Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

14 At that season Herod the tetrarch heard the report concerning Jesus, ² and said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore do these powers work in him. ³ For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. ⁴ For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her. ⁵ And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet. ⁶ But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced in the midst, and pleased Herod. ⁷ Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she should ask. ⁸ And she, being put forward by her mother, saith, Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist. ⁹ And the king was grieved; but for the sake of his oaths, and of them that sat at meat with him, he commanded it to be given; ¹⁰ and he sent and beheaded John in the prison. ¹¹ And his head was brought on a platter, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother. ¹² And his disciples came, and took up the corpse, and buried him; and they went and told Jesus.

¹³ Now when Jesus heard it, he withdrew from thence in a boat, to a desert place apart: and when the multitudes heard thereof, they followed him ^[a]on foot from the cities. ¹⁴ And he came forth, and saw a great multitude, and he had compassion on them, and healed their sick. ¹⁵ And when even was come, the disciples came to him, saying, The place is desert, and the time is already past; send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves food. ¹⁶ But Jesus said unto them, They have no need to go away; give ye them to eat. ¹⁷ And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. ¹⁸ And he said, Bring them hither to me. ¹⁹ And he commanded the multitudes to ^[b]sit down on the grass; and he took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitudes. ²⁰ And they all ate, and were filled: and they took up that which remained over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. ²¹ And they that did eat were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

²² And straightway he constrained the disciples to enter into the boat, and to go before him unto the other side, till he should send the multitudes away. ²³ And after he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into the mountain apart to pray: and when even was come, he was there alone. ²⁴ But the boat ^[c]was now in the midst of the sea, distressed by the waves; for the wind was contrary. ²⁵ And in the fourth watch of the night he came unto them, walking upon the sea. ²⁶ And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a ghost; and they cried out for fear. ²⁷ But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. ²⁸ And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee upon the waters. ²⁹ And he said, Come. And Peter went down from the boat, and walked upon the waters ^[d]to come to Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the ^[e]wind, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, Lord, save me. ³¹ And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and took hold of him, and saith unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? ³² And when they were gone up into the boat, the wind ceased. ³³ And they that were in the boat ^[f]worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

³⁴ And when they had crossed over, they came to the land, unto Gennesaret. ³⁵ And when the men of that place knew him, they sent into all that region round about, and brought unto him all that were sick; ³⁶ and they besought him that they might only touch the border of his garment: and as many as touched were made whole.

15 Then there come to Jesus from Jerusalem Pharisees and scribes, saying, ² Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. ³ And he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? ⁴ For God said, ^[g]Honor thy father and thy mother: and, ^[h]He that speaketh evil of father or mother, let him ^[i]die the death. ⁵ But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, That wherewith thou mightest have been profited by me is given to God; ⁶ he shall not honor his father. ^[j]And ye have made void the ^[k]word of God because of your tradition. ⁷ Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying,

¹⁰ And he called to him the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: ¹¹ Not that which entereth into the mouth defileth the man; but that which proceedeth out of the mouth, this defileth the man. ¹² Then came the disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were ^[m]offended, when they heard this saying? ¹³ But he answered and said, Every ^[n]plant which my heavenly Father planted not, shall be rooted up. ¹⁴ Let them alone: they are blind guides. And if the blind guide the blind, both shall fall into a pit. ¹⁵ And Peter answered and said unto him, Declare unto us the parable. ¹⁶ And he said, Are ye also even yet without understanding? ¹⁷ Perceive ye not, that whatsoever goeth into the mouth passeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? ¹⁸ But the things which proceed out of the mouth come forth out of the heart; and they defile the man. ¹⁹ For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, railings: ²⁰ these are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not the man.

²¹ And Jesus went out thence, and withdrew into the parts of Tyre and Sidon. ²² And behold, a Canaanitish woman came out from those borders, and cried, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a demon. ²³ But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. ²⁴ But he answered and said, I was not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ²⁵ But she came and ^[o]worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. ²⁶ And he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s ^[p]bread and cast it to the dogs. ²⁷ But she said, Yea, Lord: for even the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. ²⁸ Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it done unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was healed from that hour.

²⁹ And Jesus departed thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and he went up into the mountain, and sat there. ³⁰ And there came unto him great multitudes, having with them the lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and they cast them down at his feet; and he healed them: ³¹ insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb speaking, the maimed whole, and the lame walking, and the blind seeing: and they glorified the God of Israel.

³² And Jesus called unto him his disciples, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days and have nothing to eat: and I would not send them away fasting, lest haply they faint on the way. ³³ And the disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so many loaves in a desert place as to fill so great a multitude? ³⁴ And Jesus said unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few small fishes. ³⁵ And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground; ³⁶ and he took the seven loaves and the fishes; and he gave thanks and brake, and gave to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitudes. ³⁷ And they all ate, and were filled: and they took up that which remained over of the broken pieces, seven baskets full. ³⁸ And they that did eat were four thousand men, besides women and children. ³⁹ And he sent away the multitudes, and entered into the boat, and came into the borders of Magadan.