M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Tola, the Judge
10 ·After Abimelech died [L After Abimelech], another ·judge [leader; 2:16] ·came [arose] to save Israel. He was Tola son of Puah, the son of Dodo. Tola was from the people of Issachar and lived in the city of Shamir in the ·mountains [hill country] of Ephraim. 2 Tola ·judged [led; 2:16] Israel for twenty-three years. Then he died and was buried in Shamir.
Jair, the Judge
3 After ·Tola died [L him], Jair ·from the region of Gilead [L the Gileadite] ·judged [led; 2:16] Israel for twenty-two years. 4 Jair had thirty sons, who rode thirty donkeys [12:14]. These thirty sons controlled thirty towns in Gilead, which are called the ·Towns [L Havvoth; C Hebrew for “towns” or “tent-villages”] of Jair to this day. 5 Jair died and was buried in the city of Kamon.
The Ammonites Trouble Israel
6 Again the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] did ·what the Lord said was wrong [L evil in the eyes/sight of the Lord]. They ·worshiped [served] ·Baal and Ashtoreth [L the Baals and Ashtoreths; 2:11–13; C referring to the idols of these gods found throughout Israel], the gods of Aram [C these included Hadad, Mot, Anath, and Rimon], Sidon [C Baal and Ashtoreth], Moab [C Chemosh; Num. 21:29], and Ammon [C Molech; 1 Kin. 11:7], and the gods of the Philistines [C Dagon; 16:23]. The Israelites ·left [abandoned; forsook] the Lord and stopped serving him. 7 So the Lord ·was angry with [L burned with anger against] them and ·handed them over to [L gave them into the hand of] the Philistines and the Ammonites. 8 In the same year those people ·destroyed [L shattered and crushed; C from two Hebrew words that sound similar] the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] who lived east of the Jordan River in the region of Gilead, where the Amorites lived. So the Israelites suffered for eighteen years. 9 The Ammonites then crossed the Jordan River to fight the people of Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim, causing much ·trouble [distress] to the people of Israel. 10 So the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] cried out to the Lord, “We have sinned against you. We ·left [abandoned; forsook] our God and ·worshiped [served] the ·Baal idols [L Baals].”
11 The Lord answered the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel], “When the Egyptians, Amorites, Ammonites, Philistines, 12 Sidonians, Amalekites, and Maonites ·were cruel to [oppressed] you, you cried out to me, and ·I saved [L did I not save/rescue/T deliver…?] you [L from their hand]. 13 But now you have ·left [abandoned; forsaken] me again and have ·worshiped [served] other gods. So I ·refuse to [will no longer] save you again. 14 You have chosen those gods. So go ·call [cry out] to them for help. Let them ·save [rescue; T deliver] you when you are in ·trouble [distress].”
15 But the ·people [L sons; T children] of Israel said to the Lord, “We have sinned. Do to us whatever ·you want [you see fit; L is good in your eyes], but please ·save [rescue; T deliver] us today!” 16 Then the Israelites threw away the foreign gods among them, and they worshiped the Lord again. So ·he felt sorry for them [or he could no longer bear it; or he grew impatient; L his spirit grew short] when he saw their suffering.
17 The ·Ammonites [L sons/descendants of Ammon] ·gathered for war [were called to arms] and camped in Gilead. The Israelites gathered and camped at Mizpah. 18 The leaders of the people of Gilead said, “Who will lead us to attack the ·Ammonites [L sons/descendants of Ammon]? He will become the head of all those who live in Gilead.”
Jephthah Is Chosen as Leader
11 Jephthah was a ·strong soldier [mighty warrior] from Gilead [C a region east of the Jordan]. His father was named Gilead, and his mother was a prostitute. 2 Gilead’s wife had several sons. When they grew up, they forced Jephthah to leave his home, saying to him, “You will not get any of our father’s ·property [inheritance], because you are the son of another woman.” 3 So Jephthah ran away from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob [C region northeast of Gilead; 2 Sam. 10:6, 8]. There some ·worthless [good-for-nothing; trouble-making] men began to ·follow [or travel with] him.
4 After a time the ·Ammonites [L sons/descendants of Ammon] fought against Israel. 5 When the ·Ammonites [L sons/descendants of Ammon] made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to Jephthah to bring him back from Tob. 6 They said to him, “Come and ·lead our army [L be our commander/ruler] so we can fight the ·Ammonites [L sons/descendants of Ammon].”
7 But Jephthah said to them, “Didn’t you hate me? You forced me to leave my father’s house. Why are you coming to me now that you are in trouble?”
8 The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “·It is because of those troubles that [For that reason; or Despite that; Nevertheless][a] we come to you now. Please come with us and fight against the ·Ammonites [L sons/descendants of Ammon]. You will be the ·ruler [leader; head] over everyone who lives in Gilead.”
9 Then Jephthah answered, “If you take me back to Gilead to fight the ·Ammonites [L sons/descendants of Ammon] and the Lord helps me win, ·I will be your ruler [or will I really be your ruler/leader/head?].”
10 The elders of Gilead said to him, “The Lord ·is listening to everything we are saying [is our witness; or will mediate for us; L will hear between us; C an oath formula]. ·We promise to do all that you tell us to do [or …if we do not do as you say].” 11 So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him their ·leader [head; ruler] and ·commander of their army [or chief; leader]. Jephthah repeated all of his words in front of the Lord at Mizpah [C either to further ratify them or to confirm God’s direction].
Paul and Barnabas in Iconium
14 In Iconium [13:51], ·Paul and Barnabas [L they] went as usual to the Jewish synagogue [C they typically appealed to their fellow Jews first]. They spoke ·so well [L in such a way] that a great many Jews and Greeks believed. 2 But the Jews who did not believe ·excited [stirred up] the Gentiles and ·turned them [poisoned their minds; L harmed/did evil to their souls] against the ·believers [L brothers (and sisters)]. 3 [L So; Therefore] ·Paul and Barnabas [L They] stayed in Iconium a long time and spoke ·bravely [or boldly] for the Lord. He ·showed [testified; confirmed] that their ·message [word] about his grace was true by giving them the power to work [miraculous] signs and ·miracles [wonders]. 4 But [L the people/population of] the city was divided. Some of the people agreed with the Jews, and others ·believed [L were with] the apostles.
5 Some Gentiles, some Jews, and some of their rulers ·wanted [intended; plotted] to mistreat Paul and Barnabas and to stone them to death. 6 When ·Paul and Barnabas [L they] learned about this, they ·ran away [fled; escaped] to Lystra [C eighteen miles south of Iconium] and Derbe [C sixty miles southeast from Lystra], cities in Lycaonia [C the administrative district], and to the areas around those cities. 7 They ·announced the Good News [preached the Gospel] there, too.
Paul in Lystra and Derbe
8 In Lystra [v. 6] there sat a man who had been ·born crippled [L lame from the womb of his mother]; he had never walked. 9 As this man was listening to Paul speak, Paul looked straight at him and saw that he ·believed [had faith that] God could heal him. 10 So he ·cried out [L said with a loud voice], “Stand up on your feet!” The man jumped up and began walking around. 11 When the crowds saw what Paul did, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have ·become like humans [or taken on human form] and have come down to us!” 12 Then the people began to call Barnabas “Zeus” [C main god of the Greek pantheon] and Paul “Hermes,” [C the Greek god who delivered messages] because he was the main speaker. 13 The priest in the temple of Zeus, which was ·near [or beside; at the entrance of] the city, brought some ·bulls [or oxen] and ·flowers [garlands; wreaths] to the ·gates [temple gates; or city gates; C but it is doubtful that Lystra had city walls at this time]. He and the people wanted to offer a sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas. 14 But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard about it, they tore their clothes [C indicating outrage or sorrow]. They ran in among the people, shouting, 15 “·Friends [L Men], why are you doing these things? We are only human beings ·like [of the same nature as] you. We are bringing you the ·Good News [Gospel] and are telling you to turn away from these worthless things and turn to the living God. He is the One who made the sky, the earth, the sea, and everything in them [Ex. 20:11; Ps. 146:6]. 16 In the past [L generations], God let all the nations ·do what they wanted [L go their own way]. 17 Yet he ·proved he is real [L has not left himself without a witness] by ·showing kindness [doing good], by giving you rain from heaven and crops at the right ·times [seasons], by ·giving you [satisfying/filling you with] food and filling your hearts with joy [Ps. 104:13–15].” 18 Even with these words, they were barely able to keep the crowd from offering sacrifices to them.
19 Then some Jews [C those who had opposed them earlier; 13:50–51; 14:2, 5] came from Antioch and Iconium and persuaded the people to turn against Paul. So they threw stones at him [2 Cor. 11:25; C stoning was the main Jewish method of execution] and dragged him out of town, thinking they had killed him. 20 But the ·followers [disciples] ·gathered around him [or surrounded him; C either to protect from further attack or to check on his condition], and he got up and went back into the town [C perhaps a miracle; certainly evidence of Paul’s perseverance]. The next day he and Barnabas left and went to the city of Derbe [v. 6].
The Return to Antioch in Syria
21 ·Paul and Barnabas [L They] ·told the Good News [preached the Gospel] in Derbe, and many became ·followers [disciples]. ·Paul and Barnabas [L They] returned to Lystra [14:6], Iconium, and Antioch, 22 ·making the followers of Jesus stronger [L strengthening the souls/lives of the disciples] and ·helping them stay [L encouraging/exhorting them to remain/persevere] in the faith. They said, “We must ·suffer many things [endure/pass through many trials/persecutions] to enter God’s kingdom.” 23 They ·chose [appointed; or elected] elders [1 Tim. 5:17–20; Titus 1:5–9] for each church, ·by [after; L with] praying and fasting [C giving up eating for spiritual purposes]. These elders had ·trusted [believed in] the Lord, so Paul and Barnabas ·put them in [committed them to] the Lord’s care.
24 Then they went through Pisidia [13:14] and came to Pamphylia [13:13]. 25 When they had ·preached the message [L spoken the word] in Perga [13:13], they went down to Attalia [C eight miles southwest of Perga]. 26 And from there they sailed away to Antioch [C in Syria about 400 miles away] where ·the believers had put them into God’s care [L they had been delivered over to God’s grace] to do the work that they had now ·finished [completed; fulfilled].
27 When they arrived in Antioch, ·Paul and Barnabas [L they] gathered the church together. They ·told [reported/recounted to] the church all about what God had done with them and how God had ·made it possible for the Gentiles to believe [L opened a door of faith to the Gentiles]. 28 And they stayed there ·a long [a considerable; L no little] time with the ·followers [disciples].
The Evil Leaders of Judah
23 “·How terrible it will be for [Woe to] ·those [L the shepherds; C the leaders of Judah] who are scattering and destroying ·my people [L the sheep of my pasture],” says the Lord.
2 They are ·responsible for the people [L the shepherds who shepherd my people; Num. 27:7; Ps. 78:70–72; Ezek. 34], so the Lord, the God of Israel, says to them: “You have scattered my ·people [flock] and forced them away and not taken care of them. So I will ·punish [take care of] you for the evil things you have done,” says the Lord. 3 “But I will gather ·those who are left alive [L the remnant of my flock] from all the lands where I have driven them and bring them back to their own ·country [flock]. Then they will ·have many children and grow in number [be fruitful and multiply]. 4 I will ·place [raise up] ·new leaders over my people, who will take care of them [L shepherds who will shepherd them]. And my people will not be afraid or terrified again, and none of them will be lost,” says the Lord.
The Good Branch Will Come
5 “The days are coming,” says the Lord,
“when I will raise up a ·good [righteous] branch ·in David’s family [L for David; Is. 4:2; Zech. 3:8; 6:12].
He will be a king who will rule in a wise way;
he will do ·what is fair and right [justice and righteousness] in the land.
6 In his time Judah will be ·saved [rescued],
and Israel will live ·in safety [with confidence].
This will be his name:
The Lord ·Does What Is Right [L Our Righteousness].
7 “So the days are coming,” says the Lord, “when people will not say again: ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought Israel out of Egypt….’ 8 But people will say something new: ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the ·descendants of Israel [L seed of the house of Israel] from the land of the north [C Babylon] and from all the countries where he had ·sent [driven] them away….’ Then the people of Israel will live in their own land [16:14–15].”
False Prophets Will Be Punished
9 A message to the prophets:
My heart is ·broken [L shattered within me].
All my bones shake.
I’m like someone who is drunk,
like someone who has been ·overcome [inebriated] with wine.
This is because of the Lord
and his holy words.
10 The land [C of Judah] is full of people who are guilty of adultery.
Because of the curse the land ·is sad [mourns],
and the pastures of the ·desert [wilderness] have dried up.
The people [Their lives/L courses] are evil
and ·they use their power in the wrong way [L their power is not right].
11 “Both the prophets and the priests are ungodly.
I have found even in my own ·Temple [L house],” says the Lord.
12 “So their ·lives [L ways; paths] will be slippery and dark [C they will be in danger].
They will ·be defeated [L fall].
I will bring ·disaster [evil; trouble] on them
in the year I punish them,” says the Lord.
13 “I saw the prophets of Samaria [C capital of the northern kingdom destroyed in 722 bc]
do something ·wrong [disgusting].
Those prophets prophesied by Baal
and led my people Israel away [Deut. 13:1–5].
14 And I have seen the prophets of Jerusalem
do ·terrible [shocking] things.
They are guilty of adultery
and ·live [walk] by lies.
They ·encourage [strengthen] ·evil people to keep on doing evil [L the hands of evildoers],
so the people don’t ·stop sinning [L turn back from their evil].
All of those people are like the city of Sodom.
The people of Jerusalem are like the city of Gomorrah to me [C sinful and soon to be punished; Gen. 18–19]!”
15 So this is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says about the prophets:
“I will make those prophets eat ·bitter food [L wormwood; C the bitter tasting leaves of a shrub; 9:15]
and drink poisoned water,
because the prophets of Jerusalem spread ·wickedness [godlessness]
through the whole country.”
16 This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says:
“Don’t ·pay attention [listen] to what those prophets are ·saying [prophesying] to you.
They are trying to ·fool [delude] you.
They talk about visions their own ·minds [L hearts] made up,
not ·about visions from me [L from the mouth of the Lord].
17 They say to those who ·hate [despise] me:
‘The Lord says: You will have peace.’
They say to all those who ·are stubborn and do as they please [L walk in the stubbornness of their heart]:
‘Nothing ·bad [evil; disastrous] will happen to you.’
18 ·But none of these prophets has stood in the meeting of angels [L Who has stood in the assembly/council of the Lord…?; 1 Kin. 22:19–23; Job 1—2; 15:8; Ps. 82; Is. 6:1–3]
to see or hear the message of the Lord.
·None of them [L Who…?] has paid close attention to his message.
19 Look, the ·storm [whirlwind] of the Lord!
His anger will pour forth like a ·hurricane [storm; whirlwind].
It will come swirling down on the heads of those wicked people [30:23].
20 The Lord’s anger will not ·stop [turn back]
until he finishes what he plans to do.
When that day is over,
you will understand this clearly [30:24].
21 I did not send those prophets,
but they ran [C to tell their message].
I did not speak to them,
but they prophesied anyway.
22 But if they had stood in ·the meeting of angels [L my assembly/council],
they would have told my message to my people.
They would have turned the people from their evil ways
and from doing evil.
23 “·I am [L Am I only…?] a God who is near,” says the Lord.
“·I am [L And not…?] also a God who is far away.
24 ·No one [L Who…?] can hide
where I cannot see him,” says the Lord.
“·I [L Do I not…?] fill all of heaven and earth,” says the Lord.
25 “I have heard the prophets who prophesy lies in my name. They say, ‘I have had a dream! I have had a dream!’ 26 How long will this continue in the ·minds [L hearts] of these lying prophets? They prophesy from their own ·wishful thinking [L deceitful hearts]. 27 They are trying to make the people of Judah forget ·me [L my name] by telling each other these dreams. In the same way, their ·ancestors [fathers] forgot ·me [L my name] ·and worshiped [L for] Baal. 28 ·Is straw the same thing as [L What has straw in common with] wheat?” says the Lord. “If a prophet wants to tell about his dreams, let him! But let the person who hears my message speak it truthfully! 29 Isn’t my message like a fire?” says the Lord. “Isn’t it like a hammer that smashes a rock?
30 “So I am against the prophets [C false prophets],” says the Lord. “They keep stealing words from each other [C and say they are from God]. 31 I am against the prophets [C false prophets],” says the Lord. “They use their own ·words [L tongues] and ·pretend it is a message from me [L say, ‘Says the Lord’]. 32 I am against the prophets who prophesy false dreams,” says the Lord. “They mislead my people with their lies and ·false teachings [recklessness]! I did not send them or command them to do anything for me. They can’t help the people of Judah at all,” says the Lord.
The Sad Message from the Lord
33 “Suppose this people [C of Judah], a prophet, or a priest asks you [C Jeremiah]: ‘What is the ·message [oracle; burden] from the Lord?’ You will answer them and say, ‘You are a heavy ·load [burden] to the Lord, and I will throw you down, says the Lord.’ 34 A prophet or a priest or one of the people might say, ‘This is a ·message [oracle; burden] from the Lord.’ I will punish him [C for lying that he has a message from God] and his whole family. 35 This is what you will say to each other: ‘What did the Lord answer?’ or ‘What did the Lord say?’ 36 But you will never again ·say [mention; remember], ‘The ·message [oracle; burden] of the Lord,’ because the only ·message [oracle; burden] you speak is your own words. You have ·changed [overturned; perverted] the words of our God, the living God, the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]. 37 This is how you should speak to the prophets: ‘What answer did the Lord give you?’ or ‘What did the Lord say?’ 38 But don’t say, ‘The ·message [oracle; burden] from the Lord.’ If you use these words, this is what the Lord says: Because you called it a ‘·message [oracle; burden] from the Lord,’ though I told you not to use those words, 39 I will pick you up and ·throw [cast] you away from me, along with the city [C Jerusalem], which I gave to your ·ancestors [fathers] and to you. 40 And I will ·make a disgrace of [give shame to] you forever; your shame will never be forgotten.”
9 Then Jesus said to the people, “I tell you the truth, some people standing here will not ·die [L taste death] before they see the kingdom of God ·come [arrive] with power.” [C “Seeing the kingdom of God” may refer to the Transfiguration that follows (9:1–8), Jesus’ resurrection, or the destruction of Jerusalem in ad 70.]
The Transfiguration on the Mountain(A)
2 Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and John [L and led them] up on a high mountain by themselves. ·While they watched [In their presence; In front of them], Jesus’ appearance was ·changed [transformed; T transfigured]. 3 His clothes became shining white, whiter than any ·person [launderer on earth] could ·make them [bleach them]. 4 Then Elijah and Moses appeared to them, talking with Jesus. [C God had given the Law through Moses, and Elijah was an important prophet (see 6:1); together they signify that Jesus fulfills the OT.]
5 Peter said to Jesus, “·Teacher [L Rabbi], it is good that we are here. Let us make three ·tents [shelters; shrines; tabernacles; Lev. 23:42]—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” [C Perhaps Peter wanted to prolong their stay or to commemorate their visit.] 6 Peter did not know what to say, because he and the others were so frightened.
7 Then a cloud came and ·covered [overshadowed; Ex. 24:15] them, and a voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my ·Son, whom I love [dearly loved Son; Ps. 2:7; Gen. 22:2; Mark 1:11]. Listen to him [Deut. 18:15; Acts 3:22]!”
8 Suddenly Peter, James, and John looked around, but they saw only Jesus there alone with them.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ·commanded [instructed] them not to tell anyone about what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
10 So they ·obeyed Jesus [kept this statement/matter to themselves], but they discussed what he meant about rising from the dead.
11 Then they asked Jesus, “Why do the ·teachers of the law [scribes] say that Elijah must come first [Mal. 3:1; 4:5]?”
12 Jesus answered, “·They are right to say that Elijah must come first and [L Elijah is indeed coming, and he will] ·make everything the way it should be [restore/prepare everything]. But why does the Scripture say that the Son of Man will suffer much and ·that people will treat him as if he were nothing [be despised; be treated with contempt; be rejected; Is. 52:13—53:12]? 13 [L But] I tell you that Elijah has already come. And ·people [L they] did to him whatever they wanted to do, just as ·the Scriptures said it would happen [it is written about him].”
Jesus Heals a Sick Boy(B)
14 When Jesus, Peter, James, and John came back to the other ·followers [disciples], they saw a great crowd around them and the ·teachers of the law [scribes] arguing with them. 15 But as soon as the crowd saw Jesus, the people were ·surprised [amazed] and ran to welcome him.
16 Jesus asked, “What are you arguing about?”
17 A man [in the crowd] answered, “Teacher, I brought my son to you. He has an evil spirit in him that ·stops him from talking [makes him mute]. 18 When the spirit attacks him, it throws him on the ground. Then my son foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes ·very stiff [rigid]. I asked your ·followers [disciples] to ·force [drive; cast] the evil spirit out, but they couldn’t.”
19 Jesus answered, “You ·people have no faith [unbelieving/faithless generation]. How long must I stay with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”
20 So ·the followers [L they] brought him to Jesus. As soon as the evil spirit saw Jesus, it ·made the boy lose control of himself [threw the boy into convulsions], and he fell down and rolled on the ground, foaming at the mouth.
21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has this been happening?”
The father answered, “Since ·he was very young [childhood]. 22 The spirit often throws him into a fire or into water to ·kill [destroy] him. If you can do anything for him, please have ·pity [compassion] on us and help us.”
23 Jesus said to the father, “You said, ‘If you can!’ All things are possible for the one who believes.”
24 Immediately the father cried out, “I do believe! Help ·me to believe more [me not to doubt; me overcome my unbelief; L my unbelief]!”
25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was quickly gathering, he ·ordered [rebuked] the ·evil [defiling; L unclean] spirit, saying, “You deaf and mute spirit, I command you to come out of this boy and never enter him again!”
26 The evil spirit screamed and ·caused the boy to fall on the ground again [convulsed him violently]. Then the spirit came out. The boy looked as if he were dead, and many people said, “He is dead!” 27 But Jesus took hold of the boy’s hand and helped him to stand up.
28 When Jesus went into the house, his ·followers [disciples] began asking him privately, “Why couldn’t we ·force [drive; cast] that evil spirit out?”
29 Jesus answered, “That kind of spirit can only be forced out by prayer.”[a]
Jesus Again Talks About His Death(C)
30 Then Jesus and his ·followers [disciples] left that place and went through Galilee. He didn’t want anyone to know where he was, 31 because he was teaching his ·followers [disciples]. He said to them, “The Son of Man will be ·handed over [delivered over; betrayed] to ·people [L human hands], and they will kill him [C the “handing over” may be Judas’ betrayal or God’s actions in “giving up” his Son to accomplish salvation; Rom. 4:25]. After three days, he will rise from the dead.” 32 But they did not understand what Jesus meant, and they were afraid to ask him.
Who Is the Greatest?(D)
33 Jesus and his ·followers [disciples] went to Capernaum. When they went into a house there, he asked them, “What were you ·arguing about [discussing] on the road?” 34 But they did not answer, because their ·argument [discussion] on the road was about which one of them was the greatest.
35 Jesus sat down and called ·the twelve apostles [the Twelve] to him. He said, “Whoever wants to be ·the most important [first] must be last of all and servant of all.”
36 Then Jesus took a small child and had ·him [or her; C the Greek here does not specify gender] stand among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said, 37 “Whoever ·accepts [welcomes; receives] a child like this in my name [C as a representative or follower of Jesus] accepts me. And whoever ·accepts [welcomes; receives] me accepts [not only me, but] the One who sent me.” [C Children had low social status, so the saying indicates concern for the lowly.]
Anyone Not Against Us Is for Us(E)
38 Then John said, “Teacher, we saw someone using your name [C invoking your authority] to ·force [drive; cast] demons out of a person. We told him to stop, because he does not belong to our group.”
39 But Jesus said, “Don’t stop him, because anyone who uses my name to do powerful things will not ·easily [quickly] say evil things about me. 40 Whoever is not against us is ·with [for] us. 41 I tell you the truth, whoever gives you a drink of water because you belong to the ·Christ [Messiah] will ·truly get [L certainly not lose] his reward.
42 “If someone causes one of these little children who believes in me to ·sin [lose faith; stumble], it would be better for that person to have a ·large stone [large millstone; L millstone of a donkey] tied around his neck and be ·drowned [L thrown] in the sea. 43 If your hand causes you ·to sin [lose faith; stumble], cut it off. It is better for you ·to lose part of your body and live forever [L to enter life maimed] than to have two hands and go to ·hell [L Gehenna; C a valley outside of Jerusalem where in the OT period children were sacrificed to a pagan god; later used as a burning trash heap; a metaphor for hell], where the fire never goes out. |44 In hell the worm does not die; the fire is never put out.|[b] 45 If your foot causes you to ·sin [lose faith; stumble], cut it off. It is better for you ·to lose part of your body and to live forever [L to enter life crippled] than to have two feet and be thrown into ·hell [Gehenna; v. 43]. |46 In hell the worm does not die; the fire is never put out.|[c] 47 If your eye causes you to ·sin [lose faith; stumble], take it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into ·hell [Gehenna; v. 43]. 48 In hell the worm does not die; the fire is never put out. 49 Every person will be salted with fire. [C The meaning of this proverb is uncertain; it may mean that the testing of believers purifies (fire) and preserves (salt); or it may refer to believers as God’s covenant people, since salt and fire were part of the OT sacrificial system; see Lev. 2:3; Num. 18:9.]
50 “Salt is good, but if the salt loses its salty taste, you cannot make it salty again. So, ·be full of salt [L have salt in/among yourselves; C salt here may symbolize fellowship within the covenant], and have peace with each other.”
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