Read the Gospels in 40 Days

The disciples eat with unwashed hands. The commandment of God is transgressed by man’s precepts. Of the woman of Syro-Phoenicia. Of the Sabbath.

7 And the Pharisees came together to him, and some of the scribes who came from Jerusalem. ² And when they saw certain of his disciples eat bread with common hands (that is to say, with unwashed hands), they complained. ³ For the Pharisees and all the Jews, unless they wash their hands often, will not eat, observing the precepts of the elders. ⁴ And when they come from the market, unless they wash, they will not eat. And there are many other things that they have taken upon themselves to observe, such as the washing of cups and pitchers, and of copper pots, and of tables.

⁵ Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why do your disciples not walk according to the precepts of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands? ⁶ He answered and said to them, Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honours me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. ⁷ In vain they worship me, teaching doctrines which are nothing but the commandments of men. ⁸ For you lay the commandment of God aside, and observe the precepts of men, such as the washing of pitchers and of cups. And many other suchlike things you do.

⁹ And he said to them, All too well do you cast aside the commandment of God to maintain your own precepts. ¹⁰ For Moses said, Honour your father and your mother, and whosoever curses father or mother, let him die for it. ¹¹ But you say a man should say to father or mother, Corban, which is, What you ask me for, to help you with, is dedicated to God. ¹² And so you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, ¹³ making the word of God of no effect through your own precepts, which you have established. And many such things you do.

¹⁴ And he called all the people to him and said to them, Hearken unto me, every one of you, and understand. ¹⁵ There is nothing outside a man that can defile him when it enters into him. But those things that proceed out of him are the things that defile a man. ¹⁶ If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.

¹⁷ And when he went indoors, away from the people, his disciples asked him about the similitude. ¹⁸ And he said to them, Are you also without understanding? Do you not yet perceive that whatever thing from without enters into a person, it cannot defile him, ¹⁹ because it enters not into his heart, but into the stomach, and goes out into the drain that carries away all foods?

²⁰ And he said, What defiles a man is that which comes out of a man. ²¹ For from within, namely out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts: adultery, fornication, murder, ²² theft, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, uncleanness, a wicked eye, slander, pride, foolishness. ²³ All these evil things come from within, and defile a person.

²⁴ From there he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into a house, and wanted no one to know. But he could not be hid. ²⁵ For a certain woman whose daughter had a foul spirit heard of him, and came and fell at his feet. ²⁶ The woman was a Greek out of Syro-Phoenicia, and she besought him to cast the devil out of her daughter. ²⁷ And Jesus said to her, Let the children first be fed. For it is not meet to take the children’s bread and cast it to dogs. ²⁸ She answered and said to him, Quite so, Master. Nevertheless, the dogs also eat under the table of the children’s crumbs. ²⁹ And he said to her, For this saying, go your way; the devil has gone out of your daughter. ³⁰ And when she arrived home, she found the devil departed, and her daughter lying on the bed.

³¹ And he departed again from the region of Tyre and Sidon, and went to the Sea of Galilee through the region of the Ten Cities. ³² And some people brought to him a man who was deaf and stammered in his speech, and asked him to put his hand upon him. ³³ And he took him aside from the people, and put his fingers in his ears, and spat, and touched his tongue, ³⁴ and looked up to heaven and sighed, and said to him, Ephatha; that is to say, Be opened. ³⁵ And straightaway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly.

³⁶ And Jesus directed them to tell no one. But the more he forbad them, so much the more greatly they spoke of it. ³⁷ And they were beyond measure astonished, saying, He has done all things well, and has made both the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak.

The miracle of the seven loaves. The Pharisees ask for a sign. The leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod. The blind man receives his sight.

8 In the days when there was a great multitude, and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said to them, ² I have compassion on this people, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat. ³ And if I send them away to their own houses without eating, they might faint on the way, because some of them have come from far. ⁴ And his disciples answered him, Where could anyone obtain bread here in this remote place to satisfy all these? ⁵ And he asked them, How many loaves do you have? They said, Seven.

⁶ And he directed the people to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, gave thanks, broke, and gave to his disciples to set before them. And they set them before the people. ⁷ And they had a few small fishes, and he blessed them, and directed them also to be set before the people. ⁸ And they ate and were filled. And they took up of the broken food that was left seven baskets full. ⁹ And those who had eaten were in number about 4,000. And Jesus sent them away.

¹⁰ And shortly he entered into a boat with his disciples, and went into the region of Dalmanutha. ¹¹ And the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven, and testing him. ¹² And he sighed in his spirit and said, Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly I say to you, there will be no sign given to this generation.

¹³ And he left them and went into the boat again, and departed over the water.

¹⁴ And the disciples had forgotten to take bread with them, and had in the boat with them no more than one loaf. ¹⁵ And he charged them, saying, Take heed, and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod. ¹⁶ And they deliberated among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread.

¹⁷ And when Jesus knew this, he said to them, Why are you troubled because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts still blinded? ¹⁸ Do you have eyes, but not see? And do you have ears, and not hear? Do you not remember? ¹⁹ When I broke five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up? They said to him, Twelve.

²⁰ When I broke seven among four thousand, how many baskets of the leftover fragments did you take up? They said, Seven.

²¹ And he said to them, How is it that you do not understand?

²² And he came to Bethsaida, and people brought a blind man to him and asked him to touch him. ²³ And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town, and spat in his eyes, and put his hands upon him, and asked him whether he could see anything. ²⁴ And the man looked up and said, I see the people, for I see them walk, as if they were trees. ²⁵ After that Jesus put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him see. And his sight was restored, and he saw every person clearly. ²⁶ And Jesus sent him home to his house, saying, Do not go into the town, nor tell anyone in town about this.

²⁷ And Jesus went out with his disciples into the towns around the city called Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, saying, Who do people say that I am? ²⁸ And they answered, Some say that you are John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and some, one of the prophets. ²⁹ And he said to them, But who do you say that I am? Peter answered and said to him, You are the Christ. ³⁰ And he charged them to tell no one of it.

³¹ And he began to teach them how the Son of man must suffer many things, and would be reproved by the elders and by the high priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days arise again. ³² And he spoke this word plainly. But Peter took him aside and began to chide him. ³³ Then he turned around and looked on his disciples, and rebuked Peter, saying, Get behind me, Satan, for you savour not the things of God, but the things of men.

³⁴ And he called the people to him with his disciples also, and said to them, Whoever would follow me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me. ³⁵ For whoever would save his life, will lose it. But whoever loses his life for my sake and the sake of the gospel, shall save it. ³⁶ What does it profit a man, if he should win all the world and lose his own soul? ³⁷ Or what can a person give to redeem his soul? ³⁸ Whosoever therefore is ashamed of me and of my words among this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of man be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

9 And he said to them, Truly I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste of death till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.

The transfiguration. The frenzied boy is healed. Who should be the greatest. Offences are forbidden.

² And after six days, Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up into a high mountain out of the way alone. And he was transfigured before them. ³ And his raiment did shine, and was made very white, even as snow: such a white as no fuller can make upon the earth. ⁴ And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they talked with Jesus.

⁵ And Peter spoke and said to Jesus, Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three tabernacles: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. ⁶ And yet he did not know what he was saying, for they were afraid. ⁷ And there was a cloud that covered them. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my dear Son; hear him! ⁸ And suddenly, when they looked round about them, they saw no one but Jesus with them.

⁹ And as they came down from the hill, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen until the Son of man was risen from death again. ¹⁰ And they kept that saying with them, and wondered amongst themselves what rising from death again might mean. ¹¹ And they asked him, saying, Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first? ¹² He answered and said to them, Indeed, Elijah does first come, and restore all things. And also the Son of man, as it is written, will suffer many things, and will be rejected. ¹³ Moreover I say to you that Elijah has come, and they have done to him whatsoever pleased them, as it is written of him.

¹⁴ And he came to his disciples and saw crowds of people about them, and the scribes disputing with them. ¹⁵ And straightaway all the people, when they saw Jesus, were moved with wonder, and ran to him and greeted him. ¹⁶ And he said to the scribes, What are you disputing with them? ¹⁷ A man from the crowd answered and said, Teacher, I have brought my son to you, who has a dumb spirit, ¹⁸ and whenever it takes him, it tears him, and he foams and gnashes with his teeth, and collapses. And I spoke to your disciples, to cast it out, but they could not.

¹⁹ Jesus answered him and said, O generation without faith, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him to me. ²⁰ And they brought the boy to him. And as soon as the spirit saw him, it tore the boy, and he fell down on the ground, wallowing and foaming. ²¹ And Jesus asked his father, How long has this been happening to him? And he said, Since childhood. ²² And often it casts him into the fire, and also into the water, to kill him. But if you can do anything, have mercy on us and help us! ²³ And Jesus said to him, If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes. ²⁴ And straightaway the father of the child exclaimed with tears, saying, Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!

²⁵ When Jesus saw that the people came running to gather to him, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying to him, Deaf and dumb spirit, I charge you to come out of him, and enter no more into him! ²⁶ And the spirit cried out, and rent him badly, and came out. And the boy was as one dead, insomuch that many said, He is dead. ²⁷ But Jesus caught his hand and lifted him up, and he arose.

²⁸ And when Jesus had entered into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could we not cast him out? ²⁹ And he said to them, This kind can come out no other way but by prayer and fasting.

³⁰ And they left that place, and took their journey through Galilee. But Jesus did not want anyone to know of it, ³¹ because he was teaching his disciples. And he said to them, The Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And after he has been killed, he will arise again on the third day. ³² But they did not comprehend what that saying meant, and were afraid to ask him.

³³ And they came to Capernaum. And once he was indoors, he asked them, What was it that you were disputing between yourselves along the way? ³⁴ And they held their peace, for on the road they had been debating among themselves who should be chief. ³⁵ And he sat down and called the twelve to him and said to them, If any man desires to be first, let him be last of all, and servant to all. ³⁶ And he took a child and set him in the midst of them, and took him in his arms and said to them, ³⁷ Whosoever receives any such a child in my name, receives me. And whosoever receives me, receives not me, but him who sent me.

³⁸ John answered him, saying, Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out devils in your name, and we told him not to because he does not follow us. ³⁹ But Jesus said, Do not forbid him. For no one who does a miracle in my name can lightly speak evil of me. ⁴⁰ Whosoever is not against you, is on your side.

⁴¹ And whosoever gives you a cup of water to drink for my name’s sake, because you belong to Christ, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward. ⁴² But whoever hurts one of these little ones that believe in me, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea. ⁴³ Therefore if your hand causes you to offend, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than, having two hands, to go into hell, into fire that never shall be quenched, ⁴⁴ where their worm dies not and the fire never goes out. ⁴⁵ Likewise, if your foot causes you to offend, cut it off. For it is better for you to go lame into life than, having two feet, to be cast into hell, into fire that never shall be quenched, ⁴⁶ where their worm dies not and the fire never goes out. ⁴⁷ So also if your eye causes you to offend, tear it out. It is better for you to go into the kingdom of God with one eye than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire, ⁴⁸ where their worm dies not and the fire never goes out.

⁴⁹ Every man therefore must be salted with fire. And every sacrifice must be seasoned with salt. ⁵⁰ Salt is good. But if the salt is unsavoury, what can you salt with it? See that you have salt in yourselves. And have peace among yourselves, one with another.