Matthew 2:1-12

New King James Version

Wise Men from the East

2 Now after ^(A)Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, ^[a]wise men ^(B)from the East came to Jerusalem, ² saying, ^(C)“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen ^(D)His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

³ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴ And when he had gathered all ^(E)the chief priests and ^(F)scribes of the people together, ^(G)he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

⁵ So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:

⁷ Then Herod, when he had secretly called the ^[b]wise men, determined from them what time the ^(J)star appeared. ⁸ And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”

⁹ When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. ¹¹ And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, ^(K)they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

¹² Then, being divinely warned ^(L)in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

The Flight into Egypt

¹³ Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”

¹⁴ When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, ¹⁵ and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, ^(M)“Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

Massacre of the Innocents

¹⁶ Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. ¹⁷ Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:

The Home in Nazareth^(O)

¹⁹ Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, ^20 (P)saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who ^(Q)sought the young Child’s life are dead.” ²¹ Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.

²² But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a ^(R)dream, he turned aside ^(S)into the region of Galilee. ²³ And he came and dwelt in a city called ^(T)Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled ^(U)which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

John the Baptist Prepares the Way^(V)

3 In those days ^(W)John the Baptist came preaching ^(X)in the wilderness of Judea, ² and saying, “Repent, for ^(Y)the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” ³ For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:

⁴ Now ^(AB)John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was ^(AC)locusts and ^(AD)wild honey. ^5 (AE)Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him ^6 (AF)and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

⁷ But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ^(AG)“Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from ^(AH)the wrath to come? ⁸ Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, ⁹ and do not think to say to yourselves, ^(AI)‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. ¹⁰ And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. ^(AJ)Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ^11 (AK)I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. ^(AL)He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit ^[c]and fire. ^12 (AM)His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will ^(AN)burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

John Baptizes Jesus^(AO)

^13 (AP)Then Jesus came ^(AQ)from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. ¹⁴ And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”

¹⁵ But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.

^16 (AR)When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and ^[d]He saw ^(AS)the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. ^17 (AT)And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ^(AU)“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Satan Tempts Jesus^(AV)

4 Then ^(AW)Jesus was led up by ^(AX)the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ² And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. ³ Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

⁴ But He answered and said, “It is written, ^(AY)‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”

⁵ Then the devil took Him up ^(AZ)into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, ⁶ and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:

and,

⁷ Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ^(BC)‘You shall not ^[e]tempt the Lord your God.’ ”

⁸ Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and ^(BD)showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. ⁹ And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”

¹⁰ Then Jesus said to him, ^[f]“Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ^(BE)‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”

¹¹ Then the devil ^(BF)left Him, and behold, ^(BG)angels came and ministered to Him.

Jesus Begins His Galilean Ministry^(BH)

^12 (BI)Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. ¹³ And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, ¹⁴ that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

^17 (BL)From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, ^(BM)“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven ^[g]is at hand.”

Four Fishermen Called as Disciples^(BN)

^18 (BO)And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon ^(BP)called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. ¹⁹ Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and ^(BQ)I will make you fishers of men.” ^20 (BR)They immediately left their nets and followed Him.

^21 (BS)Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, ²² and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

Jesus Heals a Great Multitude^(BT)

²³ And Jesus went about all Galilee, ^(BU)teaching in their synagogues, preaching ^(BV)the gospel of the kingdom, ^(BW)and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. ²⁴ Then ^[h]His fame went throughout all Syria; and they ^(BX)brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. ^25 (BY)Great multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, and from ^[i]Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.

The Beatitudes^(BZ)

5 And seeing the multitudes, ^(CA)He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. ² Then He opened His mouth and ^(CB)taught them, saying:

^11 (CM)Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of ^(CN)evil against you falsely for My sake. ^12 (CO)Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for ^(CP)so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Believers Are Salt and Light^(CQ)

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth; ^(CR)but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

^14 (CS)“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do they ^(CT)light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. ¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, ^(CU)that they may see your good works and ^(CV)glorify your Father in heaven.

Christ Fulfills the Law

^17 (CW)“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. ¹⁸ For assuredly, I say to you, ^(CX)till heaven and earth pass away, one ^[k]jot or one ^[l]tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. ^19 (CY)Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds ^(CZ)the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

Murder Begins in the Heart^(DA)

²¹ “You have heard that it was said to those ^[m]of old, ^(DB)‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ ²² But I say to you that ^(DC)whoever is angry with his brother ^[n]without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ^(DD)‘Raca!’^[o] shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ^[p]‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of ^[q]hell fire. ²³ Therefore ^(DE)if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, ^24 (DF)leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. ^25 (DG)Agree with your adversary quickly, ^(DH)while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. ²⁶ Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.

Adultery in the Heart

²⁷ “You have heard that it was said ^[r]to those of old, ^(DI)‘You shall not commit adultery.’ ²⁸ But I say to you that whoever ^(DJ)looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ^29 (DK)If your right eye causes you to ^[s]sin, ^(DL)pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. ³⁰ And if your right hand causes you to ^[t]sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

Marriage Is Sacred and Binding^(DM)

³¹ “Furthermore it has been said, ^(DN)‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ ³² But I say to you that ^(DO)whoever divorces his wife for any reason except ^[u]sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.

Jesus Forbids Oaths

³³ “Again you have heard that ^(DP)it was said to those of ^[v]old, ^(DQ)‘You shall not swear falsely, but ^(DR)shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ ³⁴ But I say to you, ^(DS)do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is ^(DT)God’s throne; ³⁵ nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of ^(DU)the great King. ³⁶ Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. ^37 (DV)But let ^[w]your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.

Go the Second Mile^(DW)

³⁸ “You have heard that it was said, ^(DX)‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ ^39 (DY)But I tell you not to resist an evil person. ^(DZ)But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. ⁴⁰ If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. ⁴¹ And whoever ^(EA)compels you to go one mile, go with him two. ⁴² Give to him who asks you, and ^(EB)from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.

Love Your Enemies^(EC)

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ^(ED)‘You shall love your neighbor ^(EE)and hate your enemy.’ ^44 [x]But I say to you, ^(EF)love your enemies, bless those who curse you, ^(EG)do good to those who hate you, and pray ^(EH)for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for ^(EI)He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. ^46 (EJ)For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷ And if you greet your ^[y]brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the ^[z]tax collectors do so? ^48 (EK)Therefore you shall be perfect, just ^(EL)as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Do Good to Please God

6 “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. ² Therefore, ^(EM)when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. ³ But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret ^(EN)will Himself reward you ^[aa]openly.

The Model Prayer^(EO)

⁵ “And when you pray, you shall not be like the ^[ab]hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. ⁶ But you, when you pray, ^(EP)go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you ^[ac]openly. ⁷ And when you pray, ^(EQ)do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. ^(ER)For they think that they will be heard for their many words.

⁸ “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father ^(ES)knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. ⁹ In this ^(ET)manner, therefore, pray:

^14 (FC)“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But ^(FD)if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Fasting to Be Seen Only by God

¹⁶ “Moreover, ^(FE)when you fast, do not be like the ^[ae]hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. ¹⁷ But you, when you fast, ^(FF)anoint your head and wash your face, ¹⁸ so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you ^[af]openly.

Lay Up Treasures in Heaven^(FG)

^19 (FH)“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; ^20 (FI)but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The Lamp of the Body^(FJ)

^22 (FK)“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is ^[ag]good, your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eye is ^[ah]bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

You Cannot Serve God and Riches

^24 (FL)“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. ^(FM)You cannot serve God and ^[ai]mammon.

Do Not Worry^(FN)

²⁵ “Therefore I say to you, ^(FO)do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? ^26 (FP)Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷ Which of you by worrying can add one ^[aj]cubit to his ^[ak]stature?

²⁸ “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; ²⁹ and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not ^[al]arrayed like one of these. ³⁰ Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

³¹ “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³ But ^(FQ)seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Do Not Judge^(FR)

7 “Judge^{[am] (FS)}not, that you be not judged. ² For with what ^[an]judgment you judge, you will be judged; ^(FT)and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. ^3 (FU)And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? ⁴ Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? ⁵ Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

^6 (FV)“Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.

Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking^(FW)

^7 (FX)“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ⁸ For ^(FY)everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. ^9 (FZ)Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? ¹¹ If you then, ^(GA)being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! ¹² Therefore, ^(GB)whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for ^(GC)this is the Law and the Prophets.

The Narrow Way^(GD)

^13 (GE)“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. ^14 [ao]Because narrow is the gate and ^[ap]difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

You Will Know Them by Their Fruits^(GF)

^15 (GG)“Beware of false prophets, ^(GH)who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. ^16 (GI)You will know them by their fruits. ^(GJ)Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ Even so, ^(GK)every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. ^19 (GL)Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

I Never Knew You^(GM)

²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ^(GN)‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who ^(GO)does the will of My Father in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we ^(GP)not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ ²³ And ^(GQ)then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; ^(GR)depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Build on the Rock^(GS)

²⁴ “Therefore ^(GT)whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: ²⁵ and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

²⁶ “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: ²⁷ and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

²⁸ And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that ^(GU)the people were astonished at His teaching, ^29 (GV)for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

Jesus Cleanses a Leper^(GW)

8 When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. ^2 (GX)And behold, a leper came and ^(GY)worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”

³ Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy ^(GZ)was cleansed.

⁴ And Jesus said to him, ^(HA)“See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that ^(HB)Moses ^(HC)commanded, as a testimony to them.”

Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant^(HD)

^5 (HE)Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a ^(HF)centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, ⁶ saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.”

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

⁸ The centurion answered and said, “Lord, ^(HG)I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only ^(HH)speak a word, and my servant will be healed. ⁹ For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

¹⁰ When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! ¹¹ And I say to you that ^(HI)many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. ¹² But ^(HJ)the sons of the kingdom ^(HK)will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” ¹³ Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.

Peter’s Mother-in-Law Healed^(HL)

^14 (HM)Now when Jesus had come into Peter’s house, He saw ^(HN)his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever. ¹⁵ So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served ^[aq]them.

Many Healed in the Evening^(HO)

^16 (HP)When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, ¹⁷ that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

The Cost of Discipleship^(HR)

¹⁸ And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side. ^19 (HS)Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.”

²⁰ And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

^21 (HT)Then another of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, ^(HU)let me first go and bury my father.”

²² But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Wind and Wave Obey Jesus^(HV)

²³ Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. ^24 (HW)And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. ²⁵ Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”

²⁶ But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then ^(HX)He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. ²⁷ So the men marveled, saying, ^[ar]“Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”

Two Demon-Possessed Men Healed^(HY)

^28 (HZ)When He had come to the other side, to the country of the ^[as]Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way. ²⁹ And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”

³⁰ Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding. ³¹ So the demons begged Him, saying, “If You cast us out, ^[at]permit us to go away into the herd of swine.”

³² And He said to them, “Go.” So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine. And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.

³³ Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. ³⁴ And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, ^(IA)they begged Him to depart from their region.

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralytic^(IB)

9 So He got into a boat, crossed over, ^(IC)and came to His own city. ^2 (ID)Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. ^(IE)When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.”

³ And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, “This Man blasphemes!”

⁴ But Jesus, ^(IF)knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? ⁵ For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’? ⁶ But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” ⁷ And he arose and departed to his house.

⁸ Now when the multitudes saw it, they ^(IG)marveled^[au] and glorified God, who had given such power to men.

Matthew the Tax Collector^(IH)

^9 (II)As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.

^10 (IJ)Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. ¹¹ And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with ^(IK)tax collectors and ^(IL)sinners?”

¹² When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. ¹³ But go and learn what this means: ^(IM)‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, ^(IN)but sinners, ^[av]to repentance.”

Jesus Is Questioned About Fasting^(IO)

¹⁴ Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, ^(IP)“Why do we and the Pharisees fast ^[aw]often, but Your disciples do not fast?”

¹⁵ And Jesus said to them, “Can ^(IQ)the ^[ax]friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and ^(IR)then they will fast. ¹⁶ No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for ^[ay]the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. ¹⁷ Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins ^[az]break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed^(IS)

^18 (IT)While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.” ¹⁹ So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His ^(IU)disciples.

^20 (IV)And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and ^(IW)touched the hem of His garment. ²¹ For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” ²² But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; ^(IX)your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.

^23 (IY)When Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw ^(IZ)the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, ²⁴ He said to them, ^(JA)“Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping.” And they ridiculed Him. ²⁵ But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and ^(JB)took her by the hand, and the girl arose. ²⁶ And the ^(JC)report of this went out into all that land.

Two Blind Men Healed

²⁷ When Jesus departed from there, ^(JD)two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, ^(JE)“Son of David, have mercy on us!”

²⁸ And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”

²⁹ Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.” ³⁰ And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, ^(JF)“See that no one knows it.” ^31 (JG)But when they had departed, they ^[ba]spread the news about Him in all that ^[bb]country.

A Mute Man Speaks

^32 (JH)As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed. ³³ And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying, “It was never seen like this in Israel!”

³⁴ But the Pharisees said, ^(JI)“He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons.”

The Compassion of Jesus^(JJ)

³⁵ Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, ^(JK)teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease ^[bc]among the people. ^36 (JL)But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were ^[bd]weary and scattered, ^(JM)like sheep having no shepherd. ³⁷ Then He said to His disciples, ^(JN)“The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. ^38 (JO)Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

The Twelve Apostles^(JP)

10 And ^(JQ)when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. ² Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, ^(JR)who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; ³ Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and ^[be]Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; ^4 (JS)Simon the ^[bf]Cananite, and Judas ^(JT)Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.

Sending Out the Twelve^(JU)

⁵ These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: ^(JV)“Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of ^(JW)the Samaritans. ^6 (JX)But go rather to the ^(JY)lost sheep of the house of Israel. ^7 (JZ)And as you go, preach, saying, ^(KA)‘The kingdom of heaven ^[bg]is at hand.’ ⁸ Heal the sick, ^[bh]cleanse the lepers, ^[bi]raise the dead, cast out demons. ^(KB)Freely you have received, freely give. ^9 (KC)Provide neither gold nor silver nor ^(KD)copper in your money belts, ¹⁰ nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; ^(KE)for a worker is worthy of his food.

^11 (KF)“Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out. ¹² And when you go into a household, greet it. ^13 (KG)If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. ^(KH)But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. ^14 (KI)And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, ^(KJ)shake off the dust from your feet. ¹⁵ Assuredly, I say to you, ^(KK)it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!

Persecutions Are Coming^(KL)

^16 (KM)“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. ^(KN)Therefore be wise as serpents and ^(KO)harmless^[bj] as doves. ¹⁷ But beware of men, for ^(KP)they will deliver you up to councils and ^(KQ)scourge you in their synagogues. ^18 (KR)You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. ^19 (KS)But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For ^(KT)it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; ^20 (KU)for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

^21 (KV)“Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. ²² And ^(KW)you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. ^(KX)But he who endures to the end will be saved. ^23 (KY)When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have ^(KZ)gone through the cities of Israel ^(LA)before the Son of Man comes.

^24 (LB)“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. ²⁵ It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If ^(LC)they have called the master of the house ^[bk]Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! ²⁶ Therefore do not fear them. ^(LD)For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

Jesus Teaches the Fear of God^(LE)

²⁷ “Whatever I tell you in the dark, ^(LF)speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. ^28 (LG)And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather ^(LH)fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in ^[bl]hell. ²⁹ Are not two ^(LI)sparrows sold for a ^[bm]copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. ^30 (LJ)But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Confess Christ Before Men^(LK)

^32 (LL)“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, ^(LM)him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. ^33 (LN)But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

Christ Brings Division^(LO)

^34 (LP)“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. ³⁵ For I have come to ^(LQ)‘set^[bn] a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; ³⁶ and ^(LR)‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ ^37 (LS)He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. ^38 (LT)And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. ^39 (LU)He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

A Cup of Cold Water^(LV)

^40 (LW)“He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. ^41 (LX)He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. ^42 (LY)And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”

John the Baptist Sends Messengers to Jesus^(LZ)

11 Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to ^(MA)teach and to preach in their cities.

^2 (MB)And when John had heard ^(MC)in prison about the works of Christ, he ^[bo]sent two of his disciples ³ and said to Him, “Are You ^(MD)the Coming One, or do we look for another?”

⁴ Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: ^5 (ME)The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and ^(MF)the poor have the gospel preached to them. ⁶ And blessed is he who is not ^(MG)offended because of Me.”

^7 (MH)As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? ^(MI)A reed shaken by the wind? ⁸ But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. ⁹ But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, ^(MJ)and more than a prophet. ¹⁰ For this is he of whom it is written:

¹¹ “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ^12 (ML)And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. ^13 (MM)For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. ¹⁴ And if you are willing to receive it, he is ^(MN)Elijah who is to come. ^15 (MO)He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

^16 (MP)“But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, ¹⁷ and saying:

¹⁸ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ ¹⁹ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a ^[bq]winebibber, ^(MQ)a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ ^(MR)But wisdom is justified by her ^[br]children.”

Woe to the Impenitent Cities^(MS)

^20 (MT)Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: ²¹ “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago ^(MU)in sackcloth and ashes. ²² But I say to you, ^(MV)it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. ²³ And you, Capernaum, ^(MW)who^[bs] are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. ²⁴ But I say to you ^(MX)that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.”

Jesus Gives True Rest^(MY)

^25 (MZ)At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that ^(NA)You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent ^(NB)and have revealed them to babes. ²⁶ Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. ^27 (NC)All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. ^(ND)Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. ²⁸ Come to ^(NE)Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you ^(NF)and learn from Me, for I am ^[bt]gentle and ^(NG)lowly in heart, ^(NH)and you will find rest for your souls. ^30 (NI)For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath^(NJ)

12 At that time ^(NK)Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to ^(NL)pluck heads of grain and to eat.