Zechariah 1 - Matthew 9
New King James Version
A Call to Repentance(A)
1 In the eighth month (B)of the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came (C)to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of (D)Iddo the prophet, saying, 2 “The Lord has been very angry with your fathers. 3 Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Return (E)to Me,” says the Lord of hosts, “and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts. 4 “Do not be like your fathers, (F)to whom the former prophets preached, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: (G)“Turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds.” ’ But they did not hear nor heed Me,” says the Lord.
5 “Your fathers, where are they?
And the prophets, do they live forever?
6 Yet surely (H)My words and My statutes,
Which I commanded My servants the prophets,
Did they not overtake your fathers?
“So they returned and said:
(I)‘Just as the Lord of hosts determined to do to us,
According to our ways and according to our deeds,
So He has dealt with us.’ ” ’ ”
Vision of the Horses
7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet: 8 I saw by night, and behold, (J)a man riding on a red horse, and it stood among the myrtle trees in the hollow; and behind him were (K)horses: red, sorrel, and white. 9 Then I said, (L)“My lord, what are these?” So the angel who talked with me said to me, “I will show you what they are.”
10 And the man who stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, (M)“These are the ones whom the Lord has sent to walk to and fro throughout the earth.”
11 (N)So they answered the Angel of the Lord, who stood among the myrtle trees, and said, “We have walked to and fro throughout the earth, and behold, all the earth is [a]resting quietly.”
The Lord Will Comfort Zion
12 Then the Angel of the Lord answered and said, “O Lord of hosts, (O)how long will You not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which You were angry (P)these seventy years?”
13 And the Lord answered the angel who talked to me, with (Q)good and comforting words. 14 So the angel who spoke with me said to me, [b]“Proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts:
“I am (R)zealous[c] for Jerusalem
And for Zion with great [d]zeal.
15 I am exceedingly angry with the nations at ease;
For (S)I was a little angry,
And they helped—but with evil intent.”
16 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord:
(T)“I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy;
My (U)house (V)shall be built in it,” says the Lord of hosts,
“And (W)a surveyor’s line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.” ’
17 “Again proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts:
“My cities shall again [e]spread out through prosperity;
(X)The Lord will again comfort Zion,
And (Y)will again choose Jerusalem.” ’ ”
Vision of the Horns
18 Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there were four (Z)horns. 19 And I said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these?”
So he answered me, (AA)“These are the [f]horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”
20 Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen. 21 And I said, “What are these coming to do?”
So he said, “These are the (AB)horns that scattered Judah, so that no one could lift up his head; but [g]the craftsmen are coming to terrify them, to cast out the horns of the nations that (AC)lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.”
Vision of the Measuring Line
2 Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, (AD)a man with a measuring line in his hand. 2 So I said, “Where are you going?”
And he said to me, (AE)“To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length.”
3 And there was the angel who talked with me, going out; and another angel was coming out to meet him, 4 who said to him, “Run, speak to this young man, saying: (AF)‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls, because of the multitude of men and livestock in it. 5 For I,’ says the Lord, ‘will be (AG)a wall of fire all around her, (AH)and I will be the glory in her midst.’ ”
Future Joy of Zion and Many Nations
6 “Up, up! Flee (AI)from the land of the north,” says the Lord; “for I have (AJ)spread you abroad like the four winds of heaven,” says the Lord. 7 “Up, Zion! (AK)Escape, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon.”
8 For thus says the Lord of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who (AL)touches you touches the [h]apple of His eye. 9 For surely I will (AM)shake My hand against them, and they shall become [i]spoil for their servants. Then (AN)you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me.
10 (AO)“Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I (AP)will dwell in your midst,” says the Lord. 11 (AQ)“Many nations shall be joined to the Lord (AR)in that day, and they shall become (AS)My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then (AT)you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. 12 And the Lord will (AU)take possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land, and will again choose Jerusalem. 13 (AV)Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for He is aroused (AW)from His holy habitation!”
Vision of the High Priest
3 Then he showed me (AX)Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and (AY)Satan[j] standing at his right hand to oppose him. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, (AZ)“The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who (BA)has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! (BB)Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?”
3 Now Joshua was clothed with (BC)filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel.
4 Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, “Take away the filthy garments from him.” And to him He said, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you, (BD)and I will clothe you with rich robes.”
5 And I said, “Let them put a clean (BE)turban on his head.”
So they put a clean turban on his head, and they put the clothes on him. And the Angel of the Lord stood by.
The Coming Branch
6 Then the Angel of the Lord admonished Joshua, saying, 7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:
‘If you will walk in My ways,
And if you will (BF)keep My command,
Then you shall also (BG)judge My house,
And likewise have charge of My courts;
I will give you places to walk
Among these who (BH)stand here.
8 ‘Hear, O Joshua, the high priest,
You and your companions who sit before you,
For they are (BI)a[k] wondrous sign;
For behold, I am bringing forth (BJ)My Servant the (BK)BRANCH.
9 For behold, the stone
That I have laid before Joshua:
(BL)Upon the stone are (BM)seven eyes.
Behold, I will engrave its inscription,’
Says the Lord of hosts,
‘And (BN)I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.
10 (BO)In that day,’ says the Lord of hosts,
‘Everyone will invite his neighbor
(BP)Under his vine and under his fig tree.’ ”
Vision of the Lampstand and Olive Trees
4 Now (BQ)the angel who talked with me came back and wakened me, (BR)as a man who is wakened out of his sleep. 2 And he said to me, “What do you see?”
So I said, “I am looking, and there is (BS)a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, (BT)and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps. 3 (BU)Two olive trees are by it, one at the right of the bowl and the other at its left.” 4 So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, “What are these, my lord?”
5 Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?”
And I said, “No, my lord.”
6 So he answered and said to me:
“This is the word of the Lord to (BV)Zerubbabel:
(BW)‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’
Says the Lord of hosts.
7 ‘Who are you, (BX)O great mountain?
Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain!
And he shall bring forth (BY)the capstone
(BZ)With shouts of “Grace, grace to it!” ’ ”
8 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
9 “The hands of Zerubbabel
(CA)Have laid the foundation of this [l]temple;
His hands (CB)shall also finish it.
Then (CC)you will know
That the (CD)Lord of hosts has sent Me to you.
10 For who has despised the day of (CE)small things?
For these seven rejoice to see
The [m]plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.
(CF)They are the eyes of the Lord,
Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.”
11 Then I answered and said to him, “What are these (CG)two olive trees—at the right of the lampstand and at its left?” 12 And I further answered and said to him, “What are these two olive branches that drip [n]into the receptacles of the two gold pipes from which the golden oil drains?”
13 Then he answered me and said, “Do you not know what these are?”
And I said, “No, my lord.”
14 So he said, (CH)“These are the two [o]anointed ones, (CI)who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth.”
Vision of the Flying Scroll
5 Then I turned and raised my eyes, and saw there a flying (CJ)scroll.
2 And he said to me, “What do you see?”
So I answered, “I see a flying scroll. Its length is twenty cubits and its width ten cubits.”
3 Then he said to me, “This is the (CK)curse that goes out over the face of the whole earth: ‘Every thief shall be expelled,’ according to this side of the scroll; and, ‘Every perjurer shall be expelled,’ according to that side of it.”
4 “I will send out the curse,” says the Lord of hosts;
“It shall enter the house of the (CL)thief
And the house of (CM)the one who swears falsely by My name.
It shall remain in the midst of his house
And consume (CN)it, with its timber and stones.”
Vision of the Woman in a Basket
5 Then the angel who talked with me came out and said to me, “Lift your eyes now, and see what this is that goes forth.”
6 So I asked, “What is it?” And he said, “It is a [p]basket that is going forth.”
He also said, “This is their resemblance throughout the earth: 7 Here is a lead disc lifted up, and this is a woman sitting inside the basket”; 8 then he said, “This is Wickedness!” And he thrust her down into the basket, and threw the lead [q]cover over its mouth. 9 Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there were two women, coming with the wind in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a (CO)stork, and they lifted up the basket between earth and heaven.
10 So I said to the (CP)angel who talked with me, “Where are they carrying the basket?”
11 And he said to me, “To (CQ)build a house for it in (CR)the land of [r]Shinar; when it is ready, the basket will be set there on its base.”
Vision of the Four Chariots
6 Then I turned and raised my eyes and looked, and behold, four chariots were coming from between two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of bronze. 2 With the first chariot were (CS)red horses, with the second chariot (CT)black horses, 3 with the third chariot white horses, and with the fourth chariot dappled horses—strong steeds. 4 Then I answered (CU)and said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?”
5 And the angel answered and said to me, (CV)“These are four spirits of heaven, who go out from their (CW)station before the Lord of all the earth. 6 [s]The one with the black horses is going to (CX)the north country, the white are going after them, and the dappled are going toward the south country.” 7 Then the strong steeds went out, eager to go, that they might (CY)walk to and fro throughout the earth. And He said, “Go, walk to and fro throughout the earth.” So they walked to and fro throughout the earth. 8 And He called to me, and spoke to me, saying, “See, those who go toward the north country have given rest to My (CZ)Spirit in the north country.”
The Command to Crown Joshua
9 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 10 “Receive the gift from the captives—from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have come from Babylon—and go the same day and enter the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah. 11 Take the silver and gold, make (DA)an[t] elaborate crown, and set it on the head of (DB)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 Then speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, saying:
“Behold, (DC)the Man whose name is the (DD)BRANCH!
From His place He shall [u]branch out,
(DE)And He shall build the temple of the Lord;
13 Yes, He shall build the temple of the Lord.
He (DF)shall bear the glory,
And shall sit and rule on His throne;
So (DG)He shall be a priest on His throne,
And the counsel of peace shall be between [v]them both.” ’
14 “Now the [w]elaborate crown shall be (DH)for a memorial in the temple of the Lord [x]for Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah. 15 Even (DI)those from afar shall come and build the temple of the Lord. Then you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. And this shall come to pass if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God.”
Obedience Better than Fasting
7 Now in the fourth year of King Darius it came to pass that the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, on the fourth day of the ninth month, Chislev, 2 when [y]the people sent [z]Sherezer, with Regem-Melech and his men, to [aa]the house of God, [ab]to pray before the Lord, 3 and to (DJ)ask the priests who were in the house of the Lord of hosts, and the prophets, saying, “Should I weep in (DK)the fifth month and [ac]fast as I have done for so many years?”
4 Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, 5 “Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests: ‘When you (DL)fasted and mourned in the fifth (DM)and seventh months (DN)during those seventy years, did you really fast (DO)for Me—for Me? 6 (DP)When you eat and when you drink, do you not eat and drink for yourselves? 7 Should you not have obeyed the words which the Lord proclaimed through the (DQ)former prophets when Jerusalem and the cities around it were inhabited and prosperous, and (DR)the [ad]South and the Lowland were inhabited?’ ”
Disobedience Resulted in Captivity
8 Then the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, 9 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:
(DS)‘Execute true justice,
Show [ae]mercy and compassion
Everyone to his brother.
10 (DT)Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless,
The alien or the poor.
(DU)Let none of you plan evil in his heart
Against his brother.’
11 “But they refused to heed, (DV)shrugged[af] their shoulders, and (DW)stopped[ag] their ears so that they could not hear. 12 Yes, they made their (DX)hearts like flint, (DY)refusing to hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. (DZ)Thus great wrath came from the Lord of hosts. 13 Therefore it happened, that just as He proclaimed and they would not hear, so (EA)they called out and I would not listen,” says the Lord of hosts. 14 “But (EB)I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they had not known. Thus the land became desolate after them, so that no one passed through or returned; for they made the pleasant land desolate.”
Jerusalem, Holy City of the Future
8 Again the word of the Lord of hosts came, saying, 2 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:
3 “Thus says the Lord:
(ED)‘I will return to Zion,
And (EE)dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.
Jerusalem (EF)shall be called the City of Truth,
(EG)The Mountain of the Lord of hosts,
(EH)The Holy Mountain.’
4 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:
(EI)‘Old men and old women shall again sit
In the streets of Jerusalem,
Each one with his staff in his hand
Because of [ak]great age.
5 The streets of the city
Shall be (EJ)full of boys and girls
Playing in its streets.’
6 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:
‘If it is [al]marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days,
(EK)Will it also be marvelous in My eyes?’
Says the Lord of hosts.
7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:
‘Behold, (EL)I will save My people from the land of the [am]east
And from the land of the [an]west;
8 I will (EM)bring them back,
And they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.
(EN)They shall be My people
And I will be their God,
(EO)In truth and righteousness.’
9 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:
(EP)‘Let your hands be strong,
You who have been hearing in these days
These words by the mouth of (EQ)the prophets,
Who spoke in (ER)the day the foundation was laid
For the house of the Lord of hosts,
That the temple might be built.
10 For before these days
There were no (ES)wages for man nor any hire for beast;
There was no peace from the enemy for whoever went out or came in;
For I set all men, everyone, against his neighbor.
11 (ET)But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,’ says the Lord of hosts.
12 ‘For(EU) the [ao]seed shall be prosperous,
The vine shall give its fruit,
(EV)The ground shall give her increase,
And (EW)the heavens shall give their dew—
I will cause the remnant of this people
To possess all these.
13 And it shall come to pass
That just as you were (EX)a curse among the nations,
O house of Judah and house of Israel,
So I will save you, and (EY)you shall be a blessing.
Do not fear,
Let your hands be strong.’
14 “For thus says the Lord of hosts:
(EZ)‘Just as I determined to [ap]punish you
When your fathers provoked Me to wrath,’
Says the Lord of hosts,
(FA)‘And I would not relent,
15 So again in these days
I am determined to do good
To Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.
Do not fear.
16 These are the things you shall (FB)do:
(FC)Speak each man the truth to his neighbor;
Give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace;
17 (FD)Let none of you think evil in [aq]your heart against your neighbor;
And do not love a false oath.
For all these are things that I hate,’
Says the Lord.”
18 Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, 19 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:
(FE)‘The fast of the fourth month,
(FF)The fast of the fifth,
(FG)The fast of the seventh,
(FH)And the fast of the tenth,
Shall be (FI)joy and gladness and cheerful feasts
For the house of Judah.
(FJ)Therefore love truth and peace.’
20 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:
‘Peoples shall yet come,
Inhabitants of many cities;
21 The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying,
(FK)“Let us continue to go and pray before the Lord,
And seek the Lord of hosts.
I myself will go also.”
22 Yes, (FL)many peoples and strong nations
Shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem,
And to pray before the Lord.’
23 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘In those days ten men (FM)from every language of the nations shall (FN)grasp the [ar]sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard (FO)that God is with you.” ’ ”
Israel Defended Against Enemies
9 The [as]burden of the word of the Lord
Against the land of Hadrach,
And (FP)Damascus its resting place
(For (FQ)the eyes of men
And all the tribes of Israel
Are on the Lord);
2 Also against (FR)Hamath, which borders on it,
And against (FS)Tyre and (FT)Sidon, though they are very (FU)wise.
3 For Tyre built herself a tower,
Heaped up silver like the dust,
And gold like the mire of the streets.
4 Behold, (FV)the Lord will cast her out;
He will destroy (FW)her power in the sea,
And she will be devoured by fire.
5 Ashkelon shall see it and fear;
Gaza also shall be very sorrowful;
And (FX)Ekron, for He dried up her expectation.
The king shall perish from Gaza,
And Ashkelon shall not be inhabited.
6 “A[at] mixed race shall settle (FY)in Ashdod,
And I will cut off the pride of the (FZ)Philistines.
7 I will take away the blood from his mouth,
And the abominations from between his teeth.
But he who remains, even he shall be for our God,
And shall be like a leader in Judah,
And Ekron like a Jebusite.
8 (GA)I will camp around My house
Because of the army,
Because of him who passes by and him who returns.
No more shall an oppressor pass through them,
For now I have seen with My eyes.
The Coming King(GB)
9 “Rejoice (GC)greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, (GD)your King is coming to you;
He is just and having salvation,
Lowly and riding on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 I (GE)will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
And the horse from Jerusalem;
The (GF)battle bow shall be cut off.
He shall speak peace to the nations;
His dominion shall be (GG)‘from sea to sea,
And from the River to the ends of the earth.’
God Will Save His People
11 “As for you also,
Because of the blood of your covenant,
I will set your (GH)prisoners free from the waterless pit.
12 Return to the stronghold,
(GI)You prisoners of hope.
Even today I declare
That I will restore (GJ)double to you.
13 For I have bent Judah, My bow,
Fitted the bow with Ephraim,
And raised up your sons, O Zion,
Against your sons, O Greece,
And made you like the sword of a mighty man.”
14 Then the Lord will be seen over them,
And (GK)His arrow will go forth like lightning.
The Lord God will blow the trumpet,
And go (GL)with whirlwinds from the south.
15 The Lord of hosts will (GM)defend them;
They shall devour and subdue with slingstones.
They shall drink and roar as if with wine;
They shall be filled with blood like [au]basins,
Like the corners of the altar.
16 The Lord their God will (GN)save them in that day,
As the flock of His people.
For (GO)they shall be like the [av]jewels of a crown,
(GP)Lifted like a banner over His land—
17 For (GQ)how great is [aw]its goodness
And how great its (GR)beauty!
(GS)Grain shall make the young men thrive,
And new wine the young women.
Restoration of Judah and Israel
10 Ask (GT)the Lord for (GU)rain
In (GV)the time of the [ax]latter rain.
The Lord will make [ay]flashing clouds;
He will give them showers of rain,
Grass in the field for everyone.
2 For the (GW)idols[az] speak delusion;
The diviners envision (GX)lies,
And tell false dreams;
They (GY)comfort in vain.
Therefore the people wend their way like (GZ)sheep;
They are [ba]in trouble (HA)because there is no shepherd.
3 “My anger is kindled against the (HB)shepherds,
(HC)And I will punish the [bb]goatherds.
For the Lord of hosts (HD)will visit His flock,
The house of Judah,
And (HE)will make them as His royal horse in the battle.
4 From him comes (HF)the cornerstone,
From him (HG)the tent peg,
From him the battle bow,
From him every [bc]ruler together.
5 They shall be like mighty men,
Who (HH)tread down their enemies
In the mire of the streets in the battle.
They shall fight because the Lord is with them,
And the riders on horses shall be put to shame.
6 “I will strengthen the house of Judah,
And I will save the house of Joseph.
(HI)I will bring them back,
Because I (HJ)have mercy on them.
They shall be as though I had not cast them aside;
For I am the Lord their God,
And I (HK)will hear them.
7 Those of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man,
And their (HL)heart shall rejoice as if with wine.
Yes, their children shall see it and be glad;
Their heart shall rejoice in the Lord.
8 I will (HM)whistle for them and gather them,
For I will redeem them;
(HN)And they shall increase as they once increased.
9 “I(HO) will [bd]sow them among the peoples,
And they shall (HP)remember Me in far countries;
They shall live, together with their children,
And they shall return.
10 (HQ)I will also bring them back from the land of Egypt,
And gather them from Assyria.
I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon,
(HR)Until no more room is found for them.
11 (HS)He shall pass through the sea with affliction,
And strike the waves of the sea:
All the depths of [be]the River shall dry up.
Then (HT)the pride of Assyria shall be brought down,
And (HU)the scepter of Egypt shall depart.
12 “So I will strengthen them in the Lord,
And (HV)they shall walk up and down in His name,”
Says the Lord.
Desolation of Israel
11 Open (HW)your doors, O Lebanon,
That fire may devour your cedars.
2 Wail, O cypress, for the (HX)cedar has fallen,
Because the mighty trees are ruined.
Wail, O oaks of Bashan,
(HY)For the thick forest has come down.
3 There is the sound of wailing (HZ)shepherds!
For their glory is in ruins.
There is the sound of roaring lions!
For the [bf]pride of the Jordan is in ruins.
Prophecy of the Shepherds
4 Thus says the Lord my God, “Feed the flock for slaughter, 5 whose owners slaughter them and (IA)feel no guilt; those who sell them (IB)say, ‘Blessed be the Lord, for I am rich’; and their shepherds do (IC)not pity them. 6 For I will no longer pity the inhabitants of the land,” says the Lord. “But indeed I will give everyone into his neighbor’s hand and into the hand of his king. They shall [bg]attack the land, and I will not deliver them from their hand.”
7 So I fed the flock for slaughter, [bh]in particular (ID)the poor of the flock. I took for myself two staffs: the one I called [bi]Beauty, and the other I called [bj]Bonds; and I fed the flock. 8 I [bk]dismissed the three shepherds (IE)in one month. My soul loathed them, and their soul also abhorred me. 9 Then I said, “I will not feed you. (IF)Let what is dying die, and what is perishing perish. Let those that are left eat each other’s flesh.” 10 And I took my staff, [bl]Beauty, and cut it in two, that I might break the covenant which I had made with all the peoples. 11 So it was broken on that day. Thus (IG)the[bm] poor of the flock, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the Lord. 12 Then I said to them, “If it is [bn]agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain.” So they (IH)weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver.
13 And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the (II)potter”—that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord for the potter. 14 Then I cut in two my other staff, [bo]Bonds, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.
15 And the Lord said to me, (IJ)“Next, take for yourself the implements of a foolish shepherd. 16 For indeed I will raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for those who are cut off, nor seek the young, nor heal those that are broken, nor feed those that still stand. But he will eat the flesh of the fat and tear their hooves in (IK)pieces.
17 “Woe(IL) to the worthless shepherd,
Who leaves the flock!
A sword shall be against his arm
And against his right eye;
His arm shall completely wither,
And his right eye shall be totally blinded.”
The Coming Deliverance of Judah
12 The [bp]burden of the word of the Lord against Israel. Thus says the Lord, (IM)who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and (IN)forms the spirit of man within him: 2 “Behold, I will make Jerusalem (IO)a cup of [bq]drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. 3 (IP)And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem (IQ)a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it. 4 In that day,” says the Lord, (IR)“I will strike every horse with confusion, and its rider with madness; I will open My eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. 5 And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in the Lord of hosts, their God.’ 6 In that day I will make the governors of Judah (IS)like a firepan in the woodpile, and like a fiery torch in the sheaves; they shall devour all the surrounding peoples on the right hand and on the left, but Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place—Jerusalem.
7 “The Lord will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall not become greater than that of Judah. 8 In that day the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the Angel of the Lord before them. 9 It shall be in that day that I will seek to (IT)destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
Mourning for the Pierced One
10 (IU)“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will (IV)look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him (IW)as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. 11 In that day there shall be a great (IX)mourning in Jerusalem, (IY)like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of [br]Megiddo. 12 (IZ)And the land shall mourn, every family by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of (JA)Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves; 13 the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of Shimei by itself, and their wives by themselves; 14 all the families that remain, every family by itself, and their wives by themselves.
Idolatry Cut Off
13 “In that (JB)day (JC)a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for (JD)uncleanness.
2 “It shall be in that day,” says the Lord of hosts, “that I will (JE)cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they shall no longer be remembered. I will also cause (JF)the prophets and the unclean spirit to depart from the land. 3 It shall come to pass that if anyone still prophesies, then his father and mother who begot him will say to him, ‘You shall (JG)not live, because you have spoken lies in the name of the Lord.’ And his father and mother who begot him (JH)shall thrust him through when he prophesies.
4 “And it shall be in that day that (JI)every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies; they will not wear (JJ)a robe of coarse hair to deceive. 5 (JK)But he will say, ‘I am no prophet, I am a farmer; for a man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.’ 6 And one will say to him, ‘What are these wounds between your [bs]arms?’ Then he will answer, ‘Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.’
The Shepherd Savior
7 “Awake, O sword, against (JL)My Shepherd,
Against the Man (JM)who is My Companion,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
(JN)“Strike the Shepherd,
And the sheep will be scattered;
Then I will turn My hand against (JO)the little ones.
8 And it shall come to pass in all the land,”
Says the Lord,
“That (JP)two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die,
(JQ)But one-third shall be left in it:
9 I will bring the one-third (JR)through the fire,
Will (JS)refine them as silver is refined,
And test them as gold is tested.
(JT)They will call on My name,
And I will answer them.
(JU)I will say, ‘This is My people’;
And each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’ ”
The Day of the Lord(JV)
14 Behold, (JW)the day of the Lord is coming,
And your [bt]spoil will be divided in your midst.
2 For (JX)I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem;
The city shall be taken,
The houses [bu]rifled,
And the women ravished.
Half of the city shall go into captivity,
But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
3 Then the Lord will go forth
And fight against those nations,
As He fights in the day of battle.
4 And in that day His feet will stand (JY)on the Mount of Olives,
Which faces Jerusalem on the east.
And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two,
From east to west,
(JZ)Making a very large valley;
Half of the mountain shall move toward the north
And half of it toward the south.
5 Then you shall flee through My mountain valley,
For the mountain valley shall reach to Azal.
Yes, you shall flee
As you fled from the (KA)earthquake
In the days of Uzziah king of Judah.
6 It shall come to pass in that day
That there will be no light;
The [bw]lights will diminish.
7 It shall be one day
(KD)Which is known to the Lord—
Neither day nor night.
But at (KE)evening time it shall happen
That it will be light.
8 And in that day it shall be
That living (KF)waters shall flow from Jerusalem,
Half of them toward [bx]the eastern sea
And half of them toward [by]the western sea;
In both summer and winter it shall occur.
9 And the Lord shall be (KG)King over all the earth.
In that day it shall be—
(KH)“The Lord is one,”
And His name one.
10 All the land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. [bz]Jerusalem shall be raised up and (KI)inhabited in her place from Benjamin’s Gate to the place of the First Gate and the Corner Gate, (KJ)and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s winepresses.
11 The people shall dwell in it;
And (KK)no longer shall there be utter destruction,
(KL)But Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.
12 And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem:
Their flesh shall [ca]dissolve while they stand on their feet,
Their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets,
And their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths.
13 It shall come to pass in that day
That (KM)a great panic from the Lord will be among them.
Everyone will seize the hand of his neighbor,
And raise (KN)his hand against his neighbor’s hand;
14 Judah also will fight at Jerusalem.
(KO)And the wealth of all the surrounding nations
Shall be gathered together:
Gold, silver, and apparel in great abundance.
15 (KP)Such also shall be the plague
On the horse and the mule,
On the camel and the donkey,
And on all the cattle that will be in those camps.
So shall this plague be.
The Nations Worship the King
16 And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall (KQ)go up from year to year to (KR)worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep (KS)the Feast of Tabernacles. 17 (KT)And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain. 18 If the family of (KU)Egypt will not come up and enter in, (KV)they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. 19 This shall be the [cb]punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.
20 In that day (KW)“HOLINESS TO THE LORD” shall be engraved on the bells of the horses. The (KX)pots in the Lord’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar. 21 Yes, [cc]every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the Lord of hosts. Everyone who sacrifices shall come and take them and cook in them. In that day there shall no longer be a (KY)Canaanite (KZ)in the house of the Lord of hosts.
Polluted Offerings to God
1 The [cd]burden of the word of the Lord to Israel [ce]by Malachi.
Israel Beloved of God
2 “I(LA) have loved you,” says the Lord.
“Yet you say, ‘In what way have You loved us?’
Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?”
Says the Lord.
“Yet (LB)Jacob I have loved;
3 But Esau I have hated,
And (LC)laid waste his mountains and his heritage
For the jackals of the wilderness.”
4 Even though Edom has said,
“We have been impoverished,
But we will return and build the desolate places,”
Thus says the Lord of hosts:
“They may build, but I will (LD)throw down;
They shall be called the Territory of Wickedness,
And the people against whom the Lord will have indignation forever.
5 Your eyes shall see,
And you shall say,
(LE)‘The Lord is magnified beyond the border of Israel.’
Polluted Offerings
6 “A son (LF)honors his father,
And a servant his master.
(LG)If then I am the Father,
Where is My honor?
And if I am a Master,
Where is My reverence?
Says the Lord of hosts
To you priests who despise My name.
(LH)Yet you say, ‘In what way have we despised Your name?’
7 “You offer (LI)defiled food on My altar,
But say,
‘In what way have we defiled You?’
By saying,
(LJ)‘The table of the Lord is [cf]contemptible.’
8 And (LK)when you offer the blind as a sacrifice,
Is it not evil?
And when you offer the lame and sick,
Is it not evil?
Offer it then to your governor!
Would he be pleased with you?
Would he (LL)accept[cg] you favorably?”
Says the Lord of hosts.
9 “But now entreat God’s favor,
That He may be gracious to us.
(LM)While this is being done by your hands,
Will He accept you favorably?”
Says the Lord of hosts.
10 “Who is there even among you who would shut the doors,
(LN)So that you would not kindle fire on My altar in vain?
I have no pleasure in you,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
(LO)“Nor will I accept an offering from your hands.
11 For (LP)from the rising of the sun, even to its going down,
My name shall be great (LQ)among the Gentiles;
(LR)In every place (LS)incense shall be offered to My name,
And a pure offering;
(LT)For My name shall be great among the nations,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
12 “But you profane it,
In that you say,
(LU)‘The table of the [ch]Lord is defiled;
And its fruit, its food, is contemptible.’
13 You also say,
‘Oh, what a (LV)weariness!’
And you sneer at it,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
“And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick;
Thus you bring an offering!
(LW)Should I accept this from your hand?”
Says the Lord.
14 “But cursed be (LX)the deceiver
Who has in his flock a male,
And takes a vow,
But sacrifices to the Lord (LY)what is blemished—
For (LZ)I am a great King,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“And My name is to be feared among the nations.
Corrupt Priests
2 “And now, O (MA)priests, this commandment is for you.
2 (MB)If you will not hear,
And if you will not take it to heart,
To give glory to My name,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“I will send a curse upon you,
And I will curse your blessings.
Yes, I have cursed them (MC)already,
Because you do not take it to heart.
3 “Behold, I will rebuke your descendants
And spread (MD)refuse on your faces,
The refuse of your solemn feasts;
And one will (ME)take you away [ci]with it.
4 Then you shall know that I have sent this commandment to you,
That My covenant with Levi may continue,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
5 “My(MF) covenant was with him, one of life and peace,
And I gave them to him (MG)that he might fear Me;
So he feared Me
And was reverent before My name.
6 (MH)The[cj] law of truth was in his mouth,
And [ck]injustice was not found on his lips.
He walked with Me in peace and equity,
And (MI)turned many away from iniquity.
7 “For(MJ) the lips of a priest should keep knowledge,
And people should seek the law from his mouth;
(MK)For he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.
8 But you have departed from the way;
You (ML)have caused many to stumble at the law.
(MM)You have corrupted the covenant of Levi,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
9 “Therefore (MN)I also have made you contemptible and base
Before all the people,
Because you have not kept My ways
But have shown (MO)partiality in the law.”
Treachery of Infidelity
10 (MP)Have we not all one Father?
(MQ)Has not one God created us?
Why do we deal treacherously with one another
By profaning the covenant of the fathers?
11 Judah has dealt treacherously,
And an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem,
For Judah has (MR)profaned
The Lord’s holy institution which He loves:
He has married the daughter of a foreign god.
12 May the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob
The man who does this, being [cl]awake and aware,
Yet (MS)who brings an offering to the Lord of hosts!
13 And this is the second thing you do:
You cover the altar of the Lord with tears,
With weeping and crying;
So He does not regard the offering anymore,
Nor receive it with goodwill from your hands.
14 Yet you say, “For what reason?”
Because the Lord has been witness
Between you and (MT)the wife of your youth,
With whom you have dealt treacherously;
(MU)Yet she is your companion
And your wife by covenant.
15 But (MV)did He not make them one,
Having a remnant of the Spirit?
And why one?
He seeks (MW)godly offspring.
Therefore take heed to your spirit,
And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.
16 “For (MX)the Lord God of Israel says
That He hates divorce,
For it covers one’s garment with violence,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
“Therefore take heed to your spirit,
That you do not deal treacherously.”
17 (MY)You have wearied the Lord with your words;
Yet you say,
“In what way have we wearied Him?”
In that you say,
(MZ)“Everyone who does evil
Is good in the sight of the Lord,
And He delights in them,”
Or, “Where is the God of justice?”
The Coming Messenger
3 “Behold, (NA)I send My messenger,
And he will (NB)prepare the way before Me.
And the Lord, whom you seek,
Will suddenly come to His temple,
(NC)Even the Messenger of the covenant,
In whom you delight.
Behold, (ND)He is coming,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
2 “But who can endure (NE)the day of His coming?
And (NF)who can stand when He appears?
For (NG)He is like a refiner’s fire
And like launderers’ soap.
3 (NH)He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver;
He will purify the sons of Levi,
And [cm]purge them as gold and silver,
That they may (NI)offer to the Lord
An offering in righteousness.
4 “Then (NJ)the offering of Judah and Jerusalem
Will be [cn]pleasant to the Lord,
As in the days of old,
As in former years.
5 And I will come near you for judgment;
I will be a swift witness
Against sorcerers,
Against adulterers,
(NK)Against perjurers,
Against those who (NL)exploit wage earners and (NM)widows and orphans,
And against those who turn away an alien—
Because they do not fear Me,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
6 “For I am the Lord, (NN)I do not change;
(NO)Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.
7 Yet from the days of (NP)your fathers
You have gone away from My ordinances
And have not kept them.
(NQ)Return to Me, and I will return to you,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
(NR)“But you said,
‘In what way shall we return?’
Do Not Rob God
8 “Will a man rob God?
Yet you have robbed Me!
But you say,
‘In what way have we robbed You?’
(NS)In tithes and offerings.
9 You are cursed with a curse,
For you have robbed Me,
Even this whole nation.
10 (NT)Bring all the tithes into the (NU)storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now in this,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“If I will not open for you the (NV)windows of heaven
And (NW)pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it.
11 “And I will rebuke (NX)the devourer for your sakes,
So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground,
Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,”
Says the Lord of hosts;
12 “And all nations will call you blessed,
For you will be (NY)a delightful land,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
The People Complain Harshly
13 “Your(NZ) words have been [co]harsh against Me,”
Says the Lord,
“Yet you say,
‘What have we spoken against You?’
14 (OA)You have said,
‘It is useless to serve God;
What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance,
And that we have walked as mourners
Before the Lord of hosts?
15 So now (OB)we call the proud blessed,
For those who do wickedness are [cp]raised up;
They even (OC)tempt God and go free.’ ”
A Book of Remembrance
16 Then those (OD)who feared the Lord (OE)spoke to one another,
And the Lord listened and heard them;
So (OF)a book of remembrance was written before Him
For those who fear the Lord
And who [cq]meditate on His name.
17 “They(OG) shall be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts,
“On the day that I make them My (OH)jewels.[cr]
And (OI)I will spare them
As a man spares his own son who serves him.”
18 (OJ)Then you shall again discern
Between the righteous and the wicked,
Between one who serves God
And one who does not serve Him.
The Great Day of God
4 “For behold, (OK)the day is coming,
Burning like an oven,
And all (OL)the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be (OM)stubble.
And the day which is coming shall burn them up,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“That will (ON)leave them neither root nor branch.
2 But to you who (OO)fear My name
The (OP)Sun of Righteousness shall arise
With healing in His wings;
And you shall go out
And grow fat like stall-fed calves.
3 (OQ)You shall trample the wicked,
For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet
On the day that I do this,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
4 “Remember the (OR)Law of Moses, My servant,
Which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel,
With (OS)the statutes and judgments.
5 Behold, I will send you (OT)Elijah the prophet
(OU)Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
6 And (OV)he will turn
The hearts of the fathers to the children,
And the hearts of the children to their fathers,
Lest I come and (OW)strike the earth with (OX)a curse.”
The Genealogy of Jesus Christ(OY)
1 The book of the (OZ)genealogy[cs] of Jesus Christ, (PA)the Son of David, (PB)the Son of Abraham:
2 (PC)Abraham begot Isaac, (PD)Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot (PE)Judah and his brothers. 3 (PF)Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, (PG)Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram. 4 Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon. 5 Salmon begot (PH)Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, 6 and (PI)Jesse begot David the king.
(PJ)David the king begot Solomon by her [ct]who had been the wife of Uriah. 7 (PK)Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot (PL)Abijah, and Abijah begot [cu]Asa. 8 Asa begot (PM)Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot (PN)Uzziah. 9 Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begot (PO)Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah. 10 (PP)Hezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot [cv]Amon, and Amon begot (PQ)Josiah. 11 (PR)Josiah begot [cw]Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were (PS)carried away to Babylon.
12 And after they were brought to Babylon, (PT)Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot (PU)Zerubbabel. 13 Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor. 14 Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud. 15 Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob. 16 And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of (PV)Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.
Christ Born of Mary(PW)
18 Now the (PX)birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child (PY)of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being [cx]a just man, and not wanting (PZ)to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, (QA)for that which is [cy]conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 (QB)And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name [cz]Jesus, (QC)for He will save His people from their sins.”
22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 (QD)“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 25 and [da]did not know her till she had brought forth (QE)her[db] firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.
Wise Men from the East
2 Now after (QF)Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, [dc]wise men (QG)from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, (QH)“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen (QI)His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”
3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all (QJ)the chief priests and (QK)scribes of the people together, (QL)he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:
6 ‘But(QM) you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler
(QN)Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”
7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the [dd]wise men, determined from them what time the (QO)star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”
9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, (QP)they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12 Then, being divinely warned (QQ)in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.
The Flight into Egypt
13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”
14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, (QR)“Out of Egypt I called My Son.”
Massacre of the Innocents
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:
18 “A (QS)voice was heard in Ramah,
Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children,
Refusing to be comforted,
Because they are no more.”
The Home in Nazareth(QT)
19 Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 (QU)saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who (QV)sought the young Child’s life are dead.” 21 Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.
22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a (QW)dream, he turned aside (QX)into the region of Galilee. 23 And he came and dwelt in a city called (QY)Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled (QZ)which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”
John the Baptist Prepares the Way(RA)
3 In those days (RB)John the Baptist came preaching (RC)in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, “Repent, for (RD)the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:
(RE)“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
(RF)‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.’ ”
4 Now (RG)John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was (RH)locusts and (RI)wild honey. 5 (RJ)Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him 6 (RK)and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, (RL)“Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from (RM)the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, 9 and do not think to say to yourselves, (RN)‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 10 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. (RO)Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 (RP)I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. (RQ)He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit [de]and fire. 12 (RR)His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will (RS)burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
John Baptizes Jesus(RT)
13 (RU)Then Jesus came (RV)from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”
15 But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.
16 (RW)When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and [df]He saw (RX)the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 (RY)And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, (RZ)“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Satan Tempts Jesus(SA)
4 Then (SB)Jesus was led up by (SC)the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
4 But He answered and said, “It is written, (SD)‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”
5 Then the devil took Him up (SE)into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:
(SF)‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’
and,
(SG)‘In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”
7 Jesus said to him, “It is written again, (SH)‘You shall not [dg]tempt the Lord your God.’ ”
8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and (SI)showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”
10 Then Jesus said to him, [dh]“Away with you, Satan! For it is written, (SJ)‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”
11 Then the devil (SK)left Him, and behold, (SL)angels came and ministered to Him.
Jesus Begins His Galilean Ministry(SM)
12 (SN)Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. 13 And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
15 “The(SO) land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles:
16 (SP)The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,
And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death
Light has dawned.”
17 (SQ)From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, (SR)“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven [di]is at hand.”
Four Fishermen Called as Disciples(SS)
18 (ST)And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon (SU)called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and (SV)I will make you fishers of men.” 20 (SW)They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
21 (SX)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. He called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.
Jesus Heals a Great Multitude(SY)
23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, (SZ)teaching in their synagogues, preaching (TA)the gospel of the kingdom, (TB)and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. 24 Then [dj]His fame went throughout all Syria; and they (TC)brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. 25 (TD)Great multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, and from [dk]Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.
The Beatitudes(TE)
5 And seeing the multitudes, (TF)He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and (TG)taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed(TH) are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 (TI)Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
5 (TJ)Blessed are the meek,
For (TK)they shall inherit the [dl]earth.
6 Blessed are those who (TL)hunger and thirst for righteousness,
(TM)For they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
(TN)For they shall obtain mercy.
8 (TO)Blessed are the pure in heart,
For (TP)they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
10 (TQ)Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 (TR)Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of (TS)evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 (TT)Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for (TU)so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Believers Are Salt and Light(TV)
13 “You are the salt of the earth; (TW)but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
14 (TX)“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they (TY)light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, (TZ)that they may see your good works and (UA)glorify your Father in heaven.
Christ Fulfills the Law
17 (UB)“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, (UC)till heaven and earth pass away, one [dm]jot or one [dn]tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. 19 (UD)Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds (UE)the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
Murder Begins in the Heart(UF)
21 “You have heard that it was said to those [do]of old, (UG)‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that (UH)whoever is angry with his brother [dp]without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, (UI)‘Raca!’[dq] shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, [dr]‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of [ds]hell fire. 23 Therefore (UJ)if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 (UK)leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 (UL)Agree with your adversary quickly, (UM)while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26 Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.
Adultery in the Heart
27 “You have heard that it was said [dt]to those of old, (UN)‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that whoever (UO)looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 (UP)If your right eye causes you to [du]sin, (UQ)pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to [dv]sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
Marriage Is Sacred and Binding(UR)
31 “Furthermore it has been said, (US)‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I say to you that (UT)whoever divorces his wife for any reason except [dw]sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.
Jesus Forbids Oaths
33 “Again you have heard that (UU)it was said to those of [dx]old, (UV)‘You shall not swear falsely, but (UW)shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ 34 But I say to you, (UX)do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is (UY)God’s throne; 35 nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of (UZ)the great King. 36 Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 (VA)But let [dy]your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.
Go the Second Mile(VB)
38 “You have heard that it was said, (VC)‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 (VD)But I tell you not to resist an evil person. (VE)But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41 And whoever (VF)compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks you, and (VG)from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
Love Your Enemies(VH)
43 “You have heard that it was said, (VI)‘You shall love your neighbor (VJ)and hate your enemy.’ 44 [dz]But I say to you, (VK)love your enemies, bless those who curse you, (VL)do good to those who hate you, and pray (VM)for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for (VN)He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 (VO)For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your [ea]brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the [eb]tax collectors do so? 48 (VP)Therefore you shall be perfect, just (VQ)as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Do Good to Please God
6 “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 Therefore, (VR)when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 3 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret (VS)will Himself reward you [ec]openly.
The Model Prayer(VT)
5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the [ed]hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, (VU)go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you [ee]openly. 7 And when you pray, (VV)do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. (VW)For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father (VX)knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this (VY)manner, therefore, pray:
(VZ)Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your (WA)name.
10 Your kingdom come.
(WB)Your will be done
On earth (WC)as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our (WD)daily bread.
12 And (WE)forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
13 (WF)And do not lead us into temptation,
But (WG)deliver us from the evil one.
[ef]For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
14 (WH)“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But (WI)if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Fasting to Be Seen Only by God
16 “Moreover, (WJ)when you fast, do not be like the [eg]hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 17 But you, when you fast, (WK)anoint your head and wash your face, 18 so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you [eh]openly.
Lay Up Treasures in Heaven(WL)
19 (WM)“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 (WN)but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The Lamp of the Body(WO)
22 (WP)“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is [ei]good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is [ej]bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
You Cannot Serve God and Riches
24 (WQ)“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. (WR)You cannot serve God and [ek]mammon.
Do Not Worry(WS)
25 “Therefore I say to you, (WT)do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 (WU)Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one [el]cubit to his [em]stature?
28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not [en]arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But (WV)seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Do Not Judge(WW)
7 “Judge[eo] (WX)not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what [ep]judgment you judge, you will be judged; (WY)and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 (WZ)And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
6 (XA)“Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.
Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking(XB)
7 (XC)“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For (XD)everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 (XE)Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, (XF)being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! 12 Therefore, (XG)whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for (XH)this is the Law and the Prophets.
The Narrow Way(XI)
13 (XJ)“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 [eq]Because narrow is the gate and [er]difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
You Will Know Them by Their Fruits(XK)
15 (XL)“Beware of false prophets, (XM)who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 (XN)You will know them by their fruits. (XO)Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, (XP)every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 (XQ)Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
I Never Knew You(XR)
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, (XS)‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who (XT)does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we (XU)not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And (XV)then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; (XW)depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Build on the Rock(XX)
24 “Therefore (XY)whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that (XZ)the people were astonished at His teaching, 29 (YA)for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
Jesus Cleanses a Leper(YB)
8 When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. 2 (YC)And behold, a leper came and (YD)worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”
3 Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy (YE)was cleansed.
4 And Jesus said to him, (YF)“See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that (YG)Moses (YH)commanded, as a testimony to them.”
Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant(YI)
5 (YJ)Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a (YK)centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, 6 saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.”
7 And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”
8 The centurion answered and said, “Lord, (YL)I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only (YM)speak a word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! 11 And I say to you that (YN)many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But (YO)the sons of the kingdom (YP)will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.
Peter’s Mother-in-Law Healed(YQ)
14 (YR)Now when Jesus had come into Peter’s house, He saw (YS)his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever. 15 So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served [es]them.
Many Healed in the Evening(YT)
16 (YU)When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
(YV)“He Himself took our infirmities
And bore our sicknesses.”
The Cost of Discipleship(YW)
18 And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side. 19 (YX)Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.”
20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”
21 (YY)Then another of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, (YZ)let me first go and bury my father.”
22 But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
Wind and Wave Obey Jesus(ZA)
23 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 (ZB)And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. 25 Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”
26 But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then (ZC)He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 So the men marveled, saying, [et]“Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
Two Demon-Possessed Men Healed(ZD)
28 (ZE)When He had come to the other side, to the country of the [eu]Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way. 29 And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”
30 Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding. 31 So the demons begged Him, saying, “If You cast us out, [ev]permit us to go away into the herd of swine.”
32 And He said to them, “Go.” So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine. And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.
33 Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, (ZF)they begged Him to depart from their region.
Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralytic(ZG)
9 So He got into a boat, crossed over, (ZH)and came to His own city. 2 (ZI)Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. (ZJ)When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.”
3 And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, “This Man blasphemes!”
4 But Jesus, (ZK)knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’? 6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” 7 And he arose and departed to his house.
8 Now when the multitudes saw it, they (ZL)marveled[ew] and glorified God, who had given such power to men.
Matthew the Tax Collector(ZM)
9 (ZN)As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.
10 (ZO)Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with (ZP)tax collectors and (ZQ)sinners?”
12 When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: (ZR)‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, (ZS)but sinners, [ex]to repentance.”
Jesus Is Questioned About Fasting(ZT)
14 Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, (ZU)“Why do we and the Pharisees fast [ey]often, but Your disciples do not fast?”
15 And Jesus said to them, “Can (ZV)the [ez]friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and (ZW)then they will fast. 16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for [fa]the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. 17 Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins [fb]break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed(ZX)
18 (ZY)While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.” 19 So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His (ZZ)disciples.
20 (AAA)And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and (AAB)touched the hem of His garment. 21 For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” 22 But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; (AAC)your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.
23 (AAD)When Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw (AAE)the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, 24 He said to them, (AAF)“Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping.” And they ridiculed Him. 25 But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and (AAG)took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26 And the (AAH)report of this went out into all that land.
Two Blind Men Healed
27 When Jesus departed from there, (AAI)two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, (AAJ)“Son of David, have mercy on us!”
28 And 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 said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”
29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.” 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, (AAK)“See that no one knows it.” 31 (AAL)But when they had departed, they [fc]spread the news about Him in all that [fd]country.
A Mute Man Speaks
32 (AAM)As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed. 33 And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying, “It was never seen like this in Israel!”
34 But the Pharisees said, (AAN)“He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons.”
The Compassion of Jesus(AAO)
35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, (AAP)teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease [fe]among the people. 36 (AAQ)But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were [ff]weary and scattered, (AAR)like sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, (AAS)“The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 (AAT)Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
Footnotes
- Zechariah 1:11 Lit. sitting and quiet
- Zechariah 1:14 Lit. Cry out
- Zechariah 1:14 Or jealous
- Zechariah 1:14 Or jealousy
- Zechariah 1:17 Or overflow with good
- Zechariah 1:19 Kingdoms or powers
- Zechariah 1:21 Lit. these
- Zechariah 2:8 Lit. pupil
- Zechariah 2:9 booty or plunder
- Zechariah 3:1 Lit. the Adversary
- Zechariah 3:8 Lit. men of a sign or wonder
- Zechariah 4:9 Lit. house
- Zechariah 4:10 Lit. plummet stone
- Zechariah 4:12 Lit. into the hands of
- Zechariah 4:14 Lit. sons of fresh oil
- Zechariah 5:6 Heb. ephah, a measuring container, and so elsewhere
- Zechariah 5:8 Lit. stone
- Zechariah 5:11 Babylon
- Zechariah 6:6 The chariot
- Zechariah 6:11 Lit. crowns
- Zechariah 6:12 Lit. sprout up
- Zechariah 6:13 Both offices
- Zechariah 6:14 Lit. crowns
- Zechariah 6:14 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; Syr. for Heldai (cf. v. 10); LXX for the patient ones
- Zechariah 7:2 Lit. they, cf. v. 5
- Zechariah 7:2 Or Sar-Ezer
- Zechariah 7:2 Heb. Bethel
- Zechariah 7:2 Or to entreat the favor of
- Zechariah 7:3 Lit. consecrate myself
- Zechariah 7:7 Heb. Negev
- Zechariah 7:9 Or lovingkindness
- Zechariah 7:11 Lit. gave a stubborn or rebellious shoulder
- Zechariah 7:11 Lit. made their ears heavy
- Zechariah 8:2 Or jealous
- Zechariah 8:2 Or jealousy
- Zechariah 8:2 Lit. heat or rage
- Zechariah 8:4 Lit. many days
- Zechariah 8:6 Or wonderful
- Zechariah 8:7 Lit. rising sun
- Zechariah 8:7 Lit. setting sun
- Zechariah 8:12 Lit. seed of peace
- Zechariah 8:14 Lit. bring calamity to you
- Zechariah 8:17 Lit. his
- Zechariah 8:23 Lit. wing, corner of a garment
- Zechariah 9:1 oracle, prophecy
- Zechariah 9:6 Lit. An illegitimate one
- Zechariah 9:15 Sacrificial basins
- Zechariah 9:16 Lit. stones
- Zechariah 9:17 Lit. His
- Zechariah 10:1 Spring rain
- Zechariah 10:1 Or lightning flashes
- Zechariah 10:2 Heb. teraphim
- Zechariah 10:2 afflicted
- Zechariah 10:3 Leaders
- Zechariah 10:4 Or despot
- Zechariah 10:9 Or scatter
- Zechariah 10:11 The Nile
- Zechariah 11:3 Or floodplain, thicket
- Zechariah 11:6 Lit. strike
- Zechariah 11:7 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX for the Canaanites
- Zechariah 11:7 Or Grace
- Zechariah 11:7 Or Unity
- Zechariah 11:8 Or destroyed, lit. cut off
- Zechariah 11:10 Or Grace
- Zechariah 11:11 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX the Canaanites
- Zechariah 11:12 good in your sight
- Zechariah 11:14 Or Unity
- Zechariah 12:1 oracle, prophecy
- Zechariah 12:2 Lit. reeling
- Zechariah 12:11 Heb. Megiddon
- Zechariah 13:6 Or hands
- Zechariah 14:1 plunder or booty
- Zechariah 14:2 Or plundered
- Zechariah 14:5 Or you; LXX, Tg., Vg. Him
- Zechariah 14:6 Lit. glorious ones
- Zechariah 14:8 The Dead Sea
- Zechariah 14:8 The Mediterranean Sea
- Zechariah 14:10 Lit. She
- Zechariah 14:12 Lit. decay
- Zechariah 14:19 Lit. sin
- Zechariah 14:21 Or on every pot . . . shall be engraved “HOLINESS TO THE LORD OF HOSTS”
- Malachi 1:1 oracle, prophecy
- Malachi 1:1 Lit. by the hand of
- Malachi 1:7 Or to be despised
- Malachi 1:8 Lit. lift up your face
- Malachi 1:12 So with Bg.; MT Lord
- Malachi 2:3 Lit. to it
- Malachi 2:6 Or True instruction
- Malachi 2:6 Or unrighteousness
- Malachi 2:12 Talmud, Vg. teacher and student
- Malachi 3:3 Or refine
- Malachi 3:4 pleasing
- Malachi 3:13 Lit. strong
- Malachi 3:15 Lit. built
- Malachi 3:16 Or esteem
- Malachi 3:17 Lit. special treasure
- Matthew 1:1 Lit. generation
- Matthew 1:6 Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Greek.
- Matthew 1:7 NU Asaph
- Matthew 1:10 NU Amos
- Matthew 1:11 Or Coniah or Jehoiachin
- Matthew 1:19 an upright
- Matthew 1:20 Lit. begotten
- Matthew 1:21 Lit. Savior
- Matthew 1:25 Kept her a virgin
- Matthew 1:25 NU a Son
- Matthew 2:1 Gr. magoi
- Matthew 2:7 Gr. magoi
- Matthew 3:11 M omits and fire
- Matthew 3:16 Or he
- Matthew 4:7 test
- Matthew 4:10 M Get behind Me
- Matthew 4:17 has drawn near
- Matthew 4:24 Lit. the report of Him
- Matthew 4:25 Lit. Ten Cities
- Matthew 5:5 Or land
- Matthew 5:18 Gr. iota, Heb. yod, the smallest letter
- Matthew 5:18 The smallest stroke in a Heb. letter
- Matthew 5:21 in ancient times
- Matthew 5:22 NU omits without a cause
- Matthew 5:22 Lit., in Aram., Empty head
- Matthew 5:22 Gr. More
- Matthew 5:22 Gr. Gehenna
- Matthew 5:27 NU, M omit to those of old
- Matthew 5:29 Lit. stumble or offend
- Matthew 5:30 Lit. stumble or offend
- Matthew 5:32 Or fornication
- Matthew 5:33 ancient times
- Matthew 5:37 Lit. your word be yes yes
- Matthew 5:44 NU But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you
- Matthew 5:47 M friends
- Matthew 5:47 NU Gentiles
- Matthew 6:4 NU omits openly
- Matthew 6:5 pretenders
- Matthew 6:6 NU omits openly
- Matthew 6:13 NU omits the rest of v. 13.
- Matthew 6:16 pretenders
- Matthew 6:18 NU, M omit openly
- Matthew 6:22 Clear, or healthy
- Matthew 6:23 Evil, or unhealthy
- Matthew 6:24 Lit., in Aram., riches
- Matthew 6:27 About 18 inches
- Matthew 6:27 height
- Matthew 6:29 dressed
- Matthew 7:1 Condemn
- Matthew 7:2 Condemnation
- Matthew 7:14 NU, M How narrow . . . !
- Matthew 7:14 confined
- Matthew 8:15 NU, M Him
- Matthew 8:27 Lit. What sort of man is this
- Matthew 8:28 NU Gadarenes
- Matthew 8:31 NU send us into
- Matthew 9:8 NU were afraid
- Matthew 9:13 NU omits to repentance
- Matthew 9:14 NU brackets often as disputed.
- Matthew 9:15 Lit. sons of the bridechamber
- Matthew 9:16 Lit. that which is put on
- Matthew 9:17 burst
- Matthew 9:31 Lit. made Him known
- Matthew 9:31 Lit. land
- Matthew 9:35 NU omits among the people
- Matthew 9:36 NU, M harassed
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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