him l who can destroy both soul and body in hell. [7] 29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? [8] And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30But m even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31Fear not, therefore; n you are of more value than many sparrows. 32 o So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33but p whoever denies me before men, q I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.
Not Peace, but a Sword
34 r “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. s I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 r For I have come t to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 u And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. 37 v Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38And w whoever does not take his cross and x follow me is not worthy of me. 39 y Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Rewards
40 z “Whoever receives you receives me, and a whoever receives me receives him who sent me. 41 b The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42And c whoever gives one of d these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”
Messengers from John the Baptist
MATTHEW 11 When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.
2 e Now when John heard f in prison about the deeds of g the Christ, he sent word by h his disciples 3and said to him, “Are you i the one who is to come, or shall we j look for another?” 4And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 k the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers [1] are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and l the poor have good news preached to them. 6And blessed is the one who m is not offended by me.”
7As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out n into the wilderness to see? o A reed shaken by the wind? 8What then did you go out to see? A man [2] dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9What then did you go out to see? p A prophet? [3] Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10This is he of whom it is written,
q “‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.’
11Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 r From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, [4] and the violent take it by force. 13 r For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, 14and if you are willing to accept it, he is s Elijah who is to come. 15 t He who has ears to hear, [5] let him hear.
16“But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates,
17 “‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’
18For John came u neither eating v nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19The Son of Man came w eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, x a friend of y tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.” [6]
Woe to Unrepentant Cities
20 z Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. 21 a “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in b Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 c But I tell you, it will be more bearable on d the day of judgment for b Tyre and Sidon than for you. 23And you, e Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to f Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 c But I tell you that g it will be more tolerable on d the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.”
Come to Me, and I Will Give You Rest
25 h At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, i Lord of heaven and earth, that j you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and k revealed them to little children; 26yes, Father, for such was your l gracious will. [7] 27 m All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son n except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone o to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 p Come to q me, all who labor and are r heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and s learn from me, for I am t gentle and lowly in heart, and u you will find rest for your souls. 30For v my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath
MATTHEW 12 At that time w Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and x they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, y “Look, your disciples are doing z what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” 3He said to them, a “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: 4how he entered the house of God and ate b the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5Or have you not read c in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? 6I tell you, d something greater than the temple is here. 7And if you had known e what this means, f ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8For g the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
A Man with a Withered Hand
9He went on from there and h entered their synagogue. 10And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, i “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”— j so that they might accuse him. 11He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, k if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 l Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So m it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And n the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. 14But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.
God’s Chosen Servant
15Jesus, aware of this, o withdrew from there. And p many followed him, and he healed them all 16and q ordered them not to make him known. 17 r This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:
18 s “Behold, my t servant whom I have chosen,
my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased.
u I will put my Spirit upon him,
and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
19 He will not quarrel or cry aloud,
nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;
20 a bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not quench,
until he brings justice to victory;
21 v and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”
Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit
22 w Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. 23 x And all the people were amazed, and said, x “Can this be the Son of David?” 24But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, y “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” 25 z Knowing their thoughts, a he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, b by whom do c your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28But if it is d by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then e the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29Or f how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed g he may plunder his house. 30 h Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 i Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but j the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32And whoever speaks a word k against the Son of Man l will be forgiven, but j whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in m this age or in the age to come.
A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit
33 n “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, o for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 p You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, q when you are evil? r For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 r The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36I tell you, s on the day of judgment t people will give account for u every careless word they speak, 37for v by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
The Sign of Jonah
38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, w we wish to see a sign from you.” 39But he answered them, x “An evil and y adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40For z just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, a so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 b The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and c condemn it, for d they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, e something greater than Jonah is here. 42 f The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, e something greater than Solomon is here.
Return of an Unclean Spirit
43“When g the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through h waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. 44Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. 45Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and i the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this j evil generation.”
Jesus’ Mother and Brothers
46While he was still speaking to the people, behold, k his mother and his l brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. [1] 48But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50For m whoever n does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
The Parable of the Sower
MATTHEW 13 That same day Jesus went out of the house o and sat beside the sea. 2And great crowds gathered about him, p so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3And q he told them many things in parables, saying: r “A sower went out to sow. 4And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6but s when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, t they withered away. 7Other seeds fell among u thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some v a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 w He who has ears, [1] let him hear.”
The Purpose of the Parables
10Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11And he answered them, x “To you it has been given to know y the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 z For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, a even what he has will be taken away. 13This is why I speak to them in parables, because b seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, c nor do they understand. 14Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:
d “‘“You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
15 For this people’s heart has grown dull,
and with their ears e they can barely hear,
and f their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and g understand with their heart
and h turn, and I would heal them.’
16But i blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 i For truly, I say to you, j many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
The Parable of the Sower Explained
18 k “Hear then the parable of the sower: 19When anyone hears the word of l the kingdom and m does not understand it, n the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. 20As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately o receives it with joy, 21yet he has no root in himself, but p endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately q he falls away. [2] 22As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but r the cares of s the world and t the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and m understands it. He indeed u bears fruit and yields, in one case v a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
The Parable of the Weeds
24He put another parable before them, saying, w “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds [3] among the wheat and went away. 26So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27And the servants [4] of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ 28He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29But he said, x ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, y Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”
The Mustard Seed and the Leaven
31He put another parable before them, saying, z “The kingdom of heaven is like a a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
33He told them another parable. b “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in c three measures of flour, till it was d all leavened.”
Prophecy and Parables
34 e All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable. 35This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: [5]
f “I will open my mouth in parables;
g I will utter what has been hidden h since the foundation of the world.”
The Parable of the Weeds Explained
36Then he left the crowds and went into i the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, j “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” 37He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38The field is the world, and the good seed is k the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are l the sons of the evil one, 39and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. m The harvest is n the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40Just as the weeds o are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at n the end of the age. 41 p The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all q causes of sin and r all law-breakers, 42 s and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place t there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43Then u the righteous will shine like the sun v in the kingdom of their Father. w He who has ears, let him hear.
The Parable of the Hidden Treasure
44“The kingdom of heaven x is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy y he goes and sells all that he has and z buys that field.
The Parable of the Pearl of Great Value
45“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46who, on finding a one pearl of great value, y went and sold all that he had and z bought it.
The Parable of the Net
47“Again, the kingdom of heaven is b like a net that was thrown into the sea and c gathered fish of every kind. 48When it was full, d men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. 49So it will be at e the end of the age. The angels will come out and f separate the evil from the righteous 50 g and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place g there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
New and Old Treasures
51 h “Have you understood all these things?” They said to him, “Yes.” 52And he said to them, “Therefore every i scribe j who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who k brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
53And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there, 54 l and coming to m his hometown n he taught them in their synagogue, so that o they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55 p Is not this q the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not r his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57And s they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, t “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” 58And he did not do many mighty works there, u because of their unbelief.