Bible in 90 Days

The Birth of Jesus^(A)

2 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the entire inhabited earth should be taxed. ² This taxation was first made when Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³ And everyone went to his own city to be taxed.

⁴ So Joseph also departed from the city of Nazareth in Galilee to the City of David which is called Bethlehem, in Judea, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵ to be taxed with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. ⁶ So while they were there, the day came for her to give birth. ⁷ And she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in strips of cloth, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels

⁸ And in the same area there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And then an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were very afraid. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Listen! Do not fear. For I bring you good news of great joy, which will be to all people. ¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be a sign to you: You will find the Baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly there was with the angel a company of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

¹⁵ When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

¹⁶ So they came hurrying and found Mary and Joseph, and the Baby lying in a manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen Him, they made widely known the word which was told them concerning this Child. ¹⁸ And all those who heard it marveled at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹ But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple

²¹ When eight days had passed and the Child was circumcised, He was named JESUS, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

²² When the days of her purification according to the Law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord ²³ (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be called holy to the Lord”^[a]) ²⁴ and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”^[b]

²⁵ Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. ²⁶ It was revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. ²⁷ Led by the Spirit, he came into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, ²⁸ he received Him in his arms and blessed God and said:

³³ Joseph and His mother were amazed at those things which were spoken about Him. ³⁴ Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Listen, this Child is destined to cause the fall and rising of many in Israel and to be a sign which will be spoken against, ³⁵ so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. And a sword will pierce through your own soul also.”

³⁶ And there was Anna a prophetess, a daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age and had lived with her husband seven years from her virginity. ³⁷ And she was a widow of about eighty-four years of age who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fasting and prayer night and day. ³⁸ Coming at that moment she gave thanks to the Lord and spoke of Him to all those who looked for the redemption of Jerusalem.

The Return to Nazareth

³⁹ When they had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city of Nazareth. ⁴⁰ And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom. And the grace of God was upon Him.

The Boy Jesus in the Temple

⁴¹ Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. ⁴² When He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. ⁴³ When the days of the feast were complete, as they returned, the Child Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know of it. ⁴⁴ But supposing Him to be in their company, they went a day’s journey. Then they searched for Him among their relatives and acquaintances. ⁴⁵ When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for Him. ⁴⁶ After three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷ All who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and His answers. ⁴⁸ When they saw Him, they were amazed. And His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You dealt with us like this? Look, Your father and I have anxiously searched for You.”

⁴⁹ He said to them, “How is it that you searched for Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” ⁵⁰ But they did not understand the word which He spoke to them.

⁵¹ Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them. But His mother kept all these words in her heart. ⁵² And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and men.

The Preaching of John the Baptist^(B)

3 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Caesar Tiberius, Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip was tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Traconitis, and Lysanias was the tetrarch of Abilene. ² Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. ³ He came into the region surrounding the Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. ⁴ As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying:

⁷ Then he said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You children of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Therefore bear fruit worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to 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. ⁹ Even now the axe is put to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

¹⁰ The people asked him, “What then must we do?”

¹¹ John answered, “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none. And he who has food, let him do likewise.”

¹² Then tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what must we do?”

¹³ He said to them, “Collect no more than what is appointed you.”

¹⁴ Then the soldiers likewise demanded of him, “And what must we do?”

He said to them, “Do no violence to anyone nor accuse any falsely, and be content with your wages.”

¹⁵ As the people were in expectation, and everyone reflected in their hearts upon John, whether he might be the Christ or not, ¹⁶ John answered them all, “I indeed baptize you with water. But One mightier than I is coming, the strings of whose shoes I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. ¹⁷ His fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly cleanse His threshing floor, and will gather the wheat into His granary. But He will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire.” ¹⁸ Then he preached many other things in his exhortation to the people.

¹⁹ But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, ²⁰ added also this above them all: He locked John up in prison.

The Baptism of Jesus^(C)

²¹ Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, ²² and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form like a dove on Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son. In You I am well pleased.”

The Genealogy of Jesus^(D)

²³ Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being, as was supposed, the son of Joseph,

The Temptation of Jesus^(E)

4 Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, ² being tempted by the devil for forty days. During those days He ate nothing. And when they were ended, He was hungry.

³ The devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”

⁴ Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’^[d]”

⁵ The devil, taking Him up onto a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. ⁶ And the devil said to Him, “I will give You all this power and their glory, for it has been delivered to me. And I give it to whomever I will. ⁷ If You, then, will worship me, all will be Yours.”

⁸ And Jesus answered him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.’^[e]”

⁹ He brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. ¹⁰ For it is written:

¹¹ and

¹² Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’^[g]”

¹³ When the devil had ended all the temptations, he departed from Him until another time.

The Beginning of the Galilean Ministry^(F)

¹⁴ Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee. And His fame went throughout the surrounding region. ¹⁵ He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by everyone.

The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth^(G)

¹⁶ He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day. And He stood up to read. ¹⁷ The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. When He had unrolled the scroll, He found the place where it was written:

²⁰ Then He rolled up the scroll, and He gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all those who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. ²¹ And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

²² All bore witness to Him, and wondered at the gracious words which came from His mouth. Then they said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”

²³ He said to them, “You will surely say to Me this proverb, ‘Physician, heal Yourself. Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.’ ”

²⁴ He also said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. ²⁵ But I tell you truthfully, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were closed for three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land. ²⁶ Yet to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, a city of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. ²⁷ And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet. But none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”

²⁸ All those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath. ²⁹ They rose up and thrust Him out of the city and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down headlong. ³⁰ But passing through the midst of them, He went His way.

The Man With an Unclean Spirit^(H)

³¹ Then He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths. ³² They were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority.

³³ In the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice, ³⁴ “Leave us alone! What have You to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”

³⁵ Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” When the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him and did not hurt him.

³⁶ They were all amazed and said among themselves, “What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.” ³⁷ And His fame went out to every place in the surrounding countryside.

The Healing of Many People^(I)

³⁸ He went out of the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was taken ill with a high fever, and they asked Him about her. ³⁹ So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she rose and served them.

⁴⁰ Now when the sun was setting, all those who had anyone sick with various diseases brought them to Him. And He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them. ⁴¹ And demons came out of many, crying out, “You are the Christ, the Son of God!” But He rebuked them and did not permit them to speak, because they knew that He was the Christ.

Preaching in the Synagogues^(J)

⁴² When it was day He departed and went into a remote place. And searching for Him, the people came to Him and tried to prevent Him from leaving them. ⁴³ But He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also, for this is why I was sent.” ⁴⁴ And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.

The Calling of the First Disciples^(K)

5 As the people pressed upon Him to hear the word of God, He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret ² and saw two boats beside the lake. But the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. ³ He entered one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to thrust it out a little from the land. Then He sat down and taught the people from the boat.

⁴ When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”

⁵ Simon answered Him, “Master, we have worked all night and have caught nothing. But at Your word I will let down the net.”

⁶ When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was tearing. ⁷ So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink.

⁸ When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” ⁹ For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken, ¹⁰ and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.

Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not fear. From now on you will catch men.” ¹¹ So when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.

The Cleansing of a Leper^(L)

¹² When He was in a certain city, a man full of leprosy, upon seeing Jesus, fell on his face and begged Him, “Lord, if You will, You can make me clean.”

¹³ He reached out His hand and touched him, saying, “I will. Be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him.

¹⁴ Then He commanded him to tell no one, “But go and show yourself to the priest and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

¹⁵ Yet even more so His fame went everywhere. And great crowds came together to hear and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. ¹⁶ But He withdrew to the wilderness and prayed.

The Healing of a Paralytic^(M)

¹⁷ On a certain day, as He was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting nearby, who had come from every town of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal the sick. ¹⁸ Now some men brought in a bed a man who was paralyzed. They searched for ways to bring him in and lay him before Him. ¹⁹ When they could not find a way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles with his bed into their midst before Jesus.

²⁰ When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”

²¹ The scribes and the Pharisees began to question, “Who is He who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

²² When Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered them, “Why question in your hearts? ²³ Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’? ²⁴ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” He said to the paralyzed man, “I say to you, rise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” ²⁵ Immediately he rose before them, and took up that on which he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. ²⁶ They were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen wonderful things today.”

The Calling of Levi^(N)

²⁷ After these things He went out and saw a tax collector, named Levi, sitting at the tax collector’s station. He said to him, “Follow Me.” ²⁸ And he left everything, rose up, and followed Him.

²⁹ Then Levi made Him a great feast in his house. And there was a group of many tax collectors and others who sat down with them. ³⁰ But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against His disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

³¹ Jesus answered them, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but those who are sick. ³² I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

The Question About Fasting^(O)

³³ They said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink?”

³⁴ He said to them, “Can you make the attendants of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? ³⁵ But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them. Then in those days they will fast.”

³⁶ He told them a parable also: “No one sews a piece of a new material on an old one. Otherwise the new would tear, for the new piece does not match the old. ³⁷ And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the new wine will burst the wineskins, and it will be spilled, and the wineskins will be destroyed. ³⁸ But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved. ³⁹ And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new. For he says, ‘The old is better.’ ”

Plucking Grain on the Sabbath^(P)

6 On the second Sabbath after the first, He went through the grain fields, and His disciples plucked and ate the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands. ² Some of the Pharisees said to them, “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?”

³ Jesus answered them, “Have you not read what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry? ⁴ He went into the house of God, and took and ate the ritual bread, and also gave it to those who were with him. This was not lawful, but for the priests only to eat.” ⁵ Then He said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

The Man With a Withered Hand^(Q)

⁶ On another Sabbath, when He entered the synagogue and taught, there was a man whose right hand had withered. ⁷ The scribes and the Pharisees watched Him to see whether He would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find an accusation against Him. ⁸ But He knew their thoughts, and He said to the man who had the withered hand, “Rise and stand in front.” So he rose and stood in front.

⁹ Then Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one thing: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?”

¹⁰ Then looking around at them all, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. ¹¹ But they were filled with madness and discussed with each other what they might do to Jesus.

The Choosing of the Twelve Apostles^(R)

¹² In these days He went out to the mountain to pray and continued all night in prayer to God. ¹³ When it was day, He called for His disciples, and of them He chose twelve, whom He named apostles: ¹⁴ Simon, whom He named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip and Bartholomew, ¹⁵ and Matthew and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot, ¹⁶ and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Ministering to a Great Crowd^(S)

¹⁷ He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great crowd of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, ¹⁸ including those who were vexed by unclean spirits. And they were healed. ¹⁹ The whole crowd tried to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.

Blessings and Woes^(T)

²⁰ He lifted up His eyes on His disciples, and said:

²³ “Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for indeed, your reward is great in heaven. For in like manner their fathers treated the prophets.

Love for Enemies^(U)

²⁷ “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. ²⁹ To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer also the other. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic as well. ³⁰ Give to everyone who asks of you. And of him who takes away your goods, do not ask for them back. ³¹ Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.

³² “For if you love those who love you, what thanks do you receive? For even sinners love those who love them. ³³ And if you do good to those who do good to you, what thanks do you receive? For even sinners do the same. ³⁴ And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what thanks do you receive? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much in return. ³⁵ But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be the sons of the Highest. For He is kind to the unthankful and the evil. ³⁶ Be therefore merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

Judging Others^(V)

³⁷ “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you shall be forgiven. ³⁸ Give, and it will be given to you: Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will men give unto you. For with the measure you use, it will be measured unto you.”

³⁹ He spoke a parable to them: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch? ⁴⁰ The disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is trained will be like his teacher.

⁴¹ “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not see the beam that is in your own eye? ⁴² How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the beam that is in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.

A Tree and Its Fruit^(W)

⁴³ “A good tree does not bear corrupt fruit, nor does a corrupt tree bear good fruit. ⁴⁴ Each tree is known by its own fruit. Men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a wild bush. ⁴⁵ A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bears what is good, and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bears what is evil. For of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

The Two Housebuilders^(X)

⁴⁶ “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I say? ⁴⁷ Whoever comes to Me and hears My words and does them, I will show whom he is like: ⁴⁸ He is like a man who built a house, and dug deep, and laid the foundation on rock. When the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, but could not shake it, for it was founded on rock. ⁴⁹ But he who hears and does not obey is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently. Immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”

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

7 When He had completed all His words in the hearing of the people, He entered Capernaum. ² Now a centurion’s^[i] servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die. ³ When he heard of Jesus, he sent the elders of the Jews to Him, asking Him to come and heal his servant. ⁴ When they came to Jesus, they asked Him earnestly, saying, “You should do this for him for he is worthy, ⁵ for he loves our nation, and he has built us a synagogue.” ⁶ So Jesus went with them.

When He was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy to have You come under my roof. ⁷ Likewise, I did not think myself worthy to come to You. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. ⁸ For I myself am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

⁹ When Jesus heard these words, He marveled at him, and turned and said to the people who followed Him, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” ¹⁰ Then those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well who had been sick.

The Raising of the Widow’s Son

¹¹ The following day He went into a city called Nain, and many of His disciples and a large crowd went with Him. ¹² When He came near the gate of the city, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. ¹³ When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”

¹⁴ Then He came and touched the coffin, and those who carried it stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” ¹⁵ He who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He gave him to his mother.

¹⁶ Fear came on everyone. And they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen up among us!” and “God has visited His people!” ¹⁷ This rumor of Him went throughout all Judea and the surrounding region.

The Messengers From John the Baptist^(Z)

¹⁸ The disciples of John told him of all these things. ¹⁹ John, calling for two of his disciples, sent them to Jesus, saying, “Are You the One who is coming, or shall we look for another?”

²⁰ When the men had come to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, ‘Are You the One who is coming, or shall we look for another?’ ”

²¹ In that same hour He cured many of their infirmities and afflictions and evil spirits. And to many who were blind He gave sight. ²² So Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the gospel is preached to the poor. ²³ Blessed is he who does not fall away on account of Me.”

²⁴ When the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the crowd concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? ²⁵ If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? Now those who are splendidly clothed and live luxuriously are in royal palaces. ²⁶ What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and much more than a prophet. ²⁷ This is he of whom it is written:

²⁸ I say to you, among those who are born of women there is no greater prophet than John the Baptist. Yet he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

²⁹ All the people who heard Him, including the tax collectors, justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John. ³⁰ But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God for themselves, not having been baptized by John.

³¹ Then the Lord said, “To what then shall I compare the men of this generation, and what are they like? ³² They are like children sitting in the marketplace, calling to each other, saying:

³³ For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine. But you say, ‘He has a demon.’ ³⁴ The Son of Man has come eating and drinking. But you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ ³⁵ But wisdom is justified by all her children.”

A Sinful Woman Forgiven

³⁶ One of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. So He went to the Pharisee’s house and sat down for supper. ³⁷ There, a woman of the city who was a sinner, when she learned that Jesus was sitting for supper in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment, ³⁸ and stood behind Him at His feet, weeping, and began to wash His feet with tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed His feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

³⁹ Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw it, he said to himself, “If this Man were a prophet, He would have known who and what kind of woman she is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”

⁴⁰ Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”

He said, “Teacher, say it.”

⁴¹ “A creditor had two debtors. The one owed five hundred denarii,^[k] and the other fifty. ⁴² When they had no money to pay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”

⁴³ Simon answered, “I suppose he whom he forgave more.”

He said to him, “You have judged rightly.”

⁴⁴ Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house. You gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. ⁴⁵ You gave Me no kiss, but this woman, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. ⁴⁶ You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with ointment. ⁴⁷ Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little loves little.”

⁴⁸ Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

⁴⁹ Those who sat at supper with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is He who even forgives sins?”

⁵⁰ He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

Women Who Accompany Jesus

8 Afterward, He went throughout every city and village, preaching and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. With Him were the twelve ² and some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had come out, ³ and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, who supported Him with their possessions.

The Parable of the Sower^(AA)

⁴ When a large crowd had gathered together and people were coming to Him from every city, He told this parable: ⁵ “A sower went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. ⁶ Some fell on a rock. And as soon as it sprang up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. ⁷ Yet some fell among thorns. And the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. ⁸ And other seed fell on good ground and sprang up and yielded a hundred times the amount sown.”

When He had said these things, He cried out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

The Purpose of the Parables^(AB)

⁹ His disciples asked Him, “What might this parable mean?” ¹⁰ He said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but to others they are in parables, so that

The Parable of the Sower Explained^(AC)

¹¹ “Now the parable means this: The seed is the word of God. ¹² Those along the path are those who hear. Then comes the devil, who takes away the word from their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. ¹³ Those on the rock are the ones who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root, for they believe for a while, then in the time of temptation fall away. ¹⁴ That which fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with the cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity. ¹⁵ But the seed on the good ground are those who, having heard the word, keep it in an honest and good heart and bear fruit with patience.

A Light Under a Vessel^(AD)

¹⁶ “No one, when he lights a candle, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a candlestick, that those who enter may see the light. ¹⁷ For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and revealed. ¹⁸ Take heed therefore how you hear. For whoever has, to him will be given. And whoever has not, from him will be taken even what he thinks he has.”

The Mother and Brothers of Jesus^(AE)

¹⁹ Then His mother and His brothers came to Him, but could not reach Him because of the crowd. ²⁰ Someone told Him, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You.”

²¹ He answered them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”

The Calming of a Storm^(AF)

²² One day He went into a boat with His disciples, and He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they launched out. ²³ As they sailed, He fell asleep. Then a wind storm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in danger.

²⁴ They came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!”

Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. ²⁵ He said to them, “Where is your faith?”

Being afraid, they marveled, saying to each other, “Who then is this Man? He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him.”

The Healing of the Gadarene Demoniac^(AG)

²⁶ They sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is across from Galilee. ²⁷ When He stepped out on land, a man from the city who had demons for a long time met Him. He wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs. ²⁸ When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, “What have You to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I plead with You, do not torment me.” ²⁹ For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. It often had seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles. But he broke the shackles and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.

³⁰ Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

He said, “Legion,” because many demons had entered him. ³¹ And they begged Him not to command them to go out into the abyss.

³² There was a large herd of swine feeding on the mountain. They begged Him to permit them to enter them, and He permitted them. ³³ Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

³⁴ When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and reported it in the city and in the country. ³⁵ Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind. And they were afraid. ³⁶ Those who had seen it told them how he who had been possessed by demons was healed. ³⁷ Then the whole crowd from the surrounding country of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So He went into the boat and returned.

³⁸ Now the man from whom the demons had departed asked Him if he could stay with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, ³⁹ “Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.” So he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

Jairus’ Daughter and the Woman Who Touched Jesus’ Garment^(AH)

⁴⁰ When Jesus returned, the crowd gladly received Him, for they were all waiting for Him. ⁴¹ Then a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell down at Jesus’ feet, and begged Him to come to his house, ⁴² for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying.

As He went, the people crowded Him. ⁴³ And a woman having a hemorrhage for twelve years, who had spent all her living on physicians, but could not be healed by anyone, ⁴⁴ came behind Him, and touched the fringe of His garment. And immediately her hemorrhage dried up.

⁴⁵ Jesus said, “Who touched Me?”

When everyone denied it, Peter and those who were with Him said, “Master, the crowds are pressing against You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ”

⁴⁶ But Jesus said, “Someone touched Me, for I perceive that power has gone out from Me.”

⁴⁷ When the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling. And falling down before Him, she declared to Him before all the people why she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately. ⁴⁸ Then He said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer. Your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

⁴⁹ While He was still speaking, someone from the synagogue ruler’s house came, saying to Jairus, “Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the Teacher.”

⁵⁰ But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, “Do not fear. Only believe, and she will be made well.”

⁵¹ When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, John and James, and the father and mother of the girl. ⁵² All wept and mourned for her. But He said, “Do not weep. She is not dead but sleeping.”

⁵³ They laughed at Him, knowing that she was dead. ⁵⁴ But He put them all outside and took her by the hand and called, saying, “Little girl, arise.” ⁵⁵ Her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. And He told them to give her food. ⁵⁶ Her parents were astonished, but He commanded them to tell no one what had happened.

The Mission of the Twelve Apostles^(AI)

9 Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases. ² And He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. ³ He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey: no staff, no bag, no bread, no money. And do not take two tunics apiece. ⁴ Whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. ⁵ Whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” ⁶ So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

Herod’s Anxiety^(AJ)

⁷ Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by Him. And he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, ⁸ and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen. ⁹ But Herod said, “I have beheaded John. But who is this of whom I hear such things?” And he tried to see Him.

The Feeding of the Five Thousand^(AK)

¹⁰ When the apostles returned, they told Jesus all that they had done. Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. ¹¹ But when the crowds knew it, they followed Him. And He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing.

¹² When the day began to end, the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the crowds away, so they can go into the towns and surrounding countryside and lodge and get food. For we are in a deserted place here.”

¹³ He said to them, “You give them something to eat.”

They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people.” ¹⁴ There were about five thousand men.

But He said to His disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of fifty.” ¹⁵ They did so, and made them all sit down. ¹⁶ Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed them, and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. ¹⁷ They all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of broken pieces that remained were collected.

Peter’s Declaration About Jesus^(AL)

¹⁸ As He was alone praying, His disciples were with Him. And He asked them, “Who do the people say that I am?”

¹⁹ They answered, “John the Baptist. But some say Elijah. And others say that one of the old prophets has risen.”

²⁰ He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”

Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection^(AM)

²¹ Jesus strictly commanded them to tell no one of this, ²² saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.”

²³ Then He said to them all, “If anyone will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. ²⁴ For whoever will save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. ²⁵ For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet loses or forfeits himself? ²⁶ For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when He comes in His own glory and in the glory of His Father and of the holy angels.

²⁷ “But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”

The Transfiguration^(AN)

²⁸ About eight days after these sayings, He took Peter and John and James and went up onto a mountain to pray. ²⁹ As He prayed, the appearance of His countenance was altered, and His clothing was white and glistening. ³⁰ And suddenly two men were talking with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, ³¹ who appeared in glory and spoke of His departure which He was to accomplish in Jerusalem. ³² Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep. But waking thoroughly, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him. ³³ As they departed from Him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three sanctuaries: one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah,” not knowing what he said.

³⁴ While he was speaking, a cloud came and overshadowed them. And they were afraid as they entered the cloud. ³⁵ A voice came from out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Listen to Him.” ³⁶ When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. They kept silent and told no one in those days anything they had seen.

The Healing of a Boy With an Unclean Spirit^(AO)

³⁷ The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a great crowd met Him. ³⁸ Suddenly a man cried out from the crowd, saying, “Teacher, I beg You, look upon my son, for he is my only child. ³⁹ A spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out. It convulses him until he foams at the mouth, and bruises him, and scarcely leaves him. ⁴⁰ I begged Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.”

⁴¹ Jesus said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.”

⁴² While he was coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and returned him to his father. ⁴³ And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God.

Jesus Foretells His Death a Second Time^(AP)

But while everyone marveled at all the things Jesus did, He said to His disciples, ⁴⁴ “Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.” ⁴⁵ But they did not understand this statement, and it was hidden from them, so that they did not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask Him about this statement.

Who Is the Greatest?^(AQ)

⁴⁶ A dispute arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. ⁴⁷ Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child and put him by Him, ⁴⁸ and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great.”

He Who Is Not Against You Is for You^(AR)

⁴⁹ John answered, “Master, we saw a man casting out demons in Your name and we forbade him, because he does not follow with us.”

⁵⁰ Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for he who is not against you is for you.”

A Samaritan Village Refuses to Receive Jesus

⁵¹ When the time came for Him to be received up, He was steadfastly set to go to Jerusalem, ⁵² and sent messengers ahead of Him. They went and entered a village of the Samaritans to make things ready for Him, ⁵³ but they did not receive Him, because He was set to go to Jerusalem. ⁵⁴ When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, even as Elijah did?” ⁵⁵ But He turned and rebuked them and said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of. ⁵⁶ For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.

The Would-Be Followers of Jesus^(AS)

⁵⁷ As they went along the way, a man said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.”

⁵⁸ Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests. But the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”

⁵⁹ He said to another man, “Follow Me.”

But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”

⁶⁰ Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But you go and preach the kingdom of God.”

⁶¹ Yet another said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go bid farewell to those at my house.”

⁶² Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back at things is fit for the kingdom of God.”