Dedication to Theophilus
1Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilleda among us, Person Profile: Luke Focus: The Gospel Is for Everyone
2just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us,
3it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus,
4that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.
John’s Birth Announced to Zacharias
5There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Insight: King Herod Person Profile: Zacharias
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, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
10And 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 the altar of incense.
12And when Zacharias saw him, he 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 you shall call his name John.
14“And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.
15“For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.
16“And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.
17“He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’b and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
18And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.” Focus: A Statement of Integrity
19And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings.
20“But behold, you 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 the 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, Person Profile: Elizabeth
25“Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take 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, Person Profile: Mary
27to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. Insight: Betrothal
28And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”c
29But when she saw him,d she 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 favor with God.
31“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.
32“He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.
33“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 do not know a man?”
35And the angel answered and said to her, “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 the 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 with 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. Focus: The Lord’s Maidservant
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, Insight: Traveling the Hill Country
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 filled with the Holy Spirit.
42Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “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.
45“Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”
The Song of Mary
46And Mary said:
“My soul magnifies the Lord, Focus: Mary’s Song
47And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
49For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
50And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation.
51He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
And exalted the lowly.
53He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich He has sent away empty.
54He has helped His servant Israel,
In remembrance of His mercy,
55As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and to his seed 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 rejoiced with her.
Circumcision of John the Baptist
59So it was, on 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, “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 kept them in their hearts, saying, “What kind of child will this be?” And the hand of the Lord was with him.
Zacharias’ Prophecy
67Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:
68“Blessed is the Lord God of Israel,
For He has visited and redeemed His people,
69And has raised up a horn of salvation for us
In the house of His servant David,
70As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets,
Who have been since the world began,
71That we should be saved from our enemies
And from the hand of all who hate us,
72To perform the mercy promised to our fathers
And to remember His holy covenant,
73The oath which He swore to our father Abraham:
74To grant us that we,
Being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
Might serve Him without fear,
75In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.
76“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest;
For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,
77To give knowledge of salvation to His people
By the remission of their sins,
78Through the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Dayspring from on high has visitede us;
79To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace.”
80So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was 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. Person Profile: Augustus Insight: The Census
2This 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 the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,
5to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife,a who was with child.
6So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.
7And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, 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 behold,b an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.
10Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.
11“For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Place Profile: Bethlehem
12“And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
14“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”c
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 widelyd 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.
19But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.
20Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
Circumcision of Jesus
21And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child,e His name was called JESUS, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.
Jesus Presented in the Temple
22Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord Focus: A Lowly Sacrifice for the Highest
23(as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the LORD”),f
24and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”g
Simeon Sees God’s Salvation
25And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. Focus: Simeon Sees
26And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
27So he came by 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, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,
According to Your word;
30For my eyes have seen Your salvation
31Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
32A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.”
33And Joseph and His motherh 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 fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against
35“(yes, a 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 Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; Insight: Anna Bears Witness
37and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years,i who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
38And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord,j and spoke of Him to all those who looked 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.
40And the Child grew and became strong in spirit,k filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.
The Boy Jesus Amazes the Scholars
41His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.
42And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. Insight: Jewish Feasts
43When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His motherl 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. Focus: Jesus the Student
47And all 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 about My Father’s business?”
50But they 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 subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart.
52And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
1Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius 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, Timeline: New Testament Rulers
2while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests,a the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.
3And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins,
4as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying:
“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;
6And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ”b
John Preaches to the People
7Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8“Therefore bear fruits worthy 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 every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
10So the people asked him, saying, “What shall we do then?”
11He answered and said to them, “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.”
12Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?”
13And he said to them, “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 intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.” Focus: Three Dangers of Power
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, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize 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 gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.”
18And with many other exhortations he preached to the people.
19But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife,c and for all the evils which Herod had done,
20also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison.
John Baptizes Jesus
21When all the people were baptized, it 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 well pleased.”
The Genealogy of Jesus Christ
23Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli, Focus: Jesus’ Family Line
24the son of Matthat,d 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 Zerubbabel, 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 Nathan, the son of David,
32the 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, the 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,
36the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, Focus: A Painful Inheritance
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, the son of God.
Satan Tempts Jesus
1Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit intoa the wilderness, Focus: Tempting Circumstances
2being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.
3And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”
4But Jesus answered him, saying,b “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ ”c
5Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Himd all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. Focus: The Risk Outweighs the Reward
6And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this 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, “Get behind Me, Satan!e Forf it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”g
9Then 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:
‘He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you,’
11“and,
‘In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”h
12And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’ ”i
13Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.
Jesus Begins His Galilean Ministry
14Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. Insight: Mapping the Life of Jesus
15And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
16So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. Focus: A Surprising First Message
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: Insight: Prophets Old and New
18“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,j
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed; Focus: The Spirit of the Lord Is Upon Us
19To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”k
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 fulfilled in your hearing.”
22So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, “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 Capernaum,l do also here in Your country.’ ”
24Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.
25“But I tell you truly, many 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 Zarephath,m in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.
27“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 filled with wrath,
29and 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 passing through the midst of them, He went His way.
Jesus Casts Out an Unclean Spirit
31Then He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths. Place Profile: Capernaum
32And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority.
33Now 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? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”
35But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “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
38Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. But Simon’s wife’s mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her.
39So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them.
Many Healed After Sabbath Sunset
40When 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. Insight: He Healed Them All
41And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, “You are the Christ,n the Son of God!” And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.
Jesus Preaches in Galilee
42Now 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 preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.”
44And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.o
Four Fishermen Called as Disciples
1So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, Insight: The World of the Fishermen
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 sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.
4When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “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 nothing; nevertheless at 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, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”
9For he and all who were with him were astonished 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. From now on you will catch men.”
11So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.
Jesus Cleanses a Leper
12And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Focus: The Leper’s Burden
13Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately the leprosy left him.
14And 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, just as Moses commanded.”
15However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities.
16So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.
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 to heal them.a
18Then 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 before Jesus.
20When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”
21And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
22But when Jesus perceived 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, “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, glorifying God.
26And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen strange things today!”
Matthew the Tax Collector
27After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.”
28So he left all, rose up, and followed Him.
29Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them.
30And their scribes and the Phariseesb complained against His disciples, saying, “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.
32“I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
Jesus Is Questioned About Fasting
33Then they said to Him, “Why doc 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 bridegroom 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.”
36Then He spoke a parable to them: “No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one;d 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, and both are preserved.e
39“And no one, having drunk old wine, immediatelyf desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better.’ ”g
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath
1Now it happened on the second Sabbath after the firsta that He went through the grainfields. And His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands. Focus: Lord of the Sacred and the Secular
2And some of the Pharisees said to them, “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?”
3But Jesus answering them said, “Have you not even read this, what 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, which 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
6Now 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 heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against Him.
8But He knew 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: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?”b
10And when He had looked around at them all, He said to the man,c “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.d
11But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus. Focus: Jesus Confronts the Legalists
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 prayer to God.
13And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles:
14Simon, whom 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 the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor.
Jesus Heals a Great Multitude
17And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and 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, Place Profile: Tyre and Sidon
18as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed.
19And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.
The Beatitudes
20Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:
“Blessed are you poor,
For yours is the kingdom of God.
21Blessed are you who hunger now,
For you shall be filled.
Blessed are you who weep now,
For you shall laugh.
22Blessed are you when men hate you,
And when they exclude you,
And revile you, and cast out your name as evil,
For the Son of Man’s sake.
23Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!
For indeed your reward is great in heaven,
For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.
Jesus Pronounces Woes
24“But woe to you who are rich,
For you have received your consolation.
25Woe to you who are full,
For you shall hunger.
Woe to you who laugh now,
For you shall mourn and weep.
26Woe to youe when allf men speak well of you,
For so did their fathers to the false prophets.
Love Your Enemies
27“But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, Focus: Loving Our Enemies
28“bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.
29“To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Focus: Mercy for All
30“Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.
31“And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.
32“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.
34“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 love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.
36“Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
Do Not Judge
37“Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
38“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”
39And He spoke a parable to them: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch?
40“A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.
41“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
43“For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.
44“For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.
45“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heartg brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Build on the Rock
46“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?
47“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 founded on the rock.h
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 fell.i 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 entered 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 say the word, and my servant will be healed.
8“For I also am a man placed under authority, 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 who had been sick.a
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. Place Profile: Nain
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 compassion on her and said to her, “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, arise.”
15So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.
16Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen up among us”; and, “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
18Then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things.
19And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus,b saying, “Are You the Coming One, or do 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?’ ” Focus: Caring for the Underclass
21And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight.
22Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. Focus: The Gospel
23“And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”
24When 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:
‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.’c
28“For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist;d 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 justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John.
30But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.
31And the Lord said,e “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 John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’
34“The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’
35“But wisdom is justified by all her children.”
A Sinful Woman Forgiven
36Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. Focus: A No-Holds-Barred Kind of Love
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, “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 denarii, 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 water 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 kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.
46“You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.
47“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, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50Then He said to the woman, “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 bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him, Insight: The Women Who Followed Jesus
2and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities—Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, Focus: Mary the Reliable Witness Person Profile: Mary of Magdala
3and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Hima from their substance. Life Studies: Anne Bradstreet
The Parable of the Sower
4And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable: Insight: The Parables of Jesus
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 a crop a hundredfold.” When He had said these things He cried, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
The Purpose of Parables
9Then His disciples asked Him, saying, “What does this parable mean?”
10And He said, “To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that
‘Seeing they may not see,
And hearing they may not understand.’b
The Parable of the Sower Explained
11“Now the parable is this: The seed is the word 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 temptation fall away.
14“Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, 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 patience.
The Parable of the Revealed Light
16“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 light.
17“For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.
18“Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.”
Jesus’ Mother and Brothers Come to Him
19Then 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
22Now 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. Insight: Storms on the Sea of Galilee
23But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy.
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, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, “Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!”
A Demon-Possessed Man Healed
26Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes,c which is opposite Galilee.
27And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes,d nor did he live in a house but in the tombs.
28When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, “What have I to do with You, 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 into the abyss.
32Now a herd of many swine 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, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid.
36They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed.
37Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenese asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. And He got into the boat and returned.
38Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, Insight: A Gentile Evangelist
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.
41And 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 was dying. But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him.
43Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any,
44came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped.
45And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?” When all denied it, Peter and those with himf said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ”g
46But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power 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, be of good cheer;h your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”
49While 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 Teacher.”i
50But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, “Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.”
51When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go inj except Peter, James, and John,k and the father and mother of the girl.
52Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, “Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping.”
53And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead.
54But He put them all outside,l took her by the hand and called, saying, “Little girl, arise.”
55Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. And He commanded that she be given something to eat.
56And her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened.
Sending Out the Twelve
1Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. Focus: Discipleship Is a Process
2He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
3And He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece.
4“Whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart.
5“And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them.”
6So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.
Herod Seeks to See Jesus
7Now 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?” So he sought to see Him.
Feeding the Five Thousand
10And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. Then 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.
12When 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 blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude.
17So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them.
Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ
18And 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, “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?” Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.”
Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection
21And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one,
22saying, “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
23Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily,a and follow Me.
24“For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.
25“For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? Focus: Losing Everything
26“For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels.
27“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
28Now 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 Moses and Elijah,
31who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
32But Peter and those with him were 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 tabernacles: 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 cloud.
35And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son.b Hear Him!”
36When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone. But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.
A Boy Is Healed
37Now 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 faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear 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
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,
44“Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.”
45But 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?
46Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest.
47And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him,
48and said to them, “Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great.”
Jesus Forbids Sectarianism
49Now 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 he who is not against usc is on our side.”d
A Samaritan Village Rejects the Savior
51Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, Focus: Bypassing Samaria
52and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him.
53But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.
54And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?”e
55But He turned and rebuked them,f and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.
56“For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.”g And they went to another village.
The Cost of Discipleship
57Now 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 has nowhere to lay His head.”
59Then 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, I 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 fit for the kingdom of God.”
The Seventy Sent Out
1After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also,a and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. Focus: Delegation and Affirmation
2Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.
3“Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.
4“Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.
5“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.
7“And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the 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.
9“And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘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,
11‘The very dust of your city which clings to usb we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.’
12“Butc I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city.
Woe to the Impenitent Cities
13“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For 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.
15“And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades.d Focus: A City in Bondage
16“He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.”
The Seventy Return with Joy
17Then the seventye returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”
18And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
19“Behold, I 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 ratherf rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
Jesus Rejoices in the Spirit
21In 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.
22“Allg things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no 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, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see;
24“for I tell you that 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
25And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “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, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’h and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ”i Focus: Love Every Neighbor
28And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.”
29But he, wanting to justify 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 thieves, 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, he 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 Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.
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, when he departed,j he took out two denarii, 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, “Go and do likewise.” Life Studies: Toyohiko Kagawa
Mary and Martha Worship and Serve
38Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. Insight: The Village of Bethany Person Profile: Martha of Bethany
39And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’k 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 Jesusl answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.
42“But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” Focus: Practical and Spiritual
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:
Our Father in heaven,a
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.b
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
3Give us day by day our daily bread.
4And forgive us our sins,
For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.”c
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; Focus: Persistent Prayer
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, though 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
9“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, 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.
11“If a son asks for breadd 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 good 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
14And 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. Insight: Demons
15But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebub,e the ruler of the demons.”
16Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven.
17But He, 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 with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.
21“When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace.
22“But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils.
23“He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.
An Unclean Spirit Returns
24“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 the 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, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!” Focus: The Blessed
28But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
Seeking a Sign
29And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, “This is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.f
30“For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation.
31“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 greater than Solomon is here. Insight: The Queen of the South
32“The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.
The Lamp of the Body
33“No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light.
34“The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, 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.
38When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner.
39Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness.
40“Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also?
41“But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you.
42“But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.
43“Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.
44“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!g For 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! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.
47“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, ‘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,
51“from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.
52“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.”
53And as He said these things to them,h the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things,
54lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.i
Beware of Hypocrisy
1In the 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, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
2“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
4“And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. Focus: Redefining Fear
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, fear Him!
6“Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins?a And not 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
8“Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God.
9“But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.
10“And anyone 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.
11“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 teach 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, “Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?”
15And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness,b for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” Focus: Guard Against Greed
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, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ’
20“But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’
21“So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
Do Not Worry
22Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do 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 God 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 are you anxious for the rest?
27“Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed 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 little 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 knows that you need these things.
31“But seek the kingdom of God, and all these thingsc shall be added to you.
32“Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
33“Sell what you have and give alms; provide 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
35“Let your waist be girded and your 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.
37“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.
39“But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched andd not allowed his house to be broken into.
40“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, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?
43“Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.
44“Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.
45“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 day 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 that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
48“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
49“I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!
50“But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished!
51“Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division.
52“For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three.
53“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, “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 south 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 this time?
Make Peace with Your Adversary
57“Yes, and why, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right?
58“When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort along 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 mingled 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 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 use 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.
9‘And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after thata you can cut it down.’ ”
A Spirit of Infirmity
10Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. Focus: The Value of a Disabled Woman
11And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up.
12But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.”
13And 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 healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.”
15The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite!b Does 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, being 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 done by Him.
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
18Then 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 largec 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 leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measuresd of meal till it was all leavened.”
The Narrow Way
22And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.
23Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them,
24“Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
25“When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘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.’
27“But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’
28“There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when 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.
30“And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last.”
31On that very daye 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 I shall be perfected.’
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
34“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! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly,f I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ ”g
A Man with Dropsy Healed on the Sabbath
1Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely. Focus: The Letter and Spirit of the Law
2And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy.
3And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”a
4But they kept silent. And He took him and healed him, and let him go.
5Then He answered them, saying, “Which of you, having a donkeyb or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?”
6And they could not answer Him regarding these things.
Take the Lowly Place
7So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them:
8“When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him;
9“and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place.
10“But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you.
11“For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
12Then He also said to him who invited Him, “When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid.
13“But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind.
14“And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”
The Parable of the Great Supper
15Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, “Blessed is he who shall eat breadc in the kingdom of God!”
16Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many,
17“and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’
18“But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’
19“And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’
20“Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’
21“So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’
22“And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’
23“Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
24‘For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’ ”
Leaving All to Follow Christ
25Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, Focus: The Cost of Following Jesus
26“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.
27“And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
28“For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—
29“lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him,
30“saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’
31“Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?
32“Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace.
33“So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.
Tasteless Salt Is Worthless
34“Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?
35“It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
1Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. Focus: Confused Value
2And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.”
3So He spoke this parable to them, saying:
4“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?
5“And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
6“And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’
7“I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.
The Parable of the Lost Coin
8“Or what woman, having ten silver coins,a if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?
9“And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’
10“Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
The Parable of the Lost Son
11Then He said: “A certain man had two sons.
12“And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood.
13“And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.
14“But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want.
15“Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
16“And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.
17“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
18‘I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you,
19“and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” ’
20“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.
21“And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bringb out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.
23‘And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry;
24‘for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.
25“Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. Focus: The Older Brother
26“So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.
27“And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’
28“But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him.
29“So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends.
30‘But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’
31“And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.
32‘It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’ ”
The Parable of the Unjust Steward
1He also said to His disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. Focus: A Shrewd Manager
2“So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’
3“Then the steward said within himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg.
4‘I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.’
5“So he called every one of his master’s debtors to him, and said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’
6“And he said, ‘A hundred measuresa of oil.’ So he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’
7“Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ So he said, ‘A hundred measuresb of wheat.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’
8“So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.
9“And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail,c they may receive you into an everlasting home.
10“He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.
11“Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
12“And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?
13“No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
The Law, the Prophets, and the Kingdom
14Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him.
15And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.
16“The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.
17“And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.
18“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery.
The Rich Man and Lazarus
19“There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. Focus: Ready for Eternity
20“But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate,
21“desiring to be fed with the crumbs which felld from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
22“So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.
23“And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24“Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’
25“But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.
26‘And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’
27“Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house,
28‘for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’
29“Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’
30“And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’
31“But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”
Jesus Warns of Offenses
1Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!
2“It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.
3“Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you,a rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.
4“And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you,b saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”
Faith and Duty
5And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” Focus: Just Forgive
6So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
7“And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’?
8“But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’?
9“Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not.c
10“So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’ ”
Ten Lepers Cleansed
11Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. Focus: Where Are the Others?
12Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off.
13And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
14So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.
15And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God,
16and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.
17So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?
18“Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?”
19And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”
The Coming of the Kingdom
20Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation;
21“nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’d For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”
22Then He said to the disciples, “The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.
23“And they will say to you, ‘Look here!’ or ‘Look there!’e Do not go after them or follow them.
24“For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day.
25“But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
26“And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man:
27“They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
28“Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built;
29“but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.
30“Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.
31“In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back.
32“Remember Lot’s wife.
33“Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.
34“I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left.
35“Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left.
36“Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left.”f
37And they answered and said to Him, “Where, Lord?” So He said to them, “Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.”
The Parable of the Persistent Widow
1Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,
2saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man.
3“Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’
4“And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man,
5‘yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ ”
6Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said.
7“And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?
8“I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
9Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Focus: Quit Comparing
10“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
11“The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.
12‘I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’
13“And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’
14“I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Jesus Blesses Little Children
15Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.
16But Jesus called them to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.
17“Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.”
Jesus Counsels the Rich Young Ruler
18Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
19So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.
20“You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ”a
21And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.”
22So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
23But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.
With God All Things Are Possible
24And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!
25“For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
26And those who heard it said, “Who then can be saved?”
27But He said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”
28Then Peter said, “See, we have left allb and followed You.”
29So He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God,
30“who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.”
Jesus a Third Time Predicts His Death and Resurrection
31Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished.
32“For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon.
33“They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.”
34But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken.
A Blind Man Receives His Sight
35Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging. Focus: Holy Interruptions
36And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant.
37So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.
38And he cried out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
39Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
40So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him. And when he had come near, He asked him,
41saying, “What do you want Me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, that I may receive my sight.”
42Then Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.”
43And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.
Jesus Comes to Zacchaeus’ House
1Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. Focus: Startling Change
2Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.
3And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.
4So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.
5And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him,a and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”
6So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.
7But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.”
8Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.”
9And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham;
10“for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
The Parable of the Minas
11Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately. Focus: A Job to Do
12Therefore He said: “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.
13“So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas,b and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’
14“But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’
15“And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.
16“Then came the first, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned ten minas.’
17“And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.’
18“And the second came, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned five minas.’
19“Likewise he said to him, ‘You also be over five cities.’
20“Then another came, saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief.
21‘For I feared you, because you are an austere man. You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’
22“And he said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow.
23‘Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ Insight: Banking in the New Testament
24“And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.’
25(“But they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas.’)
26‘For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
27‘But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.’ ”
The Triumphal Entry
28When He had said this, He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
29And it came to pass, when He drew near to Bethphagec and Bethany, at the mountain called Olivet, that He sent two of His disciples,
30saying, “Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it here.
31“And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you loosing it?’ thus you shall say to him, ‘Because the Lord has need of it.’ ”
32So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to them.
33But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, “Why are you loosing the colt?”
34And they said, “The Lord has need of him.”
35Then they brought him to Jesus. And they threw their own clothes on the colt, and they set Jesus on him.
36And as He went, many spread their clothes on the road.
37Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen,
38saying:
“ ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD!’d
Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
39And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.”
40But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.”
Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem
41Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it,
42saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.
43“For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side,
44“and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
45Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it,e
46saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house isf a house of prayer,’g but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”h
47And He was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him,
48and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.
Jesus’ Authority Questioned
1Now it happened on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him
2and spoke to Him, saying, “Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things? Or who is he who gave You this authority?”
3But He answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me:
4“The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men?”
5And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why thena did you not believe him?’
6“But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.”
7So they answered that they did not know where it was from.
8And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers
9Then He began to tell the people this parable: “A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long time. Focus: Owners or Renters
10“Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that they might give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed.
11“Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.
12“And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out.
13“Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Probably they will respect him when they see him.’
14“But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.’
15“So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them?
16“He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others.” And when they heard it they said, “Certainly not!”
17Then He looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written:
‘The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone’?b
18“Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.”
19And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the peoplec—for they knew He had spoken this parable against them.
The Pharisees: Is It Lawful to Pay Taxes to Caesar?
20So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor.
21Then they asked Him, saying, “Teacher, we know that You say and teach rightly, and You do not show personal favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth:
22“Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
23But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, “Why do you test Me?d
24“Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?” They answered and said, “Caesar’s.”
25And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
26But they could not catch Him in His words in the presence of the people. And they marveled at His answer and kept silent.
The Sadducees: What About the Resurrection?
27Then some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, came to Him and asked Him,
28saying: “Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife, and he dies without children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.
29“Now there were seven brothers. And the first took a wife, and died without children.
30“And the seconde took her as wife, and he died childless.
31“Then the third took her, and in like manner the seven also; and they left no children,f and died.
32“Last of all the woman died also.
33“Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife does she become? For all seven had her as wife.”
34Jesus answered and said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage. Focus: Families of the Gospels
35“But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage;
36“nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.
37“But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’g
38“For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him.”
39Then some of the scribes answered and said, “Teacher, You have spoken well.” Insight: Scribes
40But after that they dared not question Him anymore.
Jesus: How Can David Call His Descendant Lord?
41And He said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David?
42“Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms:
44“Therefore David calls Him ‘Lord’; how is He then his Son?”
Beware of the Scribes
45Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples,
46“Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts,
47“who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”