Read the Gospels in 40 Days
The Parable of the Sower
4 And again he began to teach beside the sea,[a] and a very large crowd was gathered to him, so that he got into a boat and[b] sat on the sea, and the whole crowd was at the sea on the land. 2 And he began to teach[c] them many things in parables, and was saying to them in his teaching, 3 “Listen! Behold, the sower went out to sow. 4 And it happened that while he was sowing, some seed[d] fell on the side of the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 5 And other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up at once, because it did not have any depth of soil. 6 And when the sun rose it was scorched, and because it did not have enough root, it withered. 7 And other seed fell among the thorn plants, and the thorn plants came up and choked it, and it did not produce grain.[e] 8 And other seed fell on the good soil, and produced grain,[f] coming up and increasing, and it bore a crop[g]—one thirty and one sixty and one a hundred times as much.[h] 9 And he said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear!”
The Reason for the Parables
10 And when he was alone, those around him together with the twelve began asking[i] him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, “To you has been granted the secret of the kingdom of God, but to those who are outside everything is in parables, 12 so that
‘they may look closely[j] and not perceive,
and they may listen carefully[k] and not understand,
lest they turn and it be forgiven them.’”[l]
The Parable of the Sower Interpreted
13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? And how will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones beside the path where the word is sown, and whenever they hear it,[m] immediately Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 And these are like[n] the ones sown on the rocky ground, who whenever they hear the word immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but are temporary. Then when[o] affliction or persecution comes because of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 And others are the ones sown among the thorn plants—these are the ones who hear the word, 19 and the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and[p] choke the word and it becomes unproductive. 20 And those are the ones sown on the good soil, who hear the word and receive it[q] and bear fruit—one thirty and one sixty and one a hundred times as much.”[r]
The Parable of the Lamp
21 And he said to them, “Surely a lamp is not brought so that it may be put under a bushel basket or under a bed, is it?[s] Is it not[t] so that it may be put on a lampstand? 22 For nothing is secret except so that it may be revealed, nor has become hidden except so that it will come to light. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!” 24 And he said to them, “Take care what you hear! With the measure by which you measure out, it will be measured out to you, and will be added to you. 25 For whoever has, more will be given to him, and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
The Parable of the Seed that Grows by Itself
26 And he said, “The kingdom of God is like this: like a man scatters seed on the ground. 27 And he sleeps and gets up, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows—he does not know how.[u] 28 By itself the soil produces a crop: first the grass, then the head of grain, then the full grain in the head. 29 But when the crop permits, he sends in the sickle right away, because the harvest has come.”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
30 And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or by what parable can we present it? 31 It is like a mustard seed that when sown on the ground, although it[v] is the smallest of all the seeds that are on the ground, 32 but when it is sown it grows up and becomes the largest of all the garden herbs, and sends out large branches so that the birds of the sky are able to nest in its shade.” 33 And with many parables such as these he was speaking the word to them, as they were able to hear it.[w] 34 And he did not speak to them without a parable, but in private he explained everything to his own disciples.
Calming of a Storm
35 And on that day, when it[x] was evening, he said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him along, as he was, in the boat. And other boats were with him. 37 And a great storm of wind developed, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already being filled with water.[y] 38 And he was in the stern sleeping on the cushion, and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, is it not a concern to you that we are perishing?” 39 And he woke up and[z] rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Be quiet! Be silent!” And the wind abated and there was a great calm. 40 And he said to them, “Why are you fearful? Do you not yet have faith?” 41 And they were terribly frightened[aa] and began to say[ab] to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
A Demon-possessed Gerasene Healed
5 And they came to the other side of the sea,[ac] to the region of the Gerasenes.[ad] 2 And as[ae] he was getting out of the boat, immediately from the tombs a man with an unclean spirit went to meet him, 3 who lived[af] among the tombs. And no one was able to bind him any longer, not even with a chain, 4 because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him, and the shackles had been shattered. And no one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 And during every night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was crying out and cutting himself with stones. 6 And when he[ag] saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and knelt down before him. 7 And crying out with a loud voice he said, “What have I to do with you[ah], Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore you by God, do not torment me!” 8 (For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, unclean spirit!”) 9 And he was asking him “What is your name?”[ai] And he said to him, “My name is Legion, because we are many.” 10 And he was imploring him many times that he would not send them out of the region. 11 Now a large herd of pigs was there at the hill feeding, 12 and they implored him, saying, “Send us to the pigs so that we may enter into them.” 13 And he permitted them. And the unclean spirits came out and[aj] entered into the pigs, and the herd—about two thousand—rushed headlong down the steep slope into the sea and were drowned in the sea. 14 And their herdsmen fled and reported it[ak] in the town and in the countryside, and they came to see what it was that had happened. 15 And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man sitting there clothed and in his right mind—the one who had had the legion—and they were afraid. 16 And those who had seen it[al] described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man, and about the pigs. 17 And they began to urge him to depart from their region. 18 And as[am] he was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed began to implore[an] him that he could go with him. 19 And he did not permit him, but said to him, “Go to your home to your people and tell them all that the Lord has done for you, and that he has had mercy on you.” 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him, and they were all astonished.
A Woman Healed and a Daughter Raised
21 And after[ao] Jesus had crossed over again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered to him, and he was beside the sea. 22 And one of the rulers of the synagogue came—Jairus by name—and when he[ap] saw him, he fell down at his feet. 23 And he was imploring him many times, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death![aq] Come, lay your[ar] hands on her, so that she will get well and will live.” 24 And he went with him, and a large crowd was following him and pressing around him.
25 And there was a woman who was suffering from hemorrhages[as] twelve years. 26 And she had endured many things under many physicians, and had spent all that she had[at] and had received no help at all, but instead became worse.[au] 27 When she[av] heard about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind him and[aw] touched his cloak, 28 for she was saying, “If I touch just his clothing, I will be healed!” 29 And immediately her hemorrhage stopped[ax] and she realized in her[ay] body that she was healed of her[az] suffering. 30 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from himself, turned around in the crowd and[ba] said, “Who touched my clothing?” 31 And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing upon you, and you say ‘Who touched me?’” 32 And he was looking around to see the one who had done this. 33 So the woman, frightened and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 34 But he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be well from your suffering.”
35 While[bb] he was still speaking, they came from the synagogue ruler’s house[bc] saying, “Your daughter has died. Why trouble the Teacher further?” 36 But Jesus, ignoring[bd] what was said,[be] told the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid—only believe!” 37 And he did not allow anyone to follow along with him except Peter and James and John, the brother of James. 38 And they came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue and saw a commotion, and people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 And when he[bf] entered, he said to them, “Why are you agitated and weeping? The child is not dead, but is sleeping.” 40 And they began laughing[bg] at him. But he sent them all out and[bh] took along the father and mother of the child, and those who were with him, and went in to where the child was. 41 And taking hold of the child’s hand, he said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”), 42 and immediately the girl stood up and began walking around[bi] (for she was twelve years old). And immediately they were utterly and completely astonished.[bj] 43 And he commanded them strictly that no one should learn of this, and said to give her something[bk] to eat.
Rejected at Nazareth
6 And he went out from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2 And when[bl] the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him[bm] were amazed, saying, “Where did this man get these things? And what is this wisdom that has been granted to this man, and the miracles such as these performed through his hands? 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they were offended by him. 4 And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown, and among his relatives, and in his own household.” 5 And he was not able to do any miracle in that place except to lay his[bn] hands on a few sick people and[bo] heal them.[bp] 6 And he was astonished because of their unbelief.
The Twelve Commissioned and Sent Out
And he was going around among the villages teaching. 7 And he summoned the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 And he commanded them that they take along nothing for the journey except only a staff—no bread, no traveler’s bag, no money in their[bq] belts— 9 but to put on sandals and not to wear two tunics. 10 And he said to them, “Whenever you enter into a house, stay there until you depart from there. 11 And whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, as you[br] go out from there, shake off the dust that is on your feet for a testimony against them.” 12 And they went out and[bs] proclaimed that people[bt] should repent. 13 And they were expelling many demons and anointing many sick people with olive oil and healing them.[bu]
Herod Kills John the Baptist
14 And King Herod heard it,[bv] because his name had become known. And they were saying, “John, the one who baptizes, has been raised from the dead, and because of this these miraculous powers are at work in him.” 15 But others were saying, “He is Elijah,” and others were saying, “He is a prophet like one of the prophets.” 16 But when[bw] Herod heard it,[bx] he said, “John whom I beheaded—this one has been raised!” 17 For Herod himself had sent and[by] arrested John and bound him in prison because of Herodias, the wife of Philip his brother, because he had married her. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not permitted for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 So Herodias held a grudge against him and was wanting to kill him, and was not able to do so. 20 For Herod was afraid of John, because he[bz] knew him to be a righteous and holy man and protected him. And when he[ca] listened to him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he listened to him gladly. 21 And a suitable day came when Herod, on his birthday, gave a banquet for his courtiers and military tribunes and the most prominent men of Galilee. 22 And when[cb] the daughter of Herodias herself[cc] came in and danced and pleased[cd] Herod and his dinner guests,[ce] the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you want, and I will give it[cf] to you.” 23 And he swore to her,[cg] “Anything whatever you ask me for I will give you, up to half my kingdom!” 24 And she went out and[ch] said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” And she said, “The head of John the baptizer.” 25 And she came in immediately with haste to the king and[ci] asked, saying, “I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist on a platter immediately.” 26 And although he[cj] was deeply grieved, the king, because of his[ck] oaths and dinner guests,[cl] did not want to refuse her. 27 And immediately the king sent an executioner and[cm] ordered him[cn] to bring his head. And he went and[co] beheaded him in the prison. 28 And he brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 And when[cp] his disciples heard this,[cq] they came and took away his corpse and placed it in a tomb.
The Feeding of Five Thousand
30 And the apostles regathered to Jesus and reported to him everything that they had done and that they had taught. 31 And he said to them, “You yourselves come privately to an isolated place and rest for a short time.” For those who were coming and going were many, and they did not even have time to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to an isolated place by themselves. 33 And many people saw them leaving and recognized them,[cr] and ran there together by land from all the towns, and arrived ahead of them. 34 And getting out of the boat[cs] he saw the large crowd and had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without[ct] a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things. 35 And the hour had already become late when[cu] his disciples came up to him, saying, “The place is desolate and the hour is already late. 36 Send them away so that they can go into the surrounding farms and villages and[cv] purchase something to eat for themselves.” 37 But he answered and[cw] said to them, “You give them something[cx] to eat.” And they said to him, “Should we go and[cy] purchase bread for two hundred denarii and give it[cz] to them to eat?” 38 And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go look!” And when they[da] found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39 And he ordered them all to recline in groups on the green grass. 40 And they reclined in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. 41 And taking the five loaves and the two fish and[db] looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves and gave them[dc] to his disciples so that they could set them[dd] before them. And he distributed the two fish to them all. 42 And they all ate and were satisfied. 43 And they picked up the broken pieces, twelve baskets full, and of the fish. 44 And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.
Jesus Walks on the Water
45 And immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he himself dismissed the crowd. 46 And after he[de] had said farewell to them, he went away to the mountain to pray. 47 And when[df] evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea and he was alone on the land. 48 And he saw them being beaten in their rowing[dg] because the wind was against them. Around the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea, and he was wanting to pass by them. 49 But when[dh] they saw him walking on the sea, they thought that it was a ghost, and they cried out. 50 For they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke with them and said to them, “Have courage, I am he! Do not be afraid!” 51 And he went up with them into the boat, and the wind abated. And they were extraordinarily[di] astounded within themselves, 52 because they did not understand concerning the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.
Many Healed at Gennesaret
53 And after they[dj] had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and anchored there. 54 And as they were getting out of the boat, people[dk] recognized him immediately. 55 They ran about through that whole region and began to carry around those who were sick[dl] on stretchers, wherever they heard that he was. 56 And wherever he would go, into villages or into towns or to farms, they would put those who were sick in the marketplaces and would implore him that if they could touch even the edge of his cloak. And all those who touched it were healed.
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