Day 236 of 365

¹Therefore when Jesus knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John

²(although Jesus himself did not baptize, but his disciples),

³he left Judea, and departed again into Galilee.

⁴He needed to pass through Samaria.

⁵So he came to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son, Joseph.

⁶Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being tired from his journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.

⁷A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink."

⁸For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.

⁹The Samaritan woman therefore said to him, "How is it that you, being a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)

¹⁰Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water."

¹¹The woman said to him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. From where then have you that living water?

¹²Are you greater than our father, Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself, as did his children, and his livestock?"

¹³Jesus answered her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again,

¹⁴but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst again; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life."

¹⁵The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I do not get thirsty, neither come all the way here to draw."

¹⁶Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here."

¹⁷The woman answered and said to him "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You said well, 'I have no husband,'

¹⁸for you have had five husbands; and he whom you now have is not your husband. This you have said truly."

¹⁹The woman said to him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.

²⁰Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship."

²¹Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour comes, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, will you worship the Father.

²²You worship that which you do not know. We worship that which we know; for salvation is from the Jews.

²³But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to be his worshippers.

²⁴God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."

²⁵The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah comes," (he who is called Christ). "When he has come, he will declare to us all things."

²⁶Jesus said to her, "I am he, the one who speaks to you."

²⁷At this, his disciples came. They marveled that he was speaking with a woman; yet no one said, "What are you looking for?" or, "Why do you speak with her?"

²⁸So the woman left her water pot, and went away into the city, and said to the people,

²⁹"Come, see a man who told me everything that I did. Can this be the Messiah?"

³⁰They went out of the city, and were coming to him.

³¹In the meanwhile, the disciples urged him, saying, "Rabbi, eat."

³²But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about."

³³The disciples therefore said one to another, "Has anyone brought him something to eat?"

³⁴Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work.

³⁵Do you not say, 'There are yet four months until the harvest?' Behold, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and look at the fields, that they are white for harvest already.

³⁶He who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit to eternal life; that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.

³⁷For in this the saying is true, 'One sows, and another reaps.'

³⁸I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor."

³⁹From that city many of the Samaritans believed in him because of the word of the woman, who testified, "He told me everything that I did."

⁴⁰So when the Samaritans came to him, they begged him to stay with them. He stayed there two days.

⁴¹Many more believed because of his word.

⁴²They said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of your speaking; for we have heard for ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Savior of the world."

⁴³After the two days he went out from there and went into Galilee.

⁴⁴For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.

⁴⁵So when he came into Galilee, the Galileans received him, having seen all the things that he did in Jerusalem at the feast, for they also went to the feast.

⁴⁶Jesus came therefore again to Cana of Galilee, where he made the water into wine. There was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum.

⁴⁷When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to him, and begged him that he would come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.

⁴⁸Jesus therefore said to him, "Unless you see signs and wonders, you will in no way believe."

⁴⁹The nobleman said to him, "Sir, come down before my child dies."

⁵⁰Jesus said to him, "Go your way. Your son lives." The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way.

⁵¹As he was now going down, his servants met him, saying that his son was alive.

⁵²So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. They said therefore to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour, the fever left him."

⁵³So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your son lives." He believed, as did his whole house.

⁵⁴This is again the second sign that Jesus did, having come out of Judea into Galilee.

¹And seeing the multitudes, he went up onto the mountain, and when he had sat down, his disciples came to him.

²Then he opened his mouth and taught them, saying,

³"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

⁴Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

⁵Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

⁶Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.

⁷Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

⁸Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

⁹Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

¹⁰Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

¹¹"Blessed are you when men insult you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

¹²Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

¹³"You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its flavor, with what will it be salted? It is then good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men.

¹⁴You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill cannot be hidden.

¹⁵Neither do you light a lamp, and put it under a measuring basket, but on a stand; and it shines to all who are in the house.

¹⁶Even so, let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

¹⁷"Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy, but to fulfill.

¹⁸For truly, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not even one smallest letter or one tiny pen stroke shall in any way pass away from the Law, until all things are accomplished.

¹⁹Whoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and teach others to do so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

²⁰For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, there is no way you will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

²¹"You have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, 'You shall not murder;' and 'Whoever shall murder shall be in danger of the judgment.'

²²But I tell you, that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment; and whoever shall say to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing!' shall be in danger of the council; and whoever shall say, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of the fire of hell.

²³"If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you,

²⁴leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

²⁵Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are with him in the way; lest perhaps the prosecutor deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be cast into prison.

²⁶Truly I tell you, you shall by no means get out of there, until you have paid the last penny.

²⁷"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery;'

²⁸but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.

²⁹And if your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

³⁰And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

³¹"It was also said, 'Whoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorce,'

³²but I tell you that whoever puts away his wife, except for the cause of sexual immorality, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries her when she is put away commits adultery.

³³"Again you have heard that it was said to them of old time, 'You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord your vows,'

³⁴but I tell you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God;

³⁵nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.

³⁶Neither shall you swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.

³⁷But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No' be 'No.' Whatever is more than these is of the evil one.

³⁸"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.'

³⁹But I tell you, do not resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.

⁴⁰And if anyone sues you to take away your coat, let him have your cloak also.

⁴¹And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.

⁴²Give to him who asks you, and do not turn away him who desires to borrow from you.

⁴³"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.'

⁴⁴But I tell you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you,

⁴⁵that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.

⁴⁶For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

⁴⁷And if you only greet your brothers, what more do you do than others? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

⁴⁸Therefore you shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

¹"Be careful that you do not do your acts of charity before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

²Therefore when you do merciful deeds, do not sound a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may get glory from people. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.

³But when you do merciful deeds, do not let your left hand know what your right hand does,

⁴so that your merciful deeds may be in secret, then your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

⁵"And when you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I tell you, they have received their reward.

⁶But you, when you pray, enter into your inner chamber, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

⁷And in praying, do not use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking.

⁸Therefore do not be like them, for your Father knows what things you need, before you ask him.

⁹Pray like this: 'Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.

¹⁰Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

¹¹Give us today our daily bread.

¹²And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.

¹³Let us not come into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. [For yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.]'

¹⁴"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

¹⁵But if you do not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

¹⁶"Moreover when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with sad faces. For they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen by men to be fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.

¹⁷But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face;

¹⁸so that you are not seen by men to be fasting, but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

¹⁹"Do not lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal;

²⁰but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves do not break through and steal;

²¹for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

²²"The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light.

²³But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

²⁴"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Mammon.

²⁵Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

²⁶See the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of much more value than they?

²⁷"And which of you, by being anxious, can add one moment to his lifespan?

²⁸And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They do not toil, neither do they spin,

²⁹yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these.

³⁰But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won't he much more clothe you, you of little faith?

³¹"Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What will we eat?', 'What will we drink?' or, 'With what will we be clothed?'

³²For the Gentiles seek after all these things, for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

³³But seek first his Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.

³⁴Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

¹"Do not judge, so that you won't be judged.

²For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you.

³And why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not consider the log that is in your own eye?

⁴Or how will you tell your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye;' and behold, the log is in your own eye?

⁵You hypocrite! First remove the log out of your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother's eye.

⁶"Do not give that which is holy to the dogs, neither throw your pearls before the pigs, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

⁷"Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened for you.

⁸For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened.

⁹Or who is there among you, who, if his son will ask him for bread, will give him a stone?

¹⁰Or if he will ask for a fish, who will give him a serpent?

¹¹If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

¹²Therefore whatever you desire for men to do to you, you shall also do to them; for this is the Law and the Prophets.

¹³"Enter in by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter in by it.

¹⁴How narrow is the gate, and difficult is the way that leads to life! Few are those who find it.

¹⁵"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.

¹⁶By their fruits you will know them. Do you gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?

¹⁷Even so, every good tree produces good fruit; but the corrupt tree produces evil fruit.

¹⁸A good tree cannot produce evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree produce good fruit.

¹⁹Every tree that does not grow good fruit is cut down, and thrown into the fire.

²⁰Therefore, by their fruits you will know them.

²¹Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

²²Many will tell me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, did not we prophesy in your name, in your name cast out demons, and in your name do many mighty works?'

²³And then I will tell them, 'I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work iniquity.'

²⁴"Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine, and does them, will be compared to a wise man, who built his house on a rock.

²⁵And the rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

²⁶And everyone who hears these words of mine, and does not do them will be like a foolish man, who built his house on the sand.

²⁷And the rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it fell-and great was its fall."

²⁸And it happened, when Jesus had finished saying these things, that the multitudes were astonished at his teaching,

²⁹for he taught them with authority, and not like their scribes.