Marriage and Divorce^(A)

19 Now it came to pass, ^(B)when Jesus had finished these sayings, that He departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. ^2 (C)And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there.

³ The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?”

⁴ And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who ^[a]made them at the beginning ^(D)‘made them male and female,’ ⁵ and said, ^(E)‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and ^(F)the two shall become one flesh’? ⁶ So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

⁷ They said to Him, ^(G)“Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?”

⁸ He said to them, “Moses, because of the ^(H)hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your ^(I)wives, but from the beginning it was not so. ^9 (J)And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for ^[b]sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.”

¹⁰ His disciples said to Him, ^(K)“If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry.”

Jesus Teaches on Celibacy

¹¹ But He said to them, ^(L)“All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given: ¹² For there are ^[c]eunuchs who were born thus from their mother’s womb, and ^(M)there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it.”

Jesus Blesses Little Children^(N)

^13 (O)Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. ¹⁴ But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for ^(P)of such is the kingdom of heaven.” ¹⁵ And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.

Jesus Counsels the Rich Young Ruler^(Q)

^16 (R)Now behold, one came and said to Him, ^(S)“Good^[d] Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”

¹⁷ So He said to him, ^[e]“Why do you call Me good? ^[f]No one is ^(T)good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, ^(U)keep the commandments.”

¹⁸ He said to Him, “Which ones?”

Jesus said, ^(V)“‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ^19 (W)‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ^(X)‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

²⁰ The young man said to Him, “All these things I have ^(Y)kept ^[g]from my youth. What do I still lack?”

²¹ Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, ^(Z)go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

²² But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

With God All Things Are Possible^(AA)

²³ Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that ^(AB)it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴ And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

²⁵ When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”

²⁶ But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but ^(AC)with God all things are possible.”

²⁷ Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, ^(AD)we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?”

²⁸ So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, ^(AE)you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ^29 (AF)And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother ^[h]or wife or children or ^[i]lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. ^30 (AG)But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

The Pharisees and Sadducees Seek a Sign^(A)

16 Then the ^(B)Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. ² He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; ³ and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ ^[a]Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. ^4 (C)A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of ^[b]the prophet Jonah.” And He left them and departed.

The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees^(D)

⁵ Now ^(E)when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. ⁶ Then Jesus said to them, ^(F)“Take heed and beware of the ^[c]leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”

⁷ And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have taken no bread.”

⁸ But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you ^[d]have brought no bread? ^9 (G)Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? ^10 (H)Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? ¹¹ How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—but to beware of the ^[e]leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” ¹² Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the ^[f]doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ^(I)

¹³ When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, ^(J)“Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”

¹⁴ So they said, ^(K)“Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or ^(L)one of the prophets.”

¹⁵ He said to them, “But who do ^(M)you say that I am?”

¹⁶ Simon Peter answered and said, ^(N)“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

¹⁷ Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, ^(O)for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but ^(P)My Father who is in heaven. ¹⁸ And I also say to you that ^(Q)you are Peter, and ^(R)on this rock I will build My church, and ^(S)the gates of Hades shall not ^[g]prevail against it. ^19 (T)And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth ^[h]will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

^20 (U)Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.

Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection^(V)

²¹ From that time Jesus began ^(W)to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.

²² Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, ^[i]“Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”

²³ But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, ^(X)Satan! ^(Y)You are ^[j]an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

Take Up the Cross and Follow Him^(Z)

^24 (AA)Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and ^(AB)follow Me. ²⁵ For ^(AC)whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. ²⁶ For what ^(AD)profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or ^(AE)what will a man give in exchange for his soul? ²⁷ For ^(AF)the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father ^(AG)with His angels, ^(AH)and then He will reward each according to his works. ²⁸ Assuredly, I say to you, ^(AI)there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

Jesus Transfigured on the Mount^(AJ)

17 Now ^(AK)after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; ² and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. ³ And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. ⁴ Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, ^[k]let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

^5 (AL)While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ^(AM)“This is My beloved Son, ^(AN)in whom I am well pleased. ^(AO)Hear Him!” ^6 (AP)And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. ⁷ But Jesus came and ^(AQ)touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” ⁸ When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

⁹ Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.”

¹⁰ And His disciples asked Him, saying, ^(AR)“Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

¹¹ Jesus answered and said to them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming ^[l]first and will ^(AS)restore all things. ^12 (AT)But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they ^(AU)did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise ^(AV)the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.” ^13 (AW)Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.

A Boy Is Healed^(AX)

^14 (AY)And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, ¹⁵ “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is ^[m]an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. ¹⁶ So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.”

¹⁷ Then Jesus answered and said, “O ^[n]faithless and ^(AZ)perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” ¹⁸ And Jesus ^(BA)rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.

¹⁹ Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”

²⁰ So Jesus said to them, “Because of your ^[o]unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, ^(BB)if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. ^21 [p]However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

Jesus Again Predicts His Death and Resurrection^(BC)

^22 (BD)Now while they were ^[q]staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, ²³ and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up.” And they were exceedingly ^(BE)sorrowful.

Peter and His Master Pay Their Taxes

^24 (BF)When they had come to ^[r]Capernaum, those who received the ^[s]temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?”

²⁵ He said, “Yes.”

And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from ^(BG)strangers?”

²⁶ Peter said to Him, “From strangers.”

Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. ²⁷ Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a ^[t]piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.”

Who Is the Greatest?^(BH)

18 At ^(BI)that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

² Then Jesus called a little ^(BJ)child to Him, set him in the midst of them, ³ and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, ^(BK)unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. ^4 (BL)Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ^5 (BM)Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.

Jesus Warns of Offenses^(BN)

^6 (BO)“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. ⁷ Woe to the world because of ^[u]offenses! For ^(BP)offenses must come, but ^(BQ)woe to that man by whom the offense comes!

^8 (BR)“If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. ⁹ And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into ^[v]hell fire.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep^(BS)

¹⁰ “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven ^(BT)their angels always ^(BU)see the face of My Father who is in heaven. ^11 (BV)For^[w] the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.

^12 (BW)“What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? ¹³ And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. ¹⁴ Even so it is not the ^(BX)will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

Dealing with a Sinning Brother

¹⁵ “Moreover ^(BY)if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, ^(BZ)you have gained your brother. ¹⁶ But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ^(CA)‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ ¹⁷ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a ^(CB)heathen and a tax collector.

¹⁸ “Assuredly, I say to you, ^(CC)whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

^19 (CD)“Again^[x] I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, ^(CE)it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three are gathered ^(CF)together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

²¹ Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? ^(CG)Up to seven times?”

²² Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, ^(CH)up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. ²³ Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴ And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. ²⁵ But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded ^(CI)that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. ²⁶ The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ ²⁷ Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

²⁸ “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ ²⁹ So his fellow servant fell down ^[y]at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you ^[z]all.’ ³⁰ And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. ³¹ So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. ³² Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you ^(CJ)all that debt because you begged me. ³³ Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ ³⁴ And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.

^35 (CK)“So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother ^[aa]his trespasses.”

Marriage and Divorce^(CL)

19 Now it came to pass, ^(CM)when Jesus had finished these sayings, that He departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. ^2 (CN)And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there.

³ The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?”

⁴ And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who ^[ab]made them at the beginning ^(CO)‘made them male and female,’ ⁵ and said, ^(CP)‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and ^(CQ)the two shall become one flesh’? ⁶ So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

⁷ They said to Him, ^(CR)“Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?”

⁸ He said to them, “Moses, because of the ^(CS)hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your ^(CT)wives, but from the beginning it was not so. ^9 (CU)And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for ^[ac]sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.”

¹⁰ His disciples said to Him, ^(CV)“If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry.”

Jesus Teaches on Celibacy

¹¹ But He said to them, ^(CW)“All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given: ¹² For there are ^[ad]eunuchs who were born thus from their mother’s womb, and ^(CX)there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it.”

Jesus Blesses Little Children^(CY)

^13 (CZ)Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. ¹⁴ But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for ^(DA)of such is the kingdom of heaven.” ¹⁵ And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.

Jesus Counsels the Rich Young Ruler^(DB)

^16 (DC)Now behold, one came and said to Him, ^(DD)“Good^[ae] Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”

¹⁷ So He said to him, ^[af]“Why do you call Me good? ^[ag]No one is ^(DE)good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, ^(DF)keep the commandments.”

¹⁸ He said to Him, “Which ones?”

Jesus said, ^(DG)“‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ^19 (DH)‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ^(DI)‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

²⁰ The young man said to Him, “All these things I have ^(DJ)kept ^[ah]from my youth. What do I still lack?”

²¹ Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, ^(DK)go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

²² But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

With God All Things Are Possible^(DL)

²³ Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that ^(DM)it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴ And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

²⁵ When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”

²⁶ But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but ^(DN)with God all things are possible.”

²⁷ Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, ^(DO)we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?”

²⁸ So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, ^(DP)you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ^29 (DQ)And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother ^[ai]or wife or children or ^[aj]lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. ^30 (DR)But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard

20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. ² Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. ³ And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, ⁴ and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. ⁵ Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. ⁶ And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing ^[ak]idle, and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’ ⁷ They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, ^[al]and whatever is right you will receive.’

⁸ “So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’ ⁹ And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. ¹⁰ But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. ¹¹ And when they had received it, they ^[am]complained against the landowner, ¹² saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’ ¹³ But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? ¹⁴ Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. ^15 (DS)Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or ^(DT)is your eye evil because I am good?’ ^16 (DU)So the last will be first, and the first last. ^(DV)For^[an] many are called, but few chosen.”

Jesus a Third Time Predicts His Death and Resurrection^(DW)

^17 (DX)Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, ^18 (DY)“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, ^19 (DZ)and deliver Him to the Gentiles to ^(EA)mock and to ^(EB)scourge and to ^(EC)crucify. And the third day He will ^(ED)rise again.”

Greatness Is Serving^(EE)

^20 (EF)Then the mother of ^(EG)Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.

²¹ And He said to her, “What do you wish?”

She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine ^(EH)may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.”

²² But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink ^(EI)the cup that I am about to drink, ^[ao]and be baptized with ^(EJ)the baptism that I am baptized with?”

They said to Him, “We are able.”

²³ So He said to them, ^(EK)“You will indeed drink My cup, ^[ap]and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.”

^24 (EL)And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers. ²⁵ But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. ²⁶ Yet ^(EM)it shall not be so among you; but ^(EN)whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. ^27 (EO)And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— ^28 (EP)just as the ^(EQ)Son of Man did not come to be served, ^(ER)but to serve, and ^(ES)to give His life a ransom ^(ET)for many.”

Two Blind Men Receive Their Sight^(EU)

^29 (EV)Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him. ³⁰ And behold, ^(EW)two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, ^(EX)Son of David!”

³¹ Then the multitude ^(EY)warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!”

³² So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?”

³³ They said to Him, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.” ³⁴ So Jesus had ^(EZ)compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.

The Triumphal Entry^(FA)

21 Now ^(FB)when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to ^[aq]Bethphage, at ^(FC)the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, ² saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. ³ And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.”

^4 [ar]All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:

^6 (FE)So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. ⁷ They brought the donkey and the colt, ^(FF)laid their clothes on them, ^[as]and set Him on them. ⁸ And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; ^(FG)others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹ Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:

^10 (FI)And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?”

¹¹ So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, ^(FJ)the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Jesus Cleanses the Temple^(FK)

^12 (FL)Then Jesus went into the temple ^[at]of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the ^(FM)money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. ¹³ And He said to them, “It is written, ^(FN)‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ^(FO)‘den of thieves.’ ”

¹⁴ Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. ¹⁵ But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the ^(FP)Son of David!” they were ^[au]indignant ¹⁶ and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?”

And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read,

¹⁷ Then He left them and ^(FR)went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.

The Fig Tree Withered^(FS)

^18 (FT)Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. ^19 (FU)And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away.

The Lesson of the Withered Fig Tree^(FV)

^20 (FW)And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?”

²¹ So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, ^(FX)if you have faith and ^(FY)do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, ^(FZ)but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. ²² And ^(GA)whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

Jesus’ Authority Questioned^(GB)

^23 (GC)Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and ^(GD)said, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?”

²⁴ But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things: ²⁵ The ^(GE)baptism of ^(GF)John—where was it from? From heaven or from men?”

And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ ²⁶ But if we say, ‘From men,’ we ^(GG)fear the multitude, ^(GH)for all count John as a prophet.” ²⁷ So they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.”

And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

²⁸ “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my ^(GI)vineyard.’ ²⁹ He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. ³⁰ Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. ³¹ Which of the two did the will of his father?”

They said to Him, “The first.”

Jesus said to them, ^(GJ)“Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. ³² For ^(GK)John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; ^(GL)but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward ^[av]relent and believe him.

The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers^(GM)

³³ “Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner ^(GN)who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and ^(GO)went into a far country. ³⁴ Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. ^35 (GP)And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. ³⁶ Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. ³⁷ Then last of all he sent his ^(GQ)son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ ³⁸ But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ^(GR)‘This is the heir. ^(GS)Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ ^39 (GT)So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.

⁴⁰ “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?”

^41 (GU)They said to Him, ^(GV)“He will destroy those wicked men miserably, ^(GW)and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will ^[aw]render to him the fruits in their seasons.”

⁴² Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

⁴³ “Therefore I say to you, ^(GY)the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. ⁴⁴ And ^(GZ)whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, ^(HA)it will grind him to powder.”

⁴⁵ Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they ^[ax]perceived that He was speaking of them. ⁴⁶ But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they ^(HB)feared the multitudes, because ^(HC)they took Him for a prophet.

The Parable of the Wedding Feast^(HD)

22 And Jesus answered ^(HE)and spoke to them again by parables and said: ² “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, ³ and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. ⁴ Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; ^(HF)my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.” ’ ⁵ But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. ⁶ And the rest seized his servants, treated them ^[ay]spitefully, and killed them. ⁷ But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out ^(HG)his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. ⁸ Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not ^(HH)worthy. ⁹ Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ ¹⁰ So those servants went out into the highways and ^(HI)gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.

¹¹ “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there ^(HJ)who did not have on a wedding garment. ¹² So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was ^(HK)speechless. ¹³ Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, ^[az]take him away, and cast him ^(HL)into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

^14 (HM)“For many are called, but few are chosen.”

The Pharisees: Is It Lawful to Pay Taxes to Caesar?^(HN)

^15 (HO)Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk. ¹⁶ And they sent to Him their disciples with the ^(HP)Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not ^[ba]regard the person of men. ¹⁷ Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”

¹⁸ But Jesus ^[bb]perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? ¹⁹ Show Me the tax money.”

So they brought Him a denarius.

²⁰ And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?”

²¹ They said to Him, “Caesar’s.”

And He said to them, ^(HQ)“Render^[bc] therefore to Caesar the things that are ^(HR)Caesar’s, and to God the things that are ^(HS)God’s.” ²² When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.

The Sadducees: What About the Resurrection?^(HT)

^23 (HU)The same day the Sadducees, ^(HV)who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, ²⁴ saying: “Teacher, ^(HW)Moses said that if a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. ²⁵ Now there were with us seven brothers. The first died after he had married, and having no offspring, left his wife to his brother. ²⁶ Likewise the second also, and the third, even to the seventh. ²⁷ Last of all the woman died also. ²⁸ Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her.”

²⁹ Jesus answered and said to them, “You are ^[bd]mistaken, ^(HX)not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. ³⁰ For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but ^(HY)are like angels ^[be]of God in heaven. ³¹ But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, ^32 (HZ)‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” ³³ And when the multitudes heard this, ^(IA)they were astonished at His teaching.

The Scribes: Which Is the First Commandment of All?^(IB)

^34 (IC)But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. ³⁵ Then one of them, ^(ID)a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”

³⁷ Jesus said to him, ^(IE)“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ^(IF)‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ^40 (IG)On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Jesus: How Can David Call His Descendant Lord?^(IH)

^41 (II)While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, ⁴² saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?”

They said to Him, “The ^(IJ)Son of David.”

⁴³ He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying:

⁴⁵ If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his Son?” ^46 (IL)And no one was able to answer Him a word, ^(IM)nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.