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Bible in 90 Days

An intensive Bible reading plan that walks through the entire Bible in 90 days.
Duration: 88 days
Lexham English Bible (LEB)
Version
Matthew 16:1-26:56

The Signs of the Times

16 And when[a] the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test him,[b] they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. So he answered and[c] said to them, “When[d] evening comes you say, ‘It will be fair weather because the sky is red,’ and early in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy weather, because the sky is red and[e] darkening.’ You know how to evaluate correctly the appearance of the sky, but you are not able to evaluate[f] the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, and a sign will not be given to it except the sign of Jonah!” And he left them and[g] went away.

Beware the Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees

And when[h] the disciples arrived at the other side,[i] they had forgotten to take bread. And Jesus said to them, “Watch out for and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees!” So they were discussing this[j] among themselves, saying, “It is because we did not take bread.” But knowing this,[k] Jesus said, “Why are you discussing among yourselves that you did not take bread,[l] you of little faith? Do you not yet understand or do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you took up? 10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand and how many baskets you took up? 11 How do you not understand that I did not speak to you about bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees!” 12 Then they understood that he did not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Peter’s Confession at Caesarea Philippi

13 Now when[m] Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi,[n] he began asking[o] his disciples, saying, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, Some[p] say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 And Simon Peter answered and[q] said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” 17 And Jesus answered and[r] said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this[s] to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it! 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound[t] in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will be released[u] in heaven.” 20 Then he commanded the disciples that they should tell no one that he was the Christ.

Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection

21 From that time on Jesus began to show 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 on the third day. 22 And Peter took him aside and[v] began to rebuke him, saying, God forbid,[w] Lord! This will never happen to you!” 23 But he turned around and[x] said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a cause for stumbling to me, because you are not intent on the things of God, but the things of people!”

Taking Up One’s Cross to Follow Jesus

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life on account of me will find it. 26 For what will a person be benefited if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life? Or what will a person give in exchange for his life? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and at that time he will reward each one according to what he has done.[y] 28 Truly I say to you, that there are some of those standing here who will never experience death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

The Transfiguration

17 And after six days Jesus took along Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothing became bright as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with him. So Peter answered and[z] said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here! If you want, I will make here three shelters, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” While[aa] he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him!” And when[ab] the disciples heard this,[ac] they fell down on their faces and were extremely frightened. And Jesus came and touched them and[ad] said, “Get up and do not be afraid.” And when they[ae] lifted up their eyes they saw no one except him—Jesus alone.

And as[af] they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them saying, “Tell no one the vision until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” 10 And the disciples asked him, saying, “Then why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 11 And he answered and[ag] said, “Elijah indeed is coming, and will restore all things. 12 But I say to you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did with him whatever they wanted. In the same way also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he had spoken to them about John the Baptist.

A Demon-possessed Boy Healed

14 And when they[ah] came to the crowd, a man approached him, kneeling down before him 15 and saying, “Lord, have mercy on my son, because he has seizures and suffers severely, for often he falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 And I brought him to your disciples, and they were not able to heal him.” 17 And Jesus answered and[ai] said, “O unbelieving and perverse generation! How long[aj] will I be with you? How long[ak] must I put up with you? Bring him here to me!” 18 And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him and the boy was healed from that hour.

19 Then the disciples approached Jesus privately and[al] said, Why[am] were we not able to expel it?” 20 And he said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly I say to you, if you have faith like 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.”[an]

Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection a Second Time

22 Now as[ao] they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men,[ap] 23 and they will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised.” And they were extremely distressed.

Paying the Double Drachma Temple Tax

24 Now when[aq] they arrived in Capernaum, the ones who collected the double drachma tax[ar] came up to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the double drachma tax?” 25 He said, “Yes.” And when he[as] came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth collect tolls or taxes—from their own sons, or from foreigners?” 26 And when he[at] said, “From foreigners,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. 27 But so that we do not give offense to them, go out to the sea, cast a line with[au] a hook, and take the first fish that comes up. And when you[av] open its mouth, you will find a four-drachma coin. Take that and[aw] give it[ax] to them for me and you.”

The Question About Who Is Greatest

18 At that time the disciples came up to Jesus, saying, “Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling a child to himself, he had him stand in their midst and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you turn around and become like young children, you will never enter into the kingdom of heaven! Therefore whoever humbles himself like this child, this person is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, and whoever welcomes one child such as this in my name welcomes me. But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him that a large millstone[ay] be hung on[az] his neck and he be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of causes for stumbling, for it is a necessity that causes for stumbling come; nevertheless, woe to the person through whom the cause for stumbling comes. And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it[ba] from you! It is better for you to enter into life crippled or lame than, having two hands or two feet, to be thrown into the eternal fire! And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it[bb] from you! It is better for you to enter into life one-eyed than, having two eyes, to be thrown into fiery hell!

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

10 “See to it that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven constantly see the face of my Father who is in heaven.[bc] 12 What do you think? If a certain man has[bd] a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go and[be] look for the one that wandered away? 13 And if he happens to find it, truly I say to you that he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that did not wander away. 14 In the same way it is not the will of[bf] your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.

Confronting a Brother Who Sins Against You

15 “Now if your brother sins against you, go correct him between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take with you in addition one or two others, so that by the testimony[bg] of two or three witnesses every matter may be established. 17 And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it[bh] to the church. But if he refuses to listen to the church also, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

18 “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will be released in heaven. 19 Again, truly I say to you that if two of you agree on earth about any matter that they ask, it will be done for them from my Father who is in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in the midst of them.”

The Parable of the Unforgiving Slave

21 Then Peter came up to him and[bi] said,[bj] “Lord, how many times will my brother sin against me and I will forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven![bk]

23 “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man—a king—who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves. 24 And when[bl] he began to settle them,[bm] someone was brought to him who owed ten thousand talents. 25 And because[bn] he did not have enough[bo] to repay it,[bp] the master ordered him to be sold, and his[bq] wife and his[br] children and everything that he had, and to be repaid. 26 Then the slave threw himself to the ground and[bs] began to do obeisance to him, saying, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay back everything to you!’ 27 So the master of that slave, because he[bt] had compassion, released him and forgave him the loan. 28 But that slave went out and[bu] found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii, and taking hold of him, he began to choke him,[bv] saying, ‘Pay back everything that you owe!’ 29 Then his fellow slave threw himself to the ground and[bw] began to implore[bx] him, saying, ‘Be patient with me and I will repay you!’ 30 But he did not want to, but rather he went and[by] threw him into prison until he would repay what was owed. 31 So when[bz] his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were extremely distressed, and went and[ca] reported to their master everything that had happened. 32 Then his master summoned him and[cb] said to him, ‘Wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you implored me! 33 Should you not also have shown mercy to your fellow slave as I also showed mercy to you?’ 34 And because he[cc] was angry, his master handed him over to the merciless jailers[cd] until he would repay everything that was owed. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from your hearts!”

On Divorce

19 And it happened that when Jesus had finished these statements, he went away from Galilee and came into the region of Judea on the other side of the Jordan. And large crowds followed him, and he healed them there. And Pharisees came up to him in order to[ce] test him, and asked[cf] if it was permitted for a man to divorce his wife for any cause. And he answered and[cg] said, “Have you not read that the one who created them[ch] from the beginning made them male and female and said, ‘On account of this a man will leave his[ci] father and his[cj] mother and will be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’?[ck] So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, man must not separate.” They said to him, “Why then did Moses command us[cl] to give a document—a certificate of divorce—and to divorce her?” He said to them, “Moses, with reference to your hardness of heart, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not like this. Now I say to you that whoever divorces his wife, except on the basis of sexual immorality, and marries another commits adultery, and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.”[cm]

10 The disciples[cn] said to him, “If this is the case of a man with his[co] wife, it would be better not to marry!” 11 But he said to them, “Not everyone can accept this saying but those to whom it has been given. 12 For there are eunuchs who were born as such from their mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by people, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs[cp] for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who is able to accept this,[cq] let him accept it.”[cr]

Little Children Brought to Jesus

13 Then children were brought to him so that he could lay his[cs] hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 But Jesus said, “Allow the children, and do not forbid them to come to me, for to such belongs[ct] the kingdom of heaven.” 15 And he laid his[cu] hands on them and[cv] traveled on from there.

A Rich Young Man

16 And behold, someone came up to him and[cw] said, “Teacher, what good thing must I do so that I will have eternal life?” 17 And he said to him, “Why are you asking me about what is good? There is one who is good. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments!” 18 He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “Do not commit murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, 19 honor your[cx] father and your[cy] mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man said to him, “All these I have observed. What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give the proceeds[cz] to the poor—and you will have treasure in heaven—and come, follow me.” 22 But when[da] the young man heard the statement, he went away sorrowful, because he was one who had many possessions.

23 And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I say to you that with difficulty a rich person will enter into 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 a rich person into[db] the kingdom of God.” 25 So when[dc] the disciples heard this,[dd] they were extremely amazed, saying, “Then who can be saved?” 26 But Jesus looked at them[de] and[df] said to them, “With human beings this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” 27 Then Peter answered and[dg] said to him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed you. What then will there be for us?” 28 And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you that in the renewal of the world,[dh] when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me—you also will sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife[di] or children or fields on account of my name will receive a hundred times as much, and will inherit eternal life. 30 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 man—the master of the house—who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. And after[dj] coming to an agreement with the workers for a denarius per day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace. And to those people he said, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will give you whatever is right.’ So they went. Going out[dk] again about the sixth and ninth hour he did the same thing. And about the eleventh hour he went out and[dl] found others standing there and said to them, ‘Why are you standing here the whole day unemployed?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go also into the vineyard.’ And when[dm] evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the workers and pay them their[dn] wages, beginning from the last up to the first.’ And when the ones hired about the eleventh hour came, they received a denarius apiece. 10 And when[do] the first came, they thought that they would receive more, and they also received a denarius apiece. 11 And when they[dp] received it,[dq] they began to complain[dr] against the master of the house, 12 saying, ‘These last people worked one hour and you made them equal to us who have endured the burden of the day and the burning heat!’ 13 But he answered one of them and[ds] said, ‘Friend, I am not doing you wrong. Did you not come to an agreement with me for a denarius? 14 Take what is yours and go! But I want to give to this last person the same as I gave[dt] to you also. 15 Is it not[du] permitted for me to do whatever I want with what is mine? Or is your eye evil because I am generous?’ 16 Thus the last will be first and the first last.”

Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection a Third Time

17 And as[dv] Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples by themselves and said to them on the way, 18 “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death, 19 and will hand him over to the Gentiles to mock him[dw] and flog him[dx] and crucify him,[dy] and on the third day he will be raised.”

A Request by the Mother of James and John

20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and[dz] kneeling down she asked[ea] something from him. 21 And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine may sit one at your right hand and one at your left in your kingdom.” 22 But Jesus answered and[eb] said, “You do not know what you are asking! Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” 23 He said to them, “You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine[ec] to grant, but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”

24 And when[ed] the ten heard this,[ee] they were indignant concerning the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to himself and[ef] said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions exercise authority over them. 26 It will not be like this among you! But whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be most prominent among you must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Two Blind Men Healed at Jericho

29 And as[eg] they were going out of Jericho, a large crowd followed him. 30 And behold, there were two blind men sitting beside the road. When they[eh] heard that Jesus was passing by, they called out, saying, “Lord, have mercy on us,[ei] Son of David!” 31 And the crowd rebuked them so that they would be quiet. But they called out all the more, saying, “Lord, have mercy on us,[ej] Son of David!” 32 And Jesus stopped,[ek] called them, and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” 33 They said to him, “Lord, that our eyes be opened!” 34 And having compassion, Jesus touched their eyes, and immediately they received their sight and followed him.

The Triumphal Entry

21 And when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village before you, and right away you will find a donkey tied and a colt with her. Untie them[el] and[em] bring them[en] to me. And if anyone says anything to you, you will say, ‘The Lord needs them,’[eo] and he will send them at once.” Now this took place so that what was spoken through the prophet would be fulfilled, saying,

“Say to the daughter of Zion,
    ‘Behold, your king is coming to you,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
    and[ep] on a colt, the foal of a pack animal.’”[eq]

So the disciples went[er] and did[es] just as Jesus directed them, and[et] brought the donkey and the colt and put their[eu] cloaks on them, and he sat on them. And a very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them[ev] on the road. And the crowds who went ahead of him and the ones who followed were shouting, saying,

“Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord![ew]
    Hosanna in the highest heaven!”[ex]

10 And when[ey] he entered into Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee!”

The Cleansing of the Temple

12 And Jesus entered the temple courts[ez] and drove out all those who were selling and buying in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those who were selling doves. 13 And he said to them, “It is written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’[fa] but you have made it a cave of robbers!”

14 And the blind and the lame came up to him in the temple courts[fb] and he healed them. 15 But when[fc] the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children shouting in the temple courts[fd] and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant. 16 And they said to him, “Do you hear what these children[fe] are saying?” So Jesus said to them, “Yes, have you never read, ‘Out of the mouths of children and nursing babies you have prepared for yourself praise’?”[ff] 17 And leaving them, he went outside of the city to Bethany and spent the night there.

A Barren Fig Tree Cursed

18 Now early in the morning, as he[fg] was returning to the city, he was hungry. 19 And seeing a single fig tree by the road, he went to it and found nothing on it except leaves only. And he said to it, “May there be no more fruit from you forever,[fh] and the fig tree withered at once. 20 And when they[fi] saw it,[fj] the disciples were astonished, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” 21 And Jesus answered and[fk] said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will do not only what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,” it will happen! 22 And whatever you ask in prayer, if you[fl] believe, you will receive.”

Jesus’ Authority Challenged

23 And after[fm] he arrived at the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him while he[fn] was teaching, saying, “By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority?” 24 And Jesus answered and[fo] said to them, “I also will ask you one question. If you tell the answer[fp] to me, I also will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25 From where was the baptism of John—from heaven or from men?” And they began to discuss[fq] this[fr] 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 are afraid of the crowd, because they all look upon John as a prophet.” 27 And they answered and[fs] said to Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

28 “Now what do you think? A man had two sons. He approached[ft] the first and[fu] said, ‘Son, go work in the vineyard today.’ 29 And he answered and[fv] said, ‘I do not want to!’ But later he changed his mind and[fw] went. 30 And he approached the second[fx] and[fy] said the same thing. So he answered and[fz] said, ‘I will, sir,’ and he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his[ga] father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going ahead of you into the kingdom of God! 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did believe him. And when[gb] you saw it,[gc] you did not even change your minds later so as to believe in him.

The Parable of the Tenant Farmers in the Vineyard

33 “Listen to another parable: There was a man—a master of a house—who planted a vineyard, and put a fence around it, and dug a winepress in it, and built a watchtower, and leased it to tenant farmers, and went on a journey. 34 And when the season of fruit drew near, he sent his slaves to the tenant farmers to collect his fruit. 35 And the tenant farmers seized his slaves, one of whom they beat, and one of whom they killed, and one of whom they stoned. 36 Again, he sent other slaves, more than the first ones, and they did the same thing to them. 37 So finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when[gd] the tenant farmers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance!’ 39 And they seized him and[ge] threw him[gf] out of the vineyard and killed him.[gg] 40 Now when the master of the vineyard arrives, what will he do to those tenant farmers?” 41 They said to him, “He will destroy those evil men completely and lease the vineyard to other tenant farmers who will give him the fruits in their season.” 42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures,

‘The stone which the builders rejected,
    this has become the cornerstone.[gh]
This came about from the Lord,
    and it is marvelous in our eyes’?[gi]

43 For this reason, I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and will be given to a people[gj] who produce its fruits. 44 And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and the one on whom it falls—it will crush him!” 45 And when[gk] the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they knew that he was speaking about them, 46 and although they[gl] wanted to arrest him, they were afraid of the crowds, because they looked upon him as a prophet.

The Parable of the Wedding Celebration

22 And continuing, Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man—a king—who gave a wedding celebration for his son. And he sent his slaves to summon those who had been invited to the wedding celebration, and they did not want to come. Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding celebration!”’ But they paid no attention and[gm] went away—this one to his own field, that one to his business. And the others, seizing his slaves, mistreated them[gn] and killed them.[go] And the king was angry and sent his troops and[gp] destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding celebration is ready, but those who had been invited were not worthy. Therefore, go out to the places where the roads exit the city and invite to the wedding celebration as many people as you find.’ 10 And those slaves went out into the roads and[gq] gathered everyone whom they found, both evil and good, and the wedding celebration was filled with dinner guests.[gr] 11 But when[gs] the king came in to see the dinner guests,[gt] he saw a man there not dressed in wedding clothes. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here, not having wedding clothes?’ But he could say nothing.[gu] 13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Tie him up hand and foot[gv] and[gw] throw him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!’ 14 For many are called but few are chosen.”

Paying Taxes to Caesar

15 Then the Pharisees went and consulted[gx] so that they could entrap him with a statement. 16 And they sent their disciples to him with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and you do not care what anyone thinks,[gy] because you do not regard the opinion of people.[gz] 17 Therefore tell us what you think. Is it permitted to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” 18 But because he[ha] knew their maliciousness, Jesus said, “Hypocrites! Why are you testing me? 19 Show me the coin for the tax!” 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.” Then he said to them, “Therefore give to Caesar the things of Caesar, and to God the things of God!” 22 And when they[hb] heard this,[hc] they were astonished, and they left him and[hd] went away.

A Question About Marriage and the Resurrection

23 On that day Sadducees—who say there is no resurrection—came up to him and asked him, 24 saying, “Teacher, Moses said if someone dies without having children, his brother is to marry his wife and father[he] descendants for his brother. 25 Now there were seven brothers with us. And the first died after[hf] getting married, and because he[hg] did not have descendants, he left his wife to his brother. 26 So also the second and the third, up to the seventh. 27 And last of all the woman died. 28 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her as wife.”[hh] 29 But Jesus answered and[hi] said to them, “You are mistaken, because[hj] you do not know the scriptures or the power of God! 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God[hk] in heaven. 31 Now concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, who said, 32 “I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob”?[hl] He is not the God of the dead, but of the living!” 33 And when[hm] the crowds heard this,[hn] they were amazed at his teaching.

The Greatest Commandment

34 Now when[ho] the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they assembled at the same place.[hp] 35 And one of them, a legal expert, put a question to him[hq] to test him: 36 “Teacher, which commandment is greatest in the law?” 37 And he said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[hr] 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’[hs] 40 On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.”

David’s Son and Lord

41 Now while[ht] the Pharisees were assembled, Jesus asked them, 42 saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “David’s.” 43 He said to them, “How then does David, by the Spirit, call him ‘Lord,’ saying,

44 ‘The Lord said to my Lord,
    “Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
    under your feet”’?[hu]

45 If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how is he his son?” 46 And no one was able to answer him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask him any more questions.[hv]

Seven Woes Pronounced on the Scribes and Pharisees

23 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on the seat of Moses. Therefore do and observe everything that they tell you, but do not do as they do,[hw] for they tell others to do something[hx] and do not do it themselves.[hy] And they tie up heavy burdens[hz] and put them[ia] on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing with their finger to move them. And they do all their deeds in order to be seen by people, for they make their phylacteries broad and make their[ib] tassels long. And they love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues and the greetings in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by people. But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ because one is your teacher, and you are all brothers, And do not call anyone[ic] your father on earth, for one is your heavenly Father. 10 And do not be called teachers, because one is your teacher, the Christ. 11 And the greatest among you will be your servant. 12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you shut the kingdom of heaven before people! For you do not enter, nor permit those wanting to go in[id] to enter.[ie]

15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you travel around the sea and the dry land to make one convert, and when he becomes one,[if] you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are!

16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing! But whoever swears by the gold of the temple is bound by his oath.’[ig] 17 Fools and blind people! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold holy? 18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing! But whoever swears by the gift that is on it is bound by his oath.’[ih] 19 Blind people! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift holy? 20 Therefore the one who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything that is on it. 21 And the one who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 22 And the one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by the one who sits on it.

23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you pay a tenth of mint and dill and cumin, and neglect the more important matters of the law—justice and mercy and faithfulness! It was necessary[ii] to do these things while not neglecting those.[ij] 24 Blind guides who filter out a gnat and swallow a camel!

25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence! 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the dish,[ik] so that the outside of it may become clean also.

27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and of everything unclean! 28 In the same way, on the outside you also appear righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous, 30 and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in the blood of the prophets!’ 31 Thus you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets! 32 And you—fill up the measure of your fathers! 33 Serpents! Offspring of vipers! How will you escape from the condemnation to hell? 34 For this reason, behold, I am sending to you prophets and wise men and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues and will pursue from town to town, 35 so that upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on the earth from the blood of righteous Abel up to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation!

The Lament over Jerusalem

37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How many times I wanted to gather your children together the way[il] a hen gathers her young together under her[im] wings, and you were not willing! 38 Behold, your house has been left to you desolate! 39 For I tell you, you will never see me from now on until you say,

‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’”[in]

The Destruction of the Temple Predicted

24 And as Jesus went out of the temple courts[io] he was going along, and his disciples came up to point out to him the buildings of the temple. But he answered and[ip] said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone will be left here on another stone that will not be thrown down!”

Signs of the End of the Age

And as[iq] he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came up to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered and[ir] said to them, “Watch out that no one deceives you! For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will deceive many. And you are going to hear about wars and rumors of wars. See to it that you are not alarmed, for this must happen, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise up against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.[is] But all these things are the beginning of birth pains.

Persecution of Disciples Predicted

“Then they will hand you over to persecution and will kill you, and you will be hated by all the nations[it] because of my name. 10 And then many will be led into sin and will betray one another and will hate one another, 11 and many false prophets will appear and will deceive many, 12 and because lawlessness will increase, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end—this person will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed in the whole inhabited earth for a testimony to all the nations,[iu] and then the end will come.

The Abomination of Desolation

15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation[iv] spoken about by the prophet Daniel standing in the holy place” (let the one who reads understand), 16 “then those in Judea must flee to the mountains! 17 The one who is on his[iw] housetop must not come down to take things out of his house, 18 and the one who is in the field must not turn back to pick up his cloak. 19 And woe to those who are pregnant[ix] and to those who are nursing their babies[iy] in those days! 20 But pray that your flight may not happen in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For at that time there will be great tribulation, such as has not happened from the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will happen. 22 And unless those days had been shortened, no human being would be saved.[iz] But for the sake of the elect, those days will be shortened.

23 “At that time if anyone should say to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘Here he is,’ do not believe him![ja] 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear, and will produce great signs and wonders in order to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 Behold, I have told you ahead of time! 26 Therefore if they say to you, ‘Behold, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or[jb] ‘Behold, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it![jc] 27 For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. 28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.

The Arrival of the Son of Man

29 “And immediately after the tribulation of those days,

‘the sun will be darkened
    and the moon will not give its light,
and the stars will fall from heaven,
    and the powers of heaven will be shaken.’[jd]

30 And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven,[je] and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man arriving on the clouds of heaven[jf] with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect together from the four winds, from one end of heaven[jg] to the other end of it.

The Parable of the Fig Tree

32 “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: Whenever its branch has already become tender and puts forth its[jh] leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So also you, when you see all these things, know[ji] that he is near, at the door. 34 Truly I say to you that this generation will never pass away until all these things take place! 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

The Unknown Day and Hour

36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows—not even the angels of heaven nor the Son—except the Father alone. 37 For just as the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. 38 For as in the days[jj] before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered into the ark. 39 And they did not know anything[jk] until the deluge came and swept them[jl] all away. So also the coming of the Son of Man will be. 40 Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore be on the alert, because you do not know what day your Lord is coming! 43 But understand this: that if the master of the house had known what watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 For this reason you also must be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not think he will come.[jm]

A Faithful Slave and an Unfaithful Slave

45 “Who then is the faithful and wise slave whom the master has put in charge of his household slaves to give them their[jn] food at the right time? 46 Blessed is that slave whom his master will find so doing when he[jo] comes back. 47 Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But if that evil slave should say to himself,[jp] ‘My master is staying away for a long time,’ 49 and he begins to beat his fellow slaves and eats and drinks with drunkards, 50 the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect and at an hour that he does not know, 51 and will cut him in two and assign his place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

25 “Then the kingdom of heaven may be compared to ten virgins who took their lamps and[jq] went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were foolish and five were wise. For when[jr] the foolish ones took their lamps, they did not take olive oil with them. But the wise ones took olive oil in flasks with their lamps. And when[js] the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.[jt] But in the middle of the night there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish ones said to the wise ones, ‘Give us some of your olive oil, because our lamps are going out!’ But the wise ones answered saying, “Certainly there will never be enough for us and for you! Go instead to those who sell olive oil[ju] and buy some[jv] for yourselves.’ 10 But while[jw] they had gone away to buy it[jx] the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went inside with him to the wedding celebration, and the door was shut. 11 And later the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open the door[jy] for us!’ 12 But he answered and[jz] said, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you!’ 13 Therefore be on the alert, because you do not know the day or the hour!

The Parable of the Talents

14 For it is like a man going on a journey. He summoned his own slaves and handed over his property to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one, to each one according to his own ability, and he went on a journey immediately. 16 The one who had received the five talents went out and[ka] traded with them and gained five more. 17 In the same way the one who had the two gained two more. 18 But the one who had received the one went away and[kb] dug up the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 Now after a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20 And the one who had received the five talents came up and[kc] brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents. See, I have gained five more talents!’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge over many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’ 22 And the one who had the two talents also came up and[kd] said, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents. See, I have gained two talents more!’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge over many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’ 24 And the one who had received the one talent came up also and[ke] said, ‘Master, because I[kf] knew you, that you are a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering from where you did not scatter seed.[kg] 25 And because I[kh] was afraid, I went away and[ki] hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours!’ 26 But his master answered and[kj] said to him, ‘Evil and lazy slave! You knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather from where I did not scatter seed.[kk] 27 Then you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and when I[kl] returned I would have gotten back what was mine with interest! 28 Therefore take the talent from him and give it[km] to the one who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 30 And throw the worthless slave into the outer darkness—in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!’

The Judgment of the Sheep and the Goats

31 Now when the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 And all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them from one another like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right and the goats on the left. 34 Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world! 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something[kn] to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something[ko] to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me as a guest, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you cared for me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,[kp] or thirsty and give you something[kq] to drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you[kr] as a guest, or naked and clothe you?[ks] 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ 40 And the king will answer and[kt] say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, in as much as you did it[ku] to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it[kv] to me.’ 41 Then he will also say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed ones, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels! 42 For I was hungry and you did not give me anything[kw] to eat, I was thirsty and you did not give me anything[kx] to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me as a guest, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not care for me.’ 44 Then they will also answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and not serve you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly I say to you, in as much as you did not do it[ky] to one of the least of these, you did not do it[kz] to me.’ 46 And these will depart into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

The Chief Priests and Elders Plot to Kill Jesus

26 And it happened that when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples, “You know that after two days the Passover takes place, and the Son of Man will be handed over[la] in order to be crucified.”

Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, who was named Caiaphas, and plotted in order that they could arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him.[lb] But they were saying, “Not during the feast, so that there will not be an uproar among the people.”

Jesus’ Anointing at Bethany

Now while[lc] Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to him holding an alabaster flask of very expensive perfumed oil, and poured it[ld] out on his head while he[le] was reclining at table. And when[lf] the disciples saw it[lg] they were indignant, saying, “Why[lh] this waste? For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor!” 10 But Jesus, knowing this,[li] said to them, “Why do you cause trouble for the woman? For she has done a good deed for me. 11 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me. 12 For when[lj] this woman poured this ointment on my body, she did it[lk] in order to prepare me for burial. 13 Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told in memory of her.”

Judas Arranges to Betray Jesus

14 Then one of the twelve, the one named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and[ll] said, “What are you willing to give me if I in turn deliver him to you?” So they set out for him thirty silver coins. 16 And from that time on, he began seeking a favorable opportunity in order that he could betray him.

Jesus’ Final Passover with the Disciples

17 Now on the first day[lm] of the feast of Unleavened Bread the disciples came up to Jesus, saying, “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 18 And he said, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is near. I am celebrating the Passover with you with my disciples.”’ 19 And the disciples did as Jesus directed them, and they prepared the Passover. 20 And when it[ln] was evening, he was reclining at table with the twelve disciples.[lo] 21 And while[lp] they were eating he said, “Truly I say to you, that one of you will betray me.” 22 And greatly distressed, each one began to say to him, “Surely I am not he, am I,[lq] Lord?” 23 And he answered and[lr] said, “The one who dips his[ls] hand in the bowl with me—this one will betray me. 24 The Son of Man is going just as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for him if that man had not been born.” 25 And Judas, the one who was betraying him, answered and[lt] said, “Surely I am not he, am I,[lu] Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said it.”[lv]

The Lord’s Supper

26 Now while[lw] they were eating Jesus took bread and, after[lx] giving thanks, he broke it,[ly] and giving it[lz] to the disciples, he said, “Take, eat, this is my body.” 27 And after[ma] taking the cup and giving thanks he gave it[mb] to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 But I tell you, from now on I will never drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in the kingdom of my Father.” 30 And after they[mc] had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

31 Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me during this night, for it is written,

‘I will strike the shepherd
    and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’[md]

32 But after I am raised, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” 33 But Peter answered and[me] said to him, “If they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away!” 34 Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that during this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times!” 35 Peter said to him, “Even if it is necessary for me to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the disciples said the same thing.

The Prayer in Gethsemane

36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and[mf] pray.” 37 And taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be distressed and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake with me.” 39 And going forward a little he fell down on his face, praying and saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”[mg] 40 And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “So, were you not able to stay awake with me one hour? 41 Stay awake and pray that you will not enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak!” 42 Again for the second time he went away and[mh] prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will must be done.” 43 And he came again and[mi] found them sleeping, for they could not keep their eyes open.[mj] 44 And leaving them again, he went away and[mk] prayed for the third time, saying the same thing again. 45 Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Get up, let us go! Behold, the one who is betraying me is approaching!”

The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

47 And while[ml] he was still speaking, behold, Judas—one of the twelve—arrived, and with him a large crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and elders of the people. 48 Now the one who was betraying him had given them a sign, saying, “The one whom I kiss—he is the one.[mm] Arrest him!” 49 And he came up to Jesus immediately and[mn] said, “Greetings, Rabbi,” and kissed him. 50 And Jesus said to him, “Friend, do that[mo] for which you have come.”[mp] Then they came up and[mq] laid hands on Jesus and arrested him.

51 And behold, one of those with Jesus extended his[mr] hand and[ms] drew his sword, and striking the slave of the high priest, cut off his ear. 52 Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place! For all who take up the sword will die by the sword. 53 Or do you think that I cannot call upon my Father, and he would put at my disposal at once more than twelve legions of angels? 54 How then would the scriptures be fulfilled that it must happen in this way?”

55 At that time Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs, as against a robber, to arrest me? Every day in the temple courts[mt] I sat teaching, and you did not arrest me! 56 But all this has happened in order that the scriptures of the prophets would be fulfilled.” Then the disciples all abandoned him and[mu] fled.

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