Chronological

II. The Proclamation of the Kingdom

Chapter 3

The Preaching of John the Baptist.^{[a](A) 1} In those days John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea^{[b] 2} [and] saying, “Repent,^[c] for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”^{(B) 3 [d]}It was of him that the prophet Isaiah^(C) had spoken when he said:

^4 [e](D)John wore clothing made of camel’s hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵ At that time Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region around the Jordan were going out to him ⁶ and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins.^[f]

⁷ When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees^[g] coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?^{(E) 8} Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance. ⁹ And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.^{(F) 10} Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. ^11 (G)I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire.^{[h] 12 [i](H)}His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

The Baptism of Jesus.^{[j] 13 (I)}Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. ^14 [k]John tried to prevent him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?” ¹⁵ Jesus said to him in reply, “Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed him. ^16 [l](J)After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened [for him], and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove [and] coming upon him. ¹⁷ And a voice came from the heavens, saying, “This is my beloved Son,^[m] with whom I am well pleased.”^(K)

I. The Preparation for the Public Ministry of Jesus^[a]

Chapter 1

¹ The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ [the Son of God].^[b]

The Preaching of John the Baptist. ^2 (A)As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:^[c](B)

⁴ John [the] Baptist appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵ People of the whole Judean countryside and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins. ⁶ John was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist.^[d] He fed on locusts and wild honey. ⁷ And this is what he proclaimed: “One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals. ^8 [e](D)I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the holy Spirit.”

The Baptism of Jesus. ^9 (E)It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. ¹⁰ On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him.^{[f] 11 (F)}And a voice came from the heavens, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

The Temptation of Jesus.^{[g] 12} At once the Spirit drove him out into the desert,^{(G) 13} and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him.

II. The Mystery of Jesus

The Beginning of the Galilean Ministry. ^14 (H)After John had been arrested,^[h] Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: ^15 (I)“This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

The Call of the First Disciples.^{[i] 16 (J)}As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. ¹⁷ Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” ¹⁸ Then they abandoned their nets and followed him. ¹⁹ He walked along a little farther and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They too were in a boat mending their nets. ²⁰ Then he called them. So they left their father Zebedee in the boat along with the hired men and followed him.

The Cure of a Demoniac. ^21 [j](K)Then they came to Capernaum, and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught. ^22 (L)The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. ^23 [k]In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; ^24 [l]he cried out, “What have you to do with us,^[m] Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” ²⁵ Jesus rebuked him and said, “Quiet! Come out of him!” ²⁶ The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him. ²⁷ All were amazed and asked one another, “What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.” ²⁸ His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.

The Cure of Simon’s Mother-in-Law. ^29 (M)On leaving the synagogue he entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. ³⁰ Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. They immediately told him about her. ³¹ He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up. Then the fever left her and she waited on them.

Other Healings. ³² When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons. ³³ The whole town was gathered at the door. ³⁴ He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew him.

Jesus Leaves Capernaum. ^35 (N)Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed. ³⁶ Simon and those who were with him pursued him ³⁷ and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.” ³⁸ He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come.” ³⁹ So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.

The Cleansing of a Leper. ^40 (O)A leper^[n] came to him [and kneeling down] begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.” ⁴¹ Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean.”^{(P) 42} The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean.^{(Q) 43} Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once. ⁴⁴ Then he said to him, “See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.”^{(R) 45} The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere.

III. The Preparation for the Public Ministry

Chapter 3

The Preaching of John the Baptist.^{[a] 1} In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar,^[b] when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea,^(A) and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, ² during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,^[c] the word of God came to John^(B) the son of Zechariah in the desert. ^3 [d]He went throughout [the] whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,^{(C) 4 [e]}as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah:^(D)

⁷ He said to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?^{(G) 8} Produce good fruits as evidence of your repentance; and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.^{(H) 9} Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”^(I)

¹⁰ And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” ¹¹ He said to them in reply, “Whoever has two tunics should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise.” ¹² Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?”^{(J) 13} He answered them, “Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.” ¹⁴ Soldiers also asked him, “And what is it that we should do?” He told them, “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages.”

^15 (K)Now the people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Messiah. ^16 [f]John answered them all, saying,^(L) “I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire. ¹⁷ His winnowing fan^[g] is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”^{(M) 18} Exhorting them in many other ways, he preached good news to the people. ^19 [h]Now Herod the tetrarch,^(N) who had been censured by him because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the evil deeds Herod had committed, ²⁰ added still another to these by [also] putting John in prison.

The Baptism of Jesus.^{[i] 21 (O)}After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying,^[j] heaven was opened ^22 [k](P)and the holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

The Genealogy of Jesus.^{[l] 23 (Q)}When Jesus began his ministry he was about thirty years of age. He was the son, as was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli,^{(R) 24} the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, ²⁵ the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, ²⁶ the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, ²⁷ the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,^{(S) 28} the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, ²⁹ the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, ³⁰ the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, ^31 (T)the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,^{[m] 32} the son of Jesse,^(U) the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon, ³³ the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez,^(V) the son of Judah,^{(W) 34} the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham,^(X) the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, ³⁵ the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, ³⁶ the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem,^(Y) the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, ³⁷ the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, ³⁸ the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam,^(Z) the son of God.