Bible in 90 Days

The Sermon on the Mount^(A)

5 Now seeing the crowds, He went up on a mountain. And when He sat down, His disciples came to Him.

The Beatitudes^(B)

² And He began speaking and taught them, saying:

¹¹ “Blessed are you when men revile you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. ¹² Rejoice and be very glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in this manner they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Salt and Light^(C)

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how shall it be made salty? It is from then on good for nothing but to be thrown out and to be trampled underfoot by men.

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do men light a candle and put it under a basket, but on a candlestick. And it gives light to all who are in the house. ¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Teaching About the Law

¹⁷ “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish, but to fulfill. ¹⁸ For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one dot or one mark will pass from the law until all be fulfilled. ¹⁹ Whoever, therefore, breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do likewise shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I say to you that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will in no way enter the kingdom of heaven.

Teaching About Anger

²¹ “You have heard that it was said by the ancients, ‘You shall not murder,’^[a] and ‘Whoever murders shall be in danger of the judgment.’ ²² But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ shall be in danger of the Sanhedrin. But whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be in danger of hell fire.

²³ “Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there before the altar and go on your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

²⁵ “Reconcile with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. ²⁶ Truly I say to you, you will by no means come out of there until you have paid the last penny.^[b]

Teaching About Adultery

²⁷ “You have heard that it was said by the ancients, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’^{[c] 28} But I say to you that whoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. ²⁹ And if your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away. For it is profitable that one of your members should perish, and not that your whole body be thrown into hell. ³⁰ And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is profitable for you that one of your members should perish, and not that your whole body be thrown into hell.

Teaching About Divorce^(D)

³¹ “It was said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’^{[d] 32} But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to commit adultery. And whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.

Teaching About Oaths

³³ “Again, you have heard that it was said by the ancients, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall fulfill your oaths to the Lord.’^{[e] 34} But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; ³⁵ nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. ³⁶ Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. ³⁷ But let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these comes from the evil one.

Teaching About Revenge^(E)

³⁸ “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’^{[f] 39} But I say to you, do not resist an evil person. But whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other as well. ⁴⁰ And if anyone sues you in a court of law and takes away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. ⁴¹ And whoever compels you to go a mile,^[g] go with him two. ⁴² Give to him who asks you, and from him who would borrow from you do not turn away.

Love for Enemies^(F)

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor^[h] and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. ⁴⁶ For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷ And if you greet your brothers only, what are you doing more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? ⁴⁸ Therefore be perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect.

Teaching About Charitable Giving

6 “Be sure that you not do your charitable deeds before men to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

² “Therefore, when you do your charitable deeds, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward. ³ But when you do your charitable deeds, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ that your charitable deeds may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

The Lord’s Prayer^(G)

⁵ “When you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward. ⁶ But you, when you pray, enter your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. ⁷ But when you pray, do not use vain repetitions, as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their much speaking. ⁸ Do not be like them, for your Father knows what things you have need of before you ask Him.

⁹ “Therefore pray in this manner:

¹⁴ For if you forgive men for their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive men for their sins, neither will your Father forgive your sins.

Teaching About Fasting

¹⁶ “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces so they may appear to men to be fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward. ¹⁷ But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, ¹⁸ so that you will not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Treasures in Heaven^(H)

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

The Light of the Body^(I)

²² “The light of the body is the eye. Therefore, if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eye is unclear, your whole body will be full of darkness. Therefore, if the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

God and Money

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Care and Anxiety^(J)

²⁵ “Therefore, I say to you, take no thought about your life, what you will eat, or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air, for they do not sow, nor do they reap, nor gather into barns. Yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much better than they? ²⁷ Who among you by taking thought can add a cubit^[i] to his stature?

²⁸ “Why take thought about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: They neither work, nor do they spin. ²⁹ Yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these. ³⁰ Therefore, if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is here and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹ Therefore, take no thought, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² (For the Gentiles seek after all these things.) For your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be given to you. ³⁴ Therefore, take no thought about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take thought about the things of itself. Sufficient to the day is the trouble thereof.

Judging Others^(K)

7 “Judge not, that you be not judged. ² For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged. And with the measure you use, it will be measured again for you.

³ “And why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank that is in your own eye? ⁴ Or how will you say to your brother, ‘Let me pull the speck out of your eye,’ when a log is in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite! First take the plank 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 the dogs, nor throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet and turn around and attack you.

Ask, Seek, Knock^(L)

⁷ “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, it will be opened.

⁹ “What man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will he 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 who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! ¹² Therefore, everything you would like men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

The Narrow Gate^(M)

¹³ “Enter at the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who are going through it, ¹⁴ because small is the gate and narrow is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

A Tree and Its Fruit^(N)

¹⁵ “Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶ You will know them by their fruit. Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ Even so, every good tree bears good fruit. But a corrupt tree bears evil fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a corrupt tree bear good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Therefore, by their fruit you will know them.

I Never Knew You^(O)

²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonderful works in Your name?’ ²³ But then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from Me, you who practice evil.’^[j]

The Two Housebuilders^(P)

²⁴ “Whoever hears these sayings of Mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on a rock. ²⁵ And the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house. And it did not fall, for it was founded a rock. ²⁶ And every one who hears these sayings of Mine and does not do them will be likened to a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷ And the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house. And it fell. And its fall was great.”

²⁸ When Jesus finished these sayings, the people were astonished at His teaching, ²⁹ for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

The Cleansing of a Leper^(Q)

8 When He came down from the mountains, large crowds followed Him. ² And then a leper came and worshipped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”

³ Jesus reached out His hand and touched him, saying, “I will. Be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. ⁴ Then Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one. But go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded as a testimony to them.”

The Healing of a Centurion’s Servant^(R)

⁵ And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion^[k] came to Him, entreating Him, ⁶ and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home, sick with paralysis, terribly tormented.”

⁷ Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

⁸ The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But speak the word only, and my servant will be healed. ⁹ For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this man, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

¹⁰ When Jesus heard it, He was amazed and said to those who followed, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith, no, not in Israel. ¹¹ And I say to you that many will come from the east and west and will dine with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. ¹² But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

¹³ Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way. And as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that very moment.

The Healing of Many People^(S)

¹⁴ When Jesus entered Peter’s house, He saw his wife’s mother, lying sick with a fever. ¹⁵ He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she rose and served them.

¹⁶ When the evening came, they brought to Him many who were possessed with demons. And He cast out the spirits with His word, and healed all who were sick, ¹⁷ to fulfill what was spoken by Isaiah the prophet,

The Would-Be Followers of Jesus^(T)

¹⁸ Now when Jesus saw large crowds around Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side. ¹⁹ Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.”

²⁰ Jesus replied, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”

²¹ Another of His other disciples said to Him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”

²² But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their dead.”

The Calming of a Storm^(U)

²³ Then He entered the boat, and His disciples followed Him. ²⁴ Suddenly a great storm arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. ²⁵ His disciples went to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”

²⁶ He replied, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He rose and rebuked the winds and the sea. And there was a great calm.

²⁷ The men were amazed, saying, “What kind of Man is this that even the winds and the sea obey Him!”

The Healing of the Gergesene Demoniacs^(V)

²⁸ When He came to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two men possessed with demons, coming out of the tombs, extremely fierce, so that no one might pass by that way. ²⁹ Suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”

³⁰ Now a good way off from them was a herd of many swine feeding. ³¹ So the demons begged Him, saying, “If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine.”

³² He said to them, “Go!” And when they came out, they went into the herd of swine. And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters. ³³ Those who kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told everything, including what had happened to those possessed by the demons. ³⁴ The whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart out of their region.

The Healing of a Paralytic^(W)

9 He entered a boat, crossed over, and came into His own city. ² They brought to Him a man sick with paralysis, lying on a bed. And Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer. Your sins are forgiven you.”

³ Then certain scribes said within themselves, “This Man blasphemes.”

⁴ Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? ⁵ For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’? ⁶ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, pick up your bed, and go into your house.” ⁷ And he rose and departed to his house. ⁸ But when the crowds saw it, they were amazed and glorified God who had given such authority to men.

The Calling of Matthew^(X)

⁹ As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s station. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” And he rose and followed Him.

¹⁰ While Jesus sat at supper in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. ¹¹ When the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

¹² But when Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but those who are sick. ¹³ But go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’^[m] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

The Question About Fasting^(Y)

¹⁴ Then the disciples of John came to Him, asking, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?”

¹⁵ Jesus answered, “Can the guests of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and then they will fast.

¹⁶ “No one sews a piece of new cloth into an old garment, for that which is sewn in to fill it up pulls on the garment, and the tear is made worse. ¹⁷ Neither do men put new wine into old wineskins. Or else the wineskins burst, the wine runs out, and the wineskins perish. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

The Ruler’s Daughter and a Woman Healed^(Z)

¹⁸ While He was speaking these things to them, a certain ruler came and worshipped Him, saying, “My daughter is even now dead. But come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live.” ¹⁹ Jesus rose and followed him, and so did His disciples.

²⁰ Then a woman, who was ill with a flow of blood for twelve years, came behind Him and touched the hem of His garment. ²¹ For she said within herself, “If I may just touch His garment, I shall be healed.”

²² But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her, He said, “Daughter, be of good comfort. Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well instantly.

²³ When Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the musicians and the mourners making a noise, ²⁴ He said to them, “Depart. The girl is not dead, but is sleeping.” And they laughed Him to scorn. ²⁵ But when the people were put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. ²⁶ The news of this went out into all that land.

The Healing of Two Blind Men

²⁷ As Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!”

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

They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”

²⁹ Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith, let it be done for you.” ³⁰ And their eyes were opened, and Jesus strictly commanded them, saying, “See that no one knows of it.” ³¹ But when they had departed, they spread His fame in all that region.

The Healing of a Mute Man

³² As they went out, they brought to Him a mute man possessed with a demon. ³³ And when the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke, and the crowds were amazed, saying, “This has never been seen in Israel.”

³⁴ But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons through the ruler of the demons.”

The Compassion of Jesus

³⁵ Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. ³⁶ But when He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they fainted and were scattered, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. ³⁸ Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest, that He will send out laborers into His harvest.”

The Mission of the Twelve Apostles^(AA)

10 He called His twelve disciples to Him and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.

² Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother; James, the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother; ³ Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew, the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus; and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; ⁴ Simon the Zealot; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.

The Commissioning of the Twelve Apostles^(AB)

⁵ These twelve Jesus sent out, and commanded them, saying, “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans. ⁶ But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ⁷ As you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ ⁸ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, and cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

⁹ “Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper for your purses, ¹⁰ nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor shoes, nor even staffs. For the workman is worthy of his keep.

¹¹ “In whatever city or town you enter, inquire in it who is worthy. And live there until you leave. ¹² When you come into a house, greet it. ¹³ If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. ¹⁴ Whoever will not receive you, nor hear your words, when you depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. ¹⁵ Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the Day of Judgment than for that town.

Coming Persecutions^(AC)

¹⁶ “Look, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. ¹⁷ But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues. ¹⁸ You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. ¹⁹ But when they deliver you up, take no thought of how or what you will speak. For it will be given you at that time what you will speak. ²⁰ For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks through you.

²¹ “The brother will deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child. And the children will rise up against their parents and cause them to be put to death. ²² You will be hated by all men for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. ²³ But when they persecute you in this city, escape into another. For truly I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

²⁴ “The disciple is not above his teacher, nor the servant above his master. ²⁵ It is enough for the disciple that he be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household?

Whom to Fear^(AD)

²⁶ “Therefore do not fear them. For nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. ²⁷ What I tell you in darkness, speak in the light. And what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. ²⁸ Do not fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father. ³⁰ But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ Therefore do not fear. You are more valuable than many sparrows.

Confessing and Denying Christ^(AE)

³² “Whoever will confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father who is in heaven. ³³ But whoever will deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

Not Peace, but a Sword^(AF)

³⁴ “Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵ For I have come to turn

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

Rewards^(AG)

⁴⁰ “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him 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 righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. ⁴² And whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple, truly I tell you, he shall in no way lose his reward.”

11 When Jesus finished instructing His twelve disciples, He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.

The Messengers From John the Baptist^(AH)

² Now when John had heard in prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, ³ and said to Him, “Are You He who should come, or should we look for another?”

⁴ Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: ⁵ The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.^{[o] 6} Blessed is he who does not fall away because of Me.”

⁷ As they departed, Jesus began to say to the crowds concerning John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? ⁸ If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. ⁹ Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. ¹⁰ For this is he of whom it is written:

¹¹ Truly I say to you, among those who are born of women, there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist. But he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ¹² From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has forcefully advanced, and the strong take it by force. ¹³ For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. ¹⁴ And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah, who is to come. ¹⁵ He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

¹⁶ “But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the markets, calling to their friends, ¹⁷ 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, ‘Here is a gluttonous man, a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is justified by her children.”

Unrepentant Cities^(AI)

²⁰ Then He began to reprimand the cities where most of His mighty works were done, because they did not repent: ²¹ “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. ²² But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the Day of Judgment than for you. ²³ And you, Capernaum, who is exalted toward heaven, will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works which have been done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. ²⁴ But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the Day of Judgment than for you.”

Come to Me and Rest^(AJ)

²⁵ At that time Jesus said, “I thank You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to infants. ²⁶ Even so, Father, for it seemed good in Your sight.

²⁷ “All things are delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son, except the Father. And no one knows the Father, except the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal Him.

²⁸ “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me. For I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.^{[q] 30} For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”

The Question About the Sabbath^(AK)

12 At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry and began to pluck the heads of grain and to eat. ² But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!”

³ But He said to them, “Have you not read what David and those who were with him did when he was hungry, ⁴ how he entered the house of God and ate the ritual bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for those who were with him, but only for the priests? ⁵ Or have you not read in the law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, but are blameless? ⁶ I say to you, in this place there is One who is greater than the temple. ⁷ If you had known what this meant, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. ⁸ For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

The Healing of the Withered Hand^(AL)

⁹ When He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue. ¹⁰ And there was a man whose hand had withered. They asked Him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” that they might accuse Him.

¹¹ He said to them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? ¹² Then how much better is a man than a sheep? Therefore, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

¹³ Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and it was restored whole like the other. ¹⁴ Then the Pharisees went out and took counsel against Him, how they might kill Him.

The Chosen Servant

¹⁵ But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great crowds followed Him, and He healed them all, ¹⁶ and warned them that they should not make Him known, ¹⁷ to fulfill what was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

Jesus and Beelzebub^(AM)

²² Then one possessed with a demon was brought to Him, blind and mute, and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. ²³ All the people were amazed and said, “Is He not the Son of David?”

²⁴ But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “This Man does not cast out demons, except by Beelzebub the ruler of the demons.”

²⁵ Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation. And every city or house divided against itself will not stand. ²⁶ If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. Then how will his kingdom stand? ²⁷ And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore, they shall be your judges. ²⁸ But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

²⁹ “Or else how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.

³⁰ “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad. ³¹ Therefore I say to you, all kinds of sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven men. ³² Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, neither in this world, nor in the world to come.

A Tree and Its Fruit^(AN)

³³ “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree corrupt and its fruit corrupt. For the tree is known by its fruit. ³⁴ O generation of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. ³⁵ A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things. And an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. ³⁶ But I say to you that for every idle word that men speak, they will give an account on the Day of Judgment. ³⁷ For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

The Demand for a Sign^(AO)

³⁸ Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from You.”

³⁹ But He answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. ⁴⁰ For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish,^[s] so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. ⁴¹ The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah.^[t] And now One greater than Jonah is here. ⁴² The Queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. And now One greater than Solomon is here.

The Return of the Unclean Spirit^(AP)

⁴³ “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through dry places seeking rest, but finds none. ⁴⁴ Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds it empty, swept, and put in order. ⁴⁵ Then it goes and brings with itself seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it be also with this evil generation.”

The Mother and Brothers of Jesus^(AQ)

⁴⁶ While He was still speaking to the people, right then His mother and His brothers stood outside asking to speak with Him. ⁴⁷ Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside asking to speak with You.”

⁴⁸ But He answered the man who told him, “Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?” ⁴⁹ He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! ⁵⁰ For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven is My brother, and sister, and mother.”

The Parable of the Sower^(AR)

13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. ² Great crowds assembled around Him, so that He went into a boat and sat there. And the whole assembly stood on the shore. ³ Then He told them many things in parables, saying, “Listen! A sower went out to sow. ⁴ While he sowed, some seeds fell beside the path, and the birds came and devoured them. ⁵ But other seeds fell on rocky ground where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up because they did not have deep soil. ⁶ But when the sun rose, they were scorched. And because they did not take root, they withered away. ⁷ Some seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. ⁸ But other seeds fell into good ground and produced grain: a hundred, sixty, or thirty times as much. ⁹ Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”

The Purpose of the Parables^(AS)

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

¹¹ He answered them, “It is given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. ¹² For to him who has, will more be given, and he will have abundance. But from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. ¹³ Therefore I speak to them in parables:

¹⁴ In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which says:

¹⁶ But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. ¹⁷ For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which you see, and have not seen them, and to hear those things which you hear, and have not heard them.

The Parable of the Sower Explained^(AT)

¹⁸ “Therefore listen to the parable of the sower. ¹⁹ When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one who received seed beside the path. ²⁰ But he who received the seed on rocky ground is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, ²¹ yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, eventually he falls away. ²² He also who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, but the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. ²³ But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit. Some produce a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.”

The Parable of the Weeds

²⁴ He told them another parable, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. ²⁵ But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. ²⁶ But when the shoots had sprung up and produced fruit, the weeds also appeared.

²⁷ “So the servants of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?’

²⁸ “He said to them, ‘An enemy did this.’

“The servants said to him, ‘Will you then have us go and gather them up?’

²⁹ “But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the weeds, you pull up also the wheat with them. ³⁰ Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers: Gather up the weeds first and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.’ ”

The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast^(AU)

³¹ He told them another parable, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field. ³² This indeed is the least of all seeds, but when it has grown, it is the greatest among herbs and is a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches.”

³³ He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast which a woman took and mixed in sixty pounds^[x] of meal until it had leavened the whole batch.”

The Use of Parables^(AV)

³⁴ Jesus said all these things to the crowds in parables. And without a parable He did not speak to them, ³⁵ to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying:

The Parable of the Weeds Explained

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

³⁷ He answered, “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, ³⁸ the field is the world, and the good seed are the sons of the kingdom. But 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 world, and the reapers are the angels.

⁴⁰ “Therefore as the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire, so shall it be in the end of this world. ⁴¹ The Son of Man shall send out His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who do evil, ⁴² and will throw them into a fiery furnace. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³ Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun^[z] in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.

The Parable of the Hidden Treasure

⁴⁴ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid. And with joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price

⁴⁵ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, ⁴⁶ who, on finding one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

The Parable of the Net

⁴⁷ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea and gathered all kinds of fish. ⁴⁸ When it was full, they drew it to shore, sat down, and gathered the good into baskets, but threw the bad away. ⁴⁹ So shall it be at the end of the world. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous ⁵⁰ and throw them into the fiery furnace. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”

Treasures New and Old

⁵¹ Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all of these things?”

They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”

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

The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth^(AW)

⁵³ When Jesus finished these parables, He departed from there. ⁵⁴ When He came to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? ⁵⁵ Is He not the carpenter’s son? Is His mother not called Mary? And are not His brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? ⁵⁶ And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” ⁵⁷ And they took offense at Him.

But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.”

⁵⁸ And He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

The Death of John the Baptist^(AX)

14 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus, ² and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead. And therefore mighty works are at work in him.”

³ For Herod had laid hold of John, bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. ⁴ For John said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” ⁵ When Herod would have put him to death, he feared the crowd, because they counted him as a prophet.

⁶ But when Herod’s birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod. ⁷ Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she would ask. ⁸ Being previously instructed by her mother, she said, “Give me John the Baptist’s head on a platter.” ⁹ The king was sorry. Nevertheless, for the oath’s sake and those who sat with him at supper, he commanded it to be given to her. ¹⁰ He sent and beheaded John in the prison. ¹¹ His head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. ¹² His disciples came and took up the body and buried it. And they went and told Jesus.

The Feeding of the Five Thousand^(AY)

¹³ When Jesus heard this, He departed from there by boat for a deserted place. But when the people heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities. ¹⁴ Jesus went ashore and saw a great assembly. And He was moved with compassion toward them, and He healed their sick.

¹⁵ When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, “This is a lonely place and the day is now over. Send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy themselves food.”

¹⁶ But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to depart. You give them something to eat.”

¹⁷ They said to Him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.”

¹⁸ He said, “Bring them here to Me.” ¹⁹ Then He commanded the crowds to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to His disciples; and the disciples gave them to the crowds. ²⁰ They all ate and were filled. And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. ²¹ Those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Walking on the Water^(AZ)

²² Then Jesus commanded His disciples to get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. ²³ When He sent the crowds away, He went up into a mountain by Himself to pray. And when evening came, He was there alone. ²⁴ But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was turbulent.

²⁵ During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. ²⁶ But when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a spirit.” And they cried out in fear.

²⁷ But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer. It is I. Do not be afraid.”

²⁸ Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, bid me come to You on the water.”

²⁹ He said, “Come.”

And when Peter got out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the strong wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”

³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

³² And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. ³³ Then those who were in the boat came and worshipped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”

The Healing of the Sick in Gennesaret^(BA)

³⁴ When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret. ³⁵ And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent word to all the surrounding country and brought to Him all who were sick, ³⁶ and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.

The Tradition of the Elders^(BB)

15 Then scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, ² “Why do Your disciples violate the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”

³ But He answered them, “Why do you also violate the commandment of God by your tradition? ⁴ For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and mother,’^[aa] and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.’^{[ab] 5} But you say, ‘Whoever shall say to his father or his mother, “What you would have profited from me is a gift to God,” ⁶ will be free from honoring his father or his mother.’ So you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. ⁷ You hypocrites, Isaiah well prophesied of you, saying:

¹⁰ He called the crowds and said to them, “Hear and understand: ¹¹ That which goes into the mouth does not defile a man, but that which comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”

¹² Then His disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended after they heard this saying?”

¹³ But He answered, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. ¹⁴ Leave them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the ditch.”

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

¹⁶ Jesus said, “Are you also still without understanding? ¹⁷ Do you not yet understand that whatever enters at the mouth goes into the stomach and is cast out into the sewer? ¹⁸ But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile the man. ¹⁹ For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immorality, thefts, false witness, and blasphemies. ²⁰ These are the things which defile a man. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”

The Faith of the Canaanite Woman^(BC)

²¹ Then Jesus went from there and departed into the regions of Tyre and Sidon. ²² There, a woman of Canaan came out of the same regions and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David. My daughter is severely possessed by a demon.”

²³ But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and begged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.”

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

²⁵ Then she came and worshipped Him, saying, “Lord, help me.”

²⁶ But He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s bread and to throw it to dogs.”

²⁷ She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”

²⁸ Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith. Let it be done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

The Healing of Many People

²⁹ Jesus departed from there, and passed by the Sea of Galilee, and went up on a mountain and sat down there. ³⁰ Great crowds came to Him, having with them those who were lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others, and placed them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them, ³¹ so that the crowds wondered when they saw the mute speak, the maimed made whole, the lame walk, and the blind see. And they glorified the God of Israel.

The Feeding of the Four Thousand^(BD)

³² Then Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have remained with Me now for three days and have nothing to eat. I will not send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.”

³³ His disciples said to Him, “Where will we get enough bread in the wilderness to feed such a great crowd?”

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

And they said, “Seven and a few little fish.”

³⁵ He commanded the crowd to sit down on the ground. ³⁶ He took the seven loaves and the fish, gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to His disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowd. ³⁷ They all ate and were filled. And they collected seven baskets full of the broken pieces that were left. ³⁸ Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. ³⁹ He sent the crowd away, and got into the boat, and went to the region of Magdala.