ISV - Matthew

Chapter 1

1:1  The Gospel According to MatthewThe Ancestry of Jesus Christ This isThe Gk. lacks This is a record of the birth of Jesus Christ,I.e. the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham.

1:2  Abraham fathered Isaac, Isaac fathered Jacob, and Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers.

1:3  Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez fathered Hezron, Hezron fathered Aram,

1:4  Aram fathered Aminidab, Aminidab fathered Nahshon, and Nahshon fathered Salmon.

1:5  Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab, Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth, Obed fathered Jesse,

1:6  and Jesse fathered King David.David fathered Solomon by the wife of Uriah,

1:7  Solomon fathered Rehoboam, Rehoboam fathered Abijah, Abijah fathered Asaph,Other mss. read Asa

1:8  AsaphOther mss. read Asa fathered Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat fathered Joram, Joram fathered Uzziah,

1:9  Uzziah fathered Jotham, Jotham fathered Ahaz, Ahaz fathered Hezekiah,

1:10  Hezekiah fathered Manasseh, Manasseh fathered Amos,Other mss. read Amon and AmosOther mss. read Amon fathered Josiah.

1:11  Josiah fathered Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

1:12  After the deportation to Babylon, Jechoniah fathered Salathiel, Salathiel fathered Zerubbabel,

1:13  Zerubbabel fathered Abiud, Abiud fathered Eliakim, Eliakim fathered Azor,

1:14  Azor fathered Zadok, Zadok fathered Achim, Achim fathered Eliud,

1:15  Eliud fathered Eleazar, Eleazar fathered Matthan, and Matthan fathered Jacob.

1:16  Jacob fathered Joseph, the husband of Mary, who was the mother of Jesus,Lit. of whom Jesus was born who is called the Christ.I.e. the Messiah

1:17  So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteenThe numerical value of the name David in Heb. is fourteen. generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon were fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the ChristI.e. the Messiah were fourteen generations.

1:18  The Virgin Conception and Birth of Jesus Christ Now the birth of Jesus ChristI.e. the Messiah happened in this way. When his mother Mary was engagedEngagement involved a legally binding promise of marriage. to Joseph, before they lived together she was discovered to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit.

1:19  Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to disgrace her, decided to divorce her secretly.

1:20  After he had thought about it, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, don't be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

1:21  She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus,Jesus is the Gk. for Joshua, meaning The Lord saves. because he is the one who will save his people from their sins.”

1:22  Now all this happened to fulfill what was declared by the Lord through the prophet when he said,

1:23  “See, a virgin will become pregnantand give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel,”Isa 7:14which means, “God with us.”

1:24  When Joseph got up from his sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary asThe Gk. lacks Mary as his wife.

1:25  He did not have marital relations withLit. did not know her until she had given birth to a son;Other mss. read to her firstborn son and he named him Jesus.

Chapter 2

2:1  The Visit of the Wise MenAfter Jesus had been born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise menOr astrologers; Gk. magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem

2:2  and asked, “Where is the one who was born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the eastOr at its rising and have come to worship him.”

2:3  When King Herod heard this he was troubled, and all the people ofThe Gk. lacks the people of Jerusalem with him.

2:4  He called together all the high priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the ChristI.e. the Messiah was to be born.

2:5  They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea. For that is what was written by the prophet:

2:6  ‘O Bethlehem in the land of Judah,you are by no means least among the rulers of Judah. For from you will come a rulerwho will shepherdOr govern my people Israel.’”Mic 5:2; 2 Sam 5:2

2:7  Then Herod secretly called together the wise menOr astrologers; Gk. magi and found out from them the time the star had appeared.

2:8  Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “As you go, search carefully for the child. When you find him, tell me so that I, too, may go and worship him.”

2:9  After listening to the king, they set out, and the star they had seen in the eastOr at its rising went ahead of them until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.

2:10  When they saw the star, they were ecstatic with joy.

2:11  After they went into the house and saw the child with his mother Mary, they fell down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure sacks and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

2:12  Having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they left for their own country by a different road.

2:13  The Escape to EgyptAfter they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, because Herod intends to search for the child and kill him.”

2:14  So JosephLit. he got up and took the child and his mother and left at night for Egypt.

2:15  He stayed there until Herod's death in order to fulfill what was declared by the Lord through the prophet when he said, “Out of Egypt I called my Son.”Hos 11:1

2:16  The Massacre of the InfantsWhen Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men,Or astrologers; Gk. magi he flew into a rage and ordered the execution of all the male children in Bethlehem and all its neighboring regions who were two years old and younger, according to the time that he had determined from the wise men.Or astrologers; Gk. magi

2:17  Then what was declared by the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled when he said,

2:18  “A voice was heard in Ramah:wailing and great mourning. Rachel was crying for her children.She refused to be comforted,because they no longer existed.”Jer 31:15

2:19  The Return from EgyptBut after Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt

2:20  and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to kill the child are dead.”

2:21  So JosephLit. he got up and took the child and his mother and went into the land of Israel.

2:22  But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee

2:23  and came and settled in a town called Nazareth in order to fulfill what was said by the prophets: “He will be called a Nazarene.”Nazareth. 2:23 The Gk. Nazoraios may be a word play between Heb. netser, meaning branch (see Isa 11:1), and the name

Chapter 3

3:1  John the Baptist Prepares the Way for Jesus In those days John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the wilderness of Judea

3:2  and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near!”

3:3  He was the one the prophet Isaiah was referring to when he said, “He is a voice calling out in the wilderness:‘Prepare the way for the Lord!Make his paths straight!’”Isa 40:3

3:4  John had clothing made of camel's hair and woreThe Gk. lacks wore a leather belt around his waist. His diet consisted of locusts and wild honey.

3:5  Then the people ofThe Gk. lacks the people of Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region along the Jordan began flocking to him,

3:6  being baptized by him in the Jordan River while they confessed their sins.

3:7  But when JohnLit. he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing,Lit. to his baptism he said to them, “You children of serpents! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

3:8  Produce fruit that is consistent with repentance!

3:9  Don't think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our forefather.’ For I tell you that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones!

3:10  The ax already lies against the roots of the trees. So every tree not producing good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

3:11  I am baptizing you withOr in water as a token of repentance,Lit. for repentance but the one who is coming after me is stronger than I am, and I am not worthy to carry his sandals. It is he who will baptize you withOr in the Holy Spirit and fire.

3:12  His winnowing fork is in his hand. He will clean up his threshing floor and gather his grain into the barn, but he will burn the chaff with inextinguishable fire.”

3:13  John Baptizes Jesus Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.

3:14  But John tried to stop him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and are you coming to me?”

3:15  But Jesus answered him, “Let it be this way for now, for this is the proper way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then JohnLit. he let him.

3:16  When Jesus had been baptized, he immediately came up out of the water. Suddenly the heavens opened up for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him.

3:17  Then a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love. I am pleased with him!”

Chapter 4

4:1  Jesus Is Tempted by Satan Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

4:2  After fasting for forty days and forty nights, he finally became hungry.

4:3  The tempter came and said to him, “IfOr Since you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”

4:4  But he answered, “It is written, ‘One must not live on bread alone,but on every word comingout of the mouth of God.’”Deut 8:3

4:5  Then the devil took him to the Holy CityI.e. Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.

4:6  He said to Jesus,Lit. him “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written, ‘GodLit. He will put his angels in charge of you,’and ‘With their hands they will hold you up,so that you will never hit your foot against a rock.’”Ps 91:11-12

4:7  Jesus said to him, “It is also written, ‘You must not tempt the Lord your God.’”Deut 6:16

4:8  Once more the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.

4:9  He said to Jesus,Lit. him “I will give you all of these things if you will bow down and worship me!”

4:10  Then Jesus said to him, “Go away,Other mss. read Get behind me Satan! For it is written, ‘You must worship the Lord your Godand serve only him.’”Deut 6:13

4:11  Then the devil left him, and angels came and began ministering to him.

4:12  Jesus Begins His Ministry in Galilee Now when JesusLit. he heard that John had been arrested, he went back to Galilee.

4:13  He left Nazareth and went and settled in Capernaum by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali,

4:14  in order to fulfill what was declared by the prophet Isaiah when he said,

4:15  “O Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,on the road to the sea, across the Jordan,Galilee of the Gentiles!

4:16  The people livingLit. sitting in darkness have seen a great light,and for those livingLit. sitting in the land and shadow of death,a light has risen.”Isa 9:1-2

4:17  From then on, Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near!”

4:18  Jesus Calls Four Fishermen While JesusLit. he was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew. They were throwing a net into the sea because they were fishermen.

4:19  He said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishermen of people!”

4:20  So at once they left their nets and followed him.

4:21  Going on from there he saw two other brothers—James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee repairing their nets. When he called them,

4:22  they immediately left the boat and their father and followed him.

4:23  Jesus Ministers to Many People Then he went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every illness among the people.

4:24  His fame spread throughout Syria, and peopleLit. they brought to him all who were sick—those afflicted with various diseases and pains, the demon-possessed, the epileptics, and the paralyzed—and he healed them.

4:25  Large crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis,Lit. the Ten Cities, a loose federation of ten cities strongly influenced by Greek culture Jerusalem, Judea, and from across the Jordan.

Chapter 5

5:1  Jesus Teaches about the KingdomWhen JesusLit. He saw the crowds, he went up on a hillside and sat down. His disciples came to him,

5:2  and he opened his mouth and began to teach them, saying,The Blessed Attitudes

5:3  “How blessed are those who are destitute in spirit,for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them!

5:4  “How blessed are those who mourn,for it is they who will be comforted!

5:5  “How blessed are those who are humble,Or gentlefor it is they who will inherit the earth!

5:6  “How blessed are those who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness,Or justicefor it is they who will be satisfied!

5:7  “How blessed are those who are merciful,for it is they who will receive mercy!

5:8  “How blessed are those who are pure in heart,for it is they who will see God!

5:9  “How blessed are those who make peace,for it is they who will be called God's children!

5:10  “How blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them!

5:11  “How blessed are you whenever peopleLit. they insult you, persecute you, and say all sorts of evil things against you falselyOther mss. lack falsely because of me!

5:12  Rejoice and be extremely glad, because your reward in heaven is great! For that's how they persecuted the prophets who came before you.”Salt and Light in the World

5:13  “You are the salt of the world. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty again? It's good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled on by people.

5:14  You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can't be hidden.

5:15  PeopleLit. They don't light a lamp and put it under a basket but on a lampstand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.

5:16  In the same way, let your light shine before people in such a way that they will see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

5:17  Jesus Fulfills the Law and the Prophets“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I didn't come to destroy them, but to fulfill them.

5:18  For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not one letterLit. one iota or one stroke of a letter will disappear from the Law until everything has been accomplished.

5:19  So whoever sets asideOr breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

5:20  For I tell you, unless your righteousness greatly exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven!”

5:21  Teaching about Anger“You have heard that it was said to those who lived long ago, ‘You must not murder,’Exod 20:13; Deut 5:17 and ‘Whoever murders will be subject to punishment.’Exod 21:12; Lev 24:17

5:22  But I say to you, anyone who is angry with his brother without a causeOther mss. lack without a cause will be subject to punishment. And whoever says to his brother ‘Raka!’Raka is Aram. for You worthless one will be subject to the Council.Or Sanhedrin And whoever says ‘You fool!’ will be subject to hellGk. Gehenna; a Gk. transliteration of the Heb. for Valley of Hinnom fire.

5:23  “So if you are presenting your gift at the altar and remember there that your brother has something against you,

5:24  leave your gift there before the altar and first go and be reconciled to your brother. Then come and offer your gift.

5:25  Come to terms quickly with your opponent while you are on the way to court,Lit. while you are with him on the way or your opponent may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison.

5:26  Truly I tell you, you will not get out of there until you pay back the last penny!”

5:27  Teaching about Adultery“You have heard that it was said, ‘You must not commit adultery.’Exod 20:14; Deut 5:18

5:28  But I say to you, anyone who stares at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

5:29  So if your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into hell.Gk. Gehenna; a Gk. transliteration of the Heb. for Valley of Hinnom

5:30  And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away from you. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into hell.”Gk. Gehenna; a Gk. transliteration of the Heb. for Valley of HinnomTeaching about Divorce

5:31  “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a written notice of divorce.’Deut 24:1, 3

5:32  But I say to you, any man who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”

5:33  Teaching about Oaths“Again, you have heard that it was said to those who lived long ago, ‘You must not swear an oath falsely,’ but ‘You must fulfill your oaths to the Lord.’Lev 19:12; Num 30:2; Deut 23:21-23

5:34  But I tell you not to swear at all, neither by heaven, because it is God's throne,

5:35  nor by the earth, because it is his footstool, nor by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the Great King.

5:36  Nor should you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.

5:37  Instead, let your word be ‘Yes’ for ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ for ‘No.’ Anything more than that comes from the evil one.”Teaching about Retaliation

5:38  “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’Exod 21:24; Lev 24:20; Deut 19:21

5:39  But I tell you not to resist an evildoer. On the contrary, whoever slaps you on the right cheek, turn the other to him as well.

5:40  If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat as well.

5:41  And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go two with him.

5:42  Give to the person who asks you for something, and do not turn away from the person who wants to borrow something from you.”Teaching about Love for Enemies

5:43  “You have heard that it was said, ‘You must love your neighbor’Lev 19:18 and hate your enemy.

5:44  But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you,

5:45  so that you will become children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and the good, and he lets rain fall on the righteous and the unrighteous.

5:46  For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Even the tax collectors do the same, don't they?

5:47  And if you greet only your brothers, what great thing are you doing? Even the GentilesOther mss. read tax collectors do the same, don't they?

5:48  So be perfect,Or mature as your heavenly Father is perfect.”Or mature

Chapter 6

6:1  Teaching about Giving Money to the Poor“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of people in order to be noticed by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

6:2  So whenever you give to the poor, don't blow a trumpet before you like the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets so that they will be praised by people. Truly I tell you, they have their full reward!

6:3  But when you give to the poor, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

6:4  so that your giving may be done in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”Other mss. read reward you openlyTeaching about Prayer

6:5  “And whenever you pray, don't be like the hypocrites who love to stand in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they will be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their full reward!

6:6  But whenever you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.Other mss. read reward you openly

6:7  “When you are praying, don't say meaningless words like the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard because of their wordiness.

6:8  Don't be like them, because your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

6:9  “Therefore, this is how you should pray: ‘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 today our daily bread,

6:12  and forgive us our sins,Or debtsas we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.Or forgiven our debtors

6:13  And never bring us into temptation,but deliver us from the evil one.’Other mss. read evil one. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

6:14  For if you forgive people their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

6:15  But if you do not forgive people their offenses,Other mss. lack their offenses your Father will not forgive your offenses.”

6:16  Teaching about Fasting“Whenever you fast, don't be gloomy like the hypocrites. For they put on sad faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have their full reward!

6:17  But when you fast, put oil onOr anoint your head and wash your face,

6:18  so that your fasting will not be noticed by others but by your Father who sees in secret. And your Father who is in secret will reward you.”Other mss. read reward you openlyTeaching about Treasures

6:19  “Stop storing up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.

6:20  But keep on storing up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal.

6:21  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”The Lamp of the Body

6:22  “The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light.

6:23  But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. Therefore, if the light in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”God and Riches

6:24  “No one can serve two masters. For either he will hate one and love the other, or be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and riches!”Lit. mammon, an Aram. term meaning wealthStop Worrying

6:25  “That's why I'm telling you to stop worrying about your life—what you will eat or what you will drinkOther mss. lack or what you will drink—or about your body—what you will wear. Life is more than food, isn't it, and the body more than clothing?

6:26  Look at the birds in the sky. They don't plant or harvest or gather food into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. You are more valuable than they are, aren't you?

6:27  Can any of you add a single hour to your span of lifeOr add one cubit to your height by worrying?

6:28  And why do you worry about clothes? Consider the lilies in the field and how they grow. They don't work or spin yarn,

6:29  but I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them.

6:30  Now if that is the way God clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and thrown into an oven tomorrow, won't he clothe you much better—you who have little faith?

6:31  “So don't ever worry by saying, ‘What are we going to eat?’ or ‘What are we going to drink?’ or ‘What are we going to wear?’

6:32  For it is the Gentiles who are eager for all those things. Surely your heavenly Father knows that you need all of them!

6:33  But first be concerned about God's kingdom and his righteousness,Other mss. read his kingdom and righteousness and all of these things will be provided for you as well.

6:34  So never worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Chapter 7

7:1  Judging Others “Stop judging, so that you won't be judged.

7:2  For with the judgment you use,Lit. measure you will be judged. And with the measure you use,Lit. measure you will be measured.

7:3  “Why do you see the speck in your brother's eye but fail to notice the beam in your own eye?

7:4  Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when the beam is in your own eye?

7:5  You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you will see clearly enough to remove the speck from your brother's eye.”

7:6  Despising the Holy“Never give what is holy to dogs or throw your pearls before pigs. Otherwise, they will trample them with their feet and then turn around and attack you.”Ask, Search, Knock

7:7  “Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the doorLit. it will be opened for you.

7:8  For everyone who keeps asking will receive, and the person who keeps searching will find, and the person who keeps knocking will have the doorLit. it opened.

7:9  “There isn't a person among you who would give his son a stone if he asked for bread, is there?

7:10  Or if he asks for a fish, he wouldn't give him a snake, would he?

7:11  So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who keep on asking him!

7:12  Therefore, whatever you want people to do for you, do the same for them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”The Narrow Gate

7:13  “Go in through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is spacious that leads to destruction, and many people are entering by it.

7:14  How narrow is the gate and how constricted is the road that leads to life, and few are the people who find it!”A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit

7:15  “Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheeps’ clothing but inwardly are savage wolves.

7:16  By their fruit you will know them. Grapes aren't gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles, are they?

7:17  In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a rotten tree produces bad fruit.

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

7:19  Every tree not producing good fruit will be cut down and thrown into a fire.

7:20  So by their fruit you will know them.”I Never Knew You

7:21  “Not everyone who keeps saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will get into the kingdom of heaven, but only the person who keeps doing the will of my Father in heaven.

7:22  Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, we prophesied in your name, drove out demons in your name, and performed many miracles in your name, didn't we?’

7:23  Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you evildoers!’”Ps 6:8The Two Foundations

7:24  “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on a rock.

7:25  The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, but it did not collapse because its foundation was on the rock.

7:26  “Everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn't obey them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

7:27  The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and battered that house, and it collapsed, and its collapse was devastating.”

7:28  When Jesus had finished saying all these things,Lit. finished all these sayings the crowds were utterly amazed at his teaching,

7:29  for he was teaching them like a person who had authority, and not like their scribes.

Chapter 8

8:1  Jesus Cleanses a Leper When JesusLit. he came down from the hillside, large crowds followed him.

8:2  Suddenly a leperI.e. a man with a serious skin disease came up to him, fell down before him, and said, “Sir,Or Lord if you want to, you can make me clean.”

8:3  So JesusLit. He reached out his hand, touched him, and said, “I do want to. Be made clean!” And instantly his leprosy was made clean.

8:4  Then Jesus said to him, “See to it that you don't speak to anyone. Instead, go and show yourself to the priest, and then offer the sacrifice that Moses commanded as proof to the authorities.”Lit. to them

8:5  Jesus Heals a Centurion's Servant When JesusLit. he returned to Capernaum, a centurionI.e. a commander of about 100 soldiers came up to him and begged him repeatedly,

8:6  “Sir,Or Lord my servant is lying at home paralyzed and in terrible pain.”

8:7  JesusLit. He said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

8:8  The centurion replied, “Sir,Or Lord I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.

8:9  For I, too, am a man under authority and have soldiers under me. I say to one ‘Go’ and he goes, to another ‘Come’ and he comes, and to my servant ‘Do this’ and he does it.”

8:10  When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those who were following him, “Truly I tell you, not evenOther mss. read in no one in Israel have I found this kind of faith!

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

8:12  But the citizensLit. sons of that kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”I.e. extreme pain

8:13  Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go. It will be done for you just as you have believed.” And his servant was healed that very hour.

8:14  Jesus Heals Many People When Jesus went into Peter's house, he saw Peter'sLit. his mother-in-law lying in bed, sick with a fever.

8:15  He touched her hand, and the fever left her. Then she got up and began serving him.

8:16  When evening came, peopleLit. they brought to him many who were possessed by demons. He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all those who were sick.

8:17  This was to fulfill what was declared by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “It was he who took our illnesses awayand removed our diseases.”Isa 53:4

8:18  The Would-Be Followers of Jesus When Jesus saw the large crowds around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side.I.e. to the other side of the Sea of Galilee

8:19  Now a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

8:20  Jesus told him, “Foxes have holes and birdsLit. birds in the sky have nests,but the Son of Man has no place to rest.”Lit. no place to lay his head

8:21  Then another of his disciples said to him, “Lord,Or Sir first let me go and bury my father.”

8:22  But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

8:23  Jesus Calms the Sea When JesusLit. he got into the boat, his disciples went with him.

8:24  Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat began to be swamped by the waves. Yet JesusLit. he kept sleeping.

8:25  TheyOther mss. read The disciples went to him and woke him up, saying, “Lord, save us! We're going to die!”

8:26  He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you who have little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

8:27  The men were amazed and said, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey him!”

8:28  Jesus Heals Two Demon-Possessed Men When JesusLit. he arrived on the other side in the region of the Gerasenes,Other mss. read Gergesenes; still other mss. read Gadarenes two demon-possessed men met him as they were coming out of the tombs. They were so violent that no one could travel on that road.

8:29  Suddenly they screamed, “What do you want with us, Son of God? Did you come here to torture us before the proper time?”

8:30  Now a large herd of pigs was grazing some distance away from them.

8:31  So the demons began to plead with Jesus,Lit. him saying, “If you drive us out, send us into that herd of pigs.”

8:32  He said to them, “Go,” and they came out and went into the pigs. Suddenly, the whole herd rushed down the cliff into the sea and died in the water.

8:33  Now when those who had been taking care of the pigs ran away, they came into the city and reported everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men.

8:34  Then the whole city went out to meet Jesus, and as soon as they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.

Chapter 9

9:1  Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man After getting into a boat, JesusLit. he crossed to the other side and came to his own city.

9:2  All at once some peopleLit. they brought him a paralyzed man lying on a stretcher. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Be courageous, son! Your sins are forgiven.”

9:3  Then some of the scribes said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”

9:4  But Jesus knewLit. saw their thoughts and said, “Why do you have such evil thoughts in your hearts?

9:5  For which is easier: to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?

9:6  But I want you to knowLit. So that you will know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.”Then he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, pick up your stretcher, and go home!”

9:7  So the manLit. he got up and went home.

9:8  When the crowds saw this, they became frightenedOther mss. read they were amazed and glorified God for giving such authority to humans.

9:9  Jesus Calls Matthew As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's desk and said to him, “Follow me.” So he got up and followed him.

9:10  While he was having dinner at Matthew'sLit. the home, many tax collectors and sinners arrived and began eating with Jesus and his disciples.

9:11  The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

9:12  When JesusLit. he heard that, he said, “Healthy people don't need a physician, but sick people do.

9:13  Go and learn what this means: ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice.’Hos 6:6 For I did not come to call righteous people, but sinners.”

9:14  A Question about Fasting Then John's disciples came to JesusLit. him and asked, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often,Other mss. lack often but your disciples don't fast?”

9:15  Jesus said to them, “The wedding guests can't mourn as long as the groom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.”The Unshrunk Cloth

9:16  “No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. For the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results.

9:17  Nor do peopleLit. they pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will spill out, and the skins will be ruined. Instead, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”

9:18  Jesus Heals an Official's Daughter and a Woman with Chronic Bleeding While JesusLit. he was telling them these things, an official came up, fell down before him, and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.”

9:19  So Jesus got up and followed him, along with his disciples.

9:20  Just then a woman who had been suffering from chronic bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the tassel of his garment.

9:21  For she had been saying to herself, “If I just touch his robe, I will get well.”

9:22  When Jesus turned and saw her, he said, “Be courageous, daughter! Your faith has made you well.” And from that very hour the woman was well.

9:23  When Jesus came to the official's house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion,

9:24  he said, “Go away! The girl hasn't died but is sleeping.” They laughed and laughed at him.

9:25  But when the crowd had been driven outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up.

9:26  The news of this spread throughout that land.

9:27  Jesus Heals Two Blind MenAs Jesus was traveling on from there, two blind men followed him, shouting, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”

9:28  When he had gone into the house, the blind men came to him.Jesus asked them, “Do you believe I can do this?”They said to him, “Yes, Lord!”Or Sir

9:29  Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith, let it be done for you!”

9:30  And their eyes were opened.Then Jesus sternly told them, “See to it that nobody knows about this.”

9:31  But they went out and spread the news about him throughout that land.

9:32  Jesus Heals a Man Who Couldn't TalkAs they were going out, a man who couldn't talk because he was demon-possessed was brought to him.

9:33  As soon as the demon had been driven out, the manLit. the man who couldn't talk began to speak. The crowds were amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel!”

9:34  But the Pharisees kept saying, “He drives out demons by the ruler of demons.”Other mss. lack this verse

9:35  The Compassion of JesusThen Jesus began traveling through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every illness.

9:36  When he saw the crowds, he was deeply moved with compassion for them, because they were troubled and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

9:37  Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is vast, but the workers are few.

9:38  So ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.”

Chapter 10

10:1  Jesus Appoints Twelve Apostles Then JesusLit. he called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority over unclean spirits, so that they could drive them out and heal every disease and every illness.

10:2  These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;

10:3  Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;Other mss. read Lebbaeus called Thaddaeus

10:4  Simon the CananaeanCananaean is Aram. for Zealot. and Judas Iscariot, who laterLit. also betrayed Jesus.Lit. him

10:5  Jesus Sends Out the Twelve These were the twelve whom Jesus sent out, charging them with the words, “Don't turn off into the road that leads to the Gentiles, and don't enter a town of the Samaritans.

10:6  Go, instead, to the lost sheep of the nationLit. house of Israel.

10:7  As you go, proclaim, ‘The kingdom of heaven is near!’

10:8  Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without payment you have received; without payment you are to give.

10:9  Don't take any gold, silver, or copper in your moneybags,

10:10  or a traveling bag for the trip, or an extra shirt,Lit. two shirts or sandals, or a walking stick. For a worker deserves his food.

10:11  “Whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you leave.

10:12  As you enter the house, greet it.

10:13  If the house is receptive,Lit. worthy let your blessing of peace come on it. But if it isn't receptive,Lit. worthy let your blessing of peace return to you.

10:14  If no one welcomes you or listens to your words, as you leave that house or town, shake its dust off your feet.

10:15  Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town!”Coming Persecutions

10:16  “See, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. So be as cunning as serpents and as innocent as doves.

10:17  Watch out for people, for they will hand you over to the local councils and whip you in their synagogues.

10:18  Because of me you will be brought before governors and kings to testify to them and the Gentiles.

10:19  When they hand you over, don't worry about how you are to speakThe Gk. lacks you are to speak or what you are to say, for in that hour what you are to say will be given to you.

10:20  For it won't be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking throughOr in you.

10:21  “Brother will hand brother over to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against parents and have them put to death.

10:22  You will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the person who endures to the end will be saved.

10:23  So when they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. For truly I tell you, you certainly will not have gone through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

10:24  “A disciple is not above his teacher, and a slave is not above his master.

10:25  It is enough for a disciple to be like his teacher and a slave to be like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they do the same toThe Gk. lacks will they do the same to those of his household!”Fear God

10:26  “So never be afraid of them. For there is nothing covered that will not be exposed, and nothing secret that will not be made known.

10:27  What I tell you in darkness you must speak in the daylight, and what is whisperedLit. what you hear in your ear you must shout from the housetops.

10:28  Stop beingOr Don't be afraid of those who kill the body but can't kill the soul. Instead, be afraid of the one who can destroy both body and soul in hell.Gehenna; a Gk. transliteration of the Heb. for Valley of Hinnom

10:29  “Two sparrows are sold for a penny, aren't they? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father's permission.Lit. apart from your Father

10:30  Indeed, even the hairs on your head have all been counted!

10:31  So stop beingOr don't be afraid. You are worth more than a bunch of sparrows.”Acknowledging Christ

10:32  “Therefore, everyone who acknowledges me before people I, too, will acknowledge before my Father in heaven.

10:33  But whoever denies me before people I, too, will deny before my Father in heaven.”Not Peace, but a Sword

10:34  “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword!I.e. conflict

10:35  For I came to turn ‘a man against his father,a daughter against her mother,and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

10:36  A person's enemies will be members of his own family.’Mic 7:6

10:37  “The one who loves his father or mother more than me isn't worthy of me, and the one who loves a son or daughter more than me isn't worthy of me.

10:38  The one who doesn't take up his cross and follow me isn't worthy of me.

10:39  The one who finds his life will lose it, and the one who loses his life because of me will find it.”Rewards

10:40  “The one who receives you receives me, and the one who receives me receives the one who sent me.

10:41  The one who receives a prophet asLit. in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and the one who receives a righteous person asLit. in the name of a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward.

10:42  Truly I tell you, whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he isLit. in the name of a disciple will never lose his reward.”

Chapter 11

11:1  When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he left there to teach and preach in their cities.

11:2  John the Baptist Sends Messengers to Jesus Now when John in prison heard about the activities of Christ,I.e. the Messiah he sent a messageThe Gk. lacks a message by his disciples

11:3  and asked him, “Are you the Coming One, or should we wait for someone else?”

11:4  Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and observe:

11:5  the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the destitute hear the good news.

11:6  How blessed is anyone who is not offended by me!”

11:7  As they were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John. “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

11:8  Really, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fancy clothes? See, those who wear fancy clothes live in kings’ houses.

11:9  Really, what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and even more than a prophet!

11:10  This is the man about whom it is written, ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,who will prepare your way before you.’Mal 3:1

11:11  Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has appeared who is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least important person in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

11:12  “From the days of John the Baptist until the present, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing,Or has been under violent attack and violent people have been attacking it.

11:13  For the Law and all the Prophets prophesied up to the time of John,

11:14  and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come.Or is about to come

11:15  Let the person who has earsOther mss. read ears to hear listen!

11:16  “To what can I compare this generation? It's like little children who sit in the marketplaces and shout to each other,

11:17  ‘A wedding song we played for you,the dance you did but scorn. A woeful dirge we chanted, too,but then you would not mourn.’

11:18  For John didn't come eating or drinking, yet peopleLit. they say, ‘He has a demon!’

11:19  The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Absolved from every act of sin,is wisdom by her kith and kin.”Lit. by all her children; other mss. read by her actions

11:20  Jesus Denounces Unrepentant Cities Then JesusLit. he began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had taken place, because they didn't repent.

11:21  “How terrible it will be for you, Chorazin! How terrible it will be for you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that happened in you had taken place in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

11:22  Indeed I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you!

11:23  And you, Capernaum! You won't be lifted up to heaven, will you? You'll go down to Hades!I.e. the realm of the dead For if the miracles that happened in you had taken place in Sodom, it would have remained to this day.

11:24  Indeed I tell you, it will be more bearable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you!”

11:25  Jesus Praises the Father and Invites the Disciples to Come to Him At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from wise and intelligent people and have revealed them to infants.

11:26  Yes, Father, for this is what was pleasing to you.

11:27  All things have been entrusted to me by my Father. No one fully knows the Son except the Father, and no one fully knows the Father except the Son and the person to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

11:28  “Come to me, all of you who are weary and loaded down with burdens, and I will give you rest.

11:29  Place my yoke on you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

11:30  For my yoke is pleasant,Or kind and my burden is light.”

Chapter 12

12:1  Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath At that time Jesus walked through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples became hungry and began picking heads of grain to eat.

12:2  When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!”

12:3  But he said to them, “Haven't you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?

12:4  How is it that he went into the house of God and ate the Bread of the Presence, which was not lawful for him and his companions to eat but was reservedLit. but only for the priests?

12:5  Or haven't you read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath and yet are innocent?

12:6  But I tell you, something greater than the temple is here!

12:7  If you had known what ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice’Hos 6:6 means, you would not have condemned the innocent.

12:8  For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

12:9  Jesus Heals a Man with a Paralyzed Hand Moving on from there, JesusLit. he went into their synagogue.

12:10  Suddenly a man with a paralyzed hand appeared. The peopleLit. They asked JesusLit. him if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath, intending to accuse him of doing something wrong.

12:11  But he said to them, “Is there a man among you who, if he had one sheep and it fell into a ditch on the Sabbath, wouldn't take hold of it and pull it out?

12:12  How much more is a human being worth than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

12:13  Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” He held it out and it became normal, as healthy as the other.

12:14  The Pharisees, however, went out and plotted against JesusLit. him to kill him.

12:15  Jesus, God's Chosen ServantWhen Jesus became aware of this, he left that place. Many crowdsOther mss. lack crowds followed him, and he healed all of them,

12:16  ordering them not to make him known.

12:17  This was to fulfill what was declared by the prophet Isaiah when he said,

12:18  “Here is my Servant whom I have chosen,whom I love, and with whom my soul is pleased! I will put my Spirit on him,and he will proclaim justiceOr judgment to the Gentiles.Or nations

12:19  He will not quarrel or shout,and no one will hear his voice in the streets.

12:20  He will not snap off a broken reedor snuff out a smoldering wickuntil he brings justiceOr judgment to victory.

12:21  And in his name the GentilesOr nations will hope.”Isa 42:1-4

12:22  Jesus Is Accused of Working with Beelzebul Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and unable to talk was brought to him. JesusLit. He healed him so that the manLit. the man who was unable to talk could speak and see.

12:23  All the crowds were amazed and kept saying, “This man isn't the Son of David, is he?”

12:24  But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man drives out demons only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.”

12:25  He knew what they were thinking and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.

12:26  So if Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How, then, can his kingdom stand?

12:27  If I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own followersLit. sons drive them out? That is why they will be your judges!

12:28  But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.

12:29  How can someone go into a strong man's house and carry off his possessions without first tying up the strong man? Then he can ransack his house.

12:30  “The person who isn't with me is against me, and the person who doesn't gather with me scatters.

12:31  So I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven,Lit. will be forgiven to people but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.

12:32  Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the one to come.”A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit

12:33  “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree rotten and its fruit rotten. For a tree is known by its fruit.

12:34  You children of serpents! How can you say anything good when you are evil? For the mouth speaks out of the abundance of the heart.

12:35  A good person brings good things out of a good treasure, and an evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure.

12:36  I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give an account for every thoughtlessOr worthless word they utter.

12:37  For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

12:38  The Sign of Jonah Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus,Lit. him “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”

12:39  But he replied to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves a sign. Yet no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

12:40  For just as Jonah was in the stomach of the sea creature for three days and three nights,Jonah 1:17 so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.

12:41  The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah. But look—something greater than Jonah is here!

12:42  The queen of the south will stand up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. But look—something greater than Solomon is here!”The Return of the Unclean Spirit

12:43  “Whenever an unclean spirit goes out of a person, it wanders through waterless places looking for a place to rest but finds none.

12:44  Then it says, ‘I will go back to my home that I left.’ When it arrives, it finds it empty, swept clean, and put in order.

12:45  Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and settle there. And so the final condition of that person becomes worse than the first. That's just what will happen to this evil generation!”

12:46  The True Family of Jesus While JesusLit. he was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him.

12:47  Someone told him, “Look! Your mother and your brothers are standing outside asking to speak to you.”Other mss. lack this verse

12:48  He asked the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?”

12:49  Then pointing with his hand at his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!

12:50  For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Chapter 13

13:1  The Parable about a Sower That day Jesus left the house and sat down beside the sea.

13:2  Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, while the entire crowd stood on the shore.

13:3  Then he began to tell them many things in parables. He said, “Listen! A sower went out to sow.

13:4  As he was sowing, some seeds fell along the path, and birds came and ate them up.

13:5  Other seeds fell on stony ground, where they did not have a lot of soil. They sprouted at once because the soil wasn't deep.

13:6  But when the sun came up, they were scorched. Since they did not have any roots, they dried up.

13:7  Other seeds fell among thornbushes, and the thornbushes came up and choked them.

13:8  But other seeds fell on good soil and produced a crop, some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times what was sown.The Gk. lacks what was sown

13:9  Let the person who has earsOther mss. read ears to hear listen!”

13:10  The Purpose of the Parables Then the disciples came and said to Jesus,Lit. him “Why do you speak to peopleLit. to them in parables?”

13:11  He answered them, “You have been given knowledge about the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but it hasn't been given to them.

13:12  For to anyone who has something, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the one who doesn't have anything, even what he has will be taken away from him.

13:13  That's why I speak to them in parables, because ‘they look but don't see,and they listen but don't hear or understand.’

13:14  “With them the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says: ‘You will listen and listen but never understand.You will look and look but never comprehend.

13:15  For this people's heart has become dull,and their ears are hard of hearing.Lit. they hear with ears of heaviness They have shut their eyesso that they might not see with their eyes,and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn,and I would heal them.’Isa 6:9-10

13:16  “How blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear!

13:17  For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see the things you see but did not see them, and to hear the things you hear but did not hear them.”Jesus Explains the Parable about the Sower

13:18  “Listen, then, to the parable about the sower.

13:19  When anyone hears the word about the kingdom yet doesn't understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.

13:20  As for what was sown on the stony ground, this is the person who hears the word and accepts it at once with joy,

13:21  but since he doesn't have any root in himself, he lasts for only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes along because of the word, he immediately falls away.

13:22  As for what was sown among the thornbushes, this is the person who hears the word, but the worries of life and the deceitful pleasures of wealth choke the word so that it can't produce a crop.

13:23  But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the person who hears the word, understands it, and produces a crop that yields a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.”The Gk. lacks what was sown

13:24  The Parable about the Weeds among the WheatHe presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.

13:25  While people were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.

13:26  When the crop came up and bore grain, the weeds appeared, too.

13:27  The owner's servants came and said to him, ‘Master, you sowed good seed in your field, didn't you? Then where did these weeds come from?’

13:28  He told them, ‘An enemy did this!’ The servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and pull them out?’

13:29  He said, ‘No, for if you pull out the weeds, you might pull out the wheat with them.

13:30  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles for burning, but bring the wheat into my barn.”’”

13:31  The Parables about a Mustard Seed and Yeast He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in his field.

13:32  Although it is the smallest ofOr it is smaller than all seeds, when it is fully grown it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, and the birds in the sky come and nest in its branches.”

13:33  He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed withLit. hid in three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”

13:34  Why Jesus Used Parables Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables. He did not tell them anything without usingThe Gk. lacks using a parable.

13:35  This was to fulfill what was declared by the prophetOther mss. read Isaiah the prophet when he said, “I will open my mouth to speakThe Gk. lacks to speak in parables.I will declare what has been hiddenfrom the foundation of the world.”Ps 78:2

13:36  Jesus Explains the Parable about the WeedsThen JesusLit. he left the crowds and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable about the weeds in the field.”

13:37  He answered, “The person who sowed good seed is the Son of Man,

13:38  while the field is the world. The good seed are those who belong toLit. the sons of the kingdom, while the weeds are those who belong toLit. the sons of the evil one.

13:39  The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.

13:40  Just as weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so it will be at end of theOther mss. read this age.

13:41  The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom everything that causes others to sin and those who practice lawlessness

13:42  and they will throw them into a blazing furnace. In that place there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.I.e. extreme pain

13:43  Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom. Let the person who has earsOther mss. read ears to hear listen!”

13:44  The Parable about a Hidden Treasure“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field that a man found and hid. In his joy he went and sold everything he had and bought that field.”

13:45  The Parable about a Valuable Pearl“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls.

13:46  When he found a very valuable pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it.”

13:47  The Parable about a Net“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a large net thrown into the sea that gathered all kinds of fish.

13:48  When it was full, the fishermenLit. they hauled it ashore. Then they sat down, sorted the good fish into containers, and threw the bad ones away.

13:49  That is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the evil from the righteous

13:50  and will throw them into a blazing furnace. In that place there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”I.e. extreme pain

13:51  New and Old Treasures“Do you understand all these things?”They said to him, “Yes.”

13:52  Then he told them, “That is why every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings both new and old things out of his treasure chest.”

13:53  Jesus Is Rejected at Nazareth When Jesus had finished these parables, he left that place.

13:54  He went to his hometown and began teaching the peopleLit. them in their synagogue in such a way that they were amazed and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miracles?

13:55  This is the builder'sOr carpenter's son, isn't it? His mother is named Mary, isn't she? His brothers are James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas, aren't they?

13:56  And his sisters are all with us, aren't they? So where did this man get all these things?”

13:57  And they were offended by him.But Jesus told them, “A prophet is without honor only in his hometown and in his own home.”

13:58  He did not perform many miracles there because of their unbelief.

Chapter 14

14:1  Jesus Recalls the Death of John the Baptist At that time Herod the tetrarch,I.e. Herod Antipas, a son of King Herod and ruler over one of four districts in and around Palestine hearing about the fame of Jesus,

14:2  said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist! He has been raised from the dead, and that's why these miracles are at work in him.”

14:3  For Herod had arrested John, bound him with chains, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip'sOther mss. read his brother's wife

14:4  For John had been telling him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”

14:5  Although HerodLit. he wanted to kill him, he was afraid of the crowd, since they regarded JohnLit. him as a prophet.

14:6  But when Herod's birthday celebration was held, the daughter of Herodias danced before the guests.Lit. in the middle She pleased Herod

14:7  so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked for.

14:8  Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me, right here on a platter, the head of John the Baptist.”

14:9  Though the king was saddened at this, because of his oaths and his guests he ordered it to be given.

14:10  So he sent wordThe Gk. lacks word and had John beheaded in prison.

14:11  His head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she took it to her mother.

14:12  When John'sLit. his disciples came, they carried off the body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.

14:13  Jesus Feeds More Than Five Thousand People When Jesus heard this, he left that place and wentThe Gk. lacks and went by boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of it and followed him on foot from the towns.

14:14  When he got out of the boat,The Gk. lacks of the boat he saw a large crowd. He had compassion for them and healed their sick.

14:15  Now when evening came, the disciples went to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and it's already late. Send the crowds away so that they can go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”

14:16  But Jesus said to them, “They don't need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

14:17  They told him, “We don't have anything here except five loaves of bread and two fish.”

14:18  He said, “Bring them here to me.”

14:19  Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and blessed them. Then he broke the loaves in pieces and gave them to his disciples, and the disciples gave themThe Gk. lacks gave them to the crowds.

14:20  All of them ate and were filled. Then the disciplesLit. they picked up what was left of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full.

14:21  Now those who had eaten were about 5,000 men, besides women and children.

14:22  Jesus Walks on the Sea JesusLit. He immediately had the disciples get into a boat and cross to the other side ahead of him, while he sent the crowds away.

14:23  After dismissing the crowds, he went up on a hillside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.

14:24  By this time the boat was in the middle of the seaOther mss. read many furlongs from the land and was being battered by the waves, for the wind was against them.

14:25  Shortly before dawnLit. In the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea.

14:26  When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified and said, “It's a ghost!” And they screamed in terror.

14:27  Immediately Jesus said to them, “Have courage! It is I. Stop being afraid!”

14:28  Peter answered him, “Lord, if it's you, order me to come to you on the water.”

14:29  JesusLit. He said, “Come on!” So Peter got down out of the boat, started walking on the water, and cameOther mss. read to go to Jesus.

14:30  But when he noticed the strongOther mss. lack strong wind, he was frightened. As he began to sink, he shouted, “Lord, save me!”

14:31  At once Jesus reached out his hand, caught him, and said to him, “You who have so little faith, why did you doubt?”

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

14:33  Then the men in the boat began to worship Jesus,Lit. him saying, “You certainly are the Son of God!”

14:34  Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret They crossed over and came ashore at Gennesaret.

14:35  When the men of that place recognized Jesus,Lit. him they sent wordThe Gk. lacks word throughout that region and brought him all who were sick.

14:36  They kept begging him to let them touch just the tassel of his garment, and all who touched it were completely healed.

Chapter 15

15:1  Jesus Challenges the Tradition of the Elders Then some Pharisees and scribes came from Jerusalem to Jesus and said,

15:2  “Why do your disciples disregard the tradition of the elders? For they don't wash their hands when they eat.”Lit. eat bread

15:3  But he answered them, “Why do you also disregard the commandment of God because of your tradition?

15:4  For God said,Other mss. read commanded, saying ‘Honor your father and your mother,’Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16 and ‘Whoever curses father or mother must certainly be put to death.’Exod 21:17; Lev 20:9

15:5  But you say ‘Whoever tells his father or his mother, “Whatever support you might have received from me has been given to God,”Lit. is a gift

15:6  does not have to honor his father.’Other mss. read his father or his mother Because of your tradition, then, you have revoked the authority of God's word.Other mss. read law; still other mss. read commandment

15:7  You hypocrites! How well did Isaiah prophesy of you when he said,

15:8  ‘These people honor me with their lips,but their hearts are far from me.

15:9  Their worship of me is empty,because they teach human rules as doctrines.’”Isa 29:13

15:10  Then he called to the crowd and said to them, “Listen and understand!

15:11  It is not what goes into the mouth that makes a person unclean. It is what comes out of the mouth that makes a person unclean.”

15:12  Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you realize that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?”

15:13  He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father did not plant will be pulled up by the roots.

15:14  Leave them alone. They are blind guides of the blind.Other mss. lack of the blind If one blind person leads another blind person, both will fall into a ditch.”

15:15  Then Peter said to him, “Explain to us thisOther mss. read the parable.”

15:16  JesusLit. He said, “Are you still so ignorant?

15:17  Don't you know that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and then is expelled as waste?

15:18  But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and it is those things that make a person unclean.

15:19  For it is out of the heart that evil thoughts come, as well as murder, adultery, sexual immorality, stealing, false testimony, and slander.Or blasphemy

15:20  These are the things that make a person unclean. But eating with unwashed hands doesn't make a person unclean.”

15:21  A Canaanite Woman's Faith Then Jesus left that place and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon.

15:22  Suddenly a Canaanite woman from that territory came near and began to shout, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed!”

15:23  But he didn't answer her at all.Lit. a word Then his disciples came up and kept urging him, “Send her away, for she keeps on screaming after us.”

15:24  But he replied, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the nationLit. house of Israel.”

15:25  Then she came and fell down before him, saying, “Lord, help me!”

15:26  He replied, “It is not rightOther mss. read lawful to take the children's bread and throw it to the puppies.”

15:27  She said, “Yes, Lord. But even the puppies eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ tables.”

15:28  Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, your faith is great! Let it be done for you as you want.” That very hour her daughter was healed.

15:29  Jesus Heals Many PeopleJesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a hillside and sat down there.

15:30  Large crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, those unable to talk, and many others. They placed them at his feet, and he healed them.

15:31  As a result, the crowd was amazed to see those who were unable to talk speaking, the crippled healed, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. So they praised the God of Israel.

15:32  Jesus Feeds More Than Four Thousand People Then Jesus called his disciples and said, “I have compassion for the crowd because they have already been with me for three days and have nothing to eat. I don't want to send them away without food, or they may faint on the road.”

15:33  The disciples asked him, “Where in the wilderness are we to get enough bread to feed such a crowd?”

15:34  Jesus said to them, “How many loaves of bread do you have?”They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.”

15:35  Ordering the crowd to sit down on the ground,

15:36  he took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks. Then he broke them in pieces and kept giving them to his disciples, and the disciples gave themThe Gk. lacks gave them to the crowds.

15:37  All of them ate and were filled. Then the disciplesLit. they picked up what was left of the broken pieces, seven baskets full.

15:38  Now those who had eaten were four thousand men, besides women and children.

15:39  After he sent the crowds away, he got into a boat and went to the region of Magadan.Other mss. read Magdala

Chapter 16

16:1  The Demand for a Sign from Heaven When the Pharisees and Sadducees arrived, as a test they asked JesusLit. him to show them a sign from heaven.

16:2  He replied to them, “You say, ‘Red sky at night, what a delight!

16:3  Red sky in the morning,cloudy and storming.’You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, yet you can't interpret the signs of the times?Other mss. lack You say. . . the signs of the times?

16:4  An evil and adulterous generation craves a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” Then he left them and went away.

16:5  The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees When his disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to take any bread along.

16:6  Jesus said to them, “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!”

16:7  They began to discuss this among themselves and said, “We didn't take any bread.”

16:8  Knowing this, Jesus said, “You who have little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you don't have any bread?

16:9  Don't you understand yet? Don't you remember the five loaves for the 5,000 and how many baskets you collected,

16:10  or the seven loaves for the 4,000 and how many baskets you collected?

16:11  How can you fail to understand that I wasn't talking to you about bread? Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!”

16:12  Then they understood that he did not say to beware of the yeast used in bread,Other mss. read the loaf of bread but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

16:13  Peter Declares His Faith in Jesus When Jesus had come to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

16:14  They said, “Some say 16:14 The Gk. lacks say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.

16:15  He said to them, “But who do you say I am?”

16:16  Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ,I.e. the Messiah the Son of the living God!”

16:17  Then Jesus said to him, “How blessed are you, Simon, son of John!Gk. Bariona For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven has.

16:18  I tell you that you are Peter,Gk. Petros and it is on this rockGk. petra that I will build my church, and the forces of hellLit. gates of Hades, a reference to the realm of the dead will not overpower it.

16:19  I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you prohibit on earth will have been prohibitedOr will be prohibited in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will have been permittedOr will be permitted in heaven.”

16:20  Then he strictly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.I.e. the Messiah

16:21  Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he would have to go to Jerusalem and suffer a great deal because of the elders, the high priests, and the scribes. Then he would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised.

16:22  Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God be merciful to you, Lord! This must never happen to you!”

16:23  But JesusLit. he turned around and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an offenseOr a hindrance to me, for you are not thinking God's thoughts but human thoughts!”

16:24  Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow me, he must deny himself, pick up his cross, and follow me continually.

16:25  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

16:26  For what profit will a person have if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what can a person give in exchange for his life?

16:27  The Son of Man is going to come with his angels in his Father's glory, and then he will repay everyone according to what he has done.

16:28  Truly I tell you, some people standing here will not experienceLit. taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Chapter 17

17:1  Jesus’ Appearance Is Changed Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John and led them up a high mountain by themselves.

17:2  His appearance was changed in front of them, his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light.

17:3  Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Jesus.Lit. him

17:4  Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it's good that we're here! If you want, I will set up three sheltersOr tents—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

17:5  He was still speaking when a bright cloud suddenly overshadowed them. A voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love. I am pleased with him. Keep on listening to him!”

17:6  When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified.

17:7  But Jesus came up to them and touched them, saying, “Get up, and stop being afraid.”

17:8  When they raised their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus all by himself.

17:9  On their way down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Don't tell anyone about this vision until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

17:10  So the disciples asked him, “Why, then, do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

17:11  He answered them, “Elijah is indeed coming and will restore all things.

17:12  But I tell you that Elijah has already come, yet peopleLit. they did not recognize him and treated him just as they pleased. In the same way, the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.”

17:13  Then the disciples understood that he had been speaking to them about John the Baptist.

17:14  Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon As they approached the crowd, a man came up to Jesus,Lit. him knelt down in front of him,

17:15  and said, “Sir,Or Lord have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers terribly. Often he falls into fire and often into water.

17:16  I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn't heal him.”

17:17  Jesus replied, “You unbelieving and perverted generation! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to me!”

17:18  Then Jesus rebuked the demon and it came out of him, and the boy was healed that very hour.

17:19  Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why couldn't we drive it out?”

17:20  He told them, “Because of your lack of faith.Other mss. read your little faith For truly I tell you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.

17:21  But this kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting.”Other mss. lack this verse

17:22  Jesus Again Predicts His Death and Resurrection While they were gathering togetherOther mss. read were staying in Galilee, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into human hands.

17:23  They will kill him, but he will be raised on the third day.” Then they were filled with grief.

17:24  Questions about the Temple TaxWhen they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the temple taxGk. didrachma came up to Peter and said, “Your teacher pays the temple tax,Gk. didrachma doesn't he?”

17:25  He answered, “Yes.”When PeterLit. he went home,Or went into the house Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings on the earth collect tolls or tributes? From their own subjects,Lit. sons or from foreigners?”

17:26  When he said, “From foreigners,” Jesus said to him, “In that case, the subjectsLit. sons are exempt.

17:27  However, so that we don't offend them, go to the sea and throw in a hook. Take the first fish that comes up, open its mouth, and you will find a coin.Gk. stater, a coin worth two didrachmas Take it and give it to them for me and you.”

Chapter 18

18:1  True Greatness At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

18:2  Calling a little child forward, he had him stand among them.

18:3  Then he said, “Truly I tell you, unless you changeLit. turn and become like little children, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.

18:4  Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven,

18:5  and whoever receives a little child like this in my name receives me.”Causing Others to Sin

18:6  “If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a large millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned at the bottom of the sea.

18:7  How terrible it will be for the world because it causes people to sin! Temptations to sin are bound to happen, but how terrible it will be for that person who causes someone to sin!

18:8  “So if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life injured or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire.

18:9  And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hellGk. Gehenna; a Gk. transliteration of the Heb. for Valley of Hinnom fire.

18:10  “See to it that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you, their angels in heaven always see the face ofI.e. have access to my Father in heaven.

18:11  For the Son of Man came to save the lost.”Other mss. lack this verse.The Parable about a Lost Sheep

18:12  “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them strays, he leaves the ninety-nine in the hills and goes to look for the one that has strayed, doesn't he?

18:13  If he finds it, truly I tell you that he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that haven't strayed.

18:14  In the same way, it is not the will of yourOther mss. read our; still other mss. read my Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.”Dealing with a Brother Who Sins

18:15  “If your brother sins against you,Other mss. lack against you go and confront him while the two of you are alone. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother.

18:16  But if he doesn't listen, take one or two others with you so that ‘every word may be confirmed by the testimonyLit. mouth of two or three witnesses.’Deut 19:15

18:17  If, however, he ignores them, tell it to the congregation.Or church If he also ignores the congregation,Or church regard him as a Gentile and a tax collector.

18:18  “Truly I tell you, whatever you prohibit on earth will have been prohibitedOr will be prohibited in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will have been permittedOr will be permitted in heaven.

18:19  Furthermore, truly I tell you that if two of you agree on earth about anything you request, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.

18:20  For where two or three have come together in my name, I am there among them.”

18:21  The Parable about an Unforgiving ServantThen Peter came up and asked him, “Lord, how many times may my brother sin against me and I have to forgive him? Seven times?”

18:22  Jesus said to him, “I tell you, not just seven times, but seventy-seven times!Or seventy times seven

18:23  “That is why the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.

18:24  When he had begun to settle the accounts, a person who owed him ten thousand talentsA talent was worth a lifetime of wages for an average laborer. was brought to him.

18:25  Because he couldn't pay, his master ordered him, his wife, his children, and all that he had to be sold so that payment could be made.

18:26  Then the servant fell down and bowed low before him, saying, ‘Be patientOther mss. read Master, be patient with me, and I will repay you everything!’

18:27  The master of that servant had compassion and released him, canceling his debt.

18:28  “But when that servant went away, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii.The denarius was the usual day's wage for a laborer. He grabbed him, seized him by the throat, and said, ‘Pay what you owe!’

18:29  Then his fellow servant fell down and began begging him, ‘Be patient with me and I will repay you!’

18:30  But he refused and went and had him thrown into prison until he could repay the debt.

18:31  “When his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were very disturbed and went and reported to their master all that had occurred.

18:32  Then his master sent for him and said to him, ‘You evil servant! I canceled that entire debt for you because you begged me.

18:33  Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’

18:34  In anger his master handed him over to the torturersOr jailers until he could repay the entire debt.

18:35  This is how my heavenly Father will treat each one of you unless you forgive your brother from your hearts.”

Chapter 19

19:1  Teaching about Divorce When Jesus had finished saying these things,Lit. finished these sayings he left Galilee and went to the territory of Judea on the other sideI.e., the east side of the Jordan.

19:2  Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

19:3  Some Pharisees came to him in order to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a manOther mss. lack for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?”

19:4  He answered them, “Haven't you read that the one who madeOther mss. read created them at the beginning ‘made them male and female’Gen 1:27; 5:2

19:5  and said, ‘That is why a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, and the two will become one flesh’?Gen 2:24

19:6  So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, man must never separate.”

19:7  They asked him, “Why, then, did Moses order us ‘to give a certificate of divorce and divorce her’?”Deut 24:1, 3

19:8  He said to them, “It was because of your hardness of heart that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives. But from the beginning it was not this way.

19:9  I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”Other mss. read adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery

19:10  His disciples said to him, “If that is the relationship of a man with his wife, it's not worth getting married!”

19:11  But he said to them, “Not everyone can accept this saying, except those to whom celibacyLit. it has been granted.

19:12  For some men are celibate from birth,Lit. from the mother's womb while others are celibate because they have been made that way by others. Still others are celibate because they have made themselves that way for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.”

19:13  Jesus Blesses the Little Children Then some little children were brought to him so that he might lay his hands on them and pray. But the disciples rebuked those who broughtThe Gk. lacks those who brought them.

19:14  Jesus, however, said, “Let the little children come to me, and stop keeping them away. For the kingdom of heaven belongs to people like these.”

19:15  When he had laid his hands on them, he went on from there.

19:16  A Rich Young Man Comes to Jesus Just then a man came up to JesusLit. him and said, “Teacher,Other mss. read Good Teacher what good deed should I do to have eternal life?”

19:17  JesusLit. He said to him, “Why ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good.Other mss. read Why do you call me good? No one is good except for one—God If you want to get into that life, you must keep the commandments.”

19:18  The young manLit. He said to him, “Which ones?”Jesus said, “‘You must not murder,Exod 20:13; Deut 5:17 you must not commit adultery,Exod 20:14; Deut 5:18 you must not steal,Exod 20:15; Deut 5:19 you must not give false testimony,Exod 20:16; Deut 5:20

19:19  honor your father and mother,’Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16 and ‘you must love your neighbor as yourself.’”Lev 19:18

19:20  The young man said to him, “I have kept all of these.Other mss. read kept all of these since I was a young man What do I still lack?”

19:21  Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell what you own and give the moneyThe Gk. lacks the money to the destitute, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come back and follow me.”

19:22  But when the young man heard this statement he went away sad, because he had many possessions.

19:23  Salvation and Reward Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to get into the kingdom of heaven.

19:24  Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to squeeze through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get into the kingdom of God.”

19:25  When the disciples heard this, they were completely astonished and said, “Who, then, can be saved?”

19:26  Jesus looked at them intently and said, “For humans this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”

19:27  Then Peter said to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you. So what will we get?”

19:28  Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne in the renewed creation, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, governing the twelve tribes of Israel.

19:29  In fact, everyone who has left his homes, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children, or fields because of my name will receive a hundred times as muchOther mss. read many times as much and will inherit eternal life.

19:30  But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

Chapter 20

20:1  The Workers in the Vineyard“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.

20:2  After agreeing with the workers for one denariusThe denarius was the usual day's wage for a laborer. a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

20:3  When he went out about nine o'clock,Lit. the third hour he saw others standing in the marketplace without work.

20:4  He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard, too, and I will pay you whatever is right.’

20:5  So off they went. He went out again about noonLit. the sixth hour and about three o'clockLit. the ninth hour and did the same thing.

20:6  About five o'clockLit. the eleventh hour he went out and found some others standing around. He said to them, ‘Why are you standing here all day long without work?’

20:7  They told him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard as well.’

20:8  “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the workers and give them their wages, beginning with the last and ending withLit. and up to the first.’

20:9  Those who were hired at five o'clockLit. the eleventh hour came, and each received a denarius.

20:10  When the first came, they thought they would receive more, but each received a denarius as well.

20:11  When they received it, they began to complain to the landowner,

20:12  saying, ‘These last fellows worked only one hour, yet you have made them equal to us who have endured the burden of the day and the scorching heat!’

20:13  But he said to one of them, ‘Friend, I'm not treating you unfairly. You did agree with me for a denarius, didn't you?

20:14  Take what is yours and go. I want to give this last man as much as I gave you.Lit. to this last man as also to you

20:15  I am allowed to do what I want with my own money,Lit. things am I not? Or is your eye evilI.e. envious because I am good?’

20:16  In the same way, the last will be first, and the first will be last. For many are called, but few are chosen.”Other mss. lack For many are called, but few are chosen

20:17  Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection a Third Time When Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciplesOther mss. lack disciples aside and said to them on the way,

20:18  “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the high priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death.

20:19  Then they will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked, whipped, and crucified, but on the third day he will be raised.”

20:20  The Request of the Mother of James and John Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to JesusLit. him with her sons. She bowed down in front of him to ask him for a favor.

20:21  He asked her, “What do you want?”She said to him, “PromiseLit. Say that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right and one at your left, in your kingdom.”

20:22  Jesus replied, “You don't realize what you're asking. Can you drink from the cup that I'm going to drink from?”Other mss. read to drink from, or be baptized with the baptism with which I'm going to be baptized?They told him, “We can.”

20:23  He said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup. But it's not up to me to grant you a seat at my right hand or at my left. These positions have already been prepared for others by my Father.”

20:24  When the ten heard this, they became furious with the two brothers.

20:25  But Jesus called the disciplesLit. them and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them and their superiors act like tyrants over them.

20:26  That's not the way it should be among you. Instead, whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant,

20:27  and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave.

20:28  That's the way it is with the Son of Man. He did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many people.”

20:29  Jesus Heals Two Blind Men As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Jesus.Lit. him

20:30  When two blind men who were sitting by the roadside heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted, “Have mercy on us, Lord,Other mss. read Jesus Son of David!”

20:31  The crowd sternly told them to be silent, but they shouted even louder, “Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David!”

20:32  Jesus stopped and called them, saying, “What do you want me to do for you?”

20:33  They told him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened!”

20:34  Then Jesus, deeply moved with compassion, touched their eyes and at once they could see again. So they followed him.

Chapter 21

21:1  The King Enters Jerusalem When they came near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples on ahead and

21:2  said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you. At once you will find a donkey tied up and a colt with it. Untie them, and bring them to me.

21:3  If anyone says anything to you, tell him, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and that person will send them at once.”

21:4  Now this happened to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet when he said,

21:5  “Tell the daughterI.e., people of Zion,‘Look, your king is coming to you!Isa 62:11 He is humble and mounted on a donkey,even on a colt of a donkey.’”Zech 9:9

21:6  So the disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them.

21:7  They brought the donkey and the colt and put their coats on them, and he sat upon them.

21:8  Many people in the crowd spread their own coats on the road, while others began cutting down branches from the trees and spreading them on the road.

21:9  Both the crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed him kept shouting, “HosannaHosanna is Heb. for Please save or Praise. to the Son of David! How blessed is the one who comesin the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”Ps 118:25-26; Ps 148:1

21:10  When he came into Jerusalem, the whole city was trembling with excitement. The peopleLit. They were asking, “Who is this?”

21:11  The crowds kept saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, the man from Nazareth in Galilee.”

21:12  Jesus Throws the Merchants and Moneychangers out of the Temple Then Jesus went into the temple,Other mss. read temple of God threw out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and overturned the moneychangers’ tables and the chairs of those who sold doves.

21:13  He told them, “It is written, ‘My house is to be called a house of prayer,’Isa 56:7; Jer 7:11 but you are turning it into a hideoutLit. cave for bandits!”

21:14  Blind and lame people came to him in the temple, and he healed them.

21:15  But when the high priests and the scribes saw the amazing things that he had done and the children shouting in the temple, “HosannaHosanna is Heb. for Please save or Praise. to the Son of David,” they became furious

21:16  and asked him, “Do you hear what these people are saying?”Jesus said to them, “Yes! Haven't you ever read, ‘From the mouths of infants and nursing babies you have created praise’?”Ps 8:2

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

21:18  Jesus Curses a Fig Tree In the morning, as JesusLit. he was returning to the city, he became hungry.

21:19  Seeing a fig tree by the roadside, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. He said to it, “May fruit never come from you again!” And immediately the fig tree dried up.

21:20  When the disciples saw this, they were amazed and said, “How did the fig tree dry up so quickly?”

21:21  Jesus answered them, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you be able to do what has been done to the fig tree, but you will also say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen.

21:22  You will receive whatever you ask for in prayer, if you believe.”

21:23  Jesus’ Authority Is Challenged Then JesusLit. he went into the temple. While he was teaching, the high priests and the elders of the people came to him and asked, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?”

21:24  Jesus answered them, “I, too, will ask you one question.Lit. one word If you answer it for me, I will also tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

21:25  Where did John's authority to baptizeLit. John's baptism come from? From heaven or from humans?”They began discussing this among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Then why didn't you believe him?’

21:26  But if we say, ‘From humans,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for all regard John as a prophet.”

21:27  So they said to Jesus, “We don't know.”He in turn told them, “Then I won't tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

21:28  The Parable about Two Sons“But what do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’

21:29  His sonLit. He replied, ‘I don't want to,’ but later he changed his mind and went.

21:30  Then the fatherLit. he went to the other sonThe Gk. lacks son and told him the same thing. He replied, ‘I will,The Gk. lacks will sir,’ but he didn't go.

21:31  Which of the two did the father's will?”They answered, “The first.”Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, tax collectors and prostitutes will get into God's kingdom ahead of you.

21:32  For John came to you in the way of righteousness, but you didn't believe him. The tax collectors and prostitutes believed him. But even when you saw that, you didn't change your mindsOr repent at last and believe him.”The Parable about the Tenant Farmers

21:33  “Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a wall around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went abroad.

21:34  When harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenant farmers to collect his produce.

21:35  But the farmers took his servants and beat one, killed another, and attacked another with stones.

21:36  Again, he sent other servants to them, a greater number than the first, but the tenant farmersLit. they treated them the same way.

21:37  Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’

21:38  But when the tenant farmers saw his son, they said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come on, let's kill him and get his inheritance!’

21:39  So they grabbed him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.

21:40  Now when the owner of the vineyard returns, what will he do to those farmers?”

21:41  They said to him, “He will put those horrible men to a horrible death. Then he will lease the vineyard to other farmers who will give him his produce at harvest time.”

21:42  Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone that the builders rejectedhas become the cornerstone.Or capstone This was the Lord's doing,and it is amazing in our eyes’?Ps 118:22-23

21:43  That is why I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce fruit for it.

21:44  The person who falls over this stone will be broken to pieces, but it will crush anyone on whom it falls.”Other mss. lack this verse

21:45  When the high priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they knew that he was talking about them.

21:46  Although they wanted to arrest him, they were afraid of the crowds, for they considered him a prophet.

Chapter 22

22:1  The Parable about a Wedding Banquet Again Jesus spoke to them in parables. He said,

22:2  “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son.

22:3  He sent his servants to call those who had been invited to the wedding, but they refused to come.

22:4  SoLit. Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Look, I've prepared my dinner. My oxen and fattened calves have been slaughtered. Everything is ready. Come to the wedding!”’

22:5  But they paid no attention to this and went away, one to his farm, another to his business.

22:6  The rest grabbed the king'sLit. his servants, treated them brutally, and then killed them.

22:7  Then the king became outraged. He sent his troops, and they destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

22:8  “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.

22:9  So go into the roads leading out of town and invite as many people as you can find to the wedding.’

22:10  Those servants went out into the streets and brought in all the people they found, evil and good alike, and the wedding hall was packed with guests.

22:11  “When the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes.

22:12  He said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ But the manLit. he was speechless.

22:13  Then the king told his servants, ‘Tie his hands and feet, and throw him into the outer darkness! In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’I.e. extreme pain

22:14  For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

22:15  A Question about Paying Taxes Then the Pharisees went and planned how to trap JesusLit. him in conversation.

22:16  They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians.I.e. Royal party sympathizers They said, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere and that you teach the way of God truthfully. You don't favor any individual, for you pay no attention to external appearance.

22:17  So tell us what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

22:18  But Jesus recognized their wickedness and said, “Why are you testing me, you hypocrites?

22:19  Show me the coin used for the tax.” They brought him a denarius.The denarius was the usual day's wage for a laborer.

22:20  Then he asked them, “Whose face and name is this?”

22:21  They said to him, “Caesar's.”So he said to them, “Then give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.”

22:22  When they heard this, they were amazed. Then they left him and went away.

22:23  A Question about the Resurrection That same day some Sadducees, who claim there is no resurrection, came to JesusLit. him and asked him,

22:24  “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and have children for his brother.’Deut 25:5-6

22:25  Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his widow to his brother.

22:26  The same thing happened with the second brother, and then the third, and finally with the rest of the brothers.Lit. with the seven

22:27  Finally, the woman died, too.

22:28  Now in the resurrection, whose wife of the seven will she be, since all of them had marriedThe Gk. lacks married her?”

22:29  Jesus answered them, “You are mistaken because you don't know the Scriptures or God's power.

22:30  For in the resurrection, peopleLit. they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like the angelsOther mss. read God's angels in heaven.

22:31  As for the resurrection from the dead, haven't you read what was spoken to you by God when he said,

22:32  ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?Exod 3:6 HeOther mss. read God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”

22:33  When the crowds heard this, they were amazed at his teaching.

22:34  The Greatest Commandment When the Pharisees heard that JesusLit. he had silenced the Sadducees, they met together in the same place.

22:35  One of them, an expert in the law, tested him by asking,

22:36  “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?”

22:37  JesusLit. He said to him, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’Deut 6:5

22:38  This is the greatest and most importantOr first commandment.

22:39  The second is like it: ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’Lev 19:18

22:40  All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments.”

22:41  A Question about David's Son While the Pharisees were stillThe Gk. lacks still gathered, Jesus asked them,

22:42  “What do you think about the Christ?I.e. the Messiah Whose son is he?”They told him, “David's.”

22:43  He asked them, “Then how can David by the Spirit call him ‘Lord’ when he says,

22:44  ‘The Lord said to my Lord,“Sit at my right hand,until I put your enemies under your feet”’?Ps 110:1

22:45  If David calls him 'Lord', how can he be his son?”

22:46  No one could answer him at all,Lit. a word and from that day on no one dared to ask him another question.

Chapter 23

23:1  Jesus Denounces the Scribes and the Pharisees Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples,

23:2  “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.I.e. speak with Moses’ authority

23:3  So do whatever they tell you and follow it, but stop doing what they do, because they don't do what they say.

23:4  They tie up burdens that are heavy and unbearable and lay them on people's shoulders, but they refuse to lift a finger to remove them.

23:5  “They do all their actions to be seen by people. They increase the size of their phylacteriesI.e. leather cases containing Scripture texts and lengthen the tassels of their garments.

23:6  They love to have the places of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,

23:7  to be greeted in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi’Rabbi is Heb. for Master and/or Teacher. by people.

23:8  “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’Rabbi is Heb. for Master and/or Teacher for you have only one teacher, and all of you are brothers.

23:9  And don't call anyone on earth ‘Father,’ for you have only one Father, the one in heaven.

23:10  Nor are you to be called ‘Teachers,’ for you have only one teacher, the Christ!I.e. the Messiah

23:11  The person who is greatest among you must be your servant.

23:12  Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

23:13  “How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door to the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. You don't go in yourselves, and you don't allow those who are trying to enter to go in.Other mss. read to go in. 14How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You devour widows’ houses and say long prayers to cover it up. Therefore, you will receive greater condemnation!

23:15  “How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over sea and land to make a single convert, and when this happens you make him twice as fit forLit. twice as much a son of hellGehenna; a Gk. transliteration of the Heb. for Valley of Hinnom as you are.

23:16  “How terrible it will be for you, blind guides! You say, ‘Whoever swears an oath by the sanctuary is excused,Lit. is nothing but whoever swears an oath by the gold of the sanctuary must keep his oath.’Lit. owes a debt

23:17  You blind fools! What is more important, the gold or the sanctuary that made the gold holy?

23:18  Again you say,Lit. And ‘Whoever swears an oath by the altar is excused,Lit. is nothing but whoever swears by the gift that is on it must keep his oath.’Lit. owes a debt

23:19  You blind men!Other mss. read blind and foolish men Which is more important, the gift or the altar that makes the gift holy?

23:20  Therefore, the one who swears an oath by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.

23:21  The one who swears an oath by the sanctuary swears by it and by the one who lives there.

23:22  And the one who swears an oath by heaven swears by God's throne and by the one who sits on it.

23:23  “How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you give a tenth of your mint, dill, and cummin, but have neglected the more important matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness.Or faith These are the things you should have practiced, without neglecting the others.

23:24  You blind guides! You filter out a gnat, yet swallow a camel!

23:25  “How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but on the inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.

23:26  You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup,Other mss. read of the cup and the plate so that its outside may also be clean.

23:27  “How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of dead people's bones and every kind of impurity.

23:28  In the same way, on the outside you look righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

23:29  “How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous.

23:30  Then you say, ‘If we had been living in the days of our ancestors, we would have had no part with them in sheddingThe Gk. lacks shedding the blood of the prophets.’

23:31  Therefore, you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets.

23:32  Then finish what your ancestors started!Lit. Fill up the measure of your ancestors

23:33  You snakes, you children of serpents! How can you escape being condemned to hell?Gk. Gehenna; a Gk. transliteration of the Heb. for Valley of Hinnom

23:34  “That is why I am sending you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will whip in your synagogues and persecute from town to town.

23:35  As a result, you will be held accountable forLit. on you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of the righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.

23:36  Truly I tell you, all these things will happen to this generation.”Jesus Rebukes Jerusalem

23:37  “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones to death those who have been sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you didn't want to!

23:38  Look! Your house is left to you deserted!

23:39  For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘How blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’”Ps 118:26

Chapter 24

24:1  Jesus Predicts the Destruction of the Temple As Jesus left the temple and was walking away, his disciples came up to him to point out to him the temple buildings.

24:2  But he said to them, “You see all these things, don't you? Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another that will not be torn down.”

24:3  The Coming Wars and Revolutions While JesusLit. he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things take place, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

24:4  Jesus answered them, “See to it that no one deceives you.

24:5  For many will come in my name and say, ‘I am the Christ,’I.e. the Messiah and they will deceive many people.

24:6  You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See to it that you are not alarmed. These things must take place, but the end hasn't come yet.

24:7  For nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

24:8  But all these things are only the beginning of the birth pains.”

24:9  The Coming Persecution “Then they will hand you over to sufferingOr tribulation and will kill you, and you will be hated by all the nationsOr Gentiles because of my name.

24:10  Then many people will fall by the way and will betray one another and hate one another.

24:11  Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people,

24:12  and because lawlessness will increase, the love of many people will grow cold.

24:13  But the person who endures to the end will be saved.

24:14  And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world as a testimony to all nations,Or Gentiles and then the end will come.”Signs of the End

24:15  “So when you see the destructive desecration, mentioned by the prophet Daniel, standing in the Holy Place (let the reader take note),Dan 9:27; 11:31; 12:11

24:16  then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.

24:17  The person who is on the housetop must not come down to get what is in his house,

24:18  and the person who is in the field must not turn back to get his coat.

24:19  “How terrible it will be for women who are pregnant or who are nursing babies in those days!

24:20  Pray that it may not be in winter or on a Sabbath when you flee.

24:21  For at that time there will be great suffering,Or tribulation the kind that has not happened from the beginning of the world until now and certainly will never happen again.

24:22  If those days had not been limited, no life would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be limited.

24:23  “At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look! Here is the Christ!’I.e. the Messiah or ‘There he is!’, don't believe it.

24:24  For false christs and false prophets will appear and display great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

24:25  Remember, I have told you this beforehand.

24:26  So if they say to you, ‘Look! He's in the wilderness,’ don't go out looking for him.The Gk. lacks looking for him And if they say, ‘Look! He's in the storeroom,’ don't believe it.

24:27  For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

24:28  Wherever there's a dead body, there the vultures will gather.”The Coming of the Son of Man

24:29  “Immediately after the sufferingOr tribulation of those days, ‘The sun will be darkened,the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky,and the powers of heaven will be shaken loose.’Isa 13:10; 34:4; Joel 2:10

24:30  Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the tribes of the earthOr of the land will mourn when they see ‘the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven’Dan 7:13 with power and great glory.

24:31  He will send out his angels with a loud trumpet blast, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to another.”The Lesson from the Fig Tree

24:32  “Now learn a lessonOr parable from the fig tree. When its branches become tender and it produces leaves, you know that summer is near.

24:33  In the same way, when you see all these things, you will know that he is near, right at the door.

24:34  “Truly I tell you, this generation will not disappear until these things happen.

24:35  Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.”The Unknown Day and Hour of Christ's Return

24:36  “No one knows when that day or hour will comeLit. about that day and hour—not the angels in heaven, nor the Son,Other mss. lack nor the Son but only the Father.

24:37  For just as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be when the Son of Man comes.

24:38  In those days before the flood, peopleLit. they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage right up to the day when Noah went into the ark.

24:39  They were unaware of what was happeningThe Gk. lacks of what was happening until the flood came and swept all of them away. That's how it will be when the Son of Man comes.

24:40  At that time two people will be in the field. One will be taken, and the other will be left behind.

24:41  Two women will be grinding grain at the mill. One will be taken, and the other will be left behind.

24:42  “So keep on watching, because you don't know on what day your Lord is coming.

24:43  But be sure of this: if the owner of the house had known at what watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not allowed his house to be broken into.

24:44  So you, too, must be ready, because at an hour you are not expecting him the Son of Man will come.”The Faithful or the Wicked Servant

24:45  “Who, then, is the faithful and wise servant whom his master has put in charge of his household to give the othersLit. them their food at the right time?

24:46  How blessed is that servant whom his master finds doing this when he comes!

24:47  Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his property.

24:48  “But if that wicked servant says to himself,Lit. in his heart ‘My master has been delayed,’

24:49  and begins to beat his fellow servants and eat and drink with the drunks,

24:50  the master of that servant will come on a day when he doesn't expect him and at an hour that he doesn't know.

24:51  Then his masterLit. he will punish him severelyLit. will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”I.e. extreme pain

Chapter 25

25:1  The Parable about the Ten Bridesmaids“At that time, the kingdom of heaven will be compared to ten bridesmaidsLit. virgins who took their oil lamps and went out to meet the groom.Other mss. read the groom and the bride

25:2  Now five of them were foolish, and five were wise.

25:3  For when the foolish ones took their lamps, they didn't take any oil with them.

25:4  But the wise ones took flasks of oil with their lamps.

25:5  Since the groom was late, all of them became sleepy and lay down.

25:6  “But at midnight there came a shout: ‘The groom is here! Come out to meet him!’

25:7  Then all the bridesmaidsLit. virgins woke up and got their lamps ready.

25:8  But the foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out!’

25:9  But the wise ones replied, ‘No! There will never be enough for us and for you. Better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’

25:10  “While they were away buying it, the groom arrived. Those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet, and the door was closed.

25:11  Later the other bridesmaidsLit. virgins arrived and said, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us!’

25:12  But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don't know you!’

25:13  So keep on watching, because you don't know the day or the hour.”Other mss. read the hour when the Son of Man will comeThe Parable about the Talents

25:14  “For it is like a man going on a trip who called his servants and turned his money over to them.

25:15  To one man he gave five talents,A talent was worth a lifetime of wages for an average laborer. to another two, and to another one, based on their ability. Then he went on his trip.

25:16  “The one who received five talents went out at once and invested them and earned five more.

25:17  In the same way, the one who had two talents earned two more.

25:18  But the one who received one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master's money.

25:19  “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.

25:20  The one who had received five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I've earned five more talents.’

25:21  His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy servant! Since you have been trustworthy with a small amount, I will put you in charge of a large amount. Come and share your master's joy!’

25:22  “The one with two talents also came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. See, I've earned two more talents.’

25:23  His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy servant! Since you have been trustworthy with a small amount, I will put you in charge of a large amount. Come and share your master's joy!’

25:24  “Then the one who had received one talent came forward and said, ‘Master, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you haven't planted and gathering where you haven't scattered any seed.

25:25  Being afraid, I went off and hid your talent in the ground. Here, take what is yours!’

25:26  “His master answered him, ‘You evil and lazy servant! So you knew that I harvested where I haven't planted and gathered where I haven't scattered any seed?

25:27  Then you should have invested my money with the bankers. When I returned, I would have received my money back with interest.

25:28  Take the talent from him and give it to the man who has the ten talents.

25:29  For to everyone who has something, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the person who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away from him.

25:30  Throw this useless servant into the outer darkness! In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”I.e. extreme pain

25:31  The Judgment of the Nations“When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels are with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.

25:32  All the nations will be assembled in front of him, and he will separate them from each other as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

25:33  He will put the sheep on his right but the goats on his left.

25:34  “Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who have been blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

25:35  For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you welcomed me.

25:36  I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you took care of me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’

25:37  “Then the righteous will say to him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you something to eat, or thirsty and give you something to drink?

25:38  When did we see you as a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?

25:39  When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

25:40  The king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, in that you did it for one of the least important of these my brothers, you did it for me.’

25:41  “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Get away from me, you who are accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels!

25:42  For I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink.

25:43  I was a stranger, and you didn't welcome me. I was naked, and you didn't clothe me. I was sick and in prison, and you didn't visit me.’

25:44  “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or as a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and didn't help you?’

25:45  Then he will say to them, ‘Truly I tell you, in that you did not do it for one of the least important of these, you did not do it for me.’

25:46  These people will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will goThe Gk. lacks will go into eternal life.”

Chapter 26

26:1  The Plot to Kill Jesus When Jesus had finished saying all these things,Lit. finished all these sayings he told his disciples,

26:2  “You know that the Passover will take place in two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”

26:3  Then the high priests and the elders of the people assembled in the courtyard of the high priest, who was named Caiaphas.

26:4  They conspired to arrest Jesus by treachery and to kill him.

26:5  But they kept saying, “This must not happen during the festival, lest there be a riot among the people.”

26:6  A Woman Prepares Jesus’ Body for Burial While Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper,

26:7  a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume and poured it on his head while he sat at the table.

26:8  But when the disciples saw this they became irritated and said, “Why this waste?

26:9  Surely this perfume could have been sold for a high price and the moneyThe Gk. lacks the money given to the destitute.”

26:10  But knowing this,The Gk. lacks this Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering the woman? She has done a beautiful thing for me.

26:11  For you will always have the destitute with you, but you will not always have me.

26:12  When she poured this perfume on my body, she was preparing me for burial.

26:13  Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”

26:14  Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the high priests

26:15  and said, “What are you willing to give me if I betray him to you?” They placed before him thirty pieces of silver,

26:16  and from then on he began to look for an opportunity to betray Jesus.Lit. him

26:17  The Passover with the Disciples On the first day of the FestivalThe Gk. lacks day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples went to Jesus and said, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover meal?”

26:18  He said, “Go to a certain man in the city and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is near. I will celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.”’”Lit. with you

26:19  So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover meal.

26:20  When evening came, JesusLit. he was sitting at the table with the twelve.Other mss. read the twelve disciples

26:21  While they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.”

26:22  Feeling deeply distressed, each one began to say to him, “Surely I am not the one, Lord?”

26:23  He replied, “The man who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me.

26:24  The Son of Man is going away, just as it has been written about him, but how terrible it will be for that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for him if he had never been born.”

26:25  Then Judas, who was going to betray him, said, “Rabbi,Rabbi is Heb. for Master and/or Teacher. I'm not the one, am I?”JesusLit. He said to him, “You have said so.”

26:26  The Lord's Supper While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and handed it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it. This is my body.”

26:27  Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you.

26:28  For this is my blood of the newOther mss. lack new covenant that is being poured out for many people for the forgiveness of sins.

26:29  I tell you, I will never again drink the product of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.”

26:30  After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

26:31  Jesus Predicts Peter's Denial Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will turn against me this very night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd,and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’Zech 13:7

26:32  However, after I have been raised, I will go to Galilee ahead of you.”

26:33  But Peter said to him, “Even if everyone else turns against you, I certainly won't!”

26:34  Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny me three times.”

26:35  Peter told him, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the disciples said the same thing.

26:36  Jesus Prays in the Garden of Gethsemane Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane. He said to the disciples, “Sit down here while I go over there and pray.”

26:37  Taking Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with him, he began to be grieved and troubled.

26:38  Then he said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, even to the point of death. Wait here and stay awake with me.”

26:39  Going on a little farther, he fell on his face and prayed, “O my Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not what I want but what you want.”

26:40  When he went back to the disciples, he found them asleep. He said to Peter, “So, you menLit. you (pl.) couldn't stay awake with me for one hour, could you?

26:41  All of youLit. You (pl.) must stay awake and pray that you won't come into temptation. The spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak.”

26:42  He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot go away unless I drink it, let your will be done.”

26:43  Again he came back and found them asleep, for their eyes were very heavy.

26:44  After leaving them again, he went away and prayed again for the third time, saying the same thing.

26:45  Then he came back to the disciples and said to them, “You might as well keep on sleeping and resting.Or Are you still sleeping and resting? Look! The time is near for the Son of Man to be betrayed into the hands of sinners.

26:46  Get up! Let's go! See, the one who is betraying me is near!”

26:47  Jesus Is Arrested Just then, while JesusLit. he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived. A large crowd armed with swords and clubs was with him. They were from the high priests and elders of the people.

26:48  Now the betrayer personally had given them a signal, saying, “The one I kissPeople customarily greeted their friends with a kiss. is the man. Arrest him.”

26:49  So JudasLit. he immediately went up to Jesus and said, “Hello, Rabbi!”Rabbi is Heb. for Master and/or Teacher. and kissed him tenderly.

26:50  Jesus said to him, “Friend, why are you here?”Or do what you came for Then the other menLit. they came forward, took hold of Jesus, and arrested him.

26:51  Suddenly, one of the men with Jesus reached out his hand, drew his sword, and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his ear.

26:52  Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back in its place! For all who use a sword will be killed by a sword.

26:53  Don't you think that I could call on my Father, and he would send me more than twelve legions of angels now?

26:54  How, then, would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say this must happen?”

26:55  At this pointLit. In that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as if I were a bandit?Or revolutionary Day after day I sat teaching in the temple, yet you didn't arrest me.

26:56  But all of this has happened so that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.”Then all the disciples deserted him and ran away.

26:57  Jesus Is Tried before the High Priest Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had assembled.

26:58  Peter, however, followed him at a distance as far as the high priest's courtyard. He went inside and sat down with the servants to see how this would end.

26:59  Meanwhile, the high priests and the whole CouncilOr Sanhedrin were looking for false testimony against Jesus in order to have him put to death.

26:60  But they couldn't find any, even though many false witnesses had come forward. At last two men came forward

26:61  and stated, “This man said, ‘I can destroy the sanctuary of God and rebuild it in three days.’”

26:62  At this, the high priest stood up and said to Jesus,Lit. him “Don't you have any answer to what these men are testifying against you?”

26:63  But Jesus was silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I command you by the living God to tell us if you are the Christ,I.e. the Messiah the Son of God!”

26:64  Jesus said to him, “You have said so. Nevertheless I tell you, from now on ‘you will see ‘the Son of Manseated at the right hand of Power’Ps 110:1and ‘coming on the clouds of heaven.’”Dan 7:13

26:65  Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? Look, you yourselves have just heard the blasphemy!

26:66  What is your verdict?”They replied, “He deserves to die!”

26:67  Then they spit in his face and hit him. Some slapped him,

26:68  saying, “Prophesy to us, you Christ!I.e. Messiah Who is the one who hit you?”

26:69  Peter Denies Jesus Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard when a servant girl came up to him and said, “You, too, were with Jesus the Galilean.”

26:70  But he denied it in front of them all, saying, “I don't know what you're talking about.”

26:71  As he went out to the gateway, another woman saw him and said to those who were there, “This man was with Jesus from Nazareth.”Nazareth. 26:71 Or Jesus the Nazarene; the Gk. Nazoraios may be a word play between Heb. netser, meaning branch (see Isa 11:1), and the name

26:72  Again he denied it and swore with an oath, “I don't know the man!”

26:73  After a little while the people who were standing there came up and said to Peter, “Obviously you're also one of them, because your accent gives you away.”

26:74  Then he began to invoke a divine curse and to swear with an oath, “I don't know the man!” Just then a rooster crowed.

26:75  Peter remembered the words of Jesus when he said, “Before a rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” Then he went outside and cried bitterly.

Chapter 27

27:1  Jesus Is Taken to Pilate When morning came, all the high priests and the elders of the people conspired against Jesus to put him to death.

27:2  They bound him with chains, led him away, and handed him over to PontiusOther mss. lack Pontius Pilate, the governor.

27:3  The Death of Judas Then Judas, who had betrayed him, regretted what had happened when he saw that JesusLit. he was condemned. He brought the thirty pieces of silver back to the high priests and elders,

27:4  saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocentOther mss. read righteous blood.”But they said, “What do we care? See to that yourself.”

27:5  Then he flung the pieces of silver into the sanctuary and went outside. Then he went away and hanged himself.

27:6  The high priests picked up the pieces of silver and said, “It is not lawful to put this into the temple treasury, because it is blood money.”

27:7  So they decided to use the money to buy the Potter's Field as a burial ground for foreigners.

27:8  That is why that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.

27:9  Then what had been declared through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled when he said, “TheyOr I took the thirty pieces of silver,the value of the man on whom a price had been set by the Israelites,Lit. the sons of Israel

27:10  and theyOther mss. read I gave them for the potter's field,as the Lord commanded me.”Zech 11:12-13; Jer 32:6-9

27:11  Pilate Questions Jesus Meanwhile, Jesus was made to stand in front of the governor. The governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”Jesus said, “You say so.”

27:12  While JesusLit. he was being accused by the high priests and elders, he made no reply.

27:13  Then Pilate said to him, “Don't you hear how many charges they're bringing against you?”

27:14  But JesusLit. he did not reply at all, so that the governor was very surprised.

27:15  Jesus Is Sentenced to Death At every festivalI.e. Passover Festival the governor had a custom of releasing to the crowd any prisoner whom they wanted.

27:16  At that time they were holding a notorious prisoner named Barabbas.Other mss. read Jesus Barabbas

27:17  So when the peopleLit. they had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which man do you want me to release for you—Barabbas,Other mss. read Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Christ?”I.e. the Messiah

27:18  For he knew that they had handed him over because of jealousy.

27:19  While he was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him a message.Lit. sent him It said, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for today I have suffered terribly because of a dream about him.”

27:20  But the high priests and elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to demand that Jesus be put to death.

27:21  So the governor said to them, “Which of the two men do you want me to release for you?”They said, “Barabbas!”

27:22  Pilate said to them, “Then what should I do with Jesus, who is called the Christ?”I.e. the MessiahThey all said, “Let him be crucified!”

27:23  He asked, “What has he done wrong?”But they kept shouting louder and louder, “Let him be crucified!”

27:24  Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that a riot was about to break out instead. So he took some water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man'sOther mss. read this righteous man's blood. You must see to that yourselves.”

27:25  All the people answered, “Let his blood be on us and our children!”

27:26  Then he released Barabbas for them, but he had Jesus whipped and handed over to be crucified.

27:27  The Soldiers Make Fun of Jesus Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the imperial headquartersLit. praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him.

27:28  They strippedOther mss. read clothed him and put a scarlet robe on him.

27:29  Twisting some thorns into a victor's crown, they placed it on his head and putThe Gk. lacks put a stick in his right hand. They knelt down in front of him and began making fun of him, saying, “Long live the king of the Jews!”

27:30  Then they spit on him and took the stick and hit him repeatedly on his head.

27:31  When they had finished making fun of him, they stripped him of the robe, put his own clothes back on him, and led him away to crucify him.

27:32  Jesus Is Crucified As they were leaving, they found a man from Cyrene named Simon, whom they forced to carry Jesus’Lit. his cross.

27:33  When they came to a place called Golgotha (which means “Skull Place”),

27:34  they offered him a drink of wine mixed with gall. But when he tasted it, he refused to drink it.

27:35  After they had crucified him, they divided his clothes by throwing dice.

27:36  Then they sat down there and continued guarding him.

27:37  Above his head they placed the charge against him. It read, “This is Jesus, the king of the Jews.”

27:38  At that time two banditsOr revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and the other on his left.

27:39  Those who passed by kept insultingOr blaspheming him, shaking their heads,

27:40  and saying, “You who were going to destroy the sanctuary and rebuild it in three days—save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!”

27:41  In the same way the high priests, along with the scribes and elders, were also making fun of him. They kept saying,

27:42  “He saved others but can't save himself! He is the king of Israel. Let himOther mss. read If he is the king of Israel, let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him.

27:43  He trusts in God. Let GodLit. him rescue him now if he cares for him. After all, he said, ‘I am the Son of God,’”

27:44  Even the banditsOr revolutionaries who were crucified with him kept insulting him in the same way.

27:45  Jesus Dies on the Cross Now from noonLit. the sixth hour on, darkness came over the whole landOr earth until three in the afternoon.Lit. the ninth hour

27:46  About three o'clockLit. the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”, which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”Ps 22:1

27:47  When some of the people standing there heard this, they said, “He's calling for Elijah.”Elijah in Heb. sounds like Eli

27:48  So one of the men at once ran off, took a sponge, and soaked it in some sour wine. Then he put it on a stick and offered JesusLit. him a drink.

27:49  But the others kept saying, “Wait! Let's see if Elijah will come and save him.”Other mss. read save him.” And another took a spear and pierced his side, and water and blood came out.

27:50  Then Jesus cried out with a loud voice again and gave up his spirit.

27:51  Suddenly the curtainThis curtain separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. in the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth shook, the rocks were split open,

27:52  the tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had diedLit. fallen asleep were raised.

27:53  After his resurrection, they came out of their tombs and went into the Holy CityI.e. Jerusalem and appeared to many people.

27:54  When the centurionA Roman centurion commanded about 100 men. and those guarding Jesus with him saw the earthquake and the other things that were taking place, they were terrified and said, “This man certainly was the Son of God!”

27:55  Now many women were also there, watching from a distance. They had accompanied Jesus from Galilee and had ministered toOr provided for him.

27:56  Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.

27:57  Jesus Is Buried When evening came, a rich man arrived from Arimathea. His name was Joseph, and he had become a disciple of Jesus.

27:58  He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus, and Pilate ordered it to be handed over.

27:59  So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth.

27:60  Then he placed it in his own new tomb, which he had cut out of the rock. After rolling a large stone across the door of the tomb, he went away.

27:61  But Mary Magdalene and the other Mary remained there, sitting in front of the tomb.

27:62  The Tomb Is SecuredThe next day (which is after the Day of Preparation), the high priests and Pharisees gathered before Pilate

27:63  and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will be raised.’

27:64  Therefore, order the tomb to be secured until the third day, or his disciples may go and steal him and then tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead.’ Then the last deception would be worse than the first one.”

27:65  Pilate told them, “You haveOr Take a military guard. Go and make the tombLit. it as secure as you know how.”

27:66  So they went and secured the tomb by putting a seal on the stone in the presence of the guards.

Chapter 28

28:1  Jesus Is Raised from the Dead After the Sabbath,Lit. Sabbaths around dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to take a look at the tomb.

28:2  Suddenly there was a powerful earthquake. For an angel of the Lord had come down from heaven, stepped forward, rolled the stone away, and was sitting on it.

28:3  His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were as white as snow.

28:4  Because they were so afraid of him, the guards shook and became like dead men.

28:5  But the angel said to the women, “Stop being afraid! For I know you're looking for Jesus, who was crucified.

28:6  He is not here. He has been raised, just as he said. Come and see the place where heOther mss. read the Lord was lying.

28:7  Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead. He is going ahead of you into Galilee, and you will see him there. Remember, I have told you!”

28:8  So they quickly left the tomb with fearOr awe and great joy and ran to tell his disciples.

28:9  Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” They went up to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him.

28:10  Then Jesus said to them, “Stop being afraid! Go and tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and there they will see me.”

28:11  The Guards Report to the High PriestsWhile the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and told the high priests all that had happened.

28:12  So they met with the elders and agreed on a plan to give the soldiers a largeOr a sufficient amount of money.

28:13  They said, “Say that his disciples came at night and stole him while you were sleeping.

28:14  If this is reported to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.”Lit. from worry

28:15  So the soldiersLit. they took the money and did as they were instructed. This story has been spread among the Jews to this day.

28:16  Jesus Commissions His Disciples The eleven disciples went into Galilee to the hillside to which Jesus had directed them.

28:17  When they saw him, they worshiped him, though some had doubts.

28:18  Then Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

28:19  Therefore, as you go, disciple all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,

28:20  teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you each and every dayLit. all the days until the end of the age.”Other mss. read age. Amen