A "Grain Of Wheat" Ministries publication

Translated by David W. Dyer

INDEX

The Good News According to Mark

The Good News According to Matthew

MATTHEW CHAPTER 1

1:1The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Anointed One, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

1:2Abraham fathered Isaac; and Isaac fathered Jacob; and Jacob fathered Judah and his brethren; 1:3and Judah fathered Perez and Zerah with Tamar; and Perez fathered Hezron; and Hezron fathered Ram; 1:4and Ram fathered Amminadab; and Amminadab fathered Nahshon; and Nahshon fathered Salmon; 1:5and Salmon fathered Boaz with Rahab; and Boaz fathered Obed of Ruth; and Obed fathered Jesse; 1:6and Jesse fathered David the king. And David fathered Solomon with her who had been the wife of Uriah; 1:7and Solomon fathered Rehoboam; and Rehoboam fathered Abijah; and Abijah fathered Asa; 1:8and Asa fathered Jehoshaphat; and Jehoshaphat fathered Joram; and Joram fathered Uzziah; 1:9and Uzziah fathered Jotham; and Jotham fathered Ahaz; and Ahaz fathered Hezekiah; 1:10and Hezekiah fathered Manasseh; and Manasseh fathered Amon; and Amon fathered Josiah; 1:11and Josiah fathered Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the carrying away to Babylon.

1:12And after the carrying away to Babylon, Jechoniah fathered Shealtiel; and Shealtiel fathered Zerubbabel; 1:13and Zerubbabel fathered Abiud; and Abiud fathered Eliakim; and Eliakim fathered Azor; 1:14and Azor fathered Sadoc; and Sadoc fathered Achim; and Achim fathered Eliud; 1:15and Eliud fathered Eleazar; and Eleazar fathered Matthan; and Matthan fathered Jacob; 1:16and Jacob fathered Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called the Anointed One.

1:17So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David to the carrying away to Babylon fourteen generations; and from the carrying away to Babylon to the Anointed One, fourteen generations.

1:18Now the birth of Jesus the Anointed One was as follows: While his mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, before they had been intimate, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 1:19And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not willing to expose her publicly was planning to put her away quietly. 1:20But while he was thinking about these things, suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream saying, “Joseph, you son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 1:21And she will have a son and you shall call his name JESUS, for it is he who will save his people from their sins.”

1:22Now all this has happened so that which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled saying, 1:23”Behold, a virgin will conceive and will give birth to a son. And they will call his name Immanuel, which is, being interpreted, ‘God with us’“ (Is 7:14). 1:24So Joseph rose up from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took her as his wife. 1:25But he did not have intimate relations with her until she had given birth to a son, and he called his name JESUS.

MATTHEW CHAPTER 2

2:1Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, men from the east who studied the heavens came to Jerusalem saying, 2:2”Where is he who is born to be the King of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” 2:3And when Herod the king heard it, he was troubled along with all Jerusalem.

2:4Then, gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he asked them where the Anointed One would be born. 2:5And they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea,” for this is what was written through the prophet, 2:6”And you Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are in no way least among the princes of Judah. For a leader will come out of you who will shepherd my people Israel” (Micah 5:2).

2:7So Herod privately called the men who studied the heavens and learned from them exactly when the star had appeared. 2:8So he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search out carefully concerning the young child and when you have found him, report back to me so that I may come and worship him also.”

2:9Then they, having heard the king, went on their way. And look, the star which they saw in the east went in front of them, until it came and stopped over the place where the young child was. 2:10And when they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 2:11When they came into the house and saw the young child with Mary his mother, they prostrated themselves and worshipped him. And opening up their treasures, they offered him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 2:12But being warned by God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they left for their own country by another route.

2:13Now when they had left, look, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream saying, “Arise and take the young child and his mother, flee to Egypt and stay there until I tell you, for Herod will seek for the young child to destroy him.” 2:14So he arose and took the young child and his mother at night and left for Egypt 2:15and was there until the death of Herod, so that which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled saying, “I have called my son out of Egypt” (Hosea 11:1).

2:16Then Herod, when he saw that he had been deceived by the men who studied the heavens, was very angry and sent his men and killed all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all the surrounding regions, who were two years old and younger, according to the time about which he had specifically asked the men who studied the heavens. 2:17Then that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled saying, 2:18”A sound of weeping and loud mourning was heard in Ramah – Rachel weeping for her children, and she refused to be comforted, because they are not” (Jer 31:15).

2:19But when Herod was dead, look, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt saying, 2:20”Arise and take the young child and his mother and return to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young child’s life are dead.” 2:21So he arose and took the young child and his mother and came to the land of Israel. 2:22But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in the place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he withdrew to the regions of Galilee 2:23and came and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that that which was spoken by the prophets would be fulfilled; “He will be called a Nazarene.”

MATTHEW CHAPTER 3

3:1And in those days John the baptizer came proclaiming in the wilderness of Judea saying, 3:2”Repent, for the kingdom which comes from the heavens is near!” 3:3For this is he who was spoken about through Isaiah the prophet saying, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight” (Is 40:3).

3:4Now John himself had clothing made from camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist. And his food was locusts and wild honey. 3:5Then people from Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region of the Jordan went out to hear him. 3:6And they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

3:7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees* coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 3:8Therefore, produce fruit which is evidence of repentance. 3:9And don’t imagine it is good enough to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you that God is able to raise up children of Abraham from these stones. 3:10And even now the axe has begun to cut at the roots of the trees. Therefore, every tree that does not bring forth good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

3:11“I truly baptize you in water for repentance, but he who comes after me is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize {immerse} you in the Holy Spirit and in fire, 3:12whose winnowing fan is in his hand and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing

*The Pharisees were extremely legalistic, religious leaders while the Sadducees were more “intellectually” religious.

floor. He will gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn up with fire which can’t be extinguished.”

3:13Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan river to John, to be baptized by him. 3:14But John resisted him saying, “I need to be baptized by you and you come to me?” 3:15But Jesus answering said to him, “Permit it now, for this is the right way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed him. 3:16And Jesus, having been baptized, came up out of the water, and look, the heavens were opened above him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, coming upon him. 3:17And a voice came out of the heavens saying, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am very pleased.”

MATTHEW CHAPTER 4

4:1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tested by the devil. 4:2And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterwards he was hungry. 4:3And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4:4But he answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word {rhema, Gk} that proceeds out of the mouth of God’“ (Deut 8:3).

4:5Then the devil took him to the holy city, set him on the pinnacle of the temple 4:6and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and, ‘They will carry you in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone’” (Ps 91:11,12).

4:7Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not test the Lord your God.’” 4:8Again, the devil took him to an exceedingly high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 4:9Then he said to him, “I will give you all these things if you will fall down and worship me.” 4:10Then Jesus replied, “Get away from here, Satan, for it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and you shall only serve him’” (Deut 6:13). 4:11Then the devil left him, and look, angels came and took care of his needs.

4:12Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. 4:13And leaving Nazareth, he came and stayed in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali 4:14so that which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled saying, 4:15”The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, toward the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles – 4:16the people who sat in darkness saw a great light and to those who sat in the region and shadow of death, light has dawned” (Is 9:1,2).

4:17From that time Jesus began to preach saying: “Repent, for the kingdom which comes from the heavens is near!”

4:18And walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers: Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 4:19And he said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” 4:20And they immediately left their nets and followed him. 4:21And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. And he called them. 4:22And they immediately left the boat and their father and followed him.

4:23And Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of diseases and all varieties of sickness among the people. 4:24And the news about him went out into all Syria and they brought to him all who were sick, suffering with various diseases and afflictions, possessed with demons, people with mental problems, and paralytics and he healed them. 4:25And large crowds followed him from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from the other side of the Jordan.

MATTHEW CHAPTER 5

5:1And seeing the crowds, he went up into the mountain. And when he had sat down, his disciples came to him, 5:2and he opened his mouth and taught them saying, 5:3”Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom which comes from the heavens. 5:4Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5:5Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 5:6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. 5:7Blessed are the merciful, for they will obtain mercy.

5:8“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will know God through experience. 5:9Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the mature sons of God. 5:10Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom which comes from the heavens.

5:11“Blessed are you when men criticize you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil things about you falsely for my sake. 5:12Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for your reward in the heavens is great. For this is the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

5:13”You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its flavor, how will it be salted? It is then good for nothing, but to be thrown out and walked on by men. 5:14You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.

5:15“Neither do men light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lamp stand so that it shines its light to all who are in the house. 5:16In the same way, let your light shine before men so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in the heavens.

5:17”Do not think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I did not come to destroy, but to fulfill. 5:18For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one jot or one tittle will in any way pass away from the law, until all things are fulfilled.* 5:19Therefore, whoever breaks one of these least commandments and teaches other men to do so, will be called least in the kingdom which comes from the heavens. But whoever will practice and teach them, he will be called great in the kingdom which comes from the heavens. 5:20For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and

*Fulfilling the law is not the same thing as keeping the law. Jesus did not come to empower us to keep the law. Instead, he fulfilled it. The law is just a type and a shadow of his true righteousness. Once he had come, his life fulfilled all the law. By living a truly righteous life, he completed what God the Father had foreshadowed though the law. In the same way, when we allow his life to fill us and live through us, we too fulfill the law.

Pharisees, you will by no means enter into the kingdom which comes from the heavens.*

5:21”You have heard that it was said to them in the past, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 5:22But I say to you, that every one who is angry with his brother will be in danger of the judgment, and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca, {stupid, idiot, etc.}’ will be in danger of the council, and whoever says, ‘you fool,’ will be in danger of Gehenna.** 5:23Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there you remember that your brother has anything against you, 5:24leave your gift there at the altar and go on your way. First be reconciled to your brother and then come back and offer your gift.

5:25“Be disposed to agree with your adversary while you are with him in the way, so that it does not happen that your adversary delivers you to the judge and the judge delivers you to the officer and you are thrown into prison. 5:26Truly I say to you, you will never get out of there until you have paid the last little bit of money.

5:27”You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 5:28But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 5:29If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is better for you that one of your members perishes than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna.

5:30“And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away from you. For it is better for you that one of your members perishes than for your whole body to go into Gehenna.

5:31“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 5:32But I say to you, that every one who divorces his wife, except for the motive of sexual unfaithfulness, is himself guilty of making her an adulteress. And whoever marries her who is divorced [in order to remarry (see Mk 10:11,12)] commits adultery.

*The only way our lives could be more righteous than these men who scrupulously followed the law is to have God’s life live in us and through us.

**Gehenna was the place outside of Jerusalem where the inhabitants burned their garbage. There was a continual flame and smoke emanating from this place. Thus, it became a symbol of the future, fiery judgment of God.

5:33”Again, you have heard that it was said to those in the past, ‘You shall not make false promises, but shall perform your vows to the Lord.’ 5:34But I say to you, don’t swear any vows at all: neither swearing a vow by heaven, for it is the throne of God; 5:35nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 5:36Neither shall you swear a vow by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 5:37But let your word ‘yes’ mean yes and your ‘no’ mean no. And anything beyond this is of the evil one.

5:38”You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 5:39But I say to you, do not resist someone who is evil, but whoever strikes you on the right side of your face, turn the other to him also. 5:40And if anyone would take you to court in order to take away your coat, let him have your inner garment also. 5:41And whoever compels you to go one mile {Gk “milion”}, go with him two. 5:42Give to him who asks from you and don’t turn away the one who wants to borrow from you.

5:43”You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 5:44But I say to you, ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,’ 5:45so that you may be mature sons of your Father who is in the heavens. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the just and the unjust.

5:46“For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same thing? 5:47And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Don’t even the Gentiles do the same thing? 5:48You, therefore, should be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

MATTHEW CHAPTER 6

6:1”Be careful not to do your righteous deeds in front of men in order to be seen by them or else you will have no reward with your Father who is in the heavens. 6:2Therefore, when you give to others, don’t sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites* do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may receive honor from men. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward. 6:3But when you give to others, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 6:4so that your gifts may be in secret and your Father who sees in secret will recompense you.

*An actor in a Greek play who is pretending to be something he is not.

6:5“And when you pray, you should not be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they will be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward. 6:6But you, when you pray, enter into your inner chamber and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

6:7“When praying don’t use useless repetitions as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because they use a lot of words. 6:8Don’t be like them, for your Father knows the things you need even before you ask him.

6:9“Therefore, this is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in the heavens, may your name be revered as holy. 6:10May your kingdom come. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 6:11Give us bread sufficient for today. 6:12And forgive us our offenses as we also have forgiven those who have offended us. 6:13And do not lead us into situations where we might have temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory for ever and ever, amen.’

6:14”For if you forgive men their offences, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 6:15But if you don’t forgive men their offences, neither will your Father forgive your offences.

6:16”Furthermore, when you fast, don’t be like the hypocrites, having a sad look. For they distort their faces so that men can see that they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward. 6:17But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 6:18so that men will not notice that you are fasting. But your Father who is in secret will notice and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

6:19”Don’t store up wealth for yourselves on the earth, where moth larva and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal. 6:20But store up wealth for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth larva nor rust consume and where thieves do not break in and steal, 6:21because where your wealth is, that is where your heart will be also.”

6:22”The ‘lamp’ of the whole being is the eye {vision, understanding, Gk}. If, therefore, your spiritual vision is clear, your whole being will be full of light. 6:23But if your spiritual vision is faulty*, your whole being will be full of darkness. If, therefore, the “light” that is in you is really darkness, how great is that darkness!

6:24“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon {the riches and glory of this present world}.

6:25“Therefore, I say to you, do not be anxious about your soul life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Isn’t the soul life more than food and the body more than clothing?

6:26“Contemplate the birds of the air. They don’t sow, neither do they reap nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable then they are? 6:27Which of you by being anxious can add one small amount to the measure of his life?

6:28“Why are you anxious concerning clothing? Contemplate the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don’t work, neither do they spin, 6:29yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these.

6:30“But if God clothes the grass of the field in this glorious way, which today is there and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won’t he much more clothe you, oh you of little faith? 6:31Therefore, don’t be anxious saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘How will we be clothed?’ 6:32For the Gentiles seek after all these things, yet your heavenly Father knows about all that you need.

6:33“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness. Then all these things will be supplied for you. 6:34Therefore, don’t be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious about itself. The evil of today is sufficient.”

*This means not clearly seeing Jesus and understanding his will.

MATTHEW CHAPTER 7

7:1“Don’t judge others so that you will not be judged. 7:2For with the judgment you judge, you will be judged, and the standard you use to judge others will be applied to you also. 7:3And why do you notice the speck that is in your brother’s eye but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye?

7:4“Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ but yet you have a beam in your own eye? 7:5You hypocrite, first remove the beam from your own eye and then you will see clearly how to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

7:6“Don’t give that which is holy to dogs, neither throw your pearls before swine, so that they don’t trample them under their feet and then turn around and tear into you.

7:7”Ask, and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you. 7:8For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. 7:9Or, which of you, who if his son asks him for a loaf of bread, will give him a stone, 7:10or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?

7:11“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in the heavens give good things to those who ask him? 7:12Therefore, however you want men to treat you, treat them in the same way, for this is the summation of the law and the prophets.

7:13”Enter in by the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction and many are entering in that way. 7:14On the other hand, the gate is restricted and the way is increasingly narrow that leads to God’s own life, and those who find it are few.

7:15”Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are hungry wolves. 7:16You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles? 7:17In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but the corrupt tree produces bad fruit. 7:18A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, neither can a corrupt tree produce good fruit. 7:19Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 7:20Therefore, you will know them by their fruit.

7:21“Not every one who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom which comes from the heavens, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in the heavens. 7:22Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord,’ did we not prophesy by your name, cast out demons by your name and by your name do many mighty works? 7:23And then will I say to them, ‘I was never in close fellowship with you {Gk, know intimately}, depart from me you who do rebellious, independent works.’*

7:24“Everyone, therefore, who hears these words of mine and does them, will be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 7:25Then when the rain fell, the floods came and the winds blew, beating against that house, it didn’t fall because it was founded upon the rock.

7:26”And everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn’t do them will be compared to a foolish man, who built his house on the sand. 7:27But when the rain fell, the floods came and the winds blew striking that house, it fell and its fall was catastrophic.”

7:28It happened, when Jesus had finished these words, that the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 7:29for he taught them as one who had authority and not like their scribes.”**

MATTHEW CHAPTER 8

8:1When he had come down from the mountain, large crowds followed him. 8:2And look, a leper came to him and worshipped him saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” 8:3So he stretched out his hand and touched him saying, “I am willing, be made clean.” And at that moment his leprosy was cleansed. 8:4Then Jesus said to him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go and show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded for a testimony to them.”

*Jesus promises us this in chapter 10, verse 33. **These were the Jewish legal scholars.

8:5When he had entered into Capernaum, a centurion came to him, begging him 8:6saying, “Lord, my servant is lying in the house a paralytic, being terribly tormented.” 8:7And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8:8Then the centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy for you to come under my roof but only say the word and my servant will be healed. 8:9For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

8:10And when Jesus heard it, he marveled and said to those that followed him, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith, no, not in all Israel.

8:11“And I say to you that many will come from the east and the west and will recline at the feast with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom which comes from the heavens, 8:12but some of the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness. There they will be weeping and gnashing their teeth.” 8:13Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go on your way. As you have believed, so it will be done to you.” And the servant was healed at that time.

8:14When Jesus had come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever. 8:15He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and served them.

8:16When evening came, they brought many who were possessed with demons to him and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick, 8:17so that which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled saying: “He himself took our infirmities and bore our diseases” (Is 53:4).

8:18Now when Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave the order to depart to the other side. 8:19And there a scribe came and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 8:20And Jesus replied, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man does not have a place to lay his head down.” 8:21Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father.” 8:22But Jesus answered him saying, “Follow me and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”

8:23Then, when he had entered into a boat, his disciples followed him. 8:24And look, a great storm arose on the sea, so much so that the boat was covered with the waves, but he was asleep. 8:25So they came to him and woke him up saying, “Save us Lord! We are going to die!”

8:26Then he said to them, “Why are you fearful, oh you of little faith?” So he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea and there was a great calm. 8:27Then the men were astonished and said, “What kind of man is this that even the winds and the sea obey him?”

8:28When he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, he encountered two men possessed with demons coming out of the tombs. They were extremely fierce, so much so that no one could pass by that way. 8:29And they cried out saying, “What do we have to do with you, you Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?”

8:30Now there was a herd of many swine feeding some distance away from them. 8:31So the demons pleaded with him saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of swine.” 8:32And he said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the swine. Then the whole herd rushed over a precipice into the sea, perishing in the water.

8:33Then those who fed them fled, went away into the city and told everything about what had happened to those who were possessed with demons. 8:34So the whole city came out to meet Jesus. When they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their territory.

MATTHEW CHAPTER 9

9:1Afterwards, he entered into a boat and crossed over, coming to his own city. 9:2There, they brought a paralyzed man to him, lying on a pallet. Then Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the man who was paralyzed, “Son, be reassured, your sins are forgiven.” 9:3But some of the scribes said within themselves, “This man blasphemes.”

9:4Then Jesus, knowing their thoughts said, “Why do you think evil thoughts in your hearts? 9:5For which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk?’ 9:6But so that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins (then he said to the paralyzed man), ‘Get up, take up your pallet, and go up to your house.’“ 9:7And he got up and went to his house.

9:8But when the crowds saw it, they were astonished and glorified God who had given such authority to this man. 9:9As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the place where taxes were collected, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose up and followed him.

9:10It happened, as he sat down to eat in the house, that many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. 9:11When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 9:12But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician but those who are sick. 9:13But go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous but the sinners to repentance.”

9:14Then the disciples of John came to him saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples don’t fast?” 9:15Jesus said to them, “Can those who are part of the bridegroom’s party mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom will be taken away from them. Then they will fast.

9:16”No one sews a piece of new, unshrunken cloth on an old garment because the new piece shrinks on the garment and a worse tear is made. 9:17Neither do men put new wine into old wine skins, or else the skins burst. Then the wine is spilled and the skins are wasted. But people put new wine into fresh wine skins and both are preserved.”

9:18While he spoke these things to them a ruler came and worshipped him saying, “My daughter is even now dying, but come and lay your hand on her and she will live.” 9:19So Jesus got up and followed him and so did his disciples.

9:20Just then, a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years came behind him and touched the border of his garment, 9:21for she said within herself, “If I can just touch his garment, I will be made well.”

9:22But Jesus turning and seeing her said, “Daughter, be reassured, your faith has made you well.” And the woman was cured from that time. 9:23When Jesus came into the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a lot of noise, 9:24he said, “Go away. The little girl is not dead, but sleeping.” And they laughed at him with scorn.

9:25But when the crowd was put out, he entered in, took her by the hand, and the young girl arose. 9:26Consequently, his fame spread out into all that land.

9:27As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, crying out and saying, “Have mercy on us, you son of David!” 9:28And when he had come into the house, the blind men came to him and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They answered him, “Yes, Lord.”

9:29Then he touched their eyes saying, “It will be done to you according to your faith.” 9:30And their eyes were opened. Then Jesus strictly commanded them saying, “Don’t let anyone know about this.” 9:31But they went out and spread his fame abroad in that whole area.

9:32As they went out, just then a dumb man possessed with a demon was brought to him. 9:33When the demon was cast out, the dumb man spoke. Then the crowds were amazed saying, “Nothing like this was ever seen in Israel.” 9:34But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of the demons.”

9:35So Jesus went about in all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, healing all kinds of diseases and all varieties of sicknesses. 9:36But when he saw the crowds, he was moved with compassion for them because they were distressed and scattered, like sheep without a shepherd.

9:37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 9:38Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest asking that he would send out laborers into his ripened harvest.”

MATTHEW CHAPTER 10

10:1Then he called his twelve disciples to himself and gave them authority over unclean spirits to cast them out and to heal all kinds of diseases and all varieties of sicknesses.

10:2Now the names of the twelve sent ones are as follows: The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee and John his brother; 10:3Philip and Bar-Tholomew {son of Tholomew}; Thomas and Matthew, the tax collector; James the son of Alpheus, and Thaddeus; 10:4Simon the Cananaean and Judas Iscariot who also betrayed him.

10:5These twelve Jesus sent out and charged them saying, “Don’t go among the Gentiles and don’t enter into any city of the Samaritans, 10:6but instead go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 10:7And as you go, preach saying, ‘The kingdom which comes from the heavens is near!’

10:8“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You have received without cost; give without charging. 10:9Don’t take any gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, 10:10no wallet for your journey, neither two coats, nor shoes, nor staff, for the laborer is worthy of his food. 10:11And into whatever city or village you enter, search out someone in it who is worthy and stay there until you leave that place.

10:12“As you enter into the house, make your greetings. 10:13And if the household is worthy, let your peace come upon that house, but if they are not worthy, let your peace return to you. 10:14Whoever doesn’t receive you, or hear your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake off the dust from your feet. 10:15Truly I say to you it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.

10:16”See here, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; therefore, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. 10:17But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and they will beat you in their synagogues [the religious meeting places]. 10:18You will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 10:19But when they deliver you up, do not be anxious about how or what you should say, for what you should say will be given to you at that moment. 10:20For it will not be you who will speak, but the Spirit of your Father will speak through you.

10:21”And brother will deliver up brother to death and the father his child. Children will rise up against their parents and cause them to be put to death. 10:22You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake, but he who endures to the end, that one will preserved. 10:23But when they persecute you in one city, flee to the next, for truly I say to you, you will not have finished your task all the towns of Israel before the Son of man comes.

10:24”A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his lord. 10:25It is sufficient for the disciple to become the same as his teacher and the servant to become like his lord. If they have called the master of the house ‘Beelzebub,’ how much more will they denigrate those of his household! 10:26Therefore, don’t be afraid of them, for there is nothing covered that will not be revealed or hidden that will not be exposed.

10:27“What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light and what you hear in the ear, proclaim from the housetops. 10:28Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul, but instead fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.

10:29”Aren’t two sparrows sold for a very small coin? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father allowing it. 10:30But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 10:31Therefore, don’t be fearful. You are more valuable than many sparrows.

10:32“Everyone, therefore, who confesses me before men, I will also confess before my Father who is in the heavens. 10:33But whoever denies me before men, I will also disown before my Father who is in the heavens.

10:34”Don’t think that I came to send peace on the earth. I did not come to send peace but a sword. 10:35For I came to put a man in conflict with his father, the daughter with her mother, and the daughter-in-law with her mother-in-law. 10:36A man’s enemies will be those from his own household. 10:37“He who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me and he who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 10:38He who does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. 10:39He who seeks out and lives by his soul life will have it utterly destroyed, but he who declares that his soul life must put to death for my sake will be finding himself [discover in God who he was really created to be].

10:40”He who receives you receives me and he who receives me receives him who sent me. 10:41He who receives a prophet as being a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward and he who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. 10:42Whoever gives even a drink of cold water to one of these least esteemed because they are a disciple, truly I say to you he will never lose his reward.”

MATTHEW CHAPTER 11

11:1Afterwards, when Jesus had finished explaining everything to his twelve disciples, he left there to teach and preach in their cities.

11:2Now when John, while he was in prison, heard about the works of the Anointed One, he sent his disciples 11:3who said to him, “Are you the coming One, or should we look for another?” 11:4Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: 11:5the blind receive their sight; the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed; the deaf hear; the dead are raised up; and the poor have good news proclaimed to them. 11:6Blessed are you if you are not offended with me.”

11:7As these men went on their way, Jesus began to say to the crowds concerning John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 11:8But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in expensive clothing? Look, those who wear fine clothes are in king’s houses. 11:9But what did you go out to see? To see a prophet? Yes, I say to you and much more than a prophet.

11:10“This is he of whom it is written, ‘Look, I will send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you’ (Mal 3:1). 11:11Truly I say to you, among all those who have been born of women there has not arisen a greater person than John the baptizer. Yet even someone who is little in the kingdom which comes from the heavens is greater than he. 11:12From the days of John the baptizer until now, the kingdom which comes from the heavens is there to be seized and those who are eager take hold of it. 11:13For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 11:14And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come (Mal 4:5). 11:15He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

11:16“But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces, who call to their friends 11:17saying, ‘We played our music for you and you didn’t dance [i.e. you didn’t take part in our fun]; we wailed [about the unfortunate things of this world] and you did not mourn with us.’* 11:18John came neither eating nor drinking and they said, ‘He has a demon.’ 11:19The Son of man came both eating and drinking and they say, ‘Look, a gluttonous man and a drinker, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is vindicated by the children it produces.”

*Jesus’ true followers will not have the time or the interest in involving themselves in the celebrations or in the troubles of this present fallen, worldly system.

11:20Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works were done, because they had not repented. 11:21“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 11:22But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. 11:23And will you, Capernaum, be exalted to heaven? You will go down into Hades. For if the mighty works had been done in Sodom which were done in you, it would have remained until this day. 11:24But I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.”

11:25At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you hid these things from the wise and intelligent men and have revealed them to infants, 11:26yes, Father, because it pleased you to do things in this way. 11:27All things have been delivered to me by my Father. No one knows the Son, except the Father, neither does anyone know the Father, except the Son and he to whom the Son wants to reveal him.

11:28“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened and I will give you rest. 11:29Come under my double yoke together with me and learn from me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 11:30For my yoke is gentle and my burden is light.”

MATTHEW CHAPTER 12

12:1At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath day and since his disciples were hungry, they began to pluck the ripe heads and eat the grain. 12:2But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing something which it is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.”

12:3But he said to them, “Haven’t you read what David and those that were with him did, when they were hungry, 12:4how he entered into the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for those who were with him, but only for the priests?

12:5Or haven’t you read in the law that on the Sabbath day the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? 12:6But I say to you that One greater than the temple is here. 12:7But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 12:8For the Son of man is lord of the Sabbath.”

12:9And leaving there, he came to one of their synagogues. 12:10As it happened, a man who had a withered hand was there. So they questioned him saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day?” because they were looking for an excuse to accuse him. 12:11So he said to them, “Who is there among you, who having one sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath day will not grab it and lift it out? 12:12Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep! Therefore, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day.” 12:13Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out and it was restored whole as the other one. 12:14But the Pharisees left and spoke against him among themselves, plotting how they might destroy him.

12:15Then Jesus, perceiving it, withdrew from there. But many followed him and he healed them all 12:16and ordered them not to reveal where he was. 12:17In this way, that which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet was fulfilled saying, 12:18”Look, my servant whom I have chosen, my Beloved in whom my soul is very pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. 12:19He will not strive, nor shout loudly, neither will anyone hear his voice seeking attention in the public squares. 12:20A bruised reed he will not break and smoking flax he will not quench until he victoriously removes the sentence of condemnation. 12:21And the Gentiles will hope in his name” (Is 42:1-4).

12:22Then someone both blind and dumb who was possessed with a demon was brought to him and he healed him, with the result that the dumb man spoke and saw. 12:23So all the crowds were amazed and said, “Can this be the son of David?” 12:24But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “This man casts out demons by Beelzebub the prince of the demons.”

12:25But knowing their thoughts he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself cannot stand. 12:26If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 12:27And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore, they will be your judges.

12:28“But if I, by the Spirit of God, cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 12:29Or how can someone enter into the house of the strong man and steal his goods unless he first binds the strong man and then he will plunder his house? 12:30He who is not with me is against me and he that does not gather with me, scatters.

12:31”Therefore, I say to you: every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 12:32And whosoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it will be forgiven him, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit it will not be forgiven him, neither in this age, nor in that which is to come.*

12:33”Either the tree must be good and its fruit good, or the tree must be worthless and its fruit worthless, for a tree is known by its fruit. 12:34You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks. 12:35The good man out of his good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and the evil man out of his evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil things.

12:36“And I say to you that every idle word that a man speaks, he will give account for it on the day of judgment. 12:37For by your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned.”

12:38Then some of the scribes and the Pharisees answered him saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” 12:39But he answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given it but the sign of Jonah the prophet. 12:40For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the large fish, so the Son of man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

12:41“The men of Nineveh will stand up to testify at the judgment of this generation and will condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, but look, someone greater than Jonah is here. 12:42The queen of the south will stand up to testify at the judgment of this generation and will condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and look, someone greater than Solomon is here.

12:43”But when an unclean spirit has gone out of a man, it passes through waterless places, seeking rest, but cannot find it. 12:44Then he says, ‘I will return to my house where I came from.’ And when he returns, he finds it empty, swept, and decorated. 12:45Then he goes and brings with him seven other spirits more evil than himself and they enter in and live there. So the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. This is just how it will be with this evil generation.”

*The age “which is to come” is the kingdom age or the “Millennium,” not eternity.

12:46While he was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to him. 12:47And someone said to him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak with you.” 12:48But he answered and said to him who told him, “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” 12:49Then he stretched out his hand towards his disciples and said, “Look, my mother and my brothers! 12:50For whoever does the will of my Father who is in the heavens, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

MATTHEW CHAPTER 13

13:1On that day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the seaside. 13:2And large crowds gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat and sat, and all the crowds stood on the beach. 13:3Then he spoke many things to them in parables saying, “Look, the sower went out to sow, 13:4and as he sowed, some seeds fell on the hard packed pathway and the birds came and devoured them.

13:5“Others fell on rocky places where they did not have much soil. They sprung up quickly because they had no depth of soil, 13:6but when the sun rose they were scorched, and because they had no root, they withered away. 13:7Others fell among thorns and the thorns grew up and choked them.

13:8“Still others fell on good ground and produced fruit, some one hundred times more, some sixty and some thirty. 13:9He who has hearing ears, let him hear.”

13:10Later the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 13:11So he answered and said to them, “It is granted to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom which comes from the heavens, but it is not granted to them.

13:12“For whoever holds securely onto what he has received from God, more will be given to him and he will have an abundance, but whoever does not hold onto what God has revealed to him, even what he has will be taken away from him.

13:13“Therefore, I speak to them in parables because seeing they do not see and hearing they do not hear, neither do they understand. 13:14And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled which says, ‘By hearing you will hear, yet will in no way understand, and seeing you will see, yet will in no way perceive. 13:15For this people’s heart has become calloused, their ears are hard of hearing and they have closed their eyes. Therefore, they cannot perceive with their eyes, hear with their ears, or understand with their heart, so that they would turn around and I could heal them’ (Is 6:9,10).

13:16“But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 13:17For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which you see and didn’t see them and to hear the things which you hear and didn’t hear them. 13:18You, then, understand the parable of the sower.

13:19”When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, then the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the word that was sown on the hard packed pathway.

13:20“And that which was sown on the rocky places, this is he who hears the word and right away receives it with joy, 13:21but he has no root in himself. So he persists for a while, but when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, he stumbles very quickly.

13:22“And the word that was sown among the thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of pursuing wealth choke the word and he becomes unfruitful. 13:23And the word that was sown upon the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it. This one genuinely bears fruit, some producing one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty.”

13:24He set before them another parable saying, “The kingdom which comes from the heavens is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 13:25But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares also among the wheat and went away. 13:26But when the first blades sprang up and produced fruit, then the tares also appeared. 13:27And the servants of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Why then does it have tares?’ 13:28And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’

“So the servants said to him, ‘Do you want us to go and gather them up?’ 13:29But he replied, ‘No, since while you are gathering up the tares, you might pull up the wheat together with them. 13:30Let both grow together until the harvest. At the harvest time I will say to the reapers, “Gather the tares up first and bind them in bundles in order to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’“

13:31He set another parable before them saying, “The kingdom which comes from the heavens is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field. 13:32This is one of the smallest of all seeds, but when it is grown, it is larger than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the heaven come and live in its branches.”

13:33He spoke another parable to them: “The kingdom which comes from the heavens is like some yeast, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal until it was all leavened.” 13:34All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables. And he spoke nothing to them without using a parable, 13:35so that which was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled: “I will open my mouth in parables. I will utter things which have been hidden from the foundation of the world” (Ps 78:2).

13:36Then he left the crowds and went into the house and his disciples came to him saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares in the field.” 13:37So he answered and said, “He who sows the good seed is the Son of man, 13:38and the field is the world. The good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom and the tares are the sons of the evil one. 13:39The enemy who sowed them is the devil and the harvest is at the end of the age. The reapers are angels.

13:40“Therefore, as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 13:41The Son of man will send out his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all the ones who lead others into sin and those who practice sin themselves 13:42and will throw them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 13:43Then the righteous will shine brightly like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has hearing ears, let him hear.

13:44”The kingdom which comes from the heavens is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and rehid. And in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field. 13:45Again, the kingdom which comes from the heavens is like a man who is a merchant seeking the best pearls, 13:46and having found one pearl of extremely great value, he went and sold all he had and bought it.

13:47”Again, the kingdom which comes from the heavens is like a net that was cast into the sea and gathered up many different kinds of fish. 13:48When it was filled, they drew it up on the beach. Then they sat down and separated the good ones into containers, but the bad ones they threw away. 13:49So will it be in the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the morally derelict from among the righteous 13:50and will throw them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

13:51“Have you understood all these things?” They replied to him, “Yes.” 13:52Then he said to them, “Therefore, every student of the scriptures who has been made a disciple of the kingdom which comes from the heavens is like a man who is the master of a household, who brings forth out of his treasury both new things and old.”

13:53Afterward, when Jesus had finished these parables, he left there. 13:54And coming to his own hometown he taught them in their synagogue in such a way that they were astonished and said, “Where has this man gotten this wisdom and these mighty works? 13:55Isn’t this the woodworker’s son? Isn’t his mother called Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? 13:56And his sisters, aren’t they all here with us? Where then has this man gotten all these things?”

13:57And they were offended with him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his own hometown and in his own house.” 13:58And he did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

MATTHEW CHAPTER 14

14:1At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report concerning Jesus, 14:2and said to his servants, “This must be John the baptizer. He must have risen from the dead and, therefore, these powers work in him.” 14:3For Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. 14:4For John said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 14:5But when Herod wanted to put him to death, he feared the crowds because they thought of John as a prophet.

14:6But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced in front of the guests and pleased Herod. 14:7Consequently, he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked of him. 14:8And she, being influenced by her mother said, “Give me the head of John the baptizer on a platter.”

14:9Now the king was grieved, but for the sake of his oaths and because of those who had dined with him, he commanded it to be given to her. 14:10So he sent a soldier and beheaded John in the prison. 14:11And his head was brought on a platter and given to the young woman and she brought it to her mother. 14:12Then his disciples came, took the corpse and buried him. And they went and told Jesus.

14:13Now when Jesus heard it, he withdrew from there in a boat to a remote, deserted place. But when the crowds heard about it, they followed him on foot from the cities. 14:14When he came out and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

14:15Then when evening had come, the disciples came to him saying, “This place is uninhabited and the day has already passed. Send the crowds away, so that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.” 14:16But Jesus said to them, “They don’t need to go away. You give them something to eat.” 14:17But they replied, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.” 14:18And he said, “Bring them here to me.” 14:19So he commanded the crowds to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves and the two fish and looking up towards heaven, he blessed them, broke them in pieces, and gave the loaves to the disciples and the disciples in turn gave them to the multitudes.

14:20And they all ate and were filled. Afterwards, they took up from what was left over from the broken pieces twelve full baskets. 14:21And those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

14:22And immediately afterwards, he insisted that the disciples enter into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side while he sent the crowds away.

14:23And after he had sent the crowds away, he went up into the mountain alone to pray. When evening came, he was there alone. 14:24But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, in trouble because of the waves, for the wind was against them.

14:25And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. 14:26And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled saying, “It’s a ghost!” And they cried out with fear. 14:27But just then Jesus spoke to them saying, “Be courageous, I am he. Don’t be afraid.” 14:28And Peter answered him and said, “Lord, if it is you, tell me to come to you on the water.” 14:29And he said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water to come to Jesus. 14:30But when he noticed the wind, he became afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out saying, “Lord, save me!”

14:31Immediately, Jesus stretched out his hand, took hold of him and said to him, “Oh you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 14:32And when they had gotten into the boat, the wind stopped. 14:33Then those who were in the boat worshipped him saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God.”

14:34And when they had crossed over, they came to the land, to Gennesaret. 14:35And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent messengers into all the neighboring region and brought everyone who was sick to him, 14:36and they called out to him, asking that they could just touch the hem of his garment. And everyone who touched him was healed.

MATTHEW CHAPTER 15

15:1Then some of the Pharisees and scribes who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus saying, 15:2”Why do your disciples violate the tradition of the elders by not washing their hands before they eat bread?”

15:3And he answered and said to them, “Why do you then violate the commandment of God because of your tradition? 15:4For God said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of his father or mother, should be put to death.’ 15:5But you say that whoever says to his father or his mother, ‘Any way in which you might have been benefitted by me is given to God,’ 15:6this person no longer needs to honor his father. In so doing, you have made the word of God void because of your tradition.

15:7”You hypocrites, Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you saying, 15:8‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 15:9Their worship of me is futile, teaching as their doctrines rules which men invent’” (Is 29:13).

15:10And he called the crowd to him and said to them, “Hear, and understand! 15:11Nothing which enters into the mouth defiles a man, but that which comes out of his mouth, that’s what defiles the man.”

15:12Then the disciples came and said to him, “Don’t you realize that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” 15:13But he answered and said, “Every plant which my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted. 15:14Leave them alone. They are blind guides. And if the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit.”

15:15Peter answered and said to him, “Explain this parable to us.” 15:16So he said, “Are you also without understanding? 15:17Don’t you see that whatever goes into the mouth passes through the stomach and is evacuated into the drain? 15:18But the things which come out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile the man. 15:19For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sex outside of marriage, thefts, false testimony, and slander. 15:20These are the things which defile the man. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.”

15:21And Jesus left there and withdrew into the regions of Tyre and Sidon. 15:22And look, a Canaanite woman from that area came and cried out saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, you son of David. My daughter is horribly possessed by a demon!” 15:23But he didn’t answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him saying, “Send her away. She keeps crying out back there behind us.”

15:24But he answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 15:25But she came and worshipped him saying, “Lord, help me!” 15:26And he answered and said, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

15:27But she said, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the small pieces which fall from their masters’ table.” 15:28Then Jesus answered and said to her, “Oh woman, your faith is great. It will be done to you just as you desire.” And her daughter was healed at that time.

15:29Then Jesus left there, came near the sea of Galilee, and went up on the mountain and sat there. 15:30And large crowds came to him bringing with them the lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and they laid them down at his feet, and he healed them. 15:31This caused the crowd to be amazed when they saw the dumb speaking, the maimed whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.

15:32Then Jesus called his disciples to himself and said, “I have compassion on the large crowd because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away fasting. Some might faint on the way.” 15:33And the disciples replied, “Where could we find enough loaves in an uninhabited place to feed so large a crowd?”

15:34So Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They replied, “Seven and a few small fish.” 15:35Then he instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground. 15:36He took the seven loaves and the fish, gave thanks and broke them in pieces, and gave them to the disciples. The disciples in turn gave them to the multitudes.

15:37They all ate and were filled. Afterwards they gathered up seven baskets full of the broken pieces which were left over. 15:38The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children. 15:39And he sent the crowds away, entered into the boat, and came to the borders of Magadan.

MATTHEW CHAPTER 16

16:1Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came and, testing him, asked him to show them a sign from heaven. 16:2But he answered and said to them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ 16:3And in the morning, ‘It will be bad weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but you can’t discern the signs of the times. 16:4An evil and adulterous generation anxiously seeks to see a sign, but no sign will be given to it, except the sign of Jonah.” And he left them and went away.

16:5And the disciples came to the other side but forgot to bring bread. 16:6And Jesus said to them, “Be on your guard and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 16:7So they reasoned among themselves saying, “We didn’t bring any bread.”

16:8And Jesus perceiving it said, “Oh you of little faith. Why do you reason among yourselves because you don’t have bread? 16:9Don’t you understand yet, or don’t you remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered up? 16:10Neither do you remember the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many baskets you gathered up?

16:11“How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread? But beware of the yeast [the corrupting elements] of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 16:12Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the yeast of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

16:13Now when Jesus came to the regions of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples saying, “Who do men say that the Son of man is?” 16:14And they said, “Some say John the baptizer; some, Elijah; and others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 16:15He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16:16Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Anointed One, the Son of the living God.” 16:17And Jesus answered and said to him, “You are blessed, Simon Bar-Jonah {son of Jonah}, for flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father who is in the heavens.

16:18“And I also say to you that you are Peter and upon this rock* I will build my community of the called-out ones, and the gates of Hades will not succeed in resisting it. 16:19I will give you the keys of the kingdom which comes from the heavens, and whatever binding agreements you make on earth will be bound in the heavens, and whatever binding agreements you reverse on earth will be loosed in the heavens.” 16:20Then he warned the disciples that they should tell no one that he was the Anointed One.

*The “rock” upon which the church is built is not the person Peter, but upon the faith in Jesus the Anointed One which he exhibited.

16:21From that time Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem, suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and scribes, be killed, and the third day be raised up. 16:22So Peter took him and began to rebuke him saying, “May God be merciful to you Lord; this will never happen to you.” 16:23But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan. You are a stumbling-block to me, for your mind is not attuned to the things of God but to the things of men.”

16:24Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to come after me, let him totally reject himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 16:25For whoever wants to preserve his soul life will have it utterly destroyed and whoever will declare that his soul life must be put to death for my sake will find himself [discover in God who he was created to be].

16:26For how will a man be benefitted if he gains the whole world and loses his soul life? Or what could a man give in exchange for his soul life? 16:27For the Son of man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will recompense every man according to his actions.

16:28 “Truly I say to you, there are some standing here who under no circumstances will taste death until they understand the reality of the Son of man appearing in his kingdom.”

MATTHEW CHAPTER 17

17:1Six days later Jesus took Peter, James and John his brother with him and brought them up to a high mountain privately. 17:2There he was transfigured in front of them, and his face radiated light like the sun and his garments became brilliant white, like light. 17:3And suddenly, they also saw Moses and Elijah with him conversing together.

17:4So Peter responded and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, we can make three shrines here: one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 17:5While he was still speaking, all at once a cloud radiating light enveloped them and a voice came out of the cloud saying, “This is my Son, the Beloved, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him!” 17:6And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were extremely afraid.

17:7But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Get up and don’t be afraid.” 17:8And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus only. 17:9And as they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them saying, “Don’t tell the vision to anyone until the Son of man has risen from the dead.”

17:10And his disciples asked him saying, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 17:11And he answered and said, “Elijah certainly is coming and will restore all things. 17:12But I say to you that Elijah has already come, but they did not recognize him and treated him however they wished.* In the same way the Son of man will also suffer at their hands.” 17:13Then the disciples understood that he spoke to them of John the baptizer.

*Notice that there are two “comings” of Elijah mentioned here. One, in verse 12 is in the past, and the other one, in verse 11 is yet in the future.

17:14And when they had come to the crowd, a man came to him kneeling and saying, 17:15”Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is epileptic and suffers severely, for he frequently falls into the fire and into the water. 17:16I brought him to your disciples but they could not cure him.”

17:17And Jesus answered and said, “Oh unbelieving and perverse generation, how long will I be with you? How long must I endure you? Bring him here to me.” 17:18And Jesus rebuked the demon and it came out of him. And the boy was cured from that time on.

17:19Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked, “Why couldn’t we cast it out?” 17:20And he said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to over there’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you. 17:21But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

17:22And while they stayed in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of man will be delivered up into the hands of men 17:23and they will kill him and the third day he will be raised up.” And they were very sad.

17:24And when they had come to Capernaum, those who received the double drachma tax came to Peter and said, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the double drachma tax?” 17:25He answered, “Yes.” So when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth receive toll or tribute? From their sons or from foreigners?”

17:26And when he said, “From foreigners,” Jesus said to him, “Therefore, the sons are free. 17:27But, so that we don’t offend them, go to the sea, throw in a hook, and take the first fish which comes up. When you have opened his mouth, you will find a stater coin. Take that and give it to them for me and you.”

MATTHEW CHAPTER 18

18:1At that time the disciples came to Jesus asking, “Who then will be the greatest in the kingdom which comes from the heavens?” 18:2So he called a little child to him, set him in the middle of them, 18:3and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you change direction and become as little children, you will by no means enter into the kingdom which comes from the heavens.

18:4“Whoever, therefore, will humble himself like this little child – he is the greatest in the kingdom which comes from the heavens. 18:5And whoever receives one little child like this in my name receives me. 18:6But whoever baits a trap for one of these little ones that believe into me, causing them to stumble – he would be better off having an upper millstone hung around his neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.

18:7”Woe to the world because of the things which cause stumbling! It is necessary that these situations which cause stumbling happen [for our testing], but woe to that person through whom the cause for stumbling comes! 18:8If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter into God’s life maimed or crippled rather than having two hands or two feet and being thrown into the fire of the eternal One.

18:9“And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter into God’s life with one eye instead of having two eyes and being thrown into the fire of the eternal One.

18:10Be careful not to despise one of these least esteemed ones, for I say to you that in the heavens their angels always look upon the face of my Father who is in the heavens.*

*Matthew 18:11 does not exist in the older, more reliable, Greek manuscripts.

18:12”What do you think? If someone has one hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, doesn’t he leave the ninety nine, go into the mountains and seek the one which has gone astray? 18:13And if he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety nine which have not gone astray. 18:14Even so, it is not the will of your Father who is in the heavens that one of these little ones perishes.

18:15”If your brother sins against you, go, explain to him his error between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have regained your brother. 18:16But if he doesn’t hear you, take with you one or two more, so that from the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be confirmed. 18:17If he refuses to hear them, tell it to the gathering of the called-out ones. But if he refuses to hear the gathering of the called-out ones also, you are free to treat him as a Gentile or as a tax collector.

18:18“Truly I say to you, whenever you enter into a binding agreement on earth it is bound in heaven also. And whenever you free someone from a binding agreement on earth, it is released in heaven also.

18:19“Further, I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about something for which they ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in the heavens. 18:20For where two or three are gathered together in my name {in the reality of my presence}, there I am in the midst of them.”

18:21Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, how often should I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 18:22Jesus said to him, “I don’t say to you, ‘Up to seven times,’ but, ‘Up to seventy times seven.’

18:23“Therefore, the kingdom which comes from the heavens is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 18:24And when he began to examine the accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 18:25But because he was not able to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold along with his wife, children, and all that he had so that payment could be made.

18:26“The servant then fell down and did obeisance to him saying, ‘Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 18:27And the lord of that servant, being moved with compassion, released him and forgave him the debt. 18:28But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants, who owed him one hundred denarii. And he grabbed hold of him and, taking him by the throat said, ‘Pay me what you owe.’ 18:29So his fellow servant fell down and begged him saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will pay you.’ 18:30But he would not listen. Instead he went and had him thrown into prison until he paid what he owed.

18:31“So when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were extremely grieved and came and told their lord all that had happened. 18:32Then his lord called him to come forward and said to him, ‘You wicked servant, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 18:33Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ 18:34And his lord became angry and delivered him to the tormentors until he paid all that was due. 18:35My heavenly Father will also deal with you in this same way if every one of you doesn’t forgive your brother from your heart.”

MATTHEW CHAPTER 19

19:1After Jesus had finished these words, he left Galilee and came to the regions of Judea beyond the Jordan. 19:2Large crowds followed him and he healed them there. 19:3And some of the Pharisees came to him, testing him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?”

19:4And he answered and said, “Haven’t you read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female 19:5and said, ‘For this reason a man leaves his father and mother and is joined {cemented or glued, Gk} to his wife, and the two will become one flesh?’ 19:6Consequently, they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, man should not separate.”

19:7They responded to him saying, “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce when a man dismissed his wife?” 19:8He responded to them, “Moses allowed you to divorce your wives because of the hardness of your hearts, but from the beginning it was not so. 19:9And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife for any reason besides sexual unfaithfulness and marries another commits adultery.”

19:10The disciples replied to him, “If this is the case with the man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” 19:11But he said to them, “Not all men have the openness to receive this word, but those to whom it is given. 19:12For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb. There are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom which comes from the heavens. He who is able to receive it, let him receive it.”

19:13Then some little children were brought to him for him to lay his hands on them and pray. But the disciples rebuked them. 19:14Yet Jesus said, “Allow the little children to come to me and don’t forbid them, for the kingdom which comes from the heavens belongs to such as these.” 19:15So he laid his hands on them and left there.

19:16And then someone came to him and said, “Teacher, what good deed must I do so that I may have eternal life?” 19:17And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about that which is good? There is One who is good. But if you wish to enter into the life of God, keep the commandments.”

19:18He asked him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not kill. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not testify falsely. 19:19Honor your father and mother. And, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

19:20The young man said to him, “All these things I have kept. What do I still lack?” 19:21Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in the heavens. Then come, follow me.” 19:22But when the young man heard that word he went away full of sorrow, for he was one who had many possessions.

19:23And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I say to you: It is hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdom which comes from the heavens. 19:24And again I say to you: It is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”

19:25And when the disciples heard it, they were exceedingly astonished saying, “Who then can be saved?” 19:26And Jesus looking at them said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” 19:27Then Peter answered and said to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you. What will we have?”

19:28And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you that you who have followed me, in the Messianic restoration – when the Son of man sits on the throne of his glory – you also will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 19:29And every one who has left houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive at that time many times more and will inherit the eternal life of God. 19:30However, many who are the most prominent now will be of the lowest rank, and many who are the lowliest now, will be the most important.”

MATTHEW CHAPTER 20

20:1”For the kingdom which comes from the heavens is like a man who was a landowner, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 20:2And when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 20:3And he went out about nine o’clock and saw others standing in the marketplace idle. 20:4So he said to them, ‘You go to work in the vineyard also and whatever is right I will give you.’ And they went. 20:5Again he went out about twelve o’clock and three o’clock and did the same thing.

20:6“And about an hour before sunset he went out and found others standing there. He said to them, ‘Why are you here all day idle?’ 20:7They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’ 20:8So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning from the last and progressing to the first.’ 20:9And when those who were hired about an hour before sunset came, everyone received a denarius. 20:10And when the first came, they thought that they would receive more. Yet they too received a denarius each.

20:11“When they received it, they murmured against the landowner 20:12saying, ‘These last ones have worked only one hour and you have made them equal to us, who have worked hard all day and in the scorching heat.’

20:13“But he answered and said to one of them, ‘Friend, I don’t wrong you. Didn’t you agree with me for a denarius? 20:14Take that which is yours and go your way. It is my will to give to these last just as I gave to you. 20:15Isn’t it permitted for me to do what I want with what is mine? Or are you having ungenerous, selfish thoughts because I am good?’ 20:16So some of the last will be first and the first last.” 20:17And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem he took the twelve disciples aside and on the way he said to them, 20:18”Look, we are going up to Jerusalem and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes. They will condemn him to death 20:19and will deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, to beat with whips, and to crucify, and on the third day he will be raised up.”

20:20Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, doing obeisance to him and asking a favor of him. 20:21And he said to her, “What do you want?” She answered, “Command that these two sons of mine may sit, one on your right hand and one on your left hand, in your kingdom.”

20:22But Jesus answered and said, “You do not understand what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” 20:23He said to them, “You will, in fact, drink my cup, but to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”

20:24And when the ten heard it, they became indignant with the two brothers. 20:25But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them and their great ones exercise authority over them. 20:26It must never be like this among you! Instead, whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant, 20:27and whoever wants to be first among you will be your slave. 20:28In the same way, the Son of man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many.”

20:29And as they left Jericho, a large crowd followed him. 20:30And it happened that two blind men were sitting by the wayside, when they heard that Jesus was passing by cried out saying, “Lord, have mercy on us, you son of David!” 20:31And the crowd rebuked them, telling them that they should be quiet. But they cried even more saying, “Lord, have mercy on us, you son of David!” 20:32And Jesus stood still and called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” 20:33They said to him, “Lord, we want our eyes opened.” 20:34And Jesus, being filled with compassion, touched their eyes and immediately they received their sight and followed him.

MATTHEW CHAPTER 21

21:1And when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 21:2saying to them, “Go into that nearby village and right away you will find a donkey tied and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 21:3And if any one asks you anything, you should say, ‘The Lord needs them’ and right away he will send them.”

21:4Now this happened so that which was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled saying, 21:5”Tell the daughter of Zion, look, your King comes to you meek and riding on a donkey, even on a colt the foal of a donkey” (Zech 9:9).

21:6And the disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them. 21:7They brought the donkey and the colt and put their garments on them and he sat on them. 21:8A very large crowd spread their garments on the road while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

21:9And the crowds who went in front of him and those who followed cried out saying, “Hosanna to the son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 21:10And when he had come into Jerusalem, all the city was stirred up saying, “Who is this?” 21:11And the crowds answered, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee.”

21:12And Jesus entered into the temple of God, threw out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold the doves. 21:13And he said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of thieves.” 21:14And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple and he healed them.

21:15But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did and the children who were crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the son of David,” they were filled with indignation 21:16and said to him, “Don’t you hear what they are saying?” And Jesus responded to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babies and nursing infants you have perfected praise?’” (Ps 8:2). 21:17Then he left them, went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.

21:18Now in the morning as he returned to the city, he felt hungry. 21:19And seeing a fig tree beside the road, he came to it but found nothing on it except leaves. And he said to it, “May you never, ever, have any fruit.” And immediately the fig tree withered up. 21:20And when the disciples saw it, they were amazed saying, “How did the fig tree wither up so quickly?” 21:21And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have conviction of God’s leading in this and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will be done. 21:22And all things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

21:23And when he had come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching and said, “By what authority do you do these things?” And, “Who gave you this authority?” 21:24Jesus answered and said to them, “I will also ask you one question, which if you answer me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things. 21:25The baptism of John, what was its source, was it from heaven or from men?”

So they reasoned among themselves saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then didn’t you believe him?’ 21:26But if we say, ‘From men,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all believe that John was a prophet.” 21:27So they answered Jesus and said, “We don’t know.” He also said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

21:28”But what do you think? A man had two sons. And he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in the vineyard.’ 21:29And he answered and said, ‘I will not.’ But afterward he repented and went. 21:30And he came to the second and said the same thing. And he answered and said, ‘I will go, sir.’ But he didn’t go. 21:31Which of the two did the will of his father?” They answered, “The first.”

Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that the tax collectors and the prostitutes will enter into the kingdom of God before you. 21:32For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And you, when you saw it, did not even repent afterward so that you might believe him.

21:33”Hear another parable: There was a man who was a land owner, who planted a vineyard, built a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a guard tower. Then he rented it out to vineyard workers and went to another country. 21:34When the harvest season drew near, he sent his slaves to the workers to receive his share of the fruits. 21:35But the workers took his slaves, beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 21:36Again, he sent other slaves, more than at first, and they did the same things to them.

21:37“But afterward he sent his son to them saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 21:38But when the vineyard workers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ 21:39So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 21:40Therefore, when the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those workers?”

21:41They answered him, “He will harshly destroy those evil men and will rent out the vineyard to other workers, who will give him his share of the fruits in their seasons.” 21:42Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected has been made the keystone. The Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’ (Ps 118:22,23).

21:43”Therefore, I say to you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and will be given to a people producing the fruits of it. 21:44And he who falls on this stone will be broken in pieces, but on whomever it falls, he will be pulverized.”

21:45And when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he spoke about them. 21:46But although they wanted to arrest him, they feared the crowds because everyone thought of him as a prophet.

MATTHEW CHAPTER 22

22:1And Jesus answered and spoke again in parables to them saying, 22:2”The kingdom which comes from the heavens is like a certain king who made a marriage feast for his son 22:3and sent out his slaves to call those who were invited to the wedding feast. But they did not want to come. 22:4Again he sent forth other slaves saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, look, I have prepared my dinner. My oxen and my specially fed young cattle are killed. All things are ready, come to the marriage feast.’

22:5“But they were indifferent and went on their own ways, one to his farm, another to his business. 22:6The rest took his slaves, mistreated them and even killed them. 22:7So the king was furious and, sending his armies, he destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 22:8Then said he to his slaves, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.

22:9“Therefore, go to the road intersections and as many as you find, invite to the marriage feast.’ 22:10And those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all that they found, both bad and good. And the wedding feast was filled with guests.

22:11“But when the king came in to see those sitting at the feast, he saw a man who did not have on a wedding garment. 22:12And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without having a wedding garment?” And the man was speechless. 22:13Then the king said to the slaves, ‘Bind him hand and foot and throw him out into the outer darkness, where there will be wailing and the gnashing of teeth.’ 22:14For many are called but few chosen.”

22:15Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might trap him in his words. 22:16And so they sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians* saying, “Teacher, we know that you speak the truth and teach the way of God in truth without being concerned about what others think, for you are not afraid of offending them. 22:17Tell us, therefore, what do you think? Is it permitted by our law to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”

*Influential Jews aligned with Herod the king.

22:18But Jesus perceived their maliciousness and said, “Why do you test me, you hypocrites? 22:19Show me the tax money.” So they brought a denarius to him. 22:20And he said to them, “Whose image and superscription is this?” 22:21They replied to him, “Caesar’s.” Then said he to them, “Therefore, give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22:22And when they heard it they were amazed, left him, and went away.

22:23On that same day the Sadducees came to him – those who say that there is no resurrection – and they asked him 22:24saying, “Teacher, Moses said that if a man dies having no children, his brother should marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. 22:25Now there were among us seven brothers. The first married, died, and having no children left his wife to his brother. 22:26The same thing happened to the second also and then the third, all the way to the seventh. 22:27And last of all, the woman died. 22:28Therefore, in the resurrection whose wife will she be of the seven, for they all had her as a wife.”

22:29But Jesus answered and said to them, “You are in error, not understanding the scriptures, nor the power of God. 22:30For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels in heaven. 22:31But concerning the resurrection of the dead, haven’t you read what was spoken to you by God saying, 22:32‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?’ God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” 22:33And when the crowd heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.

22:34But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. 22:35And one of them, someone who studied the law, asked him a question, testing him. 22:3“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?” 22:37And he said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 22:38This is the first and greatest commandment. 22:39And a second one is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 22:40The whole law is supported by these two commandments, as are the prophets.”

22:41Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question 22:42saying, “What do you think about the Anointed One? Whose son is he?” They replied to him, “The son of David.” 22:43He said to them, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord,’ saying, 22:44‘The Lord said to my Lord, sit here in this place of honor and authority, until I put your enemies underneath your feet?’ (Ps 110:1).

22:45”If David then calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” 22:46And no one was able to answer him a word, neither did anyone dare to ask him any more questions from that day on.

MATTHEW CHAPTER 23

23:1Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples 23:2saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat, 23:3therefore, all the things that they tell you, these do and observe but don’t imitate their works, for they don’t practice what they teach. 23:4Yes, they make up heavy religious burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves won’t move them with one finger.

23:5“But they do all their works to impress others. They make their phylacteries wide [scripture texts worn on their clothing] and enlarge the decorative borders of their garments [identifying them as religious leaders]. 23:6They love the best place at feasts, the prominent seats in the synagogues [religious meeting places] 23:7and the special greetings in public places, having men call them, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’ {teacher}.

23:8“But don’t any of you be called ‘Rabbi,’ for One is your Teacher and you are all brethren. 23:9And don’t call any man on this earth ‘father,’ because your Father is heavenly. 23:10Neither should you be called ‘leaders,’ for One is your Leader, even the Anointed One. 23:11In fact, the greatest among you will be your slave. 23:12Whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

23:13“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites, because you prey on widows by taking their money, and look for any excuse to make long public prayers [to be noticed]! Therefore, you will receive a greater judgment.

23:14”But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites, because you shut men out of the kingdom which comes from the heavens! Not only do you not enter in yourselves, you hinder those who are entering.

23:15”Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you travel sea and land to make one convert. But when he becomes one, you make him twice the son of Gehenna than you are yourselves.

23:16”Woe to you, you blind guides who say, ‘When someone swears an oath by the temple, his promise is not binding, but whoever swears an oath by the gold of the temple, he must fulfill his word.’ 23:17You are fools and blind. For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has sanctified the gold? 23:18And, ‘When someone swears an oath by the altar, his promise is not binding. But whoever swears an oath by the gift that is on it, he must fulfill his word.’ 23:19You are blind. For which is greater, the gift or the altar which sanctifies the gift?

23:20“He, therefore, who swears an oath by the altar, swears by it and by everything on it. 23:21And he who swears on oath by the temple, swears by it and by him who dwells in it. 23:22And he who swears an oath by the heavens, swears by the throne of God and by him who sits on it.

23:23”Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you carefully tithe from the mint, dill, and cumin you receive, but you have ignored the more essential matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. These you should have practiced while not neglecting the others. 23:24You blind guides! You strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!

23:25”Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are full of grasping for money and self-indulgence. 23:26You blind Pharisees, clean up first the inside of the cup and the dish so that the outside may become clean also. 23:27Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men’s bones and of all kinds of uncleanness. 23:28In the same way, you also appear superficially righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and sin.

23:29”Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, 23:30and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers we would not have participated with them in killing the prophets.’ 23:31Therefore, you testify against yourselves that you are the sons of those that killed the prophets. 23:32The truth is that you are just finishing up the works of your fathers. 23:33You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna?

23:34”Therefore, look, I will send you prophets, wise men, and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify. Some of them you will beat with whips in your synagogues and persecute from city to city. 23:35Consequently, you will become responsible for all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar. 23:36Truly I say to you, this generation will be responsible for all these things.

23:37”Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I would have gathered your children together, just as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But you didn’t want it! 23:38Look, you will be left alone by yourself. 23:39For I say to you, you will not see me any more until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord’” (Ps 118:26).

MATTHEW CHAPTER 24

24:1As Jesus went out of the temple and was going on his way, his disciples came to him to point out the buildings of the temple. 24:2But he answered and said to them, “You see all these things? Truly I say to you, there will not be one stone left upon another here that will not be thrown down.” 24:3And as he sat on the mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately saying, “Tell us, when will these things be and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 24:4And Jesus answered and said to them, “Be careful that no one leads you into error. 24:5For many will come in my name saying, ‘I am the Anointed One,’ and will lead many astray.

24:6“And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Don’t be disturbed by this. It is inevitable that these things happen, but they do not signal the end. 24:7For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many places. 24:8But all these things are just the beginning of birth pangs.

24:9At that time [the time of the end] they will hand you over to persecution and will kill you. And you will be hated by all the nations because of my name.

24:10”At that time also, many will become offended [because of the persecution] and will turn each other in to the authorities and will hate each other. 24:11And many false prophets will be raised up and will lead many into error.

24:12And because sin will become rampant, the love of the great majority will grow cold. 24:13But he who perseveres to the end, that one will be rescued. 24:14And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the inhabited earth for a testimony to all the nations, and that is the time the end will come.

24:15”Therefore, when you see the false god which gives incentive to plunder, which was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let him who reads understand), 24:16then those who are in Judea should flee to the mountains. 24:17He who is on the housetop should not go down to take anything out of his house. 24:18He who is in the field should not return to get his coat. 24:19But woe to those that are pregnant and to those who are nursing in those days!

24:20“And pray that your flight does not happen in the winter, neither on a Sabbath. 24:21For at that time tremendous, widespread persecution will come, the likes of which has not happened from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever will happen again. 24:22And if those days were not shortened, no one would survive, but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.

24:23“At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Anointed One,’ or, ‘He is over there,’ don’t believe it. 24:24For false “Anointed Ones” and false prophets will be raised up and will show great signs and wonders, causing even the chosen to err, if this were possible. 24:25See, I have told you beforehand. 24:26If, therefore, they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ don’t go out there, or ‘See here, he is in a secret room’ don’t believe it. 24:27For just as the lightning comes out of the east and shines to the west, this is the way the coming of the Son of man will be. 24:28Wherever the carcass is, there the vultures will gather together.*

*Don’t be offended by Jesus’ use of vultures in this illustration. This sight – vultures circling over a dead carcass – is common in many parts of the world and is the best possible illustration of what he wanted to say.

24:29“And after the persecution of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give her light, the stars will fall from the heavens, for the powers of the heavens will be overthrown. 24:30Then the sign of the Son of man will appear in the heavens and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of the heavens with power and great glory. 24:31Then he will send out his angels with a great trumpet blast and they will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from one extremity of heaven to the other.

24:32“Now learn the parable of the fig tree. When its branch has become full of sap and puts out its leaves, you know that the summer is near. 24:33In the same way you also, when you see all these things, you will know that it is near, even at the door. 24:34Truly I say to you, the generation [which sees these things] will not pass away, until all these things take place.

24:35“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 24:36But with respect to which day and hour it will be, no one knows, not even the angels of the heavens, but only the Father.

24:37”The time of the coming of the Son of man will be just like the days of Noah. 24:38For as they behaved in those days which were before the flood – eating, drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ark 24:39and they had no idea of the coming judgment until the flood came and took them all away – it will be just like that before the coming of the Son of man.

24:40“Then two men will be in the field: one will be received and the other one left. 24:41Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be received and the other one left. 24:42Be very attentive, therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord comes.

24:43“But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have watched and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 24:44Therefore, you be ready also, for at a time that you do not expect it, the Son of man will come.

24:45”Who then is the faithful and wise slave, whom his lord has appointed to care for his household, to give them their food at the proper time? 24:46Blessed is that slave, whom his lord will find doing so when he comes. 24:47Truly I say to you, that he will appoint him to administrate all that he has.

24:48“But if, being a worthless slave, he says in his heart, ‘My lord delays,’ 24:49and begins to repeatedly abuse his fellow slaves and begins eating and drinking with the drunkards, 24:50the lord of that slave will come on a day when he doesn’t expect him and at a time when he is unaware 24:51and will beat him severely and assign his share of the inheritance with the hypocrites.* There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

*Actors in a Greek play who were pretending to be something they were not.

MATTHEW CHAPTER 25

25:1“Then the kingdom which comes from the heavens will be compared to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 25:2Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 25:3The foolish, when they took their lamps, took no extra oil with them. 25:4But the wise took extra oil in their ‘vessels’ along with their lamps.

25:5“Now while the bridegroom delayed, they all fell asleep and slept. 25:6But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Look, the bridegroom! Go out to meet him!’ 25:7Then all those virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 25:8Then the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 25:9But the wise answered saying, ‘Perhaps there will not be enough for us and you. Instead go to those who sell and buy some for yourselves.’

25:10“And while they went away to buy, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast. And the door was shut. 25:11Afterward, the other virgins also came saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open up for us.’ 25:12But he answered and said, ‘Truly I say to you, I don’t acknowledge knowing you.’* 25:13Keep watch, therefore, for you do not know the day or the hour.

*This is one of Jesus’ promises. He says, “But whoever denies me before men, I will also disown before my Father who is in the heavens” (Mt 10:33).

25:14”For it will be similar to when a man, going to another country, called some of his own slaves and delivered to them his goods to administrate. 25:15To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his own ability. And he went on his journey.

25:16“Right away the one who received the five talents went and did business and made five more talents. 25:17In a similar way, the one who received the two talents gained two more. 25:18But he who received the one talent went away and dug in the earth and hid his lord’s money.

25:19”Now after a long time the lord of those slaves returned and made an accounting with them. 25:20So he who received the five talents came and brought another five talents saying, ‘Lord, you delivered five talents to me. Look, I have made another five talents.’ 25:21His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You have been faithful with small things, I will set you over important things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

25:22“And he also who received the two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered two talents to me. Look, I have made another two talents.’ 25:23His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You have been faithful with small things, I will set you over important things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

25:24“Then he who had received the one talent also came and said, ‘Lord, I perceive you as a hard man, reaping where you didn’t sow and gathering where you didn’t scatter, 25:25and I was afraid. So I went away and hid your talent in the earth. Look here, I am giving you back what is yours.’ 25:26But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You problematic and lazy slave. You say you saw me as one who reaps where they didn’t sow and gathers where they did not scatter. 25:27Therefore, you should have at least invested my money with the bankers so that at my coming I would have received my money back with interest.’

25:28“‘Therefore, take the talent away from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 25:29For to every one who uses what he has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance. But with respect to him who does not use what he has, even that which he has will be taken away. 25:30And throw out that useless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

25:31”But when the Son of man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then will he sit on the throne of his glory. 25:32All the people groups* will be gathered before him and he will separate them one from another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 25:33He will set the sheep on his right side, but the goats on the left.

*Notice the time that this occurs: at the coming of Jesus. (Mt 19:28, Mk 10:37). Therefore, these can only be God’s people, since no unbelievers will be resurrected or judged until 1,000 years later. (Rev 20:11-15).

25:34“Then the King will say to those on his right side, ‘Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 25:35For 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 took me in, 25:36naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to see me.’

25:37“Then the righteous will answer him saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 25:38And when did we see you as a stranger and take you in, or naked and clothe you? 25:39And when did we see you sick, or in prison and come to you?’

25:40“And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, just as you did it to one of the least important of these brethren of mine here present, you did it to me.’

25:41“Then he will also say to those on the left side, ‘Depart from me, you who are now cursed, into the fire of the eternal One which is prepared for the devil and his messengers. 25:42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. 25:43I was a stranger and you didn’t take me in, naked and you didn’t clothe me, sick and in prison and you didn’t visit me.’

25:44“Then they will also answer saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison and did not minister to you?’ 25:45Then he will answer them saying, ‘Truly I say to you, just as you didn’t do it to one of these least here present, you didn’t do it to me.’ 25:46And these will go away to age-lasting corrective punishment, but the righteous into the eternal life of God.”

MATTHEW CHAPTER 26

26:1And it happened, when Jesus had finished all these words, he said to his disciples, 26:2“You know that in two days the passover is coming and the Son of man will be handed over to be crucified.”

26:3At that time the chief priests gathered together, along with the elders of the people, in the court of the high priest who was called Caiaphas. 26:4There they plotted together about how they might catch Jesus by subtlety and kill him. 26:5But they said, “Not during the feast, so that it doesn’t cause a disturbance among the people.”

26:6Now while Jesus was in Bethany, at the house of Simon the leper, 26:7a woman came to him with an alabaster flask of extremely valuable ointment which she poured on his head while he was sitting down to eat. 26:8But when the disciples saw it, they were indignant saying, “What is the purpose for this waste? 26:9For this ointment could have been sold for a lot of money and given to the poor.”

26:10But Jesus perceiving it said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? She has done something good to me. 26:11For you will always have the poor with you, but you won’t always have me with you. 26:12For in pouring this ointment on my body she did it to prepare me for burial. 26:13Truly I say to you, wherever this good news message is proclaimed in the whole world, that which this woman has done will also be told for a memorial to her.”

26:14Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 26:15and said, “How much are you willing to give me if I deliver him to you?” And they established a price of thirty pieces of silver for him. 26:16From that time he sought an opportunity to deliver him to them.

26:17Now on the first day of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus saying, “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the passover?” 26:18And he said, “Go into the city and find a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is near. I plan to keep the passover at your house with my disciples.”’“ 26:19And the disciples did as Jesus instructed them and they prepared the passover meal.

26:20Now when evening had come, he was sitting at the meal with the twelve disciples. 26:21And as they were eating he said, “Truly I say to you that one of you will betray me.” 26:22And they were exceedingly sorrowful and every one of them began to say to him, “Is it I, Lord?” 26:23And he answered and said, “He who dips his hand with me in the dish will betray me.

26:24“The Son of man goes, even as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It would be better for that man if he had never been born. 26:25And Judas, who betrayed him, answered and said, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He answered, “You have said it.”

26:26And as they were eating, Jesus, taking the bread, blessed it, broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat. This is my body.” 26:27And taking a cup he gave thanks and gave it to them saying, “Drink of it, all of you. 26:28For this is my blood, the blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many, resulting in liberation from sins. 26:29But I say to you, I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink new wine with you in my Father’s kingdom.” 26:30And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

26:31Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be offended because of me this night, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered abroad’ (Zech 13:7). 26:32But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.”

26:33But Peter answered and said to him, “If all the others are offended because of you, I will never be offended.” 26:34Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” 26:35Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, yet I will not deny you.” All the other disciples said the same thing.

26:36Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane and said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” 26:37And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to grieve and be distressed. 26:38Then he said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, even to death. Wait here and keep watch with me.” 26:39And he went forward a little, fell on his face, and prayed saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”

26:40And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping and said to Peter, “So, you couldn’t keep watch with me one hour? 26:41Be vigilant and pray, so that you don’t enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

26:42Again a second time he went away and prayed saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, your will be done.” 26:43And he came again and found them sleeping, for their eyelids were heavy. 26:44And he left them again and went away and prayed a third time, repeating the same words.

26:45Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you yet sleeping and taking your rest. Look, the time has come and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 26:46Arise, let us be going. See, he who betrays me is here.”

26:47And while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, came and with him was a large crowd with swords and clubs from the chief priest and elders of the people. 26:48Now he who betrayed him gave them a sign saying, “Whomever I kiss, that is he. Take him.” 26:49And he came directly to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi,” and kissed him.

26:50And Jesus said to him, “Friend, do that for which you have come.” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took him. 26:51And suddenly one of those who was with Jesus reached out his hand, drew his sword and struck the slave of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

26:52Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place, for all those who take up the sword will die by the sword. 26:53Or don’t you understand that I could ask my Father and he would even now send me more than twelve legions of angels? 26:54But how then would the scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be this way?”

26:55At that time Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come with swords and clubs to seize me as if I were a robber? I sat daily in the temple teaching and you didn’t take me then. 26:56But all this has happened so that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.

26:57And those who had taken Jesus led him away to the house of Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together. 26:58But Peter followed him at a distance to the court of the high priest, entered in, and sat with the servants to see the conclusion.

26:59Now the chief priests and the whole council sought false testimony against Jesus so that they could put him to death. 26:60But they couldn’t find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. Yet, later on, there came two 26:61who said, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it after three days.’”

26:62Then the high priest stood up and said to him, “Don’t you have an answer about what these two testify against you?” 26:63But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I solemnly charge you by the living God that you tell us whether you are the Anointed One, the Son of God.”

26:64Jesus said to him, “You have said it. Even so I tell you this: In the future you will see the Son of man sitting in the place of honor and authority of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

26:65Then the high priest tore his garments saying, “He has spoken blasphemy. What further need do we have for witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. 26:66What do you think?” They answered and said, “He is worthy of death!” 26:67Then they spit in his face and violently mistreated him. Some struck him with the palms of their hands 26:68saying, “Prophesy to us, you ‘Anointed One.’ Who is the one who struck you?”

26:69Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard and a maid came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” 26:70But he denied it before them all saying, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 26:71And when he had gone out to the porch, another maid saw him and said to those who were there, “This man also was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 26:72And again he denied it with an oath, “I don’t know the man.”

26:73A little while later those who stood nearby came and said to Peter, “You really must be one of them, for your accent exposes you.” 26:74Then he began to curse and to swear by an oath, “I don’t know the man!” And immediately the rooster crowed. 26:75Then Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

MATTHEW CHAPTER 27

27:1Now when morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people consulted together and decided against Jesus, to put him to death. 27:2So they bound him, led him away, and delivered him up to Pilate the governor.

27:3Then Judas who betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, regretted it and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders 27:4saying, “I have sinned because I betrayed innocent blood.” But they said, “What does that have to do with us? That’s your problem.” 27:5Then he threw the pieces of silver down in the sanctuary and left. And leaving there, he went and hanged himself.

27:6And the chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, “It is against the law to put the money into the treasury since it is the price of blood.” 27:7So they discussed it among themselves and bought the potter’s field with the coins to bury strangers in. 27:8Therefore, that field is called “The field of blood” even until today.

27:9Through these events, that which was spoken through the prophet was fulfilled when he said, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him who was valued, to whom certain of the children of Israel gave a value. 27:10And they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me” (Zech 11:12,13).

27:11Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him saying, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And Jesus said to him, “You say so.” 27:12But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. 27:13Then Pilate said to him, “Don’t you hear how many things they testify against you?” 27:14And he did not answer him, not even a word, so that the governor was extremely amazed.

27:15Now at the feast it was the governor’s custom to release one prisoner to the crowds, which the people chose themselves. 27:16At that time, there was a notorious prisoner named Bar-Abbas {son of Abbas}. 27:17Therefore, when they were gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you, Bar-Abbas or Jesus who is called the Anointed One?” 27:18For he knew that they had delivered Jesus for judgment because of envy.

27:19And while Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent a message to him saying, “Don’t have anything to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered terribly today because of a dream I had about him.”

27:20Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds that they should ask for Bar-Abbas and destroy Jesus. 27:21So the governor answered and said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” And they said, “Bar-Abbas!” 27:22Pilate replied to them, “What then should I do with Jesus who is called the Anointed One?” They all said, “Crucify him!” 27:23And he said, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they cried out loudly saying, “Crucify him!”

27:24So when Pilate saw that he wasn’t making any progress but instead a tumult was beginning, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this righteous man. Now it’s your responsibility.” 27:25And all the people answered and said, “Let his blood be on us and on our children.” 27:26Then he released Bar-Abbas to them. But he had Jesus beaten with a whip and delivered him to be crucified.

27:27Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus to the Praetorium and gathered the whole group around him. 27:28There they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. 27:29Then they braided a crown of thorns and put it on his head and a reed in his right hand. Then they knelt down before him and mocked him saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 27:30And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. 27:31And when they had mocked him, they took the robe off him and put his own garments back on him and led him away to crucify him.

27:32And as they left they came upon a man from Cyrene whose name was Simon. So they forced him to go with them so that he could carry his cross.

27:33And when they came to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, “The place of a skull,” 27:34they gave him wine to drink mingled with a bitter herb,* but when he had tasted it, he refused to drink it. 27:35When they had crucified him, they divided his garments among themselves, casting lots for them. 27:36And they sat and watched him there.

*This “bitter herb” was a kind of narcotic to ease the pain.

27:37And they hung a sign up over his head with his accusation written on it, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 27:38There were also two robbers crucified with him, one on the right side and one on the left.

27:39And some of those who passed by slandered him, shaking their heads 27:40and saying, “You who could destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself. If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!”

27:41In the same way the chief priests also mocked him, together with the scribes and elders saying, 27:42”He saved others, but he can’t save himself. If he is the King of Israel, let him come down from the cross now and we will believe on him. 27:43He trusted in God, let him save him now, if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 27:44And one of the robbers who was crucified with him also ridiculed him in the same way.

27:45Now from noon to three o’clock there was darkness over all the land. 27:46And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” This means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 27:47And some of those who were standing there, when they heard it, said, “This man is calling for Elijah.” 27:48And immediately one of them ran, took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink.

27:49But the others said, “Leave him alone. Let’s see whether Elijah comes to save him.” 27:50Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and released his spirit. 27:51And look, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom, the earth quaked, and the rocks were split open.

27:52Also some of the tombs were opened and many bodies of the saints who had died were resurrected 27:53and, coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, they entered into the holy city and appeared to many.

27:54Now the centurion and those who were with him guarding Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were done, became extremely afraid saying, “Truly this was the Son of God.” 27:55And many women were there watching from afar off who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, 27:56among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

27:57And when evening had come, a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph came, who was also Jesus’ disciple. 27:58This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded it to be given to him. 27:59So Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 27:60and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out of solid rock. And having rolled a large stone across the door of the tomb, he left. 27:61And, sitting across from the tomb, Mary Magdalene was there along with the other Mary.

27:62Now on the next day, which is the day after the Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees got together and came to Pilate 27:63saying, “Sir, we remember that that imposter said while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will arise.’ 27:64Therefore, command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, unless perhaps his disciples come and steal him away and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.”

27:65Pilate said to them, “You have a guard. Go, make it as secure as you can.” 27:66So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and placing the guard.

MATTHEW CHAPTER 28

28:1Now after the Sabbath days,* as it began to dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. 28:2And look, there was a large earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone, and sat upon it. 28:3His appearance was like lightning and his garment brilliant white like snow. 28:4The guards were so afraid of him they shook and became like dead men.

*The Greek word here is plural. The feasts of Israel, including the Passover, were also referred to as “sabbaths”. It is probable that Jesus was crucified on a Passover which fell on a Wednesday or Thursday and rose on Sunday. This then accounts for Him being three days and three nights in the grave.

28:5And the angel spoke and said to the women, “Don’t be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who has been crucified. 28:6He is not here, for he has risen, even as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 28:7And go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead. And see here, he will go before you to Galilee. You will see him there. See, I have told you.”

28:8And they quickly left the tomb with fear and great joy and ran to tell his disciples. 28:9And all of a sudden Jesus met them saying, “Greetings.” And they came, took hold of his feet and worshipped him. 28:10Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Go tell my brethren that they should leave for Galilee and they will see me there.”

28:11Now while they were going, some members of the guard came into the city and told the chief priests all the things that had happened. 28:12So when they had gotten together with the elders and had discussed the situation, they gave a certain sum of money to the soldiers 28:13saying, “Just say that his disciples came at night and stole him away while you were sleeping. 28:14And if the governor hears about this, we will persuade him so you won’t have to worry about it.”

28:15So they took the money and did as they were instructed. And this explanation was spread around among the Jews and still continues until today.

28:16But the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 28:17And when they saw him, they worshipped him. But some doubted.

28:18And Jesus came to them and spoke to them saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 28:19As you are going, therefore, make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of {immersing them into the reality of} the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 28:20teaching them to observe all the things that I commanded you. And look, I am with you always, even to the completion of the age.”

Words in this translation found in italics are words which are implied by the Greek text but do not represent actual words in the Greek text. This practice is common in almost all modern translations. Occasionally, this translator has added words to the translation which represent his own ideas and opinions which, although they are based on his own biblical understanding, are not part of the actual Greek text. Such words are enclosed in brackets, like this [ ]. The reader should understand these words as being the opinion of the translator. In contrast to this, the words in these braces { } indicate legitimate, alternative translations or explanations. Words within parentheses () are part of the original Greek text. Such parentheses are often used in other New Testament translations also.

End of The Good News According to Matthew

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