Read the Gospels in 40 Days
10 And when his twelve disciples were called together, he gave to them power of unclean spirits, to cast them out of men, and to heal every languor, and sickness. [And the twelve disciples called together, he gave to them power of unclean spirits, that they should cast them out, and that they should heal all ache, and all sickness.]
2 And these be the names of the twelve apostles; the first, Simon, that is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother; James of Zebedee, and John, his brother;
3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew, publican; and James [of] Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;
4 Simon Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, that betrayed Christ [and Judas Iscariot, which betrayed him].
5 Jesus sent these twelve, and commanded them, and said [commanding to them, and saying], Go ye not into the way of heathen men, and enter ye not into the cities of Samaritans;
6 but rather go ye to the sheep of the house of Israel, that have perished. [but rather go ye to the sheep of the house of Israel, that perished.]
7 And go ye, and preach ye, and say, that the kingdom of heavens shall approach; [Soothly ye going preach, saying, for the kingdom of heavens shall nigh;]
8 heal ye sick men, raise ye dead men, cleanse ye mesels [cleanse ye leprous men], cast ye out devils; freely ye have taken, freely give ye.
9 Do not ye wield gold, nor silver, nor money in your girdles,
10 not a scrip in the way, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor a staff; for a workman is worthy his meat. [neither a scrip in the way, neither two coats, neither shoes, neither a rod; for a workman is worth his meat.]
11 Into whatever city or castle ye shall enter, ask ye who therein is worthy, and there dwell ye, till ye go out.
12 And when ye go into an house, greet ye it, and say [Forsooth ye entering into an house, greet ye, or salute ye, it, saying], Peace to this house.
13 And if that house be worthy, your peace shall come on it; but if that house be not worthy, your peace shall turn again to you.
14 And whoever receiveth not you, nor heareth your words, go ye forth from that house or city, and sprinkle off the dust of your feet.[a]
15 Truly I say to you, it shall be more sufferable to the land of men of Sodom and of Gomorrha [of Sodom and Gomorrha] in the day of judgment, than to that city.
16 Lo! I send you as sheep in the middle of wolves; therefore be ye sly as serpents, and simple as doves.[b]
17 But be ye ware of men, for they shall take you in councils, and they shall beat you in their synagogues;
18 and to mayors, or presidents, and to kings, ye shall be led for me, in witnessing to them, and to heathen men.
19 But when they take you, do not ye think, how or what thing ye shall speak [But when they shall take, or betray, you, do not ye think, how or what ye shall speak], for it shall be given to you in that hour, what ye shall speak;
20 for it be not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father, that speaketh in you.
21 And the brother shall betake the brother into death, and the father the son, and [the] sons shall rise against [their] father and mother, and shall torment them by death [and shall torment them to death].
22 And ye shall be in hate to all men for my name; but he that shall dwell still into the end, shall be made safe. [And ye shall be in hatred to all men for my name; forsooth he that shall continue till into the end, shall be safe.]
23 And when they pursue you in this city, flee ye into another. Truly I say to you, ye shall not end the cities of Israel, before that man's Son come [till that man's Son come].
24 The disciple is not above the master [The disciple is not above his master], nor the servant above his lord;
25 it is enough to the disciple, that he be as his master, and to the servant as his lord. If they have called the husbandman Beelzebub [If they have called the husbandman, or the father of (the) household, Beelzebub], how much more his household members?
26 Therefore dread ye not them; for nothing is hid [for nothing is covered, or hid], that shall not be showed; and nothing is privy, that shall not be known.
27 That thing that I say to you in darknesses, say ye in the light; and preach ye on houses [and preach ye upon roofs], that thing that ye hear in the ear.
28 And do not ye dread them that slay the body; for they be not able to slay the soul; but rather dread ye him, that be able to destroy both soul and body into hell. [And do not ye dread them that slay the body; truly they be not able to slay the soul; but rather dread ye him, that be able to lose both soul and body into hell.]
29 Whether two sparrows be not sold for an halfpenny? and one of them shall not fall on the earth without your Father.
30 And all the hairs of your head be numbered.
31 Therefore do not ye dread; ye be better than many sparrows.
32 Therefore every man that shall acknowledge me before men, [and] I shall acknowledge him before my Father that is in heavens.
33 But he that shall deny me before men, and I shall deny him before my Father that is in heavens [and I shall deny him before my Father which is in heavens].
34 Do not ye deem, that I came to send peace into earth [Do not ye deem, that I came to send peace into the earth]; I came not to send peace, but sword.
35 For I came to part a man against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the son's wife against the husband's mother;
36 and the enemies of a man be they, that be at home with him.
37 He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me. And he that loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy to me [is not worthy of me].
38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth me, is not worthy to me [is not worthy of me].
39 He that findeth his life, shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for me, shall find it.
40 He that receiveth you, receiveth me; and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me.
41 He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet, shall take the meed of a prophet [shall receive the meed of a prophet]. And he that receiveth a just man in the name of a just man, shall take the meed of a just man [shall receive the meed of a just man].
42 And whoever giveth drink to one of these least a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his meed.
11 And it was done, when Jesus had ended, he commanded to his twelve disciples, and passed from thence [And it was done, when Jesus had ended, he, commanding to his twelve disciples, passed from thence] to teach and preach in the cities of them.
2 But when John in bonds had heard the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,
3 and said to him, Art thou he that shall come, or we abide another [or abide we another]?
4 And Jesus answered, and said to them, Go ye, and tell again to John those things that ye have heard and seen. [And Jesus answering, said to them, Ye going tell again to John those things which ye have heard and seen.]
5 Blind men see, crooked men go [crooked men wander], mesels be made clean, deaf men hear, dead men rise again, poor men be taken to preaching of the gospel [poor men be preached the gospel].
6 And he is blessed, that shall not be caused to stumble in me. [And he is blessed, that shall not be offended in me.]
7 And when they were gone away, Jesus began to say of John to the people [Jesus began to say of John to the companies], What thing went ye out into desert to see? a reed waved with the wind?
8 Or what thing went ye out to see? a man clothed with soft clothes [But what thing went ye out to see? whether a man clothed with soft clothings]? Lo! they that be clothed with soft clothes be in the houses of kings.
9 But what thing went ye out to see? a prophet? Yea, I say to you, and more than a prophet.
10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Lo! I send mine angel before thy face, that shall make ready thy way before thee [which shall make ready thy way before thee].
11 Truly I say to you, there rose none more than John Baptist among the children of women; but he that is less in the kingdom of heavens, is more than he. [Truly I say to you, none rose greater than John Baptist among the sons of women; forsooth he that is the least in the kingdom of heavens, is more than he.]
12 And from the days of John Baptist till now the kingdom of heavens suffereth violence, and violent men snatch it.
13 For all [the] prophets and the law till John prophesied;
14 and if ye will receive, he is Elias that is to come.
15 He that hath ears of hearing, hear he.
16 But to whom shall I guess this generation like? It is like to children sitting in the market, that cry to their peers [which, crying to their peers],
17 and say [say], We have sung to you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wailed.
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil.
19 The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Lo! a man a glutton, and a drinker of wine, and a friend of publicans and of sinful men [and friend of publicans and sinful men]. And wisdom is justified of her sons.
20 Then Jesus began to say reproof to cities, in which full many works of power of him were done [in which full many virtues of him were done], for they did not penance.
21 Woe to thee! Chorazin, woe to thee! Bethsaida; for if the works of power [for if the virtues] that be done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, sometime they had done penance in haircloth and ashes.
22 Nevertheless I say to you, it shall be less pain to Tyre and Sidon in the day of doom, than to you.
23 And thou, Capernaum, whether thou shalt be araised up into heaven? Thou shalt go down into hell. For if the works of power that be done in thee, had been done in Sodom, peradventure they should have dwelled till into this day. [And thou, Capernaum, whether till into heaven thou shalt be reared up? Thou shalt go down till into hell. For if the virtues that be done in thee, had been done in Sodom, peradventure they should have dwelled till unto this day.]
24 Nevertheless I say to you, that to the land of Sodom it shall be less pain in the day of doom, than to thee.
25 In that time Jesus answered, and said, I acknowledge to thee, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for thou hast hid these things from wise men, and ready [In that time, Jesus answering said, I acknowledge to thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for thou hast hid these things from wise men and prudent], and hast showed them to little children;
26 so, Father, for so it was pleasing before thee.
27 All things be given to me of my Father; and no man knew the Son, but the Father, neither any man knew the Father, but the Son, and to whom the Son would show.[c]
28 All ye that travail, and be charged, come to me, and I shall fulfill you [and I shall refresh, or fulfill, you].
29 Take ye my yoke on you [Take ye my yoke upon you], and learn ye of me, for I am mild and meek in heart; and ye shall find rest to your souls.
30 For my yoke is soft, and my charge is light [and my charge is light, or easy].
12 In that time Jesus went by corns in the sabbath day [on the sabbath day]; and his disciples hungered, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.
2 And the Pharisees, seeing, said to him, Lo! thy disciples do that thing that is not leaveful to them to do in [the] sabbaths.
3 And he said to them, Whether ye have not read, what David did, when he hungered, and they that were with him?
4 how he entered into the house of God, and ate loaves of proposition, which loaves it was not leaveful to him to eat, neither to them that were with him, but to priests alone?[d]
5 Or whether ye have not read in the law, that in the sabbaths priests in the temple defoul the sabbaths, and they be without blame?
6 And I say to you, that here is a greater than the temple. [Soothly I say to you, for this is more than the temple.]
7 And if ye knew, what it is, I will mercy, and not sacrifice, ye should never have condemned innocents.
8 For man's Son is Lord, yea, of the sabbath. [Truly man's Son is Lord also of the sabbath.]
9 And when he passed from thence [And when he passed thence], he came into the synagogue of them.
10 And lo! a man that had a dry hand. And they asked him, and said, Whether it be leaveful to heal in the sabbath [And they asked him, saying, If it is leaveful to heal in the sabbath]? that they should accuse him.
11 And he said to them, What man of you shall there be, that hath one sheep, and if it fall into a ditch in the sabbaths, whether he shall not (take) hold, and lift it up?
12 How much more is a man better than a sheep? Therefore it is leaveful to do good in the sabbaths [in the sabbath].
13 Then he said to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched forth; and it was restored to health as the other.
14 And the Pharisees went out, and made a council against him, how they should destroy him [how they should lose him].
15 And Jesus knew it, and went away from thence; and many followed him, and he healed them all.
16 And he commanded to them, that they should not make him known;
17 that that thing were fulfilled [that that thing should be fulfilled], that was said by Esaias, the prophet, saying,
18 Lo! my child, whom I have chosen, my darling, in whom it hath well pleased to my soul; I shall put my Spirit on him, and he shall tell doom to heathen men.
19 He shall not strive, nor cry, neither any man shall hear his voice in streets.
20 A bruised reed he shall not break, and he shall not quench smoking flax, till he cast out doom to victory;
21 and heathen men shall hope in his name.
22 Then a man blind and dumb, that had a fiend [having a devil], was brought to him; and he healed him, so that he spake, and saw.
23 And all the people wondered, and said, Whether this be the son of David?
24 But the Pharisees heard, and said, He this casteth not out fiends, but in Beelzebub, prince of fiends[e].
25 And Jesus, witting their thoughts, said to them, Each kingdom parted against itself, shall be desolated [shall be desolate], and each city, or house, parted against itself, shall not stand.
26 And if Satan casteth out Satan [And if Satan cast out Satan], he is parted against himself; therefore how shall his kingdom stand?
27 And if I in Beelzebub cast out devils, in whom your sons cast out? Therefore they shall be your doomsmen.
28 But if I in the Spirit of God cast out fiends, then the kingdom of God is come into you.
29 Either how may any man enter into the house of a strong man, and take away his vessels, but he first bind the strong man, and then he shall spoil his house?
30 He that is not with me, is against me; and he that gathereth not together with me, scattereth abroad.
31 Therefore I say to you, all sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven to men, but [the] blasphemy of the Spirit shall not be forgiven.
32 And whoever saith a word against man's Son, it shall be forgiven to him; but who that saith a word against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven to him, neither in this world, nor in the tother.
33 Either make ye the tree good, and his fruit good; either make ye the tree evil and his fruit evil [or make ye the tree evil, and his fruit evil]; for a tree is known of his fruit.
34 Ye generation of adders, how be ye able to speak good things, when ye be evil? For the mouth speaketh of the plenty of the heart. [Ye generation of adders, how may ye speak good things, when ye be evil? Soothly the mouth speaketh of the great abundance of the heart.]
35 A good man bringeth forth good things of good treasure, and an evil man bringeth forth evil things of evil treasure.
36 And I say to you, that of every idle word, that men speak, they shall yield reason thereof in the day of doom;
37 for of thy words thou shalt be justified, and of thy words thou shalt be condemned.
38 Then some of the scribes and the Pharisees answered to him, and said, Master, we will see a token of thee. [Then some of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered to him, saying, Master, we would see a token of thee.]
39 Which answered, and said to them, An evil kindred and a spouse-breaker seeketh a token [An evil generation and adulterous seeketh a token], and a token shall not be given to it, but the token of Jonas, the prophet.
40 For as Jonas was in the womb of a whale three days and three nights, so man's Son shall be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.
41 Men of Nineveh shall rise in doom with this generation, and shall condemn it; for they did penance in the preaching of Jonas, and lo! here [is] a greater than Jonas.
42 The queen of the south shall rise in doom with this generation, and shall condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and lo! here [is] a greater than Solomon.
43 When an unclean spirit goeth out from a man, he goeth by dry places, seeking rest, and findeth not.[f]
44 Then he saith, I shall turn again into mine house, from whence I went out [Then he saith, I shall turn again into my house, from whence I came out]. And he cometh, and findeth it void, and cleansed with besoms, and made fair.
45 Then he goeth, and taketh with him seven other spirits worse than himself; and they enter [in], and dwell there. And the last things of that man be made worse than the former. So it shall be [and] to this worst generation.
46 Yet while he spake to the people, lo! his mother and his brethren stood withoutforth, seeking to speak with him.
47 And a man said to him, Lo! thy mother and thy brethren stand withoutforth, seeking thee.
48 And he answered to the man, that spake to him, and said, Who is my mother? and who be my brethren?
49 And he held forth his hand into his disciples, and said, Lo! my mother and my brethren;
50 for whoever doeth the will of my Father that is in heavens, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.
2001 by Terence P. Noble