Read the Gospels in 40 Days
4 And Jesus, full of the Holy Ghost, returned from Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
2 and was tempted forty days by the devil. And in those days, He ate nothing. But after they had ended, He was hungry.
3 Then the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone, that it be made bread.”
4 But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread only, but by every Word of God.’”
5 Then the devil took Him up into a high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, in the twinkling of an eye.
6 And the devil said to Him, “All this power, and the glory of those kingdoms, will I give You. For that is delivered to me. And to whomever I will, I give it.
7 “Therefore, if You will worship me, they shall be all Yours.”
8 But Jesus answered him, and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him alone You shall serve.’”
9 Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, and set Him on a pinnacle of the Temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, cast Yourself down from here.
10 “For it is written, “He will give His angels charge over you, to keep you.
11 “And with their hands they shall lift you up, lest at any time you should dash your foot against a stone.”
12 And Jesus answered, and said to him, “It is said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”
13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from Him for a little season.
14 And Jesus returned (by the power of the Spirit) into Galilee. And word spread of Him throughout all the surrounding region.
15 For He taught in their synagogues and was honored by all.
16 And He came to Nazareth, where He had been raised. And as was His custom, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.
17 And the book of the Prophet Isaiah was given to Him. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written,
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me, that I should preach the Gospel to the poor. He has sent Me, that I should heal the brokenhearted, that I should preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind; that I should set at liberty those who are bruised,
19 and that I should preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”
20 And He closed the book, and returned it to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fastened on Him.
21 Then He began to say to them, “This day is the Scripture fulfilled in your ears.”
22 And all bore Him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth, and said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?”
23 Then He said to them, “You will surely say to me this proverb, ‘Physician, heal Yourself. Whatever we have heard was done in Capernaum, do it here also in Your own country.’”
24 And He said, “Truly I say to you, no Prophet is accepted in his own country.
25 “But I tell you the truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when Heaven was shut three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land.
26 “But to none of them was Elijah sent, except to a certain widow in Zarephath, of Sidon.
27 “Also, many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the Prophet. Yet none of them was made clean, except Naaman the Syrian.”
28 When all those in the synagogue heard that, they were filled with wrath,
29 and rose up, and thrust Him out of the city, and led him to the edge of the hill whereupon their city was built, to cast Him over.
30 But He passed through the midst of them, and went His way,
31 and came down into Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them there on the Sabbath days.
32 And they were astonished at His doctrine. For His Word was with authority.
33 And there was a man in the synagogue who had a spirit of an unclean demon, which cried with a loud voice,
34 saying, “Oh, what have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?! Have You come to destroy us?! I know who You are - The Holy One of God!”
35 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet! And come out of him!” Then the demon, throwing him in the midst of them, came out of him and did not hurt him.
36 So fear came upon them all. And they spoke among themselves, saying, “What thing is this? For He commands the foul spirits with authority and power, and they come out!”
37 And His fame spread throughout all the places of the surrounding countryside.
38 And He rose up, and came out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon’s house. And Simon’s wife’s mother was taken with a great fever, and they required Him for her.
39 Then He stood over her and rebuked the fever. And it left her. And immediately she arose and ministered to them.
40 Now at sunset, all those who had sick of diverse diseases, brought them to Him. And He laid his hands on every one of them and healed them.
41 And demons also came out of many, crying, and saying, “You are the Christ, the Son of God!” But He rebuked them and did not allow them to say that they knew Him to be the Christ.
42 And when it was day, He departed and went forth into a desert place. And the people sought Him, and came to Him, and kept Him from leaving.
43 But He said to them, “Surely I must also preach the Kingdom of God to other cities. For that is why I was sent.”
44 And He preached in the synagogues of Galilee.
5 Then it happened that as the people pressed upon Him to hear the Word of God, He stood by the lake of Gennesaret
2 and saw two ships stand by the lakeside. But the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets.
3 And He entered into one of the ships (which was Simon’s) and asked him to thrust off a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the ship.
4 Now when He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep. And let down your nets to make a catch.”
5 Then Simon answered, and said to Him, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have taken nothing. Nevertheless, at Your Word I will let down the net.”
6 And when they had done so, they enclosed a great multitude of fish, so that their net broke.
7 And they beckoned to their partners in the other ship to come and help them. Then they came and filled both the ships, so that they sank.
8 Now when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Lord, go from me. For I am a sinful man.”
9 For he was utterly astonished (and all who were with him) at the catch of fish which they took.
10 And so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were companions of Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not fear. From now on you shall catch men.”
11 And when they had brought the ships to land, they left all and followed Him.
12 Now it happened that when He was in a certain city, behold, there was a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face, and begged Him, saying, “Lord, if You will, You can make me clean.”
13 So he stretched forth his hand, and touched him, saying, “I will. Be clean.” And immediately the leprosy departed from him.
14 And He commanded him that he should tell no one. “But go and show yourself to the priest. And offer as Moses has commanded for your cleansing, for a witness to them.”
15 But His fame spread even more. And great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed of their infirmities by Him.
16 But He kept Himself apart in the wilderness and prayed.
17 And it happened that on a certain day, as He was teaching, the Pharisees and teachers of the Law sat by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, and Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was in him, to heal them.
18 Then behold, men brought a man lying in a bed, who was a paralytic, and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before Him.
19 And when they could not find a way by which they might bring him in (because of the crowd), they went up on the house and let him down through the tiling (bed and all) in the midst, before Jesus.
20 And when He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”
21 Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this Who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God only?”
22 But when Jesus perceived their reasoning, He answered, and said to them, “Why do you reason in your hearts?
23 “Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you’, or to say, ‘Rise and walk?’”
24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on Earth, I say to you (said He to the paralytic), Arise. Take up your bed. And go to your house.”
25 And immediately he rose up before them and took up his bed upon which he lay and departed to his own house, praising God.
26 And they were all amazed, and praised God, and were filled with fear, saying, “Doubtless we have seen strange things today!”
27 And after that, He went forth and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax booth, and said to him, “Follow Me.”
28 And he left all, rose up, and followed Him.
29 Then Levi made Him a great feast in his own house, where there was a great multitude of tax collectors, and of others who sat at table with them.
30 But those who were scribes and Pharisees among them, murmured against His disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
31 Then Jesus answered, and said to them, “Those who are whole, do not need the Physician, but those who are sick.
32 I did not come to call the righteous to repentance, but sinners.”
33 Then they said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John often fast and pray, and of the Pharisees also, but Yours eat and drink?”
34 And He said to them, “Can you make the children of the wedding chamber fast, as long as the bridegroom is with them?
35 “But the days will come when even the bridegroom shall be taken away from them. Then shall they fast in those days.”
36 Then He also told them a parable. “No one sews a piece of a new garment into an old one. For then the new tears it, and the piece taken out of the new does not match the old.
37 “Also, no one pours new wine into old vessels. For then the new wine will break the vessels, and it will run out. And the vessels will perish.
38 “But new wine must be poured into new vessels. So that both are preserved.
39 “Also, no one who drinks old wine immediately desires new. For he says, ‘The old is better.’”
6 And it happened that on a second solemn Sabbath, He went through the corn fields. And His disciples plucked the ears of corn and ate and rubbed them in their hands.
2 And certain Pharisees said to them, “Why do you do that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath days?”
3 Then Jesus answered them, and said, “Have you not read what David did when he himself, and those who were with him, were hungry?
4 “How he went into the house of God and took and ate the showbread, and also gave to those who were with him (which was not lawful to eat, except only for the priests)?”
5 And He said to them, “The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath day.”
6 It also happened that on another Sabbath, He entered into the synagogue and taught. And there was a man whose right hand was dried up.
7 And the scribes and Pharisees watched Him, to see if He would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against Him.
8 But He knew their thoughts and said to the man who had the withered hand, “Arise, and stand up in the midst.” And he arose and stood up.
9 Then Jesus said to them, “I will ask you a question: Which is lawful on the Sabbath days - to do good, or to do evil; to save life, or to destroy?”
10 And He looked around at them all and said to the man, “Stretch forth your hand.” And he did so. And his hand was restored again, as whole as the other.
11 Then they were filled with madness and discussed what they might do to Jesus.
12 And it happened that in those days He went into a mountain to pray. And He spent the night in prayer to God.
13 And when it was day, He called His disciples. And He chose twelve of them (whom He also called Apostles):
14 Simon (whom He also named Peter) and Andrew (his brother), James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,
15 Matthew and Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zealous,
16 Judas brother of James, and Judas Iscariot (who was also the traitor).
17 Then He came down with them and stood in a plain place with the crowd of His disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judea and Jerusalem and from the seacoasts of Tyre and Sidon. They came to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases.
18 And those who were tormented by foul spirits were healed.
19 And the whole multitude sought to touch Him. For power went out of Him and healed them all.
20 And He lifted up His eyes upon His disciples, and said, “Blessed are you poor. For yours is the Kingdom of God.
21 “Blessed are you who hunger now. For you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now. For you shall laugh.
22 “Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they separate you, and revile you, and put out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake.
23 “Rejoice on that day and be glad. For behold, your reward is great in Heaven. For in like manner did their fathers to the Prophets:
24 “But woe to you rich. For you have received your comfort.
25 “Woe to you who are full. For you shall hunger. Woe to you who now laugh. For you shall wail and weep.
26 “Woe to you when all men speak well of you. For so did their fathers to the false prophets.
27 “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies. Do well to those who hate you.
28 “Bless those who curse you and pray for those who hurt you.
29 “And to the one who strikes you on the cheek, offer also the other, and the one who takes away your cloak, do not forbid to take your coat also.
30 “Give to everyone who asks of you. And from the one who takes away what is yours, do not ask for it back.
31 “And as you would have men do to you, so likewise do to them.
32 “For if you love those who love you, what thanks shall you have? For even the sinners love those who love them.
33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what thanks shall you have? For even the sinners do the same.
34 “And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what thanks shall you have? For even the sinners lend to sinners to receive the same.
35 “Therefore, love your enemies. And do good. And lend, looking for nothing in return. And your reward shall be great. And you shall be the children of the Most High. For He is kind to the ungrateful and to the evil.
36 “Therefore, be merciful, as your Father is also merciful.
37 “Do not judge. And you shall not be judged. Do not condemn. And you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you shall be forgiven.
38 “Give, and it shall be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, shall be laid in your lap. For with what measure you measure, it shall be measured to you again.”
39 And He spoke a parable to them, “Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into the ditch?
40 “The disciple is not above the master. But whoever would be a perfect disciple shall be as his master.
41 “And why do you see a splinter in your brother’s eye, yet do not consider the beam that is in your own eye?
42 “Or, how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me pull out the splinter that is in your eye,’ when you do not see the beam that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! Cast out the beam from your own eye first. And then you shall see perfectly to pull out the splinter that is in your brother’s eye.
43 “For it is not a good tree that brings forth evil fruit, nor an evil tree that brings forth good fruit.
44 “For every tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes gathered from bushes.
45 “A good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, brings forth good. And an evil man, out of the evil treasure of his heart, brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
46 “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord’ and do not do the things that I speak?
47 “Whoever comes to Me and hears My words, and does the same, I will show you to whom he is like.
48 “He is like a man who built a house, and dug deep, and laid the foundation on a rock. And when the waters rose, the flood beat upon that house, but could not shake it. For it was grounded upon a rock.
49 “But the one who hears and does not do, is like a man who built a house upon the earth without foundation (against which the flood beat, and it immediately fell). And the fall of that house was great.”
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