Bible in 90 Days

Jesus’ Birth in Bethlehem

2 Now in those days a decree went out from [the emperor] ^[a]Caesar Augustus, that all the inhabited world (the Roman Empire) should be ^[b]registered [in a census]. ² This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³ And everyone went to register for the census, each to his own city. ⁴ So Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, ⁵ in order to register with Mary, who was ^[c]betrothed to him, and was with child.^{(A) 6} While they were there [in Bethlehem], the time came for her to give birth, ⁷ and she gave birth to her Son, her firstborn; and she wrapped Him in [^[d]swaddling] cloths and laid Him in a ^[e]manger, because there was no [private] room for them in the inn.

⁸ In the same region there were shepherds staying out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord flashed and shone around them, and they were terribly frightened. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for ^[f]all the people. ¹¹ For this day in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord (the Messiah).^{(B) 12} And this will be a sign for you [by which you will recognize Him]: you will find a Baby wrapped in [swaddling] cloths and lying in a manger.”^{(C) 13} Then suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host (angelic army) praising God and saying,

¹⁵ When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying one to another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem, and see this [wonderful] thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ So they went in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the Baby as He lay in the manger. ¹⁷ And when they had seen this, they made known what had been told them about this Child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were astounded and wondered at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured all these things, giving careful thought to them and pondering them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them.

Jesus Presented at the Temple

²¹ At the end of eight days, when He was to be circumcised, He was named Jesus, the name given [to Him] by the angel [Gabriel] before He was conceived in the womb.

²² And when the time for their purification came [that is, the mother’s purification and the baby’s dedication] according to the Law of Moses, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord [set apart as the Firstborn]^{(D) 23} (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy [set apart and dedicated] to the Lord)”^{(E) 24} and [they came also] to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord [to be appropriate for a family of modest means], “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”^(F)

²⁵ Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout [carefully observing the divine Law], and looking for the ^[g]Consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. ²⁶ It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed). ²⁷ Prompted by the Spirit, he came into the temple [enclosure]; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, ^[h]to do for Him the custom required by the Law, ²⁸ Simeon took Him into his arms, and blessed and praised and thanked God, and said,

³³ And His [legal] father and His mother were amazed at what was said about Him. ³⁴ Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Listen carefully: this Child is appointed and destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for ^[i]a sign that is to be opposed—^{(I) 35} and a sword [of deep sorrow] will pierce through your own soul—so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

³⁶ There was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old, and had lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage,^{(J) 37} and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She did not leave the [area of the] temple, but was serving and worshiping night and day with fastings and prayers. ³⁸ She, too, came up at that very moment and began praising and giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all who were looking for the redemption and deliverance of Jerusalem.

Return to Nazareth

³⁹ And when they had done everything [in connection with Jesus’ birth] according to the Law of the Lord, they went back to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. ⁴⁰ And the Child continued to grow and become strong [in spirit], filled with wisdom; and the grace (favor, spiritual blessing) of God was upon Him.^(K)

Visit to Jerusalem

⁴¹ Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year for the Passover Feast.^{(L) 42} And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem, according to the custom of the Feast; ⁴³ and as they were returning [to ^[j]Nazareth], after spending the required number of days [at the Feast], the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem. Now His parents did not know this, ⁴⁴ but supposed Him to be in the caravan, and traveled a day’s journey; and [then] they began searching [anxiously] for Him among their relatives and acquaintances. ⁴⁵ When they did not find Him, they went back to Jerusalem looking for Him [everywhere]. ⁴⁶ Three days later they found Him in the [court of the] temple, sitting among the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷ All who heard Him were amazed by His intelligence and His understanding and His answers. ⁴⁸ When they saw Him, they were overwhelmed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You treated us like this? Listen, Your ^[k]father and I have been [greatly distressed and] anxiously looking for You.” ⁴⁹ And He answered, “Why did you have to look for Me? Did you not know that I had to be ^[l]in My Father’s house?” ⁵⁰ But they did not understand what He had said to them. ⁵¹ He went down to Nazareth with them, and was continually submissive and obedient to them; and His mother treasured all these things in her heart.

⁵² And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and men.^(M)

John the Baptist Preaches

3 Now in the fifteenth year of [Emperor] ^[m]Tiberius Caesar’s reign—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod [Antipas] was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene— ² in the high ^[n]priesthood of Annas and ^[o]Caiaphas [his son-in-law], the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness. ³ And he went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin; ⁴ as it is written and forever remains written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

⁷ So he began saying to the crowds who were coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of ^[r]vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath [of God that is] to come? ⁸ Therefore produce fruit that is worthy of [and consistent with your] repentance [that is, live changed lives, turn from sin and seek God and His righteousness]. And do not even begin to say to yourselves [as a defense], ‘We have Abraham for our father [and so our heritage assures us of salvation]’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children (descendants) for Abraham [for God can replace the unrepentant, regardless of their heritage, with those who are obedient].^{(O) 9} Even now the axe [of God’s judgment] is swinging toward the root of the trees; so every tree that does not produce good fruit is being cut down and thrown into the fire.”

¹⁰ The crowds asked him, “Then what are we to do?” ¹¹ And John replied, “The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do the same.” ¹² Even some tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked, “Teacher, what are we to do?” ¹³ And he told them, “Collect no more than the fixed amount you have been ordered to [collect].” ¹⁴ Some soldiers asked him, “And what about us, what are we to do?” And he replied to them, “Do not ^[s]extort money from anyone or harass or blackmail anyone, and be satisfied with your wages.”

¹⁵ Now the people were in a state of expectation, and all were wondering in their hearts about John, as to whether he was the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed). ¹⁶ John answered them all by saying, “As for me, I baptize you [only] ^[t]with water; but One who is mightier [more powerful, more noble] than I is coming, and I am not fit to untie the strap of His sandals [even as His slave]. He will baptize you [who truly repent] with the Holy Spirit and [you who remain unrepentant] with ^[u]fire.^{(P) 17} His ^[v]winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat (believers) into His barn (kingdom); but He will burn up the chaff (the unrepentant) with unquenchable fire.”

¹⁸ So with many other appeals and various admonitions John preached the good news (gospel) to the people. ¹⁹ But when Herod [Antipas] the tetrarch was repeatedly reprimanded [and convicted by John’s disapproval] for having ^[w]Herodias, his brother’s wife [as his own], and for all the wicked things that Herod had done,^{(Q) 20} he also added this to them all: he locked up John in prison.

Jesus’ Baptism

²¹ Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, the [visible] heaven was opened,^{(R) 22} and the ^[x]Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came from heaven, “You are My Son, My Beloved, in You I am well-pleased and delighted!”^(S)

Genealogy of Jesus

²³ When He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being, as was supposed, the son of Joseph, the son [by marriage] of Eli, ²⁴ the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, ²⁵ the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Hesli, the son of Naggai, ²⁶ the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, ²⁷ the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of 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 Elmadam, the son of Er, ²⁹ the son of Joshua, 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 Jonam, the son of Eliakim, ³¹ the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, ³² 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 Admin, 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, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, ³⁵ the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Heber, the son of Shelah, ³⁶ the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, 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 Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, ³⁸ the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.^(T)

The Devil Tempts Jesus

4 Now Jesus, full of [and in perfect communication with] the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness^{(U) 2} for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they ended, He was hungry.^{(V) 3} Then the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to turn into bread.” ⁴ Jesus replied to him, “It is written and forever remains written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone^[y].’”^(W)

⁵ Then he led Jesus up [to a high mountain] and displayed before Him all the kingdoms of the inhabited earth [and their magnificence] in the twinkling of an eye. ⁶ And the devil said to Him, “I will give You all this realm and its glory [its power, its renown]; because it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. ⁷ Therefore if You worship before me, it will all be Yours.” ⁸ Jesus replied to him, “It is written and forever remains written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve only Him.’”^(X)

⁹ Then he led Jesus to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle (highest point) of the temple, and said [mockingly] to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here; ¹⁰ for it is written and forever remains written,

¹¹ and,

¹² Jesus replied to him, “It is said [in Scripture], ‘you shall not tempt the Lord your God [to prove Himself to you].’”^(Z)

¹³ When the devil had finished every temptation, he [temporarily] left Him until a more opportune time.

Jesus’ Public Ministry

¹⁴ Then Jesus went back to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and the news about Him spread through the entire region. ¹⁵ And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised and glorified and honored by all.

¹⁶ So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. ¹⁷ The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,^(AA)

²⁰ Then He rolled up the scroll [having stopped in the middle of the verse], gave it back to the attendant and sat down [to teach]; and the eyes of all those in the synagogue were [attentively] fixed on Him. ²¹ He began speaking to them: “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing and in your presence.” ²² And [as He continued on] they all were speaking well of Him, and were in awe and were wondering about the words of grace which were coming from His lips; and they were saying, “Is this not Joseph’s son?” ²³ So He said to them, “You will no doubt quote this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal Yourself! Whatever [miracles] that we heard were done [by You] in Capernaum, do here in Your hometown as well.’” ²⁴ Then He said, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown. ²⁵ But in truth I say to you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was closed up for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land; ²⁶ and yet Elijah was not sent [by the Lord] to a single one of them, but only to Zarephath in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.^{(AC) 27} And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and not one of them was cleansed [by being healed] except Naaman the Syrian.”^{(AD) 28} As they heard these things [about God’s grace to these two Gentiles], the people in the synagogue were filled with a great rage; ²⁹ and they got up and drove Him out of the city, and led Him to the crest of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to hurl Him down the cliff. ³⁰ But passing [miraculously] through the crowd, He went on His way.

³¹ Then He came down [from the hills of Nazareth] to Capernaum, a city of Galilee [on the shore of the sea], and He was teaching them on the Sabbath;^{(AE) 32} and they were surprised [almost overwhelmed] at His teaching, because His message was [given] with authority and power and great ability. ³³ There was a man in the synagogue who was possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon; and he cried out with a loud and terrible voice, ³⁴ “Let us alone! ^[z]What business do we have [in common] with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” ³⁵ But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent (muzzled, gagged) and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown the man down among them, he came out of him without injuring him in any way. ³⁶ They were all astonished and in awe, and began saying to one another, “What is this message? For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits and they come out!” ³⁷ And the news about Him spread into every place in the surrounding district (Galilee).

Many Are Healed

³⁸ Then Jesus got up and left the synagogue and went to Simon’s (Peter’s) house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Him to help her.^{(AF) 39} Standing over her, He rebuked the fever, and it left her; and immediately she got up and began serving them [as her guests].

⁴⁰ While the sun was setting [marking the end of the Sabbath day], all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to Jesus; and laying His hands on each one of them, He was healing them [exhibiting His authority as Messiah].^{(AG) 41} Demons also were coming out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But He rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that He was the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).

⁴² When daybreak came, Jesus left [Simon Peter’s house] and went to a secluded place; and the crowds were searching for Him, and [they] came to Him and tried to keep Him from leaving them. ⁴³ But He said, “I must preach [the good news of] the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because I was sent for this purpose.”

⁴⁴ So He continued preaching in the synagogues of Judea [the country of the Jews, including Galilee].

The First Disciples

5 Now it happened that while Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret (Sea of Galilee), with the people crowding all around Him and listening to the word of God; ² that He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake, but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. ³ He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little distance from the shore. And He sat down and began teaching the crowds from the boat. ⁴ When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon [Peter], “Put out into the deep water and lower your nets for a catch [of fish].” ⁵ Simon replied, “Master, we worked hard all night [to the point of exhaustion] and caught nothing [in our nets], but at Your word I will [do as you say and] lower the nets [again].” ⁶ When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets were [at the point of] breaking; ⁷ so they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats [with fish], so that they began to sink. ⁸ But when Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” ⁹ For he and all his companions were completely astounded at the catch of fish which they had taken; ¹⁰ and so were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon [Peter]. Jesus said to Simon, “Have no fear; from now on you will be catching men!” ¹¹ After they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and ^[aa]followed Him [becoming His disciples, believing and trusting in Him and following His example].

The Leper and the Paralytic

¹² While Jesus was in one of the cities, there came a man covered with [an advanced case of] leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean and well.”^{(AH) 13} And Jesus reached out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately the leprosy left him. ¹⁴ Jesus ordered him to tell no one [that he might happen to meet], “But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your purification, just as Moses commanded, as a testimony (witness) to them [that this is a work of Messiah].”^{(AI) 15} But the news about Him was spreading farther, and large crowds kept gathering to hear Him and to be healed of their illnesses. ¹⁶ But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray [in seclusion].

¹⁷ One day as He was teaching, there were Pharisees and teachers of the Law sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present with Him to heal. ¹⁸ Some men came carrying on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed, and they tried to bring him in and lay him down in front of Jesus.^{(AJ) 19} But finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the ^[ab]roof [and removed some tiles to make an opening] and lowered him through the tiles with his stretcher, into the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus. ²⁰ When Jesus saw their [active] faith [springing from confidence in Him], He said, “Man, your sins are forgiven.” ²¹ The scribes and the Pharisees began to consider and question [the implications of what He had said], saying, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies [by claiming the rights and prerogatives of God]? Who can forgive sins [that is, remove guilt, nullify sin’s penalty, and assign righteousness] except God alone?” ²² But Jesus, knowing their [hostile] thoughts, answered them, “Why are you questioning [these things] in your hearts? ²³ Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? ²⁴ But, in order that you may know that the Son of Man (the Messiah) has authority and power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralyzed man, “I say to you, get up, pick up your stretcher and go home.” ²⁵ He immediately stood up before them, picked up his stretcher, and went home glorifying and praising God. ²⁶ They were all astonished, and they began glorifying God; and they were filled with [reverential] fear and kept saying, “We have seen wonderful and incredible things today!”

Call of Levi (Matthew)

²⁷ After this Jesus went out and noticed a tax collector named Levi (Matthew) sitting at the tax booth; and He said to him, “Follow Me [as My disciple, accepting Me as your Master and Teacher and walking the same path of life that I walk].”^{(AK) 28} And he left everything behind and got up and began to follow Jesus [as His disciple].

²⁹ Levi (Matthew) gave a great banquet for Him at his house; and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others who were reclining at the table with them. ³⁰ The Pharisees and their scribes [seeing those with whom He was associating] began murmuring in discontent to His disciples, asking, “Why are you eating and drinking with the tax collectors and sinners [including non-observant Jews]?” ³¹ And Jesus replied to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but [only] those who are sick. ³² I did not come to call the [self-proclaimed] righteous [who see no need to repent], but sinners to repentance [to change their old way of thinking, to turn from sin and to seek God and His righteousness].”

³³ Then they said to Him, “The disciples of John [the Baptist] often practice fasting and offer prayers [of special petition], and so do the disciples of the Pharisees; but Yours eat and drink.” ³⁴ Jesus said to them, “Can you make the wedding guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? ³⁵ But days [for mourning] will come when the bridegroom is [forcefully] taken away from them. They will fast in those days.” ³⁶ He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old one; otherwise he will both tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. ³⁷ And no one puts new wine into old ^[ac]wineskins; otherwise the new [fermenting] wine will [expand and] burst the skins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined. ³⁸ But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. ³⁹ And no one, after drinking old wine, wishes for new; for he says, ‘The old is fine.’”

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

6 One Sabbath while Jesus was passing through fields of standing grain, it happened that His disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them.^{(AL) 2} But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what ^[ad]is unlawful on the Sabbath?”^{(AM) 3} Jesus replied to them, “Have you not even read [in the Scriptures] what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him—^{(AN) 4} how he went into the house of God, and took and ate the ^[ae]consecrated bread, which is not lawful [for anyone] to eat except the priests alone, and [how he also] gave it to the men who were with him?”^{(AO) 5} Jesus was saying to them, “The Son of Man (the Messiah) is Lord [even] of the Sabbath.”

⁶ On another Sabbath He went into the synagogue and taught, and a man was present whose right hand was withered.^{(AP) 7} The scribes and the Pharisees were watching Him closely [with malicious intent], to see if He would [actually] heal [someone] on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse Him. ⁸ But He was aware of their thoughts, and He said to the man with the withered hand, “Get up and come forward.” So he got up and stood there. ⁹ Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you directly: Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil, to save a life or to destroy it?” ¹⁰ After looking around at them all, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand!” And he did, and his hand was [fully] restored. ¹¹ But the scribes and Pharisees were filled with senseless rage [and lacked spiritual insight], and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.

Choosing the Twelve

¹² Now at this time Jesus went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God. ¹³ When day came, He called His disciples and selected twelve of them, whom He also named ^[af]apostles (special messengers, personally chosen representatives):^{(AQ) 14} Simon, whom He also named Peter, and his brother Andrew; and [the brothers] ^[ag]James and John; and Philip, and Bartholomew [also called Nathanael]; ¹⁵ and Matthew (Levi, the tax collector) and Thomas; and ^[ah]James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot; ¹⁶ Judas [also called Thaddaeus] the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor [to the Lord].

¹⁷ Then Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place; and there was a large crowd of His disciples, and a vast multitude of people from all over Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon, ¹⁸ who had come to listen to Him and to be healed of their diseases. Even those who were troubled by unclean spirits (demons) were being healed. ¹⁹ All the people were trying to touch Him, because [healing] power was coming from Him and healing them all.

The Beatitudes

²⁰ And looking toward His disciples, He began ^[ai]speaking: “Blessed [spiritually prosperous, happy, to be admired] are you who are poor [in spirit, those devoid of spiritual arrogance, those who regard themselves as insignificant], for the kingdom of God is yours [both now and forever].^{(AR) 21} Blessed [joyful, nourished by God’s goodness] are you who hunger now [for righteousness, actively seeking right standing with God], for you will be [completely] satisfied. Blessed [forgiven, refreshed by God’s grace] are you who weep now [over your sins and repent], for you will laugh [when the burden of sin is lifted]. ²² Blessed [morally courageous and spiritually alive with life-joy in God’s goodness] are you when people hate you, and exclude you [from their fellowship], and insult you, and scorn your name as evil because of [your association with] the Son of Man. ²³ Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for your reward in heaven is great [absolutely inexhaustible]; for their fathers used to treat the prophets in the same way. ²⁴ But ^[aj]woe (judgment is coming) to you who are rich [and place your faith in possessions while remaining spiritually impoverished], for you are [already] receiving your comfort in full [and there is nothing left to be awarded to you]. ²⁵ Woe to you who are well-fed (gorged, satiated) now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now [enjoying a life of self-indulgence], for you will mourn and weep [and deeply long for God]. ²⁶ Woe to you when all the people speak well of you and praise you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way.

²⁷ “But I say to you who hear [Me and pay attention to My words]: ^[ak]Love [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for] your enemies, [make it a practice to] do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless and show kindness to those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. ²⁹ Whoever ^[al]strikes you on the cheek, offer him the other one also [simply ignore insignificant insults or losses and do not bother to retaliate—maintain your dignity]. Whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either.^{(AS) 30} Give to everyone who asks of you. ^[am]Whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. ³¹ Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. ³² If you [only] love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. ³³ If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. ³⁴ If you lend [money] to those from whom you expect to receive [it back], what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners expecting to receive back the same amount. ³⁵ But love [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for] your enemies, and do good, and lend, ^[an]expecting nothing in return; for your reward will be great (rich, abundant), and you will be sons of the Most High; because He Himself is kind and gracious and good to the ungrateful and the wicked. ³⁶ Be merciful (responsive, compassionate, tender) just as your [heavenly] Father is merciful.

³⁷ “^[ao]Do not judge [others self-righteously], and you will not be judged; do not condemn [others when you are guilty and unrepentant], and you will not be condemned [for your hypocrisy]; pardon [others when they truly repent and change], and you will be pardoned [when you truly repent and change].^{(AT) 38} Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over [with no space left for more]. For with the standard of measurement you use [when you do good to others], it will be measured to you in return.”

³⁹ He also told them a parable: “Can a blind man guide [another] blind man? Will they not both fall into a hole in the ground? ⁴⁰ A student is not superior to his teacher; but everyone, after he has been completely trained, will be like his teacher. ⁴¹ Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice or consider the log that is in your own eye? ⁴² How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, allow me to take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite (play actor, pretender), first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye. ⁴³ For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit.^{(AU) 44} For each tree is known and identified by its own fruit. For figs are not picked from thorn bushes, nor is a cluster of grapes picked from a briar bush. ⁴⁵ The [intrinsically] good man produces what is good and honorable and moral out of the good treasure [stored] in his heart; and the [intrinsically] evil man produces what is wicked and depraved out of the evil [in his heart]; for his mouth speaks from the overflow of his heart.

A Secure Foundation

⁴⁶ “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not practice what I tell you? ⁴⁷ Everyone who comes to Me and listens to My words and obeys them, I will show you whom he is like:^{(AV) 48} he is like a [far-sighted, practical, and sensible] man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and yet could not shake it, because it had been securely built and founded on the rock. ⁴⁹ But the one who has [merely] heard and has not practiced [what I say], is like a [foolish] man who built a house on the ground without any foundation, and the torrent burst against it; and it immediately collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.”

Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Slave

7 After He had finished all that He had to say in the hearing of the people, He went to Capernaum.^(AW)

² Now a [Roman] ^[ap]centurion’s slave, who was highly regarded by him, was sick and on the verge of death. ³ When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to Him, asking Him to come and save the life of his slave. ⁴ When they reached Jesus, they pleaded with Him earnestly [to come], saying, “He is worthy for You to do this for him, ⁵ because he loves our nation and he built us our synagogue [at his own expense].” ⁶ And Jesus went with them. But when He was near the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself further, for I am not worthy for You to come under my roof. ⁷ Therefore I did not even consider myself worthy to come to You. But just speak a word, and my slave will be healed. ⁸ For I also am a man subject to authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” ⁹ Now when Jesus heard this, He was amazed at him, and turned and said to the crowd that was following Him, “I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith [as this man’s].” ¹⁰ When the messengers who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

¹¹ Soon afterward Jesus went to a city called Nain [near Nazareth], and His disciples and a large crowd accompanied Him. ¹² Now as He approached the city gate, 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 [in the funeral procession]. ¹³ When the Lord saw her, He felt [great] compassion for her, and said to her, “Do not weep.” ¹⁴ And He came up and touched the bier [on which the body rested], and the pallbearers stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise [from death]!” ¹⁵ The man who was dead sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother. ¹⁶ Fear and profound awe gripped them all, and they began glorifying and honoring and praising God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and, “God has visited His people [to help and care for and provide for them]!” ¹⁷ This news about Him spread through all of Judea and in all the surrounding countryside.^(AX)

A Delegation from John

¹⁸ John’s disciples brought word to him [in prison] of all these things.^{(AY) 19} John called two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are You the ^[aq]Expected One (the Messiah), or should we look for someone else?” ²⁰ So the men came to Jesus and said, “John the Baptist sent us to You to ask, ‘Are You the Expected One (the Messiah), or should we look for someone else?’” ²¹ At that very hour Jesus healed many people of sicknesses and infirmities and evil spirits; and He gave [the gracious gift of] sight to many who were blind. ²² So He replied to them, “Go and tell John about everything you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the good news (gospel) preached to them.^{(AZ) 23} Blessed [joyful, spiritually favored] is he who does not take offense at Me.”

²⁴ When John’s messengers left, Jesus began speaking to the crowds about John: “What did you go out to the wilderness to see? ^[ar]A reed shaken by the wind? ²⁵ But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing [entirely unsuited for the harsh wilderness]? Those who wear splendid clothing and live in luxury are in royal palaces! ²⁶ But what did you [really] go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and one ^[as]far more [eminent and remarkable] than a prophet [who foretells the future]. ²⁷ This is the one of whom it is written [by the prophet Malachi],

²⁸ I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater [in privilege] than he.” ²⁹ All the people and the tax collectors who heard Jesus, acknowledged [the validity of] God’s justice, having been baptized with the baptism of John. ³⁰ But the Pharisees and the lawyers [who were experts in the Mosaic Law] annulled and set aside God’s purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by John.

³¹ “To what then shall I compare the people of this generation [who set aside God’s plan], and what are they like? ³² They are like children sitting in the market place and calling to one another, and saying, ‘We played the flute for you [pretending to be at a wedding], and you did not dance; we sang a dirge [pretending to be at a funeral], and you did not weep [so nothing we did appealed to you].’ ³³ For John the Baptist has come neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’ ³⁴ The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a man who is a glutton and a [heavy] wine-drinker, a friend of tax collectors and sinners [including non-observant Jews].’ ³⁵ Yet wisdom is vindicated and shown to be right by all her children [by the lifestyle, moral character, and good deeds of her followers].”

The Anointing in Galilee

³⁶ One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and He went into the Pharisee’s house [in the region of Galilee] and reclined at the table. ³⁷ Now there was a woman in the city who was [known as] a ^[at]sinner; and ^[au]when she found out that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume; ³⁸ and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began wetting His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and [respectfully] kissed His feet [as an act signifying both affection and submission] and ^[av]anointed them with the perfume. ³⁹ Now when [Simon] the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “If this Man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching Him, that she is a [notorious] sinner [an outcast, devoted to sin].”

Parable of Two Debtors

⁴⁰ Jesus, answering, said to the Pharisee, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he replied, “Teacher, say it.” ⁴¹ “A certain moneylender had two debtors: one owed him five hundred ^[aw]denarii, and the other fifty. ⁴² When they had no means of repaying [the debts], he freely forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?” ⁴³ Simon answered, “The one, I take it, for whom he forgave more.” Jesus said to him, “You have decided correctly.” ⁴⁴ Then turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house [but you failed to extend to Me the usual courtesies shown to a guest]; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair [demonstrating her love]. ⁴⁵ You gave Me no [welcoming] kiss, but from the moment I came in, she has not ceased to kiss My feet. ⁴⁶ You did not [even] anoint My head with [ordinary] oil, but she has anointed My feet with [costly and rare] perfume. ⁴⁷ Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” ⁴⁸ Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” ⁴⁹ Those who were reclining at the table with Him began saying among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” ⁵⁰ Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith [in Me] has saved you; go in peace [free from the distress experienced because of sin].”

Ministering Women

8 Soon afterward, Jesus began going around from one city and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve [disciples] were with Him, ² and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and diseases: Mary, called Magdalene [from the city of Magdala in Galilee], from whom seven demons had come out, ³ and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household steward, and Susanna, and many others who were contributing to their support out of their private means [as was the custom for a rabbi’s disciples].

Parable of the Sower

⁴ When a large crowd was gathering together, and people from city after city were coming to Him, He spoke [to them] using a parable:^{(BB) 5} “The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell beside the road and it was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the sky ate it up. ⁶ And some seed fell on [shallow soil covering] the rocks, and as soon as it sprouted, it withered away, because it had no moisture. ⁷ Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it out. ⁸ And some fell into good soil, and grew up and produced a crop a hundred times as great.” As He said these things, He called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear and heed My words.”

⁹ Now His disciples began asking Him what this parable meant. ¹⁰ And He said, “To you [who have been chosen] it has been granted to know and recognize the ^[ax]mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, so that though seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.^(BC)

¹¹ “Now [the meaning of] the parable is this: The seed is the word of God [concerning eternal salvation]. ¹² Those beside the road are the people who have heard; then the devil comes and takes the message [of God] away from their hearts, so that they will not believe [in Me as the Messiah] and be saved. ¹³ Those on the rocky soil are the people who, when they hear, receive and welcome the word with joy; but these have no firmly grounded root. They believe for a while, and in time of trial and temptation they fall away [from Me and abandon their faith]. ¹⁴ The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, but as they go on their way they are suffocated with the anxieties and riches and pleasures of this life, and they bring no fruit to maturity. ¹⁵ But as for that seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word with a good and noble heart, and hold on to it tightly, and bear fruit with patience.

Parable of the Lamp

¹⁶ “Now no one lights a lamp and then covers it with a container [to hide it], or puts it under a bed; instead, he puts it on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see the light.^{(BD) 17} For there is nothing hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come out into the open. ¹⁸ So be careful how you listen; for whoever has [a teachable heart], to him more [understanding] will be given; and whoever does not have [a longing for truth], even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him.”^(BE)

¹⁹ Then Jesus’ mother and His brothers came up toward Him, but they could not reach Him because of the crowd.^{(BF) 20} And He was told, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, asking to see You.” ²¹ But He answered, “My mother and My brothers are these who listen to the word of God and do it!”

Jesus Calms the Sea

²² Now on one of those days Jesus and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake (Sea of Galilee).” So they set out.^{(BG) 23} But as they were sailing, He fell asleep. And a fierce gale of wind swept down [as if through a wind tunnel] on the lake, and they began to be swamped, and were in great danger. ²⁴ They came to Jesus and woke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are about to die!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging, violent waves, and they ceased, and it became calm [a perfect peacefulness]. ²⁵ And He said to them, “Where is your faith [your confidence in Me]?” They were afraid and astonished, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the sea, and they obey Him?”

The Demoniac Cured

²⁶ Then they sailed to the ^[ay]country of the Gerasenes, which is east of Galilee.^{(BH) 27} Now when Jesus stepped out on land, He was met by a man from the city [of Gerasa] who was possessed with demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and was not living in a house, but among the ^[az]tombs. ²⁸ Seeing Jesus, he cried out [with a terrible voice from the depths of his throat] and fell down before Him [in dread and terror], and shouted loudly, “^[ba]What business do we have [in common] with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me [before the appointed time of judgment]!” ²⁹ Now He was [already] commanding the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had seized him [violently] many times; and he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert. ³⁰ Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” And he answered, “Legion”; because many demons had entered him. ³¹ They continually begged Him not to command them to go into the abyss.^(BI)

³² Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the mountain. The demons begged Jesus to allow them to enter the pigs, and He gave them permission. ³³ Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

³⁴ When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran away and told it in the city and out in the country. ³⁵ And people came out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind (mentally healthy); and they were frightened. ³⁶ Those who had seen it told them how the man who had been demon-possessed had been healed. ³⁷ Then all the people of the country of the Gerasenes and the surrounding district asked Him to leave them, because they were overwhelmed with fear. So Jesus got into the boat and returned [to the west side of the Sea of Galilee]. ³⁸ But the man from whom the demons had gone out kept begging Him, pleading to go with Him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, ³⁹ “Return home and tell [about] all the great things God has done for you.” So the man went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

Miracles of Healing

⁴⁰ Now as Jesus was returning [to Galilee], the people welcomed Him, for they had all been expecting Him. ⁴¹ Now a man named Jairus, a synagogue official, came [to Him]; and he fell at Jesus’ feet and began begging Him to come to his house;^{(BJ) 42} for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying. But as Jesus went, the people were crowding against Him [almost crushing Him].

⁴³ And a woman who had [suffered from] a hemorrhage for twelve years ^[bb][and had spent all her money on physicians], and could not be healed by anyone, ⁴⁴ came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His outer robe, and immediately her bleeding stopped. ⁴⁵ Jesus said, “Who touched Me?” While they all were denying it, Peter ^[bc][and those who were with him] said, “Master, the people are crowding and pushing against You!” ⁴⁶ But Jesus said, “Someone did touch Me, because I was aware that power [to heal] had gone out of Me.” ⁴⁷ When the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came up trembling and fell down before Him. She declared in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed. ⁴⁸ He said to her, “Daughter, your faith [your personal trust and confidence in Me] has made you well. Go in peace (untroubled, undisturbed well-being).”

⁴⁹ While He was still speaking, someone from the synagogue official’s house came and said [to Jairus], “Your daughter is dead; do not inconvenience the Teacher any further.” ⁵⁰ But Jesus, hearing this, answered him, “Do not be afraid any longer; only believe and trust [in Me and have faith in My ability to do this], and she will be made well.” ⁵¹ When He came to the house, He allowed no one to enter with Him, except Peter and John and James, and the girl’s father and mother. ⁵² Now they were all weeping loudly and mourning for her; but He said, “Do not weep, for she is not dead, but is sleeping.” ⁵³ Then they began laughing scornfully at Him and ridiculing Him, knowing [without any doubt] that she was dead. ⁵⁴ But Jesus took hold of her hand and spoke, saying, “Child, arise!” ⁵⁵ And her spirit returned, and she got up immediately; and He ordered that she be given something to eat. ⁵⁶ Her parents were greatly astonished [by the miracle]; but He instructed them to tell no one what had happened.

Ministry of the Twelve

9 Now Jesus called together the twelve [disciples] and gave them [the right to exercise] power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. ² Then He sent them out [on a brief journey] to preach ^[bd]the kingdom of God and to perform healing.^{(BK) 3} And He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey [that might encumber you]—neither a walking stick, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not even have two ^[be]tunics apiece. ⁴ Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that city [to go to another]. ⁵ And as for all those who do not welcome you, when you leave that city, shake the dust off your feet [breaking all ties with them] as a testimony against them [that they rejected My message].” ⁶ So they began going from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing the sick everywhere.

⁷ Now Herod [Antipas] the tetrarch [who governed a portion of Palestine including Galilee and Perea] heard about all that was being done [by Jesus], and he was thoroughly perplexed, because it was said by some that John [the Baptist whom he had ordered beheaded] had been raised from the dead,^{(BL) 8} and by others that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the [other] prophets of old had been resurrected. ⁹ Herod said, “I personally had John beheaded. Who is this man about whom I hear such things?” And he kept trying to see Jesus.

¹⁰ When the apostles returned, they told Him all that they had done. He took them with Him and He privately withdrew [across the Jordan] to a city called Bethsaida.^{(BM) 11} But when the crowds learned of it, they followed Him; and He welcomed them and He began talking to them about the kingdom of God, and healing those who needed to be healed.

Five Thousand Fed

¹² Now the day was ending, and the twelve [disciples] came and said to Him, “Send the crowd away, so that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside and find lodging, and get provisions; because here we are in an isolated place.” ¹³ But He said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless perhaps we go and buy food for all these people.”^{(BN) 14} (For there were ^[bf]about 5,000 men.) And He said to His disciples, “Have them sit down to eat in groups of about fifty each.” ¹⁵ They did so, and had them all sit down. ¹⁶ Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and He looked up to heaven [and gave thanks] and blessed them, and broke them and kept giving them to the disciples to set before the crowd. ¹⁷ They all ate and were [completely] satisfied; and the broken pieces which they had left over were [abundant and were] picked up—twelve baskets full.

¹⁸ Now it happened that as Jesus was praying privately, the disciples were with Him, and He asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”^{(BO) 19} They answered, “John the Baptist, and some say, Elijah; but others, that one of the ancient prophets has come back to life.” ²⁰ And He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter replied, “The Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed) of God!” ²¹ But He strictly warned and admonished them not to tell this to anyone, ²² saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected [as the Messiah] by the elders and chief priests and scribes (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court), and be put to death, and on the third day be raised up [from death to life].”^(BP)

²³ And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross daily [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]. ²⁴ For whoever wishes to save his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it [through death], but whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake, he is the one who will save it [from the consequences of sin and separation from God]. ²⁵ For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world [wealth, fame, success], and loses or forfeits himself? ²⁶ For whoever is ashamed [here and now] of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and the glory of the [heavenly] Father and of the holy angels. ²⁷ But I tell you truthfully, there are ^[bg]some among those standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”

The Transfiguration

²⁸ Now about eight days after these teachings, He took along Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray.^{(BQ) 29} As He was praying, the appearance of His face became different [actually transformed], and His clothing became white and flashing with the brilliance of lightning. ³⁰ And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah, ³¹ who appeared in glory, and were speaking of His departure [from earthly life], which He was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. ³² Now Peter and those who were with him had been overcome with sleep; but when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and splendor and majesty, and the two men who were standing with Him. ³³ And as these [men, Moses and Elijah] were leaving Him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is delightful and good for us to be here; we should make three [sacred] tents; one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not realizing what he was saying. ³⁴ But even as he was saying this, a cloud formed and began to overshadow them; and they were [greatly] afraid as they entered the cloud. ³⁵ Then ^[bh]a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, My Chosen One; listen and obey and yield to Him!” ³⁶ When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found there alone. And they kept silent, and told no one at that time any of the things which they had seen [concerning the divine manifestation].^(BR)

³⁷ On the next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met Him.^{(BS) 38} And a man from the crowd shouted for help, “Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, because he is my only child; ³⁹ and a spirit seizes him, and suddenly he cries out, and it throws him into a convulsion so that he foams at the mouth; and only with [great] difficulty does it leave him, mauling and bruising him as it leaves. ⁴⁰ I begged Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.” ⁴¹ Jesus answered, “You unbelieving and perverted generation! How long shall I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here [to Me].” ⁴² Even while the boy was coming, the demon slammed him down and threw him into a [violent] convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy and gave him back to his father. ⁴³ They were all amazed [practically overwhelmed] at the [evidence of the] greatness of God and His majesty and His wondrous work.^(BT)

But while they were still awed by everything Jesus was doing, He said to His disciples, ⁴⁴ “Let these words sink into your ears: the Son of Man is going to be betrayed and handed over to men [who are His enemies].” ⁴⁵ However, they did not understand this statement. Its meaning was kept hidden from them so that they would not grasp it; and they were afraid to ask Him about it.

The Test of Greatness

⁴⁶ An argument started among them as to which of them might be the greatest [surpassing the others in esteem and authority].^{(BU) 47} But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and had him stand beside Him, ⁴⁸ and He told them, “Whoever welcomes this child in My name welcomes Me; and whoever welcomes Me [also] welcomes Him who sent Me; for the one who is least among all of you [that is, the one who is genuinely humble—the one with a realistic self-view]—he is the one who is [truly] great.”

⁴⁹ John replied, “Master, we saw someone driving out demons in Your name; and we tried to stop him because he does not follow along with us.”^{(BV) 50} But Jesus told him, “Do not stop him; for he who is not against you is for you.”^(BW)

⁵¹ Now when the time was approaching for Him to be taken up [to heaven], He was determined to go to Jerusalem [to fulfill His purpose]. ⁵² He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went into a Samaritan village to make arrangements for Him; ⁵³ but the people would not welcome Him, ^[bi]because He was traveling toward Jerusalem. ⁵⁴ When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and destroy them?”^{(BX) 55} But He turned and rebuked them ^[bj][and He said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are; ⁵⁶ for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”] And they journeyed on to another village.

Exacting Discipleship

⁵⁷ As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.”^{(BY) 58} And Jesus told him, “Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.” ⁵⁹ He said to another, “Follow Me [accepting Me as Master and Teacher].” But he said, “Lord, allow me first to go and ^[bk]bury my father.”^{(BZ) 60} But He said to him, “Allow the [spiritually] dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and spread the news about the kingdom of God.” ⁶¹ Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord [as Your disciple]; but first let me say goodbye to those at my home.” ⁶² But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back [to the things left behind] is fit for the kingdom of God.”