Read the Gospels in 40 Days
The Seventy Sent Out
10 Now after this (A)the Lord appointed [a]seventy (B)others, and sent them (C)in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come. 2 And He was saying to them, “(D)The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. 3 Go! (E)Behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 (F)Carry no money belt, no bag, no sandals, and greet no one on the way. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’ 6 And if a [b]man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him, but if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay in [c]that house, eating and drinking [d]what they give you; for (G)the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not keep moving from house to house. 8 And whatever city you enter and they receive you, (H)eat what is set before you; 9 and heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, ‘(I)The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But in whatever city you enter and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 11 ‘(J)Even the dust of your city which clings to our feet we wipe off against you; yet know this, that (K)the kingdom of God is at hand.’ 12 I say to you, (L)it will be more tolerable in that day for (M)Sodom than for that city.
13 “(N)Woe to you, (O)Chorazin! Woe to you, (P)Bethsaida! For if the [e]miracles had been performed in (Q)Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago, sitting in [f](R)sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more tolerable for (S)Tyre and Sidon in the judgment than for you. 15 And you, (T)Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades!
16 “(U)The one who listens to you listens to Me, and (V)the one who rejects you rejects Me. And he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”
The Joyful Results
17 Now the [g]seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even (W)the demons are subject to us in Your name.” 18 And He said to them, “I was watching (X)Satan fall from heaven like lightning. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to (Y)tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. 20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that (Z)your names are recorded in heaven.”
21 (AA)At that very [h]time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, “I [i]praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. 22 (AB)All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and (AC)no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”
23 (AD)And turning to the disciples, He said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see, 24 for I say to you, that many prophets and kings wished to see the things which you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them.”
The Good Samaritan
25 (AE)And behold, a (AF)scholar of the Law stood up and was putting Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 And He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered and said, “(AG)You shall love the [j]Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; (AH)do this and you will live.” 29 But wishing (AI)to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied and said, “A man was (AJ)going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and [k]beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. 31 And a priest happened to be going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a (AK)Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him, and when he saw him, he felt compassion. 34 And he came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them, and he put him on his own animal, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And on the next day he took out two [l]denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.’ 36 Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?” 37 And he said, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do [m]the same.”
Martha and Mary
38 Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named (AL)Martha welcomed Him into her home. 39 And she had a sister called (AM)Mary, who was also (AN)seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word. 40 But (AO)Martha was distracted with [n]all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the [o]preparations alone? Then tell her to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered and said to her, “(AP)Martha, Martha, you are (AQ)worried and bothered about so many things, 42 (AR)but only one thing is necessary, for (AS)Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”
The Lord’s Prayer
11 And it happened that while [p]Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.” 2 And He said to them, “(AT)When you pray, say:
‘[q]Father, hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
3 Give us (AU)each day our [r]daily bread.
4 And forgive us our sins,
For we ourselves also forgive everyone who (AV)is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.’”
5 Then He said to them, “Which of you has a friend and will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children [s]and I are in bed; I cannot rise up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not arise and give him anything because he is his friend, yet (AW)because of his [t]persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
9 “So I say to you, [u](AX)ask, and it will be given to you; [v]seek, and you will find; [w]knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. 11 But what father among you, if his son asks for a [x]fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? 12 Or, if his son asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 (AY)If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your [y]heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”
A Kingdom Divided
14 (AZ)And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute. Now it happened that when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the crowds marveled. 15 But some of them said, “He casts out demons (BA)by (BB)Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.” 16 And others, testing Him, (BC)were seeking from Him [z]a sign from heaven. 17 (BD)But He knew their thoughts and said to them, “[aa]Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a house divided against [ab]itself falls. 18 But if (BE)Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by (BF)Beelzebul. 19 And if I by (BG)Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? For this reason, they will be your judges. 20 But if I cast out demons by the (BH)finger of God, then (BI)the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 When [ac]a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are [ad]undisturbed. 22 But when someone stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away from him all his armor on which he had relied and distributes his plunder. 23 (BJ)He who is not with Me is against Me and he who does not gather with Me, scatters.
24 “(BK)When the unclean spirit goes out of [ae]a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ 25 And when it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. 26 Then it goes and takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there, and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first.”
27 Now it happened that while [af]Jesus was saying these things, one of the women in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “(BL)Blessed is the womb that bore You and the breasts at which You nursed.” 28 But He said, “On the contrary, blessed are (BM)those who hear the word of God and keep it.”
The Sign of Jonah
29 Now as the crowds were increasing, He began to say, “(BN)This generation is a wicked generation; it (BO)seeks [ag]a sign, and yet no [ah]sign will be given to it but the [ai]sign of Jonah. 30 For just as (BP)Jonah became [aj]a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. 31 The (BQ)Queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. And behold, something greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because (BR)they repented at the preaching of Jonah. And behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
33 “(BS)No one, after lighting a lamp, puts it away in a cellar nor under a basket, but on the lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light. 34 (BT)The eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is [ak]clear, your whole body also is full of light, but when it is [al]bad, your body also is full of darkness. 35 Therefore watch out that the light in you is not darkness. 36 If therefore your whole body is full of light, with no dark part in it, it will be wholly illumined, as when the lamp illumines you with its rays.”
Woes to the Pharisees and Lawyers
37 Now when He had spoken, a Pharisee *asked Him to have a meal with him. And He went in and reclined at the table. 38 But when the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first [am](BU)ceremonially washed before the [an]meal. 39 But (BV)the Lord said to him, “Now (BW)you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but [ao]inside of you, you are full of robbery and wickedness. 40 (BX)You foolish ones, did not He who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But (BY)give that which is within as charity, and [ap]then all things are (BZ)clean for you.
42 “(CA)But woe to you Pharisees! For you (CB)pay tithe of mint and rue and every kind of garden herb, and yet disregard justice and the love of God, but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. 43 Woe to you Pharisees! For you (CC)love the best seat in the synagogues and the respectful greetings in the marketplaces. 44 (CD)Woe to you! For you are like [aq]concealed tombs, and the people who walk over them are unaware of it.”
45 Now one of the (CE)scholars of the Law answered and said to Him, “Teacher, when You say these things, You insult us too.” 46 But He said, “Woe to you (CF)scholars of the Law as well! For (CG)you weigh men down with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves will not even touch the burdens with one of your fingers. 47 (CH)Woe to you! For you build the [ar]tombs of the prophets, but your fathers killed them. 48 So you are witnesses and approve the deeds of your fathers; because it was they who killed them, and you build their tombs. 49 For this reason also (CI)the wisdom of God said, ‘(CJ)I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and some they will [as]persecute, 50 so that the blood of all the prophets, shed (CK)since the foundation of the world, may be [at]charged against this generation, 51 from (CL)the blood of Abel to (CM)the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the house of God; yes, I tell you, it shall be [au]charged against this generation.’ 52 Woe to you, (CN)scholars of the Law! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; (CO)you yourselves did not enter, and you hindered those who were entering.”
53 And when He left there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be very hostile and to question Him closely on many subjects, 54 (CP)plotting (CQ)to catch [av]Him in something He might say.
Fear Only God
12 At this time, after [aw]so many thousands of the crowd had gathered together that they were trampling on one another, He began saying to His disciples first, “(CR)Be on your guard for the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 (CS)But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. 3 Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have [ax]whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed upon (CT)the housetops.
4 “But I say to you, (CU)My friends, do not fear those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. 5 But I will show you whom to fear: (CV)fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into [ay](CW)hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him! 6 Are not (CX)five sparrows sold for two [az]assaria? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 (CY)Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.
Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit
8 “And I say to you, everyone who (CZ)confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God, 9 but (DA)he who denies Me before men will be denied (DB)before the angels of God. 10 (DC)And everyone who [ba]speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him, but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him. 11 Now when they bring you before (DD)the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not (DE)worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say, 12 for (DF)the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
Parable of the Rich Fool
13 And someone from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” 14 But He said to him, “(DG)Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 Then He said to them, “(DH)Watch out and be on your guard against every form of greed, for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” 16 And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. 17 And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ 18 Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, (DI)you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘(DJ)You fool! This very night [bb](DK)your soul is required of you; and (DL)now who will own what you prepared?’ 21 So is the one who (DM)stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
Do Not Worry
22 And He said to His disciples, “(DN)For this reason I say to you, [bc]do not worry about your [bd]life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24 Consider the (DO)ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor (DP)barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds! 25 And which of you by worrying can add a single [be](DQ)cubit to his [bf]life span? 26 Therefore, if you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, but I tell you, not even (DR)Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 28 But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? (DS)You of little faith! 29 And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not (DT)keep worrying. 30 For [bg]all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek, but your Father knows that you need these things. 31 But seek His kingdom, and (DU)these things will be added to you. 32 (DV)Do not fear, (DW)little flock, for (DX)your Father is well pleased to give you the kingdom.
33 “(DY)Sell your possessions and give it as charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, (DZ)an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys. 34 For (EA)where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Be Ready for His Coming
35 “(EB)Gird up (EC)your loins, and keep your lamps lit. 36 And be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find (ED)awake when he comes; truly I say to you, that (EE)he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them. 38 (EF)Whether he comes in the [bh]second watch, or even in the [bi]third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.
39 “(EG)But [bj]be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be [bk](EH)broken into. 40 (EI)You too, be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not [bl]expect.”
41 Now Peter said, “Lord, are You addressing this parable to us, or (EJ)to everyone else as well?” 42 And (EK)the Lord said, “(EL)Who then is the faithful and prudent (EM)steward, whom his master will put in charge of his [bm]servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that (EN)slave whom his [bn]master finds so doing when he comes. 44 Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45 But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master [bo]will be a long time in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers. 47 And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will (EO)receive many beatings, 48 but the one who did not (EP)know it, and committed deeds worthy of a beating, will receive but a few. (EQ)From everyone who has been given much, much will be required, and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.
Not Peace, but Division
49 “I [bp]have come to cast fire upon the earth, and [bq]how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a (ER)baptism to [br]undergo, and how distressed I am until it is finished! 51 (ES)Do you think that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division; 52 for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, (ET)father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
54 And He was also saying to the crowds, “(EU)When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and so it happens. 55 And when you see a south wind blowing, you say, ‘It will be a (EV)hot day,’ and it happens. 56 You hypocrites! (EW)You know how to examine the appearance of the earth and the sky, but [bs]why do you not examine this present time?
57 “And (EX)why do you not even judge for yourselves what is right? 58 For (EY)while you are going with your opponent to appear before the magistrate, on your way there make an effort to [bt]settle with him, so that he may not drag you before the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. 59 I say to you, you will not get out of there until you have paid the last [bu](EZ)lepton.”
Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org For Permission to Quote Information visit https://www.LSBible.org.