Bible in 90 Days

Jesus Heals a Boy with an Unclean Spirit

^14 (A)And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. ¹⁵ And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, ^(B)were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. ¹⁶ And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” ¹⁷ And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has ^(C)a spirit that makes him mute. ¹⁸ And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and ^(D)they were not able.” ¹⁹ And he answered them, “O ^(E)faithless generation, ^(F)how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” ²⁰ And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it ^(G)convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. ²¹ And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. ²² And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But ^(H)if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” ²³ And Jesus said to him, ^(I)“‘If you can’! ^(J)All things are possible for one who believes.” ²⁴ Immediately the father of the child cried out^[a] and said, “I believe; ^(K)help my unbelief!” ²⁵ And when Jesus saw that ^(L)a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, ^(M)“You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” ²⁶ And after crying out and ^(N)convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” ²⁷ But Jesus ^(O)took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. ²⁸ And when he had ^(P)entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” ²⁹ And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”^[b]

Jesus Again Foretells Death, Resurrection

^30 (Q)They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, ³¹ for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, ^(R)after three days he will rise.” ^32 (S)But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.

Who Is the Greatest?

³³ And ^(T)they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house ^(U)he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” ³⁴ But they kept silent, for on the way ^(V)they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. ³⁵ And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, ^(W)“If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” ³⁶ And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and ^(X)taking him in his arms, he said to them, ^37 (Y)“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and ^(Z)whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”

Anyone Not Against Us Is for Us

^38 (AA)John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone ^(AB)casting out demons in your name,^[c] and ^(AC)we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” ³⁹ But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. ^40 (AD)For the one who is not against us is for us. ⁴¹ For truly, I say to you, ^(AE)whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.

Temptations to Sin

^42 (AF)“Whoever causes one of ^(AG)these little ones who believe in me to sin,^{[d] (AH)}it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. ^43 (AI)And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to ^(AJ)hell,^[e] to ^(AK)the unquenchable fire.^{[f] 45 (AL)}And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into ^(AM)hell. ^47 (AN)And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into ^(AO)hell, ⁴⁸ ‘where ^(AP)their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ ⁴⁹ For everyone will be salted with fire.^{[g] 50 (AQ)}Salt is good, ^(AR)but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? ^(AS)Have salt in yourselves, and ^(AT)be at peace with one another.”

Teaching About Divorce

10 ^(AU)And he left there and went ^(AV)to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them.

² And Pharisees came up and in order ^(AW)to test him asked, ^(AX)“Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” ³ He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” ⁴ They said, ^(AY)“Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” ⁵ And Jesus said to them, “Because of your ^(AZ)hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. ⁶ But ^(BA)from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them ^(BB)male and female.’ ^7 (BC)‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife,^{[h] 8} and ^(BD)the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. ^9 (BE)What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

¹⁰ And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. ¹¹ And he said to them, ^(BF)“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, ¹² and ^(BG)if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

Let the Children Come to Me

^13 (BH)And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples ^(BI)rebuked them. ¹⁴ But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, ^(BJ)“Let the children come to me; ^(BK)do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. ^15 (BL)Truly, I say to you, whoever does not ^(BM)receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” ¹⁶ And ^(BN)he took them in his arms and blessed them, ^(BO)laying his hands on them.

The Rich Young Man

^17 (BP)And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and ^(BQ)knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to ^(BR)inherit eternal life?” ¹⁸ And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. ¹⁹ You know the commandments: ^(BS)‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” ²⁰ And he said to him, “Teacher, ^(BT)all these I have kept from my youth.” ²¹ And Jesus, ^(BU)looking at him, ^(BV)loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, ^(BW)sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have ^(BX)treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” ^22 (BY)Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

²³ And Jesus ^(BZ)looked around and said to his disciples, ^(CA)“How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter ^(CB)the kingdom of God!” ²⁴ And the disciples ^(CC)were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, ^(CD)“Children, ^(CE)how difficult it is^[i] to enter ^(CF)the kingdom of God! ²⁵ It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter ^(CG)the kingdom of God.” ²⁶ And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him,^[j] “Then who can be saved?” ²⁷ Jesus ^(CH)looked at them and said, ^(CI)“With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” ²⁸ Peter began to say to him, “See, ^(CJ)we have left everything and followed you.” ²⁹ Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, ^(CK)there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and ^(CL)for the gospel, ³⁰ who will not receive a hundredfold ^(CM)now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, ^(CN)with persecutions, and in ^(CO)the age to come eternal life. ³¹ But ^(CP)many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Jesus Foretells His Death a Third Time

^32 (CQ)And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and ^(CR)Jesus was walking ahead of them. And ^(CS)they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, ³³ saying, “See, ^(CT)we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will ^(CU)condemn him to death and ^(CV)deliver him over to the Gentiles. ³⁴ And they will ^(CW)mock him and ^(CX)spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And ^(CY)after three days he will rise.”

The Request of James and John

^35 (CZ)And James and John, ^(DA)the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us ^(DB)whatever we ask of you.” ³⁶ And he said to them, ^(DC)“What do you want me to do for you?” ³⁷ And they said to him, “Grant us ^(DD)to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, ^(DE)in your glory.” ³⁸ Jesus said to them, ^(DF)“You do not know what you are asking. Are you able ^(DG)to drink the cup that I drink, or ^(DH)to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” ³⁹ And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, ^(DI)“The cup that I drink ^(DJ)you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, ^(DK)you will be baptized, ⁴⁰ but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, ^(DL)but it is for those for whom it has been ^(DM)prepared.” ⁴¹ And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. ^42 (DN)And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles ^(DO)lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. ⁴³ But ^(DP)it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,^{[k] 44} and whoever would be first among you must be ^(DQ)slave^[l] of all. ⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man came not to be served but ^(DR)to serve, and ^(DS)to give his life as a ransom for ^(DT)many.”

Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus

^46 (DU)And they came to Jericho. And ^(DV)as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, ^(DW)a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. ⁴⁷ And when he heard that it was ^(DX)Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁸ And many ^(DY)rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁹ And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, ^(DZ)“Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” ⁵⁰ And throwing off his ^(EA)cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. ⁵¹ And Jesus said to him, ^(EB)“What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, ^(EC)“Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” ⁵² And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; ^(ED)your faith has ^(EE)made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.

The Triumphal Entry

11 ^(EF)Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to ^(EG)Bethphage and Bethany, at ^(EH)the Mount of Olives, Jesus^[m] sent ^(EI)two of his disciples ² and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, ^(EJ)on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. ³ If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” ⁴ And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. ⁵ And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” ⁶ And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. ⁷ And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. ⁸ And many ^(EK)spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. ⁹ And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, ^(EL)“Hosanna! ^(EM)Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! ¹⁰ Blessed is ^(EN)the coming ^(EO)kingdom of ^(EP)our father ^(EQ)David! ^(ER)Hosanna ^(ES)in the highest!”

^11 (ET)And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, ^(EU)he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

^12 (EV)On the following day, when they came from Bethany, ^(EW)he was hungry. ^13 (EX)And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for ^(EY)it was not the season for figs. ¹⁴ And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

^15 (EZ)And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of ^(FA)the money-changers and the seats of those who sold ^(FB)pigeons. ¹⁶ And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. ¹⁷ And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ^(FC)‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But ^(FD)you have made it a den of robbers.” ¹⁸ And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and ^(FE)were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because ^(FF)all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. ^19 (FG)And when evening came they^[n] went out of the city.

The Lesson from the Withered Fig Tree

^20 (FH)As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. ²¹ And Peter remembered and said to him, ^(FI)“Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” ²² And Jesus answered them, “Have ^(FJ)faith in God. ^23 (FK)Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ^(FL)‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not ^(FM)doubt in his heart, but ^(FN)believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. ²⁴ Therefore I tell you, ^(FO)whatever you ask in prayer, ^(FP)believe that you ^(FQ)have received^[o] it, and it will be yours. ²⁵ And whenever ^(FR)you stand praying, ^(FS)forgive, ^(FT)if you have anything against anyone, so that ^(FU)your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”^[p]

The Authority of Jesus Challenged

^27 (FV)And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, ²⁸ and they said to him, ^(FW)“By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?” ²⁹ Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. ³⁰ Was the baptism of John ^(FX)from heaven or from man? Answer me.” ³¹ And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ^(FY)‘Why then did you not believe him?’ ³² But shall we say, ‘From man’?”—^(FZ)they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John really was ^(GA)a prophet. ³³ So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

The Parable of the Tenants

12 ^(GB)And he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted ^(GC)a vineyard ^(GD)and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and ^(GE)leased it to tenants and ^(GF)went into another country. ² When the season came, he sent a servant^[q] to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. ^3 (GG)And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. ^4 (GH)Again ^(GI)he sent to them another servant, and ^(GJ)they struck him on the head and ^(GK)treated him shamefully. ^5 (GL)And he sent another, and him they killed. And so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed. ⁶ He had still one other, ^(GM)a beloved son. ^(GN)Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ ⁷ But those tenants said to one another, ^(GO)‘This is the heir. Come, ^(GP)let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ ⁸ And they took him and killed him and ^(GQ)threw him out of the vineyard. ⁹ What will the owner of the vineyard do? ^(GR)He will ^(GS)come and destroy the tenants and ^(GT)give the vineyard to others. ^10 (GU)Have you not read ^(GV)this Scripture:

¹² And ^(GX)they were seeking to arrest him ^(GY)but feared the people, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them. So they ^(GZ)left him and went away.

Paying Taxes to Caesar

^13 (HA)And they sent to him some of ^(HB)the Pharisees and some of ^(HC)the Herodians, to ^(HD)trap him in his talk. ¹⁴ And they came and said to him, “Teacher, ^(HE)we know that you are true and do not care about anyone's opinion. For ^(HF)you are not swayed by appearances,^[s] but truly teach ^(HG)the way of God. Is it lawful to pay ^(HH)taxes to ^(HI)Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?” ¹⁵ But, knowing ^(HJ)their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why ^(HK)put me to the test? Bring me ^(HL)a denarius^[t] and let me look at it.” ¹⁶ And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar's.” ¹⁷ Jesus said to them, ^(HM)“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” And they marveled at him.

The Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection

¹⁸ And ^(HN)Sadducees came to him, ^(HO)who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying, ¹⁹ “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that ^(HP)if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife, but leaves no child, the man^[u] must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. ²⁰ There were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and when he died left no offspring. ²¹ And the second took her, and died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise. ²² And the seven left no offspring. Last of all the woman also died. ²³ In the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife.”

²⁴ Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because ^(HQ)you know neither the Scriptures nor ^(HR)the power of God? ²⁵ For when they rise from the dead, they neither ^(HS)marry nor ^(HT)are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. ²⁶ And as for the dead being raised, ^(HU)have you not read in ^(HV)the book of Moses, in ^(HW)the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ^(HX)‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? ²⁷ He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.”

The Great Commandment

^28 (HY)And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” ²⁹ Jesus answered, “The most important is, ^(HZ)‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, ^(IA)the Lord is one. ³⁰ And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ ^31 (IB)The second is this: ^(IC)‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment ^(ID)greater than these.” ³² And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that ^(IE)he is one, and ^(IF)there is no other besides him. ³³ And to love him with all the heart and with all ^(IG)the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, ^(IH)is much more than all ^(II)whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” ³⁴ And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” ^(IJ)And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Whose Son Is the Christ?

^35 (IK)And as ^(IL)Jesus taught in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that ^(IM)the Christ is the son of David? ³⁶ David himself, ^(IN)in the Holy Spirit, declared,

³⁷ David himself calls him Lord. So ^(IQ)how is he his son?” And the great throng ^(IR)heard him gladly.

Beware of the Scribes

^38 (IS)And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces ³⁹ and have the best seats in the synagogues and ^(IT)the places of honor at feasts, ^40 (IU)who devour widows' houses and ^(IV)for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

The Widow's Offering

^41 (IW)And he sat down opposite ^(IX)the treasury and watched the people ^(IY)putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. ⁴² And a poor widow came and put in two ^(IZ)small copper coins, which make a penny.^{[v] 43} And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, ^(JA)this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. ⁴⁴ For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her ^(JB)poverty has put in everything she had, all ^(JC)she had to live on.”

Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple

13 ^(JD)And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” ² And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? ^(JE)There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

Signs of the End of the Age

³ And as he sat on ^(JF)the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, ^(JG)Peter and James and John and ^(JH)Andrew asked him ^(JI)privately, ⁴ “Tell us, ^(JJ)when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” ⁵ And Jesus began to say to them, ^(JK)“See that no one leads you astray. ^6 (JL)Many will come in my name, saying, ^(JM)‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. ⁷ And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, ^(JN)do not be alarmed. This ^(JO)must take place, but the end is not yet. ⁸ For ^(JP)nation will rise against nation, and ^(JQ)kingdom against kingdom. There will be ^(JR)earthquakes in various places; there will be ^(JS)famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.

^9 (JT)“But ^(JU)be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten ^(JV)in synagogues, and you will stand before ^(JW)governors and ^(JX)kings for my sake, ^(JY)to bear witness before them. ¹⁰ And the gospel must first be proclaimed ^(JZ)to all nations. ¹¹ And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, ^(KA)do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say ^(KB)whatever is given you in that hour, ^(KC)for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. ^12 (KD)And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. ^13 (KE)And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. ^(KF)But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

The Abomination of Desolation

¹⁴ “But when you see ^(KG)the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be (^(KH)let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ^15 (KI)Let the one who is on ^(KJ)the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything out, ¹⁶ and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. ¹⁷ And ^(KK)alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! ¹⁸ Pray that it may not happen in winter. ¹⁹ For in those days there will be ^(KL)such ^(KM)tribulation as has not been ^(KN)from the beginning of the creation that ^(KO)God created until now, and never will be. ²⁰ And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for ^(KP)the sake of the elect, whom ^(KQ)he chose, he shortened the days. ²¹ And ^(KR)then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. ^22 (KS)For false christs and false prophets will arise and ^(KT)perform signs and wonders, ^(KU)to lead astray, if possible, ^(KV)the elect. ²³ But ^(KW)be on guard; ^(KX)I have told you all things beforehand.

The Coming of the Son of Man

²⁴ “But in those days, after ^(KY)that tribulation, ^(KZ)the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, ²⁵ and ^(LA)the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. ²⁶ And then they will see ^(LB)the Son of Man coming in clouds ^(LC)with great power and glory. ²⁷ And then ^(LD)he will send out the angels and ^(LE)gather ^(LF)his elect from ^(LG)the four winds, from ^(LH)the ends of the earth ^(LI)to the ends of heaven.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

²⁸ “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. ²⁹ So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, ^(LJ)at the very gates. ^30 (LK)Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. ^31 (LL)Heaven and earth will pass away, but ^(LM)my words will not pass away.

No One Knows That Day or Hour

³² “But concerning that day or that hour, ^(LN)no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, ^(LO)nor the Son, ^(LP)but only the Father. ^33 (LQ)Be on guard, ^(LR)keep awake.^[w] For you do not know when the time will come. ^34 (LS)It is like a man ^(LT)going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants^[x] in charge, ^(LU)each with his work, and commands ^(LV)the doorkeeper to stay awake. ^35 (LW)Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, ^(LX)in the evening, or ^(LY)at midnight, or ^(LZ)when the rooster crows,^[y] or ^(MA)in the morning— ³⁶ lest ^(MB)he come suddenly and ^(MC)find you asleep. ³⁷ And what I say to you I say to all: ^(MD)Stay awake.”

The Plot to Kill Jesus

14 ^(ME)It was now two days before ^(MF)the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes ^(MG)were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, ² for they said, “Not during the feast, ^(MH)lest there be an uproar from the people.”

Jesus Anointed at Bethany

^3 (MI)And while he was at ^(MJ)Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,^[z] as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. ⁴ There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? ⁵ For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii^[aa] and ^(MK)given to the poor.” And they ^(ML)scolded her. ⁶ But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. ⁷ For ^(MM)you always have the poor with you, and whenever ^(MN)you want, you can do good for them. But ^(MO)you will not always have me. ^8 (MP)She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand ^(MQ)for burial. ⁹ And truly, I say to you, wherever ^(MR)the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told ^(MS)in memory of her.”

Judas to Betray Jesus

^10 (MT)Then ^(MU)Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, ^(MV)went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. ¹¹ And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to ^(MW)betray him.

The Passover with the Disciples

^12 (MX)And on ^(MY)the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they ^(MZ)sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” ¹³ And he sent ^(NA)two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, ¹⁴ and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ^(NB)‘The Teacher says, Where is ^(NC)my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ ¹⁵ And he will show you ^(ND)a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.” ¹⁶ And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

^17 (NE)And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. ¹⁸ And as they were reclining at table and eating, ^(NF)Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, ^(NG)one who is eating with me.” ¹⁹ They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?” ²⁰ He said to them, “It is ^(NH)one of the twelve, ^(NI)one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. ²¹ For the Son of Man goes ^(NJ)as it is written of him, but ^(NK)woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! ^(NL)It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”

Institution of the Lord's Supper

^22 (NM)And as they were eating, he took bread, and after ^(NN)blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; ^(NO)this is my body.” ²³ And he took a cup, and when he had ^(NP)given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. ²⁴ And he said to them, ^(NQ)“This is my ^(NR)blood of the^[ab] covenant, which is poured out for ^(NS)many. ²⁵ Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

Jesus Foretells Peter's Denial

^26 (NT)And when they had sung a hymn, ^(NU)they went out to ^(NV)the Mount of Olives. ²⁷ And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will ^(NW)strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ ²⁸ But after I am raised up, ^(NX)I will go before you to Galilee.” ^29 (NY)Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.” ³⁰ And ^(NZ)Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before ^(OA)the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” ³¹ But ^(OB)he said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same.

Jesus Prays in Gethsemane

^32 (OC)And they went ^(OD)to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” ³³ And he took with him ^(OE)Peter and James and John, and began ^(OF)to be greatly distressed and troubled. ³⁴ And he said to them, ^(OG)“My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and ^(OH)watch.”^{[ac] 35} And going a little farther, he fell on the ground ^(OI)and prayed that, if it were possible, ^(OJ)the hour might pass from him. ³⁶ And he said, ^(OK)“Abba, Father, ^(OL)all things are possible for you. Remove ^(OM)this cup from me. ^(ON)Yet not what I will, but what you will.” ³⁷ And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? ^38 (OO)Watch and ^(OP)pray that you may not ^(OQ)enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” ³⁹ And again he went away and prayed, ^(OR)saying the same words. ⁴⁰ And again he came and found them sleeping, for ^(OS)their eyes were very heavy, and ^(OT)they did not know what to answer him. ⁴¹ And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? ^(OU)It is enough; ^(OV)the hour has come. ^(OW)The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. ⁴² Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

^43 (OX)And immediately, while he was still speaking, ^(OY)Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. ⁴⁴ Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard.” ⁴⁵ And when he came, he went up to him at once and said, ^(OZ)“Rabbi!” And he ^(PA)kissed him. ⁴⁶ And they laid hands on him and seized him. ⁴⁷ But one of those who stood by drew his ^(PB)sword and struck the servant^[ad] of the high priest and cut off his ear. ⁴⁸ And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? ^49 (PC)Day after day I was with you in the temple ^(PD)teaching, and you did not seize me. But ^(PE)let the Scriptures be fulfilled.” ^50 (PF)And they all left him and fled.

A Young Man Flees

⁵¹ And a young man followed him, with nothing but ^(PG)a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him, ⁵² but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.

Jesus Before the Council

^53 (PH)And ^(PI)they led Jesus to the high priest. And all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together. ^54 (PJ)And ^(PK)Peter had followed him at a distance, ^(PL)right into ^(PM)the courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting with ^(PN)the guards and ^(PO)warming himself at the fire. ⁵⁵ Now the chief priests and the whole council^[ae] were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. ^56 (PP)For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony ^(PQ)did not agree. ⁵⁷ And some stood up and bore false witness against him, saying, ^58 (PR)“We heard him say, ^(PS)‘I will destroy this temple ^(PT)that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, ^(PU)not made with hands.’” ⁵⁹ Yet even about this their testimony did not agree. ⁶⁰ And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?”^{[af] 61} But ^(PV)he remained silent and made no answer. ^(PW)Again the high priest asked him, “Are you ^(PX)the Christ, the Son of ^(PY)the Blessed?” ⁶² And Jesus said, “I am, and ^(PZ)you will see the Son of Man ^(QA)seated at the right hand of Power, and ^(QB)coming with the clouds of heaven.” ⁶³ And the high priest ^(QC)tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? ⁶⁴ You have heard ^(QD)his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they ^(QE)all condemned him as ^(QF)deserving death. ^65 (QG)And some began ^(QH)to spit on him and ^(QI)to cover his face and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received him ^(QJ)with blows.

Peter Denies Jesus

^66 (QK)And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, ⁶⁷ and seeing Peter ^(QL)warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” ⁶⁸ But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you mean.” And he went out into the gateway^[ag] and ^(QM)the rooster crowed.^{[ah] 69} And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” ⁷⁰ But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” ⁷¹ But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.” ⁷² And immediately the rooster crowed ^(QN)a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, ^(QO)“Before the rooster crows twice, you will ^(QP)deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.^[ai]

Jesus Delivered to Pilate

15 ^(QQ)And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests ^(QR)held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. And ^(QS)they bound Jesus and ^(QT)led him away and ^(QU)delivered him over to ^(QV)Pilate. ^2 (QW)And Pilate asked him, ^(QX)“Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, ^(QY)“You have said so.” ³ And the chief priests accused him of many things. ⁴ And Pilate again asked him, ^(QZ)“Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.” ⁵ But Jesus ^(RA)made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed.

Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified

^6 (RB)Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. ⁷ And among the rebels in prison, who had ^(RC)committed murder ^(RD)in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. ⁸ And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. ⁹ And he answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” ¹⁰ For he perceived that ^(RE)it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. ¹¹ But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. ¹² And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with ^(RF)the man you call the King of the Jews?” ¹³ And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” ¹⁴ And Pilate said to them, “Why? ^(RG)What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” ¹⁵ So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having ^(RH)scourged^[aj] Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

Jesus Is Mocked

^16 (RI)And the soldiers led him away inside ^(RJ)the palace (that is, ^(RK)the governor's headquarters),^[ak] and they called together the whole ^(RL)battalion.^{[al] 17} And they clothed him in ^(RM)a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. ¹⁸ And they began to salute him, ^(RN)“Hail, King of the Jews!” ¹⁹ And they were striking his head with a reed and ^(RO)spitting on him and ^(RP)kneeling down in homage to him. ²⁰ And when they had ^(RQ)mocked him, they stripped him of ^(RR)the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they ^(RS)led him out to crucify him.

The Crucifixion

^21 (RT)And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. ^22 (RU)And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). ²³ And they offered him wine mixed with ^(RV)myrrh, but he did not take it. ²⁴ And they crucified him and ^(RW)divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. ²⁵ And ^(RX)it was the third hour^[am] when they crucified him. ²⁶ And the inscription of the charge against him read, ^(RY)“The King of the Jews.” ²⁷ And with him they crucified two ^(RZ)robbers, ^(SA)one on his right and one on his left.^{[an] 29} And ^(SB)those who passed by derided him, ^(SC)wagging their heads and saying, ^(SD)“Aha! ^(SE)You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, ³⁰ save yourself, and come down from the cross!” ³¹ So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, ^(SF)“He saved others; ^(SG)he cannot save himself. ³² Let ^(SH)the Christ, ^(SI)the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may ^(SJ)see and believe.” ^(SK)Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.

The Death of Jesus

³³ And when the sixth hour^[ao] had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.^{[ap] 34} And at the ninth hour Jesus ^(SL)cried with a loud voice, ^(SM)“Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” ³⁵ And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” ³⁶ And someone ran and filled a sponge with ^(SN)sour wine, put it on a reed ^(SO)and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” ³⁷ And Jesus ^(SP)uttered a loud cry and ^(SQ)breathed his last. ³⁸ And ^(SR)the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. ^39 (SS)And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he^[aq] breathed his last, he said, ^(ST)“Truly this man was the Son^[ar] of God!”

⁴⁰ There were also ^(SU)women looking on ^(SV)from a distance, among whom were ^(SW)Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and ^(SX)Salome. ⁴¹ When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ^(SY)ministered to him, and there were also many other women who ^(SZ)came up with him to Jerusalem.

Jesus Is Buried

^42 (TA)And when evening had come, since it was ^(TB)the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, ⁴³ Joseph of Arimathea, ^(TC)a respected member of the council, who ^(TD)was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. ⁴⁴ Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died.^[as] And summoning ^(TE)the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. ⁴⁵ And when he learned from ^(TF)the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. ⁴⁶ And Joseph^[at] bought ^(TG)a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and ^(TH)laid him in a tomb ^(TI)that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled ^(TJ)a stone against the entrance of the tomb. ^47 (TK)Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.

The Resurrection

16 ^(TL)(TM)When the Sabbath was past, ^(TN)Mary Magdalene, ^(TO)Mary the mother of James, and ^(TP)Salome ^(TQ)bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. ² And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. ³ And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away ^(TR)the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” ⁴ And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—^(TS)it was very large. ⁵ And ^(TT)entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, ^(TU)dressed in ^(TV)a white robe, and ^(TW)they were alarmed. ⁶ And he said to them, ^(TX)“Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. ⁷ But go, tell his disciples and Peter that ^(TY)he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, ^(TZ)just as he told you.” ⁸ And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

[Some of the earliest manuscripts do not include 16:9–20.]^[au]

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

⁹ [[Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, ^(UA)he appeared first to ^(UB)Mary Magdalene, ^(UC)from whom he had cast out seven demons. ^10 (UD)She went and told those who had been with him, ^(UE)as they ^(UF)mourned and wept. ¹¹ But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they ^(UG)would not believe it.

Jesus Appears to Two Disciples

^12 (UH)After these things ^(UI)he appeared in ^(UJ)another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. ^13 (UK)And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.

The Great Commission

¹⁴ Afterward ^(UL)he appeared ^(UM)to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their ^(UN)unbelief and ^(UO)hardness of heart, because ^(UP)they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. ¹⁵ And he said to them, ^(UQ)“Go into all the world and ^(UR)proclaim the gospel to ^(US)the whole creation. ^16 (UT)Whoever believes and is ^(UU)baptized ^(UV)will be saved, but ^(UW)whoever ^(UX)does not believe will be condemned. ¹⁷ And ^(UY)these signs will accompany those who believe: ^(UZ)in my name they will cast out demons; ^(VA)they will speak in new tongues; ^18 (VB)they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; ^(VC)they will lay their hands ^(VD)on the sick, and they will recover.”

¹⁹ So then the Lord Jesus, ^(VE)after he had spoken to them, ^(VF)was taken up into heaven and ^(VG)sat down at the right hand of God. ²⁰ And they went out and preached everywhere, while ^(VH)the Lord worked with them and confirmed ^(VI)the message ^(VJ)by accompanying signs.]]

Dedication to Theophilus

1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that ^(VK)have been accomplished among us, ^2 (VL)just as those who ^(VM)from the beginning were ^(VN)eyewitnesses and ^(VO)ministers of ^(VP)the word ^(VQ)have delivered them to us, ³ it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write ^(VR)an orderly account for you, ^(VS)most excellent ^(VT)Theophilus, ⁴ that you may have ^(VU)certainty concerning the things ^(VV)you have been taught.

Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

^5 (VW)In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah,^{[av] (VX)}of ^(VY)the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. ⁶ And they were both ^(VZ)righteous before God, walking ^(WA)blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. ⁷ But they had no child, because ^(WB)Elizabeth was barren, and ^(WC)both were advanced in years.

⁸ Now ^(WD)while he was serving as priest before God when ^(WE)his division was on duty, ⁹ according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot ^(WF)to enter ^(WG)the temple of the Lord and burn incense. ¹⁰ And the whole multitude of the people ^(WH)were praying ^(WI)outside at the hour of incense. ¹¹ And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of ^(WJ)the altar of incense. ¹² And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and ^(WK)fear fell upon him. ¹³ But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for ^(WL)your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and ^(WM)you shall call his name John. ¹⁴ And you will have joy and gladness, and many will ^(WN)rejoice at his birth, ¹⁵ for he will be ^(WO)great before the Lord. And ^(WP)he must not drink wine or strong ^(WQ)drink, and ^(WR)he will be ^(WS)filled with the Holy Spirit, ^(WT)even from his mother's womb. ¹⁶ And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, ¹⁷ and ^(WU)he will go before him ^(WV)in the spirit and power of Elijah, ^(WW)to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and ^(WX)the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, ^(WY)to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

¹⁸ And Zechariah said to the angel, ^(WZ)“How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” ¹⁹ And the angel answered him, “I am ^(XA)Gabriel. ^(XB)I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. ²⁰ And behold, ^(XC)you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” ²¹ And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in ^(XD)the temple. ²² And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in ^(XE)the temple. And ^(XF)he kept making signs to them and remained mute. ²³ And ^(XG)when his time of ^(XH)service was ended, he went to his home.

²⁴ After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, ²⁵ “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, ^(XI)to take away my reproach among people.”

Birth of Jesus Foretold

²⁶ In the sixth month the angel ^(XJ)Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named ^(XK)Nazareth, ^27 (XL)to a virgin betrothed^[aw] to a man whose name was Joseph, ^(XM)of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. ²⁸ And he came to her and said, “Greetings, ^(XN)O favored one, ^(XO)the Lord is with you!”^{[ax] 29} But ^(XP)she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. ³⁰ And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for ^(XQ)you have found favor with God. ³¹ And behold, ^(XR)you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and ^(XS)you shall call his name Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of ^(XT)the Most High. And the Lord God ^(XU)will give to him the throne of ^(XV)his father David, ³³ and he will reign over the house of Jacob ^(XW)forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

³⁴ And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”^[ay]

³⁵ And the angel answered her, ^(XX)“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of ^(XY)the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born^[az] will be called ^(XZ)holy—^(YA)the Son of God. ³⁶ And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her ^(YB)who was called barren. ³⁷ For ^(YC)nothing will be impossible with God.” ³⁸ And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant^[ba] of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And ^(YD)the angel departed from her.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

³⁹ In those days Mary arose and went with haste into ^(YE)the hill country, to a town in Judah, ⁴⁰ and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth ^(YF)was filled with the Holy Spirit, ⁴² and she exclaimed with a loud cry, ^(YG)“Blessed are you among women, and ^(YH)blessed is ^(YI)the fruit of your womb! ⁴³ And why is this granted to me that the mother of ^(YJ)my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴ For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴⁵ And ^(YK)blessed is she who believed that there would be^[bb] a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

Mary's Song of Praise: The Magnificat

⁴⁶ And Mary said,

⁵⁶ And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.

The Birth of John the Baptist

⁵⁷ Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. ⁵⁸ And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord ^(ZI)had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. ⁵⁹ And ^(ZJ)on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, ⁶⁰ but his mother answered, “No; ^(ZK)he shall be called John.” ⁶¹ And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” ⁶² And ^(ZL)they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. ⁶³ And he asked for ^(ZM)a writing tablet and wrote, ^(ZN)“His name is John.” And they all wondered. ^64 (ZO)And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue ^(ZP)loosed, and he spoke, ^(ZQ)blessing God. ⁶⁵ And ^(ZR)fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all ^(ZS)the hill country of Judea, ⁶⁶ and all who heard them ^(ZT)laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For ^(ZU)the hand of the Lord was with him.

Zechariah's Prophecy

⁶⁷ And his father Zechariah ^(ZV)was filled with the Holy Spirit and ^(ZW)prophesied, saying,

^80 (ABA)And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was ^(ABB)in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.