Read the Gospels in 40 Days
4 And Jesus full of the Holy Ghost turned again from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into desert
2 forty days, and was tempted of the devil, and [he] ate nothing in those days; and when those days were ended, he hungered.
3 And the devil said to him, If thou art God's Son [If thou be God's Son], say to this stone, that it be made bread.
4 And Jesus answered to him, It is written, That a man liveth not in bread alone, but in every word of God.
5 And the devil led him into an high hill, and showed to him all the realms of the world in a moment of time;
6 and said to him, I shall give to thee all this power, and the glory of them, for to me they be given, and to whom I will, I give them;
7 therefore if thou fall down, and worship before me [therefore if thou shalt worship before me], all things shall be thine.
8 And Jesus answered, and said to him, It is written, Thou shalt worship thy Lord God [Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God], and to him alone thou shalt serve.
9 And he led him into Jerusalem, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, If thou art God's Son, send thyself from hence down;
10 for it is written, For he hath commanded to his angels of thee, that they keep thee in all thy ways,
11 and that they shall take thee in hands, lest peradventure thou hurt thy foot at a stone. [and for in hands they shall take thee, lest peradventure thou hurt thy foot on a stone.]
12 And Jesus answered, and said to him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt thy Lord God. [And Jesus answering saith to him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.]
13 And when every temptation was ended, the fiend went away from him [the devil went away from him] for a time.
14 And Jesus turned again in the virtue of the Spirit into Galilee, and the fame went forth of him through all the country.
15 And he taught in the synagogues of them, and was magnified of all men.
16 And he came to Nazareth, where he was nourished, and he entered after his custom in the sabbath day into a synagogue [into the synagogue], and rose to read.
17 And the book of Esaias, the prophet, was taken to him; and as he turned the book, he found a place, where it was written,
18 The Spirit of the Lord is on me, for which thing he anointed me; he sent me to preach to poor men, to heal contrite men in heart, and to preach remission to prisoners, and sight to blind men[a], and to deliver broken men into remission;
19 to preach the year of the Lord pleasant, and the day of yielding again [to preach the year of the Lord accepted, or pleasant, and the day of retribution, or yielding again.]
20 And when he had closed the book, he gave [it] again to the minister, and sat; and the eyes of all men in the synagogue were beholding into him.
21 And he began to say to them, For in this day this scripture is fulfilled in your ears.
22 And all men gave witnessing to him, and wondered in the words of grace, that came forth of his mouth [that came out of his mouth]. And they said, Whether this is not the son of Joseph?
23 And he said to them, Soothly ye shall say to me this likeness, Physician, heal thyself. The Pharisees said to Jesus, How great things have we heard done in Capernaum, do thou also here in thy country. [And he said to them, Soothly ye shall say to me this likeness, Leech, heal thyself. How great things have we heard done in Capernaum, make thou and here in thy country.]
24 And he said, Truly I say to you, that no prophet is received in his own country. [Soothly he saith, Truly I say to you, for no man prophet is accepted, or received, in his own country.]
25 In truth I say to you, that many widows were in the days of Elias, the prophet, in Israel, when heaven was closed three years and six months, when great hunger was made in all the earth [when great hunger was made on all earth, or every land];
26 and to none of them was Elias sent, but into Sarepta of Sidon, to a woman a widow.
27 And many mesels were in Israel, under Eliseus, the prophet, and none of them was cleansed, but Naaman of Syria.
28 And all in the synagogue hearing these things, were filled with wrath.
29 And they rose up, and drove him out [and cast him out] without the city, and led him to the top of the hill on which their city was builded, to cast him down [that they should cast him down].
30 But Jesus passed, and went through the middle of them; [Soothly Jesus passing went through the middle of them;]
31 and he came down into Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and there he taught them in [the] sabbaths.
32 And they were astonished in his teaching, for his word was in power.
33 And in their synagogue was a man having an unclean fiend, and he cried with great voice, [And in the synagogue was a man having an unclean fiend, and cried with great voice,]
34 and said [saying], Suffer, what to us and to thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us [to lose us]? I know thee, that thou art the holy of God.
35 And Jesus blamed him, and said [saying], Wax dumb, and go out from him. And when the fiend had cast him forth into the middle, he went away from him, and he harmed him nothing.
36 And dread was made in all men, and they spake together, and said [saying], What is this word, for in power and virtue he commandeth to unclean spirits, and they go out?
37 And the fame was published of him into each place of the country.
38 And Jesus rose up from the synagogue, and entered into the house of Simon [Forsooth Jesus rising of the synagogue, entered into the house of Simon]; and the mother of Simon's wife was holden with a great fevers, and they prayed him for her.
39 And Jesus stood over her, and commanded to the fever, and it left her; and at once she rose up, and served them [and anon she rising ministered to them].
40 And when the sun went down, all that had sick men with diverse languors, led them to him; and he set his hands on each by themselves, and healed them. [Forsooth when the sun went down, all that had sick men with diverse languishings, or aches, led them to him; and he, putting hands to each by himself, healed them.]
41 And fiends went out from many, and cried, and said [crying, and saying], For thou art the Son of God. And he blamed, and suffered them not to speak [And he blaming suffered not them to speak], for they knew him, that he was Christ.
42 And when the day was come, he went out, and went into a desert place; and the people sought him, and they came to him [and they came unto him], and they held him, that he should not go away from them.
43 To whom he said, For also to other cities it behooveth me to preach the kingdom of God, for therefore I am sent [for thereto I am sent].
44 And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.
5 And it was done, when the people came fast to Jesus, to hear the word of God, he stood beside the pool of Gennesaret [and he stood beside the standing water of Gennesaret],
2 and saw two boats standing beside the pool; and the fishers were gone down, and washed their nets. [and saw two boats standing beside the standing water; soothly the fishers had gone down, and washed nets.]
3 And he went up into a boat, that was Simon's, and prayed him to lead it a little from the land; and he sat, and taught the people out of the boat.
4 And as he ceased to speak, he said to Simon, Lead out into the depth, and slack your nets to take fish [and slake ye your nets into the taking].
5 And Simon answered, and said to him [And Simon answering said to him], Commander, we travailed all the night, and took nothing, but in thy word I shall lay out the net.
6 And when they had done this thing, they closed together a great multitude of fishes; and their net was broken.
7 And they beckoned to fellows, that were in another boat, that they should come, and help them. And they came, and filled both the boats, so that they were almost drowned.
8 And when Simon Peter saw this thing, he felled down to the knees of Jesus, and said [saying], Lord, go from me, for I am a sinful man.
9 For he was on each side astonished, and all that were with him, in the taking of fishes which they took.
10 Soothly in like manner James and John, the sons of Zebedee, that were fellows of Simon Peter [which were fellows of Simon Peter]. And Jesus said to Simon, Do not thou dread; now from this time thou shalt take men.
11 And when the boats were led up to the land, they left all things, and they followed him. [And the boats led up to the land, all things left, or forsaken, they followed him.]
12 And it was done, when he was in one of the cities, lo! a man full of leprosy; and seeing Jesus fell down on his face, and prayed him, and said [saying], Lord, if thou wilt, thou mayest make me clean.
13 And Jesus held forth his hand, and touched him, and said [saying], I will, be thou made clean. And at once [And anon] the leprosy passed away from him.
14 And Jesus commanded to him, that he should say to no man; But go, show thee to a priest, and offer for thy cleansing, as Moses bade, into witnessing to them.
15 And the word walked about the more of him; and much people [and many companies] came together, to hear, and to be healed of their sicknesses.
16 And he went into desert, and prayed.
17 And it was done in one of the days, he sat, and taught [and he sitting taught]; and there were Pharisees sitting, and doctors of the law, that came of each castle of Galilee, and of Judaea, and of Jerusalem[b]; and the virtue of the Lord was to heal sick men.
18 And lo! men bare in a bed a man that was sick in the palsy [that was sick in palsy], and they sought to bear him in, and set before him [and to put before him].
19 And they found not in what part they should bear him in, for the people, and they went upon the roof [And they not finding in what part they should bear him in, for the company of people, ascended up on the roof], and by the slates they let him down with the bed, into the midst, before Jesus.
20 And when Jesus saw the faith of them, he said, Man, thy sins be forgiven to thee.
21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to think, saying, Who is this, that speaketh blasphemies? who may forgive sins, but God alone?
22 And as Jesus knew the thoughts of them, he answered, and said to them [he answering said to them], What think ye evil things in your hearts?
23 What is lighter to say, Sins be forgiven to thee, or to say, Rise up, and walk?
24 But that ye know, that man's Son hath power in earth to forgive sins, he said to the sick man in palsy, I say to thee, rise up, take thy bed, and go into thine house.
25 And at once [And anon] he rose up before them, and took the bed in which he lay, and went into his house, and magnified God [magnifying God].
26 And great wonder took all, and they magnified God; and they were full-filled with great dread, and said[c], For we have seen marvelous things to day.
27 And after these things Jesus went out, and saw a publican, Levi by name, sitting at the tollbooth. And he said to him, Follow thou me;
28 and when he had left all things, he rose up, and followed him.
29 And Levi made to him a great feast in his house; and there was a great company of publicans, and of others that were with them, sitting at the meat.
30 And the Pharisees and the scribes of them grumbled, and said to his disciples [And Pharisees and the scribes of them grutched, saying to his disciples], Why eat ye and drink with publicans and sinful men?
31 And Jesus answered, and said to them, They that be whole have no need to a physician, but they that be sick; [And Jesus answering saith to them, They that be whole have not need to a leech, but they that have evil;]
32 for I came not to call just men, but sinful men to penance.
33 And they said to him, Why the disciples of John fast oft, and make prayers, also and of the Pharisees, but thine eat and drink?
34 To whom he said, Whether ye be able to make the sons of the spouse to fast [Whether ye may make the sons of the spouse to fast], while the spouse is with them?
35 But days shall come, when the spouse shall be taken away from them, and then they shall fast in those days.
36 And he said to them also a likeness; For no man taketh a piece from a new cloak [of a new cloth], and putteth it into an old clothing [and putteth it into an old cloth]; else both he breaketh the new, and the piece of the new accordeth not to the old.
37 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine shall break the bottles, and the wine shall be shed out, and the bottles shall perish.
38 But new wine oweth to be put into new bottles [But new wine is to be put into new wine vessels], and both be kept.
39 And no man drinking the old, will at once the new; for he saith, The old is the better. [And no man drinking old, will anon new; soothly he saith, The old is better.]
6 And it was done in the second first sabbath [in the first second sabbath], when he passed by the corns, his disciples plucked ears of corn; and they rubbing with their hands, ate.
2 And some of the Pharisees said to them, What do ye that, that is not leaveful in the sabbaths?
3 And Jesus answered, and said to them [And Jesus answering said to them], Have ye not read, what David did, when he hungered, and they that were with him;
4 how he entered into the house of God, and took loaves of proposition, and ate, and gave to them that were with him; which loaves it was not leaveful to eat, but only to priests[d].
5 And he said to them, For man's Son is Lord, yea, of the sabbath.
6 And it was done [and] in another sabbath, that he entered into a synagogue, and taught. And a man was there, and his right hand was dry.
7 And the scribes and the Pharisees espied him [Forsooth scribes and Pharisees espied him], if he would heal him in the sabbath, that they should find cause, whereof they should accuse him.
8 And he knew the thoughts of them, and he said to the man that had a dry hand, Rise up, and stand in the middle. And he rose, and stood.
9 And Jesus said to them, I ask you, if it is leaveful to do well in the sabbath [day], or evil? to make a soul safe, or to destroy [or to lose]?
10 And when he had beheld all men about [And, all men looked about], he said to the man, Hold forth thine hand. And he held forth, and his hand was restored to health.
11 And they were full-filled with unwisdom[e], and spake together, what they should do of Jesus.
12 And it was done in those days, he went out into an hill to pray; and he was all night dwelling in the prayer of God.
13 And when the day was come, he called his disciples, and chose twelve of them, which he called also apostles [whom and apostles he named];
14 Simon, whom he called Peter, and Andrew, his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,
15 Matthew and Thomas, James Alphaeus, and Simon, that is called Zelotes,
16 Judas of James, and Judas Iscariot, that was traitor.
17 And Jesus came down from the hill with them, and stood in a field place; and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of [poor] people, of all Judaea, and Jerusalem, and of the sea coasts, and of Tyre and Sidon, that came to hear him [which came, that they should hear him], and to be healed of their sicknesses;
18 and they that were travailed of unclean spirits, were healed. [and they that were travailed with unclean spirits, were healed.]
19 And all the people [And each company of the people] sought to touch him, for virtue went out of him, and healed all.
20 And when his eyes were cast up into his disciples, he said, Blessed be ye, poor men [Blessed ye, poor], for the kingdom of God is yours.
21 Blessed be ye, that now hunger, for ye shall be full-filled. Blessed be ye, that now weep, for ye shall laugh. [Blessed be ye that hunger now, for ye shall be filled. Blessed be ye that weep now, for ye shall laugh.]
22 Ye shall be blessed, when men shall hate you, and [shall] separate you away, and [shall] put reproof to you [and shall put shame on you], and cast out your name as evil, for man's Son.
23 Joy ye in that day, and be ye glad; for lo! your meed is much in heaven; for after these things the fathers of them did to prophets.
24 Nevertheless woe to you, rich men, that have your comfort.
25 Woe to you that be full-filled [Woe to you that be filled], for ye shall hunger. Woe to you that now laugh [Woe to you that laugh now], for ye shall mourn, and weep.
26 Woe to you, when all men shall bless you; after these things the fathers of them did to [false] prophets.
27 But I say to you that hear, love ye your enemies, do ye well to them that hated you [do ye well to them that hate you];
28 bless ye men that curse you, pray ye for men that defame you [pray ye for men that falsely challenge you].
29 And to him that smiteth thee on the one cheek, show also the other [give also the other]; and from him that taketh away from thee a cloak [thy cloth], do not thou forbid the coat.
30 And give to each that asketh thee, and if a man taketh away those things that be thine [and he that taketh away those things that be thine], ask thou not again.
31 And as ye will that men do to you, do ye also to them in like manner.
32 And if ye love them that love you, what thank is to you [what grace, or thank, is to you]? for sinful men love men that love them.
33 And if ye do well to them that do well to you, what grace is to you[f]? for sinful men do this thing.
34 And if ye lend to them of which ye hope to take again, what thank is to you [And if ye give borrowing, or lend, to them, of whom ye hope for to take again, what grace, or thank, is to you]? for sinful men lend to sinful men, to take again as much.
35 Nevertheless love ye your enemies, and do ye well, and lend ye, hoping nothing thereof, and your meed shall be much, and ye shall be the sons of the Highest, for he is benign on [upon] unkind men and evil men.
36 Therefore be ye merciful, as [and] your Father is merciful.
37 Do not ye deem, and ye shall not be deemed. Do not ye condemn, and ye shall not be condemned; forgive ye, and it shall be forgiven to you.
38 Give ye, and it shall be given to you. They shall give into your bosom a good measure, and well-filled, and shaken together, and overflowing; for by the same measure, by which ye mete, it shall be meted again to you.
39 And he said to them a likeness, Whether the blind may lead the blind? nor fall they not both into the ditch [whether they fall not both into the ditch]?
40 A disciple is not above his master; but each shall be perfect, if he [shall] be as his master.
41 And what seest thou in thy brother's eye a mote, but thou beholdest not a beam, that is in thine own eye?
42 Or how mayest thou say to thy brother, Brother, suffer, I shall cast out the mote of thine eye, and thou beholdest not a beam that is in thine own eye? Hypocrite, first take out the beam of thine eye [first cast out the beam of thine eye], and then thou shalt see to take out the mote of thy brother's eye.
43 It is not a good tree [Forsooth it is not a good tree], that maketh evil fruits, neither an evil tree, that maketh good fruits;
44 for every tree is known of his fruit. And men gather not figs of thorns, neither men gather a grape of a bush of briers.
45 A good man of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things, and an evil man of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things [A good man of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good thing, and an evil man of evil treasure bringeth forth evil thing]; for of the plenty of the heart the mouth speaketh.
46 And what call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not those things that I say.
47 Each that cometh to me, and heareth my words, and doeth them, I shall show to you, to whom he is like.
48 He is like to a man that buildeth an house, that digged deep, and set the foundament on a stone. And when a great flood was made, the flood was hurled to that house, and it might not move it, for it was founded on a firm stone.[g]
49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like to a man building his house on earth [upon the earth] without foundament; into which the flood was hurled, and at once it fell down [into which the flood was hurtled, and anon it felled down]; and the falling down of that house was made great.
2001 by Terence P. Noble