Luke 1-6
New American Standard Bible
Chapter 1
1Since many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, 2just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, 3it seemed fitting to me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in an orderly sequence, most excellent Theophilus; 4so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.
5In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
6They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord.
7And yet they had no child, because Elizabeth was infertile, and they were both advanced in years.
8Now it happened that while he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division,
9according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
10And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering.
11Now an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense.
12Zechariah was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him.
13But the angel said to him, 'Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John.
14You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice over his birth.
15For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother’s womb.
16And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God.
17And it is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF FATHERS BACK TO their children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.'
18Zechariah said to the angel, 'How will I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in her years.'
19The angel answered and said to him, 'I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.
20And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their proper time.'
21And meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah, and were wondering at his delay in the temple.
22But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them; and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple, and he repeatedly made signs to them, and remained speechless.
23When the days of his priestly service were concluded, he went back home.
24Now after these days his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, and she kept herself in seclusion for five months, saying,
25This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked with favor upon me, to take away my disgrace among people.'
26Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee named Nazareth,
27to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
28And coming in, he said to her, 'Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.'
29But she was very perplexed at this statement, and was pondering what kind of greeting this was.
30And the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
31And behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.
32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David;
33and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.'
34But Mary said to the angel, 'How will this be, since I am a virgin?'
35The angel answered and said to her, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; for that reason also the holy Child will be called the Son of God.
36And behold, even your relative Elizabeth herself has conceived a son in her old age, and she who was called infertile is now in her sixth month.
37For nothing will be impossible with God.'
38And Mary said, 'Behold, the Lord’s bond-servant; may it be done to me according to your word.' And the angel departed from her.
39Now at this time Mary set out and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah,
40and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42And she cried out with a loud voice and said, 'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
43And how has it happened to me that the mother of my Lord would come to me?
44For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.
45And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.'
47And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48For He has had regard for the humble state of His bond-servant; For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed.
49For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name.
50And His mercy is to generation after generation Toward those who fear Him.
51He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
52He has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has exalted those who were humble.
53He has filled the hungry with good things, And sent the rich away empty-handed.
54He has given help to His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy,
55Just as He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and his descendants forever.'
57Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son.
58Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had displayed His great mercy toward her; and they were rejoicing with her.
59And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zechariah, after his father.
60And yet his mother responded and said, 'No indeed; but he shall be called John.'
61And they said to her, 'There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.'
62And they made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called.
63And he asked for a tablet and wrote as follows, 'His name is John.' And they were all amazed.
64And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began speaking in praise of God.
65And fear came on all those who lived around them; and all these matters were being talked about in the entire hill country of Judea.
66All who heard them kept them in mind, saying, 'What then will this child turn out to be?' For indeed the hand of the Lord was with him.
68'Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people,
69And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of His servant David—
70Just as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient times—
71 Salvation from our enemies, And from the hand of all who hate us;
72To show mercy to our fathers, And to remember His holy covenant,
73 The oath which He swore to our father Abraham,
74To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, Would serve Him without fear,
75In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.
76And you, child, also will be called the prophet of the Most High; For you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways;
77To give His people the knowledge of salvation By the forgiveness of their sins,
78Because of the tender mercy of our God, With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us,
79To shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.'
Chapter 2
1Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. 2This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3And all the people were on their way to register for the census, each to his own city. 4Now Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, 5in order to register along with Mary, who was betrothed to him, and was pregnant. 6While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
8In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock at night.
9And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood near them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.
10And so the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;
11for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
12And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.'
13And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army of angels praising God and saying,
15When the angels had departed from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, 'Let’s go straight to Bethlehem, then, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.'
16And they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger.
17When they had seen Him, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child.
18And all who heard it were amazed about the things which were told them by the shepherds.
19But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.
20And the shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.
22And when the days for their purification according to the Law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord
23(as it is written in the Law of the Lord: 'EVERY firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord'),
24and to offer a sacrifice according to what has been stated in the Law of the Lord: 'A PAIR OF TURTLEDOVES OR TWO YOUNG DOVES.'
25And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
26And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
27And he came by the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law,
28then he took Him in his arms, and blessed God, and said,
29'Now, Lord, You are letting Your bond-servant depart in peace, According to Your word;
30For my eyes have seen Your salvation,
31Which You have prepared in the presence of all the peoples:
32A light for revelation for the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.'
33And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him.
34And Simeon blessed them and said to His mother Mary, 'Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and as a sign to be opposed—
35and a sword will pierce your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.'
36And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage,
37and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She did not leave the temple grounds, serving night and day with fasts and prayers.
38And at that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak about Him to all those who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
39And when His parents had completed everything in accordance with the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city of Nazareth.
40Now the Child continued to grow and to become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the favor of God was upon Him.
41His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.
42And when He was twelve years old, they went up there according to the custom of the feast;
43and as they were returning, after spending the full number of days required, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but His parents were unaware of it.
44Instead, they thought that He was somewhere in the caravan, and they went a day’s journey; and then they began looking for Him among their relatives and acquaintances.
45And when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, looking for Him.
46Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.
47And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers.
48When Joseph and Mary saw Him, they were bewildered; and His mother said to Him, 'Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You!'
49And He said to them, 'Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?'
50And yet they on their part did not understand the statement which He had made to them.
51And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued to be subject to them; and His mother treasured all these things in her heart.
Chapter 3
1Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, 2in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zechariah, in the wilderness. 3And he came into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins;
4as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: 'THE VOICE OF ONE CALLING OUT IN THE WILDERNESS, ‘PREPARE THE WAY OF THE Lord, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT!
5EVERY RAVINE WILL BE FILLED, AND EVERY MOUNTAIN AND HILL WILL BE LOWERED; THE CROOKED WILL BECOME STRAIGHT, AND THE ROUGH ROADS SMOOTH;
6AND ALL FLESH WILL SEE THE SALVATION OF God!’?'
7So he was saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, 'You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8Therefore produce fruits that are consistent with repentance, and do not start saying to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children for Abraham.
9But indeed the axe is already being laid at the root of the trees; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.'
10And the crowds were questioning him, saying, 'Then what are we to do?'
11And he would answer and say to them, 'The one who has two tunics is to share with the one who has none; and the one who has food is to do likewise.'
12Now even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they said to him, 'Teacher, what are we to do?'
13And he said to them, 'Collect no more than what you have been ordered to.'
14And soldiers also were questioning him, saying, 'What are we to do, we as well?' And he said to them, 'Do not extort money from anyone, nor harass anyone, and be content with your wages.'
15Now while the people were in a state of expectation and they all were thinking carefully in their hearts about John, whether he himself perhaps was the Christ,
16John responded to them all, saying, 'As for me, I baptize you with water; but He is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the straps of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
17His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.'
18So with many other exhortations he preached the gospel to the people.
19But when Herod the tetrarch was reprimanded by him regarding Herodias, his brother’s wife, and regarding all the evil things which Herod had done,
20Herod also added this to them all: he locked John up in prison.
21Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened,
22and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came from heaven: 'You are My beloved Son, in You I am well pleased.'
23When He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years old, being, as was commonly held, the son of Joseph, the son of Eli,
24the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,
25the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Hesli, the son of Naggai,
26the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda,
27the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,
28the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,
29the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,
30the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,
31the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,
32the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon,
33the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,
34the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,
35the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Heber, the son of Shelah,
36the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,
37the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan,
38the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
Chapter 4
1Now Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness 2for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He was hungry. 3And the devil said to Him, 'If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.' 4And Jesus answered him, 'It is written: ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE.’?'
5And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6And the devil said to Him, 'I will give You all this domain and its glory, for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I want.
7Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.'
8Jesus replied to him, 'It is written: ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE Lord YOUR God AND SERVE HIM ONLY.’?'
10for it is written: ‘HE WILL GIVE HIS ANGELS ORDERS CONCERNING YOU, TO PROTECT YOU,’
11and, ‘ON their hands they will lift YOU UP, SO THAT YOU DO NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.’?'
14And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding region.
15And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all.
16And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read.
17And the scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to Him. And He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
18'THE SPIRIT OF THE Lord IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO BRING GOOD NEWS TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED,
19TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE Lord.'
20And He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all the people in the synagogue were intently directed at Him.
21Now He began to say to them, 'Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.'
22And all the people were speaking well of Him, and admiring the gracious words which were coming from His lips; and yet they were saying, 'Is this not Joseph’s son?'
23And He said to them, 'No doubt you will quote this proverb to Me: ‘Physician, heal yourself! All the miracles that we heard were done in Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.’?'
24But He said, 'Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown.
25But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a severe famine came over all the land;
26and yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.
27And there were many with leprosy in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.'
28And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things;
29and they got up and drove Him out of the city, and brought Him to the crest of the hill on which their city had been built, so that they could throw Him down from the cliff.
30But He passed through their midst and went on His way.
31And He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee; and He was teaching them on the Sabbath;
32and they were amazed at His teaching, because His message was delivered with authority.
33In the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice,
34Leave us alone! What business do You have with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!'
35But Jesus rebuked him, saying, 'Be quiet and come out of him!' And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst of the people, it came out of him without doing him any harm.
36And amazement came upon them all, and they began talking with one another, saying, 'What is this message? For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!'
37And the news about Him was spreading into every locality of the surrounding region.
38Then He got up and left the synagogue, and entered Simon’s home. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Him to help her.
39And standing over her, He rebuked the fever, and it left her; and she immediately got up and served them.
40Now while the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He was laying His hands on each one of them and healing them.
41Demons also were coming out of many, shouting, 'You are the Son of God!' And yet He was rebuking them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that He was the Christ.
42Now when day came, Jesus left and went to a secluded place; and the crowds were searching for Him, and they came to Him and tried to keep Him from leaving them.
43But He said to them, 'I must also preach the kingdom of God to the other cities, because I was sent for this purpose.'
Chapter 5
1Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around Him and listening to the word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret; 2and He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake; but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. 3And He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little distance from the land. And He sat down and continued teaching the crowds from the boat. 4Now when He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, 'Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.' 5Simon responded and said, 'Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.' 6And when they had done this, they caught a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to tear; 7so they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats, to the point that they were sinking. 8But when Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, 'Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!' 9For amazement had seized him and all his companions because of the catch of fish which they had taken; 10and likewise also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, 'Do not fear; from now on you will be catching people.' 11When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.
12While He was in one of the cities, behold, there was a man covered with leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged Him, saying, 'Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.'
13And He reached out with His hand and touched him, saying, 'I am willing; be cleansed.' And immediately the leprosy left him.
14And He ordered him to tell no one, saying, 'But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, just as Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.'
15But the news about Him was spreading even farther, and large crowds were gathering to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses.
16But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.
17One day He was teaching, and there were some Pharisees and teachers of the Law sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea, and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was present for Him to perform healing.
18And some men were carrying a man on a stretcher who was paralyzed; and they were trying to bring him in and to set him down in front of Him.
19But when they did not find any way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles with his stretcher, into the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus.
20And seeing their faith, He said, 'Friend, your sins are forgiven you.'
21The scribes and the Pharisees began thinking of the implications, saying, 'Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, except God alone?'
22But Jesus, aware of their thoughts, responded and said to them, 'Why are you thinking this way in your hearts?
23Which is easier, to say: ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?
24But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,' He said to the man who was paralyzed, 'I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher, and go home.'
25And immediately he got up before them, and picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God.
26And they were all struck with astonishment and began glorifying God. They were also filled with fear, saying, 'We have seen remarkable things today!'
27After that He went out and looked at a tax collector named Levi sitting in the tax office, and He said to him, 'Follow Me.'
28And he left everything behind, and got up and began following Him.
29And Levi gave a big reception for Him in his house; and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and other people who were reclining at the table with them.
30The Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling to His disciples, saying, 'Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?'
31And Jesus answered and said to them, 'It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.
32I have not come to call the righteous to repentance, but sinners.'
33And they said to Him, 'The disciples of John often fast and offer prayers, the disciples of the Pharisees also do the same, but Yours eat and drink.'
34And Jesus said to them, 'You cannot make the attendants of the groom fast while the groom is with them, can you?
35But the days will come; and when the groom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.'
36And He was also telling them a parable: 'No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise he will both tear the new, and the patch from the new garment will not match the old.
37And no one pours new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined.
38But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.
39And no one, after drinking old wine wants new; for he says, ‘The old is fine.’?'
Chapter 6
1Now it happened that Jesus was passing through some grainfields on a Sabbath, and His disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them. 2But some of the Pharisees said, 'Why are you doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?' 3And Jesus, answering them, said, 'Have you not even read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him, 4how he entered the house of God, and took and ate the consecrated bread, which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests alone, and gave it to his companions?' 5And He was saying to them, 'The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.'
6On another Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught; and a man was there whose right hand was withered.
7Now the scribes and the Pharisees were watching Him closely to see if He healed on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse Him.
8But He knew what they were thinking, and He said to the man with the withered hand, 'Get up and come forward!' And he got up and came forward.
9And Jesus said to them, 'I ask you whether it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do harm, to save a life or to destroy it?'
10And after looking around at them all, He said to him, 'Stretch out your hand!' And he did so; and his hand was restored.
11But they themselves were filled with senseless rage, and began discussing together what they might do to Jesus.
12Now it was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer with God.
13And when day came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles:
14Simon, whom He also named Peter, and his brother Andrew; and James and John; and Philip and Bartholomew;
15and Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot;
16Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
17And then Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place; and there was a large crowd of His disciples, and a great multitude of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon,
18who had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled by unclean spirits were being cured.
19And all the people were trying to touch Him, because power was coming from Him and healing them all.
20And He raised His eyes toward His disciples and began saying, 'Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
21Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
22Blessed are you when the people hate you, and when they exclude you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man.
23Rejoice on that day and jump for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For their fathers used to treat the prophets the same way.
24But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full.
25Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.
26Woe to you when all the people speak well of you; for their fathers used to treat the false prophets the same way.
27But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
28bless those who curse you, pray for those who are abusive to you.
29Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic from him either.
30Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back.
31Treat people the same way you want them to treat you.
32If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
33And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
34And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount.
35But love your enemies and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil people.
36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
37Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned.
38Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.'
39Now He also spoke a parable to them: 'A person who is blind cannot guide another who is blind, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit?
40A student is not above the teacher; but everyone, when he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher.
41Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
42How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.
43For there is no good tree that bears bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree that bears good fruit.
44For each tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush.
45The good person out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil person out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.
46Now why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?
47Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like:
48he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when there was a flood, the river burst against that house and yet it could not shake it, because it had been well built.
49But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation; and the river burst against it and it immediately collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.'
King James Version
Chapter 1
1Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, 2Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; 3It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, 4That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.
5There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.
6And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
7And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
8And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course,
9According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
10And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.
11And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
12And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
13But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
14And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
15For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.
16And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
17And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
18And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.
19And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.
21And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.
22And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.
23And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.
24And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,
25Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.
26And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
27To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
28And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
29And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
30And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
32He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
34Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
35And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
36And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
37For with God nothing shall be impossible.
38And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
39And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;
40And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
41And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
42And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
43And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
45And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
46And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
47And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
48For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
49For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
50And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
51He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
53He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
54He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
55As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
57Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.
58And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.
59And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.
60And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.
61And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.
62And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.
63And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.
64And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.
65And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea.
66And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.
67And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,
68Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
69And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
70As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:
71That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
72To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;
73The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,
74That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,
75In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
76And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
77To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
78Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
79To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Chapter 2
1And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. 2And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 4And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
8And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
18And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
20And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
22And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;
23As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)
24And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.
25And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
26And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
27And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,
28Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,
29Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
30For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
31Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
32A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
33And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.
34And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;
35Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.
36And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;
37And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
38And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
39And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.
40And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.
41Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.
42And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.
43And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it.
44But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.
45And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him.
46And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.
47And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.
48And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.
49And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business
50And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.
51And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.
52And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
Chapter 3
1Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, 2Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. 3And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; 4As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 5Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; 6And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
7Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
9And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
10And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?
11He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.
12Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?
13And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.
14And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.
15And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not;
16John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:
17Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.
18And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people.
19But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,
20Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.
21Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,
22And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
23And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,
24Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph,
25Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge,
26Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda,
27Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri,
28Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er,
29Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi,
30Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim,
31Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David,
32Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson,
33Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda,
34Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor,
35Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala,
36Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech,
37Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan,
38Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.
Chapter 4
1And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. 3And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. 4And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. 5And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. 7If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. 8And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
9And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:
10For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:
12And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
13And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.
16And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
17And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
18The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
20And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
21And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
22And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?
23And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.
24And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.
25But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;
26But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.
27And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.
28And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
29And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.
30But he passing through the midst of them went his way,
31And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days.
32And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.
33And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice,
34Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God.
35And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not.
36And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.
37And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about.
38And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon's house. And Simon's wife's mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her.
39And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them.
40Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.
41And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ.
42And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place: and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them.
43And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.
44And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.
Chapter 5
1And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, 2And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. 3And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. 4Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. 5And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. 6And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. 7And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.
8When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
9For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:
10And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.
11And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.
12And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
13And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.
14And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
15But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities.
16And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.
17And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.
18And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him.
19And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus.
20And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.
21And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?
22But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts
23Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk?
24But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.
25And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.
26And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day.
27And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me.
28And he left all, rose up, and followed him.
29And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.
30But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?
31And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.
32I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
33And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink?
34And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them
35But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.
36And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old.
37And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.
38But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.
39No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.
Chapter 6
1And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands. 2And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days? 3And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungred, and they which were with him; 4How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shewbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone? 5And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
6And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered.
7And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him.
8But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth.
9Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil to save life, or to destroy it
10And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
11And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.
12And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
13And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;
14Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,
15Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes,
16And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.
18And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed.
19And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.
20And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.
21Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.
22Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.
23Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.
24But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.
25Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.
27But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,
28Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
29And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also.
30Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.
31And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
32For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
33And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.
34And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
35But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
36Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
37Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
38Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
39And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind shall they not both fall into the ditch
40The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.
41And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
42Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye.
43For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
44For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.
45A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
46And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
47Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
48He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
49But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.
Christian Standard Bible
Chapter 1
1Many have undertaken to compile a narrative about the events that have been fulfilled among us, 2just as the original eyewitnesses and servants of the word handed them down to us. 3It also seemed good to me, since I have carefully investigated everything from the very first, to write to you in an orderly sequence, most honorable Theophilus, 4so that you may know the certainty of the things about which you have been instructed.
5In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest of Abijah’s division named Zechariah. His wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
6Both were righteous in God’s sight, living without blame according to all the commands and requirements of the Lord.
7But they had no children because Elizabeth could not conceive, and both of them were well along in years.
8When his division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God,
9it happened that he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense.
10At the hour of incense the whole assembly of the people was praying outside.
11An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense.
12When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified and overcome with fear.
13But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John.
14There will be joy and delight for you, and many will rejoice at his birth.
15For he will be great in the sight of the Lord and will never drink wine or beer. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother’s womb.
16He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.
17And he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to make ready for the Lord a prepared people."
19The angel answered him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and tell you this good news.
20Now listen. You will become silent and unable to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time."
21Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah, amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary.
22When he did come out, he could not speak to them. Then they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He was making signs to them and remained speechless.
23When the days of his ministry were completed, he went back home.
24After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived and kept herself in seclusion for five months. She said,
25"The Lord has done this for me. He has looked with favor in these days to take away my disgrace among the people."
26In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,
27to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
28And the angel came to her and said, "Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you."
29But she was deeply troubled by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be.
30Then the angel told her: "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
31Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.
32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.
33He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end."
35The angel replied to her: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
36And consider your relative Elizabeth—even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless.
37For nothing will be impossible with God."
39In those days Mary set out and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah
40where she entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth.
41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped inside her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42Then she exclaimed with a loud cry: "Blessed are you among women, and your child will be blessed!
43How could this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44For you see, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped for joy inside me.
45Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill what he has spoken to her!"
46And Mary said: My soul praises the greatness of the Lord,
47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48because he has looked with favor on the humble condition of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed,
49because the Mighty One has done great things for me, and his name is holy.
50His mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear him.
51He has done a mighty deed with his arm; he has scattered the proud because of the thoughts of their hearts;
52he has toppled the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly.
53He has satisfied the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty.
54He has helped his servant Israel, remembering his mercy
55to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he spoke to our ancestors.
57Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she had a son.
58Then her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her his great mercy, and they rejoiced with her.
59When they came to circumcise the child on the eighth day, they were going to name him Zechariah, after his father.
60But his mother responded, "No. He will be called John."
61Then they said to her, "None of your relatives has that name."
62So they motioned to his father to find out what he wanted him to be called.
63He asked for a writing tablet and wrote: "His name is John." And they were all amazed.
64Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God.
65Fear came on all those who lived around them, and all these things were being talked about throughout the hill country of Judea.
66All who heard about him took it to heart, saying, "What then will this child become?" For, indeed, the Lord’s hand was with him.
68Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and provided redemption for his people.
69He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,
70just as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets in ancient times;
71salvation from our enemies and from the hand of those who hate us.
72He has dealt mercifully with our fathers and remembered his holy covenant —
73the oath that he swore to our father Abraham. He has given us the privilege,
74since we have been rescued from the hand of our enemies, to serve him without fear
75in holiness and righteousness in his presence all our days.
76And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins.
78Because of our God’s merciful compassion, the dawn from on high will visit us
79to shine on those who live in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Chapter 2
1In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole empire should be registered. 2This first registration took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town.
4Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David,
5to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant.
6While they were there, the time came for her to give birth.
7Then she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
8In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock.
9Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
10But the angel said to them, "Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:
11Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord.
12This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger."
16They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger.
17After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child,
18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
19But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them.
20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard, which were just as they had been told.
21When the eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus —the name given by the angel before he was conceived.
22And when the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were finished, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord
23(just as it is written in the law of the Lord,Every firstborn male will be dedicated to the Lord )
24and to offer a sacrifice (according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons ).
25There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking forward to Israel’s consolation, and the Holy Spirit was on him.
26It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he saw the Lord’s Messiah.
27Guided by the Spirit, he entered the temple. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform for him what was customary under the law,
28Simeon took him up in his arms, praised God, and said,
29Now, Master, you can dismiss your servant in peace, as you promised.
30For my eyes have seen your salvation.
31You have prepared it in the presence of all peoples—
32a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory to your people Israel.
33His father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him.
34Then Simeon blessed them and told his mother Mary: "Indeed, this child is destined to cause the fall and rise of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be opposed —
35and a sword will pierce your own soul—that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."
36There was also a prophetess, Anna, a daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well along in years, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage,
37and was a widow for eighty-four years. She did not leave the temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayers.
38At that very moment, she came up and began to thank God and to speak about him to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
39When they had completed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.
40The boy grew up and became strong, filled with wisdom, and God’s grace was on him.
41Every year his parents traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival.
42When he was twelve years old, they went up according to the custom of the festival.
43After those days were over, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it.
44Assuming he was in the traveling party, they went a day’s journey. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends.
45When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him.
46After three days, they found him in the temple sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.
47And all those who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers.
48When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you."
49"Why were you searching for me?" he asked them. "Didn’t you know that it was necessary for me to be in my Father’s house?"
50But they did not understand what he said to them.
51Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them. His mother kept all these things in her heart.
52And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with people.
Chapter 3
1In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, God’s word came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3He went into all the vicinity of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,
4as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight!
5 Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be made low; the crooked will become straight, the rough ways smooth,
6 and everyone will see the salvation of God.
7He then said to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
8Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance. And don’t start saying to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones.
9The ax is already at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire."
15Now the people were waiting expectantly, and all of them were questioning in their hearts whether John might be the Messiah.
16John answered them all, "I baptize you with water, but one who is more powerful than I am is coming. I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
17His winnowing shovel is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with fire that never goes out."
18Then, along with many other exhortations, he proclaimed good news to the people.
19But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the evil things he had done,
20Herod added this to everything else—he locked up John in prison.
21When all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized. As he was praying, heaven opened,
22and the Holy Spirit descended on him in a physical appearance like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased."
Chapter 4
1Then Jesus left the Jordan, full of the Holy Spirit, and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2for forty days to be tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over, he was hungry. 3The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread."
5So he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6The devil said to him, "I will give you their splendor and all this authority, because it has been given over to me, and I can give it to anyone I want.
7If you, then, will worship me, all will be yours."
10For it is written: He will give his angels orders concerning you, to protect you,
11and they will support you with their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone."
14Then Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread throughout the entire vicinity.
15He was teaching in their synagogues, being praised by everyone.
16He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. As usual, he entered the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read.
17The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him, and unrolling the scroll, he found the place where it was written:
18 The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
20He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. And the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him.
21He began by saying to them, "Today as you listen, this Scripture has been fulfilled."
24He also said, "Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in his hometown.
25But I say to you, there were certainly many widows in Israel in Elijah’s days, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months while a great famine came over all the land.
26Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them except a widow at Zarephath in Sidon.
27And in the prophet Elisha’s time, there were many in Israel who had leprosy, and yet not one of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian."
28When they heard this, everyone in the synagogue was enraged.
29They got up, drove him out of town, and brought him to the edge of the hill that their town was built on, intending to hurl him over the cliff.
30But he passed right through the crowd and went on his way.
31Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbath.
32They were astonished at his teaching because his message had authority.
33In the synagogue there was a man with an unclean demonic spirit who cried out with a loud voice,
34"Leave us alone! What do you have to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!"
36Amazement came over them all, and they were saying to one another, "What is this message? For he commands the unclean spirits with authority and power, and they come out!"
37And news about him began to go out to every place in the vicinity.
38After he left the synagogue, he entered Simon’s house. Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked him about her.
39So he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up immediately and began to serve them.
40When the sun was setting, all those who had anyone sick with various diseases brought them to him. As he laid his hands on each one of them, he healed them.
41Also, demons were coming out of many, shouting and saying, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ.
42When it was day, he went out and made his way to a deserted place. But the crowds were searching for him. They came to him and tried to keep him from leaving them.
43But he said to them, "It is necessary for me to proclaim the good news about the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because I was sent for this purpose."
44And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
Chapter 5
1As the crowd was pressing in on Jesus to hear God’s word, he was standing by Lake Gennesaret. 2He saw two boats at the edge of the lake; the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. 3He got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the land. Then he sat down and was teaching the crowds from the boat.
6When they did this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets began to tear.
7So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them; they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
8When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’s knees and said, "Go away from me, because I’m a sinful man, Lord!"
9For he and all those with him were amazed at the catch of fish they had taken,
10and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons, who were Simon’s partners. "Don’t be afraid," Jesus told Simon. "From now on you will be catching people."
11Then they brought the boats to land, left everything, and followed him.
13Reaching out his hand, Jesus touched him, saying, "I am willing; be made clean," and immediately the leprosy left him.
14Then he ordered him to tell no one: "But go and show yourself to the priest, and offer what Moses commanded for your cleansing as a testimony to them."
15But the news about him spread even more, and large crowds would come together to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses.
16Yet he often withdrew to deserted places and prayed.
17On one of those days while he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea, and also from Jerusalem. And the Lord’s power to heal was in him.
18Just then some men came, carrying on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed. They tried to bring him in and set him down before him.
19Since they could not find a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the stretcher through the roof tiles into the middle of the crowd before Jesus.
22But perceiving their thoughts, Jesus replied to them, "Why are you thinking this in your hearts?
23Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?
24But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" —he told the paralyzed man, "I tell you: Get up, take your stretcher, and go home."
25Immediately he got up before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God.
26Then everyone was astounded, and they were giving glory to God. And they were filled with awe and said, "We have seen incredible things today."
27After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, "Follow me."
28So, leaving everything behind, he got up and began to follow him.
29Then Levi hosted a grand banquet for him at his house. Now there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others who were guests with them.
30But the Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to his disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"
31Jesus replied to them, "It is not those who are healthy who need a doctor, but those who are sick.
32I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
34Jesus said to them, "You can’t make the wedding guests fast while the groom is with them, can you?
35But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them—then they will fast in those days."
36He also told them a parable: "No one tears a patch from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. Otherwise, not only will he tear the new, but also the piece from the new garment will not match the old.
37And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, it will spill, and the skins will be ruined.
38No, new wine is put into fresh wineskins.
39And no one, after drinking old wine, wants new, because he says, ‘The old is better.’"
Chapter 6
1On a Sabbath, he passed through the grainfields. His disciples were picking heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them. 2But some of the Pharisees said, "Why are you doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?"
3Jesus answered them, "Haven’t you read what David and those who were with him did when he was hungry—
4how he entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat? He even gave some to those who were with him."
5Then he told them, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."
6On another Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. A man was there whose right hand was shriveled.
7The scribes and Pharisees were watching him closely, to see if he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they could find a charge against him.
8But he knew their thoughts and told the man with the shriveled hand, "Get up and stand here." So he got up and stood there.
9Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you: Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?"
10After looking around at them all, he told him, "Stretch out your hand." He did, and his hand was restored.
11They, however, were filled with rage and started discussing with one another what they might do to Jesus.
12During those days he went out to the mountain to pray and spent all night in prayer to God.
13When daylight came, he summoned his disciples, and he chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles:
14Simon, whom he also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew;
15Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot;
16Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
17After coming down with them, he stood on a level place with a large crowd of his disciples and a great number of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon.
18They came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those tormented by unclean spirits were made well.
19The whole crowd was trying to touch him, because power was coming out from him and healing them all.
20Then looking up at his disciples, he said: Blessed are you who are poor, because the kingdom of God is yours.
21 Blessed are you who are now hungry, because you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, because you will laugh.
22 Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you, insult you, and slander your name as evil because of the Son of Man.
24 But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your comfort.
25 Woe to you who are now full, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who are now laughing, for you will mourn and weep.
26 Woe to you when all people speak well of you, for this is the way their ancestors used to treat the false prophets.
27"But I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you,
28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
29If anyone hits you on the cheek, offer the other also. And if anyone takes away your coat, don’t hold back your shirt either.
30Give to everyone who asks you, and from someone who takes your things, don’t ask for them back.
31Just as you want others to do for you, do the same for them.
32If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.
33If you do what is good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.
34And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners to be repaid in full.
35But love your enemies, do what is good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High. For he is gracious to the ungrateful and evil.
36Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
37"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
38Give, and it will be given to you; a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over—will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you."
39He also told them a parable: "Can the blind guide the blind? Won’t they both fall into a pit?
40A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.
41"Why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye, but don’t notice the beam of wood in your own eye?
42Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the splinter that is in your eye,’ when you yourself don’t see the beam of wood in your eye? Hypocrite! First take the beam of wood out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the splinter in your brother’s eye.
43"A good tree doesn’t produce bad fruit; on the other hand, a bad tree doesn’t produce good fruit.
44For each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs aren’t gathered from thornbushes, or grapes picked from a bramble bush.
45A good person produces good out of the good stored up in his heart. An evil person produces evil out of the evil stored up in his heart, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.
46"Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things I say?
47I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them:
48He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. When the flood came, the river crashed against that house and couldn’t shake it, because it was well built.
49But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The river crashed against it, and immediately it collapsed. And the destruction of that house was great."
New Living Translation
Chapter 1
1Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us. 2They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples. 3Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write an accurate account for you, most honorable Theophilus, 4so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught.
5When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron.
6Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations.
7They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old.
8One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on duty that week.
9As was the custom of the priests, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense.
10While the incense was being burned, a great crowd stood outside, praying.
11While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar.
12Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him.
13But the angel said, 'Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John.
14You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth,
15for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth.
16And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God.
17He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.'
19Then the angel said, 'I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news!
20But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.'
21Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah to come out of the sanctuary, wondering why he was taking so long.
22When he finally did come out, he couldn’t speak to them. Then they realized from his gestures and his silence that he must have seen a vision in the sanctuary.
23When Zechariah’s week of service in the Temple was over, he returned home.
24Soon afterward his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and went into seclusion for five months.
25How kind the Lord is!' she exclaimed. 'He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.'
26In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee,
27to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David.
28Gabriel appeared to her and said, 'Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you! '
29Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean.
30Don’t be afraid, Mary,' the angel told her, 'for you have found favor with God!
31You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.
32He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David.
33And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!'
35The angel replied, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.
36What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month.
37For the word of God will never fail. '
39A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town
40where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth.
41At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, 'God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed.
43Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me?
44When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy.
45You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.'
46Mary responded, 'Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.
47How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
48For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
49For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me.
50He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him.
51His mighty arm has done tremendous things! He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
52He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble.
53He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands.
54He has helped his servant Israel and remembered to be merciful.
55For he made this promise to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children forever.'
57When it was time for Elizabeth’s baby to be born, she gave birth to a son.
58And when her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had been very merciful to her, everyone rejoiced with her.
59When the baby was eight days old, they all came for the circumcision ceremony. They wanted to name him Zechariah, after his father.
60But Elizabeth said, 'No! His name is John!'
61What?' they exclaimed. 'There is no one in all your family by that name.'
62So they used gestures to ask the baby’s father what he wanted to name him.
63He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, 'His name is John.'
64Instantly Zechariah could speak again, and he began praising God.
65Awe fell upon the whole neighborhood, and the news of what had happened spread throughout the Judean hills.
66Everyone who heard about it reflected on these events and asked, 'What will this child turn out to be?' For the hand of the Lord was surely upon him in a special way.
68'Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people.
69He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David,
70just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago.
71Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us.
72He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant —
73the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham.
74We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear,
75in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live.
76'And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord.
77You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins.
78Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,
79to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.'
Chapter 2
1At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2(This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 4And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.
6And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born.
7She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.
8That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.
9Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified,
10but the angel reassured them. 'Don’t be afraid!' he said. 'I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.
11The Savior — yes, the Messiah, the Lord — has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!
12And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.'
16They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.
17After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.
18All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished,
19but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.
20The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.
22Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.
23The law of the Lord says, 'If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord.'
24So they offered the sacrifice required in the law of the Lord — 'either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.'
25At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him
26and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.
27That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required,
28Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,
29'Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised.
30I have seen your salvation,
31which you have prepared for all people.
32He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!'
33Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him.
34Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, 'This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him.
35As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.'
36Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years.
37Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer.
38She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.
39When Jesus’ parents had fulfilled all the requirements of the law of the Lord, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee.
40There the child grew up healthy and strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was on him.
41Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival.
42When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual.
43After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t miss him at first,
44because they assumed he was among the other travelers. But when he didn’t show up that evening, they started looking for him among their relatives and friends.
45When they couldn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there.
46Three days later they finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions.
47All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.
49But why did you need to search?' he asked. 'Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?'
50But they didn’t understand what he meant.
Chapter 3
1It was now the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius, the Roman emperor. Pontius Pilate was governor over Judea; Herod Antipas was ruler over Galilee; his brother Philip was ruler over Iturea and Traconitis; Lysanias was ruler over Abilene. 2Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests. At this time a message from God came to John son of Zechariah, who was living in the wilderness. 3Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven.
4Isaiah had spoken of John when he said, 'He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him!
5The valleys will be filled, and the mountains and hills made level. The curves will be straightened, and the rough places made smooth.
6And then all people will see the salvation sent from God.’'
7When the crowds came to John for baptism, he said, 'You brood of snakes! Who warned you to flee the coming wrath?
8Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones.
9Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.'
15Everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon, and they were eager to know whether John might be the Messiah.
16John answered their questions by saying, 'I baptize you with water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am — so much greater that I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
17He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.'
18John used many such warnings as he announced the Good News to the people.
19John also publicly criticized Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, for marrying Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for many other wrongs he had done.
20So Herod put John in prison, adding this sin to his many others.
21One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens opened,
22and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, 'You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy. '
23Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his public ministry. Jesus was known as the son of Joseph. Joseph was the son of Heli.
24Heli was the son of Matthat. Matthat was the son of Levi. Levi was the son of Melki. Melki was the son of Jannai. Jannai was the son of Joseph.
25Joseph was the son of Mattathias. Mattathias was the son of Amos. Amos was the son of Nahum. Nahum was the son of Esli. Esli was the son of Naggai.
26Naggai was the son of Maath. Maath was the son of Mattathias. Mattathias was the son of Semein. Semein was the son of Josech. Josech was the son of Joda.
27Joda was the son of Joanan. Joanan was the son of Rhesa. Rhesa was the son of Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel was the son of Shealtiel. Shealtiel was the son of Neri.
28Neri was the son of Melki. Melki was the son of Addi. Addi was the son of Cosam. Cosam was the son of Elmadam. Elmadam was the son of Er.
29Er was the son of Joshua. Joshua was the son of Eliezer. Eliezer was the son of Jorim. Jorim was the son of Matthat. Matthat was the son of Levi.
30Levi was the son of Simeon. Simeon was the son of Judah. Judah was the son of Joseph. Joseph was the son of Jonam. Jonam was the son of Eliakim.
31Eliakim was the son of Melea. Melea was the son of Menna. Menna was the son of Mattatha. Mattatha was the son of Nathan. Nathan was the son of David.
32David was the son of Jesse. Jesse was the son of Obed. Obed was the son of Boaz. Boaz was the son of Salmon. Salmon was the son of Nahshon.
33Nahshon was the son of Amminadab. Amminadab was the son of Admin. Admin was the son of Arni. Arni was the son of Hezron. Hezron was the son of Perez. Perez was the son of Judah.
34Judah was the son of Jacob. Jacob was the son of Isaac. Isaac was the son of Abraham. Abraham was the son of Terah. Terah was the son of Nahor.
35Nahor was the son of Serug. Serug was the son of Reu. Reu was the son of Peleg. Peleg was the son of Eber. Eber was the son of Shelah.
36Shelah was the son of Cainan. Cainan was the son of Arphaxad. Arphaxad was the son of Shem. Shem was the son of Noah. Noah was the son of Lamech.
37Lamech was the son of Methuselah. Methuselah was the son of Enoch. Enoch was the son of Jared. Jared was the son of Mahalalel. Mahalalel was the son of Kenan.
38Kenan was the son of Enosh. Enosh was the son of Seth. Seth was the son of Adam. Adam was the son of God.
Chapter 4
1Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, 2where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry.
3Then the devil said to him, 'If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.'
5Then the devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them,' the devil said, 'because they are mine to give to anyone I please.
7I will give it all to you if you will worship me.'
10For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect and guard you.
11And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’ '
14Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. Reports about him spread quickly through the whole region.
15He taught regularly in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.
16When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures.
17The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written:
18'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free,
19and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come. '
20He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently.
21Then he began to speak to them. 'The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!'
23Then he said, 'You will undoubtedly quote me this proverb: ‘Physician, heal yourself’ — meaning, ‘Do miracles here in your hometown like those you did in Capernaum.’
24But I tell you the truth, no prophet is accepted in his own hometown.
25Certainly there were many needy widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the heavens were closed for three and a half years, and a severe famine devastated the land.
26Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them. He was sent instead to a foreigner — a widow of Zarephath in the land of Sidon.
27And many in Israel had leprosy in the time of the prophet Elisha, but the only one healed was Naaman, a Syrian.'
28When they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious.
29Jumping up, they mobbed him and forced him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They intended to push him over the cliff,
30but he passed right through the crowd and went on his way.
31Then Jesus went to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and taught there in the synagogue every Sabbath day.
32There, too, the people were amazed at his teaching, for he spoke with authority.
33Once when he was in the synagogue, a man possessed by a demon — an evil spirit — cried out, shouting,
34Go away! Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are — the Holy One of God!'
36Amazed, the people exclaimed, 'What authority and power this man’s words possess! Even evil spirits obey him, and they flee at his command!'
37The news about Jesus spread through every village in the entire region.
38After leaving the synagogue that day, Jesus went to Simon’s home, where he found Simon’s mother-in-law very sick with a high fever. 'Please heal her,' everyone begged.
39Standing at her bedside, he rebuked the fever, and it left her. And she got up at once and prepared a meal for them.
40As the sun went down that evening, people throughout the village brought sick family members to Jesus. No matter what their diseases were, the touch of his hand healed every one.
41Many were possessed by demons; and the demons came out at his command, shouting, 'You are the Son of God!' But because they knew he was the Messiah, he rebuked them and refused to let them speak.
42Early the next morning Jesus went out to an isolated place. The crowds searched everywhere for him, and when they finally found him, they begged him not to leave them.
43But he replied, 'I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other towns, too, because that is why I was sent.'
44So he continued to travel around, preaching in synagogues throughout Judea.
Chapter 5
1One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. 2He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. 3Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there.
5Master,' Simon replied, 'we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.'
6And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear!
7A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.
8When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, 'Oh, Lord, please leave me — I’m such a sinful man.'
9For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him.
10His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. Jesus replied to Simon, 'Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!'
11And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.
13Jesus reached out and touched him. 'I am willing,' he said. 'Be healed!' And instantly the leprosy disappeared.
14Then Jesus instructed him not to tell anyone what had happened. He said, 'Go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.'
15But despite Jesus’ instructions, the report of his power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases.
16But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.
18Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to take him inside to Jesus,
19but they couldn’t reach him because of the crowd. So they went up to the roof and took off some tiles. Then they lowered the sick man on his mat down into the crowd, right in front of Jesus.
20Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, 'Young man, your sins are forgiven.'
22Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, 'Why do you question this in your hearts?
23Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’?
24So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.' Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, 'Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!'
25And immediately, as everyone watched, the man jumped up, picked up his mat, and went home praising God.
26Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, 'We have seen amazing things today!'
27Later, as Jesus left the town, he saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax collector’s booth. 'Follow me and be my disciple,' Jesus said to him.
28So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him.
29Later, Levi held a banquet in his home with Jesus as the guest of honor. Many of Levi’s fellow tax collectors and other guests also ate with them.
30But the Pharisees and their teachers of religious law complained bitterly to Jesus’ disciples, 'Why do you eat and drink with such scum? '
31Jesus answered them, 'Healthy people don’t need a doctor — sick people do.
32I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.'
34Jesus responded, 'Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not.
35But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.'
37And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the new wine would burst the wineskins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins.
38New wine must be stored in new wineskins.
39But no one who drinks the old wine seems to want the new wine. ‘The old is just fine,’ they say.'
Chapter 6
1One Sabbath day as Jesus was walking through some grainfields, his disciples broke off heads of grain, rubbed off the husks in their hands, and ate the grain. 2But some Pharisees said, 'Why are you breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath?'
3Jesus replied, 'Haven’t you read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry?
4He went into the house of God and broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests can eat. He also gave some to his companions.'
5And Jesus added, 'The Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath.'
6On another Sabbath day, a man with a deformed right hand was in the synagogue while Jesus was teaching.
7The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees watched Jesus closely. If he healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath.
8But Jesus knew their thoughts. He said to the man with the deformed hand, 'Come and stand in front of everyone.' So the man came forward.
9Then Jesus said to his critics, 'I have a question for you. Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?'
10He looked around at them one by one and then said to the man, 'Hold out your hand.' So the man held out his hand, and it was restored!
11At this, the enemies of Jesus were wild with rage and began to discuss what to do with him.
12One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night.
13At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles. Here are their names:
14Simon (whom he named Peter), Andrew (Peter’s brother), James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,
15Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon (who was called the zealot),
16Judas (son of James), Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him).
17When they came down from the mountain, the disciples stood with Jesus on a large, level area, surrounded by many of his followers and by the crowds. There were people from all over Judea and from Jerusalem and from as far north as the seacoasts of Tyre and Sidon.
18They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those troubled by evil spirits were healed.
19Everyone tried to touch him, because healing power went out from him, and he healed everyone.
20Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said, 'God blesses you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours.
21God blesses you who are hungry now, for you will be satisfied. God blesses you who weep now, for in due time you will laugh.
22What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man.
23When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, their ancestors treated the ancient prophets that same way.
24'What sorrow awaits you who are rich, for you have your only happiness now.
25What sorrow awaits you who are fat and prosperous now, for a time of awful hunger awaits you. What sorrow awaits you who laugh now, for your laughing will turn to mourning and sorrow.
26What sorrow awaits you who are praised by the crowds, for their ancestors also praised false prophets.
27But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you.
28Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.
29If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also.
30Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back.
31Do to others as you would like them to do to you.
32If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them!
33And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much!
34And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return.
35Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked.
36You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.
37Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven.
38Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full — pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back. '
39Then Jesus gave the following illustration: 'Can one blind person lead another? Won’t they both fall into a ditch?
40Students are not greater than their teacher. But the student who is fully trained will become like the teacher.
41And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?
42How can you think of saying, ‘Friend, let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.
43A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit.
44A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes.
45A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.
46So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?
47I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it.
48It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built.
49But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house right on the ground, without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.'
English Standard Version
Chapter 1
1Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.
5In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
6And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.
7But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.
8Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty,
9according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
10And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.
11And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
12And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.
13But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
14And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth,
15for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother 's womb.
16And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God,
17and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared."
18And Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years."
19And the angel answered him, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.
20And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time."
21And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple.
22And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute.
23And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.
24After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying,
25"Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people."
26In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
27to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin 's name was Mary.
28And he came to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!"
29But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.
30And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
31And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.
32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,
33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."
35And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy — the Son of God.
36And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.
37For nothing will be impossible with God."
38And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
39In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah,
40and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
41And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit,
42and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
43And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.
45And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord."
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
50And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate;
53he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.
54He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,
55 as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever."
56And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.
57Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son.
58And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.
59And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father,
60but his mother answered, "No; he shall be called John."
61And they said to her, "None of your relatives is called by this name."
62And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called.
63And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." And they all wondered.
64And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God.
65And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea,
66and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, "What then will this child be?" For the hand of the Lord was with him.
68 "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people
69and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,
70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71 that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us;
72 to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
74that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear,
75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
76And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins,
78because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
79to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."
80And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
Chapter 2
1In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
8And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.
10And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
12And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger."
13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"
15When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us."
16And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.
17And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.
18And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.
19But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.
20And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
22And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord
23(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord")
24and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons."
25Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
26And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord 's Christ.
27And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law,
28he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
29"Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word;
30for my eyes have seen your salvation
31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel."
33And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him.
34And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed
35(and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed."
36And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin,
37and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.
38And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
39And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.
40And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.
41Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.
42And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom.
43And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it,
44but supposing him to be in the group they went a day 's journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances,
45and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him.
46After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.
47And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.
48And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress."
49And he said to them, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father 's house?"
50And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them.
51And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.
Chapter 3
1In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways,
6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’"
7He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.
9Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."
10And the crowds asked him, "What then shall we do?"
11And he answered them, "Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise."
12Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?"
13And he said to them, "Collect no more than you are authorized to do."
14Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages."
15As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ,
16John answered them all, saying, "I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
17His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."
18So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people.
19But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother 's wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done,
20added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison.
21Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened,
22and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."
23Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli,
24the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,
25the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai,
26the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda,
27the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,
28the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,
29the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,
30the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,
31the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,
32the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon,
33the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,
34the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,
35the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah,
36the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,
37the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan,
38the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
Chapter 4
1And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. 3The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread." 4And Jesus answered him, "It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’" 5And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6and said to him, "To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours." 8And Jesus answered him, "It is written, "‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’"
9And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here,
10for it is written, "‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’
12And Jesus answered him, "It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’"
13And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.
14And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country.
15And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.
16And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read.
17And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord 's favor."
20And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.
21And he began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."
22And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, "Is not this Joseph 's son?"
23And he said to them, "Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘"Physician, heal yourself." What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.’"
24And he said, "Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown.
25But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land,
26and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.
27And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian."
28When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath.
29And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff.
30But passing through their midst, he went away.
31And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath,
32and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority.
33And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice,
34"Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are — the Holy One of God."
35But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent and come out of him!" And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm.
36And they were all amazed and said to one another, "What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!"
37And reports about him went out into every place in the surrounding region.
38And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon 's house. Now Simon 's mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf.
39And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them.
40Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them.
41And demons also came out of many, crying, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.
42And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them,
43but he said to them, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose."
44And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
Chapter 5
1On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, 2and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon 's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." 5And Simon answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets." 6And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. 7They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus ' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." 9For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." 11And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.
12While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean."
13And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, "I will; be clean." And immediately the leprosy left him.
14And he charged him to tell no one, but "go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to them."
15But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities.
16But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.
17On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal.
18And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus,
19but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus.
20And when he saw their faith, he said, "Man, your sins are forgiven you."
21And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, "Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
22When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, "Why do you question in your hearts?
23Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?
24But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" — he said to the man who was paralyzed — "I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home."
25And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God.
26And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, "We have seen extraordinary things today."
27After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, "Follow me."
28And leaving everything, he rose and followed him.
29And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them.
30And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"
31And Jesus answered them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
32I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."
33And they said to him, "The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink."
34And Jesus said to them, "Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?
35The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days."
36He also told them a parable: "No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. If he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old.
37And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, 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.
39And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’"
Chapter 6
1On a Sabbath, while he was going through the grainfields, his disciples plucked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands. 2But some of the Pharisees said, "Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?" 3And Jesus answered them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4how he entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those with him?" 5And he said to them, "The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath."
6On another Sabbath, he entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered.
7And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse him.
8But he knew their thoughts, and he said to the man with the withered hand, "Come and stand here." And he rose and stood there.
9And Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?"
10And after looking around at them all he said to him, "Stretch out your hand." And he did so, and his hand was restored.
11But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.
12In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.
13And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles:
14Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew,
15and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot,
16and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
17And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon,
18who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured.
19And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.
22"Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man!
23Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.
27"But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
28bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.
29To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either.
30Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back.
31And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.
32"If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
33And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
34And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount.
35But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.
36Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
37"Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;
38give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you."
39He also told them a parable: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?
40A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.
41Why do you see the speck that is in your brother 's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
42How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother 's eye.
43"For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit,
44for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush.
45The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
46"Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?
47Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like:
48he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.
49But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great."
New International Version
Chapter 1
1Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, 2just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.
5In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron.
6Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly.
7But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.
8Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God,
9he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
10And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.
11Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.
12When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.
13But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.
14He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,
15for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born.
16He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.
17And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
19The angel said to him, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.
20And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time."
21Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple.
22When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.
23When his time of service was completed, he returned home.
24After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion.
25"The Lord has done this for me," she said. "In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people."
26In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,
27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
28The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
30But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.
31You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.
32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,
33and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end."
35The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
36Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month.
37For no word from God will ever fail."
39At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea,
40where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth.
41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!
43But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.
45Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!"
46And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord
47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name.
50His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.
51He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.
53He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.
54He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful
55to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors."
57When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son.
58Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.
59On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah,
60but his mother spoke up and said, "No! He is to be called John."
62Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child.
63He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, "His name is John."
64Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God.
65All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things.
66Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, "What then is this child going to be?" For the Lord’s hand was with him.
68"Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them.
69He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David
70(as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
71salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us—
72to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant,
73the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
74to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear
75in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
76And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
77to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,
78because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
79to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace."
Chapter 2
1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to their own town to register.
4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.
5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.
6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,
7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.
9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.
11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.
12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.
17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,
18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
22When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord
23(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord" ),
24and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons."
25Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him.
26It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.
27Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,
28Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
29"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
30For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel."
33The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him.
34Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against,
35so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."
36There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage,
37and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.
38Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
39When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.
40And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.
41Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover.
42When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom.
43After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it.
44Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends.
45When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him.
46After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.
47Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.
48When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you."
49"Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?"
50But they did not understand what he was saying to them.
51Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.
52And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.
Chapter 3
1In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— 2during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
4As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: "A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.
5Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth.
6And all people will see God’s salvation.’ "
7John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
8Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
9The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire."
15The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah.
16John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
17His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
18And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.
19But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of his marriage to Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done,
20Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.
21When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened
22and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."
27the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,
37the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Kenan,
Chapter 4
1Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.
5The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.
6And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to.
7If you worship me, it will all be yours."
10For it is written: " ‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully;
11they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’ "
14Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.
15He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.
16He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read,
17and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor."
20Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him.
21He began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."
24"Truly I tell you," he continued, "no prophet is accepted in his hometown.
25I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land.
26Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon.
27And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian."
28All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this.
29They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff.
30But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.
31Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath he taught the people.
32They were amazed at his teaching, because his words had authority.
33In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an impure spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice,
34"Go away! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!"
36All the people were amazed and said to each other, "What words these are! With authority and power he gives orders to impure spirits and they come out!"
37And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.
38Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her.
39So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.
40At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them.
41Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah.
42At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them.
43But he said, "I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent."
44And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
Chapter 5
1One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
6When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.
7So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
8When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!"
9For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken,
10and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people."
11So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
15Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses.
16But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
17One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick.
18Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus.
19When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.
22Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, "Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?
23Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?
24But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." So he said to the paralyzed man, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home."
25Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God.
26Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, "We have seen remarkable things today."
27After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. "Follow me," Jesus said to him,
28and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.
29Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them.
30But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"
31Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.
32I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
34Jesus answered, "Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them?
35But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast."
36He told them this parable: "No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old.
37And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined.
38No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins.
39And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’ "
Chapter 6
1One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels. 2Some of the Pharisees asked, "Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?"
3Jesus answered them, "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?
4He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions."
5Then Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."
6On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled.
7The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath.
8But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Get up and stand in front of everyone." So he got up and stood there.
10He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He did so, and his hand was completely restored.
11But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.
12One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.
13When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:
14Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,
15Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot,
16Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
17He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon,
18who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured,
19and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.
20Looking at his disciples, he said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
22 Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.
24 "But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.
25 Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.
26 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.
27"But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
29If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them.
30Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.
31Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.
33And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.
34And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.
35But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
37"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
38Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
39He also told them this parable: "Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit?
40The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.
41"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
42How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
43"No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.
44Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers.
45A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
46"Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?
47As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like.
48They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.
49But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."
New King James Version
Chapter 1
1Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, 2just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, 3it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, 4that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.
5There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
6And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
7But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.
8So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division,
9according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
10And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.
11Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
12And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
13But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
14And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.
15For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.
16And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.
17He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
19And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings.
20But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.”
21And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple.
22But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.
23So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house.
24Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying,
25“Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”
26Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
27to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
28And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”
29But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.
30Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
31And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.
32He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.
33And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
35And the angel answered and said to her, “ The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.
36Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.
37For with God nothing will be impossible.”
39Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah,
40and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.
41And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
43But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
45Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”
46And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord,
47And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
49For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name.
50And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly.
53He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty.
54He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy,
55 As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever.”
57Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son.
58When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her.
59So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias.
60His mother answered and said, “No; he shall be called John.”
61But they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.”
62So they made signs to his father—what he would have him called.
63And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, “His name is John.” So they all marveled.
64Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God.
65Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea.
66And all those who heard them kept them in their hearts, saying, “What kind of child will this be?” And the hand of the Lord was with him.
68“Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited and redeemed His people,
69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of His servant David,
70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, Who have been since the world began,
71That we should be saved from our enemies And from the hand of all who hate us,
72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers And to remember His holy covenant,
73 The oath which He swore to our father Abraham:
74To grant us that we, Being delivered from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear,
75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.
76“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,
77To give knowledge of salvation to His people By the remission of their sins,
78Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;
79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.”
Chapter 2
1And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
4Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,
5to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.
6So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.
7And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
8Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.
10Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.
11For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
12And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
15So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”
16And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.
17Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.
18And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.
20Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
22Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord
23(as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”),
24and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
25And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
26And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
27So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law,
28he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:
29“Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word;
30For my eyes have seen Your salvation
31Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”
33And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him.
34Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against
35(yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
36Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity;
37and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
38And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
39So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth.
40And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.
41His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.
42And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast.
43When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know it;
44but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day’s journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances.
45So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him.
46Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.
47And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.
48So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.”
49And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”
50But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.
51Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart.
52And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
Chapter 3
1Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. 3And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins,
4as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.
5Every valley shall be filled And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough ways smooth;
6And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ”
7Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
9And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
15Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not,
16John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
17His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.”
18And with many other exhortations he preached to the people.
19But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,
20also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison.
21When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.
22And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”
23Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli,
24the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Janna, the son of Joseph,
25the son of Mattathiah, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai,
26the son of Maath, the son of Mattathiah, the son of Semei, the son of Joseph, the son of Judah,
27the son of Joannas, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,
28the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmodam, the son of Er,
29the son of Jose, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,
30the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonan, the son of Eliakim,
31the son of Melea, the son of Menan, the son of Mattathah, the son of Nathan, the son of David,
32the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon,
33the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,
34the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,
35the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah,
36the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,
37the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Cainan,
38the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
Chapter 4
1Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.
5Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.
7Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”
14Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.
15And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.
16So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.
17And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
18“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
19To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
20Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.
21And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
22So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”
23He said to them, “You will surely say this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.’ ”
24Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.
25But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land;
26but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.
27And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”
28So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
29and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff.
30Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.
31Then He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths.
32And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority.
33Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice,
34saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are— the Holy One of God!”
35But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him.
36Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, “What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.”
37And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region.
38Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. But Simon’s wife’s mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her.
39So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them.
42Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them;
43but He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.”
44And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.
Chapter 5
1So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, 2and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. 3Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.
5But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.”
6And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.
7So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.
8When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”
9For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken;
10and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.”
11So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.
13Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately the leprosy left him.
14And He charged him to tell no one, “But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to them, just as Moses commanded.”
15However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities.
16So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.
17Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.
18Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him.
19And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus.
22But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts?
23Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’?
24But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”
25Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.
26And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and 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 He said to him, “Follow Me.”
28So he left all, rose up, and followed Him.
29Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them.
30And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, “Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
31Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
32I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
34And He 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.”
36Then He spoke a parable to them: “No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old.
37And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined.
38But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved.
39And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better.’ ”
Chapter 6
1Now it happened on the second Sabbath after the first that He went through the grainfields. And His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands. 2And some of the Pharisees said to them, “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?”
3But Jesus answering them said, “Have you not even read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:
4how he went into the house of God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?”
5And He said to them, “The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”
6Now it happened on another Sabbath, also, that He entered the synagogue and taught. And a man was there whose right hand was withered.
7So the scribes and Pharisees watched Him closely, whether He would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against Him.
8But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, “Arise and stand here.” And he arose and stood.
9Then Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one thing: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?”
10And when He had looked around at them all, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.
11But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.
12Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
13And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles:
14Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew;
15Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot;
16Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor.
17And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases,
18as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed.
19And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.
20Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said: “Blessed are you poor, For yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are you who hunger now, For you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, For you shall laugh.
22 Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man’s sake.
23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.
24“But woe to you who are rich, For you have received your consolation.
25 Woe to you who are full, For you shall hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, For you shall mourn and weep.
26 Woe to you when all men speak well of you, For so did their fathers to the false prophets.
27“But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
28bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.
29To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.
30Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.
31And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.
32“But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
33And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
34And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.
35But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.
36Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
37“Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
38Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”
39And He spoke a parable to them: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch?
40A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.
41And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?
42Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.
43“For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.
44For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.
45A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
46“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?
47Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:
48He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.
49But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”
