Day 11 of 30

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."

¹It happened soon afterwards, that he went about through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the Kingdom of God. With him were the twelve,

²and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out;

³and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward; Susanna; and many others; who served them from their possessions.

⁴When a great multitude came together, and people from every city were coming to him, he spoke by a parable.

⁵"The farmer went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell along the road, and it was trampled under foot, and the birds of the sky devoured it.

⁶Other seed fell on the rock, and as soon as it grew, it withered away, because it had no moisture.

⁷Other fell amid the thorns, and the thorns grew with it, and choked it.

⁸Other fell into the good ground, and grew, and brought forth fruit one hundred times." As he said these things, he called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

⁹Then his disciples asked him, "What does this parable mean?"

¹⁰He said, "To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, but to the rest in parables; that 'seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.'

¹¹Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

¹²Those along the road are those who hear, then the devil comes, and takes away the word from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved.

¹³Those on the rock are they who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; but these have no root, who believe for a while, then fall away in time of temptation.

¹⁴That which fell among the thorns, these are those who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.

¹⁵That in the good ground, these are such as in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, hold it tightly, and bring forth fruit with patience.

¹⁶"No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a container, or puts it under a bed; but puts it on a stand, that those who enter in may see the light.

¹⁷For nothing is hidden, that will not be revealed; nor anything secret, that will not be known and come to light.

¹⁸Be careful therefore how you hear. For whoever has, to him will be given; and whoever does not have, from him will be taken away even that which he thinks he has."

¹⁹His mother and brothers came to him, and they could not come near him for the crowd.

²⁰It was told him by some saying, "Your mother and your brothers stand outside, desiring to see you."

²¹But he answered them, "My mother and my brothers are these who hear the word of God, and do it."

²²Now it happened on one of those days, that he entered into a boat, himself and his disciples, and he said to them, "Let us go over to the other side of the lake." So they launched out.

²³But as they sailed, he fell asleep. A wind storm came down on the lake, and they were taking on dangerous amounts of water.

²⁴So they came to him, and awoke him, saying, "Master, master, we are dying!" And he awoke, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water, and they ceased, and it was calm.

²⁵He said to them, "Where is your faith?" Being afraid they marveled, saying one to another, "Who is this, then, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?"

²⁶They arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee.

²⁷When Jesus stepped ashore, a certain man out of the city who had demons for a long time met him. He wore no clothes, and did not live in a house, but in the tombs.

²⁸When he saw Jesus, he shouted, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, "What do I have to do with you, Jesus, you Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me!"

²⁹For Jesus was commanding the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For the unclean spirit had often seized the man. He was kept under guard, and bound with chains and fetters. Breaking the bands apart, he was driven by the demon into the desert.

³⁰Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" He said, "Legion," for many demons had entered into him.

³¹They begged him that he would not command them to go into the abyss.

³²Now there was there a herd of many pigs feeding on the mountain, and they begged him that he would allow them to enter into those. He allowed them.

³³The demons came out from the man, and entered into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake, and were drowned.

³⁴When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled, and told it in the city and in the country.

³⁵Then people went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus' feet, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.

³⁶Those who saw it told them how he who had been possessed by demons was healed.

³⁷All the people of the surrounding country of the Geresenes asked him to depart from them, for they were very much afraid. He entered into the boat, and returned.

³⁸But the man from whom the demons had gone out begged him that he might go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying,

³⁹"Return to your house, and declare what great things God has done for you." He went his way, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

⁴⁰When Jesus returned, the multitude welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him.

⁴¹Behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. He fell down at Jesus' feet, and begged him to come into his house,

⁴²for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying. But as he went, the multitudes pressed against him.

⁴³A woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her living on physicians, and could not be healed by any,

⁴⁴came behind him, and touched the fringe of his cloak, and immediately the flow of her blood stopped.

⁴⁵Jesus said, "Who touched me?" When all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the multitudes press and jostle you."

⁴⁶But Jesus said, "Someone did touch me, for I perceived that power has gone out of me."

⁴⁷When the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared to him in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.

⁴⁸He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace."

⁴⁹While he still spoke, one from the ruler of the synagogue's house came, saying to him, "Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the Teacher."

⁵⁰But Jesus hearing it, answered him, "Do not be afraid. Only believe, and she will be healed."

⁵¹When he came to the house, he did not allow anyone to enter in with him, except Peter, John, Jacob, the father of the child, and her mother.

⁵²All were weeping and mourning her, but he said, "Do not weep. She is not dead, but sleeping."

⁵³They were ridiculing him, knowing that she was dead.

⁵⁴But he, taking her by the hand, called, saying, "Child, arise!"

⁵⁵Her spirit returned, and she rose up immediately. He commanded that something be given to her to eat.

⁵⁶Her parents were amazed, but he commanded them to tell no one what had been done.

¹He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.

²He sent them forth to proclaim the Kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.

³He said to them, "Take nothing for your journey-neither staffs, nor wallet, nor bread, nor money; neither have two coats apiece.

⁴Into whatever house you enter, stay there, and depart from there.

⁵As many as do not receive you, when you depart from that city, shake off even the dust from your feet for a testimony against them."

⁶They departed, and went throughout the villages, proclaiming the Good News, and healing everywhere.

⁷Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done; and he was very perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead,

⁸and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen again.

⁹Herod said, "John I beheaded, but who is this, about whom I hear such things?" He sought to see him.

¹⁰The apostles, when they had returned, told him what things they had done. He took them, and withdrew apart to a city called Bethsaida.

¹¹But the multitudes, perceiving it, followed him. He welcomed them, and spoke to them of the Kingdom of God, and he cured those who needed healing.

¹²The day began to wear away; and the twelve came, and said to him, "Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding villages and farms, and lodge, and get food, for we are here in a deserted place."

¹³But he said to them, "You give them something to eat." They said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we should go and buy food for all these people."

¹⁴For they were about five thousand men. He said to his disciples, "Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each."

¹⁵They did so, and made them all sit down.

¹⁶He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to the sky, he blessed them, and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude.

¹⁷They ate, and were all filled. They gathered up twelve baskets of broken pieces that were left over.

¹⁸It happened, as he was praying alone, that the disciples were with him, and he asked them, "Who do the multitudes say that I am?"

¹⁹They answered, "'John the Baptist,' but others say, 'Elijah,' and others, that one of the old prophets is risen again."

²⁰He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered, "The Messiah of God."

²¹But he warned them, and commanded them to tell this to no one,

²²saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up."

²³He said to all, "If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.

²⁴For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever will lose his life for my sake, the same will save it.

²⁵For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits his own self?

²⁶For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed, when he comes in his glory, and the glory of the Father, and of the holy angels.

²⁷But I tell you the truth: There are some of those who stand here, who will in no way taste of death, until they see the Kingdom of God."

²⁸It happened about eight days after these sayings, that he took with him Peter, John, and Jacob, and went up onto the mountain to pray.

²⁹As he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became white and dazzling.

³⁰Behold, two men were talking with him, who were Moses and Elijah,

³¹who appeared in glory, and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

³²Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they were fully awake, they saw his glory, and the two men who stood with him.

³³It happened, as they were parting from him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three tents: one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah," not knowing what he said.

³⁴While he said these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered into the cloud.

³⁵A voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, my chosen. Listen to him!"

³⁶When the voice came, Jesus was found alone. They were silent, and told no one in those days any of the things which they had seen.

³⁷It happened on the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, that a great multitude met him.

³⁸Behold, a man from the crowd called out, saying, "Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child.

³⁹Behold, a spirit takes him, he suddenly cries out, and it convulses him so that he foams, and it hardly departs from him, bruising him severely.

⁴⁰I begged your disciples to cast it out, and they could not."

⁴¹Jesus answered, "Faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here."

⁴²While he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him violently. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.

⁴³They were all astonished at the majesty of God. But while all were marveling at all the things which Jesus did, he said to his disciples,

⁴⁴"Let these words sink into your ears, for the Son of Man will be delivered up into the hands of men."

⁴⁵But they did not understand this saying. It was concealed from them, that they should not perceive it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

⁴⁶There arose an argument among them about which of them was the greatest.

⁴⁷Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a little child, and set him by his side,

⁴⁸and said to them, "Whoever receives this little child in my name receives me. Whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For whoever is least among you all, this one will be great."

⁴⁹John answered, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him, because he does not follow with us."

⁵⁰Jesus said to him, "Do not forbid him, for he who is not against you is for you."

⁵¹It came to pass, when the days were near that he should be taken up, he intently set his face to go to Jerusalem,

⁵²and sent messengers before his face. They went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, so as to prepare for him.

⁵³They did not receive him, because he was traveling with his face set towards Jerusalem.

⁵⁴When his disciples, Jacob and John, saw this, they said, "Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from the sky, and destroy them?"

⁵⁵But he turned and rebuked them.

⁵⁶They went to another village.

⁵⁷As they went on the way, a certain man said to him, "I want to follow you wherever you go."

⁵⁸And Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

⁵⁹He said to another, "Follow me!" But he said, "Allow me first to go and bury my father."

⁶⁰But Jesus said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead, but you go and announce the Kingdom of God."

⁶¹Another also said, "I want to follow you, Lord, but first allow me to bid farewell to those who are at my house."

⁶²But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God."

¹Now after these things, the Lord also appointed seventy-two others, and sent them two by two ahead of him into every city and place, where he was about to come.

²Then he said to them, "The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray therefore to the Lord of the harvest, that he may send out laborers into his harvest.

³Go your ways. Behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.

⁴Carry no purse, nor wallet, nor sandals. Greet no one on the way.

⁵Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace be to this house.'

⁶If a peaceful person is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you.

⁷Remain in that same house, eating and drinking the things they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house.

⁸Into whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat the things that are set before you.

⁹Heal the sick who are therein, and tell them, 'The Kingdom of God has come near to you.'

¹⁰But into whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say,

¹¹'Even the dust from your city that clings to our feet, we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the Kingdom of God is near.'

¹²I tell you, it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for that city.

¹³"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.

¹⁴But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment than for you.

¹⁵And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to hell.

¹⁶Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me. Whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me."

¹⁷The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!"

¹⁸He said to them, "I saw Satan having fallen like lightning from heaven.

¹⁹Behold, I give you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will in any way hurt you.

²⁰Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

²¹In that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit, and said, "I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for so it was well-pleasing in your sight."

²²"All things have been delivered to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is, except the Father, and who the Father is, except the Son, and he to whomever the Son desires to reveal him."

²³Turning to the disciples, he said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things that you see,

²⁴for I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see the things which you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them."

²⁵Behold, a certain Law scholar stood up and tested him, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

²⁶He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?"

²⁷He answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself."

²⁸He said to him, "You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live."

²⁹But he, desiring to justify himself, asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?"

³⁰Jesus answered, "A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

³¹By chance a certain priest was going down that way. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

³²In the same way a Levite also, when he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on the other side.

³³But a certain Samaritan, as he traveled, came where he was. When he saw him, he was moved with compassion,

³⁴came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. He set him on his own animal, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

³⁵On the next day, he took out two denarii, and gave them to the host, and said to him, 'Take care of him. Whatever you spend beyond that, I will repay you when I return.'

³⁶Now which of these three do you think seemed to be a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers?"

³⁷He said, "He who showed mercy on him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

³⁸It happened as they went on their way, he entered into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha received him.

³⁹She had a sister called Mary, who also sat at the Lord's feet, and heard his word.

⁴⁰But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she came up to him, and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister left me to serve alone? Ask her therefore to help me."

⁴¹The Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things,

⁴²but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her."

¹It happened, that when he finished praying in a certain place, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples."

²He said to them, "When you pray, say, 'Father, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come.

³Give us day by day our daily bread.

⁴Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.'"

⁵He said to them, "Which of you, if you go to a friend at midnight, and tell him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,

⁶for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him,'

⁷and he from within will answer and say, 'Do not bother me. The door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give it to you'?

⁸I tell you, although he will not rise and give it to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence, he will get up and give him as many as he needs.

⁹"I tell you, ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened to you.

¹⁰For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened.

¹¹"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, he won't give him a snake instead of a fish, will he?

¹²Or if he asks for an egg, he won't give him a scorpion, will he?

¹³If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?"

¹⁴He was casting out a demon, and it was mute. It happened, when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke; and the multitudes marveled.

¹⁵But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons."

¹⁶Others, testing him, sought from him a sign from heaven.

¹⁷But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation. A house divided against itself falls.

¹⁸If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul.

¹⁹But if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore will they be your judges.

²⁰But if I by the finger of God cast out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come to you.

²¹"When the strong man, fully armed, guards his own dwelling, his goods are safe.

²²But when someone stronger attacks him and overcomes him, he takes from him his whole armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils.

²³"He that is not with me is against me. He who does not gather with me scatters.

²⁴The unclean spirit, when he has gone out of the man, passes through dry places, seeking rest, and finding none, he says, 'I will turn back to my house from which I came out.'

²⁵When he returns, he finds it swept and put in order.

²⁶Then he goes, and takes seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter in and dwell there. The last state of that man becomes worse than the first."

²⁷It came to pass, as he said these things, a certain woman out of the multitude lifted up her voice, and said to him, "Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts which nursed you!"

²⁸But he said, "On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God, and keep it."

²⁹When the multitudes were gathering together to him, he began to say, "This generation is an evil generation. It seeks after a sign. No sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah.

³⁰For even as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will also the Son of Man be to this generation.

³¹The Queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and will condemn them: for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, one greater than Solomon is here.

³²The men of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it: for they repented at the proclaiming of Jonah, and behold, one greater than Jonah is here.

³³"No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, that those who come in may see the light.

³⁴The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore when your eye is good, your whole body is also full of light; but when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness.

³⁵Therefore see whether the light that is in you is not darkness.

³⁶If therefore your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly full of light, as when the lamp with its bright shining gives you light."

³⁷Now as he spoke, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him. He went in, and sat at the table.

³⁸When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that he had not first washed himself before dinner.

³⁹The Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter, but your inward part is full of extortion and wickedness.

⁴⁰You foolish ones, did not he who made the outside make the inside also?

⁴¹But give for gifts to the needy those things which are within, and behold, all things will be clean to you.

⁴²But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, but you bypass justice and the love of God. You ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone.

⁴³Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues, and the greetings in the marketplaces.

⁴⁴Woe to you! For you are like hidden graves, and the men who walk over them do not know it."

⁴⁵One of the Law scholars answered him, "Teacher, in saying this you insult us also."

⁴⁶He said, "Woe to you Law scholars also! For you load people with burdens that are difficult to carry, and you yourselves won't even lift one finger to help carry those burdens.

⁴⁷Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

⁴⁸So you are witnesses and consent to the works of your fathers. For they killed them, and you build their tombs.

⁴⁹Therefore also the wisdom of God said, 'I will send to them prophets and apostles; and some of them they will kill and persecute,

⁵⁰that the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;

⁵¹from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary.' Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation.

⁵²Woe to you Law scholars! For you took away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in, you hindered."

⁵³And when he left there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be terribly angry, and to draw many things out of him;

⁵⁴lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say.