Read the Gospels in 40 Days

4 ¶ And Jesus being full of the Holy Spirit returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness

² for forty days and was tempted of the devil. And in those days he ate nothing; and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.

³ Then the devil said unto him, If thou art the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.

⁴ And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

⁵ And the devil took him up into a high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the sphere of the world in a moment of time.

⁶ And the devil said unto him, All this authority I will give thee and the glory of them, for that is delivered unto me, and to whomsoever I will I give it.

⁷ If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.

⁸ And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan; for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

⁹ And he brought him to Jerusalem and set him on a pinnacle of the temple and said unto him, If thou art the Son of God, cast thyself down from here;

¹⁰ for it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee,

¹¹ and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

¹² And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

¹³ And having finished all temptation, the devil departed from him for a season.

¹⁴ ¶ And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and his fame went out through all the region round about.

¹⁵ And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.

¹⁶ And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day and stood up to read.

¹⁷ And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah. 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 to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those that are broken,

¹⁹ to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.

²⁰ And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister and sat down. And the eyes of all those that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

²¹ And he began to say unto them, Today this scripture is fulfilled in your ears.

²² And all bore him witness and marvelled at the words of grace which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son?

²³ And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself; whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.

²⁴ And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.

²⁵ But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land,

²⁶ but unto none of them was Elijah sent, except unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a widow woman.

²⁷ And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed, except Naaman the Syrian.

²⁸ And all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath

²⁹ and rose up and thrust him out of the city and led him unto the brow of the hill upon which their city was built that they might cast him down headlong.

³⁰ But he, passing through the midst of them, went away.

³¹ ¶ And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days.

³² And they were astonished at his doctrine, for his word was with power.

³³ And in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon and cried out with a loud voice,

³⁴ saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art: the Holy One of God.

³⁵ And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Be silent and come out of him. And the demon, throwing him down in the midst, came out of him and hurt him not.

³⁶ And they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, What word is this! For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.

³⁷ And his fame went out into every place of the country round about.

³⁸ And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon’s house. And Simon’s wife’s mother was taken with a great fever, and they besought him for her.

³⁹ And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she arose and ministered unto them.

⁴⁰ Now when the sun was setting, all those who had anyone sick with diverse diseases brought them unto him, and laying his hands on each one of them, he healed them.

⁴¹ And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, Thou art the Christ, the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak, for they knew that he was the Christ.

⁴² And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place, and the people sought him and came unto him and stayed him, that he should not depart from them.

⁴³ And he said unto them, I must announce the gospel of the kingdom of God to other cities also because for this am I sent.

⁴⁴ And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.

5 ¶ And it came to pass 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 that were by the shore of the lake, but the fishermen were gone out of them and were washing their nets.

³ And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people out of the ship.

⁴ Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.

⁵ And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night and have taken nothing; nevertheless, at thy word I will let down the net.

⁶ And when they had done this, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes, and their net was breaking.

⁷ And they beckoned unto their partners, who were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

⁸ When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down on his knees before Jesus, saying, Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.

⁹ For he was overcome with fear, and all that were with him, at the catch of the fishes which they had taken;

¹⁰ and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from now on thou shalt catch men.

¹¹ And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all and followed him.

¹² ¶ And it came to pass when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy who, seeing Jesus, fell on his face and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

¹³ And he put forth his hand and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.

¹⁴ And he charged him to tell no one. But go and show thyself to the priest and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

¹⁵ But so much the more his fame went forth, and great multitudes came together to hear and to be healed by him of their infirmities.

¹⁶ But he withdrew himself into the wilderness and prayed.

¹⁷ ¶ And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, who were come out of every town of Galilee and Judaea and Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.

¹⁸ And, behold, men brought in a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they sought means to bring him in and to lay him before him.

¹⁹ And when they could not find any way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus.

²⁰ And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.

²¹ And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?

²² Then Jesus, knowing their thoughts and answering them said, What reason ye in your hearts?

²³ What is easier, to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee, or to say, Rise up and walk?

²⁴ But that ye may know that the Son of man has power upon earth to forgive sins (he said unto the paralytic), I say unto thee, Arise and take up thy couch and go to thine house.

²⁵ And immediately he rose up before them and took up that upon which he lay and departed to his own house, glorifying God.

²⁶ And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen marvels today.

²⁷ ¶ And after these things he went forth and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom, and he said unto him, Follow me.

²⁸ And he left all, rose up, and followed him.

²⁹ And Levi made a great banquet in his own house and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down at the table with them.

³⁰ But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?

³¹ And Jesus answering said unto them, Those that are whole have no need of a physician, but those that are sick.

³² I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

³³ Then they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees, but thine eat and drink?

³⁴ And he said unto them, Can ye make the sons of the bridechamber fast while the bridegroom is with them?

³⁵ But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.

³⁶ And he also spoke a parable unto them: No one takes a piece of a new garment to mend an old one; if otherwise, then the new one is rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new does not agree with the old.

³⁷ And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled and the wineskins shall perish.

³⁸ But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved.

³⁹ No one also having drunk of the old straightway desires the new, for he says, The old is better.

6 ¶ And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first that he went through the grain fields and his disciples plucked the ears of grain and ate, rubbing them in their hands.

² And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days?

³ And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when he and those that were with him were hungry,

⁴ how he went into the house of God and did take and eat the showbread and gave also to those that were with him, which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone?

⁵ And he said unto them, The Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath.

⁶ And it came to pass also on another sabbath that he entered into the synagogue and taught, and a man was there whose right hand was withered.

⁷ And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day, that they might find an accusation against him.

⁸ But he knew their thoughts and said to the man who had the withered hand, Rise up and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth.

⁹ Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing: Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good or to do evil? to save a person or to destroy them?

¹⁰ And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so, and his hand was restored whole as the other.

¹¹ And they were filled with madness and talked one with another about what they might do to Jesus.

¹² ¶ And it came to pass in those days that he went out into the mountain to pray and continued all night in prayer to God.

¹³ And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples; and of them he chose twelve, whom he also named apostles:

¹⁴ Simon (whom he also named Peter) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,

¹⁵ Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon called Zelotes

¹⁶ and Judas the brother of James and Judas Iscariot, who also was the traitor.

¹⁷ And he came down with them and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases;

¹⁸ and those that were tormented with unclean spirits were healed.

¹⁹ And the whole multitude sought to touch him, for there went virtue out of him and healed them all.

²⁰ ¶ And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples and said, Blessed are the poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

²¹ Blessed are those that hunger now, for ye shall be filled. Blessed are those that weep now, for ye shall laugh.

²² Blessed are ye when men shall hate you and when they shall separate you from their company and shall reproach you and cast out your name as evil for the sake of the Son of man.

²³ Rejoice ye in that day and leap for joy; for, behold, your reward is great in heaven, for their fathers treated the prophets in the same manner.

²⁴ But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.

²⁵ Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.

²⁶ Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers treat the false prophets.

²⁷ ¶ But I say unto you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,

²⁸ bless those that curse you, and pray for those who despitefully use you.

²⁹ And unto the one that smites thee on the one cheek offer also the other, and to the one that takes away thy cloak defend not thy coat also.

³⁰ Give to everyone that asks of thee, and of the one that takes away thy goods ask them not to return them.

³¹ And as ye desire that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

³² For if ye love those who love you, what grace shall ye have? for sinners also love those that love them.

³³ And if ye do good to those who do good to you, what grace shall ye have? for sinners also do even the same.

³⁴ And if ye lend to those of whom ye hope to receive, what grace shall ye have? for sinners also lend to sinners to receive as much again.

³⁵ But rather love ye your enemies and do good and lend, hoping for nothing again, and your reward shall be great; and ye shall be the sons of the Most High, for he is kind even unto the unthankful and to the evil.

³⁶ Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

³⁷ ¶ Judge not, and ye shall not be judged; condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned; forgive, and ye shall be forgiven;

³⁸ give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down and shaken together and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye measure out it shall be measured to you again.

³⁹ And he spoke a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into the pit?

⁴⁰ The disciple is not above his master, but any one that is as the master shall be perfect.

⁴¹ And why dost thou behold the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but not perceive the beam that is in thine own eye?

⁴² Or how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself dost not behold the beam that is in thine own eye? Hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.

⁴³ For a good tree does not bring forth corrupt fruit; neither does a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

⁴⁴ For every tree is known by its own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush do they gather grapes.

⁴⁵ The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth that which is evil, for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

⁴⁶ And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

⁴⁷ Whosoever comes to me and hears my words and does them, 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 upon rock; and when the flood arose, the river beat vehemently upon that house and could not shake it, for it was founded upon rock.

⁴⁹ But he that hears and does not do is like a man that built a house upon the earth without a foundation against which the river beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.