Day 241 of 365

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.