Read the Gospels in 40 Days

Jesus Sends Seventy-Two To The Cities Ahead of Him

10 And after these things, the Lord appointed seventy two^[a] others, and sent them out ahead of His presence two by two, to every city and place where He Himself was going to go.

Jesus Empowers Them And Instructs Them On How To Conduct Themselves

² And He was saying to them “The harvest is great, but the workers are few! Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest that He send-out workers into His harvest. ³ Go! Behold— I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. ⁴ Do not be carrying a money-bag^[b]; not a [traveler’s] bag, not sandals. And greet^[c] no one along the road. ⁵ And into whatever house you enter, first say ‘Peace on this house’. ⁶ And if a son of ^[d] peace is there, your peace will rest on him. Otherwise indeed, it will return to you. ⁷ And be staying in the very house, eating and drinking the things from them. For the worker is worthy of his wages. Do not be passing from house to house. ⁸ And into whatever city you enter and they welcome you, be eating the things being set-before you. ⁹ And be curing the sick ones in it. And be saying to them, ‘The kingdom of God has drawn-near to you’. ¹⁰ But into whatever city you enter and they do not welcome you, having gone out into its wide-roads, say ¹¹ ‘We are wiping-off against you even the dust having clung to us from your city— to our feet. Nevertheless know this: that the kingdom of God has drawn near’. ¹² I say to you that it will be more-tolerable^[e] on that day for Sodom than for that city! ¹³ Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! Because if the miracles having taken place in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long-ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. ¹⁴ Nevertheless^[f] it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. ¹⁵ And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted up to heaven? You will go-down as far as Hades. ¹⁶ The one listening-to you is listening-to Me. And the one rejecting you is rejecting Me. And the one rejecting Me is rejecting the One having sent Me forth”.

The Seventy-Two Return Rejoicing In Their Power. Rejoice In Your Salvation Instead

¹⁷ And the seventy two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name”. ¹⁸ And He said to them, “I was seeing^[g] Satan having fallen like^[h] lightning from heaven. ¹⁹ Behold— I have given you the authority to trample^[i] on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. And nothing will by-any-means^[j] harm you. ²⁰ Nevertheless, do not be rejoicing in this— that the spirits are subject to you. But be rejoicing that your names have been recorded in the heavens”.

It Pleases God To Hide The Kingdom From The Wise And Reveal It To The Childlike

²¹ At the very hour, He rejoiced-greatly in the Holy Spirit and said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that^[k] You hid these things from wise ones and intelligent ones, and You revealed them to children^[l]. Yes, Father, because^[m] in this manner it became well-pleasing in Your sight. ²² All things were handed-over to Me by My Father. And no one knows^[n] Who the Son is except the Father, and Who the Father is except the Son— and anyone to whom^[o] the Son wills^[p] to reveal Him”. ²³ And having turned to the disciples, He said privately, “Blessed^[q] are the eyes seeing the things which you are seeing. ²⁴ For I say to you that many prophets and kings wanted to experience^[r] the things which you are seeing, and they did not experience them; and to hear the things which you are hearing, and they did not hear them”.

What Shall I Do To Inherit Life? Love God And Your Neighbor. Who Is My Neighbor?

²⁵ And behold— a certain Law-expert stood up, putting Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, [by] having done what shall I inherit eternal life?” ²⁶ And the One said to him, “What has been written in the Law? How do you read it?” ²⁷ And the one, having responded, said, “You shall love the Lord your God from your whole heart, and with your whole soul, and with your whole strength, and with your whole mind, and your neighbor as yourself ”. ²⁸ And He said to him, “You answered correctly. Be doing this and you will live”. ²⁹ But the one, wanting to vindicate^[s] himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

The Parable of The Good Samaritan: Be a Neighbor To Everyone

³⁰ Having taken-up the question, Jesus said, “A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho. And he fell-into^[t] robbers, who, both having stripped him and having laid-on blows, went away— having left him half-dead. ³¹ And by coincidence, a certain priest was going down on that road. And having seen him, he passed-by-on-the-other-side. ³² And likewise also a Levite having come-to-be upon the place, having come and having seen, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a certain Samaritan, while traveling, came upon him. And having seen, he felt-deep-feelings [of compassion]. ³⁴ And having gone to him, he bound his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. And having put him on his own mount, he brought him to an inn and took-care-of him. ³⁵ And on the next day, having taken out two denarii^[u], he gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take-care-of him. And whatever thing you spend-further I will give-back to you during my returning’. ³⁶ Which of these three seems to you to have become^[v] a neighbor of the one having fallen into the robbers?” ³⁷ And the one said, “The one having shown mercy to him”. And Jesus said to him, “Go, and you be doing likewise”.

Mary Chooses The Good Part: Listening To The Word of Jesus

³⁸ And during their proceeding, He entered into a certain village. And a certain woman, Martha by name, received^[w] Him. ³⁹ And to this one there was a sister being called Mary, who also was listening-to His word, having sat near to the feet of the Lord. ⁴⁰ But Martha was being distracted^[x] with much service. And having stood-near, she said “Lord, do You not care that my sister left me to be serving alone? Tell her then that she should help me”. ⁴¹ But having responded, the Lord said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things. ⁴² But there is a need of one thing. For Mary chose the good^[y] part, which will not be taken-away from her”.

Jesus Teaches His Disciples To Pray

11 And it came about during His being in a certain place praying, that when He ceased, a certain one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples”. ² And He said to them, “Whenever you pray, say, ‘Father— let^[z] Your name be treated-as-holy. Let Your kingdom come. ³ Be giving us each day our daily bread. ⁴ And forgive us our sins, for we also are forgiving everyone being indebted to us. And do not bring us into a temptation^[aa]’”.

Keep Asking And You Will Receive

⁵ And He said to them, “Which of you will have a friend, and will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves-of-bread, ⁶ because my friend came to me from a journey and I do not have what I will set-before him’; ⁷ and that one, having responded from inside says ‘Do not be causing me troubles. The door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed. I am not able, having arisen, to give it to you’? ⁸ I say to you: even though he will not, having arisen, give to him because of being his friend, yet because of his shamelessness^[ab] he will, having been raised^[ac], give to him as much as he needs. ⁹ And I say to you: be asking, and it will be given to you. Be seeking, and you will find. Be knocking, and it will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone asking receives. And the one seeking finds. And to the one knocking, it will be opened.

God Knows How To Give Good Answers To Your Prayers

¹¹ “And what father from-among you will his son ask-for a fish, and he will give him a snake^[ad] instead of a fish? ¹² Or indeed he will ask-for an egg— will he give him a scorpion? ¹³ Therefore if you, being evil, know-how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father from heaven give the Holy Spirit to the ones asking Him!”

Some Say Jesus Casts Out Demons By Satan’s Power

¹⁴ And He was casting-out a demon, and it was mute. And it came about, the demon having gone out, that the mute man spoke. And the crowds marveled. ¹⁵ But some of them said, “He is casting out the demons by^[ae] Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons”. ¹⁶ And others, testing Him, were seeking from Him a sign out of heaven.

A Kingdom Divided Cannot Stand. Watch Out Or You Will Be Worse Off

¹⁷ But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them— “Every kingdom having been divided against itself is desolated, and a house divided against a house falls; ¹⁸ and if indeed Satan was divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?— because you are saying that I am casting out the demons by Beelzebul. ¹⁹ And if I am casting out the demons by Beelzebul, by whom^[af] are your sons casting them out? For this reason, they will be your judges; ²⁰ but if I am casting out the demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God came^[ag] upon you. ²¹ Whenever the strong man having fully-armed-himself ^[ah] is guarding his own courtyard, his possessions are in peace. ²² But when one stronger than he, having come against him, overcomes him— he takes away his full-armor upon which he trusted, and distributes his spoils. ²³ The one not being with Me is against Me. And the one not gathering with Me is scattering. ²⁴ When the unclean spirit departs from the person, it goes-through waterless places seeking rest^[ai]. And not finding it, then it says, ‘I will return to my house from where I came out’. ²⁵ And having come, it finds it having been swept and put-in-order^[aj]. ²⁶ Then it proceeds, and takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself. And having gone in, they dwell there. And the last state of that person becomes worse than the first”.

Blessed Are Those Hearing And Keeping The Word of God

²⁷ And it came about during His saying these things that a certain woman from the crowd, having raised her voice, said to Him, “Blessed is the womb having carried You, and the breasts which You sucked”. ²⁸ But He said, “More-than-that, blessed are the ones hearing the word of God and keeping it”.

This Is an Evil Generation. No Sign Will Be Given Except The Sign of Jonah

²⁹ And while the crowds were assembling-more, He began to say “This generation is an evil generation. It is seeking a sign. And a sign will not be given to it except the sign of Jonah. ³⁰ For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so the Son of Man also will be to this generation. ³¹ The Queen of the South will be raised at the judgment with the men of this generation, and she will condemn them. Because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold— a greater thing than Solomon is here. ³² Ninevite men will rise-up at the judgment with this generation, and they will condemn it. Because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and behold— a greater thing than Jonah is here.

The Lamp Shines So People Can See. Watch Out That Your Eye Can Receive The Light

³³ “No one having lit a lamp puts it in a crypt^[ak], nor under the basket, but on the lampstand, in order that the ones coming in may see the light. ³⁴ The lamp^[al] of the body is your eye. When your eye is single^[am], your whole body is also full-of-light. But when it is bad, your body is also full-of-darkness. ³⁵ So be watching-out that the light in^[an] you is not darkness! ³⁶ Therefore if your whole body is full-of-light, not having any part full-of-darkness, [then] the whole body will be full-of-light as when the lamp gives-light-to you with its bright-light”.

Woe To You Pharisees

³⁷ Now at the speaking, a Pharisee asks Him so that He might eat-the-morning-meal with him. And having gone in, He fell-back [to eat]. ³⁸ And the Pharisee, having seen it, marveled that He was not first cleansed^[ao] before the morning-meal. ³⁹ But the Lord said to him, “Now^[ap] you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and the platter, but the inside of you is full of plundering and evilness. ⁴⁰ Foolish ones— did not the One having made the outside also make the inside? ⁴¹ But give the things being-within as alms, and behold— all things are clean for you. ⁴² But woe to you Pharisees, because you are giving-a-tenth-of the mint and the rue and every garden-plant, and are disregarding^[aq] the justice and the love of God. But you ought-to-have done these things, and not be slackening^[ar] those things. ⁴³ Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the seat-of-honor in the synagogues and the greetings in the marketplaces. ⁴⁴ Woe to you, because you are like unmarked^[as] graves, and the people walking over them do not know it ”.

Woe To You Law-Experts

⁴⁵ And having responded, one of the Law-experts says to Him, “Teacher, while saying these things You also are insulting us”. ⁴⁶ And the One said, “Woe to you Law-experts also, because you burden people with hard-to-bear burdens^[at], and you do not touch^[au] the burdens with one of your fingers. ⁴⁷ Woe to you, because you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them! ⁴⁸ Therefore you are witnesses and are giving-approval to the works of your fathers, because they killed them— and you build their tombs. ⁴⁹ For this reason the wisdom of God also said, ‘I will send-forth prophets and apostles to them, and some of them they will kill and persecute, ⁵⁰ in order that the blood of all the prophets having been shed since the foundation of the world may be required^[av] from this generation— ⁵¹ from the blood of Abel up to the blood of Zechariah^[aw], the one having perished between the altar and the house [of God]. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required from this generation’. ⁵² Woe to you Law-experts, because you took away the key of knowledge. You did not enter, and you hindered the ones entering”.

With His Enemies Lying In Wait To Destroy Him, Myriads Gather To Hear Jesus

⁵³ And He having gone out from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be terribly^[ax] hostile^[ay], and to question^[az] Him concerning more things ⁵⁴ while lying-in-wait-for Him to catch something from His mouth— 12 ¹ in which circumstances, the myriads of the crowd having been gathered-together so that they were trampling one another:

Watch Out For The Leaven of The Pharisees, But Do Not Fear Them

He began to speak to His disciples first, “Take heed to yourselves because of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. ² But nothing has been covered-up^[ba] which will not be revealed, and is secret which will not be known. ³ Because whatever you said in the darkness will be heard in the light. And what you spoke to the ear in the inner-rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops. ⁴ And I say to you My friends, do not fear anything from^[bb] the ones killing the body, and after these things not having anything more to do. ⁵ But I will show you Whom you should fear— fear the One having the authority to throw into Gehenna^[bc] after the killing. Yes, I say to you, fear this One. ⁶ Are not five sparrows sold for two assarion^[bd]? And one of them has not been forgotten before God. ⁷ Yet even the hairs of your head have all been numbered. Do not be fearing; you are more valuable than many sparrows. ⁸ And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me in front of people, the Son of Man also will confess him in front of the angels of God. ⁹ But the one having denied Me before people will be denied before the angels of God. ¹⁰ And everyone who shall speak a word against the Son of Man— it will be forgiven to him. But to the one having blasphemed against the Holy Spirit— it will not be forgiven. ¹¹ And whenever they bring you in before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious-about how or what you should speak-in-defense, or what you should say. ¹² For the Holy Spirit will teach you at the very hour the things which you ought-to say”.

Life Is Not In What Abounds To You From Your Possessions. Be Rich Toward God

¹³ And someone from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me”. ¹⁴ But the One said to him, “Man, who appointed Me judge or arbitrator over you?” ¹⁵ And He said to them, “Watch out and guard yourselves from all greed, because one’s life is not in what abounds to him out of his possessions”. ¹⁶ And He spoke a parable to them, saying, “The land of a certain rich man was productive. ¹⁷ And he was reasoning within himself, saying, ‘What should I do, because I do not have a place where I will gather my fruits?’ ¹⁸ And he said, ‘I will do this— I will tear-down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will gather all my grain and good things. ¹⁹ And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many good things lying-in-store for many years. Be resting. Eat, drink. Be enjoying-yourself ”’. ²⁰ But God said to him, ‘Foolish one! On this night they^[be] are demanding your life^[bf] from you. And the things which you prepared— for whom will they be?’ ²¹ So is the one storing-up for himself, and not being rich toward God”.

Do Not Worry About The Necessities of This Life; Seek God’s Kingdom

²² And He said to His disciples, “For this reason^[bg], I say to you, do not be anxious for your life as to what you may eat, nor for your body as to what you may put-on. ²³ For life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. ²⁴ Consider the ravens— that they do not sow nor reap, for which there is not a storeroom nor a barn. And God feeds them. How much more are you worth than the birds! ²⁵ And which of you while being anxious is able to add a cubit^[bh] upon his life-span? ²⁶ If then you are not even able to do a very little thing, why are you anxious about the rest? ²⁷ Consider the lilies, how they grow. They do not labor nor spin, but I say to you— not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these! ²⁸ But if God dresses in this manner the grass in a field existing today and being thrown into an oven tomorrow, how much more will He care for you— ones-of-little-faith? ²⁹ And don’t you be seeking what you may eat and what you may drink. And do not be unsettled^[bi]. ³⁰ For the nations of the world are seeking-after all these things. And your Father knows that you have need of these things. ³¹ But be seeking His kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

Do Not Fear. Sell Your Possessions For a Heavenly Return

³² “Do not be fearing, little flock, because your Father was well-pleased to give you the kingdom. ³³ Sell your possessions, and give it as alms^[bj]. Make yourselves money-bags not becoming-old— an unfailing^[bk] treasure in the heavens, where a thief does not draw-near, nor does a moth destroy. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there also your heart will be.

Keep Watch For Your Master’s Return. Be Prepared

³⁵ Let your waists be girded^[bl] and your lamps burning, ³⁶ and you be like people waiting-for their master when he departs from the wedding-celebrations— in order that he having come and having knocked, they may immediately open [the door] for him. ³⁷ Blessed are those slaves whom the master, having come, will find keeping-watch. Truly I say to you that he will gird himself, and have them lie back [to eat]. And having come-to the table, he will serve them. ³⁸ Even if in the second^[bm], even if he comes in the third watch and finds them so, blessed are those ones. ³⁹ And you know^[bn] this saying— that if the house-master had known at which hour the thief was coming, he would not have permitted his house to be broken-into. ⁴⁰ You also be^[bo] prepared ones, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour which you do not expect”.

Wise Servants Found Working When The Master Returns Will Be Rewarded

⁴¹ And Peter said, “Lord, are You speaking this parable to us, or also to everyone?” ⁴² And the Lord said, “Who then^[bp] is the faithful, wise steward^[bq] whom his master will put-in-charge over his body-of-servants, that he might be giving them their food-allowance at the proper-time? ⁴³ Blessed is that slave whom his master, having come, will find so doing. ⁴⁴ Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge over all his possessions. ⁴⁵ But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying to come’, and he begins to strike the male-servants and the female-servants, and to eat and drink and get-drunk— ⁴⁶ the master of that slave will come on a day which he does not expect, and at an hour which he does not know. And he will cut him in two, and assign him his part^[br] with the unbelievers^[bs]. ⁴⁷ But that slave having known the will of his master, and not having prepared or acted in accordance with his will, will be beaten many blows. ⁴⁸ But the one not having known, and having done things worthy of blows, will be beaten a few blows. And to everyone whom much was given, much will be sought from him. And to whom they entrusted much, they will ask him even more.

I Came To Cause Division On Earth, Not To Bring It Peace

⁴⁹ “I came to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish that it were already kindled! ⁵⁰ But I have a baptism to be baptized; and how I am held^[bt] by it until it is accomplished! ⁵¹ Do you think that I came^[bu] to grant peace on earth? No, I say to you, but rather division! ⁵² For from now on, there^[bv] will be five in one house having been divided— three against two, and two against three. ⁵³ They will be divided— father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law”.

Read The Signs of The Times. Judge For Yourselves

⁵⁴ And He was also saying to the crowds, “Whenever you see the cloud rising in the west, immediately you say that ‘A rainstorm is coming’, and so it happens. ⁵⁵ And whenever a south wind is blowing, you say that ‘There will be burning-heat’, and it happens. ⁵⁶ Hypocrites! You know-how to test the appearance of the earth and the heaven, but how is it you do not know-how to test this time? ⁵⁷ And why also are you not judging the right thing from yourselves? ⁵⁸ For as you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, make an effort on the way to be released from him, so that he may not perhaps drag you before the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the bailiff, and the bailiff will throw you into prison. ⁵⁹ I say to you, you will by no means come out from there until you pay even the last leptos^[bw]”.