Plucking Grain on the Sabbath

6 Now it happened that on a Sabbath he went through the grain fields, and his disciples were picking and eating the heads of grain, rubbing them^[a] in their^[b] hands. ² But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not permitted on the Sabbath? ³ And Jesus answered and^[c] said to them, “Have you not read this, what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry— ⁴ how he entered into the house of God and took the bread of the presentation, which it is not permitted to eat (except the priests alone), and^[d] ate it^[e] and gave it^[f] to those with him?” ⁵ And he said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

A Man with a Withered Hand Healed

⁶ Now it happened that on another Sabbath he entered into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there, and his right hand was withered. ⁷ So the scribes and the Pharisees were watching closely^[g] to see if he would heal on the Sabbath, in order that they could find a reason^[h] to accuse him. ⁸ But he knew their thoughts and said to the man who had the withered hand, “Get up and stand in the middle,” and he got up and^[i] stood there. ⁹ And Jesus said to them, “I ask you whether it is permitted on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save a life or to destroy it?”^{[j] 10} And after^[k] looking around at them all, he said to him, “Stretch out your hand,” and he did, and his hand was restored. ¹¹ But they were filled with fury, and began discussing^[l] with one another what they might do to Jesus.

The Selection of the Twelve Apostles

¹² Now it happened that in these days he went away to the mountain to pray, and was spending the whole night in prayer to God. ¹³ And when day came, he summoned his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he also named apostles: ¹⁴ Simon (whom he also named Peter) and his brother Andrew, and James, and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, ¹⁵ and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, ¹⁶ and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

The Sermon on the Plain: The Beatitudes

¹⁷ And he came down with them and^[m] stood on a level place, and a large crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all of Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast district of Tyre and Sidon, ¹⁸ who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases, and those who were troubled by unclean spirits were cured. ¹⁹ And the whole crowd was seeking to touch him, because power was going out from him and healing them all.

²⁰ And he lifted up his eyes to his disciples and^[n] said,

The Sermon on the Plain: Woes

The Sermon on the Plain: Love for Enemies

²⁷ “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. ²⁹ To the one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from the one who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic also. ³⁰ Give to everyone who asks you, and from the one who takes away your things, do not ask for them back.^{[o] 31} And just as you want people to do^[p] to you, do the same^[q] to them.

³² “And if you love those who love you, what kind of credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them! ³³ And if^[r] you do good to those who do good to you, what kind of credit is that to you? Even the sinners do the same! ³⁴ And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive back, what kind of credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, so that they may get back an equal amount! ³⁵ But love your enemies, and do good, and lend expecting back nothing, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. ³⁶ Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful!^[s]

The Sermon on the Plain: On Judging Others

³⁷ “And do not judge, and you will never be judged. And do not condemn, and you will never be condemned. Pardon, and you will be pardoned. ³⁸ Give, and it will be given to you, a good measure—pressed down, shaken, overflowing—they will pour out into your lap. For with the measure by which you measure out, it will be measured out to you in return.”

³⁹ And he also told them a parable: “Surely a blind person cannot lead the blind, can he?^[t] Will they not both fall into a pit? ⁴⁰ A disciple is not superior to his^[u] teacher, but everyone, when he^[v] is fully trained, will be like his teacher. ⁴¹ And why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the beam of wood that is in your own eye? ⁴² How are you able to say to your brother, “Brother, allow me to remove the speck that is in your eye,” while^[w] you yourself do not see the beam of wood in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the beam of wood from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye!

The Sermon on the Plain: Trees and Their Fruit

⁴³ “For there is no good tree that produces bad fruit, nor on the other hand a bad tree that produces good fruit, ⁴⁴ for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorn plants, nor are grapes harvested from thorn bushes. ⁴⁵ The good person out of the good treasury of his heart brings forth good, and the evil person out of his^[x] evil treasury^[y] brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

⁴⁶ “And why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I tell you?^[z]

The Sermon on the Plain: Two Houses and Two Foundations

⁴⁷ “Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and does them—I will show you what he is like: ⁴⁸ he is like a man building a house, who dug and went down deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when^[aa] a flood came, the river burst against that house and was not able to shake it, because it had been built well. ⁴⁹ But the one who hears my words^[ab] and does not do them^[ac] is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation, which the river burst against, and immediately it collapsed—and the collapse of that house was great!”

Sin, Forgiveness, Faith, and Service

17 And he said to his disciples, “It is impossible for causes for stumbling not to come, but woe to him through whom they come! ² It would be better for him if a millstone^[a] is placed around his neck and he is thrown into the sea than that he causes one of these little ones to sin.

³ “Be concerned about yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. ⁴ And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times he returns to you saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

⁵ And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” ⁶ So the Lord said, “If you have faith like a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

⁷ “And which of you who has a slave plowing or shepherding sheep^[b] who comes in from the field will say to him, ‘Come here at once and^[c] recline at the table’? ⁸ Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something that I may eat, and dress yourself to serve me while I eat and drink, and after these things you will eat and drink.’ ⁹ He will not be grateful^[d] to the slave because he did what was ordered, will he?^{[e] 10} Thus you also, when you have done all the things you were ordered to do,^[f] say, ‘We are unworthy slaves; we have done what we were obligated to do.’”

Ten Lepers Cleansed

¹¹ And it happened that while traveling toward Jerusalem, he was passing through the region between^[g] Samaria and Galilee. ¹² And as^[h] he was entering into a certain village, ten men met him^[i][j]—lepers, who stood at a distance. ¹³ And they raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” ¹⁴ And when he^[k] saw them^[l] he said to them, “Go and^[m] show yourselves to the priests.” And it happened that as they were going, they were cleansed. ¹⁵ But one of them, when he^[n] saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. ¹⁶ And he fell on his face at his feet, giving thanks to him. And he was a Samaritan. ¹⁷ So Jesus answered and^[o] said, “Were not ten cleansed? And where are the nine? ¹⁸ Was no one found to turn back and^[p] give praise to God except this foreigner?” ¹⁹ And he said to him, “Get up and^[q] go your way. Your faith has saved you.”

The Coming of the Kingdom of God

²⁰ Now when he^[r] was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with things that can be observed,^{[s] 21} nor will they say, ‘Behold, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

The Coming of the Son of Man

²² And he said to the disciples, “Days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.^{[t] 23} And they will say to you, ‘Behold, there!’ ‘Behold, here!’^[u] Do not go out or run after them!^{[v] 24} For just as the lightning shines forth, flashing from one place under heaven to another place under heaven, so the Son of Man will be in his day. ²⁵ But first it is necessary for him to suffer many things, and to be rejected by this generation. ²⁶ And just as it was in the days of Noah, so also it will be in the days of the Son of Man— ²⁷ they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. ²⁸ Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building. ²⁹ But on the day that Lot went out from Sodom, it rained fire and sulphur from heaven and destroyed them all. ³⁰ It will be just the same^[w] on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. ³¹ On that day, whoever is on the housetop and his goods are in the house must not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field must not turn back ³² Remember Lot’s wife! ³³ Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it^[x] will keep it. ³⁴ I tell you that in that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left. ³⁵ There will be two women^[y] grinding at the same place; one will be taken and the other will be left.”^[z]

³⁷ And they answered and^[aa] said to him, “Where, Lord?” So he said to them, “Where the dead body is, there also the vultures will be gathered.”

The Parable of the Unjust Judge

18 And he told them a parable to show that they must always pray and not be discouraged, ² saying, “There was a certain judge in a certain town who did not fear God and did not respect people. ³ And there was a widow in that town, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary!’ ⁴ And he was not willing for a time, but after these things he said to himself, ‘Even if I do not fear God or respect people, ⁵ yet because this widow is causing trouble for me, I will grant her justice, so that she does not wear me down in the end by her^[ab] coming back!’” ⁶ And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge is saying! ⁷ And will not God surely see to it that justice is done^[ac] to his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night, and will he delay toward them? ⁸ I tell you that he will see to it that justice is done^[ad] for them soon! Nevertheless, when^[ae] the Son of Man comes, then will he find faith on earth?”

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

⁹ And he also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and looked down on everyone else:^{[af] 10} “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood and^[ag] prayed these things with reference to himself: ‘God, I give thanks to you that I am not like other people—swindlers, unrighteous people, adulterers, or even like this tax collector! ¹² I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all that I get.’ ¹³ But the tax collector, standing far away, did not want even to raise his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ ¹⁴ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than that one! For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Little Children Brought to Jesus

¹⁵ Now they were bringing even their^[ah] babies to him so that he could touch them. But when^[ai] the disciples saw it,^[aj] they rebuked them. ¹⁶ But Jesus called them to himself, saying, “Allow the children to come to me, and do not forbid them, for to such belongs^[ak] the kingdom of God. ¹⁷ Truly I say to you, whoever does not welcome the kingdom of God like a young child will never enter into it.”

A Rich Young Man

¹⁸ And a certain ruler asked him, saying, “Good Teacher, by^[al] doing what will I inherit eternal life?” ¹⁹ And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. ²⁰ You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’”^{[am] 21} And he said, “All these I have observed from my^[an] youth.” ²² And when he^[ao] heard this,^[ap] Jesus said to him, “You still lack one thing:^[aq] Sell all that you have, and distribute the proceeds^[ar] to the poor—and you will have treasure in heaven—and come, follow me.” ²³ But when he^[as] heard these things he became very sad, because he was extremely wealthy.

²⁴ And Jesus took notice of him^[at] and^[au] said, “How difficult it is for^[av] those who possess wealth to enter into the kingdom of God! ²⁵ For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of God. ²⁶ So those who heard this^[aw] said, “And who can be saved?” ²⁷ But he said, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”

²⁸ And Peter said, “Behold, we have left all that is ours^[ax] and^[ay] followed you.” ²⁹ And he said to them, “Truly I say to you that there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children on account of the kingdom of God, ³⁰ who will not receive many times more in this time and in the age to come, eternal life.”

Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection a Third Time

³¹ And taking aside the twelve, he said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all the things that are written by the prophets with reference to the Son of Man will be accomplished. ³² For he will be handed over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and mistreated and spit on, ³³ and after^[az] flogging him^[ba] they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” ³⁴ And they understood none of these things, and this saying was concealed from them, and they did not comprehend the things that were said.

A Blind Man Healed at Jericho

³⁵ Now it happened that as he drew near to Jericho, a certain blind man was sitting on the side of the road begging. ³⁶ And when he^[bb] heard a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. ³⁷ And they told him, “Jesus the Nazarene is passing by.” ³⁸ And he called out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” ³⁹ And those who were in front rebuked him, that he should be silent, but he cried out even more loudly,^[bc] “Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁰ So Jesus stopped and^[bd] ordered him to be brought to him. And when^[be] he approached, he asked him, ⁴¹ “What do you want me to do for you?” And he said, “Lord, that I may regain my sight. ⁴² And Jesus said to him, “Regain your sight! Your faith has saved you.” ⁴³ And immediately he regained his sight and began to follow^[bf] him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they^[bg] saw it,^[bh] gave praise to God.

Jesus and Zacchaeus

19 And he entered and^[bi] traveled through Jericho. ² And there was^[bj] a man named^[bk] Zacchaeus, and he was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. ³ And he was seeking to see Jesus—who he was—and he was not able to as a result of the crowd, because he was short in stature. ⁴ And he ran on ahead and^[bl] climbed up into a sycamore tree so that he could see him, because he was going to go through that way. ⁵ And when he came to the place, Jesus looked up and^[bm] said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, because it is necessary for me to stay at your house today!” ⁶ And he came down quickly and welcomed him joyfully. ⁷ And when they^[bn] saw it,^[bo] they all began to complain,^[bp] saying, “He has gone in to find lodging with a man who is a sinner!” ⁸ And Zacchaeus stopped and^[bq] said to the Lord, “Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I am giving to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone, I am paying it^[br] back four times as much!” ⁹ And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of Man came to seek and to save those who are lost.”

The Parable of the Ten Minas

¹¹ Now while^[bs] they were listening to these things, he went on and^[bt] told a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and they thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately. ¹² Therefore he said, “A certain nobleman traveled to a distant country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. ¹³ And summoning ten of his own slaves, he gave them ten minas^[bu] and said to them, ‘Do business until I come back.’^{[bv] 14} But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to be king over us!’ ¹⁵ And it happened that when he returned after^[bw] receiving the kingdom, he ordered these slaves to whom he had given the money to be summoned to him, so that he could know what they had gained by trading. ¹⁶ So the first arrived, saying, ‘Sir, your mina has made ten minas more!’ ¹⁷ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good slave! Because you have been faithful in a very small thing, have authority^[bx] over ten cities.’ ¹⁸ And the second came, saying, ‘Sir, your mina has made five minas.’ ¹⁹ So he said to this one also, ‘And you be over five cities.’ ²⁰ And another came, saying, ‘Sir, behold your mina, which I had put away for safekeeping in a piece of cloth. ²¹ For I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man—you withdraw what you did not deposit, and you reap what you did not sow!’ ²² He said to him, ‘By your own words^[by] I will judge you, wicked slave! You knew that I am a severe man, withdrawing what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. ²³ And why did you not give my money to the bank, and I, when I^[bz] returned, would have collected it with interest?’ ²⁴ And to the bystanders he said, ‘Take away from him the mina and give it^[ca] to the one who has the ten minas!’ ²⁵ And they said to him, ‘Sir, he has ten minas.’ ²⁶ ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. ²⁷ But these enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them^[cb] here and slaughter them in my presence!’”

The Triumphal Entry

²⁸ And after he^[cc] had said these things, he traveled on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. ²⁹ And it happened that when he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, to the hill^[cd] called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, ³⁰ saying, ‘Go into the village in front of you, in which as you^[ce] enter you will find a colt tied, on which no person has ever^[cf] sat, and untie it and^[cg] bring it.^{[ch] 31} And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’^[ci] you will say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” ³² So those who were sent went and^[cj] found it^[ck] just as he had told them. ³³ And as^[cl] they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, ‘Why are you untying the colt?’ ³⁴ So they said, ‘The Lord has need of it.’ ³⁵ And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they put Jesus on it. ³⁶ And as^[cm] he was going along, they were spreading out their cloaks on the road. ³⁷ Now as^[cn] he was drawing near by this time to the descent from the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began rejoicing to praise God with a loud voice for all the miracles that they had seen, ³⁸ saying,

³⁹ And some of the Pharisees from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” ⁴⁰ And he answered and^[cp] said, “I tell you that^[cq] if these keep silent, the stones will cry out!”

Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem

⁴¹ And when he approached and^[cr] saw the city, he wept over it, ⁴² saying, “If you had known on this day—even you—the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. ⁴³ For days will come upon you and your enemies will put up an embankment^[cs] against you, and will surround you and press you hard from all directions. ⁴⁴ And they will raze you to the ground, you and your children within you, and will not leave a stone upon a stone within you, because^[ct] you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

The Cleansing of the Temple

⁴⁵ And he entered into the temple courts^[cu] and^[cv] began to drive out those who were selling, ⁴⁶ saying to them, “It is written, ‘And my house will be a house of prayer,’^[cw] but you have made it a cave of robbers!”

⁴⁷ And he was teaching every day in the temple courts,^[cx] and the chief priests and the scribes and the most prominent men of the people were seeking to destroy him. ⁴⁸ And they did not find anything they could do, because all the people were paying close attention to what they were hearing from him.

Jesus’ Authority Challenged

20 And it happened that on one of the days while^[cy] he was teaching the people in the temple courts^[cz] and proclaiming the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes approached together with the elders ² and said, saying to him, “Tell us, by what authority you are doing these things, or who is the one who gave you this authority? ³ And he answered and^[da] said to them, “I also will ask you a question, and you tell me: ⁴ The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men? ⁵ And they discussed this^[db] with one another, saying, “If we say ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ ⁶ But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us to death, because they are convinced that John was a prophet.” ⁷ And they replied that they did not know where it was from. ⁸ And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

The Parable of the Tenant Farmers in the Vineyard

⁹ And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man^[dc] planted a vineyard, and leased it to tenant farmers, and went on a journey for a long time. ¹⁰ And at the proper time he sent a slave to the tenant farmers, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenant farmers sent him away empty-handed after^[dd] beating him.^{[de] 11} And he proceeded to send another slave, but they beat and dishonored that one also, and^[df] sent him^[dg] away empty-handed. ¹² And he proceeded to send a third, but they wounded and^[dh] threw out this one also. ¹³ So the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What should I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ ¹⁴ But when^[di] the tenant farmers saw him, they began to reason^[dj] with one another, saying, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him so that the inheritance will become ours!’ ¹⁵ And they threw him out of the vineyard and^[dk] killed him.^[dl] What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? ¹⁶ He will come and destroy those tenant farmers and give the vineyard to others.” And when they^[dm] heard this,^[dn] they said, “May this never happen!” ¹⁷ But he looked intently at them and^[do] said, “What then is this that is written:

¹⁸ Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and the one on whom it falls—it will crush him!” ¹⁹ And the scribes and the chief priests sought to lay their^[dq] hands on him at that same hour, and they were afraid of the people, for they knew that he had told this parable with reference to them.

Paying Taxes to Caesar

²⁰ And they watched him^[dr] closely and^[ds] sent spies who pretended they were upright, in order that they could catch him in a statement, so that they could hand him over to the authority and the jurisdiction of the governor. ²¹ And they asked him, saying, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and do not show partiality,^[dt] but teach the way of God in truth. ²² Is it permitted for us to pay taxes^[du] to Caesar or not?” ²³ But seeing through their craftiness, he said to them, ²⁴ “Show me a denarius! Whose image and inscription does it have?” And they answered and^[dv] said,^[dw] “Caesar’s.” ²⁵ So he said to them, “Well then, give to Caesar the things of Caesar, and to God the things of God!” ²⁶ And they were not able to catch him^[dx][dy] in a statement in the sight of the people, and astonished at his answer, they became silent.

A Question About Marriage and the Resurrection

²⁷ Now some of the Sadducees—who deny that there is a resurrection^[dz]—came up and^[ea] asked him, ²⁸ saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us if someone’s brother dies having a wife, and this man is childless, that his brother should take the wife and father^[eb] descendants for his brother. ²⁹ Now there were seven brothers, and the first took a wife and^[ec] died childless, ³⁰ and the second, ³¹ and the third took her, and likewise also the seven did not leave children and died. ³² Finally the woman also died. ³³ Therefore in the resurrection, the woman—whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife.” ³⁴ And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, ³⁵ but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, ³⁶ for they are not even able to die any longer, because they are like the angels and are sons of God, because they^[ed] are sons of the resurrection. ³⁷ But that the dead are raised, even Moses revealed in the passage about^[ee] the bush, when he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. ³⁸ Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him!” ³⁹ And some of the scribes answered and^[ef] said, “Teacher, you have spoken well.” ⁴⁰ For they no longer dared to ask him anything.

David’s Son and Lord

⁴¹ But he said to them, “In what sense do they say that the Christ is David’s son? ⁴² For David himself says in the book of Psalms,

⁴⁴ David therefore calls him ‘Lord,’ and how is he his son?”

Warning to Beware of the Scribes

⁴⁵ And while^[eh] all the people were listening, he said to the disciples,^{[ei] 46} “Beware of the scribes, who like walking around in long robes and who love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets, ⁴⁷ who devour the houses of widows and pray lengthy prayers for the sake of appearance. These will receive more severe condemnation!”

A Poor Widow’s Offering

21 And he looked up and^[ej] saw the rich putting their gifts into the contribution box, ² and he saw a certain poor widow putting in there two small copper coins.^{[ek] 3} And he said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow put in more than all of them. ⁴ For these all put gifts^[el] into the offering out of their abundance, but this woman out of her poverty put in all the means of subsistence that she had.”

The Destruction of the Temple Predicted

⁵ And while^[em] some were speaking about the temple, that it was adorned with precious stones and votive offerings, he said, ⁶ “As for these things that you see—days will come in which not one stone will be left on another stone that will not be thrown down!”

Signs of the End of the Age

⁷ And they asked him, saying, “Teacher, when therefore will these things happen, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” ⁸ And he said, Watch out that you are not deceived! For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and ‘The time is near!’ Do not go after them! ⁹ And when you hear about wars and insurrections, do not be terrified, for these things must happen first, but the end will not be at once.” ¹⁰ Then he said to them, “nation will rise up against nation and kingdom against kingdom. ¹¹ There will be great earthquakes and famines and plagues in various places. There will be terrible sights and great signs from heaven.

Persecution of Disciples Predicted

¹² “But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you,^[en] handing you^[eo] over to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before^[ep] kings and governors because of my name. ¹³ This will turn out to you for a time of witness. ¹⁴ Therefore make up your minds^[eq] not to prepare in advance to speak in your own defense, ¹⁵ for I will give you a mouth and wisdom that all your opponents will not be able to resist or contradict. ¹⁶ And you will be handed over even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put to death some of you. ¹⁷ And you will be hated by all because of my name. ¹⁸ Even a hair of your head will never perish! ¹⁹ By your patient endurance you will gain your lives.

The Desolation of Jerusalem

²⁰ “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. ²¹ Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those inside it^[er] must depart, and those in the fields must not enter into it, ²² because these are days of vengeance, so that all the things that are written can be fulfilled. ²³ Woe to those who are pregnant^[es] and to those who are nursing their babies^[et] in those days! For there will be great distress on the earth and wrath against this people, ²⁴ and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations,^[eu] and Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

The Arrival of the Son of Man

²⁵ “And there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity from the noise of the sea and its surging, ²⁶ people fainting from fear and expectation of what is coming on the inhabited earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.^{[ev] 27} And then they will see the Son of Man arriving in a cloud^[ew] with power and great glory. ²⁸ But when^[ex] these things begin to happen, stand up straight and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near!”

The Parable of the Fig Tree

²⁹ And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. ³⁰ When they put out foliage,^[ey] now you see for yourselves and^[ez] know that by this time the summer is near. ³¹ So also you, when you see these things happening, know^[fa] that the kingdom of God is near. ³² Truly I say to you that this generation will never pass away until all things take place! ³³ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Be Alert

³⁴ “But take care for yourselves, lest your hearts are weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of daily life, and that day come upon you suddenly ³⁵ like a trap. For it will come upon all who reside on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶ But be alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to happen, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

³⁷ So throughout the days he was teaching in the temple courts,^[fb] and throughout the nights he was going out and^[fc] spending the night on the hill that is called the Mount of Olives. ³⁸ And all the people were getting up very early in the morning to come^[fd] to him in the temple courts^[fe] to listen to him.

The Chief Priests and Scribes Plot to Kill Jesus

22 Now the feast of Unleavened Bread (which is called Passover) was drawing near. ² And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how they could destroy him, because they were afraid of the people.

Judas Arranges to Betray Jesus

³ And Satan entered into Judas, the one called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. ⁴ And he went away and^[ff] discussed with the chief priests and officers of the temple guard how he could betray him to them. ⁵ And they were delighted, and came to an agreement with him to give him^[fg] money. ⁶ And he agreed, and began looking^[fh] for a favorable opportunity to betray him to them apart from the crowd.

Jesus’ Final Passover with the Disciples

⁷ And the day of the feast of Unleavened Bread came, on which it was necessary for the Passover lamb to be sacrificed. ⁸ And he sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and^[fi] prepare the Passover for us, so that we may eat it.^{[fj] 9} So they said to him, “Where do you want us to prepare it?”^{[fk] 10} And he said to them, “Behold, when^[fl] you have entered into the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house which he enters. ¹¹ And you will say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’ ¹² And he will show you a large furnished^[fm] upstairs room. Make preparations there.” ¹³ So they went and^[fn] found everything^[fo] just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

The Lord’s Supper

¹⁴ And when the hour came, he reclined at the table, and the apostles with him. ¹⁵ And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired^[fp] to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. ¹⁶ For I tell you that I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” ¹⁷ And he took in hand a cup, and^[fq] after^[fr] giving thanks he said, “Take this and share it^[fs] among yourselves. ¹⁸ For I tell you,^[ft] from now on I will not drink of the product of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

¹⁹ And he took bread, and^[fu] after^[fv] giving thanks, he broke it^[fw] and gave it^[fx] to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁰ And in the same way the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood which is poured out for you.

²¹ “But behold, the hand of the one who is betraying me is with me on the table! ²² For the Son of Man is going according to what has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” ²³ And they began to debate with one another who then of them it could be who was going to do this.

A Dispute About Who Is Greatest

²⁴ And a dispute also occurred among them as to which of them was recognized as being greatest. ²⁵ So he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles^[fy] lord it over them, and those who have authority over them are called benefactors. ²⁶ But you are not to be like this! But the one who is greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the one who leads like the one who serves. ²⁷ For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am in your midst as the one who serves.

²⁸ “And you are the ones who have remained^[fz] with me in my trials, ²⁹ and I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred on me, ³⁰ that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

³¹ “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded to sift you like wheat, ³² but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail. And you, when^[ga] once you have turned back,^[gb] strengthen your brothers.” ³³ But he said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death!” ³⁴ And he said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know me!”

The Two Swords

³⁵ And he said to them, “When I sent you out without a money bag and a traveler’s bag and sandals, you did not lack anything, did you?”^[gc] And they said, “Nothing.” ³⁶ And he said to them, “But now the one who has a money bag must take it,^[gd] and likewise a traveler’s bag. And the one who does not have a sword must sell his cloak and buy one. ³⁷ For I tell you that this that is written must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was counted with the criminals.’^[ge] For indeed, what is written^[gf] about me is being fulfilled.”^{[gg] 38} So they said, “Lord, behold, here are two swords!” And he said to them, “It is adequate.”

The Prayer in Gethsemane

³⁹ And he went away and^[gh] proceeded, according to his^[gi] custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples also followed him. ⁴⁰ And when^[gj] he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not enter into temptation.” ⁴¹ And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw and knelt down^[gk] and^[gl] began to pray,^{[gm] 42} saying, “Father, if you are willing, take away this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will but yours be done.” [[⁴³ And an angel from heaven appeared to him, strengthening him. ⁴⁴ And being in anguish, he began praying^[gn] more fervently and his sweat became like drops of blood falling down to the ground.]]^{[go] 45} And when he^[gp] got up from the prayer and^[gq] came to the disciples, he found them sleeping from sorrow, ⁴⁶ and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and^[gr] pray that you will not enter into temptation!”

The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

⁴⁷ While^[gs] he was still speaking, behold, there came a crowd, and the one named Judas, one of the twelve, leading them. And he approached Jesus to kiss him. ⁴⁸ But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” ⁴⁹ And when^[gt] those around him saw what was about to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with the sword?” ⁵⁰ And a certain one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. ⁵¹ But Jesus answered and^[gu] said, “Stop! No more of this!”^[gv] And he touched his^[gw] ear and^[gx] healed him. ⁵² And Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders who had come out against him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs, as against a robber? ⁵³ Every day when^[gy] I was with you in the temple courts,^[gz] you did not stretch out your^[ha] hands against me! But this is your hour and the domain of darkness!”

Jesus Before the Sanhedrin

⁵⁴ And they arrested him and^[hb] led him^[hc] away and brought him^[hd] into the house of the high priest. But Peter was following at a distance. ⁵⁵ And when they^[he] had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. ⁵⁶ And a certain female slave, seeing him sitting in the light and looking intently at him, said, “This man also was with him!” ⁵⁷ But he denied it,^[hf] saying, “Woman, I do not know him!” ⁵⁸ And after a short time another person saw him and^[hg] said, “You also are one of them!” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!” ⁵⁹ And after^[hh] about one hour had passed, someone else was insisting, saying, “In truth this man also was with him, because he is also a Galilean!” ⁶⁰ But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about!” And immediately, while^[hi] he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. ⁶¹ And the Lord turned around and^[hj] looked intently at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord,^[hk] how he said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” ⁶² And he went outside and^[hl] wept bitterly.

⁶³ And the men who were guarding him began to mock^[hm] him while^[hn] they beat him,^{[ho] 64} and after^[hp] blindfolding him they repeatedly asked^[hq] him,^[hr] saying, “Prophesy! Who is the one who struck you?” ⁶⁵ And they were saying many other things against him, reviling him.^[hs]

Jesus Before the Sanhedrin

⁶⁶ And when day came, the council of elders of the people gathered, both chief priests and scribes, and they led him away to their Sanhedrin,^{[ht] 67} saying, “If you are the Christ, tell us!” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will never believe, ⁶⁸ and if I ask you,^[hu] you will never answer! ⁶⁹ But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” ⁷⁰ So they all said, “Are you then the Son of God?” And he said to them, “You say that I am.” ⁷¹ And they said, “Why do we have need of further testimony? For we ourselves have heard it^[hv] from his mouth!”

Jesus Brought Before Pilate

23 And the whole assembly of them rose up and^[hw] brought him before Pilate. ² And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us^[hx] to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying he himself is Christ, a king!” ³ And Pilate asked him, saying, “Are you the king of the Jews?” And he answered him and^[hy] said, “You say so.” ⁴ So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no basis for an accusation against this man.” ⁵ But they insisted, saying, “He incites the people, teaching throughout the whole of Judea and beginning from Galilee as far as here.”

Jesus Brought Before Herod

⁶ Now when^[hz] Pilate heard this,^[ia] he asked if the man was a Galilean. ⁷ And when he^[ib] found out that he was from the jurisdiction of Herod, he sent him over to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem in those days. ⁸ And when^[ic] Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had been wanting to see him for a long time, because he had heard about him and was hoping to see some miracle performed by him. ⁹ So he questioned him at considerable length,^[id] but he answered nothing to him. ¹⁰ And the chief priests and the scribes were standing there vehemently accusing him. ¹¹ And Herod with his soldiers also treated him with contempt, and after^[ie] mocking him^[if] and^[ig] dressing him^[ih] in glistening clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. ¹² And both Herod and Pilate became friends with one another on that same day, for they had previously been enemies of one another.^[ii]

Pilate Releases Barabbas

¹³ So Pilate called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people ¹⁴ and^[ij] said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people, and behold, when I^[ik] examined him^[il] before you, I found nothing in this man as basis for the accusation which you are making^[im] against him. ¹⁵ But neither did Herod, because he sent him back to us. And behold, nothing deserving death has been done^[in] by him. ¹⁶ Therefore I will punish him and^[io] release him.”^{[ip] [iq] 18} But they all cried out in unison, saying, “Take this man away, and release for us Barabbas!” ¹⁹ (who had been thrown in prison because of a certain insurrection that had taken place in the city, and for murder). ²⁰ And Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them^[ir][is] again, ²¹ but they kept crying out, saying, “Crucify! Crucify him!” ²² So he said to them a third time, “Why? What wrong has this man done? I found no basis for an accusation deserving death^[it] in him. Therefore I will punish him and^[iu] release him.”^{[iv] 23} But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he be crucified. And their cries prevailed. ²⁴ And Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. ²⁵ And he released the one who had been thrown into prison because of insurrection and murder, whom they were asking for, but Jesus he handed over to their will.

Jesus Is Crucified

²⁶ And as they led him away, they seized Simon, a certain man of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and^[iw] placed the cross on him, to carry it^[ix] behind Jesus. ²⁷ And a great crowd of the people were following him, and of women who were mourning and lamenting him. ²⁸ But turning to them, Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children! ²⁹ For behold, days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that did not give birth, and the breasts that did not nurse!’ ³⁰ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’ ³¹ For if they do these things when the wood is green,^[iy] what will happen when it is dry?”^[iz]

³² And two other criminals were also led away to be executed with him. ³³ And when they came to the place that is called “The Skull,” there they crucified him, and the criminals, the one on his right and the other on his left. ³⁴ [[But Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”]]^[ja] And they cast lots to divide his clothes. ³⁵ And the people stood there watching, but the rulers also ridiculed him,^[jb] saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if this man is the Christ^[jc] of God, the Chosen One!” ³⁶ And the soldiers also mocked him, coming up and^[jd] offering him sour wine ³⁷ and saying, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself!” ³⁸ And there was also an inscription over him, “This is the king of the Jews.”

³⁹ And one of the criminals who were hanged there reviled him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself—and us!” ⁴⁰ But the other answered and^[je] rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, because you are undergoing the same condemnation? ⁴¹ And we indeed justly, for we are receiving what we deserve^[jf] for what we have done. But this man has done nothing wrong!” ⁴² And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom!” ⁴³ And he said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Jesus Dies on the Cross

⁴⁴ And by this time it was about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour ⁴⁵ because^[jg] the light of the sun failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn apart down the middle. ⁴⁶ And Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit!”^[jh] And after he^[ji] said this, he expired.

⁴⁷ Now when^[jj] the centurion saw what had happened, he began to praise^[jk] God, saying, “Certainly this man was righteous!” ⁴⁸ And all the crowds that had come together for this spectacle, when they^[jl] saw the things that had happened, returned home^[jm] beating their^[jn] breasts. ⁴⁹ And all his acquaintances, and the women who had followed him from Galilee who saw these things, stood at a distance.

Jesus Is Buried

⁵⁰ And behold, a man named^[jo] Joseph, who was a member of the council,^[jp] a good^[jq] and righteous man ⁵¹ (this man was not consenting to their plan and deed), from Arimathea, a Judean town,^[jr] who was looking forward to the kingdom of God. ⁵² This man approached Pilate and^[js] asked for the body of Jesus. ⁵³ And he took it^[jt] down and^[ju] wrapped it in a linen cloth and placed him in a tomb cut into the rock where no one had ever been placed. ⁵⁴ And it was the day of preparation, and the Sabbath was drawing near. ⁵⁵ And the women who had been accompanying him from Galilee followed and^[jv] saw the tomb and how his body was placed. ⁵⁶ And they returned and^[jw] prepared fragrant spices and perfumes, and on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

Jesus Is Raised

24 Now on the first day of the week, at very early dawn, they came back to the tomb bringing the fragrant spices which they had prepared. ² And they found the stone had been rolled away from the tomb, ³ but when they^[jx] went in, they did not find the body.^{[jy] 4} And it happened that while they were perplexed about this, behold, two men in gleaming clothing stood near them. ⁵ And as^[jz] they were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, they said to them, “Why are you looking for the living among the dead? ⁶ He is not here, but has been raised! Remember how he spoke to you while he^[ka] was still in Galilee, ⁷ saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of men who are sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise?” ⁸ And they remembered his words, ⁹ and when they^[kb] returned from the tomb, they reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. ¹⁰ Now Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the others with them were telling these things to the apostles. ¹¹ And these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they refused to believe them. ¹² But Peter got up and^[kc] ran to the tomb, and bending over to look, he saw only the strips of linen cloth, and he went away to his home^[kd] wondering what had happened.

Jesus Encountered on the Road to Emmaus

¹³ And behold, on that same day, two of them were traveling to a village named^[ke] Emmaus that was sixty stadia^[kf] distant from Jerusalem, ¹⁴ and they were conversing with one another about all these things that had happened. ¹⁵ And it happened that while they were conversing, and discussing, Jesus himself also approached and^[kg] began to go along with^[kh] them, ¹⁶ but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. ¹⁷ And he said to them, “What are these matters that you are discussing with one another as you^[ki] are walking along?” And they stood still, looking sad. ¹⁸ And one of them, named^[kj] Cleopas, answered and^[kk] said to him, “Are you the only one living near Jerusalem and not knowing the things that have happened in it in these days?” ¹⁹ And he said to them, “What things?” So they said to him, “The things concerning Jesus the Nazarene, a man who was a prophet, powerful in deed and word before God and all the people, ²⁰ and how our chief priests and rulers handed him over to a sentence of death, and crucified him. ²¹ But we were hoping that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. But in addition to all these things, this is the third day since^[kl] these things took place. ²² But also some women from among us astonished us, who were at the tomb early in the morning, ²³ and when they^[km] did not find his body, they came back saying they had seen even a vision of angels, who said that he was alive! ²⁴ And some of those with us went out to the tomb and found it^[kn] like this, just as the women had also said, but him they did not see.” ²⁵ And he said to them, “O foolish and slow in heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶ Was it not necessary that the Christ suffer these things and enter into his glory?” ²⁷ And beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things concerning himself in all the scriptures. ²⁸ And they drew near to the village where they were going, and he acted as though he was going farther. ²⁹ And they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is getting toward evening, and by this time the day is far spent.” And he went in to stay with them. ³⁰ And it happened that when he reclined at the table with them, he took the bread and^[ko] gave thanks, and after^[kp] breaking it,^[kq] he gave it^[kr] to them. ³¹ And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he became invisible to them. ³² And they said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was speaking with us on the road, while he was explaining the scriptures to us?” ³³ And they got up that same hour and^[ks] returned to Jerusalem and found the eleven and those with them assembled, ³⁴ saying, “The Lord has really been raised, and has appeared to Simon!” ³⁵ And they began describing^[kt] what happened^[ku] on the road, and how he was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.

Jesus Appears to His Disciples

³⁶ And while^[kv] they were saying these things, he himself stood there among them.^{[kw] 37} But they were startled and became terrified, and^[kx] thought they had seen a ghost. ³⁸ And he said to them, “Why are you frightened? And for what reason do doubts arise in your hearts? ³⁹ Look at my hands and my feet, that I am I myself! Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see that I have.”^{[ky] 40} And when he^[kz] had said this, he showed them his^[la] hands and his^[lb] feet. ⁴¹ And while^[lc] they were still disbelieving because of joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Do you have anything to eat^[ld] here?” ⁴² So they gave him a piece of broiled fish, ⁴³ and he took it^[le] and^[lf] ate it^[lg] in front of them.

Jesus Commissions His Disciples

⁴⁴ And he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I^[lh] was still with you, that everything that is written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.” ⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, ⁴⁶ and said to them, “Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and would rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷ and repentance and the forgiveness^[li] of sins would be proclaimed in his name to all the nations,^[lj] beginning from Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ You are witnesses of these things. ⁴⁹ And behold, I am sending out^[lk] what was promised by my Father upon you, but you stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

The Ascension

⁵⁰ And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands, he blessed them. ⁵¹ And it happened that while he was blessing them, he parted from them and was taken up into heaven. ⁵² And they worshiped him and^[ll] returned to Jerusalem with great joy. ⁵³ And they were continually^[lm] in the temple courts^[ln] praising God.