Day 69 of 90

¹Jesus went out from the temple, and was going on his way. His disciples came to him to show him the buildings of the temple.

²But he answered them, "Do you not see all of these things? Truly I tell you, there will not be left here one stone on another, that will not be thrown down."

³As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? What is the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?"

⁴Jesus answered them, "Be careful that no one leads you astray.

⁵For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Messiah,' and will lead many astray.

⁶You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled, for this must happen, but the end is not yet.

⁷For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

⁸But all these things are the beginning of birth pains.

⁹Then they will deliver you up to oppression, and will kill you. You will be hated by all of the nations for my name's sake.

¹⁰Then many will stumble, and will deliver up one another, and will hate one another.

¹¹Many false prophets will arise, and will lead many astray.

¹²Because iniquity will be multiplied, the love of many will grow cold.

¹³But he who endures to the end, the same will be saved.

¹⁴This Good News of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

¹⁵"When, therefore, you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),

¹⁶then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

¹⁷Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take out things that are in his house.

¹⁸Let him who is in the field not return back to take his coat.

¹⁹But woe to those who are with child and to nursing mothers in those days!

²⁰Pray that your flight will not be in the winter, nor on a Sabbath,

²¹for then there will be great oppression, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever will be.

²²Unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved. But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be shortened.

²³"Then if any man tells you, 'Behold, here is the Messiah,' or, 'There,' do not believe it.

²⁴For there will arise false messiahs, and false prophets, and they will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones.

²⁵"Behold, I have told you beforehand.

²⁶If therefore they tell you, 'Behold, he is in the wilderness,' do not go out; 'Behold, he is in the inner chambers,' do not believe it.

²⁷For as the lightning flashes from the east, and is seen even to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

²⁸For wherever the carcass is, there is where the vultures gather together.

²⁹But immediately after the oppression of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken;

³⁰and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. Then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.

³¹He will send out his angels with a great trumpet, and they will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

³²"Now from the fig tree learn this parable. When its branch has now become tender, and puts forth its leaves, you know that the summer is near.

³³Even so you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

³⁴Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away, until all these things are accomplished.

³⁵Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

³⁶But no one knows of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

³⁷"As the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

³⁸For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ship,

³⁹and they did not know until the flood came, and took them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

⁴⁰Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and one will be left;

⁴¹two women grinding at the mill, one will be taken and one will be left.

⁴²Watch therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord comes.

⁴³But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched, and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

⁴⁴Therefore also be ready, for in an hour that you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.

⁴⁵"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord has set over his household, to give them their food in due season?

⁴⁶Blessed is that servant whom his lord finds doing so when he comes.

⁴⁷Truly I tell you that he will set him over all that he has.

⁴⁸But if that evil servant should say in his heart, 'My lord is delayed,'

⁴⁹and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with the drunkards,

⁵⁰the lord of that servant will come in a day when he does not expect it, and in an hour when he does not know it,

⁵¹and will cut him in pieces, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites. There is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.

¹"Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went out to meet the bridegroom.

²Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.

³For the foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them,

⁴but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

⁵Now while the bridegroom delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

⁶But at midnight there was a cry, 'Behold! The bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'

⁷Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

⁸The foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'

⁹But the wise answered, saying, 'What if there is not enough for us and you? You go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.'

¹⁰While they went away to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.

¹¹Afterward the other virgins also came, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us.'

¹²But he answered, 'Truly I tell you, I do not know you.'

¹³Watch therefore, for you do not know the day nor the hour.

¹⁴"For it is like a man, going on a journey, who called his own servants, and entrusted his goods to them.

¹⁵To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one; to each according to his own ability. Then he went on his journey.

¹⁶Immediately the one who received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.

¹⁷In like manner he who got the two gained another two.

¹⁸But he who received the one went away and dug in the earth, and hid his lord's money.

¹⁹"Now after a long time the lord of those servants came, and reconciled accounts with them.

²⁰He who received the five talents came and brought another five talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents. Behold, I have gained another five talents.'

²¹"His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'

²²"He also who got the two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents. Behold, I have gained another two talents.'

²³"His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'

²⁴"He also who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you that you are a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter.

²⁵I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the earth. Behold, you have what is yours.'

²⁶"But his lord answered him, 'You wicked and slothful servant. You knew that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter.

²⁷You ought therefore to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received back my own with interest.

²⁸Take away therefore the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents.

²⁹For to everyone who has will be given, and he will have abundance, but from him who does not have, even that which he has will be taken away.

³⁰Throw out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

³¹"But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory.

³²Before him all the nations will be gathered, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

³³He will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

³⁴Then the King will tell those on his right hand, 'Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;

³⁵for I was hungry, and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in.

³⁶I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came to me.'

³⁷"Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry, and feed you; or thirsty, and give you a drink?

³⁸When did we see you as a stranger, and take you in; or naked, and clothe you?

³⁹When did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?'

⁴⁰"The King will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'

⁴¹Then he will say also to those on the left hand, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels;

⁴²for I was hungry, and you did not give me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink;

⁴³I was a stranger, and you did not take me in; naked, and you did not clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit me.'

⁴⁴"Then they will also answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not help you?'

⁴⁵"Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly I tell you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.'

⁴⁶These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

¹And it happened, when Jesus had finished all these words, that he said to his disciples,

²"You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified."

³Then the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas.

⁴They took counsel together that they might take Jesus by deceit, and kill him.

⁵But they said, "Not during the feast, lest a riot occur among the people."

⁶Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,

⁷a woman came to him having an alabaster jar of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table.

⁸But when the disciples saw this, they were indignant, saying, "Why this waste?

⁹For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor."

¹⁰However, knowing this, Jesus said to them, "Why do you trouble the woman? Because she has done a good work for me.

¹¹For you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have me.

¹²For in pouring this ointment on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial.

¹³Truly I tell you, wherever this Good News is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of as a memorial of her."

¹⁴Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests,

¹⁵and said, "What are you willing to give me, that I should deliver him to you?" They weighed out for him thirty pieces of silver.

¹⁶From that time he sought opportunity to betray him.

¹⁷Now on the first day of unleavened bread, the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?"

¹⁸He said, "Go into the city to a certain person, and tell him, 'The Teacher says, "My time is near. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples."'"

¹⁹The disciples did as Jesus commanded them, and they prepared the Passover.

²⁰Now when evening had come, he was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples.

²¹As they were eating, he said, "Truly I tell you that one of you will betray me."

²²They were exceedingly sorrowful, and each began to ask him, "It is not me, is it, Lord?"

²³He answered, "He who dipped his hand with me in the dish, the same will betray me.

²⁴The Son of Man goes, even as it is written of him, but woe to that man through whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for that man if he had not been born."

²⁵Judas, who betrayed him, answered, "It is not me, is it, Rabbi?" He said to him, "You said it."

²⁶As they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks for it, and broke it. He gave to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is my body."

²⁷He took a cup, gave thanks, and gave to them, saying, "All of you drink it,

²⁸for this is my blood of the New Covenant, which is poured out for many for the remission of sins.

²⁹But I tell you that I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on, until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's Kingdom."

³⁰When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

³¹Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of me tonight, for it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'

³²But after I am raised up, I will go before you into Galilee."

³³But Peter answered him, "Even if all will be made to stumble because of you, I will never be made to stumble."

³⁴Jesus said to him, "Truly I tell you that tonight, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times."

³⁵Peter said to him, "Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you." All of the disciples also said likewise.

³⁶Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to his disciples, "Sit here, while I go there and pray."

³⁷He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and severely troubled.

³⁸Then he said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here, and watch with me."

³⁹He went forward a little, fell on his face, and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me; nevertheless, not what I desire, but what you desire."

⁴⁰He came to the disciples, and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "What, could not you watch with me for one hour?

⁴¹Watch and pray, that you do not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

⁴²Again, a second time he went away, and prayed, saying, "My Father, if this cannot pass away from me unless I drink it, your desire be done."

⁴³He came again and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.

⁴⁴He left them again, went away, and prayed a third time, saying the same words.

⁴⁵Then he came to the disciples, and said to them, "Sleep on now, and take your rest. Behold, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

⁴⁶Arise, let us be going. Behold, he who betrays me is near."

⁴⁷While he was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and clubs, from the chief priest and elders of the people.

⁴⁸Now he who betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, "Whoever I kiss, he is the one. Seize him."

⁴⁹Immediately he came to Jesus, and said, "Hail, Rabbi!" and kissed him.

⁵⁰Jesus said to him, "Friend, why are you here?" Then they came and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.

⁵¹Behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck the servant of the high priest, and struck off his ear.

⁵²Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place, for all those who take the sword will die by the sword.

⁵³Or do you think that I could not ask my Father, and he would even now send me more than twelve legions of angels?

⁵⁴How then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that it must be so?"

⁵⁵In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, "Have you come out as against a robber with swords and clubs to seize me? I sat daily in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me.

⁵⁶But all this has happened, that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples left him, and fled.

⁵⁷Those who had taken Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together.

⁵⁸But Peter followed him from a distance, to the court of the high priest, and entered in and sat with the officers, to see the end.

⁵⁹Now the chief priests and the whole council sought false testimony against Jesus, that they might put him to death;

⁶⁰and they found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward. But at last two false witnesses came forward,

⁶¹and said, "This man said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.'"

⁶²The high priest stood up, and said to him, "Have you no answer? What is this that these testify against you?"

⁶³But Jesus held his peace. The high priest answered him, "I adjure you by the living God, that you tell us whether you are the Messiah, the Son of God."

⁶⁴Jesus said to him, "You have said it. Nevertheless, I tell you, after this you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of the sky."

⁶⁵Then the high priest tore his clothing, saying, "He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Behold, now you have heard his blasphemy.

⁶⁶What do you think?" They answered, "He is worthy of death!"

⁶⁷Then they spit in his face and beat him with their fists, and some slapped him,

⁶⁸saying, "Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who hit you?"

⁶⁹Now Peter was sitting outside in the court, and a maid came to him, saying, "You were also with Jesus, the Galilean!"

⁷⁰But he denied it before them all, saying, "I do not know what you are talking about."

⁷¹When he had gone out onto the porch, someone else saw him, and said to those who were there, "This man also was with Jesus of Nazareth."

⁷²Again he denied it with an oath, "I do not know the man."

⁷³After a little while those who stood by came and said to Peter, "Surely you are also one of them, for your speech makes you known."

⁷⁴Then he began to curse and to swear, "I do not know the man!" Immediately the rooster crowed.

⁷⁵Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times." He went out and wept bitterly.

¹Now when morning had come, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:

²and they bound him, and led him away, and delivered him up to Pilate, the governor.

³Then Judas, who betrayed him, when he saw that Jesus was condemned, felt remorse, and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,

⁴saying, "I have sinned in that I betrayed innocent blood." But they said, "What is that to us? You see to it."

⁵He threw down the pieces of silver in the sanctuary, and departed. He went away and hanged himself.

⁶The chief priests took the pieces of silver, and said, "It's not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is the price of blood."

⁷They took counsel, and bought the potter's field with them, to bury strangers in.

⁸Therefore that field was called "The Field of Blood" to this day.

⁹Then that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying, "They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him upon whom a price had been set, whom some of the sons of Israel priced,

¹⁰and they gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord commanded me."

¹¹Now Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus said to him, "So you say."

¹²When he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.

¹³Then Pilate said to him, "Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?"

¹⁴He gave him no answer, not even one word, so that the governor marveled greatly.

¹⁵Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release to the multitude one prisoner, whom they desired.

¹⁶They had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.

¹⁷When therefore they were gathered together, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus, who is called the Messiah?"

¹⁸For he knew that because of envy they had delivered him up.

¹⁹While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, "Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him."

²⁰Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the multitudes to ask for Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.

²¹But the governor answered them, "Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" They said, "Barabbas!"

²²Pilate said to them, "What then shall I do to Jesus, who is called the Messiah?" They all said, "Let him be crucified!"

²³But he said, "Why? What evil has he done?" But they shouted all the louder, saying, "Let him be crucified!"

²⁴So when Pilate saw that nothing was being gained, but rather that a disturbance was starting, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this man. You see to it."

²⁵All the people answered, "May his blood be on us, and on our children!"

²⁶Then he released to them Barabbas, but Jesus he flogged and delivered to be crucified.

²⁷Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium, and gathered the whole garrison together against him.

²⁸They stripped him, and put a scarlet robe on him.

²⁹They braided a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and a reed in his right hand; and they kneeled down before him, and mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"

³⁰They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head.

³¹When they had mocked him, they took the robe off of him, and put his clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him.

³²As they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name, and they compelled him to go with them, that he might carry his cross.

³³They came to a place called "Golgotha," that is to say, "The place of a skull."

³⁴They gave him wine to drink mixed with gall. When he had tasted it, he would not drink.

³⁵When they had crucified him, they divided his clothing among them, casting lots,

³⁶and they sat and watched him there.

³⁷They set up over his head the accusation against him written, "THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS."

³⁸Then there were two robbers crucified with him, one on his right hand and one on the left.

³⁹Those who passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads,

⁴⁰and saying, "You who destroy the temple, and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!"

⁴¹Likewise the chief priests also mocking, with the scribes, and the elders, said,

⁴²"He saved others, but he cannot save himself. If he is the King of Israel, let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him.

⁴³He trusts in God. Let God deliver him now, if he wants him; for he said, 'I am the Son of God.'"

⁴⁴The robbers also who were crucified with him cast on him the same reproach.

⁴⁵Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.

⁴⁶About the ninth hour Jesus called out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" That is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

⁴⁷Some of them who stood there, when they heard it, said, "This man is calling Elijah."

⁴⁸Immediately one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him a drink.

⁴⁹The rest said, "Let him be. Let us see whether Elijah comes to save him."

⁵⁰Jesus shouted again with a loud voice, and yielded up his spirit.

⁵¹Behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split.

⁵²The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;

⁵³and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, they entered into the holy city and appeared to many.

⁵⁴Now the centurion, and those who were with him watching Jesus, when they saw the earthquake, and the things that were done, feared exceedingly, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God."

⁵⁵Many women were there watching from afar, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, serving him.

⁵⁶Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jacob and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

⁵⁷When evening had come, a rich man from Arimathaea, named Joseph, who himself was also Jesus' disciple came.

⁵⁸This man went to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given up.

⁵⁹Joseph took the body, and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,

⁶⁰and placed it in his own new tomb, which he had cut out in the rock, and he rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb, and departed.

⁶¹Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.

⁶²Now on the next day, which was the day after the Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees were gathered together to Pilate,

⁶³saying, "Sir, we remember what that deceiver said while he was still alive: 'After three days I will rise again.'

⁶⁴Command therefore that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest perhaps his disciples come and steal him away, and tell the people, 'He is risen from the dead;' and the last deception will be worse than the first."

⁶⁵Pilate said to them, "You have a guard. Go, make it as secure as you can."

⁶⁶So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone.

¹Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.

²Behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from the sky, and came and rolled away the stone, and sat on it.

³His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow.

⁴For fear of him, the guards shook, and became like dead men.

⁵The angel answered the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus, who has been crucified.

⁶He is not here, for he has risen, just like he said. Come, see the place where he was lying.

⁷Go quickly and tell his disciples, 'He has risen from the dead, and behold, he goes before you into Galilee; there you will see him.' Behold, I have told you."

⁸They departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring his disciples word.

⁹And behold, Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!" They came and took hold of his feet, and worshiped him.

¹⁰Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers that they should go into Galilee, and there they will see me."

¹¹Now while they were going, behold, some of the guards came into the city, and told the chief priests all the things that had happened.

¹²When they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave a large amount of silver to the soldiers,

¹³saying, "Say that his disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.

¹⁴If this comes to the governor's ears, we will persuade him and make you free of worry."

¹⁵So they took the money and did as they were told. This saying was spread abroad among the Jewish people, and continues until this day.

¹⁶But the eleven disciples went into Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had sent them.

¹⁷When they saw him, they bowed down to him, but some doubted.

¹⁸Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.

¹⁹Therefore go, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

²⁰teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

¹The beginning of the Good News of Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.

²As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, "Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.

³The voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make ready the way of the Lord! Make his paths straight!'"

⁴John came baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming the baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins.

⁵All the country of Judea and all those of Jerusalem went out to him, and they were baptized by him in the Jordan river, confessing their sins.

⁶John was clothed with camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey.

⁷He preached, saying, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and loosen.

⁸I baptized you in water, but he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit."

⁹It happened in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

¹⁰Immediately coming up from the water, he saw the heavens parting, and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.

¹¹A voice came out of the sky, "You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased."

¹²Immediately the Spirit drove him out into the wilderness.

¹³He was there in the wilderness forty days tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals; and the angels were serving him.

¹⁴Now after John was taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the Good News of God,

¹⁵and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is near! Repent, and believe in the Good News."

¹⁶And passing along by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.

¹⁷Jesus said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you into fishers for men."

¹⁸Immediately they left the nets, and followed him.

¹⁹Going on a little further, he saw Jacob the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets.

²⁰Immediately he called them, and they left their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired servants, and went after him.

²¹They went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath day he entered into the synagogue and taught.

²²They were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as having authority, and not as the scribes.

²³Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he shouted,

²⁴saying, "What do we have to do with you, Jesus, you Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know you who you are: the Holy One of God!"

²⁵Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"

²⁶The unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him.

²⁷They were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this? A new teaching? For with authority he commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him!"

²⁸The report of him went out immediately into all the region of Galilee and its surrounding area.

²⁹Immediately, when they had come out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with Jacob and John.

³⁰Now Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and immediately they told him about her.

³¹And he came and took her by the hand, and raised her up. The fever left her, and she served them.

³²At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to him all who were sick, and those who were possessed by demons.

³³All the city was gathered together at the door.

³⁴He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew him.

³⁵Early in the morning, while it was still dark, he rose up and went out, and departed into a deserted place, and prayed there.

³⁶Simon and those who were with him followed after him;

³⁷and they found him, and told him, "Everyone is looking for you."

³⁸He said to them, "Let us go somewhere else into the next towns, that I may proclaim there also, because I came out for this reason."

³⁹He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out demons.

⁴⁰A leper came to him, begging him, kneeling down to him, and saying to him, "If you want to, you can make me clean."

⁴¹Being moved with compassion, he stretched out his hand, and touched him, and said to him, "I want to. Be made clean."

⁴²Immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was made clean.

⁴³He strictly warned him, and immediately sent him out,

⁴⁴and said to him, "See you say nothing to anyone, but go show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing the things which Moses commanded, for a testimony to them."

⁴⁵But he went out, and began to proclaim it much, and to spread about the matter, so that Jesus could no more openly enter into a city, but was outside in desert places: and they came to him from everywhere.

¹When he entered again into Capernaum after some days, it was heard that he was in the house.

²And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even around the door; and he spoke the word to them.

³Four people came, carrying a paralytic to him.

⁴When they could not come near to him for the crowd, they removed the roof above him. When they had broken it up, they let down the mat that the paralytic was lying on.

⁵Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."

⁶But there were some of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,

⁷"Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?"

⁸Immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, said to them, "Why do you reason these things in your hearts?

⁹Which is easier, to tell the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven;' or to say, 'Arise, and take up your bed, and walk?'

¹⁰But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins", he said to the paralytic,

¹¹"I tell you, arise, take up your mat, and go to your house."

¹²And he arose immediately, and took up the mat, and went out in front of them all; so that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"

¹³And he went out again by the seaside. All the multitude came to him, and he taught them.

¹⁴As he passed by, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he arose and followed him.

¹⁵It happened, that he was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners sat down with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many, and they followed him.

¹⁶The scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, said to his disciples, "Why is it that he eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?"

¹⁷But when Jesus heard it, he said to them, "Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."

¹⁸John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, and they came and asked him, "Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?"

¹⁹And Jesus said to them, "Can the groomsmen fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.

²⁰But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then will they fast in those days.

²¹No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, or else the patch shrinks and the new tears away from the old, and a worse hole is made.

²²And no one puts new wine into old wineskins, or else the new wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and the skins will be destroyed; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins."

²³It happened that he was going on the Sabbath day through the grain fields, and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of grain.

²⁴The Pharisees said to him, "Behold, why do they do that which is not lawful on the Sabbath day?"

²⁵He said to them, "Did you never read what David did, when he had need, and was hungry-he, and those who were with him?

²⁶How he entered into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the show bread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and gave also to those who were with him?"

²⁷He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

²⁸Therefore the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath."

¹He entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man there who had his hand withered.

²They watched him, whether he would heal him on the Sabbath day, that they might accuse him.

³He said to the man with the withered hand, "Stand up in the middle."

⁴He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath day to do good, or to do harm? To save a life, or to kill?" But they were silent.

⁵When he had looked around at them with anger, being grieved at the hardening of their hearts, he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.

⁶The Pharisees went out, and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.

⁷Jesus withdrew to the sea with his disciples, and a great multitude followed from Galilee, from Judea,

⁸from Jerusalem, from Idumaea, beyond the Jordan, and those from around Tyre and Sidon. A great multitude, when they heard what great things he did, came to him.

⁹And he told his disciples that a small boat should stay near him because of the crowd, so that they would not press on him.

¹⁰For he had healed many, so that as many as had diseases pressed on him that they might touch him.

¹¹The unclean spirits, whenever they saw him, fell down before him, and shouted, "You are the Son of God!"

¹²And he sternly warned them that they should not make him known.

¹³And he went up into the mountain, and called to himself those whom he wanted, and they went to him.

¹⁴And he appointed twelve, designating them apostles, and that he might send them out to preach,

¹⁵and to have authority to cast out demons:

¹⁶And he appointed the Twelve: Simon, to whom he gave the name Peter;

¹⁷Jacob the son of Zebedee; John, the brother of Jacob, and he surnamed them Boanerges which means, Sons of Thunder;

¹⁸Andrew; Philip; Bartholomew; Matthew; Thomas; Jacob, the son of Alphaeus; Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot;

¹⁹and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

²⁰Then he came into a house. The multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.

²¹When his family heard it, they went out to take charge of him: for they said, "He is out of his mind."

²²The scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebul," and, "By the prince of the demons he casts out the demons."

²³So he summoned them, and said to them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan?

²⁴If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

²⁵If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

²⁶If Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end.

²⁷But no one can enter into the house of the strong man to plunder, unless he first binds the strong man; and then he will plunder his house.

²⁸Truly I tell you, all sins of the sons of men will be forgiven, including their blasphemies with which they may blaspheme;

²⁹but whoever may blaspheme against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal judgment"

³⁰-because they said, "He has an unclean spirit."

³¹Then his brothers and his mother came, and standing outside, they sent to him, calling him.

³²A multitude was sitting around him, and they told him, "Behold, your mother and your brothers are outside looking for you."

³³And he answered them, saying, "Who are my mother or my brothers?"

³⁴Looking around at those who sat around him, he said, "Behold, my mother and my brothers!

³⁵For whoever does the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother."

¹Again he began to teach by the seaside. A great multitude was gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat in the sea, and sat down. All the multitude were on the land by the sea.

²Then he taught them many things in parables, and told them in his teaching,

³"Listen! Behold, the farmer went out to sow,

⁴and it happened, as he sowed, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and devoured it.

⁵Others fell on the rocky ground, where it had little soil, and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of soil.

⁶But when the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

⁷Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

⁸Others fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing. Some brought forth thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times as much."

⁹He said, "Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear."

¹⁰When he was alone, those who were around him with the twelve asked him about the parables.

¹¹And he said to them, "To you has been given the mystery of the Kingdom of God, but to those who are outside, all things are done in parables,

¹²that 'seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest perhaps they should return and be forgiven.'"

¹³And he said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all of the parables?

¹⁴The farmer sows the word.

¹⁵The ones by the road are the ones where the word is sown; and when they have heard, immediately Satan comes, and takes away the word which has been sown in them.

¹⁶These are those who are sown on the rocky places, who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with joy.

¹⁷They have no root in themselves, but are short-lived. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they stumble.

¹⁸And others are those who are sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word,

¹⁹but the cares of the age, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

²⁰But those which were sown on the good ground are those who hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit, some thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times."

²¹And he said to them, "Is the lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is not it put on a stand?

²²For there is nothing hidden, except that it should be made known; neither was anything made secret, but that it should come to light.

²³If any man has ears to hear, let him hear."

²⁴And he said to them, "Take heed what you hear. With whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you, and more will be given to you.

²⁵For whoever has, more will be given, and he who does not have, even that which he has will be taken away from him."

²⁶And he said, "The Kingdom of God is as if a man should cast seed on the earth,

²⁷and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, he does not know how.

²⁸For the earth bears fruit: first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.

²⁹But when the fruit is ripe, immediately he puts forth the sickle, because the harvest has come."

³⁰And he said, "To what will we liken the Kingdom of God? Or with what parable will we use for it?

³¹It's like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, though it is less than all the seeds that are on the earth,

³²yet when it is sown, grows up, and becomes greater than all the herbs, and puts out great branches, so that the birds of the sky can lodge under its shadow."

³³With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it.

³⁴Without a parable he did not speak to them; but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.

³⁵On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go over to the other side."

³⁶Leaving the multitude, they took him with them, even as he was, in the boat. Other boats were also with him.

³⁷A big wind storm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so much that the boat was already filled.

³⁸He himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion, and they woke him up, and told him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are dying?"

³⁹And he awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" The wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

⁴⁰And he said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"

⁴¹And they were greatly afraid, and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"

¹They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes.

²When he had come out of the boat, immediately a man with an unclean spirit met him out of the tombs.

³He lived in the tombs. And no one could bind him any more, not even with chains,

⁴because he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him, and the fetters broken in pieces. No one had the strength to tame him.

⁵Always, night and day, in the tombs and in the mountains, he was crying out, and cutting himself with stones.

⁶When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and bowed down to him,

⁷and crying out with a loud voice, he said, "What have I to do with you, Jesus, you Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me."

⁸For he said to him, "Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!"

⁹Then he asked him, "What is your name?" He replied, "My name is Legion, for we are many."

¹⁰And he begged him much that he would not send them away out of the region.

¹¹Now on the mountainside there was a great herd of pigs feeding.

¹²They begged him, saying, "Send us into the pigs, that we may enter into them."

¹³He gave them permission. The unclean spirits came out and entered into the pigs. The herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and they were drowned in the sea.

¹⁴Those who fed them fled, and told it in the city and in the country. The people came out to see what it was that had happened.

¹⁵They came to Jesus, and saw him who had been possessed by demons sitting, clothed, and in his right mind, even him who had the legion; and they were afraid.

¹⁶And those who saw it declared to them how it happened to him who was possessed by demons, and about the pigs.

¹⁷Then they began to beg him to depart from their region.

¹⁸As he was entering into the boat, he who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him.

¹⁹And he did not allow him, but said to him, "Go to your house, to your own, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how he had mercy on you."

²⁰So he went his way, and began to proclaim in Decapolis how Jesus had done great things for him, and everyone marveled.

²¹And when Jesus had crossed back over in the boat to the other side, a great multitude was gathered to him; and he was by the sea.

²²One of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, came; and seeing him, he fell at his feet,

²³and begged him much, saying, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Please come and lay your hands on her, that she may be made healthy, and live."

²⁴And he went with him, and a great multitude followed him, and they pressed upon him on all sides.

²⁵Now a woman, who had an issue of blood for twelve years,

²⁶and had suffered many things by many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better, but rather grew worse,

²⁷having heard the things concerning Jesus, came up behind him in the crowd, and touched his clothes.

²⁸For she said, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be made well."

²⁹And immediately the flow of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.

³⁰And immediately Jesus, perceiving in himself that the power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd, and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"

³¹And his disciples said to him, "You see the multitude pressing against you, and you say, 'Who touched me?'"

³²He looked around to see her who had done this thing.

³³But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had been done to her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.

³⁴And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be cured of your disease."

³⁵While he was still speaking, people came from the synagogue ruler's house saying, "Your daughter is dead. Why bother the Teacher any more?"

³⁶But Jesus, overhearing the message spoken, said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid, only believe."

³⁷He allowed no one to follow him, except Peter, Jacob, and John the brother of Jacob.

³⁸And they came to the synagogue ruler's house, and he saw an uproar, weeping, and great wailing.

³⁹When he had entered in, he said to them, "Why do you make an uproar and weep? The child is not dead, but is asleep.

⁴⁰And they ridiculed him. But he, having put them all out, took the father of the child, her mother, and those who were with him, and went in where the child was.

⁴¹Taking the child by the hand, he said to her, "Talitha koum!" which means, being interpreted, "Girl, I tell you, get up!"

⁴²And immediately the girl rose up and walked, for she was twelve years old. They were amazed with great amazement.

⁴³And he strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and commanded that something should be given to her to eat.

¹And he went out from there and came into his own country, and his disciples followed him.

²When the Sabbath had come, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many hearing him were astonished, saying, "Where did this man get these things?" and, "What is the wisdom that is given to this man, that such mighty works come about by his hands?

³Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of Jacob, Joses, Judas, and Simon? Are not his sisters here with us?" They were offended at him.

⁴Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own relatives, and in his own house."

⁵And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people, and healed them.

⁶And He marveled because of their unbelief. And he went around the villages teaching.

⁷And he called to himself the twelve, and began to send them out two by two; and he gave them authority over the unclean spirits.

⁸And he commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a staff only: no bread, no wallet, no money in their purse,

⁹but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.

¹⁰And he said to them, "Wherever you enter into a house, stay there until you depart from there.

¹¹Whoever will not receive you nor hear you, as you depart from there, shake off the dust that is under your feet for a testimony against them."

¹²So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent.

¹³They cast out many demons, and anointed many with oil who were sick, and healed them.

¹⁴King Herod heard this, for his name had become known, and he said, "John the Baptist has risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."

¹⁵But others said, "He is Elijah." Others said, "He is a prophet, like one of the prophets."

¹⁶But Herod, when he heard this, said, "This is John, whom I beheaded. He has risen."

¹⁷For Herod himself had sent out and arrested John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, for he had married her.

¹⁸For John said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."

¹⁹So Herodias set herself against him, and desired to kill him, but she could not,

²⁰for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. And when he heard him, he was very perplexed, but he heard him gladly.

²¹And then a convenient day came, that Herod on his birthday gave a supper for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.

²²And when the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and those sitting with him. The king said to the young lady, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you."

²³And he swore to her, "Whatever you shall ask of me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom."

²⁴So she went out, and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?" And she said, "The head of John the Baptist."

²⁵And she came in immediately with haste to the king, and asked, "I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter."

²⁶And the king was exceedingly sorry, but for the sake of his oaths, and of his dinner guests, he did not wish to refuse her.

²⁷So immediately the king sent out a soldier of his guard, and commanded to bring John's head, and he went and beheaded him in the prison,

²⁸and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the young lady; and the young lady gave it to her mother.

²⁹And when his disciples heard this, they came and took up his corpse, and placed it in a tomb.

³⁰Then the apostles gathered themselves together to Jesus, and they told him all things, whatever they had done, and whatever they had taught.

³¹And he said to them, "Come away by yourselves to an isolated place, and rest awhile." For there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

³²So they went away in the boat to an isolated place by themselves.

³³But they saw them going, and many recognized him and ran there on foot from all the cities and they arrived before them.

³⁴And he came out, saw a great multitude, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things.

³⁵And when it was late in the day, his disciples came to him, and said, "This place is desolate, and it is late in the day.

³⁶Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages, and buy themselves something to eat."

³⁷But he answered them, "You give them something to eat." They asked him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give them something to eat?"

³⁸He said to them, "How many loaves do you have? Go see." When they knew, they said, "Five, and two fish."

³⁹He commanded them that everyone should sit down in groups on the green grass.

⁴⁰They sat down in ranks, by hundreds and by fifties.

⁴¹He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke the loaves, and he gave to his disciples to set before them, and he divided the two fish among them all.

⁴²They all ate, and were filled.

⁴³They took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and also of the fish.

⁴⁴Those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.

⁴⁵And immediately he made his disciples get into the boat, and to go ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he himself sent the multitude away.

⁴⁶After he had taken leave of them, he went up the mountain to pray.

⁴⁷When evening had come, the boat was in the midst of the sea, and he was alone on the land.

⁴⁸He saw them distressed in rowing, for the wind was against them, about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea, and he would have passed by them,

⁴⁹but they, when they saw him walking on the sea, supposed that it was a ghost, and began to scream;

⁵⁰for they all saw him, and were troubled. But he immediately spoke with them, and said to them, "Cheer up! It is I! Do not be afraid."

⁵¹He got into the boat with them; and the wind ceased, and they were very amazed among themselves;

⁵²for they had not understood about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

⁵³When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret, and moored to the shore.

⁵⁴When they had come out of the boat, immediately the people recognized him,

⁵⁵and ran around that whole region, and began to bring those who were sick, on their mats, to where they heard he was.

⁵⁶Wherever he entered, into villages, or into cities, or into the country, they placed the sick in the marketplaces, and begged him that they might touch just the fringe of his garment; and as many as touched him were made well.

¹Then the Pharisees, and some of the scribes gathered together to him, having come from Jerusalem.

²Now when they saw some of his disciples eating bread with defiled, that is, unwashed, hands, they found fault.

³(For the Pharisees, and all the Judeans, do not eat unless they wash their hands and forearms, holding to the tradition of the elders.

⁴They do not eat when they come from the marketplace, unless they bathe themselves, and there are many other things, which they have received to hold to: washings of cups, pitchers, and bronze vessels.)

⁵The Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with unwashed hands?"

⁶He said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

⁷But in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'

⁸"For you set aside the commandment of God, and hold tightly to the tradition of men."

⁹He said to them, "Full well do you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.

¹⁰For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother;' and, 'He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.'

¹¹But you say, 'If a man tells his father or his mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban, that is to say, given to God;"'

¹²then you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or his mother,

¹³making void the word of God by your tradition, which you have handed down. You do many things like this."

¹⁴He called all the multitude to himself, and said to them, "Hear me, all of you, and understand.

¹⁵There is nothing from outside of the man, that going into him can defile him; but the things which proceed out of the man are those that defile the man." [

¹⁶If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!]

¹⁷When he had entered into a house away from the multitude, his disciples asked him about the parable.

¹⁸He said to them, "Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him,

¹⁹because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, then into the latrine, cleansing all the foods?"

²⁰He said, "That which proceeds out of the man, that defiles the man.

²¹For from within, out of the hearts of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, sexual sins, murders, thefts,

²²covetings, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness.

²³All these evil things come from within, and defile the man."

²⁴From there he arose, and went away into the region of Tyre and Sidon. He entered into a house, and did not want anyone to know it, but he could not escape notice.

²⁵For a woman, whose little daughter had an unclean spirit, having heard of him, immediately came and fell down at his feet.

²⁶Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by race. She begged him that he would cast the demon out of her daughter.

²⁷But he said to her, "Let the children be filled first, for it is not appropriate to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."

²⁸But she answered him, "Yes, Sir. Yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs."

²⁹He said to her, "For this saying, go your way. The demon has gone out of your daughter."

³⁰And when she went away to her house, she found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone out.

³¹Again he departed from the borders of Tyre, and came through Sidon to the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the region of Decapolis.

³²They brought to him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech. They begged him to lay his hand on him.

³³He took him aside from the multitude, privately, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat, and touched his tongue.

³⁴Looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him, "Ephphatha!" that is, "Be opened!"

³⁵Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was released, and he spoke clearly.

³⁶He commanded them that they should tell no one, but the more he commanded them, so much the more widely they proclaimed it.

³⁷They were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well. He makes even the deaf hear, and the mute speak!"

¹In those days, when there was a great multitude, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to himself, and said to them,

²"I have compassion on the multitude, because they have stayed with me now three days, and have nothing to eat.

³If I send them away fasting to their home, they will faint on the way, and some of them have come a long way."

⁴His disciples answered him, "From where could one satisfy these people with bread here in a deserted place?"

⁵He asked them, "How many loaves do you have?" They said, "Seven."

⁶He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground, and he took the seven loaves. Having given thanks, he broke them, and gave them to his disciples to serve, and they served the multitude.

⁷They had a few small fish. Having blessed them, he said to serve these also.

⁸They ate, and were filled. They took up seven baskets of broken pieces that were left over.

⁹Now they were about four thousand. Then he sent them away.

¹⁰Immediately he entered into the boat with his disciples, and came into the region of Dalmanutha.

¹¹The Pharisees came out and began to question him, seeking from him a sign from heaven, and testing him.

¹²He sighed deeply in his spirit, and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation."

¹³He left them, and again entering into a boat, departed to the other side.

¹⁴Now they forgot to take bread; and they did not have more than one loaf in the boat with them.

¹⁵He warned them, saying, "Take heed: beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod."

¹⁶They reasoned with one another, saying, "It's because we have no bread."

¹⁷He, perceiving it, said to them, "Why do you reason that it's because you have no bread? Do you not perceive yet, neither understand? Are your hearts hardened?

¹⁸Having eyes, do you not see? Having ears, do you not hear? Do you not remember?

¹⁹When I broke the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" They told him, "Twelve."

²⁰"When the seven loaves fed the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" They told him, "Seven."

²¹He asked them, "Do you not yet understand?"

²²He came to Bethsaida. They brought a blind man to him, and begged him to touch him.

²³He took hold of the blind man by the hand, and brought him out of the village. When he had spit on his eyes, and laid his hands on him, he asked him if he saw anything.

²⁴He looked up, and said, "I see men; they look like trees walking."

²⁵Then again he laid his hands on his eyes. He made him look up, and was restored, and saw everyone clearly.

²⁶He sent him away to his house, saying, "Do not enter into the village."

²⁷Jesus went out, with his disciples, into the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, "Who do men say that I am?"

²⁸They answered him, "John the Baptist, and others say Elijah, but others: one of the prophets."

²⁹He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Messiah."

³⁰He commanded them that they should tell no one about him.

³¹He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

³²He spoke to them openly. Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.

³³But he, turning around, and seeing his disciples, rebuked Peter, and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you have in mind not the things of God, but the things of men."

³⁴He called the multitude to himself with his disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

³⁵For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; and whoever will lose his life for my sake and the sake of the Good News will save it.

³⁶For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?

³⁷Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

³⁸For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man also will be ashamed of him, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."

¹He said to them, "Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will in no way taste death until they see the Kingdom of God come with power."

²After six days Jesus took with him Peter, Jacob, and John, and brought them up onto a high mountain privately by themselves, and he was changed into another form in front of them.

³His clothing became glistening, exceedingly white, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them.

⁴Elijah and Moses appeared to them, and they were talking with Jesus.

⁵Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

⁶For he did not know what to say, for they became very afraid.

⁷A cloud came, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him."

⁸Suddenly looking around, they saw no one with them any more, except Jesus only.

⁹As they were coming down from the mountain, he commanded them that they should tell no one what things they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

¹⁰They kept this saying to themselves, questioning what the "rising from the dead" meant.

¹¹They asked him, saying, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"

¹²He told them, "Elijah indeed comes first, and restores all things. How is it written about the Son of Man, that he should suffer many things and be despised?

¹³But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they have also done to him whatever they wanted to, even as it is written about him."

¹⁴Coming to the disciples, he saw a great multitude around them, and scribes questioning them.

¹⁵Immediately all the multitude, when they saw him, were greatly amazed, and running to him greeted him.

¹⁶He asked them, "What are you asking them?"

¹⁷One of the multitude answered him, and said, "Teacher, I brought to you my son, who has a mute spirit;

¹⁸and wherever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth, and wastes away. I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they weren't able."

¹⁹He answered him, "Unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to me."

²⁰They brought him to him, and when he saw him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground, wallowing and foaming at the mouth.

²¹He asked his father, "How long has it been since this has come to him?" He said, "From childhood.

²²Often it has cast him both into the fire and into the water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us, and help us."

²³Jesus said to him, "'If you can?' All things are possible to him who believes."

²⁴Immediately the father of the child exclaimed, "I believe. Help my unbelief!"

²⁵When Jesus saw that a multitude came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to him, "You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again!"

²⁶Having screamed, and convulsed greatly, it came out of him. The boy became like one dead; so much that most of them said, "He is dead."

²⁷But Jesus took him by the hand, and raised him up; and he arose.

²⁸And when he had come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why could not we cast it out?"

²⁹And he said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing, except by prayer [and fasting]. "

³⁰They went out from there, and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it.

³¹For he was teaching his disciples, and said to them, "The Son of Man is being handed over to the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is killed, after three days he will rise again."

³²But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.

³³He came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, "What were you arguing on the way?"

³⁴But they were silent, for they had disputed one with another on the way about who was the greatest.

³⁵He sat down, and called the twelve; and he said to them, "If any man wants to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all."

³⁶He took a little child, and set him in the midst of them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them,

³⁷"Whoever receives one such little child in my name, receives me, and whoever receives me, does not receive me, but him who sent me."

³⁸John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name; and we forbade him, because he does not follow us."

³⁹But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for there is no one who will do a mighty work in my name, and be able quickly to speak evil of me.

⁴⁰For whoever is not against us is for us.

⁴¹For whoever will give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you belong to the Messiah, truly I tell you, he will in no way lose his reward.

⁴²Whoever will cause one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him if he was thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around his neck.

⁴³If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having your two hands to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire, [

⁴⁴where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.]

⁴⁵If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life lame, rather than having your two feet to be cast into hell. [

⁴⁶where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.]

⁴⁷If your eye causes you to stumble, cast it out. It is better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell,

⁴⁸'where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'

⁴⁹For everyone will be salted with fire.

⁵⁰Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, with what will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another."