Woe to the Obstinate Nation

⁶ A prophecy^(O) concerning the animals of the Negev:^(P)

¹² Therefore this is what the Holy One^(AK) of Israel says:

¹⁵ This is what the Sovereign^(AR) Lord, the Holy One^(AS) of Israel, says:

The Cost of Following Jesus^(A)

¹⁸ When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake.^{(B) 19} Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

²⁰ Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man^(C) has no place to lay his head.”

²¹ Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

²² But Jesus told him, “Follow me,^(D) and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Jesus Calms the Storm^(E)(F)

²³ Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. ²⁴ Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. ²⁵ The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

²⁶ He replied, “You of little faith,^(G) why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.^(H)

²⁷ The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

Jesus Restores Two Demon-Possessed Men^(I)

²⁸ When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes,^[a] two demon-possessed^(J) men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. ²⁹ “What do you want with us,^(K) Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?”^(L)

³⁰ Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. ³¹ The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”

³² He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. ³³ Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. ³⁴ Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.^(M)

²⁴ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.^{(A) 25} For whoever wants to save their life^[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.^{(B) 26} What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? ²⁷ For the Son of Man^(C) is going to come^(D) in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.^(E)

²⁸ “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

The Rich and the Kingdom of God^(A)

¹⁶ Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life^(B)?”^(C)

¹⁷ “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”^(D)

¹⁸ “Which ones?” he inquired.

Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery,^(E) you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, ¹⁹ honor your father and mother,’^[a](F) and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’^[b]”^(G)

²⁰ “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”

²¹ Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect,^(H) go, sell your possessions and give to the poor,^(I) and you will have treasure in heaven.^(J) Then come, follow me.”

²² When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

²³ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich^(K) to enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴ Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

²⁵ When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

²⁶ Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”^(L)

²⁷ Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you!^(M) What then will there be for us?”

²⁸ Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne,^(N) you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.^{(O) 29} And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife^[c] or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.^{(P) 30} But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.^(Q)

Many Disciples Desert Jesus

⁶⁰ On hearing it, many of his disciples^(A) said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”^(B)

⁶¹ Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you?^{(C) 62} Then what if you see the Son of Man^(D) ascend to where he was before!^{(E) 63} The Spirit gives life;^(F) the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit^[a] and life. ⁶⁴ Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known^(G) from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.^{(H) 65} He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”^(I)

⁶⁶ From this time many of his disciples^(J) turned back and no longer followed him.

⁶⁷ “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.^(K)

⁶⁸ Simon Peter answered him,^(L) “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.^{(M) 69} We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”^(N)

⁷⁰ Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you,^(O) the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!”^{(P) 71} (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot,^(Q) who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)^(R)