Luke 1-12

New King James Version

Dedication to Theophilus

1 Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those ^(A)things which ^[a]have been fulfilled among us, ² just as those who ^(B)from the beginning were ^(C)eyewitnesses and ministers of the word ^(D)delivered them to us, ³ it seemed good to me also, having ^[b]had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, ^(E)most excellent Theophilus, ^4 (F)that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.

John’s Birth Announced to Zacharias

⁵ There was ^(G)in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, ^(H)of the division of ^(I)Abijah. His ^(J)wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. ⁶ And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. ⁷ But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.

⁸ So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, ⁹ according to the custom of the priesthood, ^[c]his lot fell ^(K)to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. ^10 (L)And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. ¹¹ Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of ^(M)the altar of incense. ¹² And when Zacharias saw him, ^(N)he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

¹³ But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and ^(O)you shall call his name John. ¹⁴ And you will have joy and gladness, and ^(P)many will rejoice at his birth. ¹⁵ For he will be ^(Q)great in the sight of the Lord, and ^(R)shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, ^(S)even from his mother’s womb. ¹⁶ And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. ^17 (T)He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

¹⁸ And Zacharias said to the angel, ^(U)“How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.”

¹⁹ And the angel answered and said to him, “I am ^(V)Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you ^[d]these glad ^(W)tidings. ²⁰ But behold, ^(X)you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.”

²¹ And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple. ²² But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.

²³ So it was, as soon as ^(Y)the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house. ²⁴ Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, ²⁵ “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to ^(Z)take away my reproach among people.”

Christ’s Birth Announced to Mary

²⁶ Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin ^(AA)betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ And having come in, the angel said to her, ^(AB)“Rejoice, highly favored one, ^(AC)the Lord is with you; ^[e]blessed are you among women!”

²⁹ But ^[f]when she saw him, ^(AD)she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. ³⁰ Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found ^(AE)favor with God. ^31 (AF)And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and ^(AG)shall call His name Jesus. ³² He will be great, ^(AH)and will be called the Son of the Highest; and ^(AI)the Lord God will give Him the ^(AJ)throne of His ^(AK)father David. ^33 (AL)And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

³⁴ Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I ^[g]do not know a man?”

³⁵ And the angel answered and said to her, ^(AM)“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called ^(AN)the Son of God. ³⁶ Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. ³⁷ For ^(AO)with God nothing will be impossible.”

³⁸ Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

³⁹ Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, ^(AP)to a city of Judah, ⁴⁰ and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was ^(AQ)filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴² Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, ^(AR)“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! ⁴³ But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴ For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. ^45 (AS)Blessed is she who ^[h]believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”

The Song of Mary

⁴⁶ And Mary said:

⁵⁶ And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.

Birth of John the Baptist

⁵⁷ Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son. ⁵⁸ When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they ^(BK)rejoiced with her.

Circumcision of John the Baptist

⁵⁹ So it was, ^(BL)on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias. ⁶⁰ His mother answered and said, ^(BM)“No; he shall be called John.”

⁶¹ But they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.” ⁶² So they made signs to his father—what he would have him called.

⁶³ And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, “His name is John.” So they all marveled. ⁶⁴ Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God. ⁶⁵ Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea. ⁶⁶ And all those who heard them ^(BN)kept them in their hearts, saying, “What kind of child will this be?” And ^(BO)the hand of the Lord was with him.

Zacharias’ Prophecy

⁶⁷ Now his father Zacharias ^(BP)was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:

⁸⁰ So ^(CE)the child grew and became strong in spirit, and ^(CF)was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.

Christ Born of Mary^(CG)

2 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. ^2 (CH)This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. ³ So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

⁴ Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to ^(CI)the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, ^(CJ)because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵ to be registered with Mary, ^(CK)his betrothed ^[l]wife, who was with child. ⁶ So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. ⁷ And ^(CL)she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a ^[m]manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Glory in the Highest

⁸ Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And ^[n]behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, ^(CM)and they were greatly afraid. ¹⁰ Then the angel said to them, ^(CN)“Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy ^(CO)which will be to all people. ^11 (CP)For there is born to you this day in the city of David ^(CQ)a Savior, ^(CR)who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a ^[o]manger.”

^13 (CS)And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

¹⁵ So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. ¹⁷ Now when they had seen Him, they made ^[q]widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. ¹⁸ And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. ^19 (CW)But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and ^(CX)praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

Circumcision of Jesus

^21 (CY)And when eight days were completed ^[r]for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called ^(CZ)Jesus, the name given by the angel ^(DA)before He was conceived in the womb.

Jesus Presented in the Temple

²² Now when ^(DB)the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord ^23 (DC)(as it is written in the law of the Lord, ^(DD)“Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”), ²⁴ and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, ^(DE)“A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

Simeon Sees God’s Salvation

²⁵ And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, ^(DF)waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. ²⁶ And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not ^(DG)see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. ²⁷ So he came ^(DH)by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, ²⁸ he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:

^33 [s]And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. ³⁴ Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the ^(DL)fall and rising of many in Israel, and for ^(DM)a sign which will be spoken against ³⁵ (yes, ^(DN)a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

Anna Bears Witness to the Redeemer

³⁶ Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of ^(DO)Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; ³⁷ and this woman was a widow ^[t]of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers ^(DP)night and day. ³⁸ And coming in that instant she gave thanks to ^[u]the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who ^(DQ)looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

The Family Returns to Nazareth

³⁹ So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. ^40 (DR)And the Child grew and became strong ^[v]in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

The Boy Jesus Amazes the Scholars

⁴¹ His parents went to ^(DS)Jerusalem ^(DT)every year at the Feast of the Passover. ⁴² And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the ^(DU)custom of the feast. ⁴³ When they had finished the ^(DV)days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And ^[w]Joseph and His mother did not know it; ⁴⁴ but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day’s journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances. ⁴⁵ So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him. ⁴⁶ Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷ And ^(DW)all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. ⁴⁸ So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.”

⁴⁹ And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be ^(DX)about ^(DY)My Father’s business?” ⁵⁰ But ^(DZ)they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.

Jesus Advances in Wisdom and Favor

⁵¹ Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was ^[x]subject to them, but His mother ^(EA)kept all these things in her heart. ⁵² And Jesus ^(EB)increased in wisdom and stature, ^(EC)and in favor with God and men.

John the Baptist Prepares the Way^(ED)

3 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, ^(EE)Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, ^2 [y]while ^(EF)Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to ^(EG)John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. ^3 (EH)And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance ^(EI)for the remission of sins, ⁴ as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying:

John Preaches to the People^(EL)

⁷ Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, ^(EM)“Brood^[z] of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Therefore bear fruits ^(EN)worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. ⁹ And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore ^(EO)every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

¹⁰ So the people asked him, saying, ^(EP)“What shall we do then?”

¹¹ He answered and said to them, ^(EQ)“He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, ^(ER)let him do likewise.”

¹² Then ^(ES)tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?”

¹³ And he said to them, ^(ET)“Collect no more than what is appointed for you.”

¹⁴ Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?”

So he said to them, “Do not ^[aa]intimidate anyone ^(EU)or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”

¹⁵ Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, ¹⁶ John answered, saying to all, ^(EV)“I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will ^(EW)baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹⁷ His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and ^(EX)gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.”

¹⁸ And with many other exhortations he preached to the people. ^19 (EY)But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his ^[ab]brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, ²⁰ also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison.

John Baptizes Jesus^(EZ)

²¹ When all the people were baptized, ^(FA)it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. ²² And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am ^(FB)well pleased.”

The Genealogy of Jesus Christ^(FC)

²³ Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at ^(FD)about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) ^(FE)the son of Joseph, the son of Heli, ²⁴ the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Janna, the son of Joseph, ²⁵ the son of Mattathiah, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, ²⁶ the son of Maath, the son of Mattathiah, the son of Semei, the son of Joseph, the son of Judah, ²⁷ the son of Joannas, the son of Rhesa, the son of ^(FF)Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, ²⁸ the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmodam, the son of Er, ²⁹ the son of Jose, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, ³⁰ the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonan, the son of Eliakim, ³¹ the son of Melea, the son of Menan, the son of Mattathah, the son of ^(FG)Nathan, ^(FH)the son of David, ^32 (FI)the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon, ³³ the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, ³⁴ the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, ^(FJ)the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, ³⁵ the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, ^36 (FK)the son of Cainan, the son of ^(FL)Arphaxad, ^(FM)the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, ³⁷ the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Cainan, ³⁸ the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, ^(FN)the son of God.

Satan Tempts Jesus^(FO)

4 Then ^(FP)Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and ^(FQ)was led by the Spirit ^[ac]into the wilderness, ² being ^[ad]tempted for forty days by the devil. And ^(FR)in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.

³ And the devil said to Him, “If You are ^(FS)the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”

⁴ But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ^(FT)‘Man shall not live by bread alone, ^[ae]but by every word of God.’ ”

^5 [af]Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. ⁶ And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for ^(FU)this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. ⁷ Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”

⁸ And Jesus answered and said to him, ^[ag]“Get behind Me, Satan! ^[ah]For it is written, ^(FV)‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”

^9 (FW)Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. ¹⁰ For it is written:

¹¹ and,

¹² And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been said, ^(FZ)‘You shall not ^[ai]tempt the Lord your God.’ ”

¹³ Now when the devil had ended every ^[aj]temptation, he departed from Him ^(GA)until an opportune time.

Jesus Begins His Galilean Ministry^(GB)

^14 (GC)Then Jesus returned ^(GD)in the power of the Spirit to ^(GE)Galilee, and ^(GF)news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. ¹⁵ And He ^(GG)taught in their synagogues, ^(GH)being glorified by all.

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth^(GI)

¹⁶ So He came to ^(GJ)Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, ^(GK)He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. ¹⁷ And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

²⁰ Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. ²¹ And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is ^(GN)fulfilled in your hearing.” ²² So all bore witness to Him, and ^(GO)marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, ^(GP)“Is this not Joseph’s son?”

²³ He said to them, “You will surely say this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in ^(GQ)Capernaum,^[am] do also here in ^(GR)Your country.’ ” ²⁴ Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no ^(GS)prophet is accepted in his own country. ²⁵ But I tell you truly, ^(GT)many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; ²⁶ but to none of them was Elijah sent except to ^[an]Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. ^27 (GU)And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”

²⁸ So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were ^(GV)filled with ^[ao]wrath, ^29 (GW)and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. ³⁰ Then ^(GX)passing through the midst of them, He went His way.

Jesus Casts Out an Unclean Spirit^(GY)

³¹ Then ^(GZ)He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths. ³² And they were ^(HA)astonished at His teaching, ^(HB)for His word was with authority. ^33 (HC)Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice, ³⁴ saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? ^(HD)I know who You are—^(HE)the Holy One of God!”

³⁵ But Jesus rebuked him, saying, ^[ap]“Be quiet, and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him. ³⁶ Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, “What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.” ³⁷ And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region.

Peter’s Mother-in-Law Healed^(HF)

^38 (HG)Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. But Simon’s wife’s mother was ^[aq]sick with a high fever, and they ^(HH)made request of Him concerning her. ³⁹ So He stood over her and ^(HI)rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them.

Many Healed After Sabbath Sunset^(HJ)

^40 (HK)When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them. ^41 (HL)And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, ^(HM)“You are ^[ar]the Christ, the Son of God!”

And He, ^(HN)rebuking them, did not allow them to ^[as]speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.

Jesus Preaches in Galilee^(HO)

^42 (HP)Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; ⁴³ but He said to them, “I must ^(HQ)preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.” ^44 (HR)And He was preaching in the synagogues of ^[at]Galilee.

Four Fishermen Called as Disciples^(HS)

5 So ^(HT)it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to ^(HU)hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, ² and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. ³ Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He ^(HV)sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.

⁴ When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, ^(HW)“Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”

⁵ But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught ^(HX)nothing; nevertheless ^(HY)at Your word I will let down the net.” ⁶ And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. ⁷ So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. ⁸ When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ^(HZ)“Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”

⁹ For he and all who were with him were ^(IA)astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; ¹⁰ and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. ^(IB)From now on you will catch men.” ¹¹ So when they had brought their boats to land, ^(IC)they ^[au]forsook all and followed Him.

Jesus Cleanses a Leper^(ID)

^12 (IE)And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of ^(IF)leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and ^[av]implored Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”

¹³ Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” ^(IG)Immediately the leprosy left him. ^14 (IH)And He charged him to tell no one, “But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to them, ^(II)just as Moses commanded.”

¹⁵ However, ^(IJ)the report went around concerning Him all the more; and ^(IK)great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. ^16 (IL)So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and ^(IM)prayed.

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralytic^(IN)

¹⁷ Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present ^[aw]to heal them. ^18 (IO)Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him. ¹⁹ And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst ^(IP)before Jesus.

²⁰ When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”

^21 (IQ)And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? ^(IR)Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

²² But when Jesus ^(IS)perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? ²³ Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’? ²⁴ But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the man who was paralyzed, ^(IT)“I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”

²⁵ Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, ^(IU)glorifying God. ²⁶ And they were all amazed, and they ^(IV)glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen strange things today!”

Matthew the Tax Collector^(IW)

^27 (IX)After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, ^(IY)“Follow Me.” ²⁸ So he left all, rose up, and ^(IZ)followed Him.

^29 (JA)Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And ^(JB)there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them. ^30 [ax]And their scribes and the Pharisees ^[ay]complained against His disciples, saying, ^(JC)“Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

³¹ Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. ^32 (JD)I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Jesus Is Questioned About Fasting^(JE)

³³ Then they said to Him, ^(JF)“Why^[az] do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink?”

³⁴ And He said to them, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the ^(JG)bridegroom is with them? ³⁵ But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days.”

^36 (JH)Then He spoke a parable to them: “No one ^[ba]puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old. ³⁷ And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. ³⁸ But new wine must be put into new wineskins, ^[bb]and both are preserved. ³⁹ And no one, having drunk old wine, ^[bc]immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The old is ^[bd]better.’ ”

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath^(JI)

6 Now ^(JJ)it happened ^[be]on the second Sabbath after the first that He went through the grainfields. And His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands. ² And some of the Pharisees said to them, “Why are you doing ^(JK)what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?”

³ But Jesus answering them said, “Have you not even read this, ^(JL)what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: ⁴ how he went into the house of God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those with him, ^(JM)which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?” ⁵ And He said to them, “The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”

Healing on the Sabbath^(JN)

^6 (JO)Now it happened on another Sabbath, also, that He entered the synagogue and taught. And a man was there whose right hand was withered. ⁷ So the scribes and Pharisees watched Him closely, whether He would ^(JP)heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an ^(JQ)accusation against Him. ⁸ But He ^(JR)knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, “Arise and stand here.” And he arose and stood. ⁹ Then Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one thing: ^(JS)Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or ^[bf]to destroy?” ¹⁰ And when He had looked around at them all, He said to ^[bg]the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored ^[bh]as whole as the other. ¹¹ But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.

The Twelve Apostles^(JT)

¹² Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in ^(JU)prayer to God. ¹³ And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; ^(JV)and from them He chose ^(JW)twelve whom He also named apostles: ¹⁴ Simon, ^(JX)whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; ¹⁵ Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; ¹⁶ Judas ^(JY)the son of James, and ^(JZ)Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor.

Jesus Heals a Great Multitude^(KA)

¹⁷ And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples ^(KB)and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, ¹⁸ as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed. ¹⁹ And the whole multitude ^(KC)sought to ^(KD)touch Him, for ^(KE)power went out from Him and healed them all.

The Beatitudes^(KF)

²⁰ Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:

Jesus Pronounces Woes

Love Your Enemies^(KW)

^27 (KX)“But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ^28 (KY)bless those who curse you, and ^(KZ)pray for those who spitefully use you. ^29 (LA)To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. ^(LB)And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. ^30 (LC)Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. ^31 (LD)And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.

^32 (LE)“But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. ³³ And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. ^34 (LF)And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. ³⁵ But ^(LG)love your enemies, ^(LH)do good, and ^(LI)lend, ^[bl]hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and ^(LJ)you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. ^36 (LK)Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

Do Not Judge^(LL)

^37 (LM)“Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. ^(LN)Forgive, and you will be forgiven. ^38 (LO)Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your ^(LP)bosom. For ^(LQ)with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

³⁹ And He spoke a parable to them: ^(LR)“Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch? ^40 (LS)A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher. ^41 (LT)And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? ⁴² Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.

A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit^(LU)

^43 (LV)“For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. ⁴⁴ For ^(LW)every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. ^45 (LX)A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil ^[bm]treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out ^(LY)of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Build on the Rock^(LZ)

^46 (MA)“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? ^47 (MB)Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: ⁴⁸ He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was ^[bn]founded on the rock. ⁴⁹ But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it ^[bo]fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”

Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant^(MC)

7 Now when He concluded all His sayings in the hearing of the people, He ^(MD)entered Capernaum. ² And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die. ³ So when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal his servant. ⁴ And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was deserving, ⁵ “for he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue.”

⁶ Then Jesus went with them. And when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof. ⁷ Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You. But ^(ME)say the word, and my servant will be healed. ⁸ For I also am a man placed under ^(MF)authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

⁹ When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” ¹⁰ And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well ^[bp]who had been sick.

Jesus Raises the Son of the Widow of Nain

¹¹ Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd. ¹² And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. ¹³ When the Lord saw her, He had ^(MG)compassion on her and said to her, ^(MH)“Do not weep.” ¹⁴ Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, ^(MI)arise.” ¹⁵ So he who was dead ^(MJ)sat up and began to speak. And He ^(MK)presented him to his mother.

^16 (ML)Then fear ^[bq]came upon all, and they ^(MM)glorified God, saying, ^(MN)“A great prophet has risen up among us”; and, ^(MO)“God has visited His people.” ¹⁷ And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region.

John the Baptist Sends Messengers to Jesus^(MP)

^18 (MQ)Then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things. ¹⁹ And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to ^[br]Jesus, saying, “Are You ^(MR)the Coming One, or ^[bs]do we look for another?”

²⁰ When the men had come to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, ‘Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?’ ” ²¹ And that very hour He cured many of ^[bt]infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight.

^22 (MS)Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: ^(MT)that the blind ^(MU)see, the lame ^(MV)walk, the lepers are ^(MW)cleansed, the deaf ^(MX)hear, the dead are raised, ^(MY)the poor have the gospel preached to them. ²³ And blessed is he who is not ^[bu]offended because of Me.”

^24 (MZ)When the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? ²⁵ But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in kings’ courts. ²⁶ But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. ²⁷ This is he of whom it is written:

²⁸ For I say to you, among those born of women there is ^[bv]not a ^(NB)greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

²⁹ And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors ^[bw]justified God, ^(NC)having been baptized with the baptism of John. ³⁰ But the Pharisees and ^[bx]lawyers rejected ^(ND)the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.

^31 [by]And the Lord said, ^(NE)“To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like? ³² They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying:

³³ For ^(NF)John the Baptist came ^(NG)neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ ³⁴ The Son of Man has come ^(NH)eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a ^[bz]winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ ^35 (NI)But wisdom is justified by all her children.”

A Sinful Woman Forgiven

^36 (NJ)Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. ³⁷ And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, ³⁸ and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. ³⁹ Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, ^(NK)“This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”

⁴⁰ And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”

So he said, “Teacher, say it.”

⁴¹ “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred ^(NL)denarii, and the other fifty. ⁴² And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”

⁴³ Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.”

And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” ⁴⁴ Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no ^(NM)water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. ⁴⁵ You gave Me no ^(NN)kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. ^46 (NO)You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. ^47 (NP)Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

⁴⁸ Then He said to her, ^(NQ)“Your sins are forgiven.”

⁴⁹ And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, ^(NR)“Who is this who even forgives sins?”

⁵⁰ Then He said to the woman, ^(NS)“Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

Many Women Minister to Jesus

8 Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and ^[ca]bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him, ² and ^(NT)certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and ^[cb]infirmities—Mary called Magdalene, ^(NU)out of whom had come seven demons, ³ and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for ^[cc]Him from their ^[cd]substance.

The Parable of the Sower^(NV)

^4 (NW)And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable: ⁵ “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. ⁶ Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. ⁷ And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. ⁸ But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded ^[ce]a crop a hundredfold.” When He had said these things He cried, ^(NX)“He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

The Purpose of Parables^(NY)

^9 (NZ)Then His disciples asked Him, saying, “What does this parable mean?”

¹⁰ And He said, “To you it has been given to know the ^[cf]mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that

The Parable of the Sower Explained^(OB)

^11 (OC)“Now the parable is this: The seed is the ^(OD)word of God. ¹² Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. ¹³ But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of ^[cg]temptation fall away. ¹⁴ Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, ^(OE)riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. ¹⁵ But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with ^(OF)patience.^[ch]

The Parable of the Revealed Light^(OG)

^16 (OH)“No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the ^(OI)light. ^17 (OJ)For nothing is secret that will not be ^(OK)revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light. ¹⁸ Therefore take heed how you hear. ^(OL)For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he ^[ci]seems to ^(OM)have will be taken from him.”

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers Come to Him^(ON)

^19 (OO)Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd. ²⁰ And it was told Him by some, who said, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You.”

²¹ But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”

Wind and Wave Obey Jesus^(OP)

^22 (OQ)Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples. And He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.” And they launched out. ²³ But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in ^[cj]jeopardy. ²⁴ And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!”

Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. ²⁵ But He said to them, ^(OR)“Where is your faith?”

And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, ^(OS)“Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!”

A Demon-Possessed Man Healed^(OT)

^26 (OU)Then they sailed to the country of the ^[ck]Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. ²⁷ And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons ^[cl]for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs. ²⁸ When he saw Jesus, he ^(OV)cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, ^(OW)“What have I to do with ^(OX)You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!” ²⁹ For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.

³⁰ Jesus asked him, saying, “What is your name?”

And he said, “Legion,” because many demons had entered him. ³¹ And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out ^(OY)into the abyss.

³² Now a herd of many ^(OZ)swine was feeding there on the mountain. So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them. And He permitted them. ³³ Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.

³⁴ When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. ³⁵ Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, ^(PA)sitting at the ^(PB)feet of Jesus, clothed and in his ^(PC)right mind. And they were afraid. ³⁶ They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was ^[cm]healed. ^37 (PD)Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the ^[cn]Gadarenes ^(PE)asked Him to ^(PF)depart from them, for they were seized with great ^(PG)fear. And He got into the boat and returned.

³⁸ Now ^(PH)the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, ³⁹ “Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.” And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed

⁴⁰ So it was, when Jesus returned, that the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him. ^41 (PI)And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down at Jesus’ feet and begged Him to come to his house, ⁴² for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she ^(PJ)was dying.

But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him. ^43 (PK)Now a woman, having a ^(PL)flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, ⁴⁴ came from behind and ^(PM)touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped.

⁴⁵ And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?”

When all denied it, Peter ^[co]and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, ^[cp]and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ”

⁴⁶ But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived ^(PN)power going out from Me.” ⁴⁷ Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.

⁴⁸ And He said to her, “Daughter, ^[cq]be of good cheer; ^(PO)your faith has made you well. ^(PP)Go in peace.”

^49 (PQ)While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, “Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the ^[cr]Teacher.”

⁵⁰ But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, “Do not be afraid; ^(PR)only believe, and she will be made well.” ⁵¹ When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go ^[cs]in except ^[ct]Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl. ⁵² Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, ^(PS)“Do not weep; she is not dead, ^(PT)but sleeping.” ⁵³ And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead.

⁵⁴ But He ^[cu]put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, “Little girl, ^(PU)arise.” ⁵⁵ Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. And He commanded that she be given something to eat. ⁵⁶ And her parents were astonished, but ^(PV)He charged them to tell no one what had happened.

Sending Out the Twelve^(PW)

9 Then ^(PX)He called His twelve disciples together and ^(PY)gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. ^2 (PZ)He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. ^3 (QA)And He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece.

^4 (QB)“Whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. ^5 (QC)And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, ^(QD)shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them.”

^6 (QE)So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

Herod Seeks to See Jesus^(QF)

^7 (QG)Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by Him; and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, ⁸ and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen again. ⁹ Herod said, “John I have beheaded, but who is this of whom I hear such things?” ^(QH)So he sought to see Him.

Feeding the Five Thousand^(QI)

^10 (QJ)And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. ^(QK)Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. ¹¹ But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing. ^12 (QL)When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted place here.”

¹³ But He said to them, “You give them something to eat.”

And they said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people.” ¹⁴ For there were about five thousand men.

Then He said to His disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of fifty.” ¹⁵ And they did so, and made them all sit down.

¹⁶ Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He ^(QM)blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude. ¹⁷ So they all ate and were ^[cv]filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them.

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ^(QN)

^18 (QO)And it happened, as He was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”

¹⁹ So they answered and said, ^(QP)“John the Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again.”

²⁰ He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

^(QQ)Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.”

Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection^(QR)

^21 (QS)And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, ²² saying, ^(QT)“The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.”

Take Up the Cross and Follow Him^(QU)

^23 (QV)Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross ^[cw]daily, and follow Me. ^24 (QW)For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. ^25 (QX)For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? ^26 (QY)For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ^(QZ)ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels. ^27 (RA)But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God.”

Jesus Transfigured on the Mount^(RB)

^28 (RC)Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray. ²⁹ As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening. ³⁰ And behold, two men talked with Him, who were ^(RD)Moses and ^(RE)Elijah, ³¹ who appeared in glory and spoke of His ^[cx]decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. ³² But Peter and those with him ^(RF)were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him. ³³ Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three ^[cy]tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said.

³⁴ While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the ^(RG)cloud. ³⁵ And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ^(RH)“This is ^[cz]My beloved Son. ^(RI)Hear Him!” ³⁶ When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone. ^(RJ)But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.

A Boy Is Healed^(RK)

^37 (RL)Now it happened on the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, that a great multitude met Him. ³⁸ Suddenly a man from the multitude cried out, saying, “Teacher, I implore You, look on my son, for he is my only child. ³⁹ And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out; it convulses him so that he foams at the mouth; and it departs from him with great difficulty, bruising him. ⁴⁰ So I implored Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.”

⁴¹ Then Jesus answered and said, “O ^[da]faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and ^[db]bear with you? Bring your son here.” ⁴² And as he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him. Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father.

Jesus Again Predicts His Death^(RM)

⁴³ And they were all amazed at the majesty of God.

But while everyone marveled at all the things which Jesus did, He said to His disciples, ^44 (RN)“Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.” ^45 (RO)But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying.

Who Is the Greatest?^(RP)

^46 (RQ)Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest. ⁴⁷ And Jesus, ^(RR)perceiving the thought of their heart, took a ^(RS)little child and set him by Him, ⁴⁸ and said to them, ^(RT)“Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and ^(RU)whoever receives Me ^(RV)receives Him who sent Me. ^(RW)For he who is least among you all will be great.”

Jesus Forbids Sectarianism^(RX)

^49 (RY)Now John answered and said, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us.”

⁵⁰ But Jesus said to him, “Do not forbid him, for ^(RZ)he who is not against ^[dc]us is on ^[dd]our side.”

A Samaritan Village Rejects the Savior

⁵¹ Now it came to pass, when the time had come for ^(SA)Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, ⁵² and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. ⁵³ But ^(SB)they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. ⁵⁴ And when His disciples ^(SC)James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, ^[de]just as ^(SD)Elijah did?”

⁵⁵ But He turned and rebuked them, ^[df]and said, “You do not know what manner of ^(SE)spirit you are of. ^56 [dg]For ^(SF)the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.

The Cost of Discipleship^(SG)

^57 (SH)Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.”

⁵⁸ And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man ^(SI)has nowhere to lay His head.”

^59 (SJ)Then He said to another, “Follow Me.”

But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”

⁶⁰ Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.”

⁶¹ And another also said, “Lord, ^(SK)I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.”

⁶² But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is ^(SL)fit for the kingdom of God.”

The Seventy Sent Out

10 After these things the Lord appointed ^[dh]seventy others also, and ^(SM)sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. ² Then He said to them, ^(SN)“The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore ^(SO)pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. ³ Go your way; ^(SP)behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. ^4 (SQ)Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and ^(SR)greet no one along the road. ^5 (SS)But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ ⁶ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you. ^7 (ST)And remain in the same house, ^(SU)eating and drinking such things as they give, for ^(SV)the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house. ⁸ Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. ^9 (SW)And heal the sick there, and say to them, ^(SX)‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ ¹⁰ But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, ^11 (SY)‘The very dust of your city which clings to ^[di]us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.’ ^12 [dj]But I say to you that ^(SZ)it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city.

Woe to the Impenitent Cities^(TA)

^13 (TB)“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! ^(TC)For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. ¹⁴ But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. ^15 (TD)And you, Capernaum, ^[dk]who are ^(TE)exalted to heaven, ^(TF)will be brought down to Hades. ^16 (TG)He who hears you hears Me, ^(TH)he who rejects you rejects Me, and ^(TI)he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.”

The Seventy Return with Joy

¹⁷ Then ^(TJ)the ^[dl]seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”

¹⁸ And He said to them, ^(TK)“I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. ¹⁹ Behold, ^(TL)I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. ²⁰ Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but ^[dm]rather rejoice because ^(TM)your names are written in heaven.”

Jesus Rejoices in the Spirit^(TN)

^21 (TO)In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. ^22 (TP)All^[dn] things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and ^(TQ)no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”

²³ Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, ^(TR)“Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; ²⁴ for I tell you ^(TS)that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it.”

The Parable of the Good Samaritan^(TT)

²⁵ And behold, a certain ^[do]lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, ^(TU)“Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

²⁶ He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?”

²⁷ So he answered and said, ^(TV)“ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ^(TW)‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

²⁸ And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and ^(TX)you will live.”

²⁹ But he, wanting to ^(TY)justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

³⁰ Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among ^[dp]thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. ³¹ Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, ^(TZ)he passed by on the other side. ³² Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. ³³ But a certain ^(UA)Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had ^(UB)compassion. ³⁴ So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. ³⁵ On the next day, ^[dq]when he departed, he took out two ^(UC)denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ ³⁶ So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?”

³⁷ And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.”

Then Jesus said to him, ^(UD)“Go and do likewise.”

Mary and Martha Worship and Serve

³⁸ Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named ^(UE)Martha welcomed Him into her house. ³⁹ And she had a sister called Mary, ^(UF)who also ^(UG)sat at ^[dr]Jesus’ feet and heard His word. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”

⁴¹ And ^[ds]Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. ⁴² But ^(UH)one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

The Model Prayer^(UI)

11 Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”

² So He said to them, “When you pray, say:

A Friend Comes at Midnight

⁵ And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; ⁶ for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; ⁷ and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’? ⁸ I say to you, ^(UL)though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.

Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking^(UM)

^9 (UN)“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; ^(UO)seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. ^11 (UP)If a son asks for ^[dx]bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? ¹² Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? ¹³ If you then, being evil, know how to give ^(UQ)good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

A House Divided Cannot Stand^(UR)

^14 (US)And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute. So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke; and the multitudes marveled. ¹⁵ But some of them said, ^(UT)“He casts out demons by ^[dy]Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”

¹⁶ Others, testing Him, ^(UU)sought from Him a sign from heaven. ^17 (UV)But ^(UW)He, knowing their thoughts, said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls. ¹⁸ If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub. ¹⁹ And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. ²⁰ But if I cast out demons ^(UX)with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. ^21 (UY)When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. ²² But ^(UZ)when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his ^[dz]spoils. ^23 (VA)He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.

An Unclean Spirit Returns^(VB)

^24 (VC)“When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ ²⁵ And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order. ²⁶ Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and ^(VD)the last state of that man is worse than the first.”

Keeping the Word

²⁷ And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, ^(VE)“Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!”

²⁸ But He said, ^(VF)“More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

Seeking a Sign^(VG)

^29 (VH)And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, “This is an evil generation. It seeks a ^(VI)sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah ^[ea]the prophet. ³⁰ For as ^(VJ)Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation. ^31 (VK)The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a ^(VL)greater than Solomon is here. ³² The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for ^(VM)they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.

The Lamp of the Body^(VN)

^33 (VO)“No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a ^(VP)basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light. ^34 (VQ)The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is ^[eb]good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is ^[ec]bad, your body also is full of darkness. ³⁵ Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. ³⁶ If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.”

Woe to the Pharisees and Lawyers

³⁷ And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him. So He went in and sat down to eat. ^38 (VR)When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner.

^39 (VS)Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but ^(VT)your inward part is full of ^[ed]greed and wickedness. ⁴⁰ Foolish ones! Did not ^(VU)He who made the outside make the inside also? ^41 (VV)But rather give alms of ^[ee]such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you.

^42 (VW)“But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and ^(VX)pass by justice and the ^(VY)love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. ^43 (VZ)Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the ^[ef]best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. ^44 (WA)Woe to you, ^[eg]scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! ^(WB)For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them.”

⁴⁵ Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, “Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also.”

⁴⁶ And He said, “Woe to you also, lawyers! ^(WC)For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. ^47 (WD)Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. ⁴⁸ In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs. ⁴⁹ Therefore the wisdom of God also said, ^(WE)‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’ ⁵⁰ that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, ^51 (WF)from the blood of Abel to ^(WG)the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.

^52 (WH)“Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.”

^53 [eh]And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, ⁵⁴ lying in wait for Him, ^[ei]and ^(WI)seeking to catch Him in something He might say, ^[ej]that they might accuse Him.

Beware of Hypocrisy^(WJ)

12 In ^(WK)the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, ^(WL)“Beware of the ^[ek]leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. ^2 (WM)For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. ³ Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

Jesus Teaches the Fear of God^(WN)

^4 (WO)“And I say to you, ^(WP)My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. ⁵ But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, ^(WQ)fear Him!

⁶ “Are not five sparrows sold for two ^[el]copper coins? And ^(WR)not one of them is forgotten before God. ⁷ But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Confess Christ Before Men^(WS)

^8 (WT)“Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me ^(WU)before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. ⁹ But he who ^(WV)denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.

¹⁰ “And ^(WW)anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.

^11 (WX)“Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. ¹² For the Holy Spirit will ^(WY)teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

The Parable of the Rich Fool

¹³ Then one from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

¹⁴ But He said to him, ^(WZ)“Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” ¹⁵ And He said to them, ^(XA)“Take heed and beware of ^[em]covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”

¹⁶ Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. ¹⁷ And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ ¹⁸ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. ¹⁹ And I will say to my soul, ^(XB)“Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; ^(XC)eat, drink, and be merry.” ’ ²⁰ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night ^(XD)your soul will be required of you; ^(XE)then whose will those things be which you have provided?’

²¹ “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, ^(XF)and is not rich toward God.”

Do Not Worry^(XG)

²² Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, ^(XH)do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. ²³ Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. ²⁴ Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and ^(XI)God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? ²⁵ And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? ²⁶ If you then are not able to do the least, why ^[en]are you anxious for the rest? ²⁷ Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even ^(XJ)Solomon in all his glory was not ^[eo]arrayed like one of these. ²⁸ If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of ^(XK)little faith?

²⁹ “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. ³⁰ For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father ^(XL)knows that you need these things. ^31 (XM)But seek ^[ep]the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.

³² “Do not fear, little flock, for ^(XN)it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. ^33 (XO)Sell what you have and give ^(XP)alms; ^(XQ)provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The Faithful Servant and the Evil Servant^(XR)

^35 (XS)“Let your waist be girded and ^(XT)your lamps burning; ³⁶ and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. ^37 (XU)Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. ³⁸ And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. ^39 (XV)But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would ^[eq]have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. ^40 (XW)Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

⁴¹ Then Peter said to Him, “Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?”

⁴² And the Lord said, ^(XX)“Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food ^[er]in due season? ⁴³ Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. ^44 (XY)Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. ^45 (XZ)But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, ⁴⁶ the master of that servant will come on a ^(YA)day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. ⁴⁷ And ^(YB)that servant who ^(YC)knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. ^48 (YD)But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.

Christ Brings Division^(YE)

^49 (YF)“I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! ⁵⁰ But ^(YG)I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is ^(YH)accomplished! ^51 (YI)Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, ^(YJ)but rather division. ^52 (YK)For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. ^53 (YL)Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

Discern the Time^(YM)

⁵⁴ Then He also said to the multitudes, ^(YN)“Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming’; and so it is. ⁵⁵ And when you see the ^(YO)south wind blow, you say, ‘There will be hot weather’; and there is. ⁵⁶ Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern ^(YP)this time?

Make Peace with Your Adversary

⁵⁷ “Yes, and why, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right? ^58 (YQ)When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort ^(YR)along the way to settle with him, lest he drag you to the judge, the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. ⁵⁹ I tell you, you shall not depart from there till you have paid the very last mite.”