Matthew 5-13
New American Standard Bible
Chapter 5
1Now when Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2And He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,
11Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
14You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;
15nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
16Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
17Do not presume that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill.
18For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter shall pass from the Law, until all is accomplished!
19Therefore, whoever nullifies one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
21You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT MURDER,’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be answerable to the court.’
22But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be answerable to the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘ You good-for-nothing,’ shall be answerable to the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.
23Therefore, if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you,
24leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.
25Come to good terms with your accuser quickly, while you are with him on the way to court, so that your accuser will not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you will not be thrown into prison.
26Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last quadrans.
27You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY’;
28but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
29Now if your right eye is causing you to sin, tear it out and throw it away from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
30And if your right hand is causing you to sin, cut it off and throw it away from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.
31Now it was said, ‘WHOEVER SENDS HIS WIFE AWAY IS TO GIVE HER A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE’;
32but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
33Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘ YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FALSE VOWS, BUT SHALL FULFILL YOUR VOWS TO THE Lord.’
34But I say to you, take no oath at all, neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God,
35nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, nor by Jerusalem, for it is THE CITY OF THE GREAT KING.
36Nor shall you take an oath by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black.
37But make sure your statement is, ‘ Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil origin.
38You have heard that it was said, ‘EYE FOR EYE, and TOOTH FOR TOOTH.’
39But I say to you, do not show opposition against an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other toward him also.
40And if anyone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak also.
41Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two.
42Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.
43You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’
44But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45so that you may prove yourselves to be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
46For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors, do they not do the same?
47And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Even the Gentiles, do they not do the same?
48Therefore you shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
2So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, so that they will be praised by people. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.
3But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4so that your charitable giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
5And when you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they will be seen by people. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.
6But as for you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
7And when you are praying, do not use thoughtless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words.
8So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us this day our daily bread.
12And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. ’
14For if you forgive other people for their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15But if you do not forgive other people, then your Father will not forgive your offenses.
16Now whenever you fast, do not make a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they distort their faces so that they will be noticed by people when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.
17But as for you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
18so that your fasting will not be noticed by people but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
19Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;
21for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22The eye is the lamp of the body; so then, if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.
23But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
25For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing?
26Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they?
27And which of you by worrying can add a single day to his life’s span?
28And why are you worried about clothing? Notice how the lilies of the field grow; they do not labor nor do they spin thread for cloth,
29yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.
30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!
31Do not worry then, saying, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear for clothing?’
32For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you.
Chapter 7
1Do not judge, so that you will not be judged. 2For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3Why 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? 4Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look, the log is in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye!
7Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
8For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
9Or what person is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf of bread, will give him a stone?
10Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he?
11So if you, despite being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
13Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.
14For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
15Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
16You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they?
17So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20So then, you will know them by their fruits.
21Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
22Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’
23And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; LEAVE ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’
24Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts on them, will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.
26And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
27And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and its collapse was great.'
28When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching;
29for He was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
Chapter 8
1When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him. 2And a man with leprosy came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, 'Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.' 3Jesus reached out with His hand and touched him, saying, 'I am willing; be cleansed.' And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4And Jesus *said to him, 'See that you tell no one; but go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.'
5And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, begging Him,
6and saying, 'Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, terribly tormented.'
7Jesus *said to him, 'I will come and heal him.'
8But the centurion replied, 'Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed.
9For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.'
10Now when Jesus heard this, He was amazed and said to those who were following, 'Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.
11And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven;
12but the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
13And Jesus said to the centurion, 'Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed.' And the servant was healed at that very moment.
14When Jesus came into Peter’s home, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick in bed with a fever.
15And He touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she got up and waited on Him.
16Now when evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill.
17This happened so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled: 'HE HIMSELF TOOK OUR ILLNESSES AND CARRIED AWAY OUR DISEASES.'
18Now when Jesus saw a crowd around Him, He gave orders to depart to the other side of the sea.
19Then a scribe came and said to Him, 'Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.'
20And Jesus *said to him, 'The foxes have holes and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.'
21And another of the disciples said to Him, 'Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father.'
22But Jesus *said to him, 'Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.'
23When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him.
24And behold, a violent storm developed on the sea, so that the boat was being covered by the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep.
25And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, 'Save us, Lord; we are perishing!'
26He *said to them, 'Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?' Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm.
27The men were amazed, and said, 'What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?'
28And when He came to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men confronted Him as they were coming out of the tombs. They were so extremely violent that no one could pass by that way.
29And they cried out, saying, 'What business do You have with us, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?'
30Now there was a herd of many pigs feeding at a distance from them.
31And the demons begged Him, saying, 'If You are going to cast us out, send us into the herd of pigs.'
32And He said to them, 'Go!' And they came out and went into the pigs; and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters.
33And the herdsmen ran away, and went to the city and reported everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.
34And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they pleaded with Him to leave their region.
2And they brought to Him a paralyzed man lying on a stretcher. And seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man who was paralyzed, 'Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.'
3And some of the scribes said to themselves, 'This man is blaspheming!'
4And Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, said, 'Why are you thinking evil in your hearts?
5For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?
6But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins'—then He *said to the paralyzed man, 'Get up, pick up your stretcher and go home.'
7And he got up and went home.
8But when the crowds saw this, they were awestruck, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.
10Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and began dining with Jesus and His disciples.
11And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, 'Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?'
12But when Jesus heard this, He said, 'It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.
13Now go and learn what this means: ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, RATHER THAN SACRIFICE,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.'
14Then the disciples of John *came to Him, asking, 'Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?'
15And Jesus said to them, 'The attendants of the groom cannot mourn as long as the groom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the groom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.
16But no one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results.
17Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.'
18While He was saying these things to them, behold, a synagogue official came and bowed down before Him, and said, 'My daughter has just died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will become alive again.'
19Jesus got up from the table and began to accompany him, along with His disciples.
20And behold, a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind Him, and touched the border of His cloak;
21for she was saying to herself, 'If I only touch His cloak, I will get well.'
22But Jesus, turning and seeing her, said, 'Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well.' And at once the woman was made well.
23When Jesus came into the official’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd in noisy disorder,
24He said, 'Leave; for the girl has not died, but is asleep.' And they began laughing at Him.
25But when the crowd had been sent out, He entered and took her by the hand, and the girl got up.
26And this news spread throughout that land.
27As Jesus went on from there, two men who were blind followed Him, crying out, 'Have mercy on us, Son of David!'
28And after He entered the house, the men who were blind came up to Him, and Jesus *said to them, 'Do you believe that I am able to do this?' They *said to Him, 'Yes, Lord.'
29Then He touched their eyes, saying, 'It shall be done for you according to your faith.'
30And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, 'See that no one knows about this!'
31But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout that land.
32And as they were going out, behold, a demon-possessed man who was unable to speak was brought to Him.
33And after the demon was cast out, the man who was previously unable to speak talked; and the crowds were amazed, and were saying, 'Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.'
34But the Pharisees were saying, 'He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.'
36Seeing the crowds, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast, like sheep without a shepherd.
37Then He *said to His disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.
38Therefore, plead with the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.'
2Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew; and James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;
4Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, the one who also betrayed Him.
5These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them, saying, 'Do not go on a road to Gentiles, and do not enter a city of Samaritans;
6but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’
8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.
9Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts,
10or a bag for your journey, or even two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is deserving of his support.
11And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay at his house until you leave that city.
12As you enter the house, give it your greeting.
13If the house is worthy, see that your blessing of peace comes upon it. But if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace.
14And whoever does not receive you nor listen to your words, as you leave that house or city, shake the dust off your feet.
15Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment, than for that city.
16Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be as wary as serpents, and as innocent as doves.
17But be on guard against people, for they will hand you over to the courts and flog you in their synagogues;
18and you will even be brought before governors and kings on My account, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.
19But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given you in that hour.
20For it is not you who are speaking, but it is the Spirit of your Father who is speaking in you.
21Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.
22And you will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.
24A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master.
25It is enough for the disciple that he may become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they insult the members of his household!
26So do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.
27What I tell you in the darkness, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim on the housetops.
28And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
29Are two sparrows not sold for an assarion? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.
30But even the hairs of your head are all counted.
31So do not fear; you are more valuable than a great number of sparrows.
32Therefore, everyone who confesses Me before people, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven.
33But whoever denies Me before people, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.
34Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
35For I came to TURN A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW;
36and A PERSON’S ENEMIES will be the members of his household.
37The one who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and the one who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
38And the one who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
39The one who has found his life will lose it, and the one who has lost his life on My account will find it.
40The one who receives you receives Me, and the one who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.
41The one who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and the one who receives a righteous person in the name of a righteous person shall receive a righteous person’s reward.
42And whoever gives one of these little ones just a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, truly I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.'
2Now while in prison, John heard about the works of Christ, and he sent word by his disciples,
3and said to Him, 'Are You the Coming One, or are we to look for someone else?'
4Jesus answered and said to them, 'Go and report to John what you hear and see:
5those who are BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT and those who limp walk, those with leprosy are cleansed and those who are deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM.
6And blessed is any person who does not take offense at Me.'
7As these disciples of John were going away, Jesus began speaking to the crowds about John: 'What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?
8But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ palaces!
9But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet.
11Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has been treated violently, and violent men take it by force.
13For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.
14And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come.
15The one who has ears to hear, let him hear.
16But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces, who call out to the other children,
17and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a song of mourning, and you did not mourn.’
18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’
19The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a heavy drinker, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ And yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.'
20Then He began to reprimand the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent.
21Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that occurred in you had occurred in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
22Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.
23And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will be brought down to Hades! For if the miracles that occurred in you had occurred in Sodom, it would have remained to this day.
24Nevertheless I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment, than for you.'
25At that time Jesus said, 'I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and have revealed them to infants.
26Yes, Father, for this way was well pleasing in Your sight.
27All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son determines to reveal Him.
28Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
29Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.
30For My yoke is comfortable, and My burden is light.'
Chapter 12
1At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat. 2Now when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, 'Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath!' 3But He said to them, 'Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and his companions— 4how he entered the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests alone? 5Or have you not read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath, and yet are innocent? 6But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here. 7But if you had known what this means: ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, RATHER THAN SACRIFICE,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.
9Departing from there, He went into their synagogue.
10And a man was there whose hand was withered. And they questioned Jesus, asking, 'Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?'—so that they might bring charges against Him.
11But He said to them, 'What man is there among you who has a sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out?
12How much more valuable then is a person than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.'
13Then He *said to the man, 'Stretch out your hand!' He stretched it out, and it was restored to normal, like the other.
14But the Pharisees went out and conspired against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.
15But Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. Many followed Him, and He healed them all,
16and warned them not to tell who He was.
17This happened so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled:
18'BEHOLD, MY SERVANT WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN; MY BELOVED IN WHOM MY SOUL DELIGHTS; I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT UPON HIM, AND HE WILL PROCLAIM JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES.
19HE WILL NOT QUARREL, NOR CRY OUT; NOR WILL ANYONE HEAR HIS VOICE IN THE STREETS.
20A BENT REED HE WILL NOT BREAK off, AND A DIMLY BURNING WICK HE WILL NOT EXTINGUISH, UNTIL HE LEADS JUSTICE TO VICTORY.
21AND IN HIS NAME THE GENTILES WILL HOPE.'
22Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and unable to speak was brought to Jesus, and He healed him so that the man who was unable to speak talked and could see.
23And all the crowds were amazed and were saying, 'This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?'
24But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, 'This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.'
25And knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, 'Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and no city or house divided against itself will stand.
26And if Satan is casting out Satan, he has become divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand?
27And if by Beelzebul I cast out the demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore, they will be your judges.
28But if I cast out the demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
29Or, how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first ties up the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.
31Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven.
32And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.
33Either assume the tree to be good as well as its fruit good, or assume the tree to be bad as well as its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit.
34You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, express any good things? For the mouth speaks from that which fills the heart.
35The good person brings out of his good treasure good things; and the evil person brings out of his evil treasure evil things.
36But I tell you that for every careless word that people speak, they will give an account of it on the day of judgment.
37For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.'
38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, 'Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.'
39But He answered and said to them, 'An evil and adulterous generation craves a sign; and so no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet;
40for just as JONAH WAS IN THE STOMACH OF THE SEA MONSTER FOR THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.
41The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
42The Queen of the South will rise up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.
43Now when the unclean spirit comes out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it.
44Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order.
45Then it goes and brings along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they come in and live there; and the last condition of that person becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.'
46While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him.
47[ Someone said to Him, 'Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak to You.']
48But Jesus replied to the one who was telling Him and said, 'Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?'
49And extending His hand toward His disciples, He said, 'Behold: My mother and My brothers!
50For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother, and sister, and mother.'
Chapter 13
1On that day Jesus had gone out of the house and was sitting by the sea. 2And large crowds gathered to Him, so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach.
3And He told them many things in parables, saying, 'Behold, the sower went out to sow;
4and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up.
5Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and they sprang up immediately, because they had no depth of soil.
6But after the sun rose, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
7Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out.
8But others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times as much.
9The one who has ears, let him hear.'
10And the disciples came up and said to Him, 'Why do You speak to them in parables?'
11And Jesus answered them, 'To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.
12For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.
13Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
16But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.
17For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
18Listen then to the parable of the sower.
19When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one sown with seed beside the road.
20The one sown with seed on the rocky places, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;
21yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution occurs because of the word, immediately he falls away.
22And the one sown with seed among the thorns, this is the one who hears the word, and the anxiety of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
23But the one sown with seed on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces, some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times as much.'
24Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.
25But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and left.
26And when the wheat sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also became evident.
27And the slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’
28And he said to them, ‘ An enemy has done this!’ The slaves *said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’
29But he *said, ‘No; while you are gathering up the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them.
30Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and at the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, 'First gather up the weeds and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.'?’?'
31He presented another parable to them, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a person took and sowed in his field;
32and this is smaller than all the other seeds, but when it is fully grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that THE BIRDS OF THE SKY come and NEST IN ITS BRANCHES.'
36Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, 'Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.'
37And He said, 'The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man,
38and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the weeds are the sons of the evil one;
39and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels.
40So just as the weeds are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age.
41The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness,
42and they will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
43Then THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE FORTH LIKE THE SUN in the kingdom of their Father. The one who has ears, let him hear.
45Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls,
46and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold everything that he had and bought it.
47Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered fish of every kind;
48and when it was filled, they pulled it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away.
49So it will be at the end of the age: the angels will come forth and remove the wicked from among the righteous,
50and they will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51Have you understood all these things?' They *said to Him, 'Yes.'
52And Jesus said to them, 'Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure new things and old.'
53When Jesus had finished these parables, He departed from there.
54And He came to His hometown and began teaching them in their synagogue, with the result that they were astonished, and said, 'Where did this man acquire this wisdom and these miraculous powers?
55Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is His mother not called Mary, and His brothers, James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?
56And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man acquire all these things?'
57And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, 'A prophet is not dishonored except in his hometown and in his own household.'
58And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.
King James Version
Chapter 5
1And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: 2And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, 3Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. 5Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 6Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. 7Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 8Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 9Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. 10Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
13Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
14Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.
15Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
17Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
18For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
19Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
21Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
22But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
23Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee;
24Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
25Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
26Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
27Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
28But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
29And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
30And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
31It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:
32But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
33Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:
34But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:
35Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.
36Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.
37But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
38Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
41And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
42Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
43Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy.
44But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
48Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
2Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
3But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
4That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
5And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
7But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
9After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11Give us this day our daily bread.
12And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
14For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
15But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
16Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
17But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
20But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
22The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
23But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
25Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
26Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
27Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
28And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
29And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
31Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek: ) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Chapter 7
1Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. 6Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
7Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
9Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
10Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
13Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
15Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
24Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not; for it was founded upon a rock.
26And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
28And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
29For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
Chapter 8
1When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. 2And, behold, there came a leper and worshiped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 3And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
5And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,
6And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.
7And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.
8The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
9For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
11And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
12But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
13And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.
14And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever.
15And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.
16When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:
17That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.
18Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side.
19And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
20And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
21And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
22But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.
23And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him,
24And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.
25And his disciples came to him and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.
26And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.
27But the men marveled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!
29And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?
30And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding.
31So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.
32And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.
33And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils.
34And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts.
Chapter 9
1And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city. 2And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. 3And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. 4And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? 5For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? 6But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. 7And he arose, and departed to his house. 8But when the multitudes saw it, they marveled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.
9And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.
10And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.
11And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?
12But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
13But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
14Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?
15And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.
16No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.
17Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.
18While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshiped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.
19And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples.
20And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:
21For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.
22But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.
23And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise,
24He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.
25But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose.
26And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.
27And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us.
28And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.
29Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.
30And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.
31But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country.
32As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil.
33And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marveled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel.
34But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.
36But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
37Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few;
38Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest.
Chapter 10
1And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. 2Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus whose surname was Thaddaeus; 4Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
5These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
6But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
8Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
9Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses,
10Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.
11And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence.
12And when ye come into a house, salute it.
13And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.
14And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.
15Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city.
16Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
17But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
18And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
19But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.
20For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.
21And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
22And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
23But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
24The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.
25It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?
26Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.
27What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.
28And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
29Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
30But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
32Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
33But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
34Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
35For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
36And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
37He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
38And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
39He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
40He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
41He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.
42And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.
2Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,
3And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?
4Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see:
5The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
6And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
7And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
8But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.
9But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.
10For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
11Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
13For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
14And if ye will receive it, this is Elijah, which was for to come.
15He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
16But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows,
17And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.
18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil.
19The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.
20Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not:
21Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
22But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.
23And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
24But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom, in the day of judgment, than for thee.
25At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.
26Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.
27All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
28Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Chapter 12
1At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were hungry, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. 2But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. 3But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was hungry, and they that were with him; 4How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests 5Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless 6But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. 7But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. 8For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
9And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue:
10And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.
11And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?
12How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.
13Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.
14Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.
15But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;
16And charged them that they should not make him known:
17That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying,
18Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall show judgment to the Gentiles.
19He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.
20A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.
21And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.
22Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.
23And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?
24But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
25And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:
26And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?
27And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.
28But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
29Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man and then he will spoil his house.
30He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
31Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
32And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
33Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.
34O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
35A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
36But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
37For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
38Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.
39But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah:
40For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
41The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and, behold, a greater than Jonah is here.
42The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
44Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.
45Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.
47Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.
48But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
49And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
50For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
Chapter 13
1The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. 2And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. 3And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; 4And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: 5Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: 6And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: 8But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. 9Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
10And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
11He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
12For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
13Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
14And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
15For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
16But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
17For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
18Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
19When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
20But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
21Yet hath he not root in himself, but endureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
22He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
23But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some a hundredfold some sixty, some thirty.
24Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
25But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
26But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
27So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
28He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
29But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
30Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
31Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:
32Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.
34All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:
35That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.
36Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.
37He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
38The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
39The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
40As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
41The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
42And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
43Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
45Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
46Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
47Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:
48Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.
49So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,
50And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
51Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.
52Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.
53And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence.
54And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?
55Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
56And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?
57And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and in his own house.
58And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
Christian Standard Bible
Chapter 5
1When he saw the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2Then he began to teach them, saying:
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. j
4Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the humble, for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
11"You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me.
12Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
14"You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden.
15No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house.
16In the same way, let your light shinebefore others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
17"Don’t think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.
18For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or one stroke of a letter will pass away from the law until all things are accomplished.
19Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.
21"You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, Do not murder, and whoever murders will be subject to judgment.
22But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Whoever insults his brother or sister, will be subject to the court. Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to hellfire.
23So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother or sister has something against you,
24leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.
25Reach a settlement quickly with your adversary while you’re on the way with him to the court, or your adversary will hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison.
26Truly I tell you, you will never get out of there until you have paid the last penny.
27"You have heard that it was said, Do not commit adultery.
28But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
29If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
31"It was also said, Whoever divorces his wife must give her a written notice of divorce.
32But I tell you, everyone who divorces his wife, except in a case of sexual immorality, causes her to commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
33"Again, you have heard that it was said to our ancestors, You must not break your oath, but you must keep your oaths to the Lord.
34But I tell you, don’t take an oath at all: either by heaven, because it is God’s throne;
35or by the earth, because it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King.
36Do not swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black.
37But let your ‘yes’ mean ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ mean ‘no.’ Anything more than this is from the evil one.
38"You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
39But I tell you, don’t resist an evildoer. On the contrary, if anyone slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
40As for the one who wants to sue you and take away your shirt, let him have your coat as well.
41And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two.
42Give to the one who asks you, and don’t turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
43"You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
44But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45so that you may be children of your Father in heaven. For he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
46For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same?
47And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what are you doing out of the ordinary? Don’t even the Gentiles do the same?
48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Chapter 6
1"Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward with your Father in heaven. 2So whenever you give to the poor, don’t sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be applauded by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward. 3But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
5"Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward.
6But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
7When you pray, don’t babble like the Gentiles, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words.
8Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask him.
9"Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy.
10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
14"For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well.
15But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your offenses.
16"Whenever you fast, don’t be gloomy like the hypocrites. For they make their faces unattractive so that their fasting is obvious to people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward.
17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,
18so that your fasting isn’t obvious to others but to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
19"Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.
20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal.
21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light.
23But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light within you is darkness, how deep is that darkness!
25"Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing?
26Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they?
27Can any of you add one moment to his life-span by worrying?
28And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread.
29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these.
30If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more for you—you of little faith?
31So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’
32For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
33But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.
34Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Chapter 7
1"Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged. 2For you will be judged by the same standard with which you judge others, and you will be measured by the same measure you use. 3Why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the beam of wood in your own eye? 4Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the splinter out of your eye,’ and look, there’s a beam of wood in your own eye? 5Hypocrite! First take the beam of wood out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s eye. 6Don’t give what is holy to dogs or toss your pearls before pigs, or they will trample them under their feet, turn, and tear you to pieces.
7"Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you.
8For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
9Who among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?
10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?
11If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him.
12Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
13"Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it.
14How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.
15"Be on your guard against false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves.
16You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles?
17In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit.
18A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit.
19Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.
21"Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
22On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name?’
23Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!’
24"Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock.
26But everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
27The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. It collapsed with a great crash."
28When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astonished at his teaching,
29because he was teaching them like one who had authority, and not like their scribes.
Chapter 8
1When he came down from the mountain, large crowds followed him. 2Right away a man with leprosy came up and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."
3Reaching out his hand, Jesus touched him, saying, "I am willing; be made clean." Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
4Then Jesus told him, "See that you don’t tell anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."
5When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, pleading with him,
6"Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible agony."
8"Lord," the centurion replied, "I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.
9For I too am a man under authority, having soldiers under my command. I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this!’ and he does it."
10Hearing this, Jesus was amazed and said to those following him, "Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with so great a faith.
11I tell you that many will come from east and west to share the banquet with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
12But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
13Then Jesus told the centurion, "Go. As you have believed, let it be done for you." And his servant was healed that very moment.
14Jesus went into Peter’s house and saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever.
15So he touched her hand, and the fever left her. Then she got up and began to serve him.
16When evening came, they brought to him many who were demon-possessed. He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick,
18When Jesus saw a large crowd around him, he gave the order to go to the other side of the sea.
19A scribe approached him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."
23As he got into the boat, his disciples followed him.
24Suddenly, a violent storm arose on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves—but Jesus kept sleeping.
25So the disciples came and woke him up, saying, "Lord, save us! We’re going to die!"
28When he had come to the other side, to the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him as they came out of the tombs. They were so violent that no one could pass that way.
29Suddenly they shouted, "What do you have to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?"
30A long way off from them, a large herd of pigs was feeding.
31"If you drive us out," the demons begged him, "send us into the herd of pigs."
32"Go!" he told them. So when they had come out, they entered the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the water.
33Then the men who tended them fled. They went into the city and reported everything, especially what had happened to those who were demon-possessed.
34At that, the whole town went out to meet Jesus. When they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.
Chapter 9
1So he got into a boat, crossed over, and came to his own town. 2Just then some men brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, "Have courage, son, your sins are forgiven."
4Perceiving their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why are you thinking evil things in your hearts?
5For which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?
6But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" —then he told the paralytic, "Get up, take your stretcher, and go home."
7So he got up and went home.
8When the crowds saw this, they were awestruck and gave glory to God, who had given such authority to men.
10While he was reclining at the table in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came to eat with Jesus and his disciples.
11When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
12Now when he heard this, he said, "It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick.
13Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners."
15Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests be sad while the groom is with them? The time will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.
16No one patches an old garment with unshrunk cloth, because the patch pulls away from the garment and makes the tear worse.
17And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined. No, they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved."
18As he was telling them these things, suddenly one of the leaders came and knelt down before him, saying, "My daughter just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live."
19So Jesus and his disciples got up and followed him.
20Just then, a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years approached from behind and touched the end of his robe,
21for she said to herself, "If I can just touch his robe, I’ll be made well."
23When Jesus came to the leader’s house, he saw the flute players and a crowd lamenting loudly.
24"Leave," he said, "because the girl is not dead but asleep." And they laughed at him.
25After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up.
26Then news of this spread throughout that whole area.
29Then he touched their eyes, saying, "Let it be done for you according to your faith."
30And their eyes were opened. Then Jesus warned them sternly, "Be sure that no one finds out."
31But they went out and spread the news about him throughout that whole area.
32Just as they were going out, a demon-possessed man who was unable to speak was brought to him.
33When the demon had been driven out, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowds were amazed, saying, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel!"
35Jesus continued going around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness.
36When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.
37Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few.
38Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest."
Chapter 10
1Summoning his twelve disciples, he gave them authority over unclean spirits, to drive them out and to heal every disease and sickness. 2These are the names of the twelve apostles: First, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
5Jesus sent out these twelve after giving them instructions: "Don’t take the road that leads to the Gentiles, and don’t enter any Samaritan town.
6Instead, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7As you go, proclaim: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’
8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you received, freely give.
9Don’t acquire gold, silver, or copper for your money-belts.
10Don’t take a traveling bag for the road, or an extra shirt, sandals, or a staff, for the worker is worthy of his food.
11When you enter any town or village, find out who is worthy, and stay there until you leave.
12Greet a household when you enter it,
13and if the household is worthy, let your peace be on it; but if it is unworthy, let your peace return to you.
14If anyone does not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that house or town.
15Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.
16"Look, I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves.
17Beware of them, because they will hand you over to local courts and flog you in their synagogues.
18You will even be brought before governors and kings because of me, to bear witness to them and to the Gentiles.
19But when they hand you over, don’t worry about how or what you are to speak. For you will be given what to say at that hour,
20because it isn’t you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father is speaking through you.
21"Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.
22You will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
23When they persecute you in one town, flee to another. For truly I tell you, you will not have gone through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24A disciple is not above his teacher, or a slave above his master.
25It is enough for a disciple to become like his teacher and a slave like his master. If they called the head of the house ‘Beelzebul,’ how much more the members of his household!
26"Therefore, don’t be afraid of them, since there is nothing covered that won’t be uncovered and nothing hidden that won’t be made known.
27What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light. What you hear in a whisper, proclaim on the housetops.
28Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
29Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s consent.
30But even the hairs of your head have all been counted.
31So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
32"Therefore, everyone who will acknowledge me before others, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.
33But whoever denies me before others, I will also deny him before my Father in heaven.
34Don’t assume that I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
35For I came to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
36 and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.
37The one who loves a father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; the one who loves a son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
38And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
39Anyone who finds his life will lose it, and anyone who loses his life because of me will find it.
40"The one who welcomes you welcomes me, and the one who welcomes me welcomes him who sent me.
41Anyone who welcomes a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. And anyone who welcomes a righteous person because he’s righteous will receive a righteous person’s reward.
42And whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward."
Chapter 11
1When Jesus had finished giving instructions to his twelve disciples, he moved on from there to teach and preach in their towns. 2Now when John heard in prison what the Christ was doing, he sent a message through his disciples 3and asked him, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?"
4Jesus replied to them, "Go and report to John what you hear and see:
5The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor are told the good news,
6and blessed is the one who isn’t offended by me."
7As these men were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind?
8What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothes? See, those who wear soft clothes are in royal palaces.
9What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
11"Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one greater than John the Baptist has appeared, but the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been suffering violence, and the violent have been seizing it by force.
13For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
14And if you’re willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who is to come.
15Let anyone who has ears listen.
18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’
19The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds."
20Then he proceeded to denounce the towns where most of his miracles were done, because they did not repent:
21"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes long ago.
22But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.
23And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until today.
24But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you."
25At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to infants.
26Yes, Father, because this was your good pleasure.
27All things have been entrusted to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son desires to reveal him.
28"Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
29Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Chapter 12
1At that time Jesus passed through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick and eat some heads of grain. 2When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, "See, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath."
3He said to them, "Haven’t you read what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry:
4how he entered the house of God, and they ate the bread of the Presence—which is not lawful for him or for those with him to eat, but only for the priests?
5Or haven’t you read in the law that on Sabbath days the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath and are innocent?
6I tell you that something greater than the temple is here.
7If you had known what this means, I desire mercy and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the innocent.
8For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."
9Moving on from there, he entered their synagogue.
10There he saw a man who had a shriveled hand, and in order to accuse him they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"
11He replied to them, "Who among you, if he had a sheep that fell into a pit on the Sabbath, wouldn’t take hold of it and lift it out?
12A person is worth far more than a sheep; so it is lawful to do what is good on the Sabbath."
13Then he told the man, "Stretch out your hand." So he stretched it out, and it was restored, as good as the other.
14But the Pharisees went out and plotted against him, how they might kill him.
15Jesus was aware of this and withdrew. Large crowds followed him, and he healed them all.
16He warned them not to make him known,
17so that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
18 Here is my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
19 He will not argue or shout, and no one will hear his voice in the streets.
20 He will not break a bruised reed, and he will not put out a smoldering wick, until he has led justice to victory.
21 The nations will put their hope in his name.
22Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and unable to speak was brought to him. He healed him, so that the man could both speak and see.
23All the crowds were astounded and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"
25Knowing their thoughts, he told them: "Every kingdom divided against itself is headed for destruction, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.
26If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?
27And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? For this reason they will be your judges.
28If I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
29How can someone enter a strong man’s house and steal his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.
30Anyone who is not with me is against me, and anyone who does not gather with me scatters.
31Therefore, I tell you, people will be forgiven every sin and blasphemy, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
32Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the one to come.
33"Either make the tree good and its fruit will be good, or make the tree bad and its fruit will be bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.
34Brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.
35A good person produces good things from his storeroom of good, and an evil person produces evil things from his storeroom of evil.
36I tell you that on the day of judgment people will have to account for every careless word they speak.
37For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."
39He answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
40For as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.
41The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at Jonah’s preaching; and look—something greater than Jonah is here.
42The queen of the south will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and look—something greater than Solomon is here.
43"When an unclean spirit comes out of a person, it roams through waterless places looking for rest but doesn’t find any.
44Then it says, ‘I’ll go back to my house that I came from.’ Returning, it finds the house vacant, swept, and put in order.
45Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and settle down there. As a result, that person’s last condition is worse than the first. That’s how it will also be with this evil generation."
46While he was still speaking with the crowds, his mother and brothers were standing outside wanting to speak to him.
47Someone told him, "Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you."
48He replied to the one who was speaking to him, "Who is my mother and who are my brothers?"
49Stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers!
50For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."
Chapter 13
1On that day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea. 2Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, while the whole crowd stood on the shore.
3Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "Consider the sower who went out to sow.
4As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them.
5Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly since the soil wasn’t deep.
6But when the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away.
7Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it.
8Still other seed fell on good ground and produced fruit: some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times what was sown.
9Let anyone who has ears listen."
11He answered, "Because the secrets of the kingdom of heaven have been given for you to know, but it has not been given to them.
12For whoever has, more will be given to him, and he will have more than enough; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
13That is why I speak to them in parables, because looking they do not see, and hearing they do not listen or understand.
14Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: You will listen and listen, but never understand; you will look and look, but never perceive.
15 For this people’s heart has grown callous; their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; otherwise they might see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn back— and I would heal them.
16"Blessed are your eyes because they do see, and your ears because they do hear.
17For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see the things you see but didn’t see them, to hear the things you hear but didn’t hear them.
18"So listen to the parable of the sower:
19When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one sown along the path.
20And the one sown on rocky ground—this is one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy.
21But he has no root and is short-lived. When distress or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he falls away.
22Now the one sown among the thorns—this is one who hears the word, but the worries of this age and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
23But the one sown on the good ground—this is one who hears and understands the word, who does produce fruit and yields: some a hundred, some sixty, some thirty times what was sown."
24He presented another parable to them: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.
25But while people were sleeping, his enemy came, sowed weeds among the wheat, and left.
26When the plants sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also appeared.
27The landowner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Master, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?’
29"‘No,’ he said. ‘When you pull up the weeds, you might also uproot the wheat with them.
30Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I’ll tell the reapers: Gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles to burn them, but collect the wheat in my barn.’"
31He presented another parable to them: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field.
32It’s the smallest of all the seeds, but when grown, it’s taller than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches."
37He replied: "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man;
38the field is the world; and the good seed—these are the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the children of the evil one,
39and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
40Therefore, just as the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age.
41The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom all who cause sin and those guilty of lawlessness.
42They will throw them into the blazing furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. Let anyone who has ears listen.
45"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls.
46When he found one priceless pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it.
47"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a large net thrown into the sea. It collected every kind of fish,
48and when it was full, they dragged it ashore, sat down, and gathered the good fish into containers, but threw out the worthless ones.
49So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out, separate the evil people from the righteous,
50and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
53When Jesus had finished these parables, he left there.
54He went to his hometown and began to teach them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, "Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?
55Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother called Mary, and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?
56And his sisters, aren’t they all with us? So where does he get all these things?"
New Living Translation
Chapter 5
1One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, 2and he began to teach them.
3'God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
4God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.
6God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.
7God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.
9God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.
10God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
11God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers.
12Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.
14You are the light of the world — like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.
15No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.
16In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
17Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.
18I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.
19So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
21You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’
22But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.
23So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you,
24leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.
25When you are on the way to court with your adversary, settle your differences quickly. Otherwise, your accuser may hand you over to the judge, who will hand you over to an officer, and you will be thrown into prison.
26And if that happens, you surely won’t be free again until you have paid the last penny.
27You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’
28But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
29So if your eye — even your good eye — causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
30And if your hand — even your stronger hand — causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
31You have heard the law that says, ‘A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a written notice of divorce.’
32But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman also commits adultery.
33You have also heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the Lord.’
34But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne.
35And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King.
36Do not even say, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one hair white or black.
37Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.
38You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’
39But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also.
40If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too.
41If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles.
42Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow.
43You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy.
44But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!
45In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.
46If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much.
47If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.
48But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Chapter 6
1Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. 2When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do — blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. 3But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
5When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get.
6But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
7When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.
8Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!
9Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
10May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
11Give us today the food we need,
12and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
13And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.
14If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.
15But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
16And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get.
17But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face.
18Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
19Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal.
20Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.
21Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
22Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light.
23But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!
25That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life — whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?
26Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?
27Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
28And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing,
29yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.
30And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
31So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’
32These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.
33Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
Chapter 7
1Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 2For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.
3And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?
4How can you think of saying to your 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?
5Hypocrite! 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.
7Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.
8For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
9You parents — if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead?
10Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not!
11So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.
13You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.
14But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.
15Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves.
16You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
17A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit.
18A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit.
19So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire.
20Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.
21Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.
22On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’
23But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’
24Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.
25Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.
26But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand.
27When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.'
28When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching,
29for he taught with real authority — quite unlike their teachers of religious law.
Chapter 8
1Large crowds followed Jesus as he came down the mountainside. 2Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached him and knelt before him. 'Lord,' the man said, 'if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.'
3Jesus reached out and touched him. 'I am willing,' he said. 'Be healed!' And instantly the leprosy disappeared.
4Then Jesus said to him, 'Don’t tell anyone about this. Instead, 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.'
5When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him,
6Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.'
8But the officer said, 'Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed.
9I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.'
10When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, 'I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!
11And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world — from east and west — and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven.
12But many Israelites — those for whom the Kingdom was prepared — will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
14When Jesus arrived at Peter’s house, Peter’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a high fever.
15But when Jesus touched her hand, the fever left her. Then she got up and prepared a meal for him.
23Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples.
24Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.
25The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, 'Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!'
30There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding in the distance.
31So the demons begged, 'If you cast us out, send us into that herd of pigs.'
33The herdsmen fled to the nearby town, telling everyone what happened to the demon-possessed men.
34Then the entire town came out to meet Jesus, but they begged him to go away and leave them alone.
Chapter 9
1Jesus climbed into a boat and went back across the lake to his own town. 2Some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, 'Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven.'
4Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, 'Why do you have such evil thoughts in your hearts?
5Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’?
6So 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!'
7And the man jumped up and went home!
8Fear swept through the crowd as they saw this happen. And they praised God for giving humans such authority.
10Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners.
11But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, 'Why does your teacher eat with such scum? '
12When Jesus heard this, he said, 'Healthy people don’t need a doctor — sick people do.'
13Then he added, 'Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.'
19So Jesus and his disciples got up and went with him.
20Just then a woman who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding came up behind him. She touched the fringe of his robe,
21for she thought, 'If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.'
23When Jesus arrived at the official’s home, he saw the noisy crowd and heard the funeral music.
24Get out!' he told them. 'The girl isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.' But the crowd laughed at him.
25After the crowd was put outside, however, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she stood up!
26The report of this miracle swept through the entire countryside.
29Then he touched their eyes and said, 'Because of your faith, it will happen.'
30Then their eyes were opened, and they could see! Jesus sternly warned them, 'Don’t tell anyone about this.'
31But instead, they went out and spread his fame all over the region.
32When they left, a demon-possessed man who couldn’t speak was brought to Jesus.
33So Jesus cast out the demon, and then the man began to speak. The crowds were amazed. 'Nothing like this has ever happened in Israel!' they exclaimed.
35Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness.
36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
37He said to his disciples, 'The harvest is great, but the workers are few.
38So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.'
2Here are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (also called Peter), then Andrew (Peter’s brother), James (son of Zebedee), John (James’s brother),
3Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew (the tax collector), James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus,
4Simon (the zealot ), Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him).
5Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions: 'Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans,
6but only to the people of Israel — God’s lost sheep.
7Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near.
8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!
9Don’t take any money in your money belts — no gold, silver, or even copper coins.
10Don’t carry a traveler’s bag with a change of clothes and sandals or even a walking stick. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve to be fed.
11Whenever you enter a city or village, search for a worthy person and stay in his home until you leave town.
12When you enter the home, give it your blessing.
13If it turns out to be a worthy home, let your blessing stand; if it is not, take back the blessing.
14If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave.
15I tell you the truth, the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will be better off than such a town on the judgment day.
16Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves.
17But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues.
18You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me.
19When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time.
20For it is not you who will be speaking — it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
21A brother will betray his brother to death, a father will betray his own child, and children will rebel against their parents and cause them to be killed.
22And all nations will hate you because you are my followers. But everyone who endures to the end will be saved.
23When you are persecuted in one town, flee to the next. I tell you the truth, the Son of Man will return before you have reached all the towns of Israel.
24Students are not greater than their teacher, and slaves are not greater than their master.
25Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master. And since I, the master of the household, have been called the prince of demons, the members of my household will be called by even worse names!
26But don’t be afraid of those who threaten you. For the time is coming when everything that is covered will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all.
27What I tell you now in the darkness, shout abroad when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all to hear!
28Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
29What is the price of two sparrows — one copper coin ? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.
30And the very hairs on your head are all numbered.
31So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.
32Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.
33But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.
35‘I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
36Your enemies will be right in your own household!’
37If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine.
38If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine.
39If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.
40Anyone who receives you receives me, and anyone who receives me receives the Father who sent me.
41If you receive a prophet as one who speaks for God, you will be given the same reward as a prophet. And if you receive righteous people because of their righteousness, you will be given a reward like theirs.
42And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.'
2John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus,
3Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?'
4Jesus told them, 'Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen —
5the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.'
6And he added, 'God blesses those who do not fall away because of me. '
7As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began talking about him to the crowds. 'What kind of man did you go into the wilderness to see? Was he a weak reed, swayed by every breath of wind?
8Or were you expecting to see a man dressed in expensive clothes? No, people with expensive clothes live in palaces.
9Were you looking for a prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet.
11I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is!
12And from the time John the Baptist began preaching until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing, and violent people are attacking it.
13For before John came, all the prophets and the law of Moses looked forward to this present time.
14And if you are willing to accept what I say, he is Elijah, the one the prophets said would come.
15Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!
17‘We played wedding songs, and you didn’t dance, so we played funeral songs, and you didn’t mourn.’
18For John didn’t spend his time eating and drinking, and you say, ‘He’s possessed by a demon.’
19The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’ But wisdom is shown to be right by its results.'
20Then Jesus began to denounce the towns where he had done so many of his miracles, because they hadn’t repented of their sins and turned to God.
21What sorrow awaits you, Korazin and Bethsaida! For if the miracles I did in you had been done in wicked Tyre and Sidon, their people would have repented of their sins long ago, clothing themselves in burlap and throwing ashes on their heads to show their remorse.
22I tell you, Tyre and Sidon will be better off on judgment day than you.
23And you people of Capernaum, will you be honored in heaven? No, you will go down to the place of the dead. For if the miracles I did for you had been done in wicked Sodom, it would still be here today.
24I tell you, even Sodom will be better off on judgment day than you.'
25At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: 'O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike.
26Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way!
28Then Jesus said, 'Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
29Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.'
Chapter 12
1At about that time Jesus was walking through some grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, so they began breaking off some heads of grain and eating them. 2But some Pharisees saw them do it and protested, 'Look, your disciples are breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath.'
3Jesus said to them, '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 he and his companions broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat.
5And haven’t you read in the law of Moses that the priests on duty in the Temple may work on the Sabbath?
6I tell you, there is one here who is even greater than the Temple!
7But you would not have condemned my innocent disciples if you knew the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’
8For the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!'
9Then Jesus went over to their synagogue,
10where he noticed a man with a deformed hand. The Pharisees asked Jesus, 'Does the law permit a person to work by healing on the Sabbath?' (They were hoping he would say yes, so they could bring charges against him.)
11And he answered, 'If you had a sheep that fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn’t you work to pull it out? Of course you would.
12And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath.'
13Then he said to the man, 'Hold out your hand.' So the man held out his hand, and it was restored, just like the other one!
14Then the Pharisees called a meeting to plot how to kill Jesus.
15But Jesus knew what they were planning. So he left that area, and many people followed him. He healed all the sick among them,
16but he warned them not to reveal who he was.
17This fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah concerning him:
18'Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen. He is my Beloved, who pleases me. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
19He will not fight or shout or raise his voice in public.
20He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. Finally he will cause justice to be victorious.
21And his name will be the hope of all the world.'
22Then a demon-possessed man, who was blind and couldn’t speak, was brought to Jesus. He healed the man so that he could both speak and see.
23The crowd was amazed and asked, 'Could it be that Jesus is the Son of David, the Messiah?'
25Jesus knew their thoughts and replied, 'Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A town or family splintered by feuding will fall apart.
26And if Satan is casting out Satan, he is divided and fighting against himself. His own kingdom will not survive.
27And if I am empowered by Satan, what about your own exorcists? They cast out demons, too, so they will condemn you for what you have said.
28But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you.
29For who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger — someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house.
31So I tell you, every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven — except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven.
32Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, either in this world or in the world to come.
33A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad.
34You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say.
35A 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.
36And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak.
37The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.'
39But Jesus replied, 'Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign; but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah.
40For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.
41The people of Nineveh will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here — but you refuse to repent.
42The queen of Sheba will also stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here — but you refuse to listen.
43When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none.
44Then it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ So it returns and finds its former home empty, swept, and in order.
45Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before. That will be the experience of this evil generation.'
46As Jesus was speaking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him.
47Someone told Jesus, 'Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, and they want to speak to you.'
48Jesus asked, 'Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?'
49Then he pointed to his disciples and said, 'Look, these are my mother and brothers.
50Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!'
Chapter 13
1Later that same day Jesus left the house and sat beside the lake. 2A large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat there and taught as the people stood on the shore.
3He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one: 'Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds.
4As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them.
5Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow.
6But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died.
7Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants.
8Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!
9Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.'
11He replied, 'You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not.
12To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.
14This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, ‘When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend.
15For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes — so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’
16But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.
17I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.
18Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds:
19The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts.
20The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy.
21But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word.
22The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced.
23The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!'
24Here is another story Jesus told: 'The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field.
25But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away.
26When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.
29‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do.
30Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’'
31Here is another illustration Jesus used: 'The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field.
32It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches.'
37Jesus replied, 'The Son of Man is the farmer who plants the good seed.
38The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one.
39The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels.
40Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world.
41The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.
42And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!
45Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls.
46When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!
47Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a fishing net that was thrown into the water and caught fish of every kind.
48When the net was full, they dragged it up onto the shore, sat down, and sorted the good fish into crates, but threw the bad ones away.
49That is the way it will be at the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked people from the righteous,
50throwing the wicked into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
53When Jesus had finished telling these stories and illustrations, he left that part of the country.
54He returned to Nazareth, his hometown. When he taught there in the synagogue, everyone was amazed and said, 'Where does he get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?'
55Then they scoffed, 'He’s just the carpenter’s son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers — James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas.
56All his sisters live right here among us. Where did he learn all these things?'
English Standard Version
Chapter 5
1Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
11"Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
14"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.
16In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
17"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
18For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
19Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
21"You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’
22But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.
23So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
24leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
25Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison.
26Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
27"You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’
28But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
29If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.
30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.
31"It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’
32But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
33"Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’
34But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God,
35or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
36And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.
37Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.
38"You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’
39But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.
41And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.
42Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.
43"You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
46For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
47And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
48You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
2"Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
5"And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
6But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
7"And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.
8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,
12and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
14For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,
15but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
16"And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
17But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
18that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
19"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,
20but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22"The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light,
23but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
25"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
26Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
27And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
28And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,
29yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
33But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Chapter 7
1"Judge not, that you be not judged. 2For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3Why do you see the speck that is in your brother 's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother 's eye.
7"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
8For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
9Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?
10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?
11If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
13"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.
14For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
15"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep 's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
16You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
17So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.
18A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.
19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
21"Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’
23And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
24"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
26And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
27And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."
28And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching,
29for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
Chapter 8
1When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. 2And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean." 3And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, "I will; be clean." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4And Jesus said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them."
5When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him,
6"Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly."
7And he said to him, "I will come and heal him."
8But the centurion replied, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.
9For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it."
10When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, "Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.
11I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,
12while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
13And to the centurion Jesus said, "Go; let it be done for you as you have believed." And the servant was healed at that very moment.
14And when Jesus entered Peter 's house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever.
15He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him.
16That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick.
17This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: "He took our illnesses and bore our diseases."
18Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side.
19And a scribe came up and said to him, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."
20And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."
21Another of the disciples said to him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."
22And Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead."
23And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him.
24And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep.
25And they went and woke him, saying, "Save us, Lord; we are perishing."
26And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?" Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
27And the men marveled, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?"
28And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way.
29And behold, they cried out, "What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?"
30Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them.
31And the demons begged him, saying, "If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs."
32And he said to them, "Go." So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters.
33The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men.
34And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.
Chapter 9
1And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city. 2And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven." 3And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man is blaspheming." 4But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 6But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" — he then said to the paralytic — "Rise, pick up your bed and go home." 7And he rose and went home. 8When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.
10And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples.
11And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
12But when he heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
13Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."
14Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?"
15And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.
16No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made.
17Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved."
18While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live."
19And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples.
20And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment,
21for she said to herself, "If I only touch his garment, I will be made well."
22Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, "Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well." And instantly the woman was made well.
23And when Jesus came to the ruler 's house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion,
24he said, "Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him.
25But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.
26And the report of this went through all that district.
27And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, "Have mercy on us, Son of David."
28When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to him, "Yes, Lord."
29Then he touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith be it done to you."
30And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, "See that no one knows about it."
31But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.
32As they were going away, behold, a demon-oppressed man who was mute was brought to him.
33And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds marveled, saying, "Never was anything like this seen in Israel."
34But the Pharisees said, "He casts out demons by the prince of demons."
35And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.
36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
37Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;
38therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."
Chapter 10
1And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. 2The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
5These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, "Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans,
6but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.
9Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts,
10no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food.
11And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart.
12As you enter the house, greet it.
13And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.
14And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town.
15Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.
16"Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
17Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues,
18and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles.
19When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour.
20For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
21Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death,
22and you will be hated by all for my name 's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
23When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24"A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.
25It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.
26"So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.
27What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.
28And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.
30But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.
31Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
32So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,
33but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.
34"Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
35For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
36And a person 's enemies will be those of his own household.
37Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
38And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
39Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
40"Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.
41The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet 's reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person 's reward.
42And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."
2Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples
3and said to him, "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?"
4And Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see:
5the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.
6And blessed is the one who is not offended by me."
7As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?
8What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings ' houses.
9What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
10This is he of whom it is written, "‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’
11Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.
13For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John,
14and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come.
15He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
17"‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’
18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’
19The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds."
20Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent.
21"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
22But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you.
23And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
24But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you."
25At that time Jesus declared, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children;
26yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.
27All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
28Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
Chapter 12
1At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, "Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath." 3He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: 4how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? 6I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. 7And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath."
9He went on from there and entered their synagogue.
10And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" — so that they might accuse him.
11He said to them, "Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out?
12Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."
13Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other.
14But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.
15Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all
16and ordered them not to make him known.
17This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:
18 "Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
19He will not quarrel or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;
20a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory;
21 and in his name the Gentiles will hope."
22Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw.
23And all the people were amazed, and said, "Can this be the Son of David?"
24But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons."
25Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.
26And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?
27And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.
28But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
29Or how can someone enter a strong man 's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house.
30Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
31Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
32And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
33"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit.
34You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
35The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.
36I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,
37for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."
38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you."
39But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
40For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
41The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
42The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.
43"When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none.
44Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order.
45Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation."
46While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him.
47
48But he replied to the man who told him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?"
49And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers!
50For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."
Chapter 13
1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3And he told them many things in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow. 4And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9He who has ears, let him hear."
10Then the disciples came and said to him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?"
11And he answered them, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.
12For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
13This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
14Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: "‘"You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive."
15For this people 's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’
16But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.
17For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
18"Hear then the parable of the sower:
19When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.
20As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy,
21yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.
22As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.
23As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."
24He put another parable before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field,
25but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.
26So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also.
27And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’
28He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’
29But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them.
30Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, "Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn."’"
31He put another parable before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field.
32It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches."
34All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable.
35This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world."
36Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field."
37He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.
38The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one,
39and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.
40Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.
41The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers,
42and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
45"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls,
46who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
47"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind.
48When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad.
49So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous
50and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51"Have you understood all these things?" They said to him, "Yes."
52And he said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old."
53And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there,
54and coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, "Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works?
55Is not this the carpenter 's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?
56And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?"
57And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household."
58And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.
New International Version
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
14"You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.
15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
16In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
17"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
18For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
19Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
21"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’
22But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
23"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you,
24leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
25"Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.
26Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
27"You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’
28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
29If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
30And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
31"It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’
32But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
33"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’
34But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne;
35or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.
36And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.
37All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
38"You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’
39But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.
40And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.
41If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.
42Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
43"You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
44But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
47And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
2"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
5"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.
8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9"This, then, is how you should pray: " ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. ’
14For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
16"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,
18so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light.
23But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?
26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
27Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life ?
28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.
29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?
31So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Chapter 7
1"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3"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?
4How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?
5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
8For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
9"Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?
11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
12So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
13"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
15"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
16By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
17Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
21"Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’
23Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
24"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
28When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching,
29because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
Chapter 8
1When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."
3Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.
4Then Jesus said to him, "See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."
5When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help.
6"Lord," he said, "my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly."
8The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.
9For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it."
10When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, "Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.
11I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
12But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
14When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever.
15He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.
18When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake.
19Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."
23Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him.
24Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.
25The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!"
28When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way.
29"What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. "Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?"
30Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding.
31The demons begged Jesus, "If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs."
32He said to them, "Go!" So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water.
33Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.
34Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.
Chapter 9
1Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. 2Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven."
4Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?
5Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?
6But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." So he said to the paralyzed man, "Get up, take your mat and go home."
7Then the man got up and went home.
8When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.
10While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples.
11When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
12On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.
13But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
16"No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse.
17Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."
18While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, "My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live."
19Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.
20Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak.
21She said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed."
23When Jesus entered the synagogue leader’s house and saw the noisy crowd and people playing pipes,
24he said, "Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep." But they laughed at him.
25After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up.
26News of this spread through all that region.
29Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith let it be done to you";
30and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, "See that no one knows about this."
31But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.
32While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus.
33And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel."
35Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.
36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
37Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.
38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
2These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;
4Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
5These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans.
6Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.
7As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’
8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.
9"Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts—
10no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep.
11Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave.
12As you enter the home, give it your greeting.
13If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you.
14If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.
15Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
16"I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
17Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues.
18On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.
19But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say,
20for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
21"Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.
22You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
23When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24"The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master.
25It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!
26"So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.
27What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.
28Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.
30And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
32"Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.
33But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.
35For I have come to turn " ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
37"Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
38Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
39Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
40"Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.
41Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward.
42And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward."
2When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples
3to ask him, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?"
4Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see:
5The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.
6Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me."
7As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind?
8If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces.
9Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
11Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it.
13For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.
14And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.
15Whoever has ears, let them hear.
18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’
19The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds."
20Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent.
21"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
22But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.
23And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day.
24But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you."
25At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.
26Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.
28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Chapter 12
1At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. 2When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, "Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath."
3He answered, "Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?
4He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests.
5Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent?
6I tell you that something greater than the temple is here.
7If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.
8For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."
9Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue,
10and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"
11He said to them, "If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out?
12How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."
13Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other.
14But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.
15Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill.
16He warned them not to tell others about him.
17This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
18"Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
19He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets.
20A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he has brought justice through to victory.
21In his name the nations will put their hope."
22Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see.
23All the people were astonished and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"
25Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.
26If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand?
27And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.
28But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
30"Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
31And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
32Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
33"Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.
34You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
35A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.
36But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.
37For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."
39He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
40For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
41The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here.
42The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here.
43"When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it.
44Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order.
45Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation."
46While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him.
47Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you."
48He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?"
49Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers.
50For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."
Chapter 13
1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9Whoever has ears, let them hear."
11He replied, "Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.
12Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.
14In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: " ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’
16But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.
17For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
18"Listen then to what the parable of the sower means:
19When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.
20The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.
21But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.
22The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.
23But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."
24Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.
25But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.
26When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
29" ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them.
30Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’ "
31He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.
32Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches."
37He answered, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.
38The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one,
39and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
40"As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age.
41The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.
42They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.
45"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.
46When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
47"Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish.
48When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away.
49This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous
50and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
53When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there.
54Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. "Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?" they asked.
55"Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?
56Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?"
New King James Version
Chapter 5
1And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.
12Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
14“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
17“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
18For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
19Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
21“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’
22But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.
23Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,
24leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
25Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.
26Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.
27“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’
28But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
29If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
31“Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’
32But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.
33“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’
34But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne;
35nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
36Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.
37But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.
38“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’
39But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
40If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.
41And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.
42Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
43“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
44But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
46For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
47And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?
48Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Chapter 6
1“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 3But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.
5“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
6But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
7And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
9In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
10Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us this day our daily bread.
12And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
14“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
16“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
17But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
18so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
19“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;
20but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.
23But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
25“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
26Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
27Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
28“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;
29and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Chapter 7
1“Judge not, that you be not judged. 2For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
7“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
8For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
9Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
10Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
12Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
13“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.
14Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
15“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
16You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?
17Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
21“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
23And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
24“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:
25and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
26“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:
27and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
28And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching,
29for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
Chapter 8
1When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. 2And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”
5Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him,
6saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.”
8The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.
9For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
10When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!
11And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
12But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
13Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.
14Now when Jesus had come into Peter’s house, He saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever.
15So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served them.
18And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side.
19Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.”
23Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.
24And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep.
25Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”
26But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
27So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
28When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.
29And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”
30Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding.
31So the demons begged Him, saying, “If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine.”
33Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.
34And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.
Chapter 9
1So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city. 2Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.”
4But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?
5For which is easier, to say, ‘ Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’?
6But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”
7And he arose and departed to his house.
10Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples.
11And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
12When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
13But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
15And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.
16No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse.
17Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
18While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.”
19So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples.
20And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment.
21For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.”
22But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.
23When Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing,
24He said to them, “Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping.” And they ridiculed Him.
25But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.
26And the report of this went out into all that land.
29Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.”
30And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, “See that no one knows it.”
31But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country.
32As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed.
33And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying, “It was never seen like this in Israel!”
35Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
36But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.
37Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.
38Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
Chapter 10
1And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. 2Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; 4Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.
5These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.
6But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
8Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.
9Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts,
10nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food.
11“Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out.
12And when you go into a household, greet it.
13If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.
14And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.
15Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!
16“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
17But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.
18You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.
19But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak;
20for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
21“Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.
22And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.
23When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.
25It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!
26Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.
27“Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.
28And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
29Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.
30But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
32“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
33But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
34“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.
35For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’;
36and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’
37He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
38And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
39He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
40“He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.
41He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.
42And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”
2And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples
3and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”
4Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:
5The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
6And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”
7As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?
8But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.
9But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.
11“Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.
13For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
14And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.
15He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’
19The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.”
20Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent:
21“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
22But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.
23And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
24But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.”
25At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.
26Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.
27All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.
28Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Chapter 12
1At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!”
3But He said to 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 ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests?
5Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless?
6Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple.
7But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.
8For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
9Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue.
10And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—that they might accuse Him.
11Then He said to them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out?
12Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
13Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other.
14Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him.
15But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.
16Yet He warned them not to make Him known,
17that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
18“Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He will declare justice to the Gentiles.
19He will not quarrel nor cry out, Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.
20A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench, Till He sends forth justice to victory;
21And in His name Gentiles will trust.”
22Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.
23And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”
25But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.
26If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?
27And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.
28But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.
29Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.
30He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.
31“Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.
32Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.
33“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.
34Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
35A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.
36But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.
37For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
39But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
40For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
41The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.
42The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.
43“When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.
44Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.
45Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”
46While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.
47Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.”
48But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?”
49And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!
50For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”
Chapter 13
1On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. 2And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
3Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow.
4And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.
5Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth.
6But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.
7And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them.
8But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
9He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
11He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.
12For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
13Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
14And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive;
15For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’
16But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear;
17for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
18“Therefore hear the parable of the sower:
19When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.
20But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;
21yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.
22Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.
23But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
24Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field;
25but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.
26But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.
27So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’
28He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’
29But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.
30Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”
31Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field,
32which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”
37He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.
38The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.
39The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.
40Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.
41The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness,
42and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
43Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
45“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls,
46who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
47“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind,
48which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away.
49So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just,
50and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
53Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there.
54When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works?
55Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?
56And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?”