Day 24 of 365

¹Now it happened, while the multitude pressed on him and heard the word of God, that he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret.

²He saw two boats standing by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them, and were washing their nets.

³He entered into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land. He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.

⁴When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep, and let down your nets for a catch."

⁵Simon answered him, "Master, we worked all night, and took nothing; but at your word I will let down the nets."

⁶When they had done this, they caught a great multitude of fish, and their net was breaking.

⁷They beckoned to their partners in the other boat, that they should come and help them. They came, and filled both boats, so that they began to sink.

⁸But Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord."

⁹For he was amazed, and all who were with him, at the catch of fish which they had caught;

¹⁰and so also were Jacob and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid. From now on you will be catching men."

¹¹When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything, and followed him.

¹²It happened, while he was in one of the cities, behold, there was a man full of leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell on his face, and begged him, saying, "Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean."

¹³And he stretched out his hand, and touched him, saying, "I want to. Be made clean." Immediately the leprosy left him.

¹⁴He commanded him to tell no one, "But go your way, and show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing according to what Moses commanded, for a testimony to them."

¹⁵But the report concerning him spread much more, and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed of their infirmities.

¹⁶But he withdrew himself into the desert, and prayed.

¹⁷It happened on one of those days, that he was teaching; and there were Pharisees and teachers of the Law sitting by, who had come out of every village of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was with him to heal.

¹⁸Behold, men brought a paralyzed man on a cot, and they sought to bring him in to lay before Jesus.

¹⁹Not finding a way to bring him in because of the multitude, they went up to the housetop, and let him down through the tiles with his cot into the midst before Jesus.

²⁰Seeing their faith, he said to him, "Man, your sins are forgiven you."

²¹The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is this that speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?"

²²But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, answered them, "Why are you reasoning so in your hearts?

²³Which is easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you;' or to say, 'Arise and walk?'

²⁴But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" (he said to the paralyzed man), "I tell you, arise, and take up your cot, and go to your house."

²⁵Immediately he rose up before them, and took up that which he was laying on, and departed to his house, glorifying God.

²⁶Amazement took hold on all, and they glorified God. They were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen strange things today."

²⁷After these things he went out, and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax office, and said to him, "Follow me!"

²⁸He left everything, and rose up and followed him.

²⁹Levi made a great feast for him in his house. There was a great crowd of tax collectors and others who were reclining with them.

³⁰The Pharisees and their scribes murmured against his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?"

³¹Jesus answered them, "Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do.

³²I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

³³They said to him, "The disciples of John often fast and pray, likewise also the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink."

³⁴He said to them, "Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast, while the bridegroom is with them?

³⁵But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them. Then they will fast in those days."

³⁶He also told a parable to them. "No one having torn a piece from a new garment puts it on an old garment, or else he will tear the new, and also the piece from the new will not match the old.

³⁷And no one puts new wine into old wineskins, or else the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed.

³⁸But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.

³⁹No man having drunk old wine desires new, for he says, 'The old is better.'"

¹Now it happened on a Sabbath that he was going through the grain fields. His disciples plucked the heads of grain, and ate, rubbing them in their hands.

²But some of the Pharisees said to them, "Why do you do that which is not lawful on the Sabbath day?"

³Jesus, answering them, said, "Have not you read what David did when he was hungry, he, and those who were with him;

⁴how he entered into the house of God, and took and ate the show bread, and gave also to those who were with him, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests alone?"

⁵He said to them, "The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath."

⁶It also happened on another Sabbath that he entered into the synagogue and taught. There was a man there, and his right hand was withered.

⁷The scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against him.

⁸But he knew their thoughts; and he said to the man who had the withered hand, "Rise up, and stand in the middle." He arose and stood.

⁹Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good, or to do harm? To save a life, or to destroy it?"

¹⁰He looked around at them all, and said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He did, and his hand was restored.

¹¹But they were filled with rage, and talked with one another about what they might do to Jesus.

¹²It happened in these days, that he went out to the mountain to pray, and he continued all night in prayer to God.

¹³When it was day, he called his disciples, and from them he chose twelve, whom he also named apostles:

¹⁴Simon, whom he also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; Jacob; John; Philip; Bartholomew;

¹⁵Matthew; Thomas; Jacob, the son of Alphaeus; Simon, who was called the Zealot;

¹⁶Judas the son of Jacob; and Judas Iscariot, who also became a traitor.

¹⁷He came down with them, and stood on a level place, with a large crowd of his disciples, and a great number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases;

¹⁸as well as those who were troubled by unclean spirits, and they were being healed.

¹⁹All the multitude sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.

²⁰He lifted up his eyes to his disciples, and said, "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God.

²¹Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

²²Blessed are you when men shall hate you, and when they shall exclude and mock you, and throw out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake.

²³Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven, for their fathers did the same thing to the prophets.

²⁴"But woe to you who are rich! For you have received your consolation.

²⁵Woe to you, you who are full now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.

²⁶Woe, when men speak well of you, for their fathers did the same thing to the false prophets.

²⁷"But I tell you who hear: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,

²⁸bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you.

²⁹To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer also the other; and from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your coat also.

³⁰Give to everyone who asks you, and do not ask him who takes away your goods to give them back again.

³¹"Treat others as you would have them treat you.

³²If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.

³³If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.

³⁴If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive back as much.

³⁵But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil.

³⁶Therefore be merciful, even as your Father is also merciful.

³⁷Do not judge, and you won't be judged. Do not condemn, and you won't be condemned. Set free, and you will be set free.

³⁸"Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be given to you. For with the same measure you measure it will be measured back to you."

³⁹He spoke a parable to them. "Can the blind guide the blind? Won't they both fall into a pit?

⁴⁰A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.

⁴¹And why do you see the speck of chaff that is in your brother's eye, but do not consider the log that is in your own eye?

⁴²Or how can you tell your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck of chaff that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the log from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck of chaff that is in your brother's eye.

⁴³For there is no good tree that brings forth rotten fruit; nor again a rotten tree that brings forth good fruit.

⁴⁴For each tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.

⁴⁵The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings out that which is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings out that which is evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.

⁴⁶"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say?

⁴⁷Everyone who comes to me, and hears my words, and does them, I will show you who he is like.

⁴⁸He is like a man building a house, who dug and went deep, and laid a foundation on the rock. When a flood arose, the stream broke against that house, and could not shake it, because it had been well built.

⁴⁹But he who hears, and does not do, is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream broke, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great."

¹After he had finished speaking in the hearing of the people, he entered into Capernaum.

²A certain centurion's servant, who was dear to him, was sick and at the point of death.

³When he heard about Jesus, he sent to him Jewish elders, asking him to come and save his servant.

⁴When they came to Jesus, they begged him earnestly, saying, "He is worthy for you to do this for him,

⁵for he loves our nation, and he built our synagogue for us."

⁶Jesus went with them. When he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying to him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy for you to come under my roof.

⁷Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to you; but say the word, and my servant will be healed.

⁸For I also am a man placed under authority, having under myself soldiers. I tell this one, 'Go!' and he goes; and to another, 'Come!' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."

⁹When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turned and said to the multitude who followed him, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith, no, not in Israel."

¹⁰Those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant was well.

¹¹It happened soon afterwards, that he went to a city called Nain. His disciples, along with a great multitude, went with him.

¹²Now when he drew near to the gate of the city, behold, one who was dead was carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. Many people of the city were with her.

¹³When the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said to her, "Do not cry."

¹⁴He came near and touched the coffin, and the bearers stood still. He said, "Young man, I tell you, arise!"

¹⁵He who was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother.

¹⁶Fear took hold of all, and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has arisen among us!" and, "God has visited his people!"

¹⁷This report went out concerning him in the whole of Judea, and in all the surrounding region.

¹⁸The disciples of John told him about all these things.

¹⁹John, calling to himself two of his disciples, sent them to the Lord, saying, "Are you the one who is coming, or should we look for another?"

²⁰When the men had come to him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, 'Are you the One who is to come, or should we look for another?'"

²¹In that hour he cured many of diseases and plagues and evil spirits; and to many who were blind he gave sight.

²²Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John the things which you have seen and heard: that the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.

²³Blessed is he who is not offended by me."

²⁴When John's messengers had departed, he began to tell the multitudes about John, "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

²⁵But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are gorgeously dressed, and live delicately, are in kings' courts.

²⁶But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet.

²⁷This is he of whom it is written, 'Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.'

²⁸"For I tell you, among those who are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John, yet he who is least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he."

²⁹When all the people and the tax collectors heard this, they declared God to be just, having been baptized with John's baptism.

³⁰But the Pharisees and the Law scholars rejected the counsel of God, not being baptized by him themselves.

³¹"To what then will I liken the people of this generation? What are they like?

³²They are like children who sit in the marketplace, and call one to another, saying, 'We piped to you, and you did not dance. We mourned, and you did not weep.'

³³For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.'

³⁴The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man, and a drunkard; a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'

³⁵Wisdom is justified by all her children."

³⁶One of the Pharisees invited him to eat with him. He entered into the Pharisee's house, and sat at the table.

³⁷Behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that he was reclining in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of ointment.

³⁸Standing behind at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and she wiped them with the hair of her head, kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

³⁹Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, "This man, if he were a prophet, would have perceived who and what kind of woman this is who touches him, that she is a sinner."

⁴⁰Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you." He said, "Teacher, say on."

⁴¹"A certain lender had two debtors. The one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.

⁴²When they could not pay, he forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him most?"

⁴³Simon answered, "He, I suppose, to whom he forgave the most." He said to him, "You have judged correctly."

⁴⁴Turning to the woman, he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered into your house, and you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair.

⁴⁵You gave me no kiss, but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss my feet.

⁴⁶You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.

⁴⁷Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."

⁴⁸He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."

⁴⁹Those who sat at the table with him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"

⁵⁰He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."

¹The earth is the Lord's, with its fullness; the world, and those who dwell therein.

²For he has founded it on the seas, and established it on the floods.

³Who may ascend to the Lord's hill? Who may stand in his holy place?

⁴He who has clean hands and a pure heart; who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood, and has not sworn deceitfully.

⁵He shall receive a blessing from the Lord, righteousness from the God of his salvation.

⁶This is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek your face-even Jacob. Selah.

⁷Lift up your heads, you gates! Be lifted up, you everlasting doors, and the King of glory will come in.

⁸Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle.

⁹Lift up your heads, you gates; lift them up, you everlasting doors, and the King of glory will come in.

¹⁰Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts is the King of glory! Selah.

¹Do not be envious of evil men; neither desire to be with them:

²for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about mischief.

³Through wisdom a house is built; by understanding it is established;

⁴by knowledge the rooms are filled with all rare and beautiful treasure.

⁵A wise man has great power; and a knowledgeable man increases strength;

⁶for by wise guidance you wage your war; and victory is in many advisors.

⁷Wisdom is too high for a fool: he doesn't open his mouth in the gate.

⁸One who plots to do evil will be called a schemer.

⁹The schemes of folly are sin. The mocker is detested by men.

¹⁰If you falter in the time of trouble, your strength is small.

¹¹Rescue those who are being led away to death! Indeed, hold back those who are staggering to the slaughter!

¹²If you say, "Behold, we did not know this;" doesn't he who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, doesn't he know it? Shall he not render to every man according to his work?

¹³My son, eat honey, for it is good; the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to your taste:

¹⁴so you shall know wisdom to be to your soul; if you have found it, then there will be a reward, your hope will not be cut off.

¹⁵Do not lie in wait, wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous. Do not destroy his resting place:

¹⁶for a righteous man falls seven times, and rises up again; but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.

¹⁷Do not rejoice when your enemy falls. Do not let your heart be glad when he is overthrown;

¹⁸lest the Lord see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.

¹⁹Do not fret yourself because of evildoers; neither be envious of the wicked:

²⁰for there will be no reward to the evil man; and the lamp of the wicked shall be snuffed out.

²¹My son, fear the Lord and the king. Do not join those who are rebellious:

²²for their calamity will rise suddenly; the destruction from them both-who knows?

²³These also are sayings of the wise. To show partiality in judgment is not good.

²⁴He who says to the wicked, "You are righteous;" peoples shall curse him, and nations shall abhor him-

²⁵but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and a rich blessing will come on them.

²⁶An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.

²⁷Prepare your work outside, and get your fields ready. Afterwards, build your house.

²⁸Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause. Do not deceive with your lips.

²⁹Do not say, "I will do to him as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work."

³⁰I went by the field of the sluggard, by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;

³¹Behold, it was all grown over with thorns. Its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.

³²Then I saw, and considered well. I saw, and received instruction:

³³a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep;

³⁴so your poverty will come as a robber, and your want as an armed man.