Bible in 90 Days

Drash on the Mountain

5 Now when Yeshua saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain. And after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. ² And He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,

¹¹ “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me.

¹² Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great! For in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”^[a]

Called to Be Salt and Light

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt should lose its flavor, how shall it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they put it on a lampstand so it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before men so they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Filling the Law to the Fullest

¹⁷ “Do not think that I came to abolish the Torah or the Prophets! I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. ¹⁸ Amen, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or serif^[b] shall ever pass away from the Torah until all things come to pass. ¹⁹ Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever keeps and teaches them, this one shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees and Torah scholars, you shall never enter the kingdom of heaven!

²¹ “You have heard it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder,^[c] and whoever commits murder shall be subject to judgment.’ ²² But I tell you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be subject to judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca’ shall be subject to the council^[d]; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be subject to fiery Gehenna.

²³ “Therefore if you are presenting your offering upon the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your offering there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.

²⁵ “Make friends quickly with your opponent while you are with him on the way. Otherwise, your opponent may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the assistant, and you will be thrown into prison. ²⁶ Amen, I tell you, you will never get out of there until you have paid back the last penny!^[e]

²⁷ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ ^{[f] 28} But I tell you that everyone who looks upon a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹ And if your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away! It is better for you that one part of your body should be destroyed, than that your whole body be thrown into Gehenna. ^{[g] 30} And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away! It is better for you that one part of your body should be destroyed, than that your whole body go into Gehenna.

³¹ “It was said, ‘Whoever sends his wife away, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ ^{[h] 32} But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

³³ “Again, you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall carry out your oaths to Adonai.’ ^{[i] 34} But I tell you, do not swear at all—not by heaven, for it is the throne of God; ³⁵ or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet;^[j] or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. ^{[k] 36} And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. ³⁷ But let your word ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’—anything more than this is from the evil one.”

Overcoming Evil with Good

³⁸ “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ ^{[l] 39} But I tell you, do not resist an evildoer. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him also the other. ⁴⁰ And the one wanting to sue you and to take your shirt, let him also have your coat. ⁴¹ Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. ⁴² Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor^[m] and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ so that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶ For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors do the same, don’t they? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than anyone else? Even the pagans do that, don’t they? ⁴⁸ Therefore be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

Righteous Living

6 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before others to be seen by them; otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. ² So whenever you do tzedakah, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, so that they may be glorified by men. Amen, I tell you, they have their reward in full! ³ But when you do tzedakah, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ so that your tzedakah may be in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, shall reward you.

⁵ “When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Amen, I tell you, they have their reward in full! ⁶ But you, when you pray, go into your inner room; and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, shall reward you. ⁷ And when you are praying, do not babble on and on like the pagans; for they think they will be heard because of their many words. ⁸ Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

⁹ “Therefore, pray in this way:

¹⁴ “For if you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.

¹⁶ “And whenever you fast, do not become sad-faced like the hypocrites, for they neglect their faces to make their fasting evident to men. Amen, I tell you, they have their reward in full! ¹⁷ But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, ¹⁸ so that your fasting won’t be evident to men, but to your Father who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.^[o]

¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust^[p] destroy and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in or steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

²² “The eye is the lamp of the body. Therefore if your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eye is bad, your body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stick by one and look down on the other. You cannot serve God and money.”^[q]

Overcoming Worry with Trust

²⁵ “So I say to you, do not worry about your life—what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing?

²⁶ “Look at the birds of the air. They do not sow or reap or gather into barns; yet your Father in heaven feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷ And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? ^{[r] 28} And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They neither toil nor spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. ^{[s] 30} Now if in this way God clothes the grass—which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow—will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

³¹ “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ ³² For the pagans eagerly pursue all these things; yet your Father in heaven knows that you need all these. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Measuring Your Measure

7 “Stop judging, so that you may not be judged. ² For with the judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

³ “Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the beam in your own eye? ⁴ Or how will you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look, the beam is in your own eye? ⁵ Hypocrite, first take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

⁶ “Do not give what is holy to dogs or throw your pearls before pigs; otherwise they will trample them under their feet, then turn and rip you to shreds.

⁷ “Ask, and it shall be given to you. Seek, and you shall find. Knock, and it shall be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it shall be opened.

⁹ “For what man among you, when his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or when he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? ¹¹ If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! ¹² So in all things, do to others what you would want them to do to you—for this is the Torah and the Prophets.

¹³ “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. ¹⁴ How narrow is the gate and difficult the way that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”

Judging the Fruit

¹⁵ “Watch out for false prophets,^[t] who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶ You will recognize them by their fruit. Grapes aren’t gathered from thorn bushes or figs from thistles, are they? ¹⁷ Even so, every good tree produces good fruit, but the rotten tree produces bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree produce good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ So then, you will recognize them by their fruit.

²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, and drive out demons in Your name, and perform many miracles in Your name?’ ²³ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Get away from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’”^[u]

Building on a Firm Foundation

²⁴ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house; and yet it did not fall, for its foundation had been built on the rock. ²⁶ Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷ And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”

²⁸ Now when Yeshua had finished these words, the crowds were astounded at His teaching, ²⁹ for He was teaching them as one having authority and not as their Torah scholars.

Healing Those who Trust

8 When He came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him. ² And a man with tzara’at came to Him and bowed down before Him, saying, “Master, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”

³ Yeshua stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing. Be cleansed.” Immediately his tzara’at was cleansed. ⁴ And Yeshua said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go show yourself to the kohen and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”^[v]

⁵ Now when Yeshua came into Capernaum, a centurion came begging for help. ⁶ “Master,” he said, “my servant is lying at home paralyzed, horribly tormented.”

⁷ Yeshua said to him, “I’ll come and heal him.”

⁸ But the centurion said, “Master, I’m not worthy to have You come under my roof. But just say the word and my servant will be healed. ⁹ For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”

¹⁰ Now when Yeshua heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, “Amen, I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith! ¹¹ Moreover, I tell you that many will come from the east and the west, and they will recline at table with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. ¹² But the sons of the kingdom will be driven out into the outer darkness; in that place will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

¹³ Then Yeshua said to the centurion, “Go. As you have believed, let it be done for you.” And the servant was healed in that same hour.

¹⁴ And when Yeshua came into Peter’s house, He saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying down, sick with a fever. ¹⁵ Yeshua touched her hand, and the fever left her. Then she got up and began to take care of Him.

¹⁶ When evening came, the people brought to Him many who were afflicted by demons. He forced out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. ¹⁷ So was fulfilled what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,

Following the Call

¹⁸ Now when Yeshua saw a crowd around Him, He gave orders to go to the other side of the sea. ¹⁹ Then a Torah scholar came to Him and said, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.”

²⁰ Yeshua tells him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

²¹ Then another of the disciples said, “Master, first let me go and bury my father.”

²² But Yeshua tells him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Master of the Storm

²³ As He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. ²⁴ Suddenly a great storm arose on the sea, so that the boat was being covered by the waves. But Yeshua kept on sleeping. ²⁵ So they came and woke Him up, saying, “Master, save us! We’re perishing!”

²⁶ He said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became totally calm.

²⁷ The men were amazed, saying, “What kind of person is this? Even the winds and the sea obey Him!”

Freedom from Demons

²⁸ When He came to the other side, into the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-plagued men coming from the graveyard^[x] met Him. They were so violent that no one could pass by that way. ²⁹ And they screamed, “What’s between You and us,^[y] Ben-Elohim? Have You come here to torment us, before the appointed time?”

³⁰ Now a large herd of pigs was feeding some distance away from them. ³¹ The demons kept begging Him, “If You drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”

³² And He told them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the cliff into the sea and drowned. ³³ The herdsmen ran away, went into the town, and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-plagued men. ³⁴ The whole town came out to meet Yeshua. And when they saw him, they begged Him to leave their region.

Authority to Pardon Sins

9 After getting into a boat, Yeshua crossed over and came to His own town. ² Just then, some people brought to Him a paralyzed man lying on a cot. And seeing their faith, Yeshua said to the paralyzed man, “Take courage, son! Your sins are forgiven.”

³ Then some of the Torah scholars said among themselves, “This fellow blasphemes!”

⁴ And knowing their thoughts, Yeshua said, “Why are you entertaining evil in your hearts? ⁵ For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? ⁶ But so you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to pardon sins...” Then He tells the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your cot and go home.” ⁷ And he got up and went home. ⁸ When the crowd saw it, they were afraid and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

A Physician for Sinners

⁹ As Yeshua was passing by from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. He said to him, “Follow Me.” And he got up and followed Him.

¹⁰ Now it happened that when Yeshua was reclining at the table in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Yeshua and His disciples. ¹¹ When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why does this Teacher of yours eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

¹² But when He heard this, Yeshua said, “Those who are healthy have no need for a doctor, but those who are sick do. ¹³ Now go and learn what this means: ‘Mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.’^[z] For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but the sinful.”

Teaching New Ways

¹⁴ Then John’s disciples came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”^[aa]

¹⁵ And Yeshua said to them, “The guests of the bridegroom cannot mourn while the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.

¹⁶ “And no one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch pulls away from the garment and a worse tear happens. ¹⁷ Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the skins burst, and the wine spills out and the skins are ruined. But they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”

Compassion in the Shepherd’s Touch

¹⁸ Just as He was saying these things to them, a synagogue leader came and began to bow before Him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come lay Your hand on her and she will live.” ¹⁹ And Yeshua got up and began to follow him, with His disciples.

²⁰ Just then a woman, losing blood for twelve years,^[ab] came from behind and touched the tzitzit of His garment. ²¹ For she kept saying to herself, “If only I touch His garment, I will be healed.”

²² But then Yeshua turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” He said, “your faith has made you well.” That very hour the woman was healed.

²³ When Yeshua came into the synagogue leader’s house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, ²⁴ He said, “Go away, for the girl isn’t dead, but sleeping.” And they began jeering at Him. ²⁵ But when the crowd had been cleared out, He went in and took her hand, and the girl got up. ²⁶ And news of this spread all around that region.

²⁷ As Yeshua went on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out, “Ben-David, have mercy on us!”

²⁸ When He went into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Yeshua said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

“Yes, Master,” they said to Him.

²⁹ Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith, let it be done for you.” ³⁰ And their eyes were opened. And Yeshua warned them sternly, “See that no one knows.” ³¹ But they went out and spread the news about Him all around that region.

³² As they were going out, a mute man plagued by a demon was brought to Him. ³³ After the demon was driven out, the mute man started speaking. The crowds were astounded, saying, “Never has anything like this been seen in Israel!” ³⁴ But the Pharisees were saying, “By the prince of demons He drives out demons.”

³⁵ Now Yeshua was going around all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and sickness. ³⁶ When He saw the crowds, He felt compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ^{[ac] 37} Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. ³⁸ Therefore pray to the Lord of the harvest that He may send out workers into His harvest field.”

Instructions to the Twelve

10 Yeshua summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, so they could drive them out and heal every kind of disease and sickness. ² Now these are the names of the twelve emissaries: first, Simon, called Peter, and his brother Andrew; Jacob the son of Zebedee and John his brother; ³ Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; Jacob, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; ⁴ Simon the Zealot,^[ad] and Judah the man from Kriot,^[ae] the one who also betrayed Him.

⁵ Yeshua sent out these twelve and ordered them, “Do not go to the Gentiles, and do not enter into any Samaritan town. ⁶ But go instead to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ⁷ As you go, proclaim, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near!’ ⁸ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with tzara’at, drive out demons. Freely you received, freely give. ⁹ Do not get gold or silver or copper for your money belts, ¹⁰ or a bag for the journey, or two shirts,^[af] or sandals, or a walking stick; for the worker is entitled to his food.

¹¹ “Whatever town or village you shall enter, find out who in it is worthy and stay there until you leave. ¹² As you come into the house, greet it. ¹³ If the household is worthy, let your shalom come upon it. But if it’s not worthy, let your shalom return to you. ¹⁴ And whoever will not receive you or listen to your words, as you leave that house or that town, shake the dust off your feet. ¹⁵ Amen, I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah^[ag] on the Day of Judgment than for that town.

¹⁶ “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. ¹⁷ But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and flog^[ah] you in their synagogues. ¹⁸ You will be brought before governors and kings because of Me, as a witness to them and to the Gentiles. ¹⁹ But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you should say, for it shall be given to you in that hour what you should say. ²⁰ For it is not you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

²¹ “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against their parents and have them put to death. ²² And you will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end shall be saved. ²³ Whenever they persecute you in one city, flee to the next. Amen, I tell you, you will never finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

²⁴ “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. ²⁵ It is enough for the disciple to become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!

²⁶ “So do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed and nothing hidden that will not be made known. ²⁷ What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear in your ear, proclaim from the housetops! ²⁸ And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.^[ai]

²⁹ “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?^[aj] Yet not one of them shall fall to the ground apart from your Father’s consent. ³⁰ But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ So do not fear; you are worth more than many sparrows.

³² “Therefore whoever acknowledges Me before men, I will also acknowledge him before My Father who is in heaven. ³³ But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.

³⁴ “Do not think that I came to bring shalom on the earth; I did not come to bring shalom, but a sword. ³⁵ For I have come to set

³⁷ “He who loves father or mother more than Me isn’t worthy of Me, and he who loves son or daughter more than Me isn’t worthy of Me. ³⁸ And whoever does not take up his cross and follow after Me isn’t worthy of Me. ³⁹ He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

⁴⁰ “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives the One who sent Me. ⁴¹ He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward, and he who receives a tzaddik in the name of a tzaddik shall receive a tzaddik’s reward. ⁴² And whoever gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, amen I tell you, he shall never lose his reward.”

Signs and Wonders Bear Witness

11 When Yeshua had finished instructing His twelve disciples, He went on from there to teach and preach in their towns. ² Now when John heard in prison about the works of the Messiah, he sent word through his disciples ³ and said to Yeshua, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”

⁴ Yeshua replied, “Go report to John what you hear and see: ⁵ the blind see and the lame walk, those with tzara’at are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised and the poor have good news proclaimed to them. ⁶ Blessed is the one who is not led to stumble because of Me.”^[al]

A Prophet Without Honor

⁷ Now as they were leaving, Yeshua began to talk to the crowd concerning John. “What did you go out to the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? ⁸ No? So what did you go out to see? A man dressed in finery? Look, those who wear finery are in the palaces of kings! ⁹ Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, even more than a prophet. ¹⁰ This is the one about whom it is written,

¹¹ “Amen, I tell you, among those born of women, none has arisen greater than John the Immerser. Yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ¹² From the days of John the Immerser until now, the kingdom of heaven is treated with violence, and the violent grasp hold of it. ¹³ For all the prophets and the Torah prophesied until the time of John. ¹⁴ And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. ¹⁵ He who has ears, let him hear!

¹⁶ “But to what shall I compare this generation? It’s like children sitting in the marketplaces who call to one other, saying,

¹⁸ “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ ¹⁹ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”^[an]

²⁰ Then Yeshua began to denounce the towns where most of His miracles had happened, because they did not turn from their sins. ²¹ “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon,^[ao] they would have turned long ago in sackcloth and ashes. ²² Nevertheless I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the Day of Judgment than for you. ²³ And you, Capernaum? Will you be lifted up to heaven? No, you will go down to Sheol! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. ²⁴ Nevertheless I tell you that it will be more bearable for the land of Sodom on the Day of Judgment than for you.”

Yeshua Teaches the Ways of His Father

²⁵ At that time Yeshua said in response, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and discerning and revealed them to infants. ²⁶ Yes, Father, for this way was pleasing to You.

²⁷ “All things have been handed over to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son^[ap] and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him. ²⁸ Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and ‘you will find rest for your souls.’ ^{[aq] 30} For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

The Lord of Shabbat

12 At that time Yeshua went through the grain fields on Shabbat. His disciples became hungry and began to pluck heads of grain and eat them. ² But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not permitted on Shabbat.”

³ But He said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he became hungry, and those with him? ⁴ How he entered into the house of God, and they ate the showbread, which was not permitted for him to eat, nor for those with him, but only for the kohanim? ^{[ar] 5} Or haven’t you read in the Torah that on Shabbat the kohanim in the Temple break Shabbat and yet are innocent? ⁶ But I tell you that something greater than the Temple is here. ⁷ If you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’^[as] you wouldn’t have condemned the innocent. ⁸ For the Son of Man is Lord of Shabbat.”

⁹ Leaving from there, He went into their synagogue. ¹⁰ A man with a withered hand was there. And so that they might accuse Him, they questioned Yeshua, saying, “Is it permitted to heal on Shabbat?”

¹¹ He said to them, “What man among you will not grab his sheep and lift it out, if it falls into a pit on Shabbat? ¹² How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is permitted to do good on Shabbat.”

¹³ Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out and it was restored, as healthy as the other. ¹⁴ But the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him.

God’s Chosen Servant Brings Hope

¹⁵ Knowing this, Yeshua went away from there. And large crowds followed Him, and He healed them all. ¹⁶ And He sternly warned them not to make Him known. ¹⁷ This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,

Whose Power Will Rule?

²² Then a demon-plagued man, who was blind and mute, was brought to Yeshua; and He healed him, so that he spoke and saw. ²³ All the crowds were astounded and saying, “This can’t be Ben-David, can it?”

²⁴ But hearing this, the Pharisees said, “This fellow drives out demons only by beelzebul, the ruler of demons.”

²⁵ Knowing their thoughts, Yeshua said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. ²⁶ If satan drives out satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? ²⁷ And if I drive out demons by beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? For this reason, they will be your judges. ²⁸ But if I drive out demons by the Ruach Elohim, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. ²⁹ Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he will thoroughly plunder his house. ³⁰ He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.

³¹ “For this reason I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but blasphemy against the Ruach will not be forgiven. ³² Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Ruach ha-Kodesh will not be forgiven, neither in this age nor in the one to come.”

³³ “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree rotten and its fruit rotten; for the tree is known by its fruit. ³⁴ You brood of vipers! How can you who are evil say anything good? For from the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. ³⁵ The good man from his good treasury brings forth good, and the evil man from his evil treasury brings forth evil. ³⁶ But I tell you that on the Day of Judgment, men will give account for every careless word they speak. ³⁷ For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

A Sign Greater than Jonah

³⁸ Then some of the Torah scholars and Pharisees answered Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”

³⁹ But Yeshua replied to them, “An evil and adulterous generation clamors for a sign, yet no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. ⁴⁰ For just as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights,^[au] so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. ⁴¹ The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah. And behold, something greater than Jonah is here. ⁴² The Queen of the South^[av] will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. And behold, something greater than Solomon is here.

⁴³ “Now when an unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places looking for rest and doesn’t find it. ⁴⁴ Then it says, ‘I’ll go back home where I came from.’ And when it comes, it finds the house vacant, swept clean, and put in order. ⁴⁵ Then it goes and brings along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there. And that man’s last condition becomes worse than the first. So also will it be for this evil generation.”

Embrace and Refrain

⁴⁶ While Yeshua was still speaking to the crowds, His mother and brothers were standing outside, trying to speak to Him. ⁴⁷ Someone said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, trying to speak to You.”^[aw]

⁴⁸ But to the one telling Him this, Yeshua responded, “Who is My mother? And who are My brothers?” ⁴⁹ Stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers. ⁵⁰ For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.”

Simple Stories, Profound Truths

13 On that day after Yeshua left the house, He was sitting by the sea. ² And large crowds gathered around Him; so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood on the shore. ³ And He told them many things in parables, saying, “Behold, a sower went out to spread some seed. ⁴ As he was scattering the seed, some seeds fell by the road; and the birds came and ate them up. ⁵ Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they didn’t have much soil. They sprang up immediately, because the soil wasn’t deep. ⁶ But when the sun came up, they were scorched; and because they had no roots, they withered away. ⁷ Other seeds fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew and choked them out. ⁸ But others fell on good soil and were producing fruit. They yielded a crop—some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. ⁹ He who has ears,^[ax] let him hear.”

¹⁰ Then the disciples came to Him and said, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”

¹¹ And He replied to them, “To you has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. ¹² For whoever has, to him more will be given and he will have plenty. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. ¹³ For this reason I speak to them in parables,

¹⁴ “And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,

¹⁶ “But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. ¹⁷ Amen, I tell you, many a prophet and tzaddik longed to see what you are seeing and did not see, and to hear what you are hearing and did not hear.”

Parable of the Sower Explained

¹⁸ “You then, hear the parable of the sower. ¹⁹ When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one having been sown along the road.

²⁰ “The one sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. ²¹ Yet he has no root himself but lasts only a short while; and when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he falls away.

²² “But the one sown among the thorns, this is the one who hears the word; and the worries of the world and the seduction of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

²³ “Now the one sown on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands. He indeed bears fruit, yielding a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty times what was sown.”

Yeshua Tells More Parables

²⁴ He presented to them another parable, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. ²⁵ But while the men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. ²⁶ Now when the stalk sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also appeared. ²⁷ So the slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Master, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?’ ²⁸ But he replied, ‘An enemy did this.’ Now the slaves say to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go out and gather them up?’ ²⁹ But he says, ‘No, for while you are gathering up the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. ³⁰ Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time, I will tell the reapers, “First, gather up the weeds and tie them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.’”

³¹ He presented to them another parable, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. ³² It’s the smallest of all seeds; yet when it’s full grown, it’s greater than the other herbs. It becomes like a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”^[az]

³³ He told them another parable, “The kingdom of heaven is like hametz, which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.”

³⁴ All these things Yeshua spoke to the crowds in parables. And apart from a parable, He wasn’t speaking to them, ³⁵ in order to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet, saying,

³⁶ Then He sent the crowds away and went into the house. His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.”

³⁷ He answered, “The one sowing the good seed is the Son of Man, ³⁸ and the field is the world. And the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the weeds are the sons of the evil one. ³⁹ The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. ⁴⁰ Therefore just as the weeds are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. ⁴¹ The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks^[bb] and those who practice lawlessness. ⁴² They will throw them into the fiery furnace^[bc]; in that place will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³ Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun^[bd] in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear!

⁴⁴ “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid. And because of his joy, he goes out and sells all that he has and buys that field.

⁴⁵ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. ⁴⁶ Upon finding a pearl of great value, he went out and sold all that he had and bought it.

⁴⁷ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea, gathering things of every kind. ⁴⁸ When it was filled, they pulled it ashore; and they sat down and gathered up the good into containers, but threw the bad away. ⁴⁹ So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth and separate the wicked from among the righteous ⁵⁰ and throw them into the fiery furnace;^[be] in that place will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

⁵¹ “Have you understood all these things?”

They said to Him, “Yes.”

⁵² Then He said to them, “Therefore every Torah scholar discipled for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure both new things and old.”

Unbelief in the Hometown Synagogue

⁵³ Now when Yeshua had finished these parables, He left that place. ⁵⁴ Coming into His hometown, He began to teach them in their synagogue so that they were amazed. “Where did this fellow get this wisdom and these mighty works?” they said. ⁵⁵ “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t His mother called Miriam, and His brothers Jacob and Joseph and Simon and Judah? ⁵⁶ And His sisters, aren’t they all with us? So where does He get all these things?” ⁵⁷ And they took offense at Him.

But Yeshua said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own house.” ⁵⁸ And He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

Yeshua’s Cousin Beheaded

14 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Yeshua. ² He said to his servants, “This is John the Immerser—he has risen from the dead! Because of this, these powers are at work in Him.” ³ For Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, ⁴ because John had been telling him, “It is not permitted for you to have her.” ^{[bf] 5} Although Herod wanted to kill John, he feared the crowd because they considered John a prophet.

⁶ But when Herod’s birthday celebration came, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod, ⁷ so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. ⁸ Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Immerser, here on a platter!” ⁹ The king became sorrowful; but because of his oaths and those reclining with him, he commanded it to be given. ¹⁰ And he sent and had John beheaded in the prison. ¹¹ His head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. ¹² John’s disciples came forth and took the body and buried it. Then they went and reported to Yeshua.

Feeding Hungry Followers

¹³ Now when Yeshua heard this, He went away from there privately by boat to an isolated place. But when the crowds heard, they followed Him on foot from the towns. ¹⁴ As Yeshua came ashore, He saw a large crowd and felt compassion for them and healed their sick. ¹⁵ When it became evening, the disciples came to Him, saying, “This place is isolated, and the hour is already late. Send the crowds away so they can go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”

¹⁶ But Yeshua said to them, “They don’t need to leave—you give them something to eat.”

¹⁷ “We have nothing here except five loaves and two fish,” they said to Him.

¹⁸ “Bring them here to Me,” He said.

¹⁹ Ordering the crowd to recline on the grass, He took the five loaves and the two fish; and looking up to heaven, He offered the bracha. After breaking the loaves, He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. ²⁰ They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve baskets full of broken pieces left over. ²¹ Now those eating were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Testing Peter’s Faith to Walk on Water

²² Right away, Yeshua made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. ²³ After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the hillside by Himself to pray. And when evening came, He was there alone. ²⁴ But the boat was already a long way^[bg] from land, tossed around by the waves, for the wind was against it. ²⁵ Now in the fourth watch^[bh] of the night, Yeshua came to them, walking on the sea. ²⁶ But when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It’s a ghost!” And they cried out with fear.

²⁷ But immediately, Yeshua spoke to them, saying, “Take courage! I am. Don’t be afraid.”

²⁸ Answering, Peter said to Him, “Master, if it’s You, command me to come to You on the water.”

²⁹ And He said, “Come!”

And Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water to go to Yeshua. ³⁰ But seeing the wind, he became terrified. And beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, “Master, save me!”

³¹ Immediately Yeshua reached out His hand and grabbed him. And He said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

³² When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. ³³ And those in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “You really are Ben-Elohim!”^[bi]

³⁴ After they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. ³⁵ And when the men of that place recognized Yeshua, they sent word into all the surrounding region. And they brought to Him all those who were in bad shape ³⁶ and kept begging Him that they might just touch the tzitzit of His garment—and all who touched it were cured.

Religious Leaders Quiz Yeshua

15 Then some Pharisees and Torah scholars came to Yeshua from Jerusalem. They said, ² “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not do the ritual handwashing when they eat bread.”

³ And answering, He said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? ⁴ For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’^[bj] and ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother must be put to death.’ ^{[bk] 5} But you say, ‘Whoever tells his father or mother, “Whatever you might have gained from me is a gift to God,” ^{[bl] 6} he need not honor his father.’ On account of your tradition, you made void the word of God. ⁷ Hypocrites! Rightly did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying,

¹⁰ Then Yeshua called the crowd and said to them, “Hear and understand. ¹¹ It’s not what goes into the mouth that makes the man unholy; but what comes out of the mouth, this makes the man unholy.”^[bn]

¹² Then the disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard this saying?”

¹³ But He replied, “Every plant that My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. ¹⁴ Leave them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

¹⁵ Then Peter answered and said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.”

¹⁶ “Are you also still lacking understanding?” Yeshua said. ¹⁷ “Don’t you grasp that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and then is ejected into the sewer? ¹⁸ But the things that proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart, and those things make the man unholy. ¹⁹ For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, and slander. ^{[bo] 20} These are the things that make the man unholy; but to eat with unwashed hands does not make the man unholy.”

A Reward for a Humble Woman

²¹ Now Yeshua left from there and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. ²² And behold, a Canaanite woman from that district came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, O Master, Ben-David! My daughter is severely tormented by a demon.”

²³ But He did not answer her a word. And when His disciples came, they were urging Him, saying, “Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us.”

²⁴ But He responded, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

²⁵ So she came and got down on her knees before Him, saying, “Master, help me!”

²⁶ And answering, He said, “It’s not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

²⁷ But she said, “Yes, Master, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”

²⁸ Then answering, Yeshua said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed in that very hour.

²⁹ After Yeshua left there, He went along the Sea of Galilee. Then He went up on a mountainside and was sitting there. ³⁰ And large crowds came to Him, bringing with them the lame, blind, disabled, mute, and many others. And they laid them at His feet, and He healed them. ³¹ So the crowd marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the disabled made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing.^[bp] And they praised the God of Israel.

Feeding More Hungry Followers

³² Yeshua called His disciples and said, “I have compassion for the crowd, because they’ve stayed with Me for three days now and have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry, because they might pass out on the way.”

³³ The disciples said to Him, “Where in this wasteland is enough bread to satisfy such a large crowd?”

³⁴ Yeshua said to them, “How many loaves do you have?”

“Seven,” they said, “and a few small fish.”

³⁵ After directing the crowd to recline on the ground, ³⁶ He took the seven loaves and the fish; and after giving thanks, He broke them. And He began giving them to the disciples, and the disciples to the crowds. ³⁷ And they all ate and were satisfied. And they picked up the broken pieces left over—seven baskets full. ³⁸ And those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. ³⁹ And after sending away the crowds, Yeshua got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.