Read the Gospels in 40 Days
The Temptation of Jesus
4 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days, and when[a] they were completed, he was hungry. 3 So the devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, order this stone that it become bread!” 4 And Jesus replied to him, “It is written, ‘Man will not live on bread alone.’”[b]
5 And he led him up and[c] showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to him, “I will give you all this domain and their glory, because it has been handed over to me, and I can give it to whomever I want. 7 So if you will worship before me, all this will be yours.” 8 And Jesus answered and[d] said to him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’”[e]
9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and had him stand on the highest point of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10 for it is written,
‘He will command his angels concerning you,
to protect you,’[f]
11 and
‘on their hands they will lift you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”[g]
12 And Jesus answered and[h] said to him, “It is said, ‘You are not to put to the test the Lord your God.’”[i] 13 And when[j] the devil had completed every temptation, he departed from him until a favorable time.[k]
Public Ministry in Galilee
14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news about him went out throughout all the surrounding region. 15 And he began to teach[l] in their synagogues, and[m] was praised by all.
Rejected at Nazareth
16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up,[n] and according to his custom[o] he entered into the synagogue on the day of the Sabbath and stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him, and unrolling the scroll he found the place where it was written,
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because of which he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me
to proclaim release to the captives,
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to send out in freedom those who are oppressed,
19 to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”[p]
20 And he rolled up the scroll and[q] gave it[r] back to the attendant and[s] sat down. And the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were looking intently at him. 21 And he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 And they were all speaking well of him, and were astonished at the gracious words that were coming out of his mouth. And they were saying, “Is this man not the son of Joseph?” 23 And he said to them, “Doubtless you will tell me this parable: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ Whatever we have heard that took place in Capernaum, do here in your hometown also!” 24 And he said, “Truly I say to you that no prophet is acceptable in his own hometown. 25 But in truth I say to you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut for three years and six months while a great famine took place over all the land. 26 And Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was made clean except Naaman the Syrian.” 28 And all those in the synagogue were filled with anger when they[t] heard these things. 29 And they stood up and[u] forced him out of the town and brought him up to the edge of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. 30 But he passed through their midst and[v] went on his way.
Jesus Teaches and Heals Many in Capernaum
31 And he came down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbath. 32 And they were astounded at his teaching, because he spoke[w] with authority.
33 And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon,[x] and he cried out with a loud voice, 34 “Ha! Leave us alone,[y] Jesus the Nazarene! Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” 35 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent and come out of him!” And after[z] throwing him down in their midst, the demon came out of him without hurting him at all. 36 And amazement came upon them all, and they began to talk[aa] with one another, saying, “What word[ab] is this? For he commands the unclean spirits with authority and power, and they come out!” 37 And news about him went out into every place of the surrounding region.
38 And after he[ac] set out from the synagogue, he went into Simon’s house. And Simon’s mother-in-law was afflicted with a high fever, and they asked him on behalf of her. 39 And he stood over her and[ad] rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she got up and[ae] began to serve[af] them.
40 Now as[ag] the sun was setting, all who had those who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and placing his[ah] hands on every one of them, he healed them. 41 And demons also were coming out of many, crying out and saying, “You are the Son of God!” And he rebuked them[ai] and did not permit them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.[aj]
42 And when it[ak] was day, he departed and[al] went to an isolated place. And the crowds were seeking him, and came to him and were trying to prevent him from departing from them. 43 But he said to them, “It is necessary for me to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because I was sent for this purpose. 44 And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
Jesus Calls His First Disciples
5 Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around him and hearing the word of God, he was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret,[am] 2 and he saw two boats there beside the lake, but the fishermen had gotten out of them and[an] were washing their nets. 3 And he got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and[ao] asked him to put out from the land a little. And he sat down and[ap] began to teach[aq] the crowds from the boat. 4 And when he stopped speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 And Simon answered and[ar] said, “Master, although we[as] worked hard through the whole night, we caught nothing. But at your word I will let down the nets.” 6 And when they[at] did this, they caught a very large number of fish, and their nets began to tear.[au] 7 And they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and[av] help them, and they came and filled both the boats so that they began to sink. 8 And when he[aw] saw it,[ax] Simon Peter fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, Lord, because I am a sinful man!”[ay] 9 For amazement had seized him and all those who were with him at the catch of fish that they had caught, 10 and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were business partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid! From now on you will be catching people!” 11 And after they[az] brought their[ba] boats to the land, they left everything and[bb] followed him.
A Leper Cleansed
12 And it happened that while he was in one of the towns, there was[bc] a man covered with leprosy.[bd] And when he[be] saw Jesus, he fell down on his face and[bf] begged him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you are able to make me clean.” 13 And extending his[bg] hand he touched him, saying, “I am willing; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy went away from him. 14 And he ordered him, “Tell no one, but go and[bh] show yourself to the priest and bring the offering[bi] for your cleansing just as Moses commanded, for a testimony to them. 15 But the report about him spread even more, and large crowds were gathering to hear him[bj] and to be healed of their illnesses. 16 But he himself was withdrawing in the wilderness and praying.
A Paralytic Healed
17 And it happened that on one of the days as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there who had come[bk] from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem, and the power of the Lord was there in order for him to heal. 18 And behold, men came carrying on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and place him[bl][bm] before him. 19 And when they[bn] did not find a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and[bo] let him down through the roof tiles with the stretcher into the midst of them, in front of Jesus. 20 And when he[bp] saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” 21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who is able to forgive sins except God alone?” 22 But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, answered and[bq] said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? 23 Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk?’ 24 But in order that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” he said to the one who was paralyzed, “I say to you, ‘Get up and pick up your stretcher and[br] go to your home.’” 25 And immediately he stood up before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and[bs] went away to his home, glorifying God. 26 And amazement seized them all, and they began to glorify[bt] God. And they were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen wonderful things today!”
Levi Called to Follow Jesus
27 And after these things, he went out and saw a tax collector named[bu] Levi sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me!” 28 And leaving everything behind, he got up and[bv] began to follow[bw] him.
29 And Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house, and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others who were reclining for the meal with them. 30 And the Pharisees and their scribes began to complain[bx] to his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?” 31 And Jesus answered and[by] said to them, “Those who are healthy do not have need of a physician, but those who are sick.[bz] 32 I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
On Fasting
33 And they said to him, “The disciples of John fast often and make prayers—likewise also the disciples[ca] of the Pharisees—but yours are eating and drinking!” 34 So he[cb] said[cc] to them, “You are not able to make the bridegroom’s attendants[cd] fast as long as the bridegroom is with them, are you?[ce] 35 But days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.” 36 And he also told a parable to them: “No one tears a patch from a new garment and[cf] puts it[cg] on an old garment. Otherwise, he will have torn the new also, and the old will not match the patch that is from the new. 37 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the wineskins, and it will be spilled and the wineskins will be destroyed. 38 But new wine must be put into new wineskins. 39 And no one after[ch] drinking old wine[ci] wants new, because he says, ‘The old is just fine!’”
Plucking Grain on the Sabbath
6 Now it happened that on a Sabbath he went through the grain fields, and his disciples were picking and eating the heads of grain, rubbing them[cj] in their[ck] hands. 2 But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not permitted on the Sabbath? 3 And Jesus answered and[cl] said to them, “Have you not read this, what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry— 4 how he entered into the house of God and took the bread of the presentation, which it is not permitted to eat (except the priests alone), and[cm] ate it[cn] and gave it[co] to those with him?” 5 And he said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
A Man with a Withered Hand Healed
6 Now it happened that on another Sabbath he entered into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there, and his right hand was withered. 7 So the scribes and the Pharisees were watching closely[cp] to see if he would heal on the Sabbath, in order that they could find a reason[cq] to accuse him. 8 But he knew their thoughts and said to the man who had the withered hand, “Get up and stand in the middle,” and he got up and[cr] stood there. 9 And Jesus said to them, “I ask you whether it is permitted on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save a life or to destroy it?”[cs] 10 And after[ct] looking around at them all, he said to him, “Stretch out your hand,” and he did, and his hand was restored. 11 But they were filled with fury, and began discussing[cu] with one another what they might do to Jesus.
The Selection of the Twelve Apostles
12 Now it happened that in these days he went away to the mountain to pray, and was spending the whole night in prayer to God. 13 And when day came, he summoned his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he also named apostles: 14 Simon (whom he also named Peter) and his brother Andrew, and James, and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, 15 and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, 16 and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
The Sermon on the Plain: The Beatitudes
17 And he came down with them and[cv] stood on a level place, and a large crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all of Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast district of Tyre and Sidon, 18 who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases, and those who were troubled by unclean spirits were cured. 19 And the whole crowd was seeking to touch him, because power was going out from him and healing them all.
20 And he lifted up his eyes to his disciples and[cw] said,
“Blessed are the poor,
because yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are those who are hungry now,
because you will be satisfied.
Blessed are those who weep now,
Because you will laugh.
22 Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. 23 Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For their fathers used to do the same things to the prophets.
The Sermon on the Plain: Woes
24 “But woe to you who are rich,
because you have received your comfort.
25 Woe to you who are satisfied now,
because you will be hungry.
Woe, you who laugh now,
because you will mourn and weep.
26 Woe whenever all people speak well of you,
for their fathers used to do the same things to the false prophets.
The Sermon on the Plain: Love for Enemies
27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 To the one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from the one who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic also. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and from the one who takes away your things, do not ask for them back.[cx] 31 And just as you want people to do[cy] to you, do the same[cz] to them.
32 “And if you love those who love you, what kind of credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them! 33 And if[da] you do good to those who do good to you, what kind of credit is that to you? Even the sinners do the same! 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive back, what kind of credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, so that they may get back an equal amount! 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend expecting back nothing, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful![db]
The Sermon on the Plain: On Judging Others
37 “And do not judge, and you will never be judged. And do not condemn, and you will never be condemned. Pardon, and you will be pardoned. 38 Give, and it will be given to you, a good measure—pressed down, shaken, overflowing—they will pour out into your lap. For with the measure by which you measure out, it will be measured out to you in return.”
39 And he also told them a parable: “Surely a blind person cannot lead the blind, can he?[dc] Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 A disciple is not superior to his[dd] teacher, but everyone, when he[de] is fully trained, will be like his teacher. 41 And why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the beam of wood that is in your own eye? 42 How are you able to say to your brother, “Brother, allow me to remove the speck that is in your eye,” while[df] you yourself do not see the beam of wood in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the beam of wood from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye!
The Sermon on the Plain: Trees and Their Fruit
43 “For there is no good tree that produces bad fruit, nor on the other hand a bad tree that produces good fruit, 44 for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorn plants, nor are grapes harvested from thorn bushes. 45 The good person out of the good treasury of his heart brings forth good, and the evil person out of his[dg] evil treasury[dh] brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
46 “And why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I tell you?[di]
The Sermon on the Plain: Two Houses and Two Foundations
47 “Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and does them—I will show you what he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug and went down deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when[dj] a flood came, the river burst against that house and was not able to shake it, because it had been built well. 49 But the one who hears my words[dk] and does not do them[dl] is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation, which the river burst against, and immediately it collapsed—and the collapse of that house was great!”
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