Matthew 1-15

Evangelical Heritage Version

The Genealogy of Jesus Christ

1 A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

² Abraham was the father of Isaac. Isaac was the father of Jacob. Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers. ³ Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez was the father of Hezron. Hezron was the father of Ram. ⁴ Ram was the father of Amminadab. Amminadab was the father of Nahshon. Nahshon was the father of Salmon. ⁵ Salmon was the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. Boaz was the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed was the father of Jesse. ⁶ Jesse was the father of King David.

David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah. ⁷ Solomon was the father of Rehoboam. Rehoboam was the father of Abijah. Abijah was the father of Asa. ⁸ Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat was the father of Joram. Joram was the father^[a] of Uzziah. ⁹ Uzziah was the father of Jotham. Jotham was the father of Ahaz. Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah. ¹⁰ Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh. Manasseh was the father of Amon. Amon was the father of Josiah. ¹¹ Josiah was the father of Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the Babylonian exile.

¹² After the Babylonian exile, Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel. Shealtiel was the father of Zerubbabel. ¹³ Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud. Abiud was the father of Eliakim. Eliakim was the father of Azor. ¹⁴ Azor was the father of Zadok. Zadok was the father of Achim. Achim was the father of Eliud. ¹⁵ Eliud was the father of Eleazar. Eleazar was the father of Matthan. Matthan was the father of Jacob. ¹⁶ Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, from whom Jesus was born (who is called Christ).

¹⁷ So altogether there were fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen generations from David to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen generations from the Babylonian exile to Christ.

The Birth of Jesus Christ

¹⁸ This is how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. His mother, Mary, was pledged in marriage^[b] to Joseph. Before they came together, she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Joseph, her husband, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her. So he decided to divorce her privately. ²⁰ But as he was considering these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,^[c] because he will save his people from their sins.”

²² All this happened to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ²³ “Look, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son. And they will name him Immanuel,”^[d] which means, “God with us.”

²⁴ When Joseph woke up from his sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him. He took Mary home as his wife, ²⁵ but he was not intimate with her until she gave birth to her firstborn son.^[e] And he named him Jesus.

The Visit of the Wise Men

2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, when Herod was king, Wise Men from the east came to Jerusalem. They asked, ² “Where is he who has been born King of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose^[f] and have come to worship him.” ³ When King Herod heard this, he was alarmed, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴ He gathered together all the people’s chief priests and experts in the law. He asked them where the Christ was to be born. ⁵ They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, because this was written through the prophet:

⁷ Then Herod secretly summoned the Wise Men and found out from them exactly when the star had appeared. ⁸ He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you find him, report to me, so that I may also go and worship him.”

⁹ After listening to the king, they went on their way. Then the star they had seen when it rose^[h] went ahead of them, until it stood still over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they rejoiced with overwhelming joy. ¹¹ After they went into the house and saw the child with Mary, his mother, they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. ¹² Since they had been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another route.

Flight to Egypt

¹³ After the Wise Men were gone, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to Joseph in a dream. He said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, because Herod will search for the child in order to kill him.”

¹⁴ Joseph got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and left for Egypt. ¹⁵ He stayed there until the death of Herod. This happened to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”^[i]

Herod Kills the Boys

¹⁶ When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Wise Men, he was furious. He issued orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and in all the surrounding countryside, from two years old and under. This was in keeping with the exact time he had learned from the Wise Men. ¹⁷ Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:

Return to Nazareth

¹⁹ After Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. The angel said, ²⁰ “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to kill the child are dead.”

²¹ Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. ²² But when he heard that Archelaus, Herod’s son, had succeeded his father as ruler in Judea, he was afraid to go there. Since he had been warned in a dream, he went to the region of Galilee. ²³ When he arrived there, he settled in a city called Nazareth. So what was spoken through the prophets was fulfilled: “He will be called a Nazarene.”^[k]

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

3 In those days, John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, ² “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven is near!” ³ Yes, this is he of whom this was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

⁴ John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵ Then Jerusalem, all of Judea, and all the region around the Jordan were going out to him. ⁶ They were baptized by him in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins. ⁷ But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? ⁸ Therefore produce fruit in keeping with repentance! ⁹ Do not think of saying to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones. ¹⁰ Already the ax is ready to strike^[m] the root of the trees. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ¹¹ I baptize you with water for repentance. But the one who comes after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹² His winnowing shovel is in his hand, and he will thoroughly clean out his threshing floor. He will gather his wheat into the barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

John Baptizes Jesus

¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to be baptized by John at the Jordan. ¹⁴ But John tried to stop him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you come to me?”

¹⁵ But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, because it is proper for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John let him. ¹⁶ After Jesus was baptized, he immediately went up out of the water. Suddenly, the heavens were opened for him! He saw the Spirit of God, descending like a dove and landing on him, ¹⁷ and a voice out of the heavens said, “This is my Son, whom I love. I am well pleased with him.”

The Devil Tempts Jesus

4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil. ² After he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. ³ The Tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.”

⁴ But Jesus answered, “It is written:

⁵ Then the Devil took him into the holy city. He placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, ⁶ and he said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written:

⁷ Jesus said to him, “Again, it is written:

⁸ Again the Devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. ⁹ He said to him, “I will give you all of these things, if you will bow down and worship me.”

¹⁰ Then Jesus said to him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written:

¹¹ Then the Devil left him, and just then angels came and served him.

Jesus Begins to Preach

¹² When Jesus heard that John was put in prison, he withdrew into Galilee. ¹³ He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. ¹⁴ He did this to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

¹⁷ From that time, Jesus began to preach: “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven is near.”

“Come, Follow Me”

¹⁸ As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, since they were fishermen. ¹⁹ He said to them, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

²⁰ They immediately left their nets and followed him. ²¹ Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. Jesus called them. ²² Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Jesus Preaches in Galilee

²³ Jesus traveled throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people. ²⁴ News about him spread throughout all Syria. People brought to him all who were ill with various diseases and suffering severe pains, the demon-possessed, those who experienced seizures, and the paralyzed. Then he healed them. ²⁵ Large crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

The Sermon on the Mount

5 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up onto a mountain. When he sat down, his disciples came to him. ² He opened his mouth and began to teach them. He said these things:

¹¹ “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven. In fact, that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Salt and Light

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its flavor, how will it become salty again? Then it is no good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled on by people. ¹⁴ You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ People do not light a lamp and put it under a basket. No, they put it on a stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way let your light shine in people’s presence, so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Jesus Fulfills the Old Testament

¹⁷ “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy them but to fulfill them. ¹⁸ Amen^[s] I tell you: Until heaven and earth pass away, not even the smallest letter, or even part of a letter, will in any way pass away from the Law until everything is fulfilled. ¹⁹ So whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever practices and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ Indeed I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and experts in the law, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Sinful Anger

²¹ “You have heard that it was said to people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,^[t] and whoever murders will be subject to judgment.’ ²² But I tell you that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause^[u] will be subject to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca,’^[v] will have to answer to the Sanhedrin. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of hell^[w] fire.

²³ “So if you are about to offer your gift at the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there in front of the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother. Then come and offer your gift.

²⁵ “If someone accuses you, reach an agreement with him quickly, while you are with him on the way. Otherwise your accuser may bring you to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. ²⁶ Amen I tell you: You will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

Lust

²⁷ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery,’^{[x] 28} but I tell you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹ If your right eye causes you to fall into sin, pluck it out and throw it away from you. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. ³⁰ If your right hand causes you to fall into sin, cut it off and throw it away from you. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

Divorce

³¹ “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’^{[y] 32} But I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, causes her to be regarded as an adulteress. And whoever marries the divorced woman is regarded as an adulterer.

Oaths

³³ “Again you have heard that it was said to people long ago, ‘Do not break your oaths, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.’^{[z] 34} But I tell you, do not swear at all: not by heaven, because it is God’s throne; ³⁵ and not by earth, because it is his footstool; and not by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King. ³⁶ And do not swear by your own head, since you cannot make one hair white or black. ³⁷ Instead, let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes,’ or ‘No, no.’ Whatever goes beyond these is from the Evil One.

Love Your Enemies

³⁸ “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’^{[aa] 39} But I tell you, do not resist an evildoer. If someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. ⁴⁰ If anyone wants to sue you to take away your shirt, give him your coat too. ⁴¹ Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. ⁴² Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor^[ab] and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ so that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶ Indeed if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even tax collectors do that, don’t they? ⁴⁷ If you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even the unbelievers do that? ⁴⁸ So then, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Do Not Be Hypocrites

6 “Be careful that you do not do your righteous works^[ac] in front of people, so that they will notice. If you do, you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. ² So whenever you perform acts of mercy, do not sound a trumpet for yourself, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets to be praised by people. Amen I tell you: They have received their reward. ³ Instead, when you perform acts of mercy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. ⁴ Then your acts of mercy will be in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.^[ad]

⁵ “Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. They love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by people. Amen I tell you: They have received their reward. ⁶ But whenever you pray, go into your private room, close your door, and pray to your Father who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what others cannot see, will reward you.^[ae]

The Lord’s Prayer

⁷ “And when you pray, do not babble like the heathen, since they think that they will be heard because of their many words. ⁸ However do not be like them, because your Father knows what you need before you ask him. ⁹ Therefore pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. ¹⁰ Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. ¹¹ Give us today our daily bread. ¹² Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. ¹³ Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’^[af]

¹⁴ “Indeed if you forgive people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive people their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Fasting

¹⁶ “Whenever you fast, do not make yourself look sad like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces to show everyone that they are fasting. Amen I tell you: They have received their reward. ¹⁷ But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, ¹⁸ so that it is not apparent to people that you are fasting, but only to your Father who sees what is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Treasures

¹⁹ “Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ Because where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

²² “The eye is the lamp of the body. So then if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon.^[ag]

Do Not Worry

²⁵ “For this reason I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air. They do not sow or reap or gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?

²⁷ “Which of you can add a single moment to his lifespan by worrying? ²⁸ Why do you worry about clothing? Consider how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin, ²⁹ but I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will he not clothe you even more, you of little faith?

³¹ “So do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ ³² For the unbelievers^[ah] chase after all these things. Certainly your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Consider the Beam in Your Own Eye

7 “Stop judging, so that you will not be judged. ² For with whatever standard you judge, you will be judged, and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you. ³ Why do you focus on^[ai] the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the beam that is in your own eye? ⁴ How will you tell your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ when, in fact, you have a beam in your own eye? ⁵ Hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Do Not Throw Your Pearls to Pigs

⁶ “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they will trample them under their feet and turn and tear you to pieces.

Keep Praying

⁷ “Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened for you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, it will be opened. ⁹ Who among you, if his son asks him for bread, would give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or who, if his son asks for a fish, would give him a snake? ¹¹ Then if you know how to give good gifts to your children, even though you are evil, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

The Golden Rule

¹² “So do for others whatever you want people to do for you, because this is the Law and the Prophets.

The Narrow Gate

¹³ “Enter through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter through it. ¹⁴ How narrow is the gate, and how difficult is the way that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Watch Out for False Prophets

¹⁵ “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶ By their fruit you will recognize them. You do not gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles, do you? ¹⁷ So then, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ So then, by their fruit you will recognize them. ²¹ Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. ²² Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and drive out demons in your name and perform many miracles in your name?’ ²³ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’

Wise and Foolish Builders

²⁴ “Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on bedrock. ²⁵ The rain came down, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house. But it did not fall, because it was founded on bedrock. ²⁶ Everyone who hears these words of mine but does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷ The rain came down, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—it was completely destroyed.”

²⁸ When Jesus finished speaking these words, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, ²⁹ because he taught them as one who had authority, and not like their experts in the law.

Jesus Heals a Leper

8 When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed him. ² Just then, a leper came to him and bowed down to him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

³ Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean.” Immediately he was healed of his leprosy. ⁴ Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one. Instead, go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

A Believing Centurion

⁵ When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him and pleaded with him, ⁶ “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed and suffering terribly.”

⁷ Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

⁸ The centurion answered, “Lord, I am not worthy for you to come under my roof. But only say the word, and my servant will be healed. ⁹ For I am also a man under authority, with soldiers under me. 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 this, he marveled. He said to those who were following him, “Amen I tell you: I have not found such great faith in anyone in Israel. ¹¹ I tell you that many will come from the east and the west and will recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. ¹² But the children of the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

¹³ Jesus said to the centurion, “Go. Let it be done for you as you have believed.” And his servant was healed at that very hour.

Jesus Heals Many

¹⁴ When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law sick in bed with a fever. ¹⁵ He touched her hand, and the fever left her. She got up and began to serve him. ¹⁶ When evening came, they brought to him many who were demon-possessed. He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. ¹⁷ This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: “He took up our weaknesses and carried away our diseases.”^[aj]

Follow Jesus

¹⁸ When Jesus saw a large crowd gathering around him, he gave orders to go over to the other shore.

¹⁹ Then an expert in the law came and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

²⁰ 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 Another of his disciples said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

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

Jesus Calms the Storm

²³ When he got into a boat, his disciples followed him. ²⁴ Suddenly a terrible storm came up on the sea, so that their boat was covered by the waves. But Jesus was sleeping. ²⁵ They went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to die!”

²⁶ He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” Then he got up, rebuked the wind and the sea, and there was a complete calm.

²⁷ The men were amazed, saying, “What kind of a man is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him!”

Two Demon-Possessed Men and a Herd of Pigs

²⁸ When he arrived at the other side, in the region of the Gergesenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him there. They were very dangerous, so that nobody could pass that way. ²⁹ Suddenly they cried out, “What do we have to do with you, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” ³⁰ There was a large herd of pigs feeding some distance away from them. ³¹ The demons begged him, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”

³² He told them, “Go!”

So the demons came out of the men and went into the pigs. Immediately the whole herd of pigs rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the water. ³³ Those who were feeding the pigs fled and went into the town. They reported everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. ³⁴ Then the entire town came out to meet Jesus. When they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.

Jesus Forgives Sins

9 Jesus got into a boat, crossed over, and came to his own town. ² There people brought to him a man who was paralyzed, lying on a stretcher. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Take heart, son! Your sins are forgiven.”

³ Then some of the experts in the law said among themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”

⁴ Since Jesus knew their thoughts, he said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? ⁵ Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? ⁶ But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” he then said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your stretcher, and go home.”

⁷ The man got up and went home. ⁸ When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

Calling of Matthew

⁹ As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting in the tax collector’s booth. He said to him, “Follow me.” Matthew got up and followed him.

¹⁰ As Jesus was reclining at the table in Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were actually there too, eating with Jesus and his disciples. ¹¹ When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

¹² When Jesus heard this, he said to them, “The healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. ¹³ Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’^[ak] In fact, I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

A Question About Fasting

¹⁴ Then John’s disciples came to him and said, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast at all?”

¹⁵ Jesus said to them, “Can the attendants of the bridegroom mourn while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. ¹⁶ No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, because the patch would tear away from the garment, and the hole would be made even worse. ¹⁷ And people do not pour new wine into old wineskins. If they did, the skins would burst, the wine would be spilled, and the skins would be ruined. Instead they pour new wine into fresh wineskins. By doing that, both are preserved.”

The Daughter of Jairus

¹⁸ As he was saying these things to them, there was a ruler who came, bowed down to him, and said, “My daughter has just died. But come, place your hand on her, and she will live.”

¹⁹ Jesus got up and followed him, as did his disciples. ²⁰ Just then, a woman who had been suffering from chronic bleeding for twelve years came up from behind and touched the fringe of his garment. ²¹ For she had been saying to herself, “If I just touch his garment, I will be healed.”

²² When Jesus turned around and saw her, he said, “Take heart, daughter! Your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed from that moment.

²³ When Jesus came into the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd, ²⁴ he said to them, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but is sleeping.”

But they laughed at him.

²⁵ When the crowd was sent out of the house, Jesus went in, took the girl by the hand, and she was raised. ²⁶ News of this went out through the entire region.

Two Blind Men

²⁷ As Jesus left that place, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”

²⁸ When he entered the house, the blind men came to him. Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

They told him, “Yes, Lord.”

²⁹ Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done for you.” ³⁰ And their eyes were opened. Then Jesus warned them emphatically, “See to it that no one learns about this.” ³¹ But they went out and spread the word about him throughout that entire region.

Jesus Heals a Mute Man

³² Just as they were leaving, people brought to him a demon-possessed man who could not talk. ³³ After the demon was driven out, the mute man spoke. The crowds were amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel!”

³⁴ But the Pharisees said, “He drives out demons by the ruler of demons.”

³⁵ Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness.

Pray for Workers

³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he was moved with compassion for them, because they were troubled and downcast, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. ³⁸ Therefore pray that the Lord of the harvest will send out workers into his harvest.”

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve

10 Jesus called his twelve disciples to himself and gave them authority to drive out unclean spirits and to heal every disease and every sickness. ² These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James the son of Zebedee and his brother John; ³ Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; ⁴ Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

⁵ Jesus sent these twelve out and commanded them, “Do not go among the Gentiles, and do not enter any town of the Samaritans. ⁶ Go instead to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ⁷ As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near!’ ⁸ Heal the sick. Raise the dead. Cleanse lepers. Drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. ⁹ Do not take gold, silver, or bronze in your money belts. ¹⁰ Do not take a bag for the journey, or two coats, sandals, or a staff, because the worker deserves his support. ¹¹ Whenever you enter a town or village, find out who is worthy and stay there until you leave. ¹² As you enter the household, give it your greeting. ¹³ If the household is worthy, let your peace rest on it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. ¹⁴ If anyone does not receive you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet as you leave that house or that town. ¹⁵ Amen I tell you: It will be more bearable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

¹⁶ “Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. ¹⁷ Be on guard against people. They will hand you over to councils, and they will whip you in their synagogues. ¹⁸ You will be brought into the presence of governors and kings for my sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. ¹⁹ Whenever they hand you over, do not be worried about how you will respond or what you will say, because what you say will be given to you in that hour. ²⁰ In fact you will not be the ones speaking, but the Spirit of your Father will be speaking through you.

²¹ “Brother will hand over his brother to death, and a father will do the same with his child. Children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. ²² You will be hated by all people because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved. ²³ And when they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. Amen I tell you: You will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

²⁴ “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor is a servant above his master. ²⁵ It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher and the servant like his master. If the master of the house was called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!

²⁶ “So do not be afraid of them, because there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known. ²⁷ What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops. ²⁸ Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

²⁹ “Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?^[al] Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without the knowledge and consent of your Father. ³⁰ And even the hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ So do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.

³² “Everyone who confesses me before others, I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven. ³³ But whoever denies me before others, I will also deny before my Father who is in heaven.

³⁴ “Do not think that I came to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵ For I came to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. ³⁶ A man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.^[am]

³⁷ “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. ³⁸ Whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ³⁹ Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

⁴⁰ “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. ⁴¹ Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. Whoever receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. ⁴² Whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink because he is my disciple—Amen I tell you—he will never lose his reward.”

11 After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he moved on from there to teach and preach in their towns.

John the Baptist and Christ

² While John was in prison, he heard about the things Christ was doing. He sent two of his disciples ³ to ask him, “Are you the Coming One or should we wait for someone else?”

⁴ Jesus answered them, “Go, report to John what you hear and see: ⁵ The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the gospel is preached to the poor. ⁶ Blessed is the one who does not take offense at me.”

⁷ As these two were leaving, Jesus began to talk to the crowds about John. “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? ⁸ What did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? No, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. ⁹ So what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you! And he is much more than a prophet. ¹⁰ This is the one about whom it is written, ‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’^{[an] 11} Amen I tell you: Among those born of women there has not appeared anyone greater than John the Baptist. Yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ¹² From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been advancing forcefully^[ao] and forceful people are seizing it. ¹³ In fact, all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. ¹⁴ If you are willing to receive it, he is the Elijah who was to come. ¹⁵ Whoever has ears to hear,^[ap] let him hear.

¹⁶ “To what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces who call to others, ¹⁷ ‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance. We sang a dirge, but you did not mourn.’ ¹⁸ John did not come eating or drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ ¹⁹ But the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘See, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her actions.”

Woe to Unrepentant Cities

²⁰ Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles were performed, because they did not repent. ²¹ “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles which were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. ²² But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. ²³ You, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? No, you will go down to hell.^[aq] For if the miracles performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. ²⁴ But I tell you that it will be more bearable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

“Come to Me” and “I Will Give You Rest”

²⁵ At that time, Jesus continued, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from clever and learned people and have revealed them to little children. ²⁶ Yes, Father, because this was pleasing to you. ²⁷ Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wants to reveal him.

²⁸ “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Lord of the Sabbath

12 At that time, Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick heads of grain and eat them. ² But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, what your disciples are doing is unlawful on the Sabbath.”

³ But he said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? ⁴ He entered God’s house and ate the Bread of the Presence, which was lawful only for the priests to eat, not for him or his companions. ⁵ Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath days, the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? ⁶ But I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. ⁷ Yet if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’^[ar] you would not have condemned the innocent. ⁸ For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

Jesus Heals a Man With a Withered Hand

⁹ Going on from there, he went into their synagogue. ¹⁰ A man was there who had a withered hand. Looking for a way to accuse Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on Sabbath days?”

¹¹ He said to them, “Who among you, if you have one sheep that falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? ¹² How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” ¹³ Then he told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and it was restored, as healthy as the other one. ¹⁴ But the Pharisees went out and plotted against him, considering how they might put him to death.

“Here Is My Servant”

¹⁵ Since Jesus was aware of this, he withdrew from that place. Large crowds followed him and he healed them all. ¹⁶ He ordered them not to tell others about him. ¹⁷ This happened to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet:

Jesus Has Power to Drive Out Demons

²² Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and unable to speak was brought to him. Jesus healed him so that he was able to speak and to see. ²³ All the people were amazed and said, “Can this be the Son of David?”^{[aw] 24} But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”

²⁵ Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed, and every town or household divided against itself will not stand. ²⁶ If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? ²⁷ Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? Therefore they will be your judges. ²⁸ But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. ²⁹ Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and take his goods, unless he first ties up the strong man? Only then can he plunder his house.

³⁰ “Whoever is not with me is against me. And whoever does not gather with me scatters. ³¹ Therefore I tell you, people will be forgiven every sin and blasphemy, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. ³² Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven—either in this age or in the one to come.

³³ “Either make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad. Indeed, a tree is known by its fruit. ³⁴ You offspring of vipers! How can you say anything good, since you are evil? For what the mouth speaks flows from the heart. ³⁵ The good man brings good out of his good treasure, and the evil man brings evil out of his evil treasure. ³⁶ I tell you that on the day of judgment people will give account of every careless word they have spoken. ³⁷ In fact by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

The Sign of Jonah

³⁸ Then some of the experts in the law and Pharisees replied, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”

³⁹ But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation wishes for a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. ⁴⁰ For just as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. ⁴¹ The men of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah. But one even greater than Jonah is here. ⁴² The Queen of the South will be raised up in the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. But one even greater than Solomon is here.

⁴³ “When an unclean spirit has gone out of someone, it passes through dry places looking for rest, but it does not find it. ⁴⁴ Then it says, ‘I will return to the home I came from.’ And when it has returned, it finds the place empty, swept, and put in order. ⁴⁵ Then it takes along with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter in and live there. So the last condition of that person becomes worse than the first. That is how it will be for this evil generation too.”

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers

⁴⁶ While he was still speaking to the crowd, his mother and his brothers happened to be standing outside, wanting to talk to him. ⁴⁷ Someone said to him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to talk to you.”

⁴⁸ But he replied to the one who told him, “Who is my mother? And who are my brothers?” ⁴⁹ He reached out his hand toward his disciples and said, “See, my mother and my brothers! ⁵⁰ For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

The Parable of the Sower

13 That same day Jesus left the house and was sitting by the sea. ² A large crowd gathered around him. So he stepped into a boat and sat down, while all the people stood on the shore. ³ He told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen, a sower went out to sow. ⁴ As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it. ⁵ Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. Immediately the seed sprang up, because the soil was not deep. ⁶ But when the sun rose, the seed was scorched. Because it had no root, it withered away. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and choked it. ⁸ But some seed fell on good ground and produced grain: some one hundred times, some sixty, and some thirty times more than was sown. ⁹ Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”

¹⁰ The disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”

¹¹ He answered them, “To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but it has not been given to them. ¹² For whoever has will be given even more, and he will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. ¹³ This is why I speak to them in parables, because even though they see, they do not see; and even though they hear, they do not hear or understand. ¹⁴ In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled which says,

¹⁶ “But blessed are your eyes because they see and your ears because they hear. ¹⁷ Amen I tell you: Many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you are seeing, but they did not see it. They longed to hear what you are hearing, but they did not hear it.

¹⁸ “So listen carefully to the parable of the sower. ¹⁹ When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the Evil One comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the seed that was sown along the path. ²⁰ The seed that was sown on rocky ground is the person who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, ²¹ yet he is not deeply rooted and does not endure. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away. ²² The seed that was sown among the thorns is the one who hears the word, but the worry of this world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it produces no fruit. ²³ But the seed that was sown on the good ground is the one who continues to hear and understand the word. Indeed he continues to produce fruit: some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times more than was sown.”

The Parable of the Weeds

²⁴ He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. ²⁵ But while people were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. ²⁶ When the plants sprouted and produced heads of grain, the weeds also appeared. ²⁷ The servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where did the weeds come from?’ ²⁸ He said to them, ‘An enemy did this.’ The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and gather up the weeds?’ ²⁹ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because when you gather up the weeds, you might pull up the wheat along with them. ³⁰ Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First, gather up the weeds, bind them in bundles, and burn them. Then, gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

Mustard Seed and Yeast

³¹ He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. ³² It is one of the smallest of seeds. But when it grows, it is larger than the other plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”

³³ He spoke another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast, which a woman took and mixed into a bushel^[ay] of flour until the whole batch was leavened.”

³⁴ Jesus spoke all these things in parables to the crowds. He did not speak to them without telling a parable. ³⁵ This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

Jesus Explains the Parable of the Weeds

³⁶ Then Jesus sent the people away and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

³⁷ He answered them, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. ³⁸ The field is the world. The good seeds are the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the Evil One. ³⁹ The enemy who sowed them is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the world. The reapers are angels. ⁴⁰ Therefore, just as the weeds are gathered up and burned with fire, so it will be at the end of the world. ⁴¹ The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will pull out of his kingdom everything that causes sin^[ba] and those who continue to break the law. ⁴² The angels will throw them into the fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³ Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.

The Treasure, the Pearl, and the Net

⁴⁴ “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid again. In his joy, he goes away and sells all that he has and buys that field.

⁴⁵ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls. ⁴⁶ When he found one very valuable pearl, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

⁴⁷ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. ⁴⁸ When the net was filled, they pulled it onto the shore. They sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but threw the bad ones away. ⁴⁹ That is how it will be at the end of the world. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous who are among them. ⁵⁰ And they will throw the wicked into the fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” ⁵¹ Jesus said to them, “Did you understand all these things?”

They answered him, “Yes.”

⁵² He said to them, “Therefore every expert in the law who has been trained as a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his treasure both new things and old things.”

⁵³ When Jesus had finished these parables, he left that place.

A Prophet Without Honor

⁵⁴ Jesus entered his hometown and taught in their synagogue. As a result, the people were amazed and said, “Where did this fellow get this wisdom and these miracles? ⁵⁵ Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother named Mary? And aren’t James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas his brothers? ⁵⁶ And aren’t all of his sisters here with us? Where then did this fellow get all of these things?” ⁵⁷ And they took offense at him.

But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his own hometown and in his own house.” ⁵⁸ He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.

Recalling the Death of John the Baptist

14 At that time, Herod the tetrarch heard the news about Jesus. ² He said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist! He has risen from the dead! That is why these powers are working in him.” ³ For Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. ⁴ John had been telling him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” ⁵ Although Herod wanted to put him to death, he feared the crowd, because they regarded him as a prophet. ⁶ But when it was Herod’s birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced among them. This pleased Herod. ⁷ So he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. ⁸ Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”

⁹ Although this saddened the king, because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that it be done. ¹⁰ He sent the order and had John beheaded in prison. ¹¹ His head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. ¹² John’s disciples came, took the body, and buried it. Then they went and reported this to Jesus.

Jesus Feeds More Than Five Thousand

¹³ When Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place to be alone. When the crowds heard this, they followed him on foot from the towns.

¹⁴ When Jesus got out of the boat, he saw a large crowd. He had compassion on them and healed their sick. ¹⁵ When evening came, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place and the hour is already late. Send the crowds away, so that they can go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”

¹⁶ But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

¹⁷ They told him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”

¹⁸ “Bring them here to me,” he replied. ¹⁹ Then he instructed the people to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves and the two fish. After looking up to heaven, he blessed them. He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples. The disciples gave the food to the people. ²⁰ They all ate and were filled. They picked up twelve basketfuls of what was left over from the broken pieces. ²¹ Those who ate were about five thousand men, not even counting women and children.

Jesus Walks on Water

²² Immediately Jesus urged the disciples to get into the boat and to go ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. ²³ After he had dismissed the crowd, he went up onto the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone. ²⁴ By then the boat was quite a distance from shore, being pounded by the waves because the wind was against it. ²⁵ In the fourth watch of the night,^[bb] Jesus came toward them, walking on the sea. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified and cried out in fear, “It’s a ghost!” ²⁷ But Jesus spoke to them at once, saying, “Take heart! It is I! Do not be afraid.”

²⁸ Peter answered him and said, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”

²⁹ Jesus said, “Come!”

Peter stepped down from the boat, walked on the water, and went toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the strong wind, he was afraid. As he began to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”

³¹ Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand, took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” ³² When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. ³³ Those who were in the boat worshipped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God!”

³⁴ When they had crossed over, they came to the shore at Gennesaret. ³⁵ When the men of that place recognized him, they sent word into all the surrounding region. They brought to him all who were sick ³⁶ and begged that they might just touch the fringe of his garment. All who touched it were completely cured.

Commandments and Traditions

15 Then the Pharisees and experts in the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, ² “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”

³ He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? ⁴ For example, God said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’^[bc] and, ‘Whoever speaks evil of his father or mother should be put to death.’^{[bd] 5} But you say that if someone tells his father or mother, ‘Whatever help you might have received from me has been dedicated as a gift to God,’^{[be] 6} that man does not need to honor his father or his mother.^[bf] And so you set aside the word of God for the sake of your tradition. ⁷ Hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:

¹⁰ Then he summoned the crowd and said to them, “Listen and understand. ¹¹ What goes into the mouth does not make a person unclean, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles a person.”