The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David,
the son of Abraham.

Abraham became the father of Isaac. Isaac
became the father of Jacob. Jacob became the father of Judah and his
brothers.

Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar.
Perez became the father of Hezron. Hezron became the father of Ram.

Ram became the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father
of Nahshon. Nahshon became the father of Salmon.

Salmon became
the father of Boaz by Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed by Ruth.
Obed became the father of Jesse.

Jesse became the father of David
the king. David became the father of Solomon by her who had been the
wife of Uriah.

Solomon became the father of Rehoboam. Rehoboam
became the father of Abijah. Abijah became the father of Asa.

Asa
became the father of Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat became the father of
Joram. Joram became the father of Uzziah.

Uzziah became the
father of Jotham. Jotham became the father of Ahaz. Ahaz became the
father of Hezekiah.

Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh.
Manasseh became the father of Amon. Amon became the father of Josiah.

Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the
time of the exile to Babylon.

After the exile to Babylon,
Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel. Shealtiel became the father
of Zerubbabel.

Zerubbabel became the father of Abiud. Abiud
became the father of Eliakim. Eliakim became the father of Azor.

Azor became the father of Sadoc. Sadoc became the father of Achim.
Achim became the father of Eliud.

Eliud became the father of
Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan. Matthan became the
father of Jacob.

Jacob became the father of Joseph, the husband
of Mary, from whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

So all
the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from
David to the exile to Babylon fourteen generations; and from the
carrying away to Babylon to the Christ, fourteen generations.

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was like this; for after his
mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph, before they came together, she was
found pregnant by the Holy Spirit.

Joseph, her husband, being a
righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, intended
to put her away secretly.

But when he thought about these
things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream,
saying, "Joseph, son of David, don't be afraid to take to yourself
Mary, your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy
Spirit.

She shall bring forth a son. You shall call his name
Jesus, for it is he who shall save his people from their sins."

Now all this has happened, that it might be fulfilled which
was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying,

"Behold, the virgin shall be with child,
 And shall bring forth a son.
They shall call his name Immanuel;"
 Which is, being interpreted, "God with us."

Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord
commanded him, and took his wife to himself;

and didn't know her
sexually until she had brought forth her firstborn son. He named him
Jesus.

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of
Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem,
saying,

"Where is he who is born King of the Jews? For we saw his
star in the east, and have come to worship him."

When Herod the
king heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he
asked them where the Christ would be born.

They said to him, "In
Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written through the prophet,

'You Bethlehem, land of Judah,
 Are in no way least among the princes of Judah:
For out of you shall come forth a governor,
 Who shall shepherd my people, Israel.'"

Then Herod secretly called the wise men, and learned from them
exactly what time the star appeared.

He sent them to Bethlehem,
and said, "Go and search diligently for the young child. When you have
found him, bring me word, so that I also may come and worship him."

They, having heard the king, went their way; and behold, the
star, which they saw in the east, went before them, until it came and
stood over where the young child was.

When they saw the star,
they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.

They came into the
house and saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and they fell down
and worshiped him. Opening their treasures, they offered to him gifts:
gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Being warned in a dream that they
shouldn't return to Herod, they went back to their own country another
way.

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord
appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise and take the young child
and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you,
for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him."

He arose and took the young child and his mother by night,
and departed into Egypt,

and was there until the death of Herod;
that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the
prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt I called my son."

Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked by the wise men,
was exceedingly angry, and sent out, and killed all the male children
who were in Bethlehem and in all the surrounding countryside, from two
years old and under, according to the exact time which he had learned
from the wise men.

Then that which was spoken by Jeremiah the
prophet was fulfilled, saying,

"A voice was heard in Ramah,
 Lamentation, weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children;
 She wouldn't be comforted,
 Because they are no more."

But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord
appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying,

"Arise and take
the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel, for
those who sought the young child's life are dead."

He arose and took the young child and his mother, and came
into the land of Israel.

But when he heard that Archelaus was
reigning over Judea in the place of his father, Herod, he was afraid to
go there. Being warned in a dream, he withdrew into the region of
Galilee,

and came and lived in a city called Nazareth; that it
might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophets: "He will be
called a Nazarene."

In those days, John the Baptizer came, preaching in the
wilderness of Judea, saying,

"Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven
is at hand!"

For this is he who was spoken of by Isaiah the
prophet, saying,
"The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
 Make ready the way of the Lord,
 Make his paths straight."

Now John himself wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a
leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.

Then people from Jerusalem, all of Judea, and all the region
around the Jordan went out to him.

They were baptized by him in
the Jordan, confessing their sins.

But when he saw many of the
Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, "You
offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Therefore bring forth fruit worthy of repentance!

Don't
think to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our father,' for I tell you
that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

"Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore,
every tree that doesn't bring forth good fruit is cut down, and cast
into the fire.

I indeed baptize you in water for repentance, but
he who comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy
to carry. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.

His winnowing
fork is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing
floor. He will gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will
burn up with unquenchable fire."

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be
baptized by him.

But John would have hindered him, saying, "I
need to be baptized by you, and you come to me?"

But Jesus, answering, said to him, "Allow it now, for this is
the fitting way for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed
him.

Jesus, when he was baptized, went up directly from the
water: and behold, the heavens were opened to him. He saw the Spirit of
God descending as a dove, and coming on him.

Behold, a voice out
of the heavens said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well
pleased."

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be
tempted by the devil.

When he had fasted forty days and forty
nights, he was hungry afterward.

The tempter came and said to
him, "If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become
bread."

But he answered, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread
alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.'"

Then the devil took him into the holy city. He set him on the
pinnacle of the temple,

and said to him, "If you are the Son of
God, throw yourself down, for it is written, 'He will give his angels
charge concerning you.' and,
'On their hands they will bear you up,
 So that you don't dash your foot against a stone.'"

Jesus said to him, "Again, it is written, 'You shall not test
the Lord, your God.'"

Again, the devil took him to an exceedingly high mountain, and
showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory.

He
said to him, "I will give you all of these things, if you will fall
down and worship me."

Then Jesus said to him, "Get behind me, Satan! For it is
written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you
serve.'"

Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and
ministered to him.

Now when Jesus heard that John was delivered
up, he withdrew into Galilee.

Leaving Nazareth, he came and
lived in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and
Naphtali,

that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through
Isaiah the prophet, saying,

"The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
 Toward the sea, beyond the Jordan,
 Galilee of the Gentiles,

The people who sat in darkness saw a great light,
 To those who sat in the region and shadow of death,
 To them light has dawned."

From that time, Jesus began to preach, and to say, "Repent!
For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."

Walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers: Simon,
who is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother, casting a net into the
sea; for they were fishermen.

He said to them, "Come after me,
and I will make you fishers for men."

They immediately left their nets and followed him.

Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James the son of
Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father,
mending their nets. He called them.

They immediately left the
boat and their father, and followed him.

Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their
synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every
disease and every sickness among the people.

The report about
him went out into all Syria. They brought to him all who were sick,
afflicted with various diseases and torments, possessed with demons,
epileptics, and paralytics; and he healed them.

Great multitudes
from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and from beyond the Jordan
followed him.

Seeing the multitudes, he went up onto the mountain. When he
had sat down, his disciples came to him.

He opened his mouth and
taught them, saying,

"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
 For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn,
 For they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the gentle,
 For they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness,
 For they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful,
 For they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart,
 For they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,
 For they shall be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness'
 sake,
 For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

"Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and
say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Rejoice,
and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For that
is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

"You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its
flavor, with what will it be salted? It is then good for nothing, but
to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men.

You are the
light of the world. A city located on a hill can't be hidden.

Neither do you light a lamp, and put it under a measuring basket, but
on a stand; and it shines to all who are in the house.

Even so,
let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and
glorify your Father who is in heaven.

"Don't think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets.
I didn't come to destroy, but to fulfill.

For most assuredly, I
tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not even one smallest
letter or one tiny pen stroke shall in any way pass away from the law,
until all things are accomplished.

Whoever, therefore, shall
break one of these least commandments, and teach others to do so, shall
be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever shall do and
teach them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

For I
tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and
Pharisees, there is no way you will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

"You have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, 'You
shall not murder;' and 'Whoever shall murder shall be in danger of the
judgment.'

But I tell you, that everyone who is angry with his
brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment; and whoever
shall say to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council;
and whoever shall say, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of the fire of
Gehenna.

"If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and
there remember that your brother has anything against you,

leave
your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled
to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Agree with
your adversary quickly, while you are with him in the way; lest perhaps
the prosecutor deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to
the officer, and you be cast into prison.

Most assuredly I tell
you, you shall by no means get out of there, until you have paid the
last penny.

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit
adultery;'

but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to
lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.

If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw
it away from you. For it is profitable for you that one of your members
should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna.

If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and throw it away
from you: for it is profitable for you that one of your members should
perish, and not your whole body be thrown into Gehenna.

"It was also said, 'Whoever shall put away his wife, let him
give her a writing of divorce,'

but I tell you that whoever who
puts away his wife, except for the cause of sexual immorality, makes
her an adulteress; and whoever marries her when she is put away commits
adultery.

"Again you have heard that it was said to them of old time,
'You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord your
vows,'

but I tell you, don't swear at all: neither by heaven,
for it is the throne of God;

nor by the earth, for it is the
footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the
great King.

Neither shall you swear by your head, for you can't
make one hair white or black.

But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and
your 'No' be 'no.' Whatever is more than these is of the evil one.

"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a
tooth for a tooth.'

But I tell you, don't resist him who is
evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the
other also.

If anyone sues you to take away your coat, let him
have your cloak also.

Whoever compels you to go one mile, go
with him two.

Give to him who asks you, and don't turn away him
who desires to borrow from you.

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your
neighbor, and hate your enemy.'

But I tell you, love your
enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and
pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you,

that you may
be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise
on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.

For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?
Don't even the tax collectors do the same?

If you only greet
your friends, what more do you do than others? Don't even the tax
collectors do the same?

Therefore you shall be perfect, just as
your Father in heaven is perfect.

"Be careful that you don't do your charitable giving before
men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward from your Father
who is in heaven.

Therefore when you do merciful deeds, don't
sound a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues
and in the streets, that they may get glory from men. Most assuredly I
tell you, they have received their reward.

But when you do
merciful deeds, don't let your left hand know what your right hand
does,

so that your merciful deeds may be in secret, then your
Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

"When you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for they
love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the
streets, that they may be seen by men. Most assuredly, I tell you, they
have received their reward.

But you, when you pray, enter into
your inner chamber, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who
is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you
openly.

In praying, don't use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles
do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking.

Therefore don't be like them, for your Father knows what things
you need, before you ask him.

Pray like this: 'Our Father in
heaven, may your name be kept holy.

Let your kingdom come. Let
your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.

Give us today our
daily bread.

Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our
debtors.

Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the
evil one. For yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever.
Amen.'

"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly
Father will also forgive you.

But if you don't forgive men their
trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

"Moreover when you fast, don't be like the hypocrites, with
sad faces. For they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen by men
to be fasting. Most assuredly I tell you, they have received their
reward.

But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your
face;

so that you are not seen by men to be fasting, but by your
Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will
reward you.

"Don't lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where
moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal;

but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither
moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don't break through and steal;

for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

"The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is
sound, your whole body will be full of light.

But if your eye is
evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light
that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the
one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise
the other. You can't serve both God and Mammon.

Therefore, I
tell you, don't be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what
you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn't life
more than food, and the body more than clothing?

See the birds
of the sky, that they don't sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into
barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren't you of much more value
than they?

"Which of you, by being anxious, can add one cubit to the
measure of his life?

Why are you anxious about clothing?
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don't toil,
neither do they spin,

yet I tell you that even Solomon in all
his glory was not dressed like one of these.

But if God so
clothes the grass of the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is
thrown into the oven, won't he much more clothe you, you of little
faith?

"Therefore don't be anxious, saying, 'What will we eat?',
'What will we drink?' or, 'With what will we be clothed?'

For
the Gentiles seek after all these things, for your heavenly Father
knows that you need all these things.

But seek first God's
Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to
you as well.

Therefore don't be anxious for tomorrow, for
tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day's own evil is sufficient.

"Don't judge, so that you won't be judged.

For with
whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever
measure you measure, it will be measured to you.

Why do you see
the speck that is in your brother's eye, but don't consider the beam
that is in your own eye?

Or how will you tell your brother, 'Let
me remove the speck from your eye;' and behold, the beam is in your own
eye?

You hypocrite! First remove the beam out of your own eye,
and then you can see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother's
eye.

"Don't give that which is holy to the dogs, neither throw your
pearls before the pigs, lest perhaps they trample them under their
feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

"Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find.
Knock, and it will be opened for you.

For everyone who asks
receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened.

Or who is there among you, who, if his son asks him for bread,
will give him a stone?

Or if he asks for a fish, who will give
him a serpent?

If you then, being evil, know how to give good
gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven
give good things to those who ask him!

Therefore whatever you
desire for men to do to you, you shall also do to them; for this is the
law and the prophets.

"Enter in by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad
is the way that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter in
by it.

How narrow is the gate, and restricted is the way that
leads to life! Few are those who find it.

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's
clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.

By their fruits you
will know them. Do you gather grapes from thorns, or figs from
thistles?

Even so, every good tree produces good fruit; but the
corrupt tree produces evil fruit.

A good tree can't produce evil
fruit, neither can a corrupt tree produce good fruit.

Every tree
that doesn't grow good fruit is cut down, and thrown into the fire.

Therefore, by their fruits you will know them.

Not
everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter into the Kingdom of
Heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Many will tell me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in your
name, in your name cast out demons, and in your name do many mighty
works?'

Then I will tell them, 'I never knew you. Depart from
me, you who work iniquity.'

"Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine, and does
them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house on a
rock.

The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew,
and beat on that house; and it didn't fall, for it was founded on the
rock.

Everyone who hears these words of mine, and doesn't do
them will be like a foolish man, who built his house on the sand.

The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and
beat on that house; and it fell -- and great was its fall."

It happened, when Jesus had finished saying these things,
that the multitudes were astonished at his teaching,

for he
taught them with authority, and not like the scribes.

When he came down from the mountain, great multitudes followed
him.

Behold, a leper came to him and worshiped him, saying,
"Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean."

Jesus stretched out his hand, and touched him, saying, "I want
to. Be made clean." Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

Jesus
said to him, "See that you tell nobody, but go, show yourself to the
priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to
them."

When he came into Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking
him,

and saying, "Lord, my servant lies in the house paralyzed,
grievously tormented."

Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him."

The centurion answered, "Lord, I'm not worthy for you to come
under my roof. Just say the word, and my servant will be healed.

For I am also a man under authority, having under myself soldiers. I
tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes;
and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."

When Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said to those who
followed, "Most assuredly I tell you, I haven't found so great a faith,
not even in Israel.

I tell you that many will come from the east
and the west, and will sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the
Kingdom of Heaven,

but the sons of the kingdom will be thrown
out into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and the gnashing of
teeth."

Jesus said to the centurion, "Go your way. Let it be
done for you as you as you have believed." His servant was healed in
that hour.

When Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother
lying sick with a fever.

He touched her hand, and the fever left
her. She got up and served him.

When evening came, they brought
to him many possessed with demons. He cast out the spirits with a word,
and healed all who were sick;

that it might be fulfilled which
was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying: "He took our
infirmities, and bore our diseases."

Now when Jesus saw great
multitudes around him, he gave the order to depart to the other side.

A scribe came, and said to him, "Teacher, I will follow you
wherever you go."

Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of
the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."

Another of his disciples said to him, "Lord, allow me first
to go and bury my father."

But Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and leave the dead to bury
their own dead."

When he got into a boat, his disciples followed him.

Behold, a great tempest arose in the sea, so much that the boat was
covered with the waves, but he was asleep.

They came to him, and
woke him up, saying, "Save us, Lord! We are dying!"

He said to them, "Why are you fearful, oh you of little
faith?" Then he got up, rebuked the wind and the sea, and there was a
great calm.

The men marveled, saying, "What kind of man is this, that
even the wind and the sea obey him?"

When he came to the other side, into the country of the
Gergesenes, two people possessed by demons met him there, coming out of
the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that nobody could pass by that way.

Behold, they cried out, saying, "What do we have to do with you,
Jesus, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?"

Now there was a herd of many pigs feeding far away from them.

The demons begged him, saying, "If you cast us out, permit us to
go away into the herd of pigs."

He said to them, "Go!"

 They came out, and went into the herd of pigs: and behold, the whole
herd of pigs rushed down the cliff into the sea, and died in the water.

Those who fed them fled, and went away into the city, and told
everything, including what happened to those who were possessed with
demons.

Behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus. When they
saw him, they begged that he would depart from their borders.

He entered into a boat, and crossed over, and came into his
own city.

Behold, they brought to him a man who was paralyzed,
lying on a bed. Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, "Son,
cheer up! Your sins are forgiven you."

Behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man
blasphemes."

Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in
your hearts?

For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are
forgiven;' or to say, 'Get up, and walk?'

But that you may know
that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins..." (then he
said to the paralytic), "Get up, and take up your mat, and go up to
your house."

He arose and departed to his house.

But when the
multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such
authority to men.

As Jesus passed by from there, he saw a man called Matthew
sitting at the tax collection office. He said to him, "Follow me." He
got up and followed him.

It happened as he sat in the house,
behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus
and his disciples.

When the Pharisees saw it, they said to his
disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

When Jesus heard it, he said to them, "Those who are healthy
have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do.

But you
go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,' for
I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Then John's disciples came to him, saying, "Why do we and the
Pharisees fast often, but your disciples don't fast?"

Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn,
as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the
bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.

No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the
patch would tear away from the garment, and a worse hole is made.

Neither do people put new wine into old wineskins, or else the
skins would burst, and the wine be spilled, and the skins ruined. No,
they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved."

While he told these things to them, behold, a ruler came and
worshiped him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay
your hand on her, and she will live."

Jesus got up and followed him, as did his disciples.

Behold, a woman who had an issue of blood for twelve years came behind
him, and touched the tassels of his garment;

for she said within
herself, "If I just touch his garment, I will be made well."

But Jesus, turning around and seeing her, said, "Daughter,
cheer up! Your faith has made you well." And the woman was made well
from that hour.

When Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the flute
players, and the crowd in noisy disorder,

he said to them, "Make
room, because the girl isn't dead, but sleeping."

 They were ridiculing him.

But when the crowd was put out, he
entered in, took her by the hand, and the girl arose.

The report
of this went out into all that land.

As Jesus passed by from
there, two blind men followed him, calling out and saying, "Have mercy
on us, son of David!"

When he had come into the house, the blind men came to him.
Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?"

 They told him, "Yes, Lord."

Then he touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith
be it done to you."

Their eyes were opened. Jesus strictly
charged them, saying, "See that no one knows about this."

But
they went out and spread abroad his fame in all that land.

As they went out, behold, a mute man who was demon possessed
was brought to him.

When the demon was cast out, the mute man
spoke. The multitudes marveled, saying, "Nothing like this has ever
been seen in Israel!"

But the Pharisees said, "By the prince of the demons, he
casts out demons."

Jesus went about all the cities and the villages, teaching in
their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing
every disease and every sickness among the people.

But when he
saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them, because they
were weary and scattered, as sheep without a shepherd.

Then he
said to his disciples, "The harvest indeed is plentiful, but the
laborers are few.

Pray therefore that the Lord of the harvest
will send out laborers into his harvest."

He called to himself his twelve disciples, and gave them
authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every
disease and every sickness.

Now the names of the twelve apostles
are these. The first, Simon, who is called Peter; Andrew, his brother;
James the son of Zebedee; John, his brother;

Philip;
Bartholomew; Thomas; Matthew the tax collector; James the son of
Alphaeus; and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;

Simon the
Canaanite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

Jesus sent these twelve out, and charged them, saying, "Don't
go among the Gentiles, and don't enter into any city of the Samaritans.

Rather, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

As
you go, preach, saying, 'The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!'

Heal
the sick, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons. Freely you received,
so freely give.

Don't take any gold, nor silver, nor brass in
your money belts.

Take no bag for your journey, neither two
coats, nor shoes, nor staff: for the laborer is worthy of his food.

Into whatever city or village you enter, find out who in it is
worthy; and stay there until you go on.

As you enter into the
household, greet it.

If the household is worthy, let your peace
come on it, but if it isn't worthy, let your peace return to you.

Whoever doesn't receive you, nor hear your words, as you go out
out of that house or that city, shake off the dust from your feet.

Most assuredly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the
land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.

"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.
Therefore be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

But
beware of men: for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their
synagogues they will scourge you.

Yes, and you will be brought
before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to
the Gentiles.

But when they deliver you up, don't be anxious
how or what you will say, for it will be given you in that hour what
you will say.

For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of
your Father who speaks in you.

"Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father
his child. Children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be
put to death.

You will be hated by all men for my name's sake,
but he who endures to the end will be saved.

But when they
persecute you in this city, flee into the next, for most assuredly I
tell you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel, until
the Son of Man has come.

"A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above
his lord.

It is enough for the disciple that he be like his
teacher, and the servant like his lord. If they have called the master
of the house Beelzebul, how much more those of his household!

Therefore don't be afraid of them, for there is nothing covered that
will not be revealed; and hidden that will not be known.

What I
tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear
whispered in the ear, proclaim on the housetops.

Don't be
afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul.
Rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.

"Aren't two sparrows sold for an assarion? Not one of them
falls on the ground apart from your Father's will,

but the very
hairs of your head are all numbered.

Therefore don't be afraid.
You are of more value than many sparrows.

Everyone therefore
who confesses me before men, him I will also confess before my Father
who is in heaven.

But whoever denies me before men, him I will
also deny before my Father who is in heaven.

"Don't think that I came to send peace on the earth. I
didn't come to send peace, but a sword.

For I came to set a man
at odds against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a
daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

A man's foes will be
those of his own household.

He who loves father or mother more
than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than
me isn't worthy of me.

He who doesn't take his cross and follow
after me, isn't worthy of me.

He who finds his life will lose
it; and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.

He who
receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent
me.

He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will
receive a prophet's reward: and he who receives a righteous man in the
name of a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward.

Whoever gives one of these little ones just a cup of cold water to
drink in the name of a disciple, most assuredly I tell you he will in
no way lose his reward."

It happened that when Jesus had finished directing his twelve
disciples, he departed from there to teach and preach in their cities.

Now when John heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent
two of his disciples

and said to him, "Are you he who comes, or
should we look for another?"

Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John the things which you
hear and see:

the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the
lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the
poor have good news preached to them.

Blessed is he who finds no
occasion for stumbling in me."

As these went their way, Jesus began to say to the multitudes
concerning John, "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A
reed shaken by the wind?

But what did you go out to see? A man
in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in king's
houses.

But why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell
you, and much more than a prophet.

For this is he, of whom it
is written, 'Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will
prepare your way before you.'

Most assuredly I tell you, among
those who are born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than
John the Baptizer; yet he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is
greater than he.

From the days of John the Baptizer until now,
the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by
force.

For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.

If you are willing to receive it, this is Elijah, who is to
come.

He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

"But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like
children sitting in the marketplaces, who call to their companions

and say, 'We played the flute for you, and you didn't dance. We
mourned for you, and you didn't lament.'

For John came neither
eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.'

The Son of
Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man
and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' But wisdom is
justified by her children."

Then he began to denounce the cities in which most of his
mighty works had been done, because they didn't repent.

"Woe to
you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works had been
done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented
long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

But I tell you, it will be
more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.

You, Capernaum, who are exalted to Heaven, you will go down to
Hades. For if the mighty works had been done in Sodom which were done
in you, it would have remained until this day.

But I tell you
that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom, on the day of
judgment, than for you."

At that time, Jesus answered, "I thank you, Father, Lord of
heaven and earth, that you hid these things from the wise and
understanding, and revealed them to infants.

Yes, Father, for
so it was well-pleasing in your sight.

All things have been
delivered to me by my Father. No one knows the Son, except the Father;
neither does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and he to whom the
Son desires to reveal him.

"Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and
I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me,
for I am humble and lowly in heart; and you will find rest for your
souls.

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

At that time, Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the grain
fields. His disciples were hungry and began to pluck heads of grain and
to eat.

But the Pharisees, when they saw it, said to him,
"Behold, your disciples do what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath."

But he said to them, "Haven't you read what David did, when
he was hungry, and those who were with him;

how he entered into
the house of God, and ate the show bread, which was not lawful for him
to eat, neither for those who were with him, but only for the priests?

Or have you not read in the law, that on the Sabbath day, the
priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are guiltless?

But I tell you that one greater than the temple is here.

But if
you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,' you
would not have condemned the guiltless.

For the Son of Man is
Lord of the Sabbath."

He departed there, and went into their synagogue.

And
behold there was a man with a withered hand. They asked him, "Is it
lawful to heal on the Sabbath day?" that they might accuse him.

He said to them, "What man is there among you, who has one
sheep, and if this one falls into a pit on the Sabbath day, won't he
grab on to it, and lift it out?

Of how much more value then is
a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath
day."

Then he told the man, "Stretch out your hand." He
stretched it out; and it was restored whole, just like the other.

But the Pharisees went out, and conspired against him, how they
might destroy him.

Jesus, perceiving that, withdrew from there.
Great multitudes followed him; and he healed them all,

and
charged them that they should not make him known:

that it might
be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,

"Behold, my servant whom I have chosen;
 My beloved in whom my soul is well pleased:
I will put my Spirit on him.
 He will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.

He will not strive, nor shout;
 Neither will anyone hear his voice in the streets.

He won't break a bruised reed.
 He won't quench a smoking flax,
Until he leads justice to victory.

In his name, the Gentiles will hope."

Then one possessed by a demon, blind and mute, was brought
to him and he healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke
and saw.

All the multitudes were amazed, and said, "Can this be
the son of David?"

But when the Pharisees heard it, they said,
"This man does not cast out demons, except by Beelzebul, the prince of
the demons."

Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, "Every kingdom
divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or
house divided against itself will not stand.

If Satan casts out
Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?

If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast
them out? Therefore they will be your judges.

But if I by the
Spirit of God cast out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon
you.

Or how can one enter into the house of the strong man, and
plunder his goods, unless he first bind the strong man? Then he will
plunder his house.

"He who is not with me is against me, and he who doesn't
gather with me, scatters.

Therefore I tell you, every sin and
blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit
will not be forgiven men.

Whoever speaks a word against the Son
of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy
Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in that
which is to come.

"Either make the tree good, and its fruit good, or make the
tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by its
fruit.

You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak
good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.

The good man out of his good treasure brings out good things,
and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings out evil things.

I tell you that every idle word that men speak, they will give
account of it in the day of judgment.

For by your words you
will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying,
"Teacher, we want to see a sign from you."

But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation
seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given it but the sign of Jonah
the prophet.

For as Jonah was three days and three nights in
the belly of the whale, so will the Son of Man be three days and three
nights in the heart of the earth.

The men of Nineveh will stand
up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for they
repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, someone greater than
Jonah is here.

The queen of the south will rise up in the
judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for she came from
the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold,
someone greater than Solomon is here.

But the unclean spirit,
when he is gone out of the man, passes through waterless places,
seeking rest, and doesn't find it.

Then he says, 'I will return
into my house from which I came out,' and when he has come back, he
finds it empty, swept, and put in order.

Then he goes, and
takes with himself seven other spirits more evil than he is, and they
enter in and dwell there. The last state of that man becomes worse than
the first. Even so will it be also to this evil generation."

While he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, his
mother and his brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to him.

One said to him, "Behold, your mother and your brothers stand outside,
seeking to speak to you."

But he answered him who spoke to him, "Who is my mother? Who
are my brothers?"

He stretched out his hand towards his
disciples, and said, "Behold, my mother and my brothers!

For
whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother,
and sister, and mother."

On that day Jesus went out of the house, and sat by the
seaside.

Great multitudes gathered to him, so that he entered
into a boat, and sat, and all the multitude stood on the beach.

He spoke to them many things in parables, saying, "Behold, a farmer
went out to sow.

As he sowed, some seeds fell by the roadside,
and the birds came and devoured them.

Others fell on rocky
ground, where they didn't have much soil, and immediately they sprang
up, because they had no depth of earth.

When the sun had risen,
they were scorched. Because they had no root, they withered away.

Others fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and choked them:

and others fell on good soil, and yielded fruit: some one
hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty.

He who has
ears to hear, let him hear."

The disciples came, and said to him, "Why do you speak to
them in parables?"

He answered them, "To you it is given to know the mysteries
of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them.

For
whoever has, to him will be given, and he will have abundance, but
whoever doesn't have, from him will be taken away even that which he
has.

Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they
don't see, and hearing, they don't hear, neither do they understand.

In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says, 
'By hearing you will hear,
 And will in no way understand;
Seeing you will see,
 And will in no way perceive:

For this people's heart has grown callous,
 Their ears are dull of hearing,
 They have closed their eyes;
Or else perhaps they might perceive with their eyes,
 Hear with their ears,
 Understand with their heart,
And should turn again;
 And I would heal them.'

"But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for
they hear.

For most assuredly I tell you that many prophets and
righteous men desired to see the things which you see, and didn't see
them; and to hear the things which you hear, and didn't hear them.

"Hear, then, the parable of the farmer.

When anyone
hears the word of the kingdom, and doesn't understand it, the evil one
comes, and snatches away that which has been sown in his heart. This is
what was sown by the roadside.

What was sown on the rocky
places, this is he who hears the word, and immediately with joy
receives it;

yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a
while. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word,
immediately he stumbles.

What was sown among the thorns, this
is he who hears the word, but the cares of this world and the
deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.

What was sown on the good ground, this is he who hears the
word, and understands it, who most assuredly bears fruit, and brings
forth, some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty."

He set another parable before them, saying, "The Kingdom of
Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field,

but
while people slept, his enemy came and sowed darnel also among the
wheat, and went away.

But when the blade sprang up and brought
forth fruit, then the darnel appeared also.

The servants of the
householder came and said to him, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in
your field? Where did this darnel come from?'

"He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.'

 "The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and gather them up?'

"But he said, 'No, lest perhaps while you gather up the
darnel, you root up the wheat with them.

Let both grow together
until the harvest, and in the harvest time I will tell the reapers,
"First, gather up the darnel, and bind them in bundles to burn them;
but gather the wheat into my barn."'"

He set another parable before them, saying, "The Kingdom of
Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in
his field;

which indeed is smaller than all seeds. But when it
is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the
birds of the air come and lodge in its branches."

He spoke another parable to them. "The Kingdom of Heaven is
like yeast, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal,
until it was all leavened."

Jesus spoke all these things in parables to the multitudes;
and without a parable, he didn't speak to them,

that it might
be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying, 
"I will open my mouth in parables;
 I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world."

Then Jesus sent the multitudes away, and went into the
house. His disciples came to him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of
the darnel of the field."

He answered them, "He who sows the good seed is the Son of
Man,

the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the
sons of the kingdom; and the darnel are the sons of the evil one.

The enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end
of the age, and the reapers are angels.

As therefore the darnel
is gathered up and burned with fire; so will it be at the end of this
age.

The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will
gather out of his kingdom all things that cause stumbling, and those
who do iniquity,

and will cast them into the furnace of fire.
There will be weeping and the gnashing of teeth.

Then the
righteous will shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.
He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

"The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in the
field, which a man found, and hid. In his joy, he goes and sells all
that he has, and buys that field.

"Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a
merchant seeking fine pearls,

who having found one pearl of
great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

"Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a dragnet, that was
cast into the sea, and gathered some fish of every kind,

which,
when it was filled, they drew up on the beach. They sat down, and
gathered the good into containers, but the bad they threw away.

So will it be in the end of the world. The angels will come forth, and
separate the wicked from among the righteous,

and will cast
them into the furnace of fire. There will be the weeping and the
gnashing of teeth."

Jesus said to them, "Have you understood
all these things?"

 They answered him, "Yes, Lord."

He said to them, "Therefore, every scribe who has been made
a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a householder,
who brings out of his treasure new and old things."

It happened that when Jesus had finished these parables, he
departed from there.

Coming into his own country, he taught
them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, "Where
did this man get this wisdom, and these mighty works?

Isn't
this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother called Mary, and his
brothers, James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?

Aren't all of his
sisters with us? Where then did this man get all of these things?"

They were offended by him.

 But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in
his own country, and in his own house."

He didn't do many
mighty works there because of their unbelief.

At that time, Herod the tetrarch heard the report concerning
Jesus,

and said to his servants, "This is John the Baptizer. He
is risen from the dead. That is why these powers work in him."

For Herod had laid hold of John, and bound him, and put him in prison
for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife.

For John
said to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her."

When he
would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they
counted him as a prophet.

But when Herod's birthday came, the
daughter of Herodias danced among them and pleased Herod.

Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatever she should ask.

She, being prompted by her mother, said, "Give me here on a
platter the head of John the Baptizer."

The king was grieved, but for the sake of his oaths, and of
those who sat at the table with him, he commanded it to be given,

and he sent and beheaded John in the prison.

His head
was brought on a platter, and given to the young lady: and she brought
it to her mother.

His disciples came, and took the body, and
buried it; and they went and told Jesus.

Now when Jesus heard
this, he withdrew from there in a boat, to a deserted place apart. When
the multitudes heard it, they followed him on foot from the cities.

Jesus went out, and he saw a great multitude. He had
compassion on them, and healed their sick.

When evening had
come, his disciples came to him, saying, "This place is deserted, and
the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go
into the villages, and buy themselves food."

But Jesus said to them, "They don't need to go away. You
give them something to eat."

They told him, "We only have here five loaves and two fish."

He said, "Bring them here to me."

He commanded the
multitudes to sit down on the grass; and he took the five loaves and
the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, broke and gave the
loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave to the multitudes.

They all ate, and were filled. They took up twelve baskets full
of that which remained left over from the broken pieces.

Those
who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat, and
to go ahead of him to the other side, while he sent the multitudes
away.

After he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into
the mountain by himself to pray. When evening had come, he was there
alone.

But the boat was now in the middle of the sea,
distressed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.

In the
fourth watch of the night Jesus came to them, walking on the sea.

When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were
troubled, saying, "It's a ghost!" and they cried out for fear.

But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying "Cheer up! I AM! Don't be
afraid."

Peter answered him and said, "Lord, if it is you, command me
to come to you on the waters."

He said, "Come!"

 Peter stepped down from the boat, and walked on the waters to come
to Jesus.

But when he saw that the wind was strong, he was
afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!"

Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand, took hold of him,
and said to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?"

When
they got up into the boat, the wind ceased.

Those who were in
the boat came and worshiped him, saying, "You are truly the Son of God!"

When they had crossed over, they came to the land of
Gennesaret.

When the men of that place recognized him, they
sent into all that surrounding region, and brought to him all who were
sick,

and they begged him that they might just touch the fringe
of his garment. As many as touched it were made whole.

Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem,
saying,

"Why do your disciples disobey the tradition of the
elders? For they don't wash their hands when they eat bread."

He answered them, "Why do you also disobey the commandment of
God because of your tradition?

For God commanded, 'Honor your
father and your mother,' and, 'He who speaks evil of father or mother,
let him be put to death.'

But you say, 'Whoever may tell his
father or his mother, "Whatever help you might otherwise have gotten
from me is a gift devoted to God,"

he shall not honor his father
or mother.' You have made the commandment of God void because of your
tradition.

You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you,
saying,

'These people draw near to me with their mouth,
 And honor me with their lips;
 But their heart is far from me.

And in vain do they worship me,
 Teaching as doctrine rules made by men.'"

He summoned the multitude, and said to them, "Hear, and
understand.

That which enters into the mouth doesn't defile the
man; but that which proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man."

Then the disciples came, and said to him, "Do you know that
the Pharisees were offended, when they heard this saying?"

But he answered, "Every plant which my heavenly Father
didn't plant will be uprooted.

Leave them alone. They are blind
guides of the blind. If the blind guide the blind, both will fall into
a pit."

Peter answered him, "Explain the parable to us."

So Jesus said, "Do you also still not understand?

Don't you understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the
belly, and then out of the body?

But the things which proceed
out of the mouth come out of the heart, and they defile the man.

For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders,
adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimony, and blasphemies.

These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with
unwashed hands doesn't defile the man."

Jesus went out from there, and withdrew into the region of
Tyre and Sidon.

Behold, a Canaanite woman came out from those
borders, and cried, saying, "Have mercy on me, Lord, you son of David!
My daughter is severely demonized!"

But he answered her not a word.

 His disciples came and begged him, saying, "Send her away; for she
cries after us."

But he answered, "I wasn't sent to anyone but the lost sheep
of the house of Israel."

But she came and worshiped him, saying, "Lord, help me."

But he answered, "It is not appropriate to take the
children's bread and throw it to the dogs."

But she said, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs
which fall from their masters' table."

Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, great is your faith! Be it
done to you even as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that
hour.

Jesus departed there, and came near to the sea of Galilee;
and he went up into the mountain, and sat there.

Great
multitudes came to him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed,
and many others, and they put them down at his feet. He healed them,

so that the multitude wondered when they saw the mute speaking,
injured whole, lame walking, and blind seeing -- and they glorified the
God of Israel.

Jesus summoned his disciples and said, "I have compassion on
the multitude, because they continue with me now three days and have
nothing to eat. I don't want to send them away fasting, or they might
faint on the way."

The disciples said to him, "Where should we get so many
loaves in a deserted place as to satisfy so great a multitude?"

Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?"

 They said, "Seven, and a few small fish."

He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground;

and he took the seven loaves and the fish. He gave thanks and
broke them, and gave to the disciples, and the disciples to the
multitudes.

They all ate, and were filled. They took up seven
baskets full of the broken pieces that were left over.

Those
who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.

Then he sent away the multitudes, got into the boat, and came into the
borders of Magdala.

The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing him, asked him
to show them a sign from heaven.

But he answered them, "When it
is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.'

In the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is
red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the
appearance of the sky, but you can't discern the signs of the times!

An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and there
will be no sign given to it, except the sign of the prophet Jonah."

 He left them, and departed.

The disciples came to the other
side and had forgotten to take bread.

Jesus said to them, "Take
heed and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

They reasoned among themselves, saying, "We brought no bread."

Jesus, perceiving it, said, "Why do you reason among
yourselves, you of little faith, 'because you have brought no bread?'

Don't you yet perceive, neither remember the five loaves for the
five thousand, and how many baskets you took up?

Nor the seven
loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you took up?

How is it that you don't perceive that I didn't speak to you concerning
bread? But beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

Then they understood that he didn't tell them to beware of
the yeast of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Now when Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he
asked his disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man,
am?"

They said, "Some say John the Baptizer, some, Elijah, and
others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets."

He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"

Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the
living God."

Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah, for
flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in
heaven.

I also tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I
will build my assembly, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against
it.

I will give to you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and
whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; and whatever you
loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

Then he charged the
disciples that they should tell no one that he is Jesus the Christ.

From that time, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must
go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests,
and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up.

Peter took him aside, and began to rebuke him, saying, "Far
be it from you, Lord! This will never be done to you."

But he turned, and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You
are a stumbling-block to me, for you are not setting your mind on the
things of God, but on the things of men."

Then Jesus said to
his disciples, "If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

For whoever
desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever will lose his life
for my sake will find it.

For what will it profit a man, if he
gains the whole world, and forfeits his life? Or what will a man give
in exchange for his life?

For the Son of Man will come in the
glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will render to
everyone according to his deeds.

Most assuredly I tell you,
there are some standing here who will in no way taste of death, until
they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

After six days, Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John
his brother, and brought them up into a high mountain by themselves.

He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun,
and his garments became as white as the light.

Behold, Moses and
Elijah appeared to them talking with him.

Peter answered, and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us
to be here. If you want, let's make three tents here: one for you, one
for Moses, and one for Elijah."

While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud
overshadowed them. Behold, a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This
is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him."

When the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces, and
were very afraid.

Jesus came and touched them and said, "Get up,
and don't be afraid."

Lifting up their eyes, they saw no one,
except Jesus alone.

As they were coming down from the mountain,
Jesus commanded them, saying, "Don't tell anyone what you saw, until
the Son of Man has risen from the dead."

His disciples asked him, saying, "Then why do the scribes
say that Elijah must come first?

Jesus answered them, "Elijah indeed comes first, and will
restore all things,

but I tell you that Elijah has come
already, and they didn't recognize him, but did to him whatever they
wanted to. Even so the Son of Man will also suffer by them."

Then the disciples understood that he spoke to them of John the
Baptizer.

When they came to the multitude, a man came to him, kneeling
down to him, saying,

"Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is
epileptic, and suffers grievously; for he often falls into the fire,
and often into the water.

So I brought him to your disciples,
and they could not cure him."

Jesus answered, "Faithless and perverse generation! How long
will I be with you? How long will I bear with you? Bring him here to
me."

Jesus rebuked him, the demon went out of him, and the boy
was cured from that hour.

Then the disciples came to Jesus privately, and said, "Why
weren't we able to cast it out?"

He said to them, "Because of your unbelief. For most
assuredly I tell you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you
will tell this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move;
and nothing will be impossible for you.

But this kind doesn't
go out except by prayer and fasting."

While they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The
Son of Man is about to be delivered up into the hands of men,

and they will kill him, and the third day he will be raised up."

 They were exceedingly sorry.

When they had come to
Capernaum, those who collected the didrachmas came to Peter, and said,
"Doesn't your teacher pay the didrachma?"

He said, "Yes."

 When he came into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, "What do
you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth receive toll or
tribute? From their sons, or from strangers?"

Peter said to him, "From strangers."

 Jesus said to him, "Therefore the sons are exempt.

But, lest
we cause them to stumble, go to the sea, and cast a hook, and take up
the first fish that comes up. When you have opened its mouth, you will
find a stater. Take that, and give it to them for me and you."

In that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then
is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?"

Jesus called a little child to himself, and set him in the
midst of them,

and said, "Most assuredly I tell you, unless you
turn, and become as little children, you will in no way enter into the
Kingdom of Heaven.

Whoever therefore humbles himself as this
little child, the same is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Whoever receives one such little child in my name receives me,

but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to
stumble, it would be better for him that a huge millstone should be
hung around his neck, and that he should be sunk in the depths of the
sea.

"Woe to the world because of occasions of stumbling! For it
must be that the occasions come, but woe to that person through whom
the occasion comes!

If your hand or your foot causes you to
stumble, cut it off, and cast it from you. It is better for you to
enter into life maimed or crippled, rather than having two hands or two
feet to be cast into the eternal fire.

If your eye causes you to
stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from you. It is better for you to
enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast
into the Gehenna of fire.

See that you don't despise one of
these little ones, for I tell you that in heaven their angels always
see the face of my Father who is in heaven.

For the Son of Man
came to save that which was lost.

"What do you think? If a man has one hundred sheep, and one
of them goes astray, doesn't he leave the ninety-nine, go to the
mountains, and seek that which has gone astray?

If he finds it,
most assuredly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the
ninety-nine which have not gone astray.

Even so it is not the
will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones
should perish.

"If your brother sins against you, go, show him his fault
between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained back
your brother.

But if he doesn't listen, take one or two more
with you, that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be
established.

If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the
assembly. If he refuses to hear the assembly also, let him be to you as
a Gentile or a tax collector.

Most assuredly I tell you,
whatever things you will bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and
whatever things you will loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

Again, assuredly I tell you, that if two of you will agree on
earth concerning anything that they will ask, it will be done for them
by my Father who is in heaven.

For where two or three are
gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them."

Then Peter came and said to him, "Lord, how often shall my
brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?"

Jesus said to him, "I don't tell you until seven times, but,
until seventy times seven.

Therefore the Kingdom of Heaven is
like a certain king, who wanted to reconcile accounts with his
servants.

When he had begun to reconcile, one was brought to
him who owed him ten thousand talents.

But because he couldn't
pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, with his wife, his children,
and all that he had, and payment to be made.

The servant
therefore fell down and kneeled before him, saying, 'Lord, have
patience with me, and I will repay you all.'

The lord of that
servant, being moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the
debt.

"But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow
servants, who owed him one hundred denarii, and he grabbed him, and
took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what you owe!'

"So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him,
saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will repay you.'

He would
not, but went and cast him into prison, until he should pay back that
which was due.

So when his fellow servants saw what was done,
they were exceedingly sorry, and came and told to their lord all that
was done.

Then his lord called him in, and said to him, 'You
wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt, because you begged me.

Shouldn't you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, even
as I had mercy on you?'

His lord was angry, and delivered him
to the tormentors, until he should pay all that was due to him.

So my heavenly Father will also do to you, if you don't each forgive
your brother from your hearts for his misdeeds."

It happened when Jesus had finished these words, he departed
from Galilee, and came into the borders of Judea beyond the Jordan.

Great multitudes followed him, and he healed them there.

Pharisees came to him, testing him, and saying, "Is it lawful for a man
to divorce his wife for any reason?"

He answered, "Haven't you read that he who made them from the
beginning made them male and female,

and said, 'For this cause a
man shall leave his father and mother, and shall join to his wife; and
the two shall become one flesh?'

So that they are no more two,
but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, don't let man
tear apart."

They asked him, "Why then did Moses command us to give her a
bill of divorce, and divorce her?"

He said to them, "Moses, because of the hardness of your
hearts, allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it
has not been so.

I tell you that whoever divorces his wife,
except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery;
and he who marries her when she is divorced commits adultery."

His disciples said to him, "If this is the case of the man
with his wife, it is not expedient to marry."

But he said to them, "Not all men can receive this saying,
but those to whom it is given.

For there are eunuchs who were
born that way from their mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who were
made eunuchs by men; and there are eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs
for the Kingdom of Heaven's sake. He who is able to receive it, let him
receive it."

Then little children were brought to him, that he should lay
his hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them.

But
Jesus said, "Allow the little children, and don't forbid them to come
to me; for to such belongs the Kingdom of Heaven."

He laid his
hands on them, and departed from there.

Behold, one came to him and said, "Good teacher, what good
thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?"

He said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but
one, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the
commandments."

He said to him, "Which ones?"

 Jesus said, "'You shall not murder.' 'You shall not commit
adultery.' 'You shall not steal.' 'You shall not offer false
testimony.'

'Honor your father and mother.' And, 'You shall
love your neighbor as yourself.'"

The young man said to him, "All these things I have observed
from my youth. What do I still lack?"

Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what
you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven;
and come, follow me."

But when the young man heard the saying,
he went away sad, for he was one who had great possessions.

Jesus said to his disciples, "Most assuredly I say to you, a rich man
will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven with difficulty.

Again I
tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than
for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God."

When the disciples heard it, they were exceedingly
astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?"

Looking at them, Jesus said, "With men this is impossible,
but with God all things are possible."

Then Peter answered, "Behold, we have left everything, and
followed you. What then will we have?"

Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly I tell you that you who
have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on
the throne of his glory, you also will sit on twelve thrones, judging
the twelve tribes of Israel.

Everyone who has left houses, or
brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or
lands, for my name's sake, will receive one hundred times, and will
inherit eternal life.

But many will be last who are first; and
first who are last.

"For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who was the master
of a household, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for
his vineyard.

When he had agreed with the laborers for a
denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

He went out
about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace.

To them he said, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is
right I will give you.' So they went their way.

Again he went
out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise.

About
the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle. He said
to them, 'Why do you stand here all day idle?'

"They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.'

 "He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and you will
receive whatever is right.'

When evening had come, the lord of
the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and pay them their
wages, beginning from the last to the first.'

"When those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came,
they each received a denarius.

When the first came, they
supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise each received
a denarius.

When they received it, they murmured against the
master of the household,

saying, 'These last have spent one
hour, and you have made them equal to us, who have borne the burden of
the day and the scorching heat!'

"But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no
wrong. Didn't you agree with me for a denarius?

Take that which
is yours, and go your way. It is my desire to give to this last just as
much as to you.

Isn't it lawful for me to do what I want to
with what I own? Or is your eye evil, because I am good?'

So
the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but
few are chosen."

As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve
disciples aside, and on the way he said to them,

"Behold, we
are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the
chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death,

and will hand him over to the Gentiles to mock, to scourge, and to
crucify; and the third day he will be raised up."

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her
sons, kneeling and asking a certain thing of him.

He said to
her, "What do you want?"

 She said to him, "Command that these, my two sons, may sit, one on
your right hand, and one on your left hand, in your kingdom."

But Jesus answered, "You don't know what you are asking. Are
you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized
with the baptism that I am baptized with?"

 They said to him, "We are able."

He said to them, "You will indeed drink my cup, and be
baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with, but to sit on my
right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it is for whom
it has been prepared by my Father."

When the ten heard it, they were indignant with the two
brothers.

But Jesus summoned them, and said, "You know that the rulers
of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise
authority over them.

It shall not be so among you, but whoever
desires to become great among you shall be your servant.

Whoever desires to be first among you shall be your bondservant,

even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and
to give his life as a ransom for many."

As they went out from Jericho, a great multitude followed
him.

Behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard
that Jesus was passing by, cried out, "Lord, have mercy on us, you son
of David!"

The multitude rebuked them, telling them that they
should be quiet, but they cried out even more, "Lord, have mercy on us,
you son of David!"

Jesus stood still, and called them, and asked, "What do you
want me to do for you?"

They told him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened."

Jesus, being moved with compassion, touched their eyes; and
immediately their eyes received their sight, and they followed him.

When they drew near to Jerusalem, and came to Bethsphage, to
the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,

saying to
them, "Go into the village that is opposite you, and immediately you
will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them, and bring
them to me.

If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The
Lord needs them,' and immediately he will send them."

All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was
spoken through the prophet, saying,

"Tell the daughter of Zion,
 Behold, your King comes to you,
 Humble, and riding on a donkey,
 On a colt, the foal of a donkey."

The disciples went, and did just as Jesus commanded them,

and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their clothes on
them; and he sat on them.

A very great multitude spread their
clothes on the road. Others cut branches from the trees, and spread
them on the road.

The multitudes who went before him, and who
followed kept shouting, "Hosanna to the son of David! Blessed is he who
comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"

When he had come into Jerusalem, all the city was stirred
up, saying, "Who is this?"

The multitudes said, "This is the
prophet, Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee."

Jesus entered into the temple of God, and drove out all of
those who sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the
money-changers' tables and the seats of those who sold the doves.

He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a
house of prayer,' but you have made it a den of robbers!"

The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he
healed them.

But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the
wonderful things that he did, and the children who were crying in the
temple and saying, "Hosanna to the son of David!" they were indignant,

and said to him, "Do you hear what these are saying?"

 Jesus said to them, "Yes. Did you never read, 'Out of the mouth of
babes and nursing babies you have perfected praise?'"

He left them, and went out of the city to Bethany, and
lodged there.

Now in the morning, as he returned to the city,
he was hungry.

Seeing a fig tree by the road, he came to it,
and found nothing on it but leaves. He said to it, "Let there be no
fruit from you forever!"

 Immediately the fig tree withered away.

When the disciples
saw it, they marveled, saying, "How did the fig tree immediately wither
away?"

Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly I tell you, if you have
faith, and don't doubt, you will not only do what is done to the fig
tree, but even if you told this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into
the sea,' it would be done.

All things, whatever you ask in
prayer, believing, you will receive."

When he had come into the temple, the chief priests and the
elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, "By what
authority do you do these things? Who gave you this authority?"

Jesus answered them, "I also will ask you one question,
which if you tell me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do
these things.

The baptism of John, where was it from? From
heaven or from men?"

 They reasoned with themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he
will ask us, 'Why then did you not believe him?'

But if we say,
'From men,' we fear the multitude, for all hold John as a prophet."

They answered Jesus, and said, "We don't know."

 He also said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I
do these things.

But what do you think? A man had two sons, and
he came to the first, and said, 'Son, go work today in my vineyard.'

He answered, 'I will not,' but afterward he changed his mind,
and went.

He came to the second, and said the same thing. He
answered, 'I go, sir,' but he didn't go.

Which of the two did
the will of his father?"

 They said to him, "The first."

 Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly I tell you that the tax
collectors and the prostitutes are entering into the Kingdom of God
before you.

For John came to you in the way of righteousness,
and you didn't believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes
believed him. When you saw it, you didn't even repent afterward, that
you might believe him.

"Hear another parable. There was a man who was a master of a
household, who planted a vineyard, set a hedge about it, dug a
winepress in it, built a tower, leased it out to farmers, and went into
another country.

When the season for the fruit drew near, he
sent his servants to the farmers, to receive his fruit.

The
farmers took his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned
another.

Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and
they treated them the same way.

But afterward he sent to them
his son, saying, 'They will respect my son.'

But the farmers,
when they saw the son, said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come,
let's kill him, and seize his inheritance.'

So they took him,
and threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.

When
therefore the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those
farmers?"

They told him, "He will miserably destroy those miserable
men, and will lease out the vineyard to other farmers, who will give
him the fruit in its season."

Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures,
'The stone which the builders rejected,
 The same was made the head of the corner.
This was from the Lord.
 It is marvelous in our eyes?'

"Therefore I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away
from you, and will be given to a nation bringing forth its fruits.

He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but on
whoever it will fall, it will scatter him as dust."

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables,
they perceived that he spoke about them.

When they sought to
seize him, they feared the multitudes, because they considered him to
be a prophet.

Jesus answered and spoke again in parables to them, saying,

"The Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who made a
marriage feast for his son,

and sent out his servants to call
those who were invited to the marriage feast, but they would not come.

Again he sent out other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are
invited, "Behold, I have made ready my dinner. My oxen and my fatlings
are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the marriage feast!"'

But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his own
farm, another to his merchandise,

and the rest grabbed his
servants, and treated them shamefully, and killed them.

But the
king was angry, and he sent his armies, destroyed those murderers, and
burned their city.

"Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but
those who were invited weren't worthy.

Go therefore to the
intersections of the highways, and as many as you may find, invite to
the marriage feast.'

Those servants went out into the highways,
and gathered together as many as they found, both bad and good. The
wedding was filled with guests.

But when the king came in to
see the guests, he saw there a man who didn't have on wedding clothing,

and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here not
wearing wedding clothing?' He was speechless.

Then the king
said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and throw
him into the outer darkness; there is where the weeping and grinding of
teeth will be.'

For many are called, but few chosen."

Then the Pharisees went and took counsel how they might
entrap him in his talk.

They sent their disciples to him, along
with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are honest, and
teach the way of God in truth, no matter who you teach, for you aren't
partial to anyone.

Tell us therefore, what do you think? Is it
lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?"

But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, "Why do you
test me, you hypocrites?

Show me the tax money."

 They brought to him a denarius.

He asked them, "Whose is this image and inscription?"

They said to him, "Caesar's."

 Then he said to them, "Give therefore to Caesar the things that are
Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."

When they heard it, they marveled, and left him, and went
away.

On that day Sadducees (those who say that there is no
resurrection) came to him. They asked him,

saying, "Teacher,
Moses said, 'If a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry
his wife, and raise up seed for his brother.'

Now there were
with us seven brothers. The first married and died, and having no seed
left his wife to his brother.

In like manner the second also,
and the third, to the seventh.

After them all, the woman died.

In the resurrection therefore, whose wife will she be of the
seven? For they all had her."

But Jesus answered them, "You are mistaken, not knowing the
Scriptures, nor the power of God.

For in the resurrection they
neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are like God's angels in
heaven.

But concerning the resurrection of the dead, haven't
you read that which was spoken to you by God, saying,

'I am the
God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?' God is not
the God of the dead, but of the living."

When the multitudes heard it, they were astonished at his
teaching.

But the Pharisees, when they heard that he had put
the Sadducees to silence, gathered themselves together.

One of
them, a lawyer, asked him a question, testing him.

"Teacher,
which is the greatest commandment in the law?"

Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with
all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.'

This is the first and great commandment.

A second
likewise is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'

The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."

Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked
them a question,

saying, "What do you think of the Christ?
Whose son is he?"

 They said to him, "Of David."

He said to them, "How then does David in the Spirit call him
Lord, saying,

'The Lord said to my Lord,
 Sit on my right hand,
 Until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet?'

"If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?"

No one was able to answer him a word, neither dared any man
from that day forth ask him any more questions.

Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples,

saying, "The scribes and the Pharisees sat on Moses' seat.

All things therefore whatever they tell you to observe, observe
and do, but don't do their works; for they say, and don't do.

For they bind heavy burdens that are grievous to be borne, and lay them
on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help
them.

But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make
their phylacteries broad, enlarge the fringes of their garments,

and love the place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the
synagogues,

the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be
called 'Rabbi, Rabbi' by men.

But don't you be called 'Rabbi,'
for one is your teacher, the Christ, and all of you are brothers.

Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he
who is in heaven.

Neither be called masters, for one is your
master, the Christ.

But he who is greatest among you will be
your servant.

Whoever will exalt himself will be humbled, and
whoever will humble himself will be exalted.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you
devour widows' houses, and as a pretense you make long prayers.
Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.

"But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because
you shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men; for you don't enter in
yourselves, neither do you allow those who are entering in to enter.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel
around by sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one,
you make him twice as much of a son of Gehenna as yourselves.

"Woe to you, you blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by
the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the
temple, he is obligated.'

You blind fools! For which is
greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold?

'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the
gift that is on it, he is a obligated.'

You blind fools! For
which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift?

He therefore who swears by the altar, swears by it, and by
everything on it.

He who swears by the temple, swears by it,
and by him who is living in it.

He who swears by heaven, swears
by the throne of God, and by him who sits on it.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you
tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters
of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done
these, and not to have left the other undone.

You blind guides,
who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you
clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are
full of extortion and unrighteousness.

You blind Pharisee,
first clean the inside of the cup and of the platter, that the outside
of it may become clean also.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are
like whitened tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are
full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.

Even so you
also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of
hypocrisy and iniquity.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you
build the tombs of the prophets, and decorate the tombs of the
righteous,

and say, 'If we had lived in the days of our
fathers, we wouldn't have been partakers with them in the blood of the
prophets.'

Therefore you testify to yourselves that you are
sons of those who killed the prophets.

Fill up, then, the
measure of your fathers.

You serpents, you offspring of vipers,
how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna?

Therefore, behold,
I send to you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will
kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues,
and persecute from city to city;

that on you may come all the
righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to
the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the
sanctuary and the altar.

Most assuredly I tell you, all these
things will come upon this generation.

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets, and stones
those who are sent to her! How often would I have gathered your
children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings,
and you would not!

Behold, your house is left to you desolate.

For I tell you, you will not see me from now on, until you say,
'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!'"

Jesus went out from the temple, and was going on his way. His
disciples came to him to show him the buildings of the temple.

But he answered them, "Don't you see all of these things? Most
assuredly I tell you, there will not be left here one stone on another,
that will not be thrown down."

As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him
privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? What is the
sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?"

Jesus answered them, "Be careful that no one leads you
astray.

For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the
Christ,' and will lead many astray.

You will hear of wars and
rumors of wars. See that you aren't troubled, for all this must happen,
but the end is not yet.

For nation will rise against nation, and
kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines, plagues, and
earthquakes in various places.

But all these things are the
beginning of birth pains.

Then they will deliver you up to
oppression, and will kill you. You will be hated by all of the nations
for my name's sake.

Then many will stumble, and will deliver up
one another, and will hate one another.

Many false prophets
will arise, and will lead many astray.

Because iniquity will be
multiplied, the love of many will grow cold.

But he who endures
to the end, the same will be saved.

This gospel of the kingdom
will be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all the nations,
and then the end will come.

"When, therefore, you see the abomination of desolation,
which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy
place (let the reader understand),

then let those who are in
Judea flee to the mountains.

Let him who is on the housetop not
go down to take out things that are in his house.

Let him who
is in the field not return back to get his clothes.

But woe to
those who are with child and to nursing mothers in those days!

Pray that your flight will not be in the winter, nor on a Sabbath,

for then there will be great oppression, such as has not been
from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever will be.

Unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been
saved. But for the elect's sake, those days will be shortened.

"Then if any man tells you, 'Behold, here is the Christ,'
or, 'There,' don't believe it.

For there will arise false
Christs, and false prophets, and they will show great signs and
wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.

"Behold, I have told you beforehand.

If therefore
they tell you, 'Behold, he is in the wilderness,' don't go out;
'Behold, he is in the inner chambers,' don't believe it.

For as
the lightning comes forth from the east, and is seen even to the west,
so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

For wherever the
carcass is, there will the vultures be gathered together.

But
immediately after the oppression of those days, the sun will be
darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from
the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken;

and then
the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. Then all the tribes
of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the
clouds of the sky with power and great glory.

He will send out
his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather
together his elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the
other.

"Now from the fig tree learn this parable. When its branch
has now become tender, and puts forth its leaves, you know that the
summer is near.

Even so you also, when you see all these
things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

Most assuredly
I tell you, this generation will not pass away, until all these things
are accomplished.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words
will not pass away.

But no one knows of that day and hour, not
even the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

"As the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son
of Man.

For as in those days which were before the flood they
were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the
day that Noah entered into the ark,

and they didn't know until
the flood came, and took them all away, so will be the coming of the
Son of Man.

Then two men will be in the field: one will be
taken and one will be left;

two women grinding at the mill, one
will be taken and one will be left.

Watch therefore, for you
don't know in what hour your Lord comes.

But know this, that if
the master of the house had known in what watch of the night the thief
was coming, he would have watched, and would not have allowed his house
to be broken into.

Therefore also be ready, for in an hour that
you don't expect, the Son of Man will come.

"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord
has set over his household, to give them their food in due season?

Blessed is that servant whom his lord finds doing so when he
comes.

Most assuredly I tell you that he will set him over all
that he has.

But if that evil servant should say in his heart,
'My lord is delaying his coming,'

and begins to beat his
fellow-servants, and eat and drink with the drunken,

the lord
of that servant will come in a day when he doesn't expect it, and in an
hour when he doesn't know it,

and will cut him in pieces, and
appoint his portion with the hypocrites; there is where the weeping and
grinding of teeth will be.

"Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins, who
took their lamps, and went out to meet the bridegroom.

Five of
them were foolish, and five were wise.

Those who were foolish,
when they took their lamps, took no oil with them,

but the wise
took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

Now while the
bridegroom delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

But at
midnight there was a cry, 'Behold! The bridegroom is coming! Come out
to meet him!'

Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their
lamps.

The foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil,
for our lamps are going out.'

But the wise answered, saying,
'What if there isn't enough for us and you? You go rather to those who
sell, and buy for yourselves.'

While they went away to buy, the
bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the
marriage feast, and the door was shut.

Afterward the other
virgins also came, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us.'

But he
answered, 'Most assuredly I tell you, I don't know you.'

Watch
therefore, for you don't know the day nor the hour in which the Son of
Man is coming.

"For it is like a man, going into another country, who
called his own servants, and entrusted his goods to them.

To
one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one; to each
according to his own ability. Then he went on his journey.

Immediately he who received the five talents went and traded with them,
and made another five talents.

In like manner he also who got
the two gained another two.

But he who received the one went
away and dug in the earth, and hid his lord's money.

"Now after a long time the lord of those servants came, and
reconciled accounts with them.

He who received the five talents
came and brought another five talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to
me five talents. Behold, I have gained another five talents besides
them.'

"His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful
servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over
many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'

"He also who got the two talents came and said, 'Lord, you
delivered to me two talents. Behold, I have gained another two talents
besides them.'

"His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful
servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over
many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'

"He also who had received the one talent came and said,
'Lord, I knew you that you are a hard man, reaping where you did not
sow, and gathering where you did not scatter.

I was afraid, and
went away and hid your talent in the earth. Behold, you have what is
yours.'

"But his lord answered him, 'You wicked and slothful
servant. You knew that I reap where I didn't sow, and gather where I
didn't scatter.

You ought therefore to have deposited my money
with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received back my own
with interest.

Take away therefore the talent from him, and
give it to him who has the ten talents.

For to everyone who has
will be given, and he will have abundance, but from him who has not,
even that which he has will be taken away.

Throw out the
unprofitable servant into the outer darkness, where there will be
weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

"But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the
holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory.

Before him all the nations will be gathered, and he will
separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from
the goats.

He will set the sheep on his right hand, but the
goats on the left.

Then the King will tell those on his right
hand, 'Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you
from the foundation of the world;

for I was hungry, and you
gave me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was a
stranger, and you took me in;

naked, and you clothed me; I was
sick, and you visited me; I was in prison, and you came to me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did
we see you hungry, and feed you; or thirsty, and give you a drink?

When did we see you as a stranger, and take you in; or naked,
and clothe you?

When did we see you sick, or in prison, and
come to you?'

"The King will answer them, 'Most assuredly I tell you,
inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you
did it to me.'

Then he will say also to those on the left hand,
'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared
for the devil and his angels;

for I was hungry, and you didn't
give me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink;

I
was a stranger, and you didn't take me in; naked, and you didn't clothe
me; sick, and in prison, and you didn't visit me.'

"Then they will also answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see
you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison,
and didn't help you?'

"Then he will answer them, saying, 'Most assuredly I tell
you, inasmuch as you didn't do it to one of the least of these, you
didn't do it to me.'

These will go away into eternal
punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

It happened, when Jesus had finished all these words, that he
said to his disciples,

"You know that after two days the
Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be
crucified."

Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the
people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, who was
called Caiaphas.

They took counsel together that they might take
Jesus by deceit, and kill him.

But they said, "Not during the
feast, lest a riot occur among the people."

Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the
leper,

a woman came to him having an alabaster jar of very
expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the
table.

But when his disciples saw this, they were indignant,
saying, "Why this waste?

For this ointment might have been sold
for much, and given to the poor."

But Jesus, knowing this, said to them, "Why do you trouble
the woman? Because she has done a good work for me.

For you
always have the poor with you; but you don't always have me.

For in pouring this ointment on my body, she did it to prepare me for
burial.

Most assuredly I tell you, wherever this gospel is
preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be
spoken of as a memorial of her."

Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went
to the chief priests,

and said, "What are you willing to give
me, that I should deliver him to you?" They weighed out for him thirty
pieces of silver.

From that time he sought opportunity to
betray him.

Now on the first day of unleavened bread, the disciples came
to Jesus, saying to him, "Where do you want us to prepare for you to
eat the Passover?"

He said, "Go into the city to a certain person, and tell
him, 'The Teacher says, "My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover
at your house with my disciples."'"

The disciples did as Jesus commanded them, and they prepared
the Passover.

Now when evening had come, he was reclining at
the table with the twelve disciples.

As they were eating, he
said, "Most assuredly I tell you that one of you will betray me."

They were exceedingly sorrowful, and each began to ask him,
"It isn't me, is it, Lord?"

He answered, "He who dipped his hand with me in the dish,
the same will betray me.

The Son of Man goes, even as it is
written of him, but woe to that man through whom the Son of Man is
betrayed! It would be better for that man if he had not been born."

Judas, who betrayed him, answered, "It isn't me, is it,
Rabbi?"

 He said to him, "You said it."

As they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks for it,
and broke it. He gave to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is
my body."

He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave to them,
saying, "All of you drink it,

for this is my blood of the new
covenant, which is poured out for many for the remission of sins.

But I tell you that I will not drink of this fruit of the vine
from now on, until that day when I drink it anew with you in my
Father's kingdom."

When they had sung a hymn, they went out to
the Mount of Olives.

Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble
because of me tonight, for it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'

But after I am
raised up, I will go before you into Galilee."

But Peter answered him, "Even if all will be made to stumble
because of you, I will never be made to stumble."

Jesus said to him, "Most assuredly I tell you that tonight,
before the cock crows, you will deny me three times."

Peter said to him, "Even if I must die with you, I will not
deny you." All of the disciples also said likewise.

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and
said to his disciples, "Sit here, while I go there and pray."

He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be
sorrowful and severely troubled.

Then he said to them, "My soul
is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here, and watch with me."

He went forward a little, fell on his face, and prayed,
saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me;
nevertheless, not what I desire, but what you desire."

He came to the disciples, and found them sleeping, and said
to Peter, "What, couldn't you watch with me for one hour?

Watch
and pray, that you don't enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is
willing, but the flesh is weak."

Again, a second time he went away, and prayed, saying, "My
Father, if this cup can't pass away from me unless I drink it, your
desire be done."

He came again and found them sleeping, for
their eyes were heavy.

He left them again, went away, and
prayed a third time, saying the same words.

Then he came to his
disciples, and said to them, "Sleep on now, and take your rest. Behold,
the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of
sinners.

Arise, let's be going. Behold, he who betrays me is at
hand."

While he was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the
twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and clubs,
from the chief priest and elders of the people.

Now he who
betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, "Whoever I kiss, he is the one.
Seize him."

Immediately he came to Jesus, and said, "Hail,
Rabbi!" and kissed him.

Jesus said to him, "Friend, why are you here?" Then they
came and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.

Behold, one of
those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword,
and struck the servant of the high priest, and struck off his ear.

Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place,
for all those who take the sword will die by the sword.

Or do
you think that I couldn't ask my Father, and he would even now send me
more than twelve legions of angels?

How then would the
Scriptures be fulfilled that it must be so?"

In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, "Have you come
out as against a robber with swords and clubs to seize me? I sat daily
in the temple teaching, and you didn't arrest me.

But all this
has happened, that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled."

 Then all the disciples left him, and fled.

Those who had
taken Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes
and the elders were gathered together.

But Peter followed him
from a distance, to the court of the high priest, and entered in and
sat with the officers, to see the end.

Now the chief priests,
the elders, and the whole council sought false testimony against Jesus,
that they might put him to death;

and they found none. Even
though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last
two false witnesses came forward,

and said, "This man said, 'I
am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.'"

The high priest stood up, and said to him, "Have you no
answer? What is this that these testify against you?"

But Jesus
held his peace. The high priest answered him, "I adjure you by the
living God, that you tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of
God."

Jesus said to him, "You have said it. Nevertheless, I tell
you, henceforth you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand
of Power, and coming on the clouds of the sky."

Then the high priest tore his clothing, saying, "He has
spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Behold, now you
have heard his blasphemy.

What do you think?"

 They answered, "He is worthy of death!"

Then they spit in
his face and beat him with their fists, and some slapped him,

saying, "Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who hit you?"

Now Peter was sitting outside in the court, and a maid came
to him, saying, "You were also with Jesus, the Galilean!"

But he denied it before them all, saying, "I don't know what
you are talking about."

When he had gone out onto the porch, someone else saw him,
and said to those who were there, "This man also was with Jesus of
Nazareth."

Again he denied it with an oath, "I don't know the man."

After a little while those who stood by came and said to
Peter, "Surely you are also one of them, for your speech makes you
known."

Then he began to curse and to swear, "I don't know the man!"

 Immediately the cock crowed.

Peter remembered the word which
Jesus had said to him, "Before the cock crows, you will deny me three
times." He went out and wept bitterly.

Now when morning had come, all the chief priests and the
elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:

and they bound him, and led him away, and delivered him up to
Pontius Pilate, the governor.

Then Judas, who betrayed him, when
he saw that Jesus was condemned, felt remorse, and brought back the
thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,

saying,
"I have sinned in that I betrayed innocent blood."

 But they said, "What is that to us? You see to it."

He threw down the pieces of silver in the sanctuary, and
departed. He went away and hanged himself.

The chief priests
took the pieces of silver, and said, "It's not lawful to put them into
the treasury, since it is the price of blood."

They took
counsel, and bought the potter's field with them, to bury strangers in.

Therefore that field was called "The Field of Blood" to this
day.

Then that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was
fulfilled, saying,
"They took the thirty pieces of silver,
 The price of him upon whom a price had been set,
 Whom some of the children of Israel priced,

And they gave them for the potter's field,
 As the Lord commanded me."

Now Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked
him, saying, "Are you the King of the Jews?"

 Jesus said to him, "So you say."

When he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he
answered nothing.

Then Pilate said to him, "Don't you hear how
many things they testify against you?"

He gave him no answer, not even one word, so that the
governor marveled greatly.

Now at the feast the governor was
accustomed to release to the multitude one prisoner, whom they desired.

They had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.

When
therefore they were gathered together, Pilate said to them, "Whom do
you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus, who is called
Christ?"

For he knew that because of envy they had delivered
him up.

While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to
him, saying, "Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have
suffered many things this day in a dream because of him."

Now
the chief priests and the elders persuaded the multitudes to ask for
Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.

But the governor answered them,
"Which of the two do you want me to release to you?"

 They said, "Barabbas!"

Pilate said to them, "What then shall I do to Jesus, who is
called Christ?"

 They all said to him, "Let him be crucified!"

But the governor said, "Why? What evil has he done?"

 But they cried out exceedingly, saying, "Let him be crucified!"

So when Pilate saw that nothing was being gained, but rather
that a disturbance was starting, he took water, and washed his hands
before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this
righteous person. You see to it."

All the people answered, "May his blood be on us, and on our
children!"

Then he released to them Barabbas, but Jesus he flogged and
delivered to be crucified.

Then the governor's soldiers took
Jesus into the Praetorium, and gathered the whole garrison together
against him.

They stripped him, and put a scarlet robe on him.

They braided a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and a
reed in his right hand; and they kneeled down before him, and mocked
him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"

They spat on him, and
took the reed and struck him on the head.

When they had mocked
him, they took the robe off of him, and put his clothes on him, and led
him away to crucify him.

As they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name,
and they compelled him to go with them, that he might carry his cross.

They came to a place called "Golgotha," that is to say, "The
place of a skull."

They gave him sour wine to drink mixed with
gall. When he had tasted it, he would not drink.

When they had
crucified him, they divided his clothing among them, casting lots,

and they sat and watched him there.

They set up over
his head the accusation against him written, "THIS IS JESUS, THE KING
OF THE JEWS."

Then there were two robbers crucified with him, one on his
right hand and one on the left.

Those who passed by blasphemed
him, wagging their heads,

and saying, "You who destroy the
temple, and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son
of God, come down from the cross!"

Likewise the chief priests also mocking, with the scribes,
the Pharisees, and the elders, said,

"He saved others, but he
can't save himself. If he is the King of Israel, let him come down from
the cross now, and we will believe in him.

He trusts in God.
Let God deliver him now, if he wants him; for he said, 'I am the Son of
God.'"

The robbers also who were crucified with him cast on him
the same reproach.

Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land
until the ninth hour.

About the ninth hour Jesus cried with a
loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" That is, "My God, my
God, why have you forsaken me?"

Some of them who stood there, when they heard it, said,
"This man is calling Elijah."

Immediately one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled
it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him a drink.

The rest said, "Let him be. Let's see whether Elijah comes to save him."

Jesus cried again with a loud voice, and yielded up his
spirit.

Behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the
top to the bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split.

The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen
asleep were raised;

and coming out of the tombs after his
resurrection, they entered into the holy city and appeared to many.

Now the centurion, and those who were with him watching Jesus,
when they saw the earthquake, and the things that were done, feared
exceedingly, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God."

Many women were there watching from afar, who had followed
Jesus from Galilee, serving him.

Among them were Mary
Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the
sons of Zebedee.

When evening had come, a rich man from
Arimathaea, named Joseph, who himself was also Jesus' disciple came.

This man went to Pilate, and asked for Jesus' body. Then Pilate
commanded the body to be given up.

Joseph took the body, and
wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,

and laid it in his own new
tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock, and he rolled a great stone to
the door of the tomb, and departed.

Mary Magdalene was there,
and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.

Now on the next
day, which was the day after the Preparation Day, the chief priests and
the Pharisees were gathered together to Pilate,

saying, "Sir,
we remember what that deceiver said while he was still alive: 'After
three days I will rise again.'

Command therefore that the tomb
be made secure until the third day, lest perhaps his disciples come at
night and steal him away, and tell the people, 'He is risen from the
dead;' and the last deception will be worse than the first."

Pilate said to them, "You have a guard. Go, make it as
secure as you can."

So they went with the guard and made the
tomb secure, sealing the stone.

Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn on the first day
of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.

Behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord
descended from the sky, and came and rolled away the stone from the
door, and sat on it.

His appearance was like lightning, and his
clothing white as snow.

For fear of him, the guards shook, and
became like dead men.

The angel answered the women, "Don't be
afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus, who has been crucified.

He is not here, for he has risen, just like he said. Come, see the
place where the Lord was lying.

Go quickly and tell his
disciples, 'He has risen from the dead, and behold, he goes before you
into Galilee; there you will see him.' Behold, I have told you."

They departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy,
and ran to bring his disciples word.

As they went to tell his
disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!"

 They came and took hold of his feet, and worshiped him.

Then Jesus said to them, "Don't be afraid. Go tell my
brothers that they should go into Galilee, and there they will see me."

Now while they were going, behold, some of the guards came
into the city, and told the chief priests all the things that had
happened.

When they were assembled with the elders, and had
taken counsel, they gave a large amount of silver to the soldiers,

saying, "Say that his disciples came by night, and stole him
away while we slept.

If this comes to the governor's ears, we
will persuade him and make you free of worry."

So they took the
money and did as they were told. This saying was spread abroad among
the Jews, and continues until this day.

But the eleven disciples went into Galilee, to the mountain
where Jesus had sent them.

When they saw him, they bowed down
to him, but some doubted.

Jesus came to them and spoke to them,
saying, "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.

Go, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

teaching them to observe all things which I commanded you. Behold, I am
with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.