Bible in 90 Days

The Birth of Jesus Christ

2 Now it happened that in those days a decree went out from Caesar^[a] Augustus to register all the empire. ² (This first registration took place when^[b] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ And everyone went to be registered, each one to his own town. ⁴ So Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David, ⁵ to be registered together with Mary, who was legally promised in marriage to him and^[c] was pregnant. ⁶ And it happened that while they were there, the time came^[d] for her to give birth. ⁷ And she gave birth to her firstborn son, and wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels

⁸ And there were shepherds in the same region, living out of doors and keeping watch, guarding over their flock by night. ⁹ And an angel of the Lord stood near them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terribly frightened.^{[e] 10} And the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring good news to you of great joy which will be for all the people: ¹¹ that today a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, was born for you in the city of David. ¹² And this will be the sign for you: you will find the baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God and saying,

¹⁵ And it happened that when the angels had departed from them into heaven, the shepherds began to say^[g] to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has revealed to us!” ¹⁶ And they went hurrying and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ And when they^[h] saw it,^[i] they made known the statement that had been told to them about this child. ¹⁸ And all who heard it^[j] were astonished concerning what had been said to them by the shepherds. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these words, pondering them^[k] in her heart. ²⁰ And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.

²¹ And when eight days were completed so that he could be circumcised,^[l] he was named Jesus, his name that he was called by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple

²² And when the days of their purification were completed according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him^[m] to the Lord ²³ (just as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb will be called holy to the Lord”)^{[n] 24} and to offer a sacrifice according to what was stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”^[o]

The Prophecy of Simeon

²⁵ And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was^[p] Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. ²⁶ And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he would see the Lord’s Christ.^{[q] 27} And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus so that they could do for him according to what was customary under the law, ²⁸ he took him in his^[r] arms and praised God and said,

³³ And his father and mother were astonished at what was said about him. ³⁴ And Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed^[s]— ³⁵ and a sword will pierce your own soul also, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed!”

The Testimony of Anna

³⁶ And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher (she was advanced in years,^[t] having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage,^{[u] 37} and herself as a widow up to eighty-four years)^[v] who did not depart from the temple with fastings and prayers, serving night and day. ³⁸ And at that same hour she approached and^[w] began to give thanks^[x] to God, and to speak about him to all those who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

³⁹ And when they had completed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. ⁴⁰ And the child was growing and becoming strong, filled with wisdom, and the favor of God was upon him.

Jesus in the Temple at Twelve Years Old

⁴¹ And his parents went every year to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. ⁴² And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to the custom of the feast. ⁴³ And after^[y] the days were completed, while they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. And his parents did not know it,^{[z] 44} but believing him to be in the group of travelers, they went a day’s journey. And they began searching for^[aa] him among their^[ab] relatives and their^[ac] acquaintances, ⁴⁵ and when they^[ad] did not find him,^[ae] they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. ⁴⁶ And it happened that after three days they found him in the temple courts,^[af] sitting in the midst of the teachers and listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷ And all who heard him were amazed at his insight and his^[ag] answers. ⁴⁸ And when they^[ah] saw him, they were astounded and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you done this to us? Look, your father and I have been searching for you anxiously!” ⁴⁹ And he said to them, “Why^[ai] were you searching for me? Did you not know that it was necessary for me to be in the house^[aj] of my Father?” ⁵⁰ And they did not understand the statement that he spoke to them. ⁵¹ And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was submitting to them. And his mother treasured all these things in her heart.

⁵² And Jesus was advancing in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and with people.

John the Baptist Begins His Ministry

3 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar,^[ak] when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, ² in the time of the high priest Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. ³ And he went into all the surrounding region of the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, ⁴ as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,

⁷ Therefore he was saying to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “Offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? ⁸ Therefore produce fruit worthy of repentance! And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones! ⁹ And even now the ax is positioned at the root of the trees; therefore every tree not producing good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

¹⁰ And the crowds were asking him, saying, “What then should we do?” ¹¹ And he answered and^[an] said to them, “The one who has two tunics must share with the one who does not have one,^[ao] and the one who has food must do likewise.” ¹² And tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?” ¹³ And he said to them, “Collect no more than what you are ordered to.”^{[ap] 14} And those who served in the army were also asking him, saying, “What should we also do?” And he said to them, “Extort from no one, and do not blackmail anyone,^[aq] and be content with your pay.”

¹⁵ And while^[ar] the people were waiting expectantly and all were pondering in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he might be the Christ,^{[as] 16} John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but the one who is more powerful than I am is coming, of whom I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹⁷ His winnowing shovel is in his hand, to clean out his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his storehouse, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

¹⁸ So with many other exhortations also he proclaimed good news to the people. ¹⁹ But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him concerning Herodias, his brother’s wife, and concerning all the evil deeds that Herod had done, ²⁰ added this also to them all: he also locked up John in prison.

The Baptism of Jesus

²¹ Now it happened that when all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized, and while he^[at] was praying, heaven was opened, ²² and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

The Genealogy of Jesus Christ

²³ And Jesus, when he^[au] began his ministry,^[av] was himself about thirty years old, being the son (as it was believed) of Joseph the son of Eli, ²⁴ the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, ²⁵ the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, ²⁶ the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, ²⁷ the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, ²⁸ the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, ²⁹ the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, ³⁰ the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, ³¹ the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, ³² the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon, ³³ the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, ³⁴ the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, ³⁵ the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah,^{[aw] 36} the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, ³⁷ the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, ³⁸ the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

The Temptation of Jesus

4 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness ² forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days, and when^[ax] they were completed, he was hungry. ³ So the devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, order this stone that it become bread!” ⁴ And Jesus replied to him, “It is written, ‘Man will not live on bread alone.’”^[ay]

⁵ And he led him up and^[az] showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. ⁶ And the devil said to him, “I will give you all this domain and their glory, because it has been handed over to me, and I can give it to whomever I want. ⁷ So if you will worship before me, all this will be yours.” ⁸ And Jesus answered and^[ba] said to him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’”^[bb]

⁹ And he brought him to Jerusalem, and had him stand on the highest point of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, ¹⁰ for it is written,

¹¹ and

¹² And Jesus answered and^[be] said to him, “It is said, ‘You are not to put to the test the Lord your God.’”^{[bf] 13} And when^[bg] the devil had completed every temptation, he departed from him until a favorable time.^[bh]

Public Ministry in Galilee

¹⁴ And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news about him went out throughout all the surrounding region. ¹⁵ And he began to teach^[bi] in their synagogues, and^[bj] was praised by all.

Rejected at Nazareth

¹⁶ And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up,^[bk] and according to his custom^[bl] he entered into the synagogue on the day of the Sabbath and stood up to read. ¹⁷ And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him, and unrolling the scroll he found the place where it was written,

²⁰ And he rolled up the scroll and^[bn] gave it^[bo] back to the attendant and^[bp] sat down. And the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were looking intently at him. ²¹ And he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” ²² And they were all speaking well of him, and were astonished at the gracious words that were coming out of his mouth. And they were saying, “Is this man not the son of Joseph?” ²³ And he said to them, “Doubtless you will tell me this parable: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ Whatever we have heard that took place in Capernaum, do here in your hometown also!” ²⁴ And he said, “Truly I say to you that no prophet is acceptable in his own hometown. ²⁵ But in truth I say to you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut for three years and six months while a great famine took place over all the land. ²⁶ And Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. ²⁷ And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was made clean except Naaman the Syrian.” ²⁸ And all those in the synagogue were filled with anger when they^[bq] heard these things. ²⁹ And they stood up and^[br] forced him out of the town and brought him up to the edge of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. ³⁰ But he passed through their midst and^[bs] went on his way.

Jesus Teaches and Heals Many in Capernaum

³¹ And he came down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbath. ³² And they were astounded at his teaching, because he spoke^[bt] with authority.

³³ And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon,^[bu] and he cried out with a loud voice, ³⁴ “Ha! Leave us alone,^[bv] Jesus the Nazarene! Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” ³⁵ And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent and come out of him!” And after^[bw] throwing him down in their midst, the demon came out of him without hurting him at all. ³⁶ And amazement came upon them all, and they began to talk^[bx] with one another, saying, “What word^[by] is this? For he commands the unclean spirits with authority and power, and they come out!” ³⁷ And news about him went out into every place of the surrounding region.

³⁸ And after he^[bz] set out from the synagogue, he went into Simon’s house. And Simon’s mother-in-law was afflicted with a high fever, and they asked him on behalf of her. ³⁹ And he stood over her and^[ca] rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she got up and^[cb] began to serve^[cc] them.

⁴⁰ Now as^[cd] the sun was setting, all who had those who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and placing his^[ce] hands on every one of them, he healed them. ⁴¹ And demons also were coming out of many, crying out and saying, “You are the Son of God!” And he rebuked them^[cf] and did not permit them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.^[cg]

⁴² And when it^[ch] was day, he departed and^[ci] went to an isolated place. And the crowds were seeking him, and came to him and were trying to prevent him from departing from them. ⁴³ But he said to them, “It is necessary for me to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because I was sent for this purpose. ⁴⁴ And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

Jesus Calls His First Disciples

5 Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around him and hearing the word of God, he was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret,^{[cj] 2} and he saw two boats there beside the lake, but the fishermen had gotten out of them and^[ck] were washing their nets. ³ And he got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and^[cl] asked him to put out from the land a little. And he sat down and^[cm] began to teach^[cn] the crowds from the boat. ⁴ And when he stopped speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” ⁵ And Simon answered and^[co] said, “Master, although we^[cp] worked hard through the whole night, we caught nothing. But at your word I will let down the nets.” ⁶ And when they^[cq] did this, they caught a very large number of fish, and their nets began to tear.^{[cr] 7} And they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and^[cs] help them, and they came and filled both the boats so that they began to sink. ⁸ And when he^[ct] saw it,^[cu] Simon Peter fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, Lord, because I am a sinful man!”^{[cv] 9} For amazement had seized him and all those who were with him at the catch of fish that they had caught, ¹⁰ and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were business partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid! From now on you will be catching people!” ¹¹ And after they^[cw] brought their^[cx] boats to the land, they left everything and^[cy] followed him.

A Leper Cleansed

¹² And it happened that while he was in one of the towns, there was^[cz] a man covered with leprosy.^[da] And when he^[db] saw Jesus, he fell down on his face and^[dc] begged him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you are able to make me clean.” ¹³ And extending his^[dd] hand he touched him, saying, “I am willing; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy went away from him. ¹⁴ And he ordered him, “Tell no one, but go and^[de] show yourself to the priest and bring the offering^[df] for your cleansing just as Moses commanded, for a testimony to them. ¹⁵ But the report about him spread even more, and large crowds were gathering to hear him^[dg] and to be healed of their illnesses. ¹⁶ But he himself was withdrawing in the wilderness and praying.

A Paralytic Healed

¹⁷ And it happened that on one of the days as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there who had come^[dh] from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem, and the power of the Lord was there in order for him to heal. ¹⁸ And behold, men came carrying on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and place him^[di][dj] before him. ¹⁹ And when they^[dk] did not find a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and^[dl] let him down through the roof tiles with the stretcher into the midst of them, in front of Jesus. ²⁰ And when he^[dm] saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” ²¹ And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who is able to forgive sins except God alone?” ²² But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, answered and^[dn] said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? ²³ Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk?’ ²⁴ But in order that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” he said to the one who was paralyzed, “I say to you, ‘Get up and pick up your stretcher and^[do] go to your home.’” ²⁵ And immediately he stood up before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and^[dp] went away to his home, glorifying God. ²⁶ And amazement seized them all, and they began to glorify^[dq] God. And they were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen wonderful things today!”

Levi Called to Follow Jesus

²⁷ And after these things, he went out and saw a tax collector named^[dr] Levi sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me!” ²⁸ And leaving everything behind, he got up and^[ds] began to follow^[dt] him.

²⁹ And Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house, and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others who were reclining for the meal with them. ³⁰ And the Pharisees and their scribes began to complain^[du] to his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?” ³¹ And Jesus answered and^[dv] said to them, “Those who are healthy do not have need of a physician, but those who are sick.^{[dw] 32} I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

On Fasting

³³ And they said to him, “The disciples of John fast often and make prayers—likewise also the disciples^[dx] of the Pharisees—but yours are eating and drinking!” ³⁴ So he^[dy] said^[dz] to them, “You are not able to make the bridegroom’s attendants^[ea] fast as long as the bridegroom is with them, are you?^{[eb] 35} But days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.” ³⁶ And he also told a parable to them: “No one tears a patch from a new garment and^[ec] puts it^[ed] on an old garment. Otherwise, he will have torn the new also, and the old will not match the patch that is from the new. ³⁷ And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the wineskins, and it will be spilled and the wineskins will be destroyed. ³⁸ But new wine must be put into new wineskins. ³⁹ And no one after^[ee] drinking old wine^[ef] wants new, because he says, ‘The old is just fine!’”

Plucking Grain on the Sabbath

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

A Man with a Withered Hand Healed

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

The Selection of the Twelve Apostles

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

The Sermon on the Plain: The Beatitudes

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

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

The Sermon on the Plain: Woes

The Sermon on the Plain: Love for Enemies

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

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

The Sermon on the Plain: On Judging Others

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

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

The Sermon on the Plain: Trees and Their Fruit

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

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

The Sermon on the Plain: Two Houses and Two Foundations

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

A Centurion’s Slave Healed

7 After he had finished all his statements in the hearing of the people, he entered into Capernaum. ² Now a certain centurion’s slave, who was esteemed by him, was sick^[fj] and^[fk] was about to die. ³ So when he^[fl] heard about Jesus, he sent Jewish elders to him, asking him that he would come and^[fm] cure his slave. ⁴ And when they^[fn] came to Jesus, they began imploring^[fo] him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy that you grant this for him, ⁵ because he loves our nation and he himself built the synagogue for us.” ⁶ So Jesus went with them. Now by this time he was not far away from the house, and^[fp] the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy that you should come in under my roof. ⁷ For this reason neither did I consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word and my slave must be healed. ⁸ For I also am a man placed under authority, who has soldiers under me, and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another one, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”^[fq]

⁹ And when^[fr] Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning around to the crowd that was following him, he said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith!” ¹⁰ And when they^[fs] returned to the house, those who had been sent found the slave healthy.

A Widow’s Son Raised

¹¹ And it happened that on the next day he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. ¹² And as he approached the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, his mother’s only son, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. ¹³ And when^[ft] the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, “Do not weep!” ¹⁴ And he came up and^[fu] touched the bier, and those who were carrying it^[fv] stopped. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” ¹⁵ And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and he gave him to his mother. ¹⁶ And fear seized them all, and they began to glorify^[fw] God, saying, “A great prophet has appeared among us!” and “God has visited to help his people!” ¹⁷ And this report about him went out in the whole of Judea and in all the surrounding region.

A Question from John the Baptist

¹⁸ And his disciples reported to John about all these things. And summoning a certain two of his disciples, John ¹⁹ sent them^[fx] to the Lord,^[fy] saying, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” ²⁰ And when^[fz] the men came to him, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?’” ²¹ In that hour he healed many people of diseases and suffering and evil spirits, and he granted sight to many blind people. ²² And he answered and^[ga] said to them, “Go and^[gb] tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear;^[gc] the dead are raised, the poor have good news announced to them.^{[gd] 23} And whoever is not offended by me is blessed.”

²⁴ And when^[ge] the messengers of John had departed, he began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? ²⁵ But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are in splendid clothing and luxury are in the royal palaces. ²⁶ But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and even more than a prophet! ²⁷ It is this man about whom it is written:

²⁸ I tell you, there is no one greater among those born of women than John, but the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. ²⁹ (And all the people, when they^[gg] heard this^[gh]—even the tax collectors—affirmed the righteousness of God, because they^[gi] had been baptized with the baptism of John, ³⁰ but the Pharisees and the legal experts rejected the purpose of God for themselves, because they^[gj] had not been baptized by him.)

³¹ “To what then shall I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? ³² They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to one another, who say,

³³ For John the Baptist has come not eating bread or drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’ ³⁴ The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Behold, a man who is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ ³⁵ And wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

A Sinful Woman Anoints Jesus’ Feet

³⁶ Now one of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he entered into the house of the Pharisee and^[gk] reclined at the table. ³⁷ And behold, a woman in the town who was a sinner, when she^[gl] learned that he was dining in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of perfumed oil, ³⁸ and standing behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and was wiping them^[gm] with the hair of her head and was kissing his feet and anointing them^[gn] with the perfumed oil. ³⁹ Now when^[go] the Pharisee who invited him saw this,^[gp] he spoke to himself, saying, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner.” ⁴⁰ And Jesus answered and^[gq] said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he said, “Teacher, say it.”^{[gr] 41} “There were two debtors who owed a certain creditor. One owed five hundred denarii and the other fifty. ⁴² When^[gs] they were not able to repay him,^[gt] he forgave the debts^[gu] of both. Now which of them will love him more?” ⁴³ Simon answered and^[gv] said, “I suppose that it is the one to whom he forgave more.” And he said to him, “You have judged correctly.” ⁴⁴ And turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered into your house. You did not give me water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them^[gw] with her hair. ⁴⁵ You did not give me a kiss, but from the time I entered, she has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶ You did not anoint my head with olive oil, but she anointed my feet with perfumed oil. ⁴⁷ For this reason^[gx] I tell you, her sins—which were many—have been forgiven, for she loved much. But the one to whom little is forgiven loves little.” ⁴⁸ And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” ⁴⁹ And those who were reclining at the table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” ⁵⁰ And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

Some Women Accompany Jesus

8 And it happened that afterward^[gy] also he was going about from one town and village to another preaching and proclaiming the good news concerning the kingdom of God, and the twelve were with him, ² and some women who had been healed of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (who was called Magdalene), from whom seven demons had gone out, ³ and Joanna the wife of Chuza (Herod’s household manager), and Susanna, and many others who were helping to support them from their possessions.

The Parable of the Sower

⁴ And while^[gz] a large crowd was gathering and they were going to him from town after town, he spoke by means of a parable: ⁵ “The sower went out to sow his seed, and while he was sowing, some seed^[ha] fell on the side of the path and was trampled under foot, and the birds of the sky devoured it. ⁶ And other seed fell on the rock, and when it^[hb] came up, it withered, because it did not have moisture. ⁷ And other seed fell in the midst of the thorn plants, and the thorn plants grew up with it^[hc] and^[hd] choked it. ⁸ And other seed fell on the good soil, and when it^[he] came up, it produced a hundred times as much grain.” As he^[hf] said these things, he called out, “The one who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

The Reason for the Parables

⁹ And his disciples asked him what this parable meant. ¹⁰ And he said, “To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest they are in parables, so that

The Parable of the Sower Interpreted

¹¹ Now the parable means this: the seed is the word of God, ¹² and those beside the path are the ones who have heard. Then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they may not believe and^[hh] be saved. ¹³ And those on the rock are those who receive the word with joy when they hear it,^[hi] and these do not have enough root, who believe for a time and in a time of testing fall away. ¹⁴ And the seed that fell into the thorn plants—these are the ones who hear and as they^[hj] go along are choked by the worries and riches and pleasures of life, and they do not bear fruit to maturity. ¹⁵ But the seed on the good soil—these are the ones who, after^[hk] hearing the word, hold fast to it^[hl] with a noble and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance.

The Parable of the Lamp

¹⁶ “And no one, after^[hm] lighting a lamp, covers it with a jar or puts it^[hn] under a bed, but puts it^[ho] on a lampstand, so that those who come in can see the light. ¹⁷ For nothing is secret that will not become evident, and nothing hidden that will never be known and come to light. ¹⁸ Therefore consider how you listen, for whoever has, to him more will be given, and whoever does not have, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away from him.”

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers

¹⁹ Now his mother and brothers came to him, and they were not able to meet with him because of the crowd. ²⁰ And it was reported to him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside wanting to see you.” ²¹ But he answered and^[hp] said to them, “These are my mother and my brothers—the ones who hear the word of God and do it.^[hq]

Calming of a Storm

²² Now it happened that on one of the days both he and his disciples got into a boat, and he said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.” And they set sail, ²³ and as^[hr] they were sailing, he fell asleep. And a storm of wind came down on the lake, and they were being swamped and were in danger. ²⁴ And they came and^[hs] woke him up, saying, “Master, master! We are perishing!” So he got up and^[ht] rebuked the wind and the billowing waves of water and they ceased, and it became calm. ²⁵ And he said to them, “Where is your faith?” But they were afraid and^[hu] were astonished, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even the winds and the water and they obey him?”

A Demon-possessed Gerasene Healed

²⁶ And they sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. ²⁷ And as^[hv] he got out on the land, a certain man from the town met him^[hw] who had demons and for a considerable time had not worn clothes and did not live in a house, but among the tombs. ²⁸ And when he^[hx] saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before him, and said with a loud voice, “What do I have to do with you,^[hy] Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me!” ²⁹ For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For it had seized him many times, and he was bound with chains and shackles and^[hz] was guarded, and breaking the bonds he would be driven by the demon into the deserted places.) ³⁰ So Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” because many demons had entered into him. ³¹ And they began imploring^[ia] him that he would not order them to depart into the abyss. ³² Now there was a large herd of pigs feeding there on the hill, and they implored him that he would permit them to enter into those pigs. And he permitted them. ³³ So the demons came out of the man and^[ib] entered into the pigs, and the herd rushed headlong down the steep slope into the lake and were drowned. ³⁴ And when^[ic] the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and reported it^[id] in the town and in the countryside. ³⁵ So they went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone out sitting there clothed and in his right mind, at the feet of Jesus, and they were afraid. ³⁶ And those who had seen it^[ie] reported to them how the man who had been demon-possessed had been healed. ³⁷ And all the people of the surrounding region of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, because they had been seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and^[if] returned. ³⁸ And the man from who the demons had gone out was begging him to stay with him, but he sent him away, saying, ³⁹ “Return to your home and tell all that God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole town all that Jesus had done for him.

A Woman Healed and a Daughter Raised

⁴⁰ Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, because they were all waiting for him. ⁴¹ And behold, a man who was named^[ig] Jairus came, and this man was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down at the feet of Jesus and^[ih] began imploring^[ii] him to come to his house, ⁴² because he had^[ij] an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying.

Now as he was going, the crowds were pressing against him. ⁴³ And a woman who was suffering from hemorrhages^[ik] for twelve years (who, although she^[il] had spent all her^[im] assets on physicians, was not able to be healed by anyone) ⁴⁴ came up behind him and^[in] touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her hemorrhaging^[io] stopped. ⁴⁵ And Jesus said, “Who is the one who touched me?” And when they^[ip] all denied it,^[iq] Peter said, “Master, the crowds are pressing you hard and crowding you!”^{[ir] 46} But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, because I know power has gone out from me.” ⁴⁷ And when^[is] the woman saw that she did not escape notice, she came trembling and falling down before him. In the presence of all the people, she told for what reason she had touched him, and that she was healed immediately. ⁴⁸ And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

⁴⁹ While^[it] he was still speaking, someone came from the synagogue ruler’s house, saying, “Your daughter is dead! Trouble the Teacher no longer!” ⁵⁰ But Jesus, when he^[iu] heard this,^[iv] replied to him, “Do not be afraid! Only believe, and she will be healed.” ⁵¹ Now when he^[iw] came to the house, he did not allow anyone to enter with him except Peter and John and James and the father and mother of the child. ⁵² And they were all weeping and mourning for her, but he said, “Do not weep! For she is not dead, but is sleeping.” ⁵³ And they began laughing^[ix] at him, because they^[iy] knew that she was dead. ⁵⁴ But he took her hand and^[iz] called, saying, “Child, get up.” ⁵⁵ And her spirit returned, and she got up immediately, and he ordered something^[ja] to be given to her to eat. ⁵⁶ And her parents were astonished, but he ordered them to tell no one what had happened.

The Twelve Commissioned and Sent Out

9 And summoning the twelve, he gave them power and authority over all the demons and to cure diseases, ² and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. ³ And he said to them, “Take along nothing for the journey—neither a staff, nor a traveler’s bag, nor bread, nor money, nor to have two tunics apiece. ⁴ And into whatever house you enter, stay there and depart from there. ⁵ And as for all those who do not welcome you—when you^[jb] depart from that town, shake off the dust from your feet for a testimony against them.” ⁶ So they departed and^[jc] went throughout the villages, proclaiming the good news and healing everywhere.

Herod Perplexed About Jesus

⁷ Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was greatly perplexed, because it was said by some that John has been raised from the dead, ⁸ and by some that Elijah had appeared, and others that some prophet of ancient times had risen. ⁹ And Herod said, “John I beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” And he was wanting to see him.

The Feeding of Five Thousand

¹⁰ And when they^[jd] returned, the apostles described to him all that they had done. And he took them along and^[je] withdrew privately to a town called Bethsaida. ¹¹ But when^[jf] the crowds found out, they followed him, and welcoming them, he began to speak^[jg] to them about the kingdom of God, and he cured those who had need of healing. ¹² Now the day began to be far spent, and the twelve came up and^[jh] said to him, “Send away the crowd so that they can go into the surrounding villages and farms to obtain lodging and find provisions, because we are here in a desolate place. ¹³ But he said to them, “You give them something to eat!” And they said, “We have no^[ji] more than five loaves and two fish, unless perhaps we go and^[jj] purchase food for all these people.” ¹⁴ (For there were about five thousand men.) So he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” ¹⁵ And they did so, and had them all sit down. ¹⁶ And taking the five loaves and the two fish, and^[jk] looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them and began giving^[jl] them^[jm] to the disciples to set before the crowd. ¹⁷ And they all ate and were satisfied, and what was left over was picked up by them—twelve baskets of broken pieces.

Peter’s Confession

¹⁸ And it happened that while he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” ¹⁹ And they answered and^[jn] said, “John the Baptist, but others, Elijah, and others, that one of the ancient prophets has risen.” ²⁰ And he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered and^[jo] said, “The Christ of God.”

Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection

²¹ But he warned and^[jp] commanded them to tell this to no one, ²² saying, “It is necessary for the Son of Man to suffer many things and to be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and to be killed, and to be raised on the third day.

Taking Up One’s Cross to Follow Jesus

²³ And he said to them all, “If anyone wants to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross every day and follow me. ²⁴ For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life on account of me, this person will save it. ²⁵ For what is a person benefited if he^[jq] gains the whole world but loses or forfeits himself? ²⁶ For whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of this person when he comes in his glory and the glory^[jr] of the Father and of the holy angels. ²⁷ But I tell you truly, there are some of those standing here who will never experience death until they see the kingdom of God.”

The Transfiguration

²⁸ Now it happened that about eight days after these words, he took along Peter and John and James and^[js] went up on the mountain to pray. ²⁹ And as he was praying, the appearance of his face became different, and his clothing became white, gleaming like lightning.^{[jt] 30} And behold, two men were talking with him, who were Moses and Elijah, ³¹ who appeared in glory and^[ju] were speaking about his departure which he was about to fulfill^[jv] in Jerusalem.

³² Now Peter and those with him were very sleepy,^[jw] but when they^[jx] became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men who were standing with him. ³³ And it happened that as they were going away from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here. And let us make three shelters, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah,” not knowing what he was saying. ³⁴ And while^[jy] he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered into the cloud. ³⁵ And a voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him!” ³⁶ And after the voice had occurred, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.

A Demon-possessed Boy Healed

³⁷ Now it happened that on the next day, when^[jz] they had come down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. ³⁸ And behold, a man from the crowd cried out, saying, “Teacher, I beg you to look with concern on my son, because he is my only son! ³⁹ And behold, a spirit seizes him and suddenly he screams, and it convulses him with foam and rarely withdraws from him, battering him severely. ⁴⁰ And I begged your disciples that they would expel it, and they were not able to do so.” ⁴¹ So Jesus answered and^[ka] said, “O unbelieving and perverted generation! How long^[kb] will I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here!” ⁴² And while^[kc] he was still approaching, the demon threw him down and convulsed him.^[kd] But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. ⁴³ And they were all astounded at the impressiveness of God.

Jesus Predicts His Suffering

But while they^[ke] were all marveling at all the things that he was doing, he said to his disciples, ⁴⁴ “You take these words to heart,^[kf] for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.” ⁴⁵ But they did not understand this statement, and it was concealed from them so that they could not understand it. And they were afraid to ask him about this statement.

The Question About Who Is Greatest

⁴⁶ And an argument developed among them as to who of them might be greatest. ⁴⁷ But Jesus, because he^[kg] knew the thoughts of their hearts, took hold of a child and had him stand beside him ⁴⁸ and said to them, “Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For the one who is least among you all—this one is great.”

Whoever Is Not Against Us Is for Us

⁴⁹ And John answered and^[kh] said, “Master, we saw someone expelling demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him, because he does not follow in company with us.” ⁵⁰ But Jesus said to him, “Do not prevent him,^[ki] because whoever is not against you is for you.”

Jesus Rejected in a Samaritan Village

⁵¹ Now it happened that when the days were approaching for him to be taken up,^[kj] he set his^[kk] face to go to Jerusalem. ⁵² And he sent messengers before him,^[kl] and they went and^[km] entered into a village of the Samaritans in order to prepare for him. ⁵³ And they did not welcome him because he was determined to go^[kn] to Jerusalem. ⁵⁴ Now when^[ko] the disciples James and John saw it,^[kp] they said, “Lord, do you want us to call fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” ⁵⁵ But he turned around and^[kq] rebuked them, ⁵⁶ and they proceeded to another village.

Would-be Followers

⁵⁷ And as^[kr] they were traveling on the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go!” ⁵⁸ And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his^[ks] head.” ⁵⁹ And he said to another, “Follow me!” But he said, “Lord, first allow me to go and^[kt] bury my father.” ⁶⁰ But he said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead! But you go and^[ku] proclaim the kingdom of God.” ⁶¹ And another person also said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first allow me to say farewell to those in my house.” ⁶² But Jesus said,^[kv] “No one who puts his^[kw] hand on the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God!”