The Fall

3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal^[a] which Yahweh God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God indeed say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?” ² The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat, ³ but from the tree that is in the midst of the garden, God said, ‘You shall not eat from it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die’.” ⁴ But the serpent said to the woman, “You shall not surely die. ⁵ For God knows that on the day you both eat from it, then your eyes will be opened and you both shall be like gods,^[b] knowing good and evil.” ⁶ When^[c] the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was a delight to the eyes, and the tree was desirable to make one wise, then^[d] she took from its fruit and she ate. And she gave it also to her husband with her, and he ate. ⁷ Then^[e] the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed together fig leaves and they made for themselves coverings.

⁸ Then^[f] they heard the sound of Yahweh God walking in the garden at the windy time of day.^[g] And the man^[h] and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Yahweh God among the trees of the garden. ⁹ And Yahweh God called to the man^[i] and said to him, “Where are you?” ¹⁰ And he replied,^[j] “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid because I am naked, so I hid myself.” ¹¹ Then he^[k] asked,^[l] “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree from which I forbade you to eat?”^{[m] 12} And the man^[n] replied,^[o] “The woman whom you gave to be with me—she gave to me from the tree and I ate.” ¹³ Then^[p] Yahweh God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” ¹⁴ Then^[q] Yahweh God said to the serpent,

¹⁶ To the woman he said,

¹⁷ And to Adam^[v] he said, “Because you listened to the voice of your wife and you ate from the tree from which I forbade you to eat,^[w]

²⁰ And the man^[y] named^[z] his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all life. ²¹ And Yahweh God made for Adam^[aa] and for his wife garments of skin, and he clothed them.

²² And Yahweh God said, “Look—the man has become as one of us, to know good and evil. What if^[ab] he stretches out his hand and takes also from the tree of life and eats, and lives forever?” ²³ And Yahweh God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken. ²⁴ So^[ac] he drove the man out, and placed cherubim east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming, turning sword^[ad] to guard the way to the tree of life.

The Parable of the Sower

13 On that day Jesus went out of the house and^[a] was sitting by the sea.^{[b] 2} And large crowds gathered close around him, so that he got into a boat to sit down, and all the crowd was standing on the shore. ³ And he spoke many things to them in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow, ⁴ and while he was sowing, some seed^[c] fell on the side of the path, and the birds came and^[d] devoured it. ⁵ And other seed fell on the rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up at once because it did not have any depth of soil. ⁶ But when^[e] the sun rose it was scorched, and because it did not have enough root, it withered. ⁷ And other seed fell among the thorn plants, and the thorn plants came up and choked it. ⁸ But other seed fell on the good soil and produced grain,^[f] this one a hundred times as much and this one sixty and this one thirty. ⁹ The one who has ears, let him hear!”

The Reason for the Parables

¹⁰ And the disciples came up and^[g] said to him, “Why^[h] do you speak to them in parables?” ¹¹ And he answered and^[i] said to them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to those people it has not been granted. ¹² For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. ¹³ For this reason I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand, ¹⁴ and with reference to them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says,

¹⁶ But your eyes are blessed because they see, and your ears because they hear. ¹⁷ For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it,^[m] and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it!^[n]

The Parable of the Sower Interpreted

¹⁸ “You, therefore, listen to the parable of the sower: ¹⁹ When^[o] anyone hears the word about the kingdom and does not understand it,^[p] the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is what was sown on the side of the path. ²⁰ And what was sown on the rocky ground—this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. ²¹ But he does not have a root in himself, but lasts only a little while,^[q] and when^[r] affliction or persecution happens because of the word, immediately he falls away. ²² And what was sown into the thorn plants—this is the one who hears the word, and the anxiety of this world^[s] and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word and it becomes unproductive. ²³ But what was sown on the good soil—this is the one who hears the word and understands it,^[t] who indeed bears fruit and produces, this one a hundred times as much, and this one sixty, and this one thirty.”

The Parable of the Weeds Among the Wheat

²⁴ He put before them another parable, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. ²⁵ But while his^[u] people were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed darnel^[v] in the midst of the wheat and went away. ²⁶ So when the wheat^[w] sprouted and yielded grain, then the darnel appeared also. ²⁷ So the slaves of the master of the house came and^[x] said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have darnel?’ ²⁸ And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ So the slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and^[y] gather them?’ ²⁹ But he said, “No, lest when you^[z] gather the darnel you uproot the wheat together with it. ³⁰ Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the season of the harvest I will tell the reapers, “First gather the darnel and tie it into bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my storehouse.”’”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

³¹ He put before them another parable, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and^[aa] sowed in his field. ³² It^[ab] is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it is grown it is larger than the garden herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.”

The Parable of the Yeast

³³ He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and^[ac] put into three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened.”

Parables Fulfill Prophecy

³⁴ Jesus spoke all these things to the crowds in parables, and he was saying nothing to them without a parable, ³⁵ in order that what was spoken through the prophet would be fulfilled, who said,

The Parable of the Weeds Interpreted

³⁶ Then he left the crowds and^[af] came into the house, and his disciples came to him saying, “Explain the parable of the darnel in the field to us.” ³⁷ So he answered and^[ag] said, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, ³⁸ and the field is the world. And the good seed—these are the sons of the kingdom, but the darnel are the sons of the evil one. ³⁹ And the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. ⁴⁰ Thus just as the darnel is gathered and burned^[ah] with fire, so it will be at the end of the age. ⁴¹ The Son of Man will send out his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all the causes of sin and those who do lawless deeds, ⁴² and throw them into the fiery furnace.^[ai] In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth! ⁴³ Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.^[aj] The one who has ears, let him hear!

The Parable of the Treasure Hidden in a Field

⁴⁴ “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, that a man found and^[ak] concealed, and in his joy he goes and sells everything that he has and buys that field.

The Parable of the Valuable Pearl

⁴⁵ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. ⁴⁶ And when he^[al] found one very valuable pearl, he went and^[am] sold everything that he possessed and purchased it.

The Parable of the Dragnet

⁴⁷ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish^[an] of every kind, ⁴⁸ which when it was filled they pulled to shore and sat down and^[ao] collected the good fish^[ap] into containers, but the bad they threw out. ⁴⁹ Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the evil from among the righteous ⁵⁰ and throw them into the fiery furnace.^[aq] In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!

⁵¹ “Have you understood all these things?” They said to him, “Yes.” ⁵² And he said to them, “For this reason every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of the house who brings out of his storeroom new things and old things.”

Rejected at Nazareth

⁵³ And it happened that when Jesus had finished these parables he went away from there. ⁵⁴ And he came to his hometown and^[ar] began to teach^[as] them in their synagogue, so that they were amazed and said, “From where did this man get this wisdom and these miracles? ⁵⁵ Is not this one the son of the carpenter? Is not his mother called Mary and his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? ⁵⁶ And are not all his sisters with us? From where then did this man get all these things?” ⁵⁷ And they were offended by him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own hometown and in his own household.” ⁵⁸ And he did not perform many miracles in that place because of their unbelief.

Jesus as the Good Shepherd

10 “Truly, truly I say to you, the one who does not enter through the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up at some other place—that one is a thief and a robber. ² But the one who enters through the door is the shepherd of the sheep. ³ For this one the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴ Whenever he sends out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. ⁵ And they will never follow a stranger, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” ⁶ Jesus told them this parable, but they did not understand what it was that he was saying to them.

⁷ Then Jesus said to them^[a] again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. ⁸ All those who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep do not listen to them. ⁹ I am the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will come in and will go out and will find pasture. ¹⁰ The thief comes only^[b] so that he can steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and have it^[c] abundantly.

¹¹ “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹² The hired hand, who is not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf approaching and abandons the sheep and runs away—and the wolf seizes them and scatters them^[d]— ¹³ because he is a hired hand and he is not concerned^[e] about the sheep.

¹⁴ “I am the good shepherd, and I know my own, and my own know me, ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶ And I have other sheep which are not from this fold. I must bring these also, and they will hear my voice, and they will become one flock—one shepherd. ¹⁷ Because of this the Father loves me, because I lay down my life so that I may take possession of it again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from me, but I lay it down voluntarily.^[f] I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take possession of it again. This commandment I received from my Father.”

¹⁹ Again there was a division among the Jews because of these words. ²⁰ And many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is out of his mind! Why do you listen to him?” ²¹ Others were saying, “These are not the words of one who is possessed by a demon! A demon is not able to open the eyes of the blind, is it?”^[g]

Jesus at the Feast of the Dedication

²² Then the feast of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, ²³ and Jesus was walking in the temple in the Portico of Solomon. ²⁴ So the Jews surrounded him and began to say^[h] to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense?^[i] If you are the Christ, tell us plainly!” ²⁵ Jesus answered them, “I told you and you do not believe! The deeds that I do in the name of my Father, these testify about me. ²⁶ But you do not believe, because you are not of my sheep! ²⁷ My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ And I give them eternal life, and they will never perish forever,^[j] and no one will seize them out of my hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them^[k] to me, is greater than all, and no one can seize them^[l] from the Father’s hand. ³⁰ The Father and I are one.”

³¹ Then^[m] the Jews picked up stones again so that they could stone him. ³² Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good deeds from the Father. For which one of them are you going to stone me?” ³³ The Jews answered him, “We are not going to stone you concerning a good deed, but concerning blasphemy, and because you, although you^[n] are a man, make yourself to be God!” ³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods”’?^{[o] 35} If he called them ‘gods’ to whom the word of God came—and the scripture cannot be broken— ³⁶ do you say about he whom the Father set apart and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? ³⁷ If I do not do the deeds of my Father, do not believe me. ³⁸ But if I am doing them,^[p] even if you do not believe me, believe the deeds, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” ³⁹ So they were seeking again to seize him, and he departed out of their hand.

⁴⁰ And he went away again on the other side of the Jordan, to the place where John was baptizing at an earlier time, and he stayed there. ⁴¹ And many came to him and began to say,^[q] “John performed no sign, but everything John said about this man was true!” ⁴² And many believed in him there.

Leadership and Humility

5 Therefore I, your fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and^[a] also a sharer of the glory that is going to be revealed, exhort the elders among you: ² shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not by compulsion but willingly, in accordance with God, and not greedily but eagerly, ³ and not as lording it over those under your care^[b], but being examples for the flock. ⁴ And when^[c] the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

⁵ In the same way, younger men, be subject to the elders, and all of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. ⁶ Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the right time, ⁷ casting all your cares on him, because he cares^[d] for you.

⁸ Be sober; be on the alert. Your adversary the devil walks around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. ⁹ Resist him^[e], steadfast in your^[f] faith, because you^[g] know the same kinds of sufferings are being accomplished by your community of believers in the world. ¹⁰ And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ,^[h] after you^[i] have suffered for a short time, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. ¹¹ To him be the power forever and ever^[j].^[k] Amen.

Conclusion and Final Greetings

¹² Through Silvanus, the faithful brother (as I consider him), I have written to you briefly^[l] to encourage you and to attest that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it. ¹³ She who is in Babylon, chosen the same as you, greets you, and so does my son Mark. ¹⁴ Greet one another with a loving kiss. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.

The Woman and Her Son Versus the Dragon

12 And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun and with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars, ² and who was pregnant^[a] and was crying out because she^[b] was having birth pains, and was in torment to give birth. ³ And another sign appeared in heaven, and behold, a great fiery red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven royal headbands.^{[c] 4} And his tail swept away a third of the stars from heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, in order that whenever she gave birth to her child he could devour it. ⁵ And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is going to shepherd all the nations with an iron rod,^[d] and her child was snatched away to God and to his throne. ⁶ And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she had a place prepared there by God, so that they could feed her there for one thousand two hundred sixty days.

Satan Thrown Down from Heaven to Earth

⁷ And there was war in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against^[e] the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back^[f]. ⁸ And they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them any longer in heaven. ⁹ And the great dragon was thrown down, the ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

¹⁰ And I heard a loud voice in heaven saying,

¹³ And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. ¹⁴ And the two wings of a great eagle were given to the woman, in order that she could fly into the wilderness, to her place where she is fed there for a time, and times, and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. ¹⁵ And from his mouth the serpent spouted water like a river after the woman, in order that he could make her swept away by a river. ¹⁶ And the earth came to the aid of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river that the dragon had spouted out of his mouth. ¹⁷ And the dragon was angry at the woman, and went away to fight against^[h] the rest of her children, those who keep the commandments of God and who hold to the testimony about Jesus. ¹⁸ And he stood on the sand of the sea.