Crowds Follow Jesus^(A)

⁷ Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed.^{(B) 8} When they heard about all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon.^{(C) 9} Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. ¹⁰ For he had healed many,^(D) so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him.^{(E) 11} Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.”^{(F) 12} But he gave them strict orders not to tell others about him.^(G)

Jesus Appoints the Twelve^(H)

¹³ Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him.^{(I) 14} He appointed twelve^[a](J) that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach ¹⁵ and to have authority to drive out demons.^{(K) 16} These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter),^{(L) 17} James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), ¹⁸ Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot ¹⁹ and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

The Twelve Apostles^(A)

¹² One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.^{(B) 13} When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:^{(C) 14} Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, ¹⁵ Matthew,^(D) Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, ¹⁶ Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Blessings and Woes^(E)

¹⁷ He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon,^{(F) 18} who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, ¹⁹ and the people all tried to touch him,^(G) because power was coming from him and healing them all.^(H)

²⁰ Looking at his disciples, he said:

²³ “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy,^(O) because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.^(P)

Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount

5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, ² and he began to teach them.

The Beatitudes^(A)

He said:

¹¹ “Blessed are you when people insult you,^(M) persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.^{(N) 12} Rejoice and be glad,^(O) because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.^(P)