BWE - Matthew

Chapter 1

1:1  Here are the names of the people in the family line from which Jesus Christ came. He came from David’s family. He came from Abraham’s family.

1:2  Jesus’ family line: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Perez (his mother was Tamar), Zezron, Ram, Amminadab, Nahshon, Salmon, Boaz (his mother was Rahab), Obed (his mother was Ruth), Jesse, David the king, Solomon (whose mother was Uriah’s wife), Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joram, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, Jeconiah and his brothers (at the time the people of Israel were carried away to Babylon), Shealtiel, Zerubbabel, Abiud, Eliakim, Azor, Zadok, Achim, Eliud, Eleazor, Matthan, Jacob and Joseph who was the husband of Mary. Mary was the mother of Jesus, who is called the Christ.

1:3  Jesus’ family line: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Perez (his mother was Tamar), Zezron, Ram, Amminadab, Nahshon, Salmon, Boaz (his mother was Rahab), Obed (his mother was Ruth), Jesse, David the king, Solomon (whose mother was Uriah’s wife), Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joram, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, Jeconiah and his brothers (at the time the people of Israel were carried away to Babylon), Shealtiel, Zerubbabel, Abiud, Eliakim, Azor, Zadok, Achim, Eliud, Eleazor, Matthan, Jacob and Joseph who was the husband of Mary. Mary was the mother of Jesus, who is called the Christ.

1:4  Jesus’ family line: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Perez (his mother was Tamar), Zezron, Ram, Amminadab, Nahshon, Salmon, Boaz (his mother was Rahab), Obed (his mother was Ruth), Jesse, David the king, Solomon (whose mother was Uriah’s wife), Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joram, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, Jeconiah and his brothers (at the time the people of Israel were carried away to Babylon), Shealtiel, Zerubbabel, Abiud, Eliakim, Azor, Zadok, Achim, Eliud, Eleazor, Matthan, Jacob and Joseph who was the husband of Mary. Mary was the mother of Jesus, who is called the Christ.

1:5  Jesus’ family line: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Perez (his mother was Tamar), Zezron, Ram, Amminadab, Nahshon, Salmon, Boaz (his mother was Rahab), Obed (his mother was Ruth), Jesse, David the king, Solomon (whose mother was Uriah’s wife), Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joram, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, Jeconiah and his brothers (at the time the people of Israel were carried away to Babylon), Shealtiel, Zerubbabel, Abiud, Eliakim, Azor, Zadok, Achim, Eliud, Eleazor, Matthan, Jacob and Joseph who was the husband of Mary. Mary was the mother of Jesus, who is called the Christ.

1:6  Jesus’ family line: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Perez (his mother was Tamar), Zezron, Ram, Amminadab, Nahshon, Salmon, Boaz (his mother was Rahab), Obed (his mother was Ruth), Jesse, David the king, Solomon (whose mother was Uriah’s wife), Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joram, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, Jeconiah and his brothers (at the time the people of Israel were carried away to Babylon), Shealtiel, Zerubbabel, Abiud, Eliakim, Azor, Zadok, Achim, Eliud, Eleazor, Matthan, Jacob and Joseph who was the husband of Mary. Mary was the mother of Jesus, who is called the Christ.

1:7  Jesus’ family line: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Perez (his mother was Tamar), Zezron, Ram, Amminadab, Nahshon, Salmon, Boaz (his mother was Rahab), Obed (his mother was Ruth), Jesse, David the king, Solomon (whose mother was Uriah’s wife), Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joram, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, Jeconiah and his brothers (at the time the people of Israel were carried away to Babylon), Shealtiel, Zerubbabel, Abiud, Eliakim, Azor, Zadok, Achim, Eliud, Eleazor, Matthan, Jacob and Joseph who was the husband of Mary. Mary was the mother of Jesus, who is called the Christ.

1:8  Jesus’ family line: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Perez (his mother was Tamar), Zezron, Ram, Amminadab, Nahshon, Salmon, Boaz (his mother was Rahab), Obed (his mother was Ruth), Jesse, David the king, Solomon (whose mother was Uriah’s wife), Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joram, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, Jeconiah and his brothers (at the time the people of Israel were carried away to Babylon), Shealtiel, Zerubbabel, Abiud, Eliakim, Azor, Zadok, Achim, Eliud, Eleazor, Matthan, Jacob and Joseph who was the husband of Mary. Mary was the mother of Jesus, who is called the Christ.

1:9  Jesus’ family line: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Perez (his mother was Tamar), Zezron, Ram, Amminadab, Nahshon, Salmon, Boaz (his mother was Rahab), Obed (his mother was Ruth), Jesse, David the king, Solomon (whose mother was Uriah’s wife), Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joram, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, Jeconiah and his brothers (at the time the people of Israel were carried away to Babylon), Shealtiel, Zerubbabel, Abiud, Eliakim, Azor, Zadok, Achim, Eliud, Eleazor, Matthan, Jacob and Joseph who was the husband of Mary. Mary was the mother of Jesus, who is called the Christ.

1:10  Jesus’ family line: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Perez (his mother was Tamar), Zezron, Ram, Amminadab, Nahshon, Salmon, Boaz (his mother was Rahab), Obed (his mother was Ruth), Jesse, David the king, Solomon (whose mother was Uriah’s wife), Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joram, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, Jeconiah and his brothers (at the time the people of Israel were carried away to Babylon), Shealtiel, Zerubbabel, Abiud, Eliakim, Azor, Zadok, Achim, Eliud, Eleazor, Matthan, Jacob and Joseph who was the husband of Mary. Mary was the mother of Jesus, who is called the Christ.

1:11  Jesus’ family line: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Perez (his mother was Tamar), Zezron, Ram, Amminadab, Nahshon, Salmon, Boaz (his mother was Rahab), Obed (his mother was Ruth), Jesse, David the king, Solomon (whose mother was Uriah’s wife), Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joram, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, Jeconiah and his brothers (at the time the people of Israel were carried away to Babylon), Shealtiel, Zerubbabel, Abiud, Eliakim, Azor, Zadok, Achim, Eliud, Eleazor, Matthan, Jacob and Joseph who was the husband of Mary. Mary was the mother of Jesus, who is called the Christ.

1:12  Jesus’ family line: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Perez (his mother was Tamar), Zezron, Ram, Amminadab, Nahshon, Salmon, Boaz (his mother was Rahab), Obed (his mother was Ruth), Jesse, David the king, Solomon (whose mother was Uriah’s wife), Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joram, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, Jeconiah and his brothers (at the time the people of Israel were carried away to Babylon), Shealtiel, Zerubbabel, Abiud, Eliakim, Azor, Zadok, Achim, Eliud, Eleazor, Matthan, Jacob and Joseph who was the husband of Mary. Mary was the mother of Jesus, who is called the Christ.

1:13  Jesus’ family line: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Perez (his mother was Tamar), Zezron, Ram, Amminadab, Nahshon, Salmon, Boaz (his mother was Rahab), Obed (his mother was Ruth), Jesse, David the king, Solomon (whose mother was Uriah’s wife), Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joram, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, Jeconiah and his brothers (at the time the people of Israel were carried away to Babylon), Shealtiel, Zerubbabel, Abiud, Eliakim, Azor, Zadok, Achim, Eliud, Eleazor, Matthan, Jacob and Joseph who was the husband of Mary. Mary was the mother of Jesus, who is called the Christ.

1:14  Jesus’ family line: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Perez (his mother was Tamar), Zezron, Ram, Amminadab, Nahshon, Salmon, Boaz (his mother was Rahab), Obed (his mother was Ruth), Jesse, David the king, Solomon (whose mother was Uriah’s wife), Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joram, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, Jeconiah and his brothers (at the time the people of Israel were carried away to Babylon), Shealtiel, Zerubbabel, Abiud, Eliakim, Azor, Zadok, Achim, Eliud, Eleazor, Matthan, Jacob and Joseph who was the husband of Mary. Mary was the mother of Jesus, who is called the Christ.

1:15  Jesus’ family line: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Perez (his mother was Tamar), Zezron, Ram, Amminadab, Nahshon, Salmon, Boaz (his mother was Rahab), Obed (his mother was Ruth), Jesse, David the king, Solomon (whose mother was Uriah’s wife), Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joram, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, Jeconiah and his brothers (at the time the people of Israel were carried away to Babylon), Shealtiel, Zerubbabel, Abiud, Eliakim, Azor, Zadok, Achim, Eliud, Eleazor, Matthan, Jacob and Joseph who was the husband of Mary. Mary was the mother of Jesus, who is called the Christ.

1:16  Jesus’ family line: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Perez (his mother was Tamar), Zezron, Ram, Amminadab, Nahshon, Salmon, Boaz (his mother was Rahab), Obed (his mother was Ruth), Jesse, David the king, Solomon (whose mother was Uriah’s wife), Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joram, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, Jeconiah and his brothers (at the time the people of Israel were carried away to Babylon), Shealtiel, Zerubbabel, Abiud, Eliakim, Azor, Zadok, Achim, Eliud, Eleazor, Matthan, Jacob and Joseph who was the husband of Mary. Mary was the mother of Jesus, who is called the Christ.

1:17  There were fourteen families from Abraham to David. There were fourteen families from David to the time the people were taken to Babylon. And there were fourteen families after that until Christ was born.

1:18  This is the way Jesus Christ was born. Mary, his mother, was promised to Joseph to be his wife. But before they were married, she found out that she was going to have a baby. It was by the Holy Spirit.

1:19  Joseph, the man she was to marry, was a good man. He did not want her to be made ashamed. So he planned to leave her without telling people about it.

1:20  While he was thinking about this, he had a dream. An angel of the Lord came to him. He said, ‘Joseph, David’s son, do not fear to take Mary to be your wife. Her baby is by the Holy Spirit.

1:21  She will have a baby son. Name him Jesus, because he will save his people from the wrong things they have done.’

1:22  All of this had been told long before by the Lord through his prophet. It came true.

1:23  The prophet said, ‘A young woman who has not slept with a man is going to have a baby son. His name will be Emmanuel. That means “God is with us.”’

1:24  Joseph woke up and did what the angel of the Lord told him to do. He took Mary to be his wife.

1:25  But he did not make love with her until her first son had been born. He named him Jesus.

Chapter 2

2:1  Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem, in the country of Judea. Herod was the king. After Jesus was born, wise men came from the east to Jerusalem.

2:2  They asked, ‘Where is the child who has been born to be King of the Jews? We saw his star rising and we have come to worship him.’

2:3  When King Herod heard this, he was very troubled. All the people in Jerusalem were troubled also.

2:4  He called all the chief priests and the scribes of the Jews for a meeting. He asked them, ‘Where is the Christ to be born?’

2:5  They told him, ‘In Bethlehem in Judea. That is what the prophet, the man of God long ago, wrote:

2:6  “Bethlehem in the country of Judah, you are not the least among the leaders in Judah. A leader will come from you who will rule over my people Israel.”’

2:7  Then Herod called the wise men to talk with them secretly. He found out from them what time they saw the star.

2:8  He sent them to Bethlehem. He said, ‘Go and ask everywhere until you find the child. When you have found him, come and tell me, so that I myself may go and worship him.’

2:9  After they heard what the king said, they went away. And the star, which they had seen rising, went in front of them. It stopped above the place where the child was.

2:10  When they saw the star, they were very glad.

2:11  They went into the house, and there they saw the child and Mary his mother. They kneeled down and worshipped him. Then they opened their bags and gave him gifts. These gifts were gold, and frankincense and myrrh.

2:12  In a dream they were told not to go back to Herod. So they went home by a different road.

2:13  After the wise men had gone, Joseph had a dream. An angel of the Lord came to him and said, ‘Get up. Take the child and his mother, and go quickly to the country of Egypt. Stay there till I tell you, because Herod will try to find the child and kill him.’

2:14  Joseph woke up. He took the child and his mother in the night and went to Egypt.

2:15  He stayed there until Herod died. What the Lord told through his prophet long ago, came true. He said ‘I called my son out of Egypt.’

2:16  Herod saw that the wise men had fooled him. He was very angry. He sent men to kill all the baby boys in the town of Bethlehem and around it. They killed all the boys who were two years old or less. Herod remembered what the wise men had told him about the time they first saw the star.

2:17  So what the prophet Jeremiah said, came true.

2:18  He said, ‘A voice could be heard in the town of Ramah. Rachel was crying for her children. She would not let anyone comfort her because her children were dead.’

2:19  Herod died. Then Joseph had a dream. An angel of the Lord came to him in Egypt.

2:20  The angel said, ‘Get up. Take the child and his mother and go to the country of Israel. The men who wanted to kill the child are dead.’

2:21  Joseph woke up. He took the child and his mother and went to the country of Israel.

2:22  But he heard that Archelaus was king of Judea in his father Herod’s place. So he was afraid to go there. In a dream he was told what to do. He went to the country of Galilee.

2:23  He went and made his home in the town of Nazareth. The prophets of God long ago had said, ‘He shall be called a man from Nazareth.’ What they said came true.

Chapter 3

3:1  After some years had passed, John the Baptizer came and told God’s word in the desert of Judea.

3:2  He said, ‘Stop doing wrong things and turn back to God! The kingdom of heaven is almost here.’

3:3  This is the man that Isaiah the prophet of God spoke about long ago. He said, ‘A man is calling in the wilderness, “Make the way ready for the Lord. Make the road straight for him.”’

3:4  John wore clothes made of camel’s hair and a leather belt. He ate locusts and wild honey.

3:5  People went to him from Jerusalem, from all of Judea, and from all the country near the Jordan River.

3:6  He baptised them in the Jordan River when they said how sorry they were for the wrong things they had done.

3:7  Many of the Pharisee group and the Sadducee group came to him to be baptised. But when he saw them, he said to them, ‘You family of snakes! Who told you to run away from God’s anger that is coming?

3:8  Stop your wrong ways to show that you have turned back to God.

3:9  Do not think you can say to yourselves, “Abraham is our father.” I tell you, God can make children for Abraham from these stones.

3:10  The axe is ready to cut down the trees. Every tree that does not have good fruit is cut down and thrown into a fire.

3:11  ‘I baptise you with water when you stop your wrong ways. But another person is coming after me. He is greater than I am. I am not good enough to take off his shoes. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

3:12  He has a cleaning fan in his hand and will fan his grain very clean. He will put the grain into his storehouse. But he will burn the chaff in the fire that never dies.’

3:13  Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan River. He came to John to be baptised by him.

3:14  John tried to stop him. He said, ‘I need to be baptised by you. Why do you come to me to be baptised?’

3:15  But Jesus answered, ‘Please do it now. In this way we shall do all that is right.’ Then John let him be baptised.

3:16  After Jesus was baptised, he came up out of the water right away. The sky opened. He saw the Spirit of God coming down on him like a dove.

3:17  A voice from the sky said, ‘This is my dear Son. I am very pleased with him.’

Chapter 4

4:1  Then the Spirit led Jesus into the desert. The devil tried to make Jesus do wrong.

4:2  Jesus did not eat anything for forty days and forty nights. Then he was very hungry.

4:3  The one who tries to make people do wrong came and said to him, ‘If you are God’s Son, tell these stones to be changed into bread.’

4:4  But Jesus answered him, ‘The holy writings say, “Man cannot live on bread only. He needs to live by every word that God says.”’

4:5  Then the devil took Jesus to the holy city. He put him on a high part of the temple.

4:6  The devil said to him, ‘If you are God’s Son, jump down. The holy writings say, “God will tell his angels to take care of you. They will hold you up in their hands so that you will not knock your foot on a stone.”’

4:7  Jesus answered him, ‘The holy writings say, “You must not test the Lord your God.”’

4:8  The devil took Jesus to a very high hill. He showed him all the countries of the world and how great they were.

4:9  He said to Jesus, ‘I will give you all these if you kneel down and worship me.’

4:10  But Jesus answered him, ‘Get away, Satan. The holy writings say, “You must worship the Lord your God, and he is the only one you are to worship.”’

4:11  Then the devil left Jesus. Angels came and took care of him.

4:12  Jesus heard that John was put in prison, so he went to Galilee.

4:13  He left the town of Nazareth and went to live in the town of Capernaum. It is by the sea (of Galilee) in the district of Zebulun and Naphtali.

4:14  So what the prophet Isaiah said came true.

4:15  He talked about, ‘The country of Zebulun and the country of Naphtali, the road by the sea, the land on the other side of the Jordan River, Galilee where the people are not Jews.’

4:16  And he said, ‘The people who lived in darkness have seen a great Light. Light has come to those who lived in a land covered by the dark shadow of death.’

4:17  From then on, Jesus began to tell God’s word to the people. He said, ‘Stop your wrong ways and turn back to God! The kingdom of heaven is here!’

4:18  Jesus was walking by the sea of Galilee. There he saw two brothers, Simon who later was named Peter, and his brother Andrew. They were throwing a fishing net into the water. Their work was to catch fish.

4:19  Jesus said to them, ‘Come with me. The work I will give you will be to catch people.’

4:20  Right away they left their nets and went with him.

4:21  Jesus went on from there and saw two other brothers, James and John. Their father’s name was Zebedee. They were in the boat with their father mending their nets.

4:22  Jesus called them. Right away they left the boat and their father and went with him.

4:23  Jesus went all around through Galilee. He taught people in their meeting houses and told them the good news about the kingdom of heaven. He healed all the sick and weak people.

4:24  The people in all the country of Syria heard about him. They brought all who were sick in any way, or had bad spirits in them, and those who could not walk or use their hands. Jesus healed them.

4:25  Many people went with him. They came from Galilee, the Ten Towns, Jerusalem, Judea, and from the other side of the Jordan river.

Chapter 5

5:1  When Jesus saw the many people, he went up on a hill. He sat down and his disciples came to him.

5:2  He began to teach the people.

5:3  He said, ‘God makes happy those who know that they need him. The kingdom of heaven is for them.

5:4  ‘God makes happy those who are sad. They will have comfort.

5:5  ‘God makes happy those who quietly trust him and do not try to get their own way. The world will belong to them.

5:6  ‘God makes happy those who are hungry and thirsty for what is right and good. They will be filled.

5:7  ‘God makes happy those who are kind. He will be kind to them.

5:8  ‘God makes happy those who have clean hearts. They will see God.

5:9  ‘God makes happy those who make peace between people. They will be called God’s sons.

5:10  ‘God makes happy those who have trouble for doing what is right. The kingdom of heaven is for them.

5:11  ‘God makes you happy when people say wrong things about you, when they trouble you, and when they say all kinds of lies about you. God makes you happy when it is for my sake.

5:12  Be happy and glad because God will be good to you in heaven. In the same way people troubled the prophets before your time.’

5:13  ‘You are like salt in the world. If salt has lost its taste, how can it be made salty again? Salt that has no taste is good for nothing. The only thing to do is to throw it out on the road.

5:14  ‘You are like light in the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden.

5:15  So also with a lamp. People do not light a lamp and put it under a basket. But they put it on the place for a lamp. Then all the people in the house can see its light.

5:16  So, let your light shine to all people. Then they will see the good things you do. And they will praise your Father in heaven.’

5:17  ‘Do not think that I have come to take away the law and the writings of the prophets. No, I have not come to take them away. But I have come to do what they say must be done.

5:18  I tell you the truth. Until the sky and the earth are taken away, not one small part of the law will be taken away, until everything has been done.

5:19  So anyone who does not obey one of the smallest laws, and teaches other people not to obey it, will have the smallest part in the kingdom of heaven. But any one who obeys and teaches the law, will have a big part in the kingdom of heaven.

5:20  I tell you, you must do much better than the scribes and Pharisees. If you do not, then you will never go into the kingdom of heaven.’

5:21  ‘You have heard this said to men long ago, “Do not kill. Anyone who kills will be judged in court.”

5:22  ‘But I tell you this. Anyone who is angry with his brother without having a good reason, will be judged in court. Anyone who says wrong things to his brother will be judged for it in the big court. Anyone who says “You fool!” will be judged to go into hell fire.

5:23  ‘Perhaps you are bringing your gift to God at his altar. There you remember that your brother has something against you.

5:24  If so, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First, go to your brother and make things right with him. Then come and give your gift to God.

5:25  ‘If someone wants to take you to court, make an agreement with him quickly on the way. If you do not, he will take you to the judge. The judge will give you to the guard, and the guard will put you in prison.

5:26  I tell you the truth, you will not get out of prison until you have paid every piece of money.’

5:27  ‘You have heard that the law says, “Do not commit adultery.”

5:28  But I tell you that if a man looks at a woman and he wants her, then he has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

5:29  ‘If your right eye makes you do wrong, take it out and throw it away. It is better to lose a part of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

5:30  If your right hand makes you do wrong, cut it off and throw it away. It is better to lose a part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell fire.

5:31  ‘The law said, “Any man who does not want to keep his wife must give her a paper to tell others she is no longer his wife.”

5:32  But I tell you, no man may send away his wife unless she has committed adultery. If he does send her away, he is making her commit adultery. And if a man marries a woman who has been sent away from her husband, he commits adultery.’

5:33  ‘Also you have heard this said to men long ago, “You must not make a promise in God’s name and break it.” And, “You must do for the Lord what you said you would do.”

5:34  ‘But I tell you, do not make a promise in God’s name. Do not use the name of heaven, because that is where God rules.

5:35  Do not use the name of earth, because that is where God rests his feet. Do not use the name of Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King.

5:36  Do not make a promise by your head, because you cannot make one hair of your head white or black.

5:37  You must mean “Yes” when you say “Yes”. You must mean “No” when you say “No”. To say anything more than that is wrong.’

5:38  ‘You have heard that the law says, “Take an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.”

5:39  But I tell you, do not fight with anyone who does wrong to you. But if someone hits you on one side of your face, turn the other side to him also.

5:40  ‘If anyone takes you to court to get your shirt, let him have your coat also.

5:41  If anyone wants you to help carry a load, go with him twice as far.

5:42  When someone asks you for something, give it to him. When someone wants to borrow something from you, let him have it.’

5:43  ‘You have heard that the law says, “Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.”

5:44  But I tell you, love your enemies. Ask God to do good to those who trouble you.

5:45  In that way you will be sons of your Father in heaven. He makes his sun shine on both wrong and good people. He lets the rain fall on people who do right and on people who do wrong.

5:46  If you love only those who love you, what reward will you get? Even the tax collectors do that.

5:47  Do you speak to your brothers only? If so, you are not doing any better than other people. Even people who do not believe in God do that.

5:48  You must be good in every way, as your Father in heaven is good in every way.’

Chapter 6

6:1  Do not do good things so that people will see you do them. If you do, you will get no reward from your Father in heaven.

6:2  ‘So when you give money to poor people, do not send men in front of you to blow trumpets or horns. Some people do this in the meeting houses and on the streets so that people will praise them. They are not true to themselves. I tell you the truth. They have their pay already.

6:3  But when you give money to poor people, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.

6:4  In this way, what you give to the poor will be secret. Your Father sees secret things and he will reward you.

6:5  ‘When you talk to God, do not be like people who are not true to themselves. They like to stand and talk to God in the meeting houses and at the street corners, so that people will see them. I tell you the truth. They have their reward already.

6:6  But when you talk to God, go into your room and shut the door. Then talk to your Father in secret. Your Father sees secret things and he will reward you.

6:7  ‘And when you talk to God, do not say words that mean nothing, over and over again. People who do not believe in God do that. They think their god will hear them because they say many words.

6:8  Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

6:9  So talk to your God like this: “Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.

6:10  “May your kingdom come. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

6:11  “Give us our food for today.

6:12  “Forgive us for the wrong things we have done, the way we forgive those who have done wrong things to us.

6:13  “Do not test us but help us, so that no one will make us do wrong. Deliver us from the evil one. The kingdom and power and praise belong to you for ever. Amen!”

6:14  ‘If you forgive others for the wrong things they have done, then your Father in heaven will forgive you.

6:15  But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you for the wrong things you have done.’

6:16  ‘When you are fasting, do not look sad. That is what people do who are not true to themselves. They look sad to show people they are fasting. I tell you the truth. They have their reward already.

6:17  But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face as you do at other times.

6:18  Then people will not see that you are fasting. But your Father sees secret things, and he will reward you.’

6:19  ‘Do not keep many things for yourself on earth. Insects and rust will spoil them. People will get in and steal them.

6:20  But keep things for yourself in heaven. Insects and rust will not spoil them there. People will not get in and steal them.

6:21  The place where you keep things is where your heart will be also.’

6:22  ‘The body gets its light through the eyes. If you have good eyes, all your body will have light.

6:23  But if your eyes are bad, all your body will be in darkness. If the light in you is dark, it will be very dark for you.’

6:24  ‘No man can work for two masters. He will hate one and love the other. Or he will obey one and despise the other. You cannot work for both God and money.

6:25  ‘So, I tell you this. Do not be troubled about what you will eat or drink to keep alive. Do not be troubled about what you will wear on your body. Life itself is worth more than food, and the body is worth more than clothes.

6:26  ‘Look at the birds that fly in the air. They do not plant or cut or keep any food. Yet your Father in heaven feeds them. Are you not worth more than birds?

6:27  Can any one of you live any longer by troubling yourself about these things?

6:28  And why are you troubled about clothes? See how the flowers grow in the fields. They do not work or make cloth.

6:29  I tell you, King Solomon was a great man. But he was not dressed as fine as one of these flowers.

6:30  God dresses the grass in the fields so it looks nice. It is in the field one day and the next day it is put on the fire. If God dresses the grass like that, he cares much more that you have clothes to wear. You do not believe in God very much!

6:31  ‘So then, do not keep asking, “What shall we eat?” “What shall we drink?” and “What shall we wear?”

6:32  It is the people who do not believe in God who work for all these things. Your Father in heaven knows that you need them all.

6:33  ‘Work first for God’s kingdom and what he calls good. Then you will have all these things also.

6:34  ‘So do not be troubling yourself about tomorrow. Tomorrow will have its own trouble. Today’s trouble is enough for today.’

Chapter 7

7:1  Do not judge others, then you will not be judged.

7:2  The way you judge others, that is the way you will be judged. How much you give to others is how much will be given to you.

7:3  ‘Why do you look at the spot of dust in your brother’s eye? But you do not see a big stick in your own eye!

7:4  Why do you say to your brother, “Let me take the dust out of your eye”? And all the time you have that stick in your own eye!

7:5  You are not true to yourselves! First take the stick out of your own eye. Then you will be able to see to take the dust out of your brother’s eye.

7:6  ‘Do not give what is holy to dogs. Do not throw your fine stones to pigs. They will walk all over them, and then turn and hurt you.’

7:7  ‘Ask, and you will get what you ask for. Look, and you will find what you look for. Knock, and the door will be opened for you.

7:8  Everyone who asks will get. The one who looks will find. And the one who knocks will have the door opened for him.

7:9  ‘If your son asks for bread, will any of you give him a stone?

7:10  Or if he asks for a fish, will you give him a snake?

7:11  You are wrong, and yet you know how to give good things to your children. Much more, your Father in heaven will give good things to those who ask him.

7:12  ‘Do to other people what you want them to do to you. That is what the law and the writings of the prophets say.’

7:13  ‘Go in by the small gate. The gate is big and the road is wide that goes to death. Many people go that way.

7:14  The gate is small and the road is not wide that goes to life. Not many people find it.’

7:15  ‘Take care. There are prophets who are not true. They come to you dressed like sheep, but inside they are like wolves, bad animals that kill sheep.

7:16  You will know them by the things they do. People do not pick fruit like grapes from thistles. They do not pick fruit like figs from thorn trees.

7:17  In the same way, every good tree has good fruit. But a bad tree has bad fruit.

7:18  A good tree cannot have bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot have good fruit.

7:19  Every tree that does not have good fruit is cut down and thrown into a fire.

7:20  So you will know them by the things they do, good or bad fruit.’

7:21  ‘Some people say to me, “Lord, Lord”. But not all who say that will go into the kingdom of heaven. Only those who do what my Father in heaven wants, will go in.

7:22  Many people will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not speak in your name? Did we not drive bad spirits out of people in your name? Did we not do big works in your name?”

7:23  Then I will say to them, “I never knew you. Go away from me! What you do is very wrong!”’

7:24  ‘Everyone who hears what I say and obeys me will be like a man who has good sense. He built his house on a rock.

7:25  It rained hard. The water in the rivers came up high. The winds were strong and beat on the house. But it did not fall down. It was built on a rock.

7:26  But everyone who hears what I say and does not obey me, will be like a man who has no sense. He built his house on the sand.

7:27  It rained hard. The water in the rivers came up high. The winds were strong and beat on the house. It fell down with a loud noise!’

7:28  Jesus finished saying all these things. The people were surprised at his teaching.

7:29  He taught them as if he had the right to teach them. He did not teach like their scribes.

Chapter 8

8:1  When Jesus came down from the hill, many people followed him.

8:2  A man who had leprosy came and kneeled in front of Jesus and worshipped him. He said to Jesus, ‘Sir, I know you can heal me if you want to.’

8:3  Jesus put out his hand and touched him. He said, ‘I want to. Be healed.’ Right away his leprosy was healed.

8:4  Jesus said to him, ‘Do not tell anyone about this. But go and let the priest look at you. Moses gave a law about the sacrifice you must give when you are healed. Give it, to prove to people you are healed.’

8:5  When Jesus came to the town of Capernaum, a Roman army officer came to ask him for help.

8:6  He said, ‘Sir, one of my servants is in bed at my house. He cannot move and has much pain.’

8:7  Jesus said, ‘I will come and heal him.’

8:8  The officer said, ‘Sir, I am not good enough to have you come into my house. Just say the word and my servant will be healed.

8:9  I myself am a man who takes orders, and I have soldiers who take orders from me. I say to one, “Go,” and he goes. I say to another one, “Come,” and he comes. I say to my servant, “Do this,” and he does it.’

8:10  Jesus was surprised when he heard this. He said to the people who followed him, ‘I tell you the truth. I have not found any Jew who believes as this man does.

8:11  I tell you, many people will come from the east and from the west. They will sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

8:12  But those who were born in the kingdom will be put into the darkness outside. There they will cry and make noises with their teeth.’

8:13  Jesus said to the officer, ‘Go home. What you have believed, will be done.’ At that very same time the officer’s servant was healed.

8:14  Jesus went into Peter’s house. There he saw the mother of Peter’s wife in bed, sick with fever.

8:15  Jesus took hold of her hand and the fever left her. She got up and began to do things for Jesus.

8:16  That evening, many people who had bad spirits were brought to Jesus. He spoke to the bad spirits and drove them out. And he healed all the people who were sick.

8:17  What the prophet Isaiah said came true. He said, ‘He took away the things that made us weak. He took away the things that made us sick.’

8:18  Jesus saw many people around him. So he said, ‘Let us cross over to the other side of the sea.’

8:19  A scribe came and said to him, ‘Teacher, I will go anywhere you go.’

8:20  Jesus said, ‘Foxes have holes to live in. Birds have nests. But the Son of Man has no place to lie down to rest.’

8:21  Another man who was a follower of Jesus, said to Jesus, ‘Lord, let me go first and bury my father.’

8:22  But Jesus said to him, ‘Come with me. Let those who are dead bury their own dead people.’

8:23  Jesus got in the boat and his disciples got in with him.

8:24  A bad storm came on the sea. The waves were high. Water came into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.

8:25  The disciples came to Jesus and woke him. ‘Lord, save us!’ they shouted. ‘We will die!’

8:26  Jesus said to them, ‘Why do you fear? You do not believe in God very much!’ Then Jesus got up. He said to the winds and the sea, ‘Stop!’ Then all was quiet.

8:27  The disciples were surprised. They said ‘What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey him.’

8:28  Jesus came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarene people. There were graves in that place. Two men came from among the graves to meet him. They had bad spirits in them. They were so bad and strong that people feared to pass that way.

8:29  They shouted, ‘Jesus, Son of God, what do you want to do to us? Have you come here to punish us before it is our time?’

8:30  Many pigs were eating in a place far from them.

8:31  The bad spirits begged Jesus, ‘If you drive us out of these men, let us go into the pigs.’

8:32  Jesus said, ‘Go!’ The spirits came out of the men and went into the pigs. All the pigs ran fast down the steep hill into the sea. They died in the water.

8:33  The men who cared for the pigs ran to the town. They told everything and what had happened to the men who had the bad spirits.

8:34  All the people in the town came out to meet Jesus. When they saw him, they begged him to go away out of their country

Chapter 9

9:1  Jesus got in the boat and crossed the sea. He came to his own town.

9:2  Some men brought a sick man to him. The man could not move his arms or legs. He was lying on a bed. Jesus saw that they believed he would be healed. So he said to the sick man, ‘My son, be glad! The wrong things you have done are forgiven.’

9:3  Some of the scribes were thinking, ‘This man is not giving respect to God.’

9:4  Jesus knew what they were thinking. He said, ‘Why do you think these wrong things in your heart?

9:5  Which is easier, to say, “The wrong things you have done are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up and walk”?

9:6  I want you to know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive wrong things people have done.’ So he said to the sick man, ‘Get up. Make up your bed and go home.’

9:7  The man got up and went home.

9:8  Many people saw this and were much surprised. They praised God who had given such power to men.

9:9  Jesus went on from there. He saw a man named Matthew. He was sitting at the place where people came to pay taxes. Jesus said to him, ‘Come with me.’ Matthew stood up and went with him.

9:10  Jesus was eating in a house. Many tax collectors and bad people came in. They sat down to eat with Jesus and his disciples.

9:11  The Pharisees saw this. They said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and bad people?’

9:12  Jesus heard it. He said to them, ‘People who are well do not need a doctor. But sick people need him.

9:13  Go and learn what this means: “I want you to be kind. I do not want a sacrifice.” I did not come to call good people. I came to call bad people to stop doing wrong things.’

9:14  Then John’s disciples came to Jesus. They said, ‘We and the Pharisees fast. Why do your disciples not do the same?’

9:15  Jesus answered, ‘The people at a wedding cannot be sad while the man who is married is with them. But the time will come when he will be taken away from them. Then they will not eat.

9:16  No one sews a piece of new cloth on an old coat. If he does, the new cloth will tear the old coat. Then the hole is bigger than it was before.

9:17  ‘People do not put new wine into old wine skins. If they do, the old skins break. The wine is lost and the skins are spoiled. New wine is put into new skins. And so they are both saved.’

9:18  While Jesus was telling them these things, a ruler came to him. He bowed down in front of Jesus to worship him and said, ‘My daughter has just died. But if you will come and put your hand on her, she will live.’

9:19  Jesus got up and went with the ruler. His disciples went too.

9:20  A woman had a sickness for twelve years. She was bleeding all the time. She came behind Jesus and touched his clothes.

9:21  She said to herself, ‘If only I touch his clothes, I will be well.’

9:22  Jesus turned around. He saw her and said, ‘Daughter, be glad. You were healed because you believed.’ And right away the woman was healed.

9:23  When Jesus came to the ruler’s house, he saw the music players and people making a noise.

9:24  He said to them, ‘Go away. The girl is not dead, but sleeping.’ They laughed at him.

9:25  The people were told to go outside. When they were out, he went in and took the girl’s hand. The girl got up.

9:26  People in all that part of the country heard about it.

9:27  When Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him. They called out, ‘Son of David, help us!’

9:28  When Jesus came into the house, the blind men came to him. Jesus asked them, ‘Do you believe that I can do this?’ They said, ‘Yes, sir.’

9:29  Then Jesus touched their eyes. He said, ‘As you believed, so will it happen to you.’

9:30  Then they were able to see. Jesus said to them, ‘Take care, do not tell anyone about this.’

9:31  But they went away and told everybody in that part of the country about him.

9:32  As they were leaving, people brought a man to Jesus. This man could not talk He had a bad spirit in him.

9:33  Jesus drove the bad spirit out of the man. Then he could talk. The people were very much surprised. They said, ‘Nothing like this has ever been seen in the country of Israel.’

9:34  But the Pharisees said, ‘He drives bad spirits out of people by the power of the chief of bad spirits.’

9:35  Jesus went around to all the cities and towns. He taught people in their meeting houses and told them the good news of the kingdom of heaven. He healed all the sick and weak people.

9:36  He saw the many people and was sorry for them. They were troubled and they could not help themselves. They were like sheep with no one to care for them.

9:37  Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is much. But there are not many people to gather it.

9:38  Talk to the Lord of this harvest, and ask him to send out people to his harvest.’

Chapter 10

10:1  Jesus called his twelve disciples to him. He gave them power over bad spirits so they could drive them out of people. He gave them power to heal people who were sick or weak in any way.

10:2  The names of the twelve apostles are: Simon, whose other name was Peter, and his brother Andrew, James and his brother John, the sons of Zebedee, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector, James, the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose other name was Thaddaeus, Simon, the freedom fighter, and Judas Iscariot, the one who gave Jesus over to people who hated him.

10:3  The names of the twelve apostles are: Simon, whose other name was Peter, and his brother Andrew, James and his brother John, the sons of Zebedee, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector, James, the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose other name was Thaddaeus, Simon, the freedom fighter, and Judas Iscariot, the one who gave Jesus over to people who hated him.

10:4  The names of the twelve apostles are: Simon, whose other name was Peter, and his brother Andrew, James and his brother John, the sons of Zebedee, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector, James, the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose other name was Thaddaeus, Simon, the freedom fighter, and Judas Iscariot, the one who gave Jesus over to people who hated him.

10:5  Jesus sent out these twelve. He said to them, ‘Do not go to the people who are not Jews. Do not go to any town of the Samaritan people.

10:6  But go to the people of Israel. They are like lost sheep.

10:7  As you go, tell people that the kingdom of heaven is here.

10:8  Heal sick people. Bring dead people to life. Heal people who have leprosy. Drive bad spirits out of people You got it free, so give it free to others

10:9  Do not take gold, silver, or brass money with you.

10:10  Do not take a bag with you, and do not take two shirts, shoes, or a walking stick. The one who does the work should be given his food.

10:11  When you come to any city or town, ask who there is able to have you. Then live there until you leave the town.

10:12  When you go into the house, greet the family with a blessing.

10:13  If the family is all right, let your blessing stay on it. If it is not all right, take your blessing away.

10:14  In some places people will not take you in, or listen to what you say. So when you leave that house or town, shake the dust off your feet.

10:15  I tell you the truth. On the day when people are judged, the people from that city will be punished harder than the people from the country of Sodom and Gomorrah.’

10:16  ‘I am sending you out amongst people. You will be like sheep amongst bad animals like wolves. So be wise like snakes, and harmless like doves.

10:17  But take care. Men will take you to their courts. They will beat you in their meeting houses.

10:18  They will bring you to rulers and kings for my sake. Then you will talk about me to them and to those who are not Jews.

10:19  When men take you to court, do not be troubled about what you will say. What you are to say will come to your mind at the right time.

10:20  It is not you who speak. But it is the Spirit of your Father who is speaking through you.

10:21  A brother will take his brother to be killed. A father will take his child. The children will talk against their father and mother, and have them killed.

10:22  Everyone will hate you because you are true to me. But the person who keeps on being true to me until the end, will be saved.

10:23  When they trouble you in one town, go to another. I tell you the truth. You will not go to all the towns in Israel before the Son of Man comes.

10:24  ‘The one who learns is not better than his teacher. And the servant is not better than his master.

10:25  The one who learns should want to be like his teacher. And the servant should want to be like his master. If they say the master belongs to the devil, they will say it all the more about those who work for him.’

10:26  ‘So do not be afraid of people. Everything that is hidden will be seen. Everything that is hidden will be known.

10:27  What I say to you in the dark, tell it in the light. What you hear in secret, shout to others from the tops of the houses.

10:28  Do not fear people who can kill the body. They cannot kill the spirit. But fear the one who can destroy both spirit and body in hell.

10:29  Are not two sparrows worth only a small amount of money? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father knowing about it.

10:30  Even the number of hairs on your head is known.

10:31  So do not fear. You are worth more than many sparrows.’

10:32  ‘If anyone tells people that he knows me, I will also tell the Father in heaven that I know him.

10:33  But anyone who tells people he does not know me, I will also tell my Father in heaven that I do not know him.’

10:34  ‘Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but war.

10:35  I came to take away peace between a man and his father. I came to take away peace between a daughter and her mother. I came to take away peace between a man’s wife and his mother.

10:36  A man will have people in his own family who make trouble for him.

10:37  Anyone who loves his father or his mother more than he loves me, is not good enough for me. Anyone who loves his son or his daughter more than he loves me, is not good enough for me.

10:38  Anyone who is not willing to carry his cross and suffer with me, is not good enough for me.

10:39  Anyone who tries to keep his life, will lose it. Anyone who gives up his life for my sake, will find it.’

10:40  ‘Anyone who takes you in, takes me in. And anyone who takes me in, takes in the one who sent me.

10:41  Anyone who takes in a prophet because he is a prophet of God will get a prophet’s reward.

10:42  And if any one as a disciple gives a drink of cold water to one of my children, he will not lose his reward. I tell you the truth.’

Chapter 11

11:1  When Jesus finished telling his twelve disciples what to do, he left that place. He went to teach and tell God’s word to people in the towns around there.

11:2  John was in prison. He heard what Christ was doing. So he sent two of his disciples to him.

11:3  He asked, ‘Are you the one who will come? Or shall we wait for another person?’

11:4  Jesus answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you hear and see.

11:5  Blind people see. Lame people walk. People with leprosy are healed. People who could not hear, can hear. Dead people are made alive. Poor people hear the good news.

11:6  Anyone who is not troubled in his heart about me, will be happy.’

11:7  When John’s disciples went away, Jesus began to talk to people about John. He said, ‘What did you go out into the wilderness to see? Did you go out to see a tall grass moved by the wind?

11:8  What did you go out to see? A man wearing fine clothes? People who wear fine clothes live in kings’ houses.

11:9  Why did you go out? To see a prophet of God? Yes, I tell you, and he is much more than a prophet.

11:10  He is the man the holy writings tell about. “See, I send my messenger ahead of you. He will make the way ready for you.”

11:11  ‘I tell you the truth. No one has ever been born who is greater than John the Baptizer. And yet the smallest one in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

11:12  From the time of John until now, people try hard to break into the kingdom of heaven. And strong people take hold of it.

11:13  All the prophets and the books of the law gave God’s word until John came.

11:14  If you will believe it, this man is the Elijah who would come.

11:15  Everyone who has ears, listen.

11:16  ‘What shall I say that the people of today are like? They are like children who sit in the market. They call to the other children.

11:17  They say, “We played music for you, but you did not dance. We cried, but you did not cry.”

11:18  John came. He does not eat or drink much. People say, “He has a bad spirit in him!”

11:19  The Son of Man came. He eats and drinks. People say, “This man eats and drinks too much! He is a friend with tax collectors and bad people!” But a man is proved to be wise by what he has done.’

11:20  Then Jesus began to talk about the towns where he had done most of his big works. He said hard things about the people, because they did not stop their wrong ways and turn back to God.

11:21  He said, ‘Chorazin! You will have trouble! Bethsaida! You will have trouble! If the big works I did in you had been done in the cities of Tyre and Sidon, the people there would have stopped their wrong ways long ago. They would wear the clothes people wear to show they are sad. They would sit in ashes.

11:22  But I tell you, on the day when people are judged, you will be punished harder than the people from the cities of Tyre and Sidon.

11:23  Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the sky? No, you will go down to death. If the big things I did in you had been done in the city of Sodom, it would be standing now.

11:24  But I tell you, on the day when people are judged you will be punished harder than the people from Sodom.’

11:25  Then Jesus said, ‘Father, you are Lord of heaven and earth. I thank you because you have hidden these things from people who are wise and know many things. But you have shown them to people who are like children.

11:26  Yes, Father, that was the way you wanted it.’

11:27  He said, ‘My Father has given everything to me. No one knows who the Son is but the Father. No one knows who the Father is but the Son and those to whom the Son wants to show him.

11:28  All you who work hard! All you who carry heavy loads! Come to me! I will give you rest.

11:29  Do what I tell you. Learn what I teach you. I am gentle. I am not proud. Then your hearts will rest.

11:30  What I tell you to do is easy. What I give you to carry is not heavy.’

Chapter 12

12:1  About that time, Jesus was walking through the grain fields on a Sabbath day. His disciples were hungry. They began to pick some of the grain and to eat it.

12:2  The Pharisees saw them. They said to Jesus, ‘Look! Your disciples are doing what is not right on the Sabbath day.’

12:3  But Jesus said to them, ‘Have you not read what David did? He and his men who were with him were hungry.

12:4  He went into God’s house. Some bread was there for God. David’s men ate it. David did not have the right to eat it, nor the men who were with him. Only the priests have the right to eat it. But David took the bread and ate it. He also gave some of it to the men who were with him.

12:5  ‘Have you never read in the books of the law that the priests in the temple break the Sabbath law on the Sabbath day? They are not punished for it.

12:6  I tell you, there is someone here who is greater than the temple.

12:7  ‘You do not know what this means, “I want you to be kind; I do not want a sacrifice.” If you knew, then you would not have said what they did was wrong. What they did was not wrong.

12:8  The Son of Man rules over the Sabbath day.’

12:9  Jesus left that place and went into the meeting house.

12:10  There was a man whose hand was thin and weak. The people asked Jesus, ‘Is it right to heal a man on the Sabbath day?’ They wanted to find something wrong about Jesus.

12:11  Jesus said to them, ‘If one of you had a sheep and it fell into a hole on the Sabbath day, would you not take hold of it and pull it out?

12:12  A man is worth much more than a sheep. So it is right to do good things on the Sabbath day.’

12:13  Then he said to the man, ‘Hold out your hand.’ The man held out his hand and it was made well like the other hand.

12:14  Then the Pharisees went out and planned together how to kill Jesus.

12:15  Jesus knew about their plan, so he went away from there. Many people followed him and he healed them all.

12:16  He told them not to tell where he was.

12:17  So what Isaiah the prophet of God said, came true.

12:18  He said, ‘This is my servant. I have chosen him. I love him. I am very pleased with him. I will put my Spirit on him. He will judge the people who are not Jews.

12:19  He will not fight or shout. No one will hear his voice in the streets.

12:20  He will not break a stick that is already bent. He will not put out a light that burns only a little. What is right will win, because he will make it win.

12:21  Those who are not Jews will believe in him.’

12:22  Then the people brought a man to Jesus. The man had a bad spirit in him. He was blind and could not talk. Jesus healed him. Then the man could talk and see.

12:23  All the people were surprised. They said, ‘Is he David’s son?’

12:24  The Pharisees heard about it. They said, ‘This man drives out bad spirits by the help of Beelzebub, the chief of bad spirits.’

12:25  Jesus knew what they were thinking. He said to them, ‘If one part of any country fights against the other part of the country, that country is broken down. If one part of any city or family fights against the other part of it, it cannot stand.

12:26  If Satan drives out Satan, he fights against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?

12:27  If I drive out bad spirits by Beelzebub, how do your own people drive them out? Let them judge you.

12:28  But if I drive out bad spirits by God’s Spirit, then God’s kingdom is here with you now.

12:29  ‘If anyone wants to go into a strong man’s house and steal his things, he must first tie the strong man. Then he can steal his things.

12:30  ‘Anyone who is not with me, is against me. Anyone who does not work with me is working against me.

12:31  ‘That is why I tell you this. All wrong things that people do or say, will be forgiven. But people who say wrong things against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven.

12:32  Anyone who says anything against the Son of Man will be forgiven. But anyone who says anything against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. He will not be forgiven in this world or in the next world.’

12:33  ‘Either make a tree good and its fruit good, or make a tree bad and its fruit bad. People know what kind of tree it is by the fruit on it.

12:34  You family of snakes! How can you say good things? You are wrong! The mouth will say what is in the heart.

12:35  A good man has stored up good things in his heart, so he will say good things. A bad man has stored up wrong things in his heart, so he will say wrong things.

12:36  I tell you this. On the day when people are judged, they will pay for every empty word they have said.

12:37  Because of your words, you will be called good. Or because of your words, you will be punished.’

12:38  Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, ‘Teacher, we want you to show us a sign.’

12:39  But Jesus answered them, ‘The people today are bad. They have gone away from God. They want a sign. No sign will be given them but the sign of the prophet Jonah.

12:40  Jonah was inside the big sea animal for three days and three nights. So the Son of Man will be in the ground for three days and three nights.

12:41  When people are judged, the men of the city of Nineveh will stand up and speak against the people of today. The people of Nineveh stopped their wrong ways when Jonah told them God’s word. And the one who is here is greater than Jonah.

12:42  When people are judged, the Queen of the South will stand up and speak against the people of today. She came a long way to hear the wise talk of Solomon. And the one who is here is greater than Solomon.’

12:43  ‘When a bad spirit has gone out of a man, he goes through dry places. He looks for a place to rest, but he does not find any.

12:44  Then he says, “I will go back to my house from where I came.” When he comes back, he finds it is empty, clean, and all fixed up.

12:45  Then he goes and brings seven other spirits with him. They are worse than he is. They go in and live there. Now the man is worse than he was at first. That is how it will be for the wrong people of today.’

12:46  While Jesus was still talking to the people, his mother and brothers stood outside. They wanted to talk to him.

12:47  Someone told him, ‘Your mother and your brothers are standing outside. They want to talk to you.’

12:48  But to the man who told him, he said, ‘Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?’

12:49  He pointed to his disciples and said, ‘These people are my mother and my brothers!

12:50  Anyone who obeys my Father in heaven is my brother, my sister, and my mother.’

Chapter 13

13:1  That day Jesus left the house and sat down by the sea side.

13:2  Many people came to where he was. So he got into a boat and sat down. All the people stood on the land by the water.

13:3  He taught the people many things by telling them stories. He said, ‘Listen, a man went out to sow some seed.

13:4  As he sowed it, some of the seed fell on the road. Birds came and ate the seed.

13:5  Some seed fell on the stony ground. Not much earth covered the stones. The seed started to grow right away because it was not deep in the ground.

13:6  When the sun began to shine, it was too hot for the new plants. They died because they had no roots.

13:7  Some seed fell among the weeds. The weeds grew up and made the new plants die.

13:8  But some seed fell on good ground. The seed grew and the plants gave more seed. Some plants gave thirty seeds. Some gave sixty. And some gave a hundred.

13:9  Everyone who has ears, listen!’

13:10  The disciples came to Jesus and asked him, ‘Why do you tell the people these stories?’

13:11  Jesus answered them, ‘You can learn the secret things about the kingdom of heaven. But they cannot learn them.

13:12  Anyone who already has something will get more, and he will have plenty. But he who does not have anything, even the little that he has will be taken away from him.

13:13  That is why I tell them stories. They look, but they do not see. They listen, but they do not hear or understand.

13:14  They make what Isaiah the prophet said long ago, come true. ‘Isaiah said: “You will listen and listen, but you will not understand. You will look and look, but you will not see.

13:15  The hearts of these people have no feeling. They do not hear well with their ears. And they have shut their eyes. They do not want to see with their eyes. They do not want to hear with their ears. They do not want to understand in their hearts. They do not want to turn to me. If they did turn, I would heal them.”

13:16  ‘God is blessing your eyes because they see. God is blessing your ears because they hear.

13:17  I tell you the truth. Many prophets and good men wanted to see what you see, but they did not see them. They wanted to hear what you hear, but they did not hear them.

13:18  ‘So listen to hear what the story means, about the man who sowed the seed.’

13:19  ‘People listen to the message about the kingdom of heaven. If anyone does not understand it, the devil comes along and takes the message out of his heart. That person is like the seed which fell on the road.

13:20  Some seed fell on the stony ground. That is like a person who hears the message and right away he is glad to hear it.

13:21  But it does not go down deep in his heart. He believes it for a short time. When trouble or a hard time comes because of the message, he stops believing.

13:22  Some seed fell among the weeds. That is like the person who hears the message. But he thinks about the things of this world. He wants to get money to be happy. These things push the message out of his heart. No good comes from it.

13:23  Some seed fell on good ground. That is like a person who hears the message and understands it. Much good comes from it. Some people are like the seed that gave a hundred more seeds. Some people are like the seed that gave sixty. Some people are like the seed that gave thirty.’

13:24  Jesus told the people another story. He said, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like this. A man sowed good seed in his field.

13:25  While people were sleeping, a bad man came and sowed weeds among the good seed. Then he went away.

13:26  The good seed grew and the plants gave more seeds. Then the weeds grew too.

13:27  The servants came and said to the man who owned the field, “Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How did the weeds get here?”

13:28  ‘He answered them, “A bad man has done this.” They asked him, “Do you want us to go and pull up the weeds?”

13:29  ‘“No,” said the man. “If you pull up the weeds, then the good plants will come up with them.

13:30  Let them both grow together until the harvest time. When it is time to cut it, I will say to the men who cut it, ‘Cut the weeds first. Tie them in bundles to be burned. Then put the grain into my storehouse.’”’

13:31  Jesus told the people another story. He said, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like this. A man took a mustard seed and planted it in his field.

13:32  A mustard seed is the smallest of all seeds. But the plant that grows from it is bigger than other plants. It is like a tree. It is so big that birds come and live in the branches.’

13:33  Jesus told them another story. He said, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like this. A woman took yeast and mixed it with many cups of flour. The yeast went all through the flour.’

13:34  Jesus told the people all these things in stories. He did not tell them anything without a story.

13:35  What the prophet of God said long ago, came true. He said, ‘I will use stories. I will tell things that have been secret since the world was made.’

13:36  Then Jesus left the people and went into the house. His disciples came to him. They said, ‘Tell us the meaning of the story about the weeds in the field.’

13:37  Jesus answered, ‘The person who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.

13:38  The field is the world. The good seed means the people who belong to the kingdom. The weeds mean those who belong to the bad one.

13:39  The bad man who planted the weeds is the devil. The harvest time is the end of this world. The men who cut the harvest are angels.

13:40  The weeds are gathered and burned in a fire. That is the way it will be at the end of the world.

13:41  The Son of Man will send his angels. They will gather everything that is bad and the people who do bad things. They will take them out of his kingdom.

13:42  They will put them into the big fire. There they will cry and make a noise with their teeth.

13:43  Then the people who are right with God will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. Everyone who has ears, listen.’

13:44  ‘The kingdom of heaven is like this. Something worth a lot of money is buried in a field. A man found it and covered it again. He was so glad that he went and sold everything he had. Then he bought that field.’

13:45  ‘The kingdom of heaven is like this. A trader was looking for fine stones called pearls.

13:46  He found a pearl that was worth a lot of money. Then he went and sold everything he had and bought it.’

13:47  ‘The kingdom of heaven is like this. A fish net was thrown into the sea. It caught all kinds of fish.

13:48  When it was full, the men pulled it to the land. They sat down and picked out the good fish into baskets. But they threw the bad fish away.

13:49  That is the way it will be at the end of the world. The angels will come and take the bad people away from the good people.

13:50  They will put the bad people into the never-ending hell fire. There they will cry and make a noise with their teeth.’

13:51  Jesus asked, ‘Have you understood all these stories?’ The disciples said, ‘Yes.’

13:52  Then Jesus said to them, ‘So anyone who knows the law and has learned about the kingdom of heaven, is like the headman of a house. He can bring both new things and old things out of what he has stored up.’

13:53  When Jesus had finished telling these stories, he went away from there.

13:54  He went back to his home town and he taught people in their meeting house. They were very much surprised and said, ‘Where did he learn all this? Where did he get the power to do these big works?

13:55  Is he not the carpenter’s son? Is not Mary his mother? Are not James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas his brothers?

13:56  Are not his sisters all here with us? Where did he get all this?’

13:57  They did not understand Jesus. Jesus said to them, ‘Other people honour a man who is a prophet. But the people in his own country and home do not honour him.’

13:58  Jesus could not do many big works in that place because the people did not believe in him.

Chapter 14

14:1  At this time Herod the ruler heard of Jesus.

14:2  He said to his servants, ‘This is John the Baptizer. He is risen from death. That is why he is able to do such great work.’

14:3  Herod had taken John and tied him up. He put him in prison. He did this because of Herodias. She was the wife of his brother Philip.

14:4  John had said to Herod, ‘It is not right for you to have her for your wife.’

14:5  Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people. They thought John was a prophet, a man of God.

14:6  On Herod’s birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced for the people who were there. She pleased Herod.

14:7  He was so pleased that he promised to give her anything she asked for.

14:8  The girl’s mother told her what to ask for. So she said, ‘Give me here, on a plate, the head of John the Baptizer.’

14:9  The king was very sorry to do this. But he had made a promise. And all the people who were there had heard him promise. So he gave orders to do it.

14:10  He sent someone to the prison to cut off John’s head.

14:11  John’s head was brought on a plate. It was given to the girl. And she took it to her mother.

14:12  Then John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. They went and told Jesus.

14:13  When Jesus heard this, he went away from there in a boat. He went to a lonely place by himself. The people heard that he went away and they followed him. They walked from the towns around there.

14:14  When Jesus got out of the boat, he saw many people. He was sorry for them and he healed those who were sick.

14:15  In the evening the disciples came to him. They said, ‘This is a lonely place. And the time is late. Send these people away so they can go to the farms and villages to buy food for themselves.’

14:16  Jesus said to them, ‘They need not go away. You give them food to eat.’

14:17  They said, ‘We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish.’

14:18  Jesus said, ‘Bring them here to me.’

14:19  Then Jesus told the people to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves of bread and the two fish. He looked up to heaven and thanked God for them. Then he broke the bread and gave it to the disciples. The disciples gave it to the people.

14:20  They all ate and had enough. They gathered twelve baskets full of pieces that were left.

14:21  The number of men who ate was about five thousand, besides some women and children.

14:22  Then Jesus told the disciples, ‘You get into the boat right away and go ahead of me to the other side of the sea. And I will send these people away.’

14:23  After he had sent them away, he went up on the hill by himself to talk with God. Evening came and he was there alone.

14:24  The boat was far out on the water by this time. The water was beating against the boat and the wind was blowing the wrong way.

14:25  When it was almost morning, Jesus came to them. He was walking on the water.

14:26  His disciples saw him walking on the water. They were afraid, and said, ‘It is a spirit!’ Then they shouted loudly because they were afraid.

14:27  Then Jesus spoke to them right away. He said, ‘Be glad! It is I. Do not fear.’

14:28  Peter said, ‘Lord, if it is you, tell me to come to you on the water.’

14:29  Jesus said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat. He walked on the water and went toward Jesus.

14:30  He saw what the wind did. Then he was afraid and began to go down in the water. He called out, ‘Lord, save me!’

14:31  Right away Jesus put out his hand and took hold of him. He said, ‘You do not believe very much in me! Why did you not believe?’

14:32  When they got into the boat, the wind stopped blowing.

14:33  Then the men in the boat bowed down in front of Jesus. They said, ‘You really are the Son of God.’

14:34  They crossed over the sea and came to the land at Gennesaret.

14:35  The men there knew him and sent word to the people in all the country around. They brought all the sick people to him.

14:36  They begged Jesus to let them touch his clothes. And all the people who touched him were healed.

Chapter 15

15:1  Then some Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem came to Jesus.

15:2  They asked him, ‘Why do your disciples break the law our fathers made? They do not wash their hands before they eat.’

15:3  Jesus asked them, ‘Why do you break God’s law so that you can keep your own law?

15:4  God said, “Respect your father and your mother.” And God said, “Anyone who says wrong things to his father or his mother will surely die.”

15:5  ‘But you say, “Tell your father or your mother that you have given to God what you were going to give to them.” You say, “If anyone says that, then he does not need to help his father or mother.”

15:6  You make God’s law to mean nothing so you can keep your own laws!

15:7  You are not true to yourselves! What Isaiah said about you was true. He said,

15:8  “These people respect me with their mouth but their heart is far from me.

15:9  They do not mean it in their hearts when they worship me. Their teachings are only the words of men.”’

15:10  Jesus called the people to him. He said to them, ‘Listen to me and understand what I say.

15:11  What goes into a person’s mouth does not make him dirty. But what comes out of a person’s mouth makes him dirty.’

15:12  Then the disciples came to Jesus. They said, ‘The Pharisees were angry when they heard what you said. Did you know that?’

15:13  Jesus answered, ‘Every plant that my Father in heaven did not plant will be pulled out by the roots.

15:14  Leave them alone. They are blind men who are trying to lead blind men. If a blind man leads a blind man, they will both fall into a hole.’

15:15  Peter said to Jesus, ‘Tell us the meaning of that story.’

15:16  Jesus said, ‘Do you still not understand?

15:17  Do you not know this? What goes into the mouth goes into the stomach, and then it goes out of the body.

15:18  But what comes out of the mouth, comes from the heart. This is what makes a person dirty.

15:19  Here is what comes from the heart: wrong thoughts, killing people, all kinds of adultery, stealing, lying, and saying wrong things about people.

15:20  These things make a person dirty. To eat with hands that are not washed does not make him dirty.’

15:21  Jesus left that place and went to the country of Tyre and Sidon.

15:22  A woman of the people of Canaan was in that country. She called out, ‘Sir, you are the Son of David. Help me! My daughter is being troubled very much by a bad spirit.’

15:23  Jesus did not answer her. His disciples came to him and said, ‘Send her away. She keeps calling after us.’

15:24  He said, ‘I was sent only to the people of Israel. They are like lost sheep.’

15:25  But the woman came and bowed down in front of Jesus and worshipped him. She said, ‘Sir, help me.’

15:26  He said, ‘It is not right to take the children’s food and give it to the little dogs.’

15:27  She answered, ‘Yes, sir. But even the little dogs eat the food that falls from the tables of their masters.’

15:28  Then Jesus answered, ‘Woman, you believe very much. The thing you want me to do will be done.’ And her daughter was healed at that very time.

15:29  Jesus went on from there along the Sea of Galilee. He went up on a hill and sat down there.

15:30  Many people came to him. They brought sick people with them. Some were lame. Some were hurt. Some were blind. Some could not talk. And there were many others. They laid them down in front of Jesus. And he healed them.

15:31  The people were surprised. They saw that people who had not been able to talk were talking. They saw that people who were hurt were made well. They saw that lame people were walking. They saw that blind people could see. And they praised the God of Israel.

15:32  Jesus called his disciples to him. He said, ‘I share the suffering of the people. They have been with me for three days and they have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry. If they go away hungry, they will get weak and fall on the way.’

15:33  The disciples said to him, ‘Where can we get enough food in this lonely place to feed so many people?’

15:34  Jesus said to them, ‘How many loaves of bread have you?’ They said, ‘We have seven, and a few small fish.’

15:35  He told the people to sit down on the ground.

15:36  Then he took the seven loaves of bread and the fish. He thanked God for them. Then he broke the bread and gave it to the disciples. The disciples gave it to the people.

15:37  They all ate and had enough. They gathered seven baskets full of pieces that were left.

15:38  The number of people who ate was about four thousand men, besides some women and children.

15:39  Jesus sent the people away. Then he got in the boat and went to the country around Magadan.

Chapter 16

16:1  The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus. They wanted to test him, so they asked him to show them a sign from the sky.

16:2  He answered them, ‘In the evening you say, “It will be a nice day tomorrow because the sky is red.”

16:3  In the morning you say, “It will be a stormy day, because the sky is red and there are clouds.” You know the meaning of these signs in the sky. But you do not know the meaning of the signs about the time in which we are living.

16:4  People today are wrong. They have gone away from God. They want a sign. No sign will be given them but the sign of Jonah.’ Then Jesus went away and left them.

16:5  When the disciples reached the other side of the sea, they found they had forgotten to bring any bread with them.

16:6  Jesus said, ‘Watch! Do not let the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees spoil you.’

16:7  The disciples said to each other, ‘He said that because we did not bring any bread.’

16:8  Jesus knew what they were saying. He said to them, ‘You don’t believe very much in me. Why are you saying to each other, “We have no bread”.

16:9  Do you not yet understand? When there were five thousand people, there were only five loaves of bread. Do you not remember how many baskets full of pieces you gathered up?

16:10  When there were four thousand people, there were only seven loaves. Do you not remember how many baskets full of pieces you gathered up?

16:11  Why do you not understand that I was not talking about bread? Take care. Do not let the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees spoil you.’

16:12  Then they understood that he was not talking about bread. He did not mean that the yeast of bread would spoil them. They understood that he was talking about the things the Pharisees and Sadducees taught.

16:13  Jesus went to the country of Caesarea Philippi. He asked his disciples, ‘I am the Son of Man. Whom do people say I am?’

16:14  They answered, ‘Some people say you are John the Baptizer. Others say you are Elijah. And others say you are Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’

16:15  Jesus said to them, ‘Whom do you say I am?’

16:16  Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’

16:17  Jesus answered, ‘Simon, Jonah’s son, God has blessed you. No person on earth has showed you this. But my Father in heaven has showed you.

16:18  I tell you this. You are Peter. On this rock I will build my church. The power of death will not destroy it.

16:19  I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. What you tie on earth will be tied in heaven. What you set free on earth will be set free in heaven.’

16:20  Then Jesus said to the disciples, ‘Do not tell anyone that I am the Christ.’

16:21  From that time on, Jesus began to teach his disciples. He said, ‘I must go to Jerusalem. I will have much trouble from the leaders, the chief priests, and the scribes. I will be killed. On the third day, I will be raised from death.’

16:22  Peter took him to one side and began to talk to him. He said, ‘Lord! May God stop it! This must never happen to you.’

16:23  But Jesus turned to Peter and said, ‘Get away from me Satan! You are trying to make me do wrong. You are not thinking the way God thinks, but the way people think.’

16:24  Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone wants to come with me, he must leave what he himself wants to do. He must be willing to carry his cross and come with me.

16:25  Anyone who wants to keep his life will lose it. And anyone who gives up his life for my sake will find it.

16:26  What good will it do a man if he gets the whole world for himself, but loses his life? What can a person give to get back his life?

16:27  The Son of Man will come with his angels and will be great like his Father. Then he will pay every man for what he has done.

16:28  I tell you the truth. Some people are standing here who will not die before they see the Son of Man come in his kingdom.’

Chapter 17

17:1  Six days after this, Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John with him. He led them up a hill by themselves.

17:2  Jesus was changed in front of them. His face was bright like the sun. His clothes were white, like light.

17:3  Then they saw Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus.

17:4  Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, this is a good place for us. If you want, we will make three places here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’

17:5  While he was saying this, a bright cloud came over them. A voice in the cloud said, ‘This is my dear Son. I am very pleased with him. Listen to him.’

17:6  When the disciples heard it, they bowed their faces to the ground. They were very much afraid.

17:7  But Jesus came and touched them. He said, ‘Get up. Do not fear.’

17:8  When they looked up, they saw no one but Jesus.

17:9  When they came down the hill, Jesus said to them, ‘Do not tell anyone what you saw. Do not tell it until after the Son of Man has been raised from death.’

17:10  The disciples asked him, ‘Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?’

17:11  Jesus answered, ‘Elijah does come. He will get everything ready.

17:12  I tell you that Elijah has come already. The people did not know him. And they did to him just what they wanted to do. So also the Son of Man will be troubled by them.’

17:13  Then the disciples knew that he was talking about John the Baptizer.

17:14  They came to the people. A man came and kneeled in front of Jesus.

17:15  He said, ‘Sir, help my son. A bad spirit is in him and he has much trouble. Often he falls into the fire, and often he falls into the water.

17:16  I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.’

17:17  Jesus said, ‘You people today do not believe. You have turned away from God. How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.’

17:18  Jesus talked to the bad spirit and he came out of the boy. The boy was healed.

17:19  Then the disciples came to Jesus alone. They asked him, ‘Why could we not drive the bad spirit out?’

17:20  Jesus said to them, ‘Because you do not believe enough. I tell you the truth. If your strength to believe were as much as a little mustard seed, you could say to this hill, “Go, move over to that place!” And it would move. Nothing is too hard for you to do.

17:21  But this kind of bad spirit does not come out of a person unless people ask God and fast.’

17:22  They were travelling in Galilee. Jesus said to his disciples, ‘The Son of Man will be given over to men.

17:23  They will kill him. But he will be raised on the third day.’ This troubled the disciples very much.

17:24  They came to Capernaum. There the men who were collecting the tax for the temple came to Peter. They asked him, ‘Does not your teacher pay the tax for the temple?’

17:25  Peter said, ‘Yes, he does.’ When he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him about it first. He said, ‘Simon, what do you think? From whom do kings on earth take taxes? Do they take them from their own people or from other people?’

17:26  Peter said, ‘From other people.’ Jesus said, ‘Then the sons do not pay a tax.

17:27  But we must not make them think something wrong about us. So go to the sea. Throw a fish-hook into the water. Take the first fish you catch. Open its mouth and you will see a piece of money. Take it and pay them the tax for you and me.’

Chapter 18

18:1  The disciples came to Jesus at that time. They said, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’

18:2  Jesus called a child to him. He had the child stand in front of them.

18:3  He said, ‘I tell you the truth. If your hearts do not change and become like hearts of children, you will never go into the kingdom of heaven.

18:4  So anyone who feels himself small like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

18:5  ‘If anyone takes in a child like this for my sake, he takes in me.’

18:6  ‘These little children believe in me. If anyone makes one of them do wrong, he will be punished. He will have worse trouble than if a big stone were tied to his neck and he were thrown into the deep sea.

18:7  ‘There will be trouble in the world because people make other people do wrong! People will do wrong. But the person who makes another person do wrong will have trouble.

18:8  If your hand or your foot makes you do wrong, cut it off and throw it away! It is better for you to enter into life without hands or feet than to have two hands and two feet and be thrown into the fire that burns for ever.

18:9  If your eye makes you do wrong, pull it out and throw it away! It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into the hell fire.’

18:10  ‘Do not think badly of these little children. I tell you this. They have angels in heaven. And all the time their angels can see the face of my father who is in heaven.

18:11  ‘The Son of Man came to save anyone who is lost.

18:12  What do you think about this? A man has a hundred sheep. One of them is lost. Will he not leave the ninety-nine sheep on the hills and go to look for the one that is lost? Yes, he will.

18:13  I tell you the truth. When he finds it, he is more happy to see that one than the ninety-nine that were not lost.

18:14  In the same way, my Father in heaven does not want one of these little children to be lost.’

18:15  ‘If your brother does something wrong to you, go to him. Talk alone to him and tell him what he has done. If he listens to you, you have kept your brother as a friend.

18:16  But if he does not listen to you, take one or two others with you to talk to him. Then two or three people will hear every word and can prove what was said.

18:17  If he does not listen to them, tell the church. If he does not listen to the church, treat him as one who does not believe in God and as bad as a tax collector.’

18:18  ‘I tell you the truth. What you tie on earth will be tied in heaven. What you set free on earth will be set free in heaven.

18:19  I tell you another thing. If two of you on earth agree together to ask for something, my Father in heaven will do it for them.

18:20  Where two or three people meet together in my name, I am there with them.’

18:21  Then Peter came to Jesus and asked him, ‘Lord, how many times should I forgive my brother when he does wrong things to me? Should I forgive him seven times?’

18:22  Jesus answered him, ‘I say not seven times only, but seventy times seven.

18:23  ‘In that way the kingdom of heaven is like this. A king was ready to finish his business with his servants.

18:24  The first servant was brought in. He owed the king a very large sum of money.

18:25  He could not pay it. So his master said, “Go sell him, his wife, his children, and everything he has, and pay me!”

18:26  So the servant bowed down in front of him. He begged, “Sir, give me time. I will pay everything.”

18:27  His master was sorry for him and let him go. He did not make him pay the money.

18:28  ‘That same servant went out and met another servant. This man owed him a much smaller sum of money. He caught him by the throat and said, Pay me what you owe me!”

18:29  Then this servant bowed down in front of him. He begged, “Give me time. I will pay you.”

18:30  But he said, “No.” He went and put the man in prison until he could pay what he owed him.

18:31  ‘The other servants saw what he did. They were very sad. They went and told their master everything that had been done.

18:32  Then his master called the first servant to him. He said, “You bad man! I let you go. I did not make you pay all you owed me, because you begged me to be kind to you.

18:33  You should have been kind to the other servant, as I was kind to you.”

18:34  His master was very angry. He turned the servant over to the prison guards until he could pay all he owed him.

18:35  ‘That is like what my Father in heaven will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.’

Chapter 19

19:1  When Jesus had finished this talk, he left Galilee. He went away to the part of Judea that is on the other side of the Jordan River.

19:2  Many people followed him. He healed them there.

19:3  The Pharisees came to Jesus to test him. They asked, ‘Is it right for a man to send his wife away from him for any reason?’

19:4  Jesus answered, ‘Have you not read this? From the time God first made people, he made them a man and a woman.

19:5  God said, “A man must leave his father and mother and must stay with his wife. The two of them will be like one person.”

19:6  So they are not two people any more, but they are one person. Man must not separate what God has joined together.’

19:7  They said to Jesus, ‘Then why did Moses make this law? He said that a man may give his wife a paper to show that he does not want her any more. Then he may send her away.’

19:8  Jesus said to them, ‘Moses wrote that law because your hearts are so hard. That is why he let you send your wives away. But in the beginning it was not that way.

19:9  But I tell you this. No man may send his wife away unless she has committed adultery. If he does, and if he marries another woman, he commits adultery. And if a man marries a woman who has been sent away by her husband, he commits adultery.’

19:10  The disciples said to him, ‘If a man and woman are like that, then it is better not to marry.’

19:11  Jesus said, ‘Not everyone can agree to that. But God has chosen some not to be married.

19:12  Some men cannot marry because they were born that way. Some were made that way by men. Others said, “I will not marry, for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.” ‘Anyone who can do this, should do it.’

19:13  Then people brought children to Jesus. They wanted him to put his hands on them and ask God to bless them. The disciples tried to stop the people.

19:14  But Jesus said, ‘Let the children come to me. Do not try to stop them. The kingdom of heaven belongs to people like them.’

19:15  So he put his hands on the children. Then he went away.

19:16  A man came to Jesus and said, ‘Teacher, what good thing must I do so that I will live for ever?’

19:17  Jesus said, ‘Why do you ask me about what is good? Only God is good. If you want to live for ever, you must keep God’s laws.’

19:18  The man said, ‘Which laws?’ Jesus said, ‘Do not kill. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not tell lies.

19:19  Respect your father and your mother. Love your neighbour as you love yourself.’

19:20  The young man said, ‘I have kept all those laws. What more must I do?’

19:21  Jesus said, ‘If you want to be all right, go and sell everything you have. Give the money to poor people. For this you will be rich in heaven. Then come and go with me.’

19:22  When the young man heard that, he was sad, because he was very rich. So he went away.

19:23  Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘I tell you the truth. It is very hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

19:24  And I tell you this also. It is easier for a big animal like a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’

19:25  When the disciples heard this, they were very much surprised. They said, ‘Then who can be saved?’

19:26  Jesus looked at them and said, ‘Men cannot do it, but God can do anything.’

19:27  Then Peter said, ‘See, we have left all things and have come with you. So what will we have?’

19:28  Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you the truth. In the new world, the Son of Man will be great. He will sit on his throne of glory to rule. Then you who have come with me will also sit on twelve thrones. You will judge the twelve tribes of Israel.

19:29  If anyone has left his house, his brothers, his sisters, his father, his mother, his children, or his farms for my sake, he will receive a hundred times as much as he has left. And he will live for ever.

19:30  But many people who are first will be last, and those who are last will be first.’

Chapter 20

20:1  The kingdom of heaven is like this. A man owned a farm. Early in the morning he went out to look for men to work on his farm.

20:2  He agreed to pay them a day’s wages and sent them out to his farm.

20:3  ‘About nine o’clock he went out again. He saw some men standing around at the market. They were not working.

20:4  He said to them, “You go out to work on the farm too. I will pay you what is right.” And they went to work.

20:5  ‘The man went out again at twelve o’clock and at three o’clock. He did the same as he had done before.

20:6  ‘About five o’clock he went out again and found other men standing around. He said to them, “Why have you been standing here all day? Why are you not working?”

20:7  They said, “No man has asked us to work.” So he said to them, “You go out to work on the farm too.”

20:8  ‘When evening came, the man who owned the farm said to his manager, “Call the workmen and pay them. Begin with those who came last and end with those who came first.”

20:9  Each of the men who started work at five o’clock was paid a day’s wages.

20:10  Those who started work first thought they would get more than that. But they also were paid a day’s wages.

20:11  They took it, but they were angry and talked against the man who owned the farm.

20:12  ‘They said, “These men came last, and worked only one hour. Yet you paid them the same as you paid us. We worked all day, when the sun was hot.”

20:13  ‘But he said to one of them, “My friend, I am not doing any wrong to you. You agreed that I should pay you a day’s wages. Did you not?

20:14  Take your money and go. I want to give the last man the same pay as I gave you.

20:15  It is my own money. Can I not do with it as I like? Do you think it is a wrong thing for me to be kind?”

20:16  ‘In the same way, people who are last will be first, and those who are first will be last.’

20:17  On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus took the twelve disciples with him, away from the people.

20:18  He said to them, ‘We are going to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be given over to the chief priests and scribes. They will judge him and say he must die.

20:19  They will give him over to rulers who are not Jews. They will make fun of him. They will beat him and nail him to a cross. On the third day, he will be raised.’

20:20  Then Zebedee’s wife came with her sons to Jesus. She bowed down in front of him and asked him to do something for her.

20:21  Jesus asked, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ The woman said, ‘These are my two sons. Promise that in your kingdom one may sit at your right and the other at your left.’

20:22  But Jesus said, ‘You do not know what you are asking for. Can you drink from the cup that I will drink?’ ‘Yes,’ they said. ‘We can.’

20:23  Then Jesus said to them, ‘You will drink what I drink. But I cannot choose who will sit at my right or at my left. My Father has planned who will sit there.’

20:24  When the other ten disciples heard about it, they were angry with the two brothers.

20:25  But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that those who rule over countries make their people obey them. The great men will tell the others what to do.

20:26  But that is not the way it is among you. Anyone among you who wants to be great will help the others.

20:27  Anyone among you who wants to be first will be a servant to the others.

20:28  The Son of Man did not come to have others help him. But he came to help others. He came to give his life to make many people free.’

20:29  As Jesus and the disciples left the city of Jericho, many people followed him.

20:30  Two blind men were sitting by the road. They heard that Jesus was passing that way. So they shouted, ‘Sir, you are the Son of David. Help us!’

20:31  The people said to them, ‘Be quiet!’ But they shouted louder, ‘Sir, Son of David! Help us!’

20:32  Jesus stopped and called the men to him. He asked, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’

20:33  They said, ‘Sir, we want to see.’

20:34  Jesus was very sorry for them as he shared in their suffering. He touched their eyes, and right then they were able to see. They went with him.

Chapter 21

21:1  Jesus and his disciples came near to Jerusalem. They came to the village of Bethphage by the hill called the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus sent two of his disciples ahead.

21:2  He said to them, ‘Go into the village in front of you. As soon as you go in, you will find a donkey for riding, and her young one. They are tied there. Untie them and bring them to me.

21:3  If anyone says anything to you, tell him, “The Lord needs them. He will send them back soon.”’

21:4  This happened, and what the prophet of God said long ago, came true.

21:5  He said, ‘Tell the people of Zion: See, your king is coming to you. He is not proud. He rides a donkey. It is a young animal.’

21:6  The disciples went and did what Jesus told them to do.

21:7  They brought the donkey and her young one. They put their coats on them. Then Jesus got on to ride.

21:8  Many people spread their coats on the road. Others cut leaves from the palm trees and put them on the road.

21:9  People in front of him and people behind him shouted, ‘Praise the Son of David! God bless him who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise him in heaven!’

21:10  When Jesus came into Jerusalem, all the people there were very excited. They said, ‘Who is this?’

21:11  The people who were with Jesus said, ‘This is Jesus from the town of Nazareth in Galilee. He is a prophet.’

21:12  Jesus went into the temple of God. He drove out all the people who were buying and selling in the temple. He threw down the tables of the money changers. He pushed down the seats of those who sold doves.

21:13  He said to them, ‘The holy writings say, “My house shall be called a house where people talk with God.” But you have made it a place for people who steal!’

21:14  Blind people came to Jesus in the temple. People who could not walk came to him. And he healed them.

21:15  The chief priests and the scribes saw the big works that Jesus did. They saw the children calling out in the temple, ‘God save the Son of David!’ They were angry.

21:16  They asked Jesus, ‘Do you hear what they are saying?’ Jesus answered, ‘Yes. Have you never read this? “You like the praise of children and babies.”’

21:17  Then he left them and went out of the city to Bethany. He stayed there for the night.

21:18  In the morning he went back to the city. On the way he was hungry.

21:19  Along the road he saw a fig tree. He went to the tree. There was no fruit on it, only leaves. He said to the tree, ‘No fruit will ever grow on you again!’ Right away the tree died.

21:20  The disciples saw it and were surprised. They said, ‘So soon the fig tree has died!’

21:21  Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you the truth. Believe God. Do not doubt him. Then you can do what I did to this fig tree. But that is not all. You can even say to this hill, “Go and jump into the sea” and it will be done.

21:22  When you ask God for anything, believe that you will have it. Then you will have it.’

21:23  He came to the temple and went in and taught the people. The chief priests and the leaders of the people came to him. They asked, ‘What right have you to do these things? Who gave you the right to do them?’

21:24  Jesus answered them, ‘I will ask you a question also. If you answer me, I will answer you. I will tell you what right I have to do these things.

21:25  Who gave John the right to baptise people? Did God or did men?’ So they talked it over together. They said, ‘If we say, “God gave John the right to do it,” he will say to us, “Then why did you not believe him?”

21:26  But if we say, “Men gave him the right to do it,” we have the people to fear, because all the people say that John was a prophet.’

21:27  So they answered Jesus, ‘We do not know.’ Then Jesus said, ‘Neither will I tell you what right I have to do these things.’

21:28  ‘What do you think about this? A man had two sons. He went to the first one and said, “Son, go and work today on my farm.”

21:29  The son said, “No, I will not go.” But he changed his mind and went.

21:30  The man went to the second son and said the same thing. The son answered, “Yes, sir, I will go.” But he did not go.

21:31  Which of the two sons did what his father wanted him to do?’ They said, ‘The first one.’ Then Jesus said, ‘I tell you the truth. The tax collectors and women who commit adultery by selling their bodies, are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you.

21:32  John came to you to tell you the right way. But you did not believe him. The tax collectors and women who commit adultery believed him. And even when you saw that, you did not change your minds and believe him.’

21:33  ‘Listen to another story. A man planted a farm of vines for growing fruit called grapes. He put a fence of small trees around it. He dug a place to press the juice from the fruit. He built a high house from which men could watch over the farm. He let some men pay to use it. Then he went to a country far away.

21:34  ‘When it was near the time to cut the fruit, he sent his servants to those men. He wanted to have some of the fruit.

21:35  The men caught the servants. They beat one of them and killed another one of them. They threw stones at another one.

21:36  Then the man sent other servants. There were more than the first time. The men did the same to them.

21:37  ‘Last of all he sent his son to them. He said, “They will respect my son.”

21:38  When the men saw the son, they said to each other, “This is the one who will have everything when his father dies. Let us kill him and we will have it all.”

21:39  They caught him, dragged him off the farm, and killed him.

21:40  When the owner of the farm comes, what will he do to those men?’

21:41  They answered, ‘He will kill those bad men, and will give the farm to other men who will give him the fruit when it is time.’

21:42  Jesus said, ‘Have you never read in the holy writings “The stone which the builders would not use is now the chief corner stone. The Lord did this. It looks wonderful to us”?

21:43  ‘So I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you. It will be given to the people who do what they should do in it.

21:44  If anyone falls on this stone, he will be broken to pieces. But if this stone falls on anyone, it will crush him.’

21:45  The chief priests and the Pharisees heard the stories Jesus told, and they knew he was talking about them.

21:46  They wanted to catch him, but they feared the people. The people thought Jesus was a prophet.

Chapter 22

22:1  Jesus told them other stories.

22:2  He said, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like this. A king made a wedding for his son.

22:3  The king sent his servants to call the people who had been asked to the wedding. But they would not come.

22:4  ‘He sent other servants to call them. He said, “Tell those who were asked to the wedding that my dinner is cooked. The cows and bullocks have been killed. Everything is ready. Come now to the wedding.”

22:5  ‘The people did not listen, but went away. One went to his farm. One went to his business.

22:6  The others caught his servants, treated them very badly, and killed them.

22:7  ‘The king was very angry. He sent his soldiers to kill the men who had killed his servants. And he burned their city.

22:8  Then he said to his servants, “The wedding is ready. But those who were asked to come were not good enough.

22:9  Go out on the roads. Call all the people you find to come to the wedding.”

22:10  ‘So those servants went out on the roads. They brought all the people they could find, both bad and good people. Then the room was full of people for the wedding.

22:11  ‘The king came in to look at the people. He saw one man there who was not wearing the right clothes for a wedding.

22:12  The king said to him, “My friend, why did you come here without putting on the right clothes for a wedding?” The man did not answer.

22:13  Then the king said to his servants, “Tie his hands and his feet. Put him in a dark place outside. People there will cry and grind their teeth.”

22:14  ‘Many people are asked to come, but only a few are chosen.’

22:15  Then the Pharisees went away. They planned how to make Jesus say something wrong.

22:16  They sent their disciples to him with some of Herod’s people. They said, ‘Teacher, we know that you are true. We know that you teach the true way of God. You do not fear any person, or care how great he is.

22:17  So tell us. What do you think? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or is it not?’

22:18  Jesus knew they were trying to get him into trouble. So he said to them, ‘Why are you trying to get me to do wrong? You are not true to yourselves!

22:19  Show me a piece of money used for tax.’ They brought him a piece of money.

22:20  ‘Whose picture and name is this?’ he asked.

22:21  They said, ‘Caesar’s’. Then he said to them, ‘Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. And give to God what belongs to God.’

22:22  When they heard that, they were surprised. They left him and went away.

22:23  The same day some of the Sadducees came to Jesus. They say that people do not rise from death.

22:24  They came to ask him a question. They said, ‘Teacher, Moses gave us this law: “If a man dies and has no children, then his brother must marry the wife and raise a family for his brother.”

22:25  There were seven brothers among us. The first one married. He died and left no children. So his brother married the wife.

22:26  The same thing happened to the second brother, and the third one, and all seven of them.

22:27  Last of all, the woman died.

22:28  Now then, when people rise from death, which of the seven brothers will have her for his wife? They all married her.’

22:29  Jesus answered, ‘You are wrong! You do not know what the holy writings say. And you do not know what power God has.

22:30  When people rise from death, men and women do not marry. But they are like angels in heaven.

22:31  People do rise from death! Have you never read what God said to you?

22:32  He said, “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” He is not the God of dead people, but of living people.’

22:33  When the people heard this, they were surprised at his teaching.

22:34  The Pharisees heard that the Sadducees could not answer Jesus. So they got together.

22:35  One of them was a man who taught God’s law. He asked Jesus a question to try him out.

22:36  ‘Teacher,’ he said, ‘which law is the greatest law of all?’

22:37  Jesus said, ‘“Love the Lord your God with all your heart. Love him with all your soul, and love him with all your mind.”

22:38  This is the first and greatest law.

22:39  The second law of God is like it. “Love your neighbour as you love yourself.”

22:40  All that is written in the books of the law and the books of the prophets is about these two laws.’

22:41  While the Pharisees were still there, Jesus asked them a question.

22:42  He said, ‘What do you think about Christ? Whose son is he?’ They said, ‘He is David’s son.’

22:43  Jesus asked, ‘Then how can David call him “Lord”? He said, by the Spirit,

22:44  “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit beside me until I make you master over your enemies.’”

22:45  David calls Christ his Lord. How can Christ be David’s son?’

22:46  No one could answer him a word. And after that day, everyone feared to ask him any more questions.

Chapter 23

23:1  Then Jesus talked to the people and to his disciples.

23:2  He said, ‘The scribes and Pharisees have taken Moses’ place.

23:3  So obey and do everything they tell you to do. But do not do what they do. They say what should be done, but they do it not.

23:4  They make heavy loads and put them on people’s backs. But they themselves will not put up even one finger to help carry the loads.

23:5  They do all their work to be seen by people. They wear bigger and bigger boxes with God’s word in. And they make wider and wider borders on their gowns.

23:6  They want to sit in the best places at the feasts. They want to have the front seats in the meeting houses.

23:7  They want people to greet them in the market, and to call them “Teacher”.

23:8  But people should not call you “Teacher”. You have one Teacher. And you are all brothers.

23:9  ‘Do not call anyone on earth your “Father”. You have one Father. He is in heaven.

23:10  People should not call you “Master”. You have one Master. He is the Christ.

23:11  The person who is greatest among you will help the others.

23:12  Anyone who puts himself up will be brought down. And anyone who puts himself down will be brought up.

23:13  ‘You scribes and Pharisees will have trouble. You are not true to yourselves! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven so people cannot go in. You yourselves do not go in, and you stop those who were going in.

23:14  ‘You scribes and Pharisees will have trouble. You who are not true to yourselves! You take away the homes of women whose husbands are dead. You cover up your wrong ways by talking big to God for a long time. Because of that, you will be punished harder.

23:15  ‘You scribes and Pharisees will have trouble. You who are not true to yourselves! You travel over sea and land to win one person to believe what you believe. And when he believes, you make him twice as fit for hell as you are.

23:16  ‘You blind leaders will have trouble. You say that if anyone makes a promise in the name of the temple, he does not have to keep that promise. But if anyone makes a promise in the name of the gold on the temple, he must keep that promise.

23:17  ‘You fools and blind men! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold holy?

23:18  And you say that if anyone makes a promise in the name of God’s altar, he does not have to keep that promise. But if anyone makes a promise in the name of the sacrifice, he must keep that promise.

23:19  ‘You fools and blind people! Which is greater, the sacrifice or the place that makes the sacrifice holy?

23:20  So if anyone makes a promise by God’s altar, he makes his promise by it and by all that is on it.

23:21  If anyone makes a promise by the temple, he makes his promise by the temple and by God who lives in the temple.

23:22  If anyone makes a promise by heaven, he makes his promise by God’s big chair called a throne and by God who sits on the throne.

23:23  ‘You scribes and Pharisees will have trouble. You who are not true to yourselves! You give God a tenth part of small garden plants. But you have not done those bigger matters of the law. You have not judged in the right way. You have not been kind. You have not believed God. You should be doing these things and the other things too.

23:24  You blind leaders! You take a fly out of your cup, but you drink down a big animal like a camel!

23:25  ‘You scribes and Pharisees will have trouble. You who are not true to yourselves! You wash the outside of a cup and a dish clean. But inside they are full of greed and wrong ways!

23:26  You blind Pharisees! First clean the inside of the cup and the dish so that the outside will be clean too.

23:27  ‘You scribes and Pharisees will have trouble. You who are not true to yourselves! You are like graves that have been painted white. Outside they look very nice. But inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all kinds of dirt.

23:28  So it is with you. You look right on the outside. But inside you are full of lies and wrong ways.

23:29  ‘You scribes and Pharisees will have trouble. You who are not true to yourselves! You build places to bury the prophets and fix up graves of good men.

23:30  You say, “If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have helped to kill the prophets of God.”

23:31  So you prove that you are the sons of the men who killed the prophets.

23:32  Finish doing what your fathers started to do.

23:33  You snakes–a whole family of snakes! You cannot get away! You will be judged and sent to hell.

23:34  That is why I send you prophets, wise men, and teachers. You will kill some of them and nail them to a cross. And you will beat some of them in your meeting houses and trouble them from one town to another.

23:35  So you will be punished for all the blood of every good man that is on the ground. I mean all the blood from the time of Abel, who was a good man, to Zechariah, the son of Barachiah. You killed him between the temple and God’s altar.

23:36  I tell you the truth. The people who are still living now will be punished for all these things.

23:37  ‘Jerusalem! Jerusalem! You kill the prophets. You throw stones to kill the men who are sent to you! How often I have wanted to gather your people together, as a mother hen gathers her little ones under her wings. But you would not come!

23:38  Now you are left alone in your house.

23:39  I tell you this. You will not see me again until the time when you say, “God bless him who comes in the name of the Lord.”’

Chapter 24

24:1  Jesus left the temple and was going away. His disciples came to him. They wanted to show him the different buildings that were a part of the temple.

24:2  But Jesus answered them, ‘Do you see these buildings? I tell you the truth. Not one stone here will be left on top of another stone. They will all be thrown down!’

24:3  Jesus was sitting on the hill called the Mount of Olives. The disciples came to him alone. They said, ‘Tell us, when will this happen? What will be the sign to show you are coming and that it is the end of this world?’

24:4  Jesus answered them, ‘Take care. Do not let anyone fool you.

24:5  Many men will come in my name. They will say, “I am the Christ”. They will fool many people.

24:6  You will hear about wars. You will hear that war is coming. But do not fear. These things must happen, but that is not yet the end.

24:7  One tribe will fight against another tribe. And one country will fight against another country. The people will have no food to eat. Many people will be sick. The earth will shake in many different places.

24:8  All these troubles are only the beginning of troubles that will come.

24:9  ‘Then people will trouble you and kill you. All nations will hate you because you are true to me.

24:10  Then many people will stop believing. They will give one another over to trouble. They will hate one another.

24:11  Many people will come and say they are prophets of God. But they will not be true. They will fool many people.

24:12  People will do more and more wrong things and many people will stop loving me.

24:13  But the person who keeps on being true to me until the end, that one will be saved.

24:14  This good news about the kingdom will be told in all the world. The people in all countries must know about it. And then the end will come.’

24:15  ‘Daniel the prophet said that people would put something very bad in the temple.’ (Let the one who reads this understand it.)

24:16  ‘When that happens, the people in Judea must go quickly to the hills.

24:17  A person who is on the top of a house must not go down into the house to get things from the house.

24:18  A person who is working in the fields must not go back home to get his coat.

24:19  In those days it will be very hard for women who are to have a child. It will be very hard for mothers who have a baby.

24:20  Ask God that you may not have to go in the cold time of the year or on the Sabbath day.

24:21  The trouble then will be bigger than any other trouble since God made the world. And there never will be any trouble as big as that.

24:22  No person would be saved if the Lord did not cut the time of trouble shorter. He will cut it shorter for the sake of his chosen people.

24:23  ‘If anyone says to you then, “Look, here is the Christ!” or “There he is!” do not believe it.

24:24  People will come and say they are the Christ. People will come and say they are prophets. But they are not true. They will show big signs and do wonderful things to fool people. They will fool God’s chosen people if they can.

24:25  Watch! I have told you these things before they happen.

24:26  So if people say to you, “He is in the wilderness,” do not go there. If they say, “He is hiding somewhere,” do not believe it.

24:27  When lightning shines in the east, it can be seen in the west. It will be like that when the Son of Man comes.

24:28  The big birds that eat meat will all go to the place where the dead body is.’

24:29  ‘Right after that time of trouble, the sun will be dark. The moon will not shine. The stars will fall from the sky. And the powers in the sky will be shaken.

24:30  Then people will see the sign of the Son of Man in the sky. Then all the people of the earth will cry. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds in the sky. He will have much power and will be very great.

24:31  He will send his angels to call with a loud trumpet or horn. They will gather his chosen people from everywhere all over the earth.’

24:32  ‘Learn a lesson from the fig tree. As soon as its branches begin to grow and the leaves come, then you know it will soon be the warm time of the year.

24:33  It is the same when you see all these things. You will know that the time is very near, right at the door.

24:34  I tell you the truth. The people who are living then, will not die before all these things happen.

24:35  The sky and the earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.’

24:36  ‘But no one knows the day and the hour when the Son of Man will come. Even the angels in heaven and the Son do not know. Only the Father knows.

24:37  When the Son of Man comes, it will be as it was in the time of Noah.

24:38  In the days before the water covered the earth, people ate and drank. They married and gave their daughters to be married. Then one day Noah went into his house built on a boat.

24:39  The people did not know until much water came and killed them all. When the Son of Man comes, it will be like that.

24:40  Two men will be working together in the field. One will be taken and the other will be left.

24:41  Two women will be making flour together. One woman will be taken away and one woman will be left.

24:42  So watch! You do not know what day your Lord will come.

24:43  And remember this. The owner of the house does not know at what time of the night a man will come to steal something. If he knew, he would watch and not let the man break into his house.

24:44  So, be ready! The Son of Man will come at a time when you are not looking for him.

24:45  ‘Who is like a wise servant who can be trusted? His master will put him in charge of his other servants. He gives them their food at the right time.

24:46  The servant who is doing this when his master comes, will be blessed.

24:47  I tell you the truth. His master will put him in charge of all that he has.

24:48  But if the servant is bad, he will say to himself, “My master will not come just now.”

24:49  Then he will begin to beat the other servants. He will eat and drink with men who are drunk.

24:50  The master of that servant will come on a day the servant is not looking for him. He will not know the time he is coming home.

24:51  The master will punish him and lock him in with people who are not true. People there will cry and grind their teeth.’

Chapter 25

25:1  Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten young women took their lamps and went to meet a man who was being married.

25:2  Five of them were foolish and five of them were wise.

25:3  The five foolish women took their lamps but took no oil with them.

25:4  The wise ones took bottles of oil with their lamps.

25:5  ‘It was a long time before the man came, so they all went to sleep.

25:6  At midnight there was a call, “Here comes the man who is to be married! Come out to meet him.”

25:7  Then all the young women woke up. They cleaned their lamps.

25:8  The foolish ones said to the wise ones, “Give us some of your oil. The light in our lamps is dying.”

25:9  But the wise ones answered, “There may not be enough oil for us all. Go to the market and buy some for yourselves.”

25:10  ‘While they went away to buy oil, the man came. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast. Then the door was shut.

25:11  After that, the other women also came. They called, “Sir, sir, open the door for us.”

25:12  But he said, “I tell you the truth. I do not know you.”

25:13  So watch! You do not know the day or the hour.’

25:14  ‘The kingdom of heaven will be like the time a man went to a country far away. He called his servants and put them in charge of his money.

25:15  He gave five bags of money to one servant. He gave two bags of money to another servant. He gave one bag of money to another servant. He gave to each one what he was able to be in charge of. Then he went away.

25:16  ‘Right away the servant who had five bags of money began to buy and sell things with it. He made five bags of money more than he had at first.

25:17  ‘The servant who had two bags of money did the same thing as the one who had five bags. He also made two bags of money more than he had at first.

25:18  But the man who had only one bag of money dug a hole in the ground. And he hid his master’s money in the ground.

25:19  ‘After a long time, the master of those servants came home. He asked what they had done with his money.

25:20  The servant who had been given five bags of money brought five bags more to his master. He said, “Sir, you gave me five bags of money. See, I have made five bags more money.”

25:21  ‘His master said, “You have done well. You are a good servant. I can trust you. You have taken good care of a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Come, have a good time with your master.”

25:22  ‘The servant who had been given two bags of money came and said to his master, “Sir, you gave me two bags of money. I have made two bags more money.”

25:23  His master said, “You have done well. You are a good servant. I can trust you. You have taken good care of a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Come, have a good time with your master.”

25:24  ‘The servant who had been given one bag of money came and said, “Sir, I knew that you were a hard man. You cut grain where you did not plant. You pick fruit where you put nothing in.

25:25  I was afraid. So I went and hid your money in the ground. Here is your money.”

25:26  ‘His master answered him, “You are a bad and lazy servant. You knew that I cut grain where I did not plant. You knew that I pick fruit where I put nothing in.

25:27  You should have put my money in the bank. Then when I came home, I would have had my money with interest on it.

25:28  So take the money away from him. Give it to the one who has ten bags.

25:29  Anyone who has some will get more, and he will have plenty. But he who does not get anything, even the little that he has will be taken away from him.

25:30  Take this good-for-nothing servant! Put him out in the dark place outside. People there will cry and make a noise with their teeth.”’

25:31  ‘The Son of Man will be great and will come with all his holy angels. Then he will sit on his throne like a king.

25:32  All the nations will be gathered in front of him. He will put them in two groups like a man who takes care of sheep. He puts the sheep on one side of him and he puts the goats on the other side of him.

25:33  The Son of Man will put people who are like the sheep at his right side. He will put people who are like the goats at his left side.

25:34  Then the King will say to those who are at his right side, “Come! My Father has blessed you. The kingdom was made ready for you when the world was first made. Come into it now.

25:35  I was hungry. You gave me food. I was thirsty. You gave me a drink. I was a stranger. You took me in.

25:36  I needed clothes. You gave me clothes. I was sick. You came to visit me. I was in prison. You came to see me.”

25:37  ‘Then the good people will ask him, “Lord when did we see you hungry and give you food? When did we see you thirsty and give you a drink?

25:38  When did we see you a stranger and take you in? When did we see you needing clothes and give you clothes?

25:39  When did we see you sick or in prison and come to see you?”

25:40  ‘The King will answer them, “I tell you the truth. What you did for even the smallest of these people you did for me. They are my brothers.”

25:41  ‘Then he will say to those at the left side “Go away from me. You are cursed. Go into the fire that burns for ever. That fire has been made ready for the devil and his angels.

25:42  I was hungry. You did not give me food. I was thirsty. You did not give me a drink.

25:43  I was a stranger. You did not take me in. I needed clothes. You did not give me any clothes. I was sick and in prison. You did not come to see me.”

25:44  ‘Then they will also ask, “Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or needing clothes, or sick, or in prison, and did not help you?”

25:45  ‘Then the King will answer them, “I tell you the truth. What you did not do for even the smallest of these, you did not do for me.”

25:46  And they will go away to be punished for ever. But the good people will go away to live for ever.’

Chapter 26

26:1  When Jesus had finished telling all these things, he talked to his disciples.

26:2  He said, ‘You know that after two days it will be time for the Passover Feast. The Son of Man will be given over to his enemies to be nailed to a cross.’

26:3  Then at that time the chief priests and the leaders of the people met together in the house of the high priest. His name was Caiaphas.

26:4  They planned how to catch Jesus by some trick and have him killed.

26:5  But they said, ‘Let us not do it on the day of the feast. We do not want the people to start fighting about it.’

26:6  When Jesus was in the town of Bethany, he was in the house of Simon, a man who had leprosy, a bad skin disease.

26:7  While Jesus sat at the table, a woman came to him. She had a bottle of oil. It smelled very nice and cost much money. She put the oil on Jesus’ head.

26:8  When the disciples saw this, they were angry. They said, ‘Why was the oil wasted like that?

26:9  The oil might have been sold for much money. Then the money could have been given to poor people.’

26:10  When Jesus heard it, he said to them, ‘Why do you trouble the woman? She has done a good thing to me.

26:11  You will always have poor people with you. But I will not always be with you.

26:12  She has put oil on my body to make me ready to be buried.

26:13  I tell you the truth. Any place in the whole world where people tell the good news, people will also tell what she has done. People will remember her because of it.’

26:14  Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the chief priests.

26:15  He said, ‘What will you give me if I help you catch Jesus?’ They gave him thirty pieces of silver money.

26:16  And from then on, Judas watched for a good way to help them catch Jesus. Supper

26:17  It was the first day of the feast with bread that has no yeast in it. The disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Where do you want us to make ready for you to eat the Passover Feast?’

26:18  He said, ‘Go into the city to a certain man. Say to him, “The Teacher says, ‘My time is near. I will come to your house with my disciples to eat the Passover Feast.’”’

26:19  The disciples did what Jesus told them. They made the Passover food ready.

26:20  When evening came, Jesus sat down to eat with the twelve disciples.

26:21  As they were eating, Jesus said, ‘I tell you the truth. One of you will give me over to people who hate me.’

26:22  They were very sad and troubled. One after the other they began to say to him, ‘Lord, is it I?’

26:23  Jesus answered them, ‘The man who is putting his hand in the dish with me is the one who will give me over.

26:24  The Son of Man will go away just as the holy writings tell about him. But the man who gives him over will have trouble. It would have been better for that man if he had not been born!’

26:25  Judas was the one who would give Jesus over to the people who hated him. He said, ‘Master, is it I?’ Jesus said, ‘Yes, it is.’

26:26  As they were eating, Jesus took some bread. He thanked God for it and broke it. He gave it to the disciples and said, ‘Take this bread and eat it. It is my body.’

26:27  He also took a cup. He thanked God for it. Then he gave it to the disciples and said, ‘All of you drink from this.

26:28  This is my blood. My blood is the blood of the new agreement. It is given so that many people will be forgiven for the wrong things they did.

26:29  I tell you this. I will not drink any of the juice of the fruit of the vine again, until I drink some of it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.’

26:30  They sang a song and then went out to the hill called the Mount of Olives.

26:31  Then Jesus said to them, ‘All of you will leave me this night. The holy writings say, “I will kill the one who takes care of the sheep. And the sheep will run away.”

26:32  But after I am raised from death, I will go to Galilee to meet you.’

26:33  Peter said, ‘Even if all the others leave you, I will never leave you.’

26:34  Jesus said, ‘I tell you the truth. This night, before the cock calls, you will say three times that you do not know me.’

26:35  Peter said, ‘Even if I must die with you, I will never say I do not know you!’ All the disciples said the same thing.

26:36  Then Jesus came to a place called Gethsemane. He said to his disciples, ‘Sit down here. I will go over there and talk with God.’

26:37  He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons with him. Jesus began to be sad and troubled.

26:38  He said to them, ‘My heart is very sad. I am almost dying! Stay here and watch with me.’

26:39  Jesus went on a little further. He bowed down with his face to the ground. He talked to God and said, ‘My Father, if it can be, let this cup of trouble pass by me. But do not do what I want. May what you want be done.’

26:40  Jesus went back to the disciples and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, ‘What? Could you not watch with me for one hour?

26:41  Watch and talk with God, so that you will not do wrong. A person’s heart can want to do it, but his body is weak.’

26:42  Jesus went away again. He talked to God and said, ‘My Father, if you do not want this cup to pass by me, but you want me to drink it, I will do what you want.’

26:43  Jesus went back again and found the disciples sleeping. They could not keep their eyes open.

26:44  He left them and went away again. He talked with God the third time and said the same words.

26:45  Then he went back to his disciples and said to them, ‘Are you still sleeping and resting? The time has come now. The Son of Man is given over to bad people.

26:46  Get up. Let us go. Look, here comes the one who will give me over to people who hate me!’

26:47  As Jesus was saying this, Judas came. He was one of the twelve disciples. Many people came with him. They had long knives or swords and big sticks. The chief priests and the leaders of the people had sent them.

26:48  The man who was going to help them catch Jesus had told them that he would give them a sign. He said, ‘The man that I kiss is the one. Catch him and hold him.’

26:49  Right then he went to Jesus and said, ‘Greetings, Master!’ And he kissed him.

26:50  Jesus said to him, ‘Friend, why have you come?’ Then the men came and caught Jesus and held him.

26:51  One of the men who was with Jesus took his sword in his hand. He hit the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.

26:52  Then Jesus said to him, ‘Put your sword back in its place. All people who fight with a sword will be killed by a sword.

26:53  Do you think that I cannot talk to my Father, and he would send me right now more than twelve armies of angels?

26:54  But then, how would God’s word come true? The holy writings say that this is the way it must be.’

26:55  At that same time Jesus said to the people, ‘Have you come to take me with swords and sticks as you would a man who steals? Every day I sat with you in the temple and taught. But you did not try to catch me then.

26:56  All this happened so that what the prophets said in the holy writings would come true.’ Then all the disciples left Jesus and ran away.

26:57  The men who caught Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the high priest. The scribes and the leaders had met at his house.

26:58  Peter followed Jesus a long way behind. He went as far as the yard of the high priest’s house. He sat down with the people who worked for the high priest. He wanted to see how this would end.

26:59  The chief priests and all the judges of the court tried to find men to say Jesus had done something wrong so they could kill him.

26:60  But they found nothing. Many people came and said things that were not true. At last two men came.

26:61  They said, ‘This man said, “I can break down God’s temple and build it again in three days.”’

26:62  The high priest stood up. He said to Jesus, ‘Have you no answer? What do you have to say about this? They have said something against you.’

26:63  But Jesus said nothing at all. Then the high priest said to him, ‘I ask you in the name of the living God. Tell us. Are you the Christ, the Son of God?’

26:64  Jesus answered him, ‘Yes, I am. Also I tell you that after this you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the One who has all power. You will see him coming on the clouds in the sky!’

26:65  Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, ‘What he has said is wrong! We do not need any more proof against him. You have heard the wrong thing he said.

26:66  What do you think?’ They said, ‘He should be killed.’

26:67  Then they spat on Jesus’ face and hit him. Others slapped him with their hands.

26:68  They said, ‘Christ, tell us, if you know who hit you!’

26:69  Peter sat out in the yard. A servant girl came to him and said, ‘You were also with Jesus of Galilee.’

26:70  But Peter said in front of them all, ‘I do not know what you are talking about.’

26:71  Peter went out to the gate. There, another servant-girl saw him. She said to the others around there, ‘This man was also with Jesus of Nazareth.’

26:72  Peter said some bad words and then said, ‘I do not know the man.’

26:73  A little later, those standing around came to Peter and said, ‘Surely you are one of them also. We know it by the way you talk.’

26:74  Then Peter began to say even more bad words. He said, ‘I do not know the man!’ Right then, a cock called.

26:75  Then Peter remembered that Jesus had said, ‘Before the cock calls, you will say three times that you do not know me.’ Then Peter went out and cried very much.

Chapter 27

27:1  When it was morning, all the chief priests and the leaders of the people made a plan against Jesus. They wanted to kill him.

27:2  They tied him and took him away. They took him to Pilate, the ruler.

27:3  Judas was the man who helped them take Jesus. He saw that they had judged Jesus and were going to kill him. He was sorry for what he had done, so he brought the thirty pieces of silver money back to the chief priests and leaders.

27:4  He said, ‘I have done wrong. I have helped you take a good man who should not be killed.’ They said, ‘What do we care? You look after that!’

27:5  Judas threw the silver money into the temple. He went away and hanged himself.

27:6  The chief priests took the money. They said, ‘It is not right to put this money in the money box of the temple. It has been used to buy a man’s death.’

27:7  They talked the matter over and bought a field that belonged to a man who made pots. They bought it for a place in which to bury strangers.

27:8  That is why that field has been called ‘The field of blood’ until now.

27:9  What Jeremiah the prophet said long ago, then came true at that time. He said, ‘They took thirty pieces of silver money. That is what the people of Israel said he was worth.

27:10  They paid for the potter’s field. That is what the Lord told me to do.’

27:11  Jesus stood before the ruler. The ruler asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ Jesus said, ‘Yes, I am.’

27:12  When the chief priests and leaders brought their complaints, Jesus said nothing.

27:13  Then Pilate said to him, ‘Do you not hear what these people say against you?’

27:14  But Jesus did not answer him, not even one word. Pilate was very much surprised about this.

27:15  At the feast Pilate used to let one prisoner free. He let the people choose the man they wanted to go free.

27:16  In the prison at that time was a very bad man named Barabbas.

27:17  So while the people were there Pilate asked them, ‘Which one do you want me to let free for you, Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ?’

27:18  Pilate knew that the chief priests did not like Jesus. He knew that was why they had brought Jesus to him.

27:19  While Pilate was sitting in the court to judge the case, his wife sent a message to him. She said, ‘Do nothing to that good man. I have been troubled very much in a dream about him today.’

27:20  The chief priests and leaders talked to the people. They told them to ask Pilate to let Barabbas go free, but to kill Jesus.

27:21  The ruler said to the people, ‘Which of these two do you want me to let go free for you?’ They said, ‘Barabbas.’

27:22  Pilate said to them, ‘Then what shall I do with Jesus, who is called Christ?’ They all said, ‘Nail him to a cross!’

27:23  The ruler said, ‘What wrong thing has he done?’ But they shouted even more, ‘Nail him to a cross!’

27:24  Pilate saw that he was not doing any good. And the people were making a lot of loud noise. So he washed his hands in water in front of the people. Then he said, ‘I will not say this man must be killed. You must do that.’

27:25  Then all the people answered, ‘We and our children will do that.’

27:26  Then Pilate let Barabbas go free. He told the soldiers to beat Jesus and nail him to a cross.

27:27  Then Pilate’s soldiers took Jesus to a room. They called all the soldiers together.

27:28  They took off his clothes, and they put a red gown on him.

27:29  They made a big ring of thorns like a crown and put it on his head. They put a stick in his right hand. Then they kneeled down in front of him and made fun of him. They shouted, ‘Greetings, King of the Jews!’

27:30  They spat on him. And they took the stick and hit him on the head with it.

27:31  After they had made fun of him, they took off the red gown. They put his own clothes on him. Then they took him away to nail him to a cross.

27:32  As they were going, they met a man named Simon. He was born in the country of Cyrene. They made him carry Jesus’ cross.

27:33  They came to a place called Golgotha. That means, ‘The place of a head bone.’

27:34  They wanted Jesus to drink wine mixed with something bitter. Jesus tasted it but he would not drink it.

27:35  Then they nailed him to a cross. They gambled to see how they should divide Jesus’ clothes.

27:36  Then the soldiers sat down on the ground and watched him there.

27:37  They put the complaint against Jesus above his head. These words were written there: ‘This is Jesus the King of the Jews.’

27:38  Two bad men were also nailed to crosses. They had stolen money. One man was put on the right side of Jesus and one was put on the left side of him.

27:39  The people who passed by said bad things about him. They shook their heads.

27:40  They said, ‘You are the man who said you could break down the temple and build it again in three days. Save yourself! If you are really God’s Son, come down from the cross.’

27:41  The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders also made fun of him.

27:42  They said, ‘He saved other people but he cannot save himself! If he is the King of the people of Israel, he should come down from the cross now. Then we will believe in him.

27:43  He trusted in God. If God wants him, he can save him now. He said, “I am God’s Son.”’

27:44  The bad men who were also nailed to crosses with him said the same things to him.

27:45  About midday, the whole land became dark and stayed dark for three hours.

27:46  About three o’clock, Jesus called out loud, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?’ That means, ‘My God, my God, why have you left me alone?’

27:47  Some of the people standing there heard what Jesus said. They said ‘This man is calling for Elijah.’

27:48  Right away, one of them ran to get something called a sponge. He made it wet with sour wine and put it on the end of a stick. With it he gave Jesus a drink.

27:49  The other people said, ‘Wait. We will see if Elijah will come and save him.’

27:50  Jesus called out loud again. Then he died.

27:51  At that time the thick cloth that hung in the temple was torn into two pieces. It was torn from the top down to the bottom. The earth shook and big rocks broke.

27:52  The graves opened. Many of God’s people who had died rose from death.

27:53  They came out of their graves after Jesus rose from death. They went into Jerusalem. Many people saw them there.

27:54  The Roman captain and some of his soldiers were guarding Jesus on the cross. When they saw the earth shake and the other things happen, they were very much afraid. They said, ‘Surely this man was God’s Son.’

27:55  Many women were there watching from far away. They had come with Jesus from Galilee and had helped him.

27:56  Among these women were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

27:57  In the evening, a rich man came. He was Joseph from the town of Arimathea. He also believed in Jesus.

27:58  He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate said that it should be given to him.

27:59  Joseph took the body and wrapped a clean linen cloth around it.

27:60  He put the body in his own new grave which had been cut in a rock. He rolled a very big stone to close the grave. Then he went away.

27:61  Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there. They sat where they could see the grave.

27:62  The next day was the Sabbath day. The chief priests and Pharisees went to Pilate together.

27:63  They said, ‘Sir, that man fooled people. We remember what he said when he was still living. He said that he would rise after three days.

27:64  So give orders that the grave must be guarded for three days. Then his disciples cannot come in the night to carry away his body, and tell people he rose from death. This last trick would be worse than the first.’

27:65  Pilate said to them, ‘Take soldiers. Go and guard the grave as well as you can.’

27:66  So they went and shut the grave tight. They put a government mark on the big stone. And the soldiers stayed to guard it. This was to make sure the grave would stay shut.

Chapter 28

28:1  The Sabbath day was past. Morning light was beginning to shine on the first day of the week. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the grave.

28:2  The earth shook very much because an angel of the Lord came down from heaven. He came and rolled the big stone away from the grave and sat on it.

28:3  His face shone like lightning. His clothes were as white as snow.

28:4  The soldiers who were guarding the grave saw him and shook with fear. They fell down like dead men.

28:5  The angel talked to the women. He said, ‘Do not fear. I know you are looking for Jesus, who was nailed to a cross.

28:6  He is not here. He has risen, as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.

28:7  Go quickly and tell his disciples, “He has risen from death. He is going to Galilee before you. You will see him there.” Now, I have told you.’

28:8  The women went quickly away. They left the grave with fear and they were very happy. They ran to tell his disciples.

28:9  As they were going, Jesus met them. He said ‘Greetings!’ The women bowed down in front of him and put their hands on his feet.

28:10  Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not fear. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee. They will see me there.’

28:11  While the women were going, some of the soldiers who had guarded the grave came into the city. They told the chief priests all that had happened.

28:12  The chief priests had a meeting with the leaders of the people and talked the matter over. They gave much money to the soldiers.

28:13  They said, ‘Tell the people, “His disciples came by night and took away the body while we were sleeping.”

28:14  If the ruler hears about this, then we will talk to him so that he will not punish you.’

28:15  The soldiers took the money. They did as they were told to do. And even to this day, many of the Jewish leaders say this is what happened to Jesus.

28:16  The eleven disciples went to Galilee. They went to the hill where Jesus had told them to meet him.

28:17  When they saw him, they bowed down in front of him. But some people were not sure.

28:18  Jesus came and talked to them. He said, ‘All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

28:19  So go and make disciples in all countries. Baptise them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

28:20  Teach them to do all the things I have told you to do. I am with you always, even to the end of time.’