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Bible in 90 Days

An intensive Bible reading plan that walks through the entire Bible in 90 days.
Duration: 88 days
Modern English Version (MEV)
Version
Zechariah 11 - Matthew 4

11 Open your doors, O Lebanon,
    so the fire can consume your cedar.
Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen;
    the majestic trees are destroyed.
Wail, O oaks of Bashan,
    because the unassailable forest has been brought down.
There is the sound of wailing shepherds,
    because their glory is ruined.
There is the sound of roaring lions,
    because the pride of Jordan is ruined.

Two Kinds of Shepherds

Thus says the Lord my God: Shepherd the flock of slaughter. The ones who buy them then slaughter them and have no guilt, and those who sell them say, “Blessed is the Lord because I am rich.” Their own shepherds do not take pity on them. For I will no longer have pity on those who dwell in the land, says the Lord. But I will cause each of them to fall into the hands of his neighbor, even into the hands of his king. They will crush the land, and I will not deliver any from their hands.

So I shepherded the flock that was for slaughter, even the afflicted of the flock. And I took for myself two staffs. One I called Favor and the other I gave the name Union. So I pastured the flock. I destroyed the three shepherds in the span of one month.

For my soul was impatient with them, and their souls detested me. Then I said, “I will not shepherd you. What is to die, let it die. What is to be destroyed, let it be destroyed. Let those who are left devour each other’s flesh.”

10 I took the staff named Favor and cut it into pieces, to break the covenant that I made with all the peoples. 11 So it was broken that day, and the afflicted of the flock were watching me and knew that this was the word of the Lord.

12 Then I said to them, “If this is good in your eyes, then give my wages to me, but if not, then keep it.” They weighed my wages at thirty pieces of silver.

13 Then the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter, the splendid price by which I was valued by them.” So I took the thirty silver pieces and threw them to the house of the Lord to the potter.

14 Then I cut up the second staff, Union, to break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

15 Then the Lord said to me: Take for yourself again the vessels carried by a foolish shepherd. 16 I am raising up a shepherd in the land who will not care for those who are perishing, nor seek the young, nor heal the broken, nor feed those who are standing still. But he will eat the flesh of the fat and tear their hoofs in pieces.

17 Woe to this worthless shepherd
    who abandons his flock.
May the sword take his arm and right eye;
    may his arm surely wither up,
    and his right eye become blind.

The Deliverance of Judah

12 The oracle of the word of the Lord against Israel.

Thus says the Lord, the One who stretches out the heavens and establishes the earth and forms the spirit of man within him: I am going to make Jerusalem a cup of reeling before all the surrounding nations. And when there is a siege against Judah, it is also against Jerusalem. And it will be on that day that I will set Jerusalem as a weighty stone to all the peoples. All who carry it will surely gash themselves, and all the nations of the land will be gathered against it. On that day I will strike every horse with confusion and its rider with madness, but for the house of Judah I will keep My eyes open although I will strike with blindness every horse of the peoples. Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, “There is strength for us with those residing in Jerusalem by the Lord of Hosts, their God.”

On that day I will set Judah like a fiery pot among wood and as a flaming torch among cut grain. And they will devour to the right and left all the surrounding peoples, while Jerusalem will still reside in her place, the place of Jerusalem.

The Lord will deliver the tents of Judah as before, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of those dwelling in Jerusalem will not eclipse Judah. On that day the Lord will defend those residing in Jerusalem; and even the one who stumbles among them will be as David on that day. And the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the Lord going out before them. On that day I will seek to destroy all the nations who come out against Jerusalem.

Mourning for Him Whom They Have Pierced

10 And I will pour out on the house of David and over those dwelling in Jerusalem a spirit of favor and supplication so that they look to Me, whom they have pierced through. And they will mourn over him as one mourns for an only child and weep bitterly over him as a firstborn. 11 On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as that of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. 12 The land will mourn with each family by itself: the family of the house of David by themselves, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by themselves, and their wives by themselves; 13 the family of the house of Levi by themselves, and their wives by themselves; the family of Shimei by themselves, and their wives also by themselves; 14 and all the families that remain, each by itself and their wives by themselves.

The Cleansing of God’s People

13 On that day there will be a spring opened up for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and impurity.

And on that day, says the Lord of Hosts, I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they will not be remembered any more. And I will also remove from the land the prophets and the unclean spirit. And it will be if a man again prophesies, then his father and mother who gave birth to him will say, “You will not live because you speak deception in the name of the Lord.” Then when he prophesies, his father and mother will pierce him through.

On that day each prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies. He will not put on a robe of coarse hair in order to deceive. But he will say, “I am not a prophet. I am a man who works the ground, for a man purchased me when I was young.” If someone asks, “What are these wounds on your arms?” he will say, “I was struck in the house of my close friends.”

Striking the Shepherd, Scattering the Sheep

“Awake, O sword, against My shepherd
    and the man of My association,”
    says the Lord of Hosts.
Strike the shepherd,
    and the sheep will scatter.
    I will turn My hand against the small ones.
And it will happen in all the land, says the Lord,
    that two-thirds will be cut off and die,
    and one-third will be left in the land.
And I will bring this one-third left into the fire,
    and will refine them as the refinement of silver,
    and will test them as the testing of gold.
They will call on My name,
    and I will answer them.
I will say, “They are My people”;
    and they will say, “The Lord is my God.”

The Day of the Lord

14 A day of the Lord is coming when your spoil will be divided in your midst.

For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem for battle. The city will be captured and the houses plundered and the women ravished. Half of the city will go to exile, but the remainder of the people will not be cut off from the city. Then the Lord will go out and fight those nations as He fights in the day of war. On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is to the east of Jerusalem. And from east to west the Mount of Olives will be split in two halves by a very great valley so that one half moves to the north and the other to the south. And you will flee to my mountain valley, for the mountain valley will reach to Azal. You will flee just like you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come and all His holy ones with you.

And on that day there will be no light. The lights will diminish. And there will be one day known to the Lord, neither during the day nor the night, but at the evening time there will be light.

On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half to the Dead Sea and the other half to the Mediterranean Sea. This will happen for the summer as well as the winter.

And the Lord will be king over all the earth. In that day it will be—“The Lord is one,” and His name is one.

10 All the land will be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon to the south of Jerusalem. But Jerusalem will rise and dwell in her place from the Benjamin Gate to the place of the Old Gate, to the Corner Gate, and then from the Tower of Hananel to the winepress of the king. 11 And people will live there, and she will never again be devoted for destruction. Jerusalem will reside in security.

12 And this will be the pestilence with which the Lord will strike all the peoples who go to battle against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot as they stand on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. 13 Then on that day a great tumult from the Lord will come on them as each person will seize the hand of his neighbor, and the hand of one will be raised against the hand of another. 14 And even Judah will fight with Jerusalem, and the wealth of all the surrounding nations will be gathered, a great abundance of gold, silver, and garments. 15 So this plague will come to horses, mules, camels, donkeys, and any other animals that are in the camp. So will this plague be.

16 Then it will be that all the nations who have come against Jerusalem and survived will go up each year to worship the King, the Lord of Hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. 17 And it will happen that if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of Hosts, then there will not be rain for them. 18 If the family of Egypt does not go up and enter in, they shall have no rain. This will be the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. 19 This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.

20 On that day “HOLY TO THE LORD” will be engraved on the bells of the horses. And the pots in the house of the Lord will be as the basins before the altar. 21 And every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the Lord of Hosts so that all who come to sacrifice will take from those pots and boil the meat in them. And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord of Hosts.

The oracle of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi.

Israel Preferred to Edom

I have loved you, says the Lord.

But you say, “How have You loved us?”

Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? says the Lord. Yet I have loved Jacob; but Esau I have hated, and I have made his mountains a desolation and left his inheritance for the jackals of the desert.

Whereas Edom says, “We are impoverished, but we will rebuild the ruins,” thus says the Lord of Hosts: They may build, but I will tear down. They will be called the Wicked Territory, and the people against whom the Lord has indignation forever. Your eyes will see this, and you will say, “Great is the Lord, beyond the border of Israel!”

Profane Offerings

A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My fear? says the Lord of Hosts to you, O priests, who despise My name.

But you say, “How have we despised Your name?”

You offer defiled food on My altar, but say, “How have we defiled You?”

By saying, “The table of the Lord is contemptible.” When you offer the blind as a sacrifice, is it not evil? When you offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? Offer it now to your governor! Would he be pleased with you, or accept you? says the Lord of Hosts.

But now entreat God’s favor, that He may be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will He accept you favorably? says the Lord of Hosts.

10 Who is there among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on My altar in vain? I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of Hosts, nor will I accept an offering from your hand. 11 For from the rising of the sun to its setting, My name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to My name, and a pure offering. For My name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of Hosts.

12 But you profane it, in that you say, “The table of the Lord is defiled, and its fruit, that is, its food is contemptible.” 13 You also say, “What a weariness it is,” and you snort at it, says the Lord of Hosts.

You bring in what is stolen, the lame, or the sick; thus you bring an offering! Should I accept this from your hand? says the Lord. 14 But cursed be the deceiver who has in his flock a male, and vows, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great king, says the Lord of Hosts, and My name is to be feared among the nations.

Divine Warnings to the Priests

And now, O priests, this commandment is for you. If you will not listen, and if you will not take it to heart to give honor to My name, says the Lord of Hosts, I will send a curse on you and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have cursed them already, because you do not take it to heart.

I rebuke your descendants, and spread refuse on your faces, the refuse of your solemn feasts, and you will be taken away with it. And you will know that I have sent this command to you, that My covenant with Levi may remain, says the Lord of Hosts. My covenant with him was for life and peace, and I gave them to him. With awe he feared Me, and he was reverent before My name. True instruction was in his mouth, and injustice was not found on his lips. He walked with Me in peace and with uprightness, and turned many away from iniquity.

For a priest’s lips should preserve knowledge, and people should seek the law from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts. But you have departed from the way. You have caused many to stumble at the law. You have violated the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of Hosts. So I have made you contemptible and base before all the people, because you have not kept My ways, but have shown partiality in the law.

The Covenant Profaned

10 Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously with one another, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?

11 Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the Lord, which He loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god. 12 May the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob any descendant of the man who does this, teacher and student, yet who brings an offering to the Lord of Hosts.

13 This is the second thing you do: You cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and crying out, because He no longer regards the offering, nor receives it with good will from your hand. 14 Yet you say, “Why?” It is because the Lord has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously. Yet she is your companion and your wife by covenant.

15 Did He not make them one, having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.

16 For the Lord, the God of Israel, says that He hates divorce; for it covers one’s garment with violence, says the Lord of Hosts.

Therefore take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.

Injustice Committed

17 You have wearied the Lord with your words.

Yet you say, “How have we wearied Him?”

When you say, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and He delights in them,” or, “Where is the God of justice?”

The Coming Messenger

I will send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, even the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. He is coming, says the Lord of Hosts.

But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them like gold and silver, and they will present to the Lord offerings in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.

Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against the perjurers, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who turn aside the stranger, and do not fear Me, says the Lord of Hosts.

Withholding Tithes

For I am the Lord, I do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed. From the days of your fathers you have gone away from My ordinances and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of Hosts.

But you say, “How shall we return?”

Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me.

But you say, “How have we robbed You?”

In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, your whole nation, for you are robbing Me. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this, says the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing, that there will not be room enough to receive it. 11 I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that it will not destroy the fruit of your ground, and the vines in your field will not fail to bear fruit, says the Lord of Hosts. 12 Then all the nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land, says the Lord of Hosts.

13 Your words have been hard against Me, says the Lord.

Yet you say, “What have we spoken against You?”

14 You said, “It is vain to serve God. What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, and that we have walked as mourners before the Lord of Hosts? 15 And now we call the proud blessed, for those who do wickedness are built up; they even test God and escape.”

The Reward of the Faithful

16 Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another. The Lord listened and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who esteem His name.

17 They shall be Mine, says the Lord of Hosts, on the day when I make up My jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. 18 Then you will again discern between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.

The Great Day of the Lord

Surely the day is coming, burning like an oven; all the proud, yes, all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming will burn them up, says the Lord of Hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. You will go out and grow up like calves from the stall. And you will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I do this, says the Lord of Hosts.

Remember the Law of Moses, My servant, the statutes and judgments which I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.

See, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreaded day of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.

The Genealogy of Jesus Christ(A)

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the son of Abraham:

Abraham was the father of Isaac,

Isaac the father of Jacob,

and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.

Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar,

Perez the father of Hezron,

and Hezron the father of Ram.

Ram was the father of Amminadab,

Amminadab the father of Nahshon,

and Nahshon the father of Salmon.

Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab,

Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth,

and Obed the father of Jesse.

Jesse was the father of David the king.

David the king was the father of Solomon, by her who had been the wife of Uriah.

Solomon was the father of Rehoboam,

Rehoboam the father of Abijah,

and Abijah the father of Asa.

Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat,

Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,

and Joram the father of Uzziah.

Uzziah was the father of Jotham,

Jotham the father of Ahaz,

and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.

10 Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh,

Manasseh the father of Amon,

and Amon the father of Josiah.

11 Josiah was the father of Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were exiled to Babylon.

12 And after they were brought to Babylon,

Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,

and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel.

13 Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud,

Abiud the father of Eliakim,

and Eliakim the father of Azor.

14 Azor was the father of Zadok,

Zadok the father of Akim,

and Akim the father of Eliud.

15 Eliud was the father of Eleazar,

Eleazar the father of Matthan,

and Matthan the father of Jacob.

16 And Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the exile to Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the exile in Babylon to Christ are fourteen generations.

The Birth of Jesus Christ(B)

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ happened this way: After His mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child by the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man and not willing to make her a public example, had in mind to divorce her privately.

20 But while he thought on these things, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for He who is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”

22 Now all this occurred to fulfill what the Lord had spoken through the prophet, saying, 23 “A virgin shall be with child, and will bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,”[a] which is interpreted, “God with us.”

24 Then Joseph, being awakened from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him, and remained with his wife, 25 and did not know her until she had given birth to her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.

The Visit of the Wise Men

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, wise men came from the east to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who was born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”

When Herod the king heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where Christ should be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is what the prophet wrote:

‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are no longer least among the princes of Judah;
for out of you shall come a Governor,
    who will shepherd My people Israel.’[b]

Then Herod, when he had privately called the wise men, carefully inquired of them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search diligently for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring me word again, so that I may come and worship Him also.”

When they heard the king, they departed. And the star which they saw in the east went before them until it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with great excitement. 11 And when they came into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary, His mother, and fell down and worshipped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 But being warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they returned to their own country by another route.

The Escape to Egypt

13 Now when they departed, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and escape to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word. For Herod will seek the young Child to kill Him.”

14 When he rose, he took the young Child and His mother by night, and departed into Egypt, 15 and remained there until the death of Herod, to fulfill what the Lord had spoken through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called My Son.”[c]

The Killing of the Infants

16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was utterly furious and sent forth and killed all the male children who were in Bethlehem and the surrounding region, from two years old and under, based on the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet:

18 “In Ramah a voice was heard,
    grieving and weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children,
    and she would not be comforted,
because they are no more.”[d]

The Return From Egypt

19 But when Herod was dead, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.”

21 And he rose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus reigned in Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Nevertheless, being warned by God in a dream, he withdrew to the region of Galilee. 23 And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

The Preaching of John the Baptist(C)

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
    make His paths straight.’ ”[e]

This same John had clothing made of camel’s hair, a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him, and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said to them, “O generation of vipers, who has warned you to escape from the wrath to come? Therefore, bear fruit worthy of repentance, and do not think to say within yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I say to you that God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 10 Even now the axe is put to the tree roots. Therefore, every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

11 “I indeed baptize you with water to repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12 His fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean His floor and gather His wheat into the granary, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

The Baptism of Jesus(D)

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14 But John prohibited Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?”

15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he permitted Him.

16 And when Jesus was baptized, He came up immediately out of the water. And suddenly the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending on Him like a dove. 17 And a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

The Temptation of Jesus(E)

Then Jesus was led up into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted by the devil. And He had fasted for forty days and forty nights, and then He was hungry. And the tempter came to Him and said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones be turned into bread.”

But He answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’[f]

Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, and set Him on the highest point of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written,

    ‘He shall give His angels charge concerning you,’[g]

and

    ‘In their hands they shall lift you up,
    lest at any time you dash your foot against a stone.’[h]

Jesus said to him, “It is also written, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’[i]

Again, the devil took Him up on a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their grandeur, and said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me. ”

10 Then Jesus said to him, “Get away from here, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.’[j]

11 Then the devil left Him, and immediately angels came and ministered to Him.

The Beginning of the Galilean Ministry(F)

12 Now when Jesus heard that John was put in prison, He left for Galilee. 13 And leaving Nazareth, He came and lived in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 that what was spoken by Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, saying:

15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
    the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan,
    Galilee of the Gentiles:
16 The people who sat in darkness
    saw great light.
And on those who sat in the land of the shadow of death,
    light has dawned.”[k]

17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent! For the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

The Calling of the First Disciples(G)

18 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, throwing a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 They immediately left their nets and followed Him.

21 And going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in a boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and He called them. 22 They immediately left the boat and their father and followed Him.

Ministering to Great Crowds(H)

23 Jesus went throughout all Galilee teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all sorts of diseases among the people. 24 His fame went throughout all Syria. And they brought to Him all sick people who were taken with various diseases and tormented with pain, those who were possessed with demons, those who had seizures, and those who had paralysis, and He healed them. 25 Great crowds followed Him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

Modern English Version (MEV)

The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.