New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures Reference Bible

1 The book of the history*+ of Jesus Christ, son of David,+ son of Abraham:+

  2 Abraham became father to* Isaac;+

    Isaac became father to Jacob;+

    Jacob became father to Judah+ and his brothers;

 3 Judah became father to Perez+ and to Zerah by Tamar;

    Perez became father to Hezron;+

    Hezron became father to Ram;+

 4 Ram became father to Amminadab;

    Amminadab became father to Nahshon;+

    Nahshon became father to Salmon;+

 5 Salmon became father to Boaz by Rahab;+

    Boaz became father to Obed by Ruth;+

    Obed became father to Jesse;+

 6 Jesse became father to David+ the king.+

    David became father to Solomon+ by the wife of Uriah;*

 7 Solomon became father to Rehoboam;+

    Rehoboam became father to Abijah;

    Abijah+ became father to Asa;+

 8 Asa became father to Jehoshaphat;+

    Jehoshaphat became father to Jehoram;+

    Jehoram became father to* Uzziah;

 9 Uzziah became father to Jotham;

    Jotham+ became father to Ahaz;+

    Ahaz became father to Hezekiah;+

10 Hezekiah became father to Manasseh;+

    Manasseh+ became father to Amon;+

    Amon+ became father to Josiah;

11 Josiah+ became father to Jeconiah+ and to his brothers at the time of the deportation to Babylon.*+

12 After the deportation to Babylon Jeconiah became father to Shealtiel;+

    Shealtiel became father to Zerubbabel;+

13 Zerubbabel became father to Abiud;

    Abiud became father to Eliakim;

    Eliakim became father to Azor;

14 Azor became father to Zadok;

    Zadok became father to Achim;

    Achim became father to Eliud;

15 Eliud became father to Eleazar;

    Eleazar became father to Matthan;

    Matthan became father to Jacob;

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

17 All the generations, then, from Abraham until David were fourteen generations, and from David until the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon until the Christ fourteen generations.

18 But the birth of Jesus Christ was in this way. During the time his mother Mary was promised+ in marriage to Joseph, she was found to be pregnant by holy spirit+ before they were united. 19 However, Joseph her husband, because he was righteous and did not want to make her a public spectacle,+ intended to divorce*+ her secretly. 20 But after he had thought these things over, look! Jehovah’s* angel appeared to him in a dream, saying: “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife home, for that which has been begotten in her is by holy spirit.+ 21 She will give birth to a son, and you must call his name Jesus,*+ for he will save+ his people+ from their sins.”+ 22 All this actually came about for that to be fulfilled which was spoken by Jehovah*+ through his prophet,+ saying: 23 “Look! The virgin*+ will become pregnant and will give birth to a son, and they will call his name Immanuel,”*+ which means, when translated, “With Us Is God.”+

24 Then Joseph woke up from his sleep and did as the angel of Jehovah* had directed him, and he took his wife home. 25 But he had no intercourse+ with her* until she gave birth to a son;+ and he called his name Jesus.+

2 After Jesus had been born in Bethlehem+ of Judea in the days of Herod+ the king, look! astrologers*+ from eastern parts came to Jerusalem, 2 saying: “Where is the one born king+ of the Jews? For we saw his star+ [when we were] in the east,* and we have come to do him obeisance.” 3 At hearing this King Herod was agitated, and all Jerusalem along with him; 4 and on gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people he began to inquire of them where the Christ* was to be born. 5 They said to him: “In Bethlehem+ of Judea; for this is how it has been written through the prophet, 6 ‘And you, O Bethlehem*+ of the land of Judah, are by no means the most insignificant [city] among the governors* of Judah; for out of you will come forth a governing one,*+ who will shepherd+ my people, Israel.’”

7 Then Herod secretly summoned the astrologers and carefully ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearing; 8 and, when sending them to Bethlehem, he said: “Go make a careful search for the young child, and when YOU have found it report back to me, that I too may go and do it obeisance.”+ 9 When they had heard the king, they went their way; and, look! the star they had seen [when they were] in the east*+ went ahead of them, until it came to a stop above where the young child was. 10 On seeing the star they rejoiced very much indeed. 11 And when they went into the house Luke2:16 they saw the young child with Mary its mother, and, falling down, they did obeisance to it. They also opened their treasures and presented it with gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 However, because they were given divine warning+ in a dream not to return to Herod, they withdrew to their country by another way.

13 After they had withdrawn, look! Jehovah’s* angel+ appeared in a dream to Joseph, saying: “Get up, take the young child and its mother and flee into Egypt, and stay there until I give you word; for Herod is about to search for the young child to destroy it.” 14 So he got up and took along the young child and its mother by night and withdrew into Egypt, 15 and he stayed there until the decease of Herod, for that to be fulfilled+ which was spoken by Jehovah* through his prophet, saying: “Out of Egypt+ I called my son.” Ex.4:22-23; Hos11:1

16 Then Herod, seeing he had been outwitted by the astrologers,* fell into a great rage, and he sent out and had all the boys in Bethlehem and in all its districts done away with, from two years of age and under, according to the time that he had carefully ascertained from the astrologers.+ 17 Then that was fulfilled which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet, saying: 18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,+ weeping and much wailing; it was Rachel+ weeping for her children, and she was unwilling to take comfort, because they are no more.”

19 When Herod had deceased, look! Jehovah’s* angel appeared in a dream+ to Joseph in Egypt 20 and said: “Get up, take the young child and its mother and be on your way into the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the soul* of the young child are dead.” 21 So he got up and took the young child and its mother and entered into the land of Israel. 22 But hearing that Archelaus ruled as king of Judea instead of his father Herod, he became afraid to depart for there. Moreover, being given divine warning in a dream,+ he withdrew into the territory of Galilee,+ 23 and came and dwelt in a city named Nazareth,*+ that there might be fulfilled what was spoken through the prophets: “He will be called a Nazarene.”*+

3 In those days John* the Baptist*+ came preaching* in the wilderness+ of Judea, 2 saying: “REPENT,+ for the kingdom of the heavens* has drawn near.”+ 3 This, in fact, is the one spoken of through Isaiah the prophet+ in these words: “Listen! Someone is crying out in the wilderness, ‘Prepare+ the way of Jehovah,* YOU people! Make his roads straight.’” 4 But this very John had his clothing of camel’s hair+ and a leather girdle*+ around his loins; his food too was insect locusts+ and wild honey.+ 5 Then Jerusalem* and all Judea and all the country around the Jordan made their way out to him, 6 and people were baptized by him in the Jordan River,+ openly confessing their sins.

7 When he caught sight of many of the Pharisees and Sadducees+ coming to the baptism, he said to them: “YOU offspring of vipers,+ who has intimated to YOU to flee from the coming wrath?+ 8 So then produce fruit that befits repentance;*+ 9 and do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘As a father we have Abraham.’+ For I say to YOU that God is able to raise up children to Abraham+ from these stones. 10 Already the ax+ is lying at the root of the trees; every tree, then, that does not produce fine fruit is to be cut down+ and thrown into the fire.+ 11 I, for my part, baptize* YOU with water+ because of YOUR repentance;+ but the one coming+ after me is stronger than I am, whose sandals I am not fit to take off.+ That one will baptize YOU people with holy spirit*+ and with fire.+ 12 His winnowing shovel is in his hand, and he will completely clean up his threshing floor, and will gather his wheat into the storehouse,+ but the chaff he will burn+ up with fire that cannot be put out.”

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee+ to the Jordan to John, in order to be baptized+ by him. Num.8:7; 19:20; Eph.5:26; 1Pe.2:24 ■ 14 But the latter tried to prevent him, saying: “I am the one needing to be baptized by you, and are you coming to me?” 15 In reply Jesus said to him: “Let it be, this time, for in that way it is suitable for us to carry out all that is righteous.”+ Then he quit preventing him. 16 After being baptized Jesus immediately came up from the water; and, look! the heavens were opened up,+ and he saw descending like a dove+ God’s spirit coming upon him.+ 17 Look! Also, there was a voice+ from the heavens that said: “This is my Son,+ the beloved,+ whom I have approved.”+

4 Then Jesus was led by the spirit up into the wilderness+ to be tempted+ by the Devil. 2 After he had fasted forty days and forty nights,+ then he felt hungry. Ex.34:28 3 Also, the Tempter+ came and said to him: “If you are a son of God,+ tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But in reply he said: “It is written, ‘Man must live, not on bread alone, but on every utterance coming forth through Jehovah’s* mouth.’”+ Deu.8:3

5 Then the Devil took him along into the holy city,+ and he stationed him upon the battlement of the temple 6 and said to him: “If you are a son of God, hurl yourself down;+ for it is written, ‘He will give his angels a charge concerning you, and they will carry you on their hands, that you may at no time strike your foot against a stone.’”+ 7 Jesus said to him: “Again it is written, ‘You must not put Jehovah* your God to the test.’”+ Deu.6:16

8 Again the Devil took him along to an unusually high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world*+ and their glory, 9 and he said to him: “All these things I will give you+ if you fall down and do an act of worship to me.”+ 10 Then Jesus said to him: “Go away, Satan! For it is written, ‘It is Jehovah* your God you must worship,+ and it is to him alone+ you must render sacred service.’”*+ Deu.10:20 11 Then the Devil left him,+ and, look! angels came and began to minister to him.+  Luke4:2-13

12 Now when he heard that John had been arrested,+ he withdrew into Galilee.+ 13 Further, after leaving Nazareth, he came and took up residence in Capernaum+ beside the sea in the districts of Zebulun and Naphtali,+ 14 that there might be fulfilled what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying: 15 “O land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, along the road of the sea, on the other side of the Jordan, Galilee+ of the nations! 16 the people sitting in darkness+ saw a great light,+ and as for those sitting in a region of deathly shadow, light+ rose+ upon them.” 17 From that time on Jesus commenced preaching and saying: “Repent,+ YOU people, for the kingdom+ of the heavens has drawn near.”

18 Walking alongside the sea of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon+ who is called Peter+ and Andrew his brother, letting down a fishing net into the sea, for they were fishers. 19 And he said to them: “Come after me, and I will make YOU fishers of men.”+ 20 At once abandoning the nets,+ they followed him. 21 Going on also from there he saw two others+ [who were] brothers, James [the son] of Zebedee+ and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 At once leaving the boat and their father, they followed him.

23 Then he went around+ throughout the whole of Galilee,+ teaching in their synagogues+ and preaching the good news* of the kingdom and curing every sort of disease+ and every sort of infirmity among the people. 24 And the report about him went out into all Syria;+ and they brought him all those faring badly,+ distressed with various diseases and torments, demon-possessed and epileptic+ and paralyzed persons, and he cured them. 25 Consequently great crowds followed him from Galilee+ and Decapolis* and Jerusalem+ and Judea and from the other side of the Jordan.

5 When he saw the crowds he went up into the mountain; and after he sat down his disciples came to him; 2 and he opened his mouth and began teaching them, saying:

3 “Happy* are those conscious of their spiritual need,*+ since the kingdom of the heavens belongs to them.+

4 “Happy are those who mourn, since they will be comforted.+

5 “Happy are the mild-tempered+ ones, since they will inherit the earth.+ Ps.37:10; 29; Isai.65:17-25; ■

6 “Happy are those hungering and thirsting+ for righteousness, since they will be filled.+

7 “Happy are the merciful,+ since they will be shown mercy.

8 “Happy are the pure in heart,+ since they will see God.+

9 “Happy are the peaceable,*+ since they will be called ‘sons+ of God.’

10 “Happy are those who have been persecuted+ for righteousness’ sake, since the kingdom of the heavens belongs to them.

11 “Happy are YOU when people reproach+ YOU and persecute+ YOU and lyingly say every sort of wicked thing against YOU for my sake. 12 Rejoice and leap for joy,+ since YOUR reward+ is great in the heavens; for in that way they persecuted the prophets+ prior to YOU.

13 “YOU are the salt+ of the earth; Ex.30:35; Lev.2:13; Mark9:49 but if the salt loses its strength, how will its saltness be restored? Heb.6:4-6 It is no longer usable for anything but to be thrown outside+ to be trampled on by men.

14 “YOU are the light of the world.+ A city cannot be hid when situated upon a mountain. 15 People light a lamp and set it, not under the measuring basket,+ but upon the lampstand, and it shines upon all those in the house. 16 Likewise let YOUR light+ shine before men, that they may see YOUR fine works+ and give glory+ to YOUR Father who is in the heavens. Phil.2:15

17 “Do not think I came to destroy the Law+ or the Prophets. I came, not to destroy, but to fulfill;+ 18 for truly I say to YOU that sooner would heaven and earth pass away+ than for one smallest letter or one particle of a letter to pass away from the Law by any means and not all things take place.+ 19 Whoever, therefore, breaks+ one of these least commandments and teaches mankind to that effect, he will be called ‘least’ in relation to the kingdom of the heavens.+ As for anyone who does them and teaches+ them, this one will be called ‘great’+ in relation to the kingdom of the heavens. 20 For I say to YOU that if YOUR righteousness does not abound more than that of the scribes and Pharisees,+ YOU will by no means enter+ into the kingdom of the heavens.

21 “YOU heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You must not murder;+ but whoever commits a murder+ will be accountable to the court of justice.’+ 22 However, I say to YOU that everyone who continues wrathful+ with his brother will be accountable+ to the court of justice; but whoever addresses his brother with an unspeakable word of contempt* will be accountable to the Supreme Court;* whereas whoever says, ‘You despicable fool!’ will be liable to the fiery Gehenna.*+

23 “If, then, you are bringing your gift to the altar+ and you there remember that your brother has something against you,+ 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar, and go away; first make your peace with your brother,+ and then, when you have come back, offer up your gift.+

25 “Be about settling matters quickly with the one complaining against you at law, while you are with him on the way there, that somehow the complainant+ may not turn you over to the judge, and the judge to the court attendant, and you get thrown into prison. 26 I say to you for a fact, You will certainly not come out from there until you have paid over the last coin of very little value.*+

27 “YOU heard that it was said, ‘You must not commit adultery.’+ 28 But I say to YOU that everyone that keeps on looking at a woman+ so as to have a passion for her has already committed adultery+ with her in his heart.+ 29 If, now, that right eye of yours is making you stumble, tear it out and throw it away from you.+ For it is more beneficial to you for one of your members to be lost to you than for your whole body to be pitched+ into Gehenna. 30 Also, if your right hand is making you stumble, cut it off and throw it away from you.+ For it is more beneficial to you for one of your members to be lost than for your whole body to land in Gehenna.

31 “Moreover it was said, ‘Whoever divorces+ his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’+ 32 However, I say to YOU that everyone divorcing his wife, except on account of fornication,*+ makes her a subject for adultery,+ and whoever marries a divorced* woman commits adultery.*+

33 “Again YOU heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You must not swear+ without performing, but you must pay your vows to Jehovah.’*+ 34 However, I say to YOU: Do not swear+ at all, neither by heaven, because it is God’s throne;+ 35 nor by earth, because it is the footstool+ of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, because it is the city+ of the great King. 36 Nor by your head must you swear, because you cannot turn one hair white or black. 37 Just let YOUR word Yes mean Yes, YOUR No, No;+ for what is in excess of these is from the wicked one.*+

38 “YOU heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’+ 39 However, I say to YOU: Do not resist him that is wicked;* but whoever slaps you on your right cheek,+ turn the other also to him. 40 And if a person wants to go to court with you and get possession of your inner garment, let your outer garment also go to him;+ 41 and if someone under authority impresses you into service for a mile,* go with him two miles.+ 42 Give to the one asking you, and do not turn away from one that wants to borrow from you [without interest].+

43 “YOU heard that it was said, ‘You must love your neighbor+ and hate your enemy.’+ 44 However, I say to YOU: Continue to love YOUR enemies+ and to pray for those persecuting YOU;+ 45 that YOU may prove yourselves sons of YOUR Father who is in the heavens,+ since he makes his sun rise upon wicked people and good and makes it rain upon righteous people and unrighteous.+ 46 For if YOU love those loving YOU, what reward do YOU have?+ Are not also the tax collectors doing the same thing? 47 And if YOU greet YOUR brothers only, what extraordinary thing are YOU doing? Are not also the people of the nations doing the same thing? 48 YOU must accordingly be perfect, as YOUR heavenly Father is perfect.*+

6 “Take good care not to practice YOUR righteousness+ in front of men in order to be observed by them; otherwise YOU will have no reward with YOUR Father who is in the heavens. 2 Hence when you go making gifts of mercy,+ do not blow a trumpet+ ahead of you, just as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be glorified by men. Truly I say to YOU, They are having their reward in full. 3 But you, when making gifts of mercy, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, 4 that your gifts of mercy may be in secret; then your Father who is looking on in secret will repay you.+

5 “Also, when YOU pray, YOU must not be as the hypocrites; because they like to pray standing+ in the synagogues and on the corners of the broad ways to be visible to men.+ Truly I say to YOU, They are having their reward in full. 6 You, however, when you pray, go into your private room+ and, after shutting your door, pray to your Father who is in secret;+ then your Father who looks on in secret will repay you. 7 But when praying, do not say the same things over and over again,*+ just as the people of the nations do, for they imagine they will get a hearing for their use of many words. 8 So, do not make yourselves like them, for God YOUR Father knows what things YOU are needing+ before ever YOU ask him.

9 “YOU must pray, then, this way:+
     “‘Our Father in the heavens, let your name+ be sanctified.*+
    10 Let your kingdom+ come. Let your will+ take place, as in heaven, also upon earth.+ Dan.2:44
    11 Give us today our bread for this day;+
    12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.+
    13 And do not bring us into temptation,+ but deliver* us from the wicked one.’*+

14 “For if YOU forgive men their trespasses, YOUR heavenly Father will also forgive YOU;+ 15 whereas if YOU do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will YOUR Father forgive YOUR trespasses.+ 18:35

16 “When YOU are fasting,+ stop becoming sad-faced like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting.+ Truly I say to YOU, They are having their reward in full. 17 But you, when fasting, grease your head and wash your face,+ 18 that you may appear to be fasting, not to men, but to your Father who is in secrecy;+ then your Father who is looking on in secrecy will repay you.

19 “Stop storing up for yourselves treasures+ upon the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Rather, store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,+ where neither moth nor rust consumes,+ and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 “The lamp of the body is the eye.+ If, then, your eye is simple,* your whole body will be bright; 23 but if your eye is wicked,*+ your whole body will be dark. If in reality the light that is in you is darkness, how great that darkness is!+

24 “No one can slave for two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other,+ or he will stick to the one and despise the other. YOU cannot slave for God and for Riches.*+

25 “On this account I say to YOU: Stop being anxious+ about YOUR souls* as to what YOU will eat or what YOU will drink, or about YOUR bodies as to what YOU will wear.+ Does not the soul mean more than food and the body than clothing?+ 26 Observe intently the birds+ of heaven, because they do not sow seed or reap or gather into storehouses; still YOUR heavenly Father feeds them. Are YOU not worth more than they are?+ 27 Who of YOU by being anxious can add one cubit to his life span?+ 28 Also, on the matter of clothing, why are YOU anxious? Take a lesson from the lilies+ of the field, how they are growing; they do not toil, nor do they spin; 29 but I say to YOU that not even Solomon+ in all his glory was arrayed as one of these. 30 If, now, God thus clothes the vegetation of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much rather clothe YOU, YOU with little faith?+ 31 So never be anxious+ and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or, ‘What are we to drink?’ or, ‘What are we to put on?’ 32 For all these are the things the nations are eagerly pursuing. For YOUR heavenly Father knows YOU need all these things.+

33 “Keep on, then, seeking* first the kingdom and his righteousness,+ and all these [other] things will be added to YOU.+ 34 So, never be anxious about the next day,+ for the next day will have its own anxieties. Sufficient for each day is its own badness.

7 “Stop judging+ ● that YOU may not be judged; 2 for with what judgment YOU are judging, YOU will be judged;+ and with the measure that YOU are measuring out, they will measure out to YOU.+ 3 Why, then, do you look at the straw in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the rafter in your own eye?+ 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Allow me to extract the straw from your eye’; when, look! a rafter is in your own eye?+ 5 Hypocrite! First extract the rafter from your own eye, and then you will see clearly how to extract the straw from your brother’s eye.

6 “Do not give what is holy to dogs,+ neither throw YOUR pearls before swine, that they may never trample+ them under their feet and turn around and rip YOU open.

7 “Keep on asking,+ and it will be given YOU; keep on seeking, and YOU will find; keep on knocking,+ and it will be opened to YOU. 8 For everyone asking receives,+ and everyone seeking finds, and to everyone knocking it will be opened. 9 Indeed, who is the man among YOU whom his son+ asks for bread—he will not hand him a stone, will he? 10 Or, perhaps, he will ask for a fish—he will not hand him a serpent, will he? 11 Therefore, if YOU, although being wicked,+ know how to give good gifts to YOUR children, how much more so will YOUR Father who is in the heavens give good things+ to those asking him?

12 “All things, therefore, that YOU want men to do to YOU,+ YOU also must likewise do to them; this, in fact, is what the Law and the Prophets mean.+

13 “Go in through the narrow gate;+ because broad and spacious is the road leading off into destruction,* and many are the ones going in through it; 14 whereas narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are the ones finding it.+

15 “Be on the watch for the false prophets+ that come to YOU in sheep’s covering,+ but inside they are ravenous wolves.+ 16 By their fruits YOU will recognize+ them. Never do people gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles, do they?+ 17 Likewise every good tree produces fine fruit, but every rotten tree produces worthless fruit;+ 18 a good tree cannot bear worthless fruit, neither can a rotten tree produce fine fruit. 19 Every tree not producing fine fruit gets cut down and thrown into the fire.+ 20 Really, then, by their fruits YOU will recognize those [men].+

21 “Not everyone saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing+ the will of my Father who is in the heavens will.+ 22 Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord,+ did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many powerful works* in your name?’+ 23 And yet then I will confess to them: I never knew YOU!+ Get away from me, YOU workers of lawlessness.+

24 “Therefore everyone that hears these sayings of mine and does them will be likened to a discreet man, who built his house upon the rock-mass.+ 25 And the rain poured down and the floods came and the winds blew and lashed against that house, but it did not cave in, for it had been founded upon the rock-mass. 26 Furthermore, everyone hearing these sayings of mine and not doing+ them will be likened to a foolish man,+ who built his house upon the sand. 27 And the rain poured down and the floods came and the winds blew and struck against that house+ and it caved in, and its collapse was great.”+

28 Now when Jesus finished these sayings, the effect was that the crowds were astounded+ at his way of teaching; 29 for he was teaching them as a person having authority,+ and not as their scribes.

8 After he had come down from the mountain great crowds followed him. 2 And, look! a leprous man+ came up and began doing obeisance to him, saying: “Lord, if you just want to, you can make me clean.” 3 And so, stretching out [his] hand, he touched him, saying: “I want to. Be made clean.”+ And immediately his leprosy was cleansed away.+ 4 Then Jesus said to him: “See that you tell no one,+ but go, show yourself to the priest,+ and offer the gift+ that Moses appointed, for the purpose of a witness to them.”

5 When he entered into Capernaum,+ an army officer* came to him, entreating him 6 and saying: “Sir, my manservant is laid up in the house with paralysis, being terribly tormented.” 7 He said to him: “When I get there I will cure him.” 8 In reply the army officer said: “Sir, I am not a fit man for you to enter under my roof, but just say the word and my manservant will be healed. 9 For I too am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me, and I say to this one, ‘Be on your way!’+ and he is on his way, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” 10 Hearing that, Jesus became amazed and said to those following him: “I tell YOU the truth, With no one in Israel have I found so great a faith.+ 11 But I tell YOU that many from eastern parts and western+ parts will come and recline at the table with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom+ of the heavens;+ 12 whereas the sons of the kingdom+ will be thrown into the darkness outside. There is where [their] weeping and the gnashing* of [their] teeth will be.”+ 13 Then Jesus said to the army officer: “Go. Just as it has been your faith, so let it come to pass for you.”+ And the manservant was healed in that hour.

14 And Jesus, on coming into Peter’s house, saw his mother-in-law+ lying down and sick with fever.+ 15 So he touched her hand,+ and the fever left her, and she got up and began ministering to him.+ 16 But after it became evening,* people brought him many demon-possessed persons; and he expelled the spirits with a word, and he cured all who were faring badly; 17 that there might be fulfilled what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He himself took our sicknesses and carried our diseases.”+

18 When Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave the command to shove off for the other side.+ 19 And a certain scribe came up and said to him: “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you are about to go.”+ 20 But Jesus said to him: “Foxes have dens and birds of heaven have roosts, but the Son of man* has nowhere to lay down his head.”+ 21 Then another of the disciples said to him: “Lord, permit me first to leave and bury my father.” 22 Jesus said to him: “Keep following me, and let the dead bury their dead.”+

23 And when he got aboard a boat,+ his disciples followed him. 24 Now, look! a great agitation arose in the sea, so that the boat was being covered by the waves; he, however, was sleeping.+ 25 And they came and woke+ him up, saying: “Lord, save us, we are about to perish!” 26 But he said to them: “Why are YOU fainthearted, YOU with little faith?”+ Then, getting up, he rebuked the winds and the sea, and a great calm set in.+ 27 So the men became amazed and said: “What sort of person is this,+ that even the winds and the sea obey him?”

28 When he got to the other side, into the country of the Gadarenes,*+ there met him two demon-possessed men+ coming out from among* the memorial tombs, unusually fierce, so that nobody had the courage to pass by on that road. 29 And, look! they screamed, saying: “What have we to do with you,* Son of God?+ Did you come here to torment us+ before the appointed time?”+ 30 But a long way off from them a herd of many swine was at pasture. 31 So the demons began to entreat him, saying: “If you expel us, send us forth into the herd of swine.”+ 32 Accordingly he said to them: “Go!” They came out and went off into the swine; and, look! the entire herd rushed over the precipice into the sea and died in the waters.+ 33 But the herders fled and, going into the city, they reported everything, including the affair of the demon-possessed men. 34 And, look! all the city turned out to meet Jesus; and after having seen him, they earnestly urged him to move out from their districts.+

9 So, boarding the boat, he proceeded across and went into his own city.+ 2 And, look! they were bringing him a paralyzed man lying on a bed.+ On seeing their faith Jesus said to the paralytic: “Take courage, child; your sins are forgiven.”+ 3 And, look! certain of the scribes said to themselves: “This fellow is blaspheming.”+ 4 And Jesus, knowing their thoughts,+ said: “Why are YOU thinking wicked things in YOUR hearts?+ 5 For instance, which is easier, to say, Your sins are forgiven, or to say, Get up and walk?+ 6 However, in order for YOU to know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins+—” then he said to the paralytic: “Get up, pick up your bed, and go to your home.”+ 7 And he got up and went off to his home. 8 At the sight of this the crowds were struck with fear, and they glorified God,+ who gave such authority+ to men.

9 Next, while passing along from there, Jesus caught sight of a man named Matthew seated at the tax office, and he said to him: “Be my follower.”+ Thereupon he did rise up and follow him.+ 10 Later, while he was reclining at the table in the house,+ look! many tax collectors and sinners came and began reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 11 But on seeing this the Pharisees began to say to his disciples: “Why is it that YOUR teacher eats with tax collectors and sinners?”+ 12 Hearing [them], he said: “Persons in health do not need a physician,+ but the ailing do. 13 Go, then, and learn what this means, ‘I want mercy, and not sacrifice.’+ For I came to call, not righteous people, but sinners.”

14 Then John’s disciples came to him and asked: “Why is it that we and the Pharisees practice fasting but your disciples do not fast?”+ 15 At this Jesus said to them: “The friends of the bridegroom* have no reason to mourn as long as the bridegroom+ is with them, do they? But days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away+ from them, and then they will fast.+ 16 Nobody sews a patch of unshrunk cloth upon an old outer garment; for its full strength would pull from the outer garment and the tear would become worse.+ 17 Neither do people put new wine into old wineskins; but if they do, then the wineskins burst and the wine spills out and the wineskins are ruined.+ But people put new wine into new wineskins, and both things are preserved.”+

18 While he was telling them these things, look! a certain ruler+ who had approached began to do obeisance to him,+ saying: “By now my daughter must be dead;+ but come and lay your hand upon her and she will come to life.”+

19 Then Jesus, getting up, began to follow him; also his disciples did. 20 And, look! a woman suffering twelve years from a flow of blood+ came up behind and touched the fringe* of his outer garment;+ 21 for she kept saying to herself: “If I only touch his outer garment I shall get well.”*+ 22 Jesus turned around and, noticing her, said: “Take courage, daughter; your faith has made you well.”*+ And from that hour the woman became well.+

23 When, now, he came into the ruler’s house+ and caught sight of the flute players and the crowd in noisy confusion,+ 24 Jesus began to say: “Leave the place, for the little girl did not die, but she is sleeping.”+ At this they began to laugh at him scornfully.+ 25 As soon as the crowd had been sent outside, he went in and took hold of her hand,+ and the little girl got up.+ 26 Of course, the talk about this spread out into all that region.

27 As Jesus was passing along from there, two blind men+ followed him, crying out and saying: “Have mercy on us,+ Son of David.” 28 After he had gone into the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus asked them: “Do YOU have faith+ that I can do this?” They answered him: “Yes, Lord.” 29 Then he touched their eyes,+ saying: “According to YOUR faith let it happen to YOU.” 30 And their eyes received sight. Moreover, Jesus sternly charged them, saying: “See that nobody gets to know it.”+ 12:16; Isai.42:2 31 But they, after getting outside, made it public about him in all that region.+

32 Now when they were leaving, look! people brought him a dumb man possessed of a demon;+ 33 and after the demon had been expelled the dumb man spoke.+ Well, the crowds felt amazement+ and said: “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.” 34 But the Pharisees began to say: “It is by the ruler of the demons that he expels the demons.”+

35 And Jesus set out on a tour of all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching* the good news of the kingdom and curing every sort of disease and every sort of infirmity.+ 36 On seeing the crowds he felt pity+ for them, because they were skinned* and thrown about like sheep without a shepherd.+ 37 Then he said to his disciples: “Yes, the harvest is great, but the workers are few.+ 38 Therefore, beg the Master of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.”+

10 So he summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits,+ in order to expel these and to cure every sort of disease and every sort of infirmity.

2 The names of the twelve apostles+ are these:+ First, Simon, the one called Peter,*+ and Andrew+ his brother; and James the [son] of Zebedee+ and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew;*+ Thomas+ and Matthew*+ the tax collector; James the [son] of Alphaeus,+ and Thaddaeus;* 4 Simon the Cananaean,+ and Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed+ him. Acts1:13, 26

5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, giving them these orders:+ “Do not go off into the road of the nations, and do not enter into a Samaritan city;+ 6 but, instead, go continually to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.+ 7 As YOU go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of the heavens has drawn near.’+ 8 Cure sick people,+ raise up dead persons, make lepers clean, expel demons. YOU received free, give free.+ 9 Do not procure gold or silver or copper for YOUR girdle purses,+ 10 or a food pouch for the trip, or two undergarments,* or sandals or a staff; for the worker deserves his food.+

11 “Into whatever city or village YOU enter, search out who in it is deserving, and stay there until YOU leave.+ 12 When YOU are entering into the house, greet the household; 13 and if the house is deserving, let the peace YOU wish it come upon it;+ but if it is not deserving, let the peace from YOU return upon YOU. 14 Wherever anyone does not take YOU in or listen to YOUR words, on going out of that house or that city shake the dust off YOUR feet.+ 15 Truly I say to YOU, It will be more endurable for the land of Sodom+ and Gomorrah on Judgment Day than for that city.+

16 “Look! I am sending YOU forth as sheep amidst wolves;+ therefore prove yourselves cautious as serpents+ and yet innocent as doves.+ 17 Be on YOUR guard against men;+ for they will deliver YOU up to local courts,*+ and they will scourge+ YOU in their synagogues.+ 18 Why, YOU will be haled before governors and kings+ for my sake, for a witness*+ to them and the nations. 19 However, when they deliver YOU up, do not become anxious about how or what YOU are to speak; for what YOU are to speak will be given YOU in that hour;+ 20 for the ones speaking are not just YOU, but it is the spirit of YOUR Father that speaks by YOU.+ 21 Further, brother+ will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise up against parents and will have them put to death.+ 22 And YOU will be objects of hatred by all people on account of my name;+ but he that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved.+ 23 When they persecute YOU in one city, flee to another;+ for truly I say to YOU, YOU will by no means complete the circuit+ of the cities of Israel until the Son of man arrives.+

24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his lord.+ 25 It is enough for the disciple to become as his teacher, and the slave as his lord.+ If people have called the householder Beelzebub,*+ how much more [will they call] those of his household so? 26 Therefore do not fear them; for there is nothing covered over that will not become uncovered, and secret that will not become known.+ 27 What I tell YOU in the darkness, say in the light;* and what YOU hear whispered,* preach from the housetops.+ 28 And do not become fearful+ of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul;* but rather be in fear of him+ that can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.*+ 29 Do not two sparrows sell for a coin of small value?*+ Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without YOUR Father’s [knowledge].+ 30 But the very hairs of YOUR head are all numbered.+ 31 Therefore have no fear: YOU are worth more than many sparrows.+

32 “Everyone, then, that confesses union with me before men, I will also confess union+ with him before my Father who is in the heavens; 33 but whoever disowns me before men, I will also disown+ him before my Father who is in the heavens.  Mark8:38; Luke9:26 34 Do not think I came to put peace upon the earth; I came to put, not peace,+ but a sword. 35 For I came to cause division, with a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a young wife against her mother-in-law.+ 36 Indeed, a man’s enemies will be persons of his own household. 37 He that has greater affection for father or mother than for me is not worthy of me; and he that has greater affection for son or daughter than for me is not worthy of me.+ 38 And whoever does not accept his torture stake* and follow after me is not worthy of me.+ 39 He that finds his soul* will lose it, and he that loses his soul for my sake will find it.+

40 “He that receives YOU receives me also, and he that receives me receives him also that sent me forth.+ 41 He that receives a prophet because he is a prophet will get a prophet’s reward,+ and he that receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will get a righteous man’s reward.+ 42 And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water to drink because he is a disciple, I tell YOU truly, he will by no means lose his reward.”+

11 Now when Jesus had finished giving instructions to his twelve disciples, he set out from there to teach and preach in their cities.+

2 But John, having heard in jail+ about the works of the Christ, sent by means of his own disciples 3 and said to him: “Are you the Coming One, or are we to expect a different one?”+ 4 In reply Jesus said to them: “Go YOUR way and report to John what YOU are hearing and seeing: 5 The blind are seeing again,+ and the lame+ are walking about, the lepers+ are being cleansed and the deaf+ are hearing, and the dead+ are being raised up, and the poor are having the good news+ declared to them; 6 and happy is he that finds no cause for stumbling in me.”+

7 While these were on their way, Jesus started to say to the crowds respecting John: “What did YOU go out into the wilderness to behold?+ A reed being tossed by a wind?+ 8 What, then, did YOU go out to see? A man dressed in soft garments? Why, those wearing soft garments are in the houses of kings.+ 9 Really, then, why did YOU go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell YOU, and far more than a prophet.+ 10 This is he concerning whom it is written, ‘Look! I myself am sending forth my messenger* before your face, who will prepare your way ahead of you!’+ 11 Truly I say to YOU people, Among those born of women+ there has not been raised up a greater than John the Baptist;* but a person that is a lesser one in the kingdom+ of the heavens is greater than he is. 12 But from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of the heavens is the goal toward which men press, and those pressing forward are seizing it.+ 13 For all, the Prophets and the Law, prophesied until John;+ 14 and if YOU want to accept it, He himself is ‘Elijah* who is destined to come.’+ 17:10-13; John1:21 15 Let him that has ears listen.+

16 “With whom shall I compare this generation?+ It is like young children sitting in the marketplaces who cry out to their playmates,+ 17 saying, ‘We played the flute for YOU, but YOU did not dance; we wailed, but YOU did not beat yourselves in grief.’+ 18 Correspondingly, John came neither eating nor drinking,+ yet people say, ‘He has a demon’; 19 the Son of man did come eating and drinking,+ still people say, ‘Look! A man gluttonous and given to drinking wine, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’+ All the same, wisdom is proved righteous by its works.”+

20 Then he started to reproach the cities in which most of his powerful works had taken place, because they did not repent:+ 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!+ because if the powerful works had taken place in Tyre and Sidon that took place in YOU, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes.+ 22 Consequently I say to YOU, It will be more endurable for Tyre and Sidon on Judgment Day+ than for YOU.+ 23 And you, Capernaum,+ will you perhaps be exalted to heaven?* Down to Hades*+ you will come;+ because if the powerful works that took place in you had taken place in Sodom, it would have remained until this very day. 24 Consequently I say to YOU people, It will be more endurable for the land of Sodom on Judgment Day than for you.”*+

25 At that time Jesus said in response: “I publicly praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intellectual ones and have revealed them to babes.+ 26 Yes, O Father, because to do thus came to be the way approved by you. 27 All things have been delivered to me by my Father,+ and no one fully knows the Son but the Father,+ neither does anyone fully know the Father but the Son and anyone to whom the Son is willing to reveal him.+ 28 Come to me, all YOU who are toiling and loaded down,+ and I will refresh YOU. 29 Take my yoke+ upon YOU* and learn from me,*+ for I am mild-tempered+ and lowly in heart, and YOU will find refreshment+ for YOUR souls.* 30 For my yoke is kindly and my load is light.”+

12 At that season Jesus went through the grainfields on the sabbath.+ His disciples got hungry and started to pluck heads of grain and to eat.+ 2 At seeing this the Pharisees said to him:+ “Look! Your disciples are doing what it is not lawful to do on the sabbath.”+ 3 He said to them: “Have YOU not read what David did when he and the men with him got hungry?+ 4 How he entered into the house of God and they ate the loaves of presentation,*+ something that it was not lawful+ for him to eat, nor for those with him, but for the priests only?+ 5 Or, have YOU not read in the Law+ that on the sabbaths the priests in the temple treat the sabbath as not sacred and continue guiltless?+ 6 But I tell YOU that something greater than the temple+ is here. 7 However, if YOU had understood what this means,* ‘I want mercy,+ and not sacrifice,’+ YOU would not have condemned the guiltless ones. 8 For Lord of the sabbath+ is what the Son of man is.”+

9 After departing from that place he went into their synagogue; 10 and, look! a man with a withered hand!+ So they asked him, “Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath?” that they might get an accusation against him.+ 11 He said to them: “Who will be the man among YOU that has one sheep and, if this falls into a pit+ on the sabbath, will not get hold of it and lift it out?+ 12 All considered, of how much more worth is a man than a sheep!+ So it is lawful to do a fine thing on the sabbath.” 13 Then he said to the man: “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and it was restored sound like the other hand.+ 14 But the Pharisees went out and took counsel against him that they might destroy him.+ 15 Having come to know [this], Jesus withdrew from there. Many also followed him, and he cured them all,+ 16 but he strictly charged them not to make him manifest;+ 9:30 17 that there might be fulfilled what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, who said:

18 “Look! My servant+ whom I chose, my beloved,+ whom my soul approved! I will put my spirit upon him,+ and what justice is he will make clear to the nations. 19 He will not wrangle,+ nor cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the broad ways. 20 No bruised reed will he crush, and no smoldering flaxen wick will he extinguish,+ until he sends out justice+ with success.* 21 Indeed, in his name nations will hope.”+ John10:16

22 Then they brought him a demon-possessed man, blind and dumb; and he cured him, so that the dumb man spoke and saw. 23 Well, all the crowds were simply carried away and began to say:+ “May this not perhaps be the Son of David?”+ 24 At hearing this, the Pharisees said: “This fellow does not expel the demons except by means of Beelzebub,* the ruler of the demons.”+ 25 Knowing their thoughts,+ he said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself comes to desolation,+ and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. 26 In the same way, if Satan expels Satan, he has become divided against himself; how, then, will his kingdom stand? 27 Moreover, if I expel the demons by means of Beelzebub,+ by means of whom do YOUR sons expel them? This is why they will be judges of YOU. 28 But if it is by means of God’s spirit that I expel the demons, the kingdom of God has really overtaken YOU.+ 29 Or how can anyone invade the house of a strong man and seize his movable goods, unless first he binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.+ 30 He that is not on my side is against me, and he that does not gather with me scatters.+

31 “On this account I say to YOU, Every sort of sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the spirit will not be forgiven.+ 32 For example, 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, no, not in this system of things* nor in that to come.+

33 “Either YOU people make the tree fine and its fruit fine or make the tree rotten and its fruit rotten; for by its fruit the tree is known.+ 34 Offspring of vipers,+ how can YOU speak good things, when YOU are wicked?+ For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.+ 35 The good man out of his good treasure sends out good things,+ whereas the wicked man out of his wicked treasure sends out wicked things.+ 36 I tell YOU that every unprofitable saying that men speak, they will render an account+ concerning it on Judgment Day; 37 for by your words you will be declared righteous, and by your words you will be condemned.”+

38 Then as an answer to him some of the scribes and Pharisees said: “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”+ 39 In reply he said to them: “A wicked and adulterous+ generation keeps on seeking for a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.+ 40 For just as Jonah+ was in the belly of the huge fish three days and three nights, so the Son of man+ will be in the heart of the earth+ three days and three nights.+ 41 Men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation+ and will condemn+ it; because they repented at what Jonah+ preached,* but, look! something more than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the south+ will be raised up in the judgment with this generation and will condemn it; because she came from the ends* of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, but, look! something more than Solomon is here.+

43 “When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it passes through parched places in search of a resting-place, and finds none.+ 44 Then it says, ‘I will go back to my house out of which I moved’; and on arriving it finds it unoccupied but swept clean and adorned. 45 Then it goes its way and takes along with it seven different spirits more wicked than itself,+ and, after getting inside, they dwell there; and the final circumstances of that man become worse than the first.+ That is how it will be also with this wicked generation.”+

46 While he was yet speaking to the crowds, look! his mother and brothers+ took up a position outside seeking to speak to him. 47 So someone said to him: “Look! Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak to you.”* 48 As an answer he said to the one telling him: “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?”+ 49 And extending his hand toward his disciples, he said: “Look! My mother and my brothers!+ 50 For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.”

13 On that day Jesus, having left the house, was sitting by the sea; 2 and great crowds gathered to him, so that he went aboard a boat and sat down,+ and all the crowd was standing on the beach. 3 Then he told them many things by illustrations,* saying: “Look! A sower went out to sow;+ 4 and as he was sowing, some [seeds] fell alongside the road, and the birds came and ate them up.+ 5 Others fell upon the rocky places where they did not have much soil, and at once they sprang up because of not having depth of soil.+ 6 But when the sun rose they were scorched, and because of not having root they withered.+ 7 Others, too, fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them.+ 8 Still others fell upon the fine soil and they began to yield fruit,+ this one a hundredfold, that one sixty, the other thirty.+ 9 Let him that has ears listen.”+

10 So the disciples came up and said to him: “Why is it you speak to them by the use of illustrations?”+ 11 In reply he said: “To YOU it is granted to understand the sacred secrets+ of the kingdom of the heavens, but to those people it is not granted.+ 12 For whoever has, more will be given him and he will be made to abound;+ but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.+ 13 This is why I speak to them by the use of illustrations, because, looking, they look in vain, and hearing, they hear in vain, neither do they get the sense of it;+ 14 and toward them the prophecy of Isaiah is having fulfillment, which says, ‘By hearing, YOU will hear but by no means get the sense of it; and, looking, YOU will look but by no means see.+ 15 For the heart of this people has grown unreceptive,* and with their ears they have heard without response,* and they have shut their eyes; that they might never see with their eyes and hear with their ears and get the sense of it with their hearts and turn back, and I heal them.’+

16 “However, happy are YOUR eyes+ because they behold, and YOUR ears because they hear. 17 For I truly say to YOU, Many prophets+ and righteous men desired to see the things YOU are beholding and did not see them,+ and to hear the things YOU are hearing and did not hear them.+

18 “YOU, then, listen to the illustration of the man that sowed.+ 19 Where anyone hears the word of the kingdom but does not get the sense of it, the wicked one+ comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart; this is the one sown alongside the road. 20 As for the one sown upon the rocky places, this is the one hearing the word and at once accepting it with joy.+ 21 Yet he has no root in himself but continues for a time, and after tribulation or persecution has arisen on account of the word he is at once stumbled.+ 22 As for the one sown among the thorns, this is the one hearing the word, but the anxiety of this system of things*+ and the deceptive power of riches* choke the word, and he* becomes unfruitful.+ 23 As for the one sown upon the fine soil, this is the one hearing the word and getting the sense of it, who really does bear fruit and produces, this one a hundredfold, that one sixty, the other thirty.”+

24 Another illustration he set before them, saying: “The kingdom of the heavens has become like a man that sowed fine seed in his field.+ 25 While men were sleeping, his enemy came and oversowed weeds* in among the wheat, and left. 26 When the blade sprouted and produced fruit, then the weeds appeared also. 27 So the slaves of the householder came up and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow fine seed in your field?+ How, then, does it come to have weeds?’+ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy, a man, did this.’+  v.39 They said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go out and collect them?’ 29 He said, ‘No; that by no chance, while collecting the weeds, YOU uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest; and in the harvest season I will tell the reapers, First collect the weeds and bind them in bundles to burn them up,+ then go to gathering the wheat into my storehouse.’”+

31 Another illustration he set before them,+ saying: “The kingdom of the heavens is like a mustard grain,+ which a man took and planted in his field; 32 which is, in fact, the tiniest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the largest of the vegetables and becomes a tree, so that the birds of heaven+ come and find lodging among its branches.”+

33 Another illustration he spoke to them: “The kingdom of the heavens is like leaven,+ which a woman took and hid in three large measures* of flour, until the whole mass was fermented.”

34 All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds by illustrations. Indeed, without an illustration he would not speak to them;+ 35 that there might be fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet who said: “I will open my mouth with illustrations, I will publish things hidden since the founding.”+

36 Then after dismissing the crowds he went into the house. And his disciples came to him and said: “Explain to us the illustration of the weeds* in the field.” 37 In response he said: “The sower of the fine seed is the Son of man; 38 the field is the world;+ as for the fine seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; but the weeds are the sons of the wicked+ one, 39 and the enemy that sowed them is the Devil.+ Isai.14:12-16 The harvest+ is a conclusion* of a system of things,*+ and the reapers are angels. 40 Therefore, just as the weeds are collected and burned with fire, so it will be in the conclusion of the system of things.+ 41 The Son of man will send forth his angels, and they will collect out from his kingdom all things that cause stumbling+ and persons who are doing lawlessness, v.49 42 and they will pitch them into the fiery furnace.+ There is where [their] weeping and the gnashing of [their] teeth will be.+ 43 At that time the righteous ones will shine+ as brightly as the sun+ in the kingdom of their Father. Let him that has ears listen.+ Dan.12:3, 10

44 “The kingdom of the heavens is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid; and for the joy he has he goes and sells+ what things he has and buys that field.+

45 “Again the kingdom of the heavens is like a traveling merchant seeking fine pearls. 46 Upon finding one pearl of high value,+ away he went and promptly sold all the things he had and bought it.+

47 “Again the kingdom of the heavens is like a dragnet let down into the sea and gathering up [fish] of every kind.+ 48 When it got full they hauled it up onto the beach and, sitting down, they collected the fine+ ones into vessels, but the unsuitable+ they threw away. 49 That is how it will be in the conclusion of the system of things:* the angels will go out and separate the wicked+ from among the righteous+ 50 and will cast them into the fiery furnace. There is where [their] weeping and the gnashing of [their] teeth will be.+

51 “Did YOU get the sense of all these things?” They said to him: “Yes.” 52 Then he said to them: “That being the case, every public instructor,* when taught respecting the kingdom of the heavens,+ is like a man, a householder, who brings out of his treasure store things new and old.”+

53 Now when Jesus had finished these illustrations he went across country from there. 54 And after coming into his home territory*+ he began to teach them in their synagogue,+ so that they were astounded and said: “Where did this man get this wisdom and these powerful works? 55 Is this not the carpenter’s son?+ Is not his mother called Mary, and his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56 And his sisters, are they not all with us?+ Where, then, did this man get all these things?”+ 57 So they began to stumble at him.+ But Jesus said to them: “A prophet is not unhonored except in his home territory and in his own house.”+ 58 And he did not do many powerful works there on account of their lack of faith.+

14 At that particular time Herod, the district ruler,* heard the report about Jesus+ 2 and said to his servants: “This is John the Baptist. He was raised up from the dead, and this is why the powerful works* are operating in him.”+ 3 For Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him away in prison on account of Herodias the wife of Philip his brother.+ 4 For John had been saying to him: “It is not lawful for you to be having her.”+ 5 However, although he wanted to kill him, he feared the crowd, because they took him for a prophet.+ 6 But when Herod’s birthday+ was being celebrated the daughter of Herodias danced at it and pleased Herod so much 7 that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked.+ 8 Then she, under her mother’s coaching, said: “Give me here upon a platter the head of John the Baptist.”+ 9 Grieved though he was, the king out of regard for his oaths and for those reclining with him commanded it to be given;+ 10 and he sent and had John beheaded in the prison. 11 And his head was brought on a platter and given to the maiden, and she brought it to her mother.+ 12 Finally his disciples came up and removed the corpse and buried him+ and came and reported to Jesus. 13 At hearing this Jesus withdrew from there by boat into a lonely place for isolation;+ but the crowds, getting to hear of it, followed him on foot from the cities.

14 Now when he came forth he saw a great crowd; and he felt pity+ for them, and he cured their sick ones.+ 15 But when evening fell his disciples came to him and said: “The place is lonely and the hour is already far advanced; send the crowds away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves things to eat.”+ 16 However, Jesus said to them: “They do not have to leave: YOU give them something to eat.”+ 17 They said to him: “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fishes.”+ 18 He said: “BRING them here to me.” 19 Next he commanded the crowds to recline on the grass and took the five loaves and two fishes, and, looking up to heaven, he said a blessing+ and, after breaking the loaves, he distributed them to the disciples, the disciples in turn to the crowds.+ 20 So all ate and were satisfied, and they took up the surplus of fragments, twelve baskets full.+ 21 Yet those eating were about five thousand men, besides women and young children.+ 22 Then, without delay, he compelled his disciples to board the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, while he sent the crowds away.+

23 Eventually, having sent the crowds away, he went up into the mountain by himself to pray.+ Though it became late, he was there alone. 24 By now the boat was many hundreds of yards* away from land, being hard put to it by the waves,+ because the wind was against them. 25 But in the fourth watch period* of the night he came to them, walking over the sea.+ 26 When they caught sight of him walking on the sea, the disciples were troubled, saying: “It is an apparition!”+ And they cried out in their fear. 27 But at once Jesus spoke to them with the words: “Take courage, it is I;+ have no fear.” 28 In reply Peter said to him: “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you over the waters.” 29 He said: “Come!” Thereupon Peter, getting down off the boat,+ walked over the waters and went toward Jesus. 30 But looking at the windstorm, he got afraid and, after starting to sink, he cried out: “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately stretching out his hand Jesus caught hold of him and said to him: “You with little faith, why did you give way to doubt?”+ 32 And after they got up into the boat, the windstorm abated. 33 Then those in the boat did obeisance to him, saying: “You are really God’s Son.”+ 34 And they got across and came to land in Gennesaret.+

35 Upon recognizing him the men of that place sent forth into all that surrounding country, and people brought him all those who were ill.+ 36 And they went entreating him that they might just touch the fringe of his outer garment;+ and all those who touched it were made completely well.

15 Then there came to Jesus from Jerusalem+ Pharisees and scribes, saying: 2 “Why is it your disciples overstep the tradition of the men of former times? For example, they do not wash their hands when about to eat a meal.”+

3 In reply he said to them: “Why is it YOU also overstep the commandment of God because of YOUR tradition?+ 4 For example, God said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’;+ and, ‘Let him that reviles father or mother end up in death.’*+ 5 But YOU say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother: “Whatever I have by which you might get benefit from me is a gift dedicated to God,” 6 he must not honor his father at all.’+ And so YOU have made the word of God invalid because of YOUR tradition.+ 7 YOU hypocrites,+ Isaiah+ aptly prophesied about YOU, when he said, 8 ‘This people honors me with their lips, yet their heart is far removed from me.+ 9 It is in vain that they keep worshiping me, because they teach commands of men as doctrines.’”+ Mark7:7 10 With that he called the crowd near and said to them: “Listen and get the sense of it:+ 11 Not what enters into [his] mouth defiles a man; but it is what proceeds out of [his] mouth that defiles a man.”+

12 Then the disciples came up and said to him: “Do you know that the Pharisees stumbled at hearing what you said?”+ 13 In reply he said: “Every plant that my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted.+ 14 LET them be. Blind guides is what they are. If, then, a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”*+ 15 By way of response Peter said to him: “Make the illustration* plain to us.”+ 16 At this he said: “Are YOU also yet without understanding?+ 17 Are YOU not aware that everything entering into the mouth passes along into the intestines and is discharged into the sewer?* 18 However, the things proceeding out of the mouth come out of the heart, and those things defile a man.+ 19 For example, out of the heart come wicked reasonings,+ murders, adulteries, fornications, thieveries, false testimonies, blasphemies.+ 20 These are the things defiling a man; but to take a meal with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”+

21 Leaving there, Jesus now withdrew into the parts of Tyre and Sidon.+ 22 And, look! a Phoenician*+ woman from those regions came out and cried aloud, saying: “Have mercy on me,+ Lord, Son of David. My daughter is badly demonized.” 23 But he did not say a word in answer to her. So his disciples came up and began to request him: “Send her away; because she keeps crying out after us.” 24 In answer he said: “I was not sent forth to any but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”+ 25 When the woman came she began doing obeisance to him, saying: “Lord, help me!”+ 26 In answer he said: “It is not right to take the bread of the children and throw it to little dogs.” 27 She said: “Yes, Lord; but really the little dogs do eat of the crumbs falling from the table of their masters.”+ 28 Then Jesus said in reply to her: “O woman, great is your faith; let it happen to you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed from that hour on.+

29 Crossing country from there, Jesus next came near the sea of Galilee,+ and, after going up into the mountain,+ he was sitting there. 30 Then great crowds approached him, having along with them people that were lame, maimed, blind, dumb, and many otherwise, and they fairly threw them at his feet, and he cured them;+ 31 so that the crowd felt amazement as they saw the dumb speaking and the lame walking and the blind seeing, and they glorified the God of Israel.+

32 But Jesus called his disciples to him and said:+ “I feel pity+ for the crowd, because it is already three days that they have stayed with me and they have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away fasting. They may possibly give out on the road.” 33 However, the disciples said to him: “Where are we in this lonely place going to get sufficient loaves to satisfy a crowd of this size?”+ 34 At this Jesus said to them: “How many loaves have YOU?” They said: “Seven, and a few little fishes.” 35 So, after instructing the crowd to recline upon the ground, 36 he took the seven loaves and the fishes and, after offering thanks, he broke them and began distributing to the disciples, the disciples in turn to the crowds.+ 37 And all ate and were satisfied, and as a surplus of fragments they took up seven provision baskets full.+ 38 Yet those eating were four thousand men, besides women and young children. 39 Finally, after sending the crowds away, he got into the boat and came into the regions of Magadan.+

16 Here the Pharisees+ and Sadducees approached him and, to tempt him, they asked him to display to them a sign from heaven.+ 2 In reply he said to them: “[[When evening falls YOU are accustomed to say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is fire-red’; 3 and at morning, ‘It will be wintry, rainy weather today, for the sky is fire-red, but gloomy-looking.’ YOU know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but the signs of the times YOU cannot interpret.]]*+ 4 A wicked and adulterous* generation keeps on seeking for a sign, but no sign will be given it+ except the sign of Jonah.”+ With that he went away, leaving them behind.+

5 Now the disciples crossed to the other side and forgot to take loaves along.+ 6 Jesus said to them: “Keep YOUR eyes open and watch out for the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”+ 7 So they began to reason among themselves, saying: “We did not take any loaves along.” 8 Knowing this, Jesus said: “Why are YOU doing this reasoning among yourselves, because YOU have no loaves, YOU with little faith?+ 9 Do YOU not yet see the point, or do YOU not remember the five loaves in the case of the five thousand and how many baskets YOU took up?+ 10 Or the seven loaves in the case of the four thousand and how many provision baskets YOU took up?+ 11 How is it YOU do not discern that I did not talk to YOU about loaves? But watch out for the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”+ 12 Then they grasped that he said to watch out, not for the leaven of the loaves, but for the teaching+ of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

13 Now when he had come into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus went asking his disciples: “Who are men saying the Son of man is?”+ 14 They said: “Some say John the Baptist,+ others Elijah,+ still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them: “YOU, though, who do YOU say I am?”+ 16 In answer Simon Peter said: “You are the Christ,+ the Son of the living God.”+ 17 In response Jesus said to him: “Happy you are, Simon son of Jonah,* because flesh and blood did not reveal [it] to you, but my Father who is in the heavens did.+ 18 Also, I say to you, You are Peter,+ and on this rock-mass*+ I will build my congregation,* and the gates of Hades*+ will not overpower it.+ 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of the heavens, Acts2:14-36 and whatever you may bind on earth will be the thing bound* in the heavens, and whatever you may loose on earth will be the thing loosed* in the heavens.”+ 20 Then he sternly charged the disciples not to say to anybody that he was the Christ.+

21 From that time forward Jesus Christ commenced showing his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the older men and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised up.+ 17:22-23; 20:18-19 22 At this Peter took him aside and commenced rebuking him, saying: “Be kind to yourself, Lord; you will not have this [destiny] at all.”+ 23 But, turning his back,* he said to Peter: “Get behind me, Satan!+ You are a stumbling block to me, because you think, not God’s thoughts,+ but those of men.”*

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples: “If anyone wants to come after me, let him disown himself and pick up his torture stake* and continually+ follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his soul* will lose it; but whoever loses his soul for my sake will find it.+ 26 For what benefit will it be to a man if he gains the whole world but forfeits his soul?+ or what will a man give in exchange+ for his soul? 27 For the Son of man is destined to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will recompense each one according to his behavior.+ Deut.18:19; Rom.2:6; Rev.2:23; 20:13; 22:12 28 Truly I say to YOU that there are some of those standing here that will not taste death at all until first they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.”+

17 Six days later Jesus took Peter and James and John his brother along and brought them up into a lofty mountain by themselves.+ 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone as the sun,+ and his outer garments became brilliant as the light.+ 3 And, look! there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, conversing with him.+ 4 Responsively Peter said to Jesus: “Lord, it is fine for us to be here. If you wish, I will erect three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.”+ 5 While he was yet speaking, look! a bright cloud overshadowed them, and, look! a voice out of the cloud, saying: “This is my Son, the beloved, whom I have approved;+ listen to him.”+ 6 At hearing this the disciples fell upon their faces and became very much afraid.+ 7 Then Jesus came near and, touching them, said: “Get up and have no fear.”+ 8 When they raised their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus himself only.+ 9 And as they were descending from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying: “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of man is raised up from the dead.”+

10 However, the disciples put the question to him: “Why, then, do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”+ 11 In reply he said: “Elijah, indeed, is coming and will restore all things.+ 12 However, I say to YOU that Elijah has already come and they did not recognize him but did with him the things they wanted. In this way also the Son of man is destined to suffer at their hands.”+ 13 Then the disciples perceived that he spoke to them about John the Baptist.+ 11:14

14 And when they came toward the crowd,+ a man approached him, kneeling down to him and saying: 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son, because he is an epileptic and is ill, for he falls often into the fire and often into the water;+ 16 and I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.”+ 17 In reply Jesus said: “O faithless and twisted generation,+ how long must I continue with YOU? How long must I put up with YOU? Bring him here to me.” 18 Then Jesus rebuked it,* and the demon came out of him;+ and the boy was cured from that hour.+ 19 Thereupon the disciples came up to Jesus privately and said: “Why is it we could not expel it?”+ 20 He said to them: “Because of YOUR little faith. For truly I say to YOU, If YOU have faith the size of a mustard grain, YOU will say to this mountain, ‘Transfer from here to there,’ and it will transfer, and nothing will be impossible for YOU.”+ 21* ——

22 It was while they were gathered together in Galilee that Jesus said to them: “The Son of man is destined to be betrayed into men’s hands,+ 23 and they will kill him, and the third day he will be raised up.”+ Consequently they were very much grieved.+16:21; 20:18-19

24 After they arrived in Capernaum the men collecting the two drachmas* [tax] approached Peter and said: “Does YOUR teacher not pay the two drachmas [tax]?”+ 25 He said: “Yes.” However, when he entered the house Jesus got ahead of him by saying: “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth receive duties or head tax? From their sons or from the strangers?” 26 When he said: “From the strangers,” Jesus said to him: “Really, then, the sons are tax-free. 27 But that we do not cause them to stumble,+ you go to the sea, cast a fishhook, and take the first fish coming up and, when you open its mouth, you will find a stater coin.* Take that and give it to them for me and you.”+

18 In that hour the disciples came near to Jesus and said: “Who really is greatest in the kingdom of the heavens?”+ 2 So, calling a young child to him, he set it in their midst+ 3 and said: “Truly I say to YOU, Unless YOU turn around and become as young children,+ YOU will by no means enter into the kingdom of the heavens.+ 4 Therefore, whoever will humble+ himself like this young child is the one that is the greatest in the kingdom of the heavens;+ 5 and whoever receives one such young child on the basis of my name receives me [also].+ 6 But whoever stumbles one of these little ones who put faith in me, it is more beneficial for him to have hung around his neck a millstone+ such as is turned by an ass and to be sunk in the wide, open sea.+

7 “Woe to the world due to the stumbling blocks! Of course, the stumbling blocks must of necessity come,+ but woe to the man through whom the stumbling block+ comes! 8 If, then, your hand or your foot is making you stumble, cut it off and throw it away from you;+ it is finer for you to enter into life maimed or lame than to be thrown with two hands or two feet into the everlasting fire.+ 9 Also, if your eye is making you stumble, tear it out and throw it away from you; it is finer for you to enter one-eyed into life than to be thrown with two eyes into the fiery Gehenna.*+ 10 See to it that YOU men do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell YOU that their angels+ in heaven always behold the face of my Father* who is in heaven.+ 11* ——

12 “What do YOU think? If a certain man comes to have a hundred sheep and one of them gets strayed,+ will he not leave the ninety-nine upon the mountains and set out on a search for the one that is straying?+ 13 And if he happens to find it, I certainly tell YOU, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that have not strayed.+ 14 Likewise it is not a desirable thing with my Father who is in heaven for one of these little ones to perish.+

15 “Moreover, if your brother commits a sin, go lay bare his fault* between you and him alone.+ If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.+ 16 But if he does not listen, take along with you one or two more, in order that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every matter* may be established.*+ 17 If he does not listen* to them, speak to the congregation.* If he does not listen even to the congregation, let him be to you just as a man of the nations+ and as a tax collector.+

18 “Truly I say to YOU men, Whatever things YOU may bind on earth will be things bound* in heaven, and whatever things YOU may loose on earth will be things loosed* in heaven.+ 19 Again I truly say to YOU, If two of YOU on earth agree concerning anything of importance that they should request, it will take place for them due to my Father in heaven.+ 20 For where there are two or three gathered together in my name,+ there I am in their midst.”+

21 Then Peter came up and said to him: “Lord, how many times is my brother to sin against me and am I to forgive him?+ Up to seven times?”+ 22 Jesus said to him: “I say to you, not, Up to seven times, but, Up to seventy-seven times.*+

23 “That is why the kingdom of the heavens has become like a man, a king,+ that wanted to settle accounts+ with his slaves. 24 When he started to settle them, there was brought in a man who owed him ten thousand talents [=60,000,000 denarii].* 25 But because he did not have the means to pay [it] back, his master ordered him and his wife and his children and all the things he had to be sold and payment to be made.+ 26 Therefore the slave fell down and began to do obeisance to him, saying, ‘Be patient with me and I will pay back everything to you.’ 27 Moved to pity at this, the master of that slave let him off+ and canceled his debt.*+ 28 But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves that was owing him a hundred denarii;*+ and, grabbing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back whatever you owe.’ 29 Therefore his fellow slave fell down and began to entreat him, saying, ‘Be patient+ with me and I will pay you back.’ 30 However, he was not willing, but went off and had him thrown into prison until he should pay back what was owing. 31 When, therefore, his fellow slaves saw the things that had happened, they became very much grieved, and they went and made clear to their master all the things that had happened.+ 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘Wicked slave, I canceled all that debt for you,* when you entreated me. 33 Ought you not, in turn, to have had mercy+ on your fellow slave, as I also had mercy+ on you?’ 34 With that his master, provoked to wrath,+ delivered him to the jailers,* until he should pay back all that was owing. 35 In like manner+ my heavenly Father will also deal with YOU if YOU do not forgive each one his brother from YOUR hearts.”+

19 Now when Jesus had finished these words, he departed from Galilee and came to the frontiers of Judea across the Jordan.+ 2 Also, great crowds followed him, and he cured them there.+

3 And Pharisees came up to him, intent on tempting him and saying: “Is it lawful for a man to divorce* his wife on every sort of ground?”+ 4 In reply he said: “Did YOU not read that he who created them from [the] beginning made them male and female+ 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother+ and will stick to his wife, and the two will be one flesh’?+ 6 So that they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has yoked together let no man put apart.”+ 7 They said to him: “Why, then, did Moses prescribe giving a certificate of dismissal and divorcing her?”+ 8 He said to them: “Moses, out of regard for YOUR hardheartedness,+ made the concession to YOU of divorcing YOUR wives, but such has not been the case from [the] beginning.+ 9 I say to YOU that whoever divorces his wife, except on the ground of fornication,* and marries another commits adultery.”*+

10 The disciples said to him: “If such is the situation of a man with his wife, it is not advisable to marry.”+ 11 He said to them: “Not all men make room for the saying, but only those who have the gift.+ 12 For there are eunuchs that were born such from their mother’s womb,+ and there are eunuchs that were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs that have made themselves eunuchs on account of the kingdom of the heavens. Let him that can make room for it make room for it.”+

13 Then young children were brought to him, for him to put his hands upon them and offer prayer; but the disciples reprimanded them.+ 14 Jesus, however, said: “Let the young children alone, and stop hindering them from coming to me, for the kingdom of the heavens belongs to suchlike ones.”+ 15 And he put his hands upon them and went from there.+

16 Now, look! a certain one came up to him and said: “Teacher, what good must I do in order to get everlasting life?”+ 17 He said to him: “Why do you ask me about what is good? One there is that is good.+ MARK10:18 If, though, you want to enter into life, observe the commandments continually.”+ 18 He said to him: “Which ones?”+ Jesus said: “Why, You must not murder,+ You must not commit adultery,*+ You must not steal,+ You must not bear false witness,+ 19 Honor [your] father and [your] mother,+ and, You must love your neighbor as yourself.”+ 20 The young man said to him: “I have kept all these; what yet am I lacking?” 21 Jesus said to him: “If you want to be perfect, go sell your belongings and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven,+ and come be my follower.”+ 22 When the young man heard this saying, he went away grieved, for he was holding many possessions.+ 23 But Jesus said to his disciples: “Truly I say to YOU that it will be a difficult thing for a rich man to get into the kingdom of the heavens.+ 24 Again I say to YOU, It is easier for a camel to get through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to get into the kingdom of God.”+

25 When the disciples heard that, they expressed very great surprise, saying: “Who really can be saved?”+ 26 Looking them in the face, Jesus said to them: “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”+

27 Then Peter said to him in reply: “Look! We have left all things and followed you; what actually will there be for us?”+ 28 Jesus said to them: “Truly I say to YOU, In the re-creation,* when the Son of man sits down upon his glorious throne, YOU who have followed me will also yourselves sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.+ 29 And everyone that has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive many times more and will inherit everlasting life.+

30 “But many that are first will be last and the last first.+ 20:16

20 “For the kingdom of the heavens is like a man, a householder, who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.+ 2 When he had agreed with the workers for a denarius* a day,+ he sent them forth into his vineyard. 3 Going out also about the third hour,+ he saw others standing unemployed in the marketplace;+ 4 and to those he said, ‘YOU also, go into the vineyard, and whatever is just I will give YOU.’ 5 So off they went. Again he went out about the sixth+ and the ninth hour+ and did likewise. 6 Finally, about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing, and he said to them, ‘Why have YOU been standing here all day unemployed?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because nobody has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘YOU too go into the vineyard.’+

8 “When it became evening,+ the master of the vineyard said to his man in charge, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages,+ proceeding from the last to the first.’ 9 When the eleventh-hour men came, they each received a denarius. 10 So, when the first came, they concluded they would receive more; but they also received pay at the rate of a denarius. 11 On receiving it they began to murmur against the householder+ 12 and said, ‘These last put in one hour’s work; still you made them equal to us who bore the burden of the day and the burning heat!’ 13 But in reply to one of them he said, ‘Fellow, I do you no wrong. You agreed with me for a denarius, did you not?+ 14 Take what is yours and go. I want to give to this last one the same as to you.+ 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I want with my own things? Or is your eye wicked*+ because I am good?’+ 16 In this way the last ones will be first, and the first ones last.”+

17 Being now about to go up to Jerusalem, Jesus took the twelve disciples+ off privately and said to them on the road: 18 “Look! We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man will be delivered up to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death,+ 19 and will deliver him up to [men of] the nations to make fun of and to scourge and to impale,*+ and the third day he will be raised up.”+ 16:21; 17:22-23;

20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee+ approached him with her sons, doing obeisance and asking for something from him.+ 21 He said to her: “What do you want?” She said to him: “Give the word that these my two sons may sit down, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.”+ 22 Jesus said in answer: “YOU men do not know what YOU are asking for. Can YOU drink the cup+ that I am about to drink?” They said to him: “We can.” 23 He said to them: “YOU will indeed drink my cup,+ but this sitting down at my right hand and at my left is not mine to give, but it belongs to those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”+

24 When the ten others heard of this, they became indignant at the two brothers.+ 25 But Jesus, calling them to him, said: “YOU know that the rulers of the nations lord it over them and the great men wield authority over them.+ 26 This is not the way among YOU;+ but whoever wants to become great among YOU must be YOUR minister,*+ 27 and whoever wants to be first among YOU must be YOUR slave.+ 28 Just as the Son of man came, not to be ministered to, but to minister*+ and to give his soul* a ransom* in exchange for many.”+

29 Now as they were going out of Jericho+ a great crowd followed him. 30 And, look! two blind men sitting beside the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying: “Lord,* have mercy on us, Son of David!”+ 31 But the crowd sternly told them to keep silent; yet they cried all the louder, saying: “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!”+ 32 So Jesus stopped, called them and said: “What do YOU want me to do for YOU?” 33 They said to him: “Lord, let our eyes be opened.”+ 34 Moved with pity, Jesus touched their eyes,+ and immediately they received sight, and they followed him.+

21 Well, when they got close to Jerusalem and arrived at Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent forth two disciples,+ 2 saying to them: “Be on YOUR way into the village that is within sight of YOU, and YOU will at once find an ass tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me.+ 3 And if someone says anything to YOU, YOU must say, ‘The Lord needs them.’ At that he will immediately send them forth.”

4 This actually took place that there might be fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet, saying:  5 “TELL the daughter of Zion, ‘Look! Your King is coming to you,+ mild-tempered,+ and mounted upon an ass, yes, upon a colt, the offspring of a beast of burden.’”+ Zech.9:9

6 So the disciples got on their way and did just as Jesus ordered them. 7 And they brought the ass and its colt, and they put upon these their outer garments, and he seated himself upon them.+ 8 Most of the crowd spread their outer garments+ on the road, while others began cutting down branches from the trees and spreading them on the road.+ 9 As for the crowds, those going ahead of him and those following kept crying out: “Save, we pray,*+ the Son of David!+ Blessed is he that comes in Jehovah’s* name!+ Save him, we pray, in the heights above!”*+

10 Now when he entered into Jerusalem,+ the whole city was set in commotion, saying: “Who is this?” 11 The crowds kept telling: “This is the prophet+ Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee!”

12 And Jesus entered into the temple and threw out all those selling and buying in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.+ 13 And he said to them: “It is written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’+ but YOU are making it a cave of robbers.”+ 14 Also, blind and lame persons came up to him in the temple, and he cured them.

15 When the chief priests and the scribes saw the marvelous things he did+ and the boys that were crying out in the temple and saying: “Save, we pray,+ the Son of David!”+ they became indignant 16 and said to him: “Do you hear what these are saying?” Jesus said to them: “Yes. Did YOU never read+ this, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings you have furnished praise’?”+ 17 And leaving them behind he went outside the city to Bethany and passed the night there.+

18 While returning to the city early in the morning, he got hungry.+ 19 And he caught sight of a fig tree by the road and went to it, but he found nothing+ on it except leaves only, and he said to it: “Let no fruit come from you anymore forever.”+ And the fig tree withered instantly. 20 But when the disciples saw this, they wondered, saying: “How is it that the fig tree withered instantly?”+ 21 In answer Jesus said to them: “Truly I say to YOU, If only YOU have faith and do not doubt,+ not only will YOU do what I did to the fig tree, but also if YOU say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen.+ 22 And all the things YOU ask in prayer, having faith, YOU will receive.”+

23 Now after he went into the temple, the chief priests and the older men of the people came up to him while he was teaching and said:+ “By what authority do you do these things? And who gave you this authority?”+ 24 In reply Jesus said to them: “I, also, will ask YOU one thing. If YOU tell it to me, I also will tell YOU by what authority I do these things:+ 25 The baptism by John, from what source was it? From heaven or from men?”+ But they began to reason among themselves, saying: “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why, then, did YOU not believe him?’+ 26 If, though, we say, ‘From men,’ we have the crowd to fear,+ for they all hold John as a prophet.”+ 27 So in answer to Jesus they said: “We do not know.” He, in turn, said to them: “Neither am I telling YOU by what authority I do these things.+

28 “What do YOU think? A man had two children.+ Going up to the first, he said, ‘Child, go work today in the vineyard.’ 29 In answer this one said, ‘I will, sir,’+ but did not go out. 30 Approaching the second, he said the same. In reply this one said, ‘I will not.’ Afterwards he felt regret+ and went out. 31 Which of the two did the will of [his] father?”+ They said: “The latter.” Jesus said to them: “Truly I say to YOU that the tax collectors and the harlots are going ahead of YOU into the kingdom of God. 32 For John came to YOU in a way of righteousness,+ but YOU did not believe him.+ However, the tax collectors and the harlots believed him,+ and YOU, although YOU saw [this], did not feel regret afterwards so as to believe him.

33 “Hear another illustration:* There was a man, a householder,+ who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and erected a tower,+ and let it out to cultivators, and traveled abroad.+ 34 When the season of the fruits came around, he dispatched his slaves to the cultivators to get his fruits. 35 However, the cultivators took his slaves, and one they beat up, another they killed, another they stoned.+ 36 Again he dispatched other slaves, more than the first, but they did the same to these.+ 37 Lastly he dispatched his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 On seeing the son the cultivators said among themselves, ‘This is the heir;+ come, let us kill him and get his inheritance!’+ 39 So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.+ 40 Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those cultivators?” 41 They said to him: “Because they are evil, he will bring an evil destruction+ upon them and will let out the vineyard to other cultivators, who will render him the fruits when they become due.”+

42 Jesus said to them: “Did YOU never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone that the builders rejected+ is the one that has become the chief cornerstone.+ From Jehovah* this has come to be, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? 43 This is why I say to YOU, The kingdom of God will be taken from YOU and be given to a nation producing its fruits.+ 44 Also, the person falling upon this stone will be shattered. As for anyone upon whom it falls, it will pulverize him.”+

45 Now when the chief priests and the Pharisees had heard his illustrations, they took note that he was speaking about them.+ 46 But, although they were seeking to seize him, they feared the crowds, because these held him to be a prophet.+

22 In further reply Jesus again spoke to them with illustrations, saying:+ 2 “The kingdom of the heavens has become like a man, a king, that made a marriage feast+ for his son. 3 And he sent forth his slaves to call those invited to the marriage feast,+ but they were unwilling to come.+ 4 Again he sent forth other slaves,+ saying, ‘Tell those invited: “Look! I have prepared my dinner,+ my bulls and fattened animals are slaughtered, and all things are ready. Come to the marriage feast.”’+ 5 But unconcerned they went off, one to his own field, another to his commercial business;+ 6 but the rest, laying hold of his slaves, treated them insolently and killed them.+

7 “But the king grew wrathful, and sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.+ 8 Then he said to his slaves, ‘The marriage feast indeed is ready, but those invited were not worthy.+ 9 Therefore go to the roads leading out of the city, and anyone* YOU find invite to the marriage feast.’+ 10 Accordingly those slaves went out to the roads and gathered together all they found, both wicked and good;+ and the room for the wedding ceremonies was filled with those reclining+ at the table.

11 “When the king came in to inspect the guests he caught sight there of a man not clothed with a marriage garment.+ 12 So he said to him, ‘Fellow, how did you get in here not having on a marriage garment?’+ He was rendered speechless. 13 Then the king said to his servants,* ‘Bind him hand and foot and throw him out into the darkness outside. There is where [his] weeping and the gnashing* of [his] teeth will be.’+

14 “For there are many invited, but few chosen.”+

15 Then the Pharisees went their way and took counsel together in order to trap him in his speech.+ 16 So they dispatched to him their disciples, together with party followers of Herod,*+ saying: “Teacher, we know you are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and you do not care for anybody, for you do not look upon men’s outward appearance.+ 17 Tell us, therefore, What do you think? Is it lawful to pay head tax to Caesar* or not?”+ 18 But Jesus, knowing their wickedness, said: “Why do YOU put me to the test, hypocrites?+ 19 Show me the head tax coin.” They brought him a denarius.* 20 And he said to them: “Whose image* and inscription is this?”+ 21 They said: “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them: “Pay back,* therefore, Caesar’s things to Caesar, but God’s things to God.”+ 22 Well, when they heard [that], they marveled, and leaving him they went off.+

23 On that day Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection,* came up to him and asked him:+ 24 “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If any man dies without having children, his brother must take his wife in marriage and raise up offspring for his brother.’+ 25 Now there were seven brothers with us; and the first married and deceased, and, not having offspring, he left his wife for his brother.+ 26 It went the same way also with the second and the third, until through all seven.+ 27 Last of all the woman died. 28 Consequently, in the resurrection, to which of the seven will she be wife? For they all got her.”+

29 In reply Jesus said to them: “YOU are mistaken, because YOU know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God;+ 30 for in the resurrection neither do men marry nor are women given in marriage,+ but are as angels in heaven. 31 As regards the resurrection of the dead, did YOU not read what was spoken to YOU by God, saying,+ 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob’?+ He is the God,* not of the dead, but of the living.”+ 33 On hearing [that], the crowds were astounded at his teaching.+

34 After the Pharisees heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they came together in one group. 35 And one of them, versed in the Law,+ asked, testing him: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”+ 37 He said to him: “‘You must love Jehovah* your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind.’+ 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 The second, like it, is this, ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’+ 40 On these two commandments the whole Law hangs, and the Prophets.”+ Rom.13:9

41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together Jesus asked them:+ 42 “What do YOU think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him: “David’s.”+ 43 He said to them: “How, then, is it that David by inspiration*+ calls him ‘Lord,’ saying, 44 ‘Jehovah* said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies beneath your feet”’?+ 45 If, therefore, David calls him ‘Lord,’ how is he his son?”+ 46 And nobody was able to say a word in reply to him, nor did anyone dare from that day on to question him any further.+

23 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples,+ saying: 2 “The scribes+ and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the seat of Moses.+ 3 Therefore all the things they tell+ YOU, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds,+ for they say but do not perform. 4 They bind up heavy loads and put them upon the shoulders of men,+ but they themselves are not willing to budge them with their finger.+ 5 All the works they do they do to be viewed by men;+ for they broaden the [scripture-containing] cases+ that they wear as safeguards,* and enlarge the fringes*+ [of their garments]. 6 They like the most prominent place+ at evening meals and the front seats in the synagogues,+ 7 and the greetings+ in the marketplaces* and to be called Rabbi* by men.+ 8 But YOU, do not YOU be called Rabbi, for one is YOUR teacher,+ whereas all YOU are brothers. 9 Moreover, do not call anyone YOUR father on earth, for one is YOUR Father,+ the heavenly One. 10 Neither be called ‘leaders,’+ for YOUR Leader* is one, the Christ. 11 But the greatest one among YOU must be YOUR minister.*+ 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled,+ and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.+

13 “Woe to YOU, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because YOU shut up+ the kingdom of the heavens before men; for YOU+ yourselves do not go in, neither do YOU permit those on their way in to go in. 14* ——

15 “Woe to YOU, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!+ because YOU traverse sea and dry land to make one proselyte,* and when he becomes one YOU make him a subject for* Gehenna* twice as much so as yourselves.

16 “Woe to YOU, blind guides,+ who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple,* it is nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is under obligation.’+ 17 Fools and blind ones! Which, in fact, is greater, the gold or the temple that has sanctified the gold?+ 18 Also, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is under obligation.’ 19 Blind ones! Which, in fact, is greater, the gift or the altar+ that sanctifies the gift? 20 Therefore he that swears by the altar is swearing by it and by all the things on it; 21 and he that swears by the temple is swearing by it and by him that is inhabiting it;+ 22 and he that swears by heaven is swearing by the throne of God+ and by him that is sitting on it.

23 “Woe to YOU, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because YOU give the tenth+ of the mint and the dill and the cumin, but YOU have disregarded the weightier matters of the Law, namely, justice+ and mercy+ and faithfulness.*+ These things it was binding to do, yet not to disregard the other things. 24 Blind guides,+ who strain out the gnat+ but gulp down the camel!+

25 “Woe to YOU, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because YOU cleanse the outside of the cup+ and of the dish, but inside they are full of plunder+ and immoderateness. 26 Blind+ Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup+ and of the dish, that the outside of it also may become clean.

27 “Woe to YOU, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!+ because YOU resemble whitewashed+ graves, which outwardly indeed appear beautiful but inside are full of dead men’s bones and of every sort of uncleanness. 28 In that way YOU also, outwardly indeed, appear righteous to men,+ but inside YOU are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

29 “Woe to YOU, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!+ because YOU build the graves of the prophets and decorate the memorial tombs of the righteous ones,+ 30 and YOU say, ‘If we were in the days of our forefathers, we would not be sharers with them in the blood of the prophets.’+ 31 Therefore YOU are bearing witness against yourselves that YOU are sons of those who murdered the prophets.+ 32 Well, then, fill up the measure+ of YOUR forefathers.*

33 “Serpents, offspring of vipers,+ how are YOU to flee from the judgment of Gehenna?*+ 34 For this reason, here I am sending+ forth to YOU prophets and wise men and public instructors.*+ Some of them YOU will kill+ and impale,* and some of them YOU will scourge+ in YOUR synagogues and persecute from city to city; 35 that there may come upon YOU all the righteous blood spilled on earth,+ from the blood of righteous+ Abel+ to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom YOU murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.+ 36 Truly I say to YOU, All these things will come upon this generation.+

37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the killer of the prophets+ and stoner+ of those sent forth to her,+—how often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks together under her wings!+ But YOU people did not want it.+ 38 Look! YOUR house+ is abandoned to YOU.+ 39 For I say to YOU, YOU will by no means see me from henceforth until YOU say, ‘Blessed is he that comes in Jehovah’s* name!’”+

24 Departing now, Jesus was on his way from the temple, but his disciples approached to show him the buildings of the temple.+ 2 In response he said to them: “Do YOU not behold all these things? Truly I say to YOU, By no means will a stone be left here upon a stone and not be thrown down.”+

3 While he was sitting upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached him privately, saying: “Tell us, When will these things be, and what will be the sign of your presence*+ and of the conclusion* of the system of things?”*+

4 And in answer Jesus said to them: “Look out that nobody misleads YOU;+ 5 for many will come on the basis of my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’* and will mislead many.+ 6 YOU are going to hear of wars and reports of wars; see that YOU are not terrified. For these things must take place, but the end* is not yet.+

7 “For nation will rise* against nation+ and kingdom against kingdom,+ and there will be food shortages+ and earthquakes+ in one place after another. 8 All these things are a beginning of pangs of distress.

9 “Then people will deliver YOU up to tribulation+ and will kill+ YOU, and YOU will be objects of hatred+ by all the nations on account of my name.+ 10 Then, also, many will be stumbled+ and will betray one another and will hate one another.+ 11 And many false prophets+ will arise and mislead many;+ 12 and because of the increasing of lawlessness+ the love of the greater number will cool off.+ 13 But he that has endured+ to the end* is the one that will be saved.+ 14 And this good news+ of the kingdom+ will be preached* in all the inhabited earth* for a witness* to all the nations;+ and then the end*+ will come.

15 “Therefore, when YOU catch sight of the disgusting thing+ that causes desolation, as spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in a holy place,*+ (let the reader use discernment,)* 16 then let those in Judea begin fleeing+ to the mountains. 17 Let the man on the housetop not come down to take the goods out of his house; 18 and let the man in the field not return to the house to pick up his outer garment. 19 Woe to the pregnant women and those suckling a baby in those days!+ 20 Keep praying that YOUR flight may not occur in wintertime, nor on the sabbath day;* 21 for then there will be great tribulation*+ such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now,+ no, nor will occur again. 22 In fact, unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but on account of the chosen ones+ those days will be cut short.+

23 “Then if anyone says to YOU, ‘Look! Here is the Christ,’+ or, ‘There!’ do not believe it.+ 24 For false Christs+ and false prophets+ will arise and will give great signs+ and wonders so as to mislead, if possible, even the chosen ones.+ 25 Look! I have forewarned YOU.+ 26 Therefore, if people say to YOU, ‘Look! He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out; ‘Look! He is in the inner chambers,’ do not believe it.+ 27 For just as the lightning+ comes out of eastern parts and shines over to western parts, so the presence* of the Son of man will be.+ 28 Wherever the carcass is, there the eagles+ will be gathered together.+

29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened,+ and the moon+ will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.+ Ezek32:7-8 30 And then the sign of the Son of man+ will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will beat themselves in lamentation,+ and they will see the Son of man coming* on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.*+ 31 And he will send forth his angels with a great trumpet sound,+ and they will gather his chosen ones+ together from the four winds,+ from one extremity of the heavens to their other extremity.

32 “Now learn from the fig tree as an illustration this point: Just as soon as its young branch grows tender and it puts forth leaves, YOU know that summer is near.+ 33 Likewise also YOU, when YOU see all these things, know that he is near at the doors.+ 34 Truly I say to YOU that this generation*+ will by no means pass away until all these things occur. ■ 35 Heaven and earth will pass away,+ but my words will by no means pass away.+

36 “Concerning that day and hour+ nobody knows, neither the angels of the heavens nor the Son,* but only the Father.+ 37 For just as the days of Noah+ were, so the presence* of the Son of man will be.+ 38 For as they were in those days before the flood,* eating and drinking, men marrying and women being given in marriage, until the day that Noah+ entered into the ark;+ 39 and they took no note until the flood came and swept them all away,+ so the presence* of the Son of man will be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken along and the other be abandoned; 41 two women will be grinding at the hand mill:+ one will be taken along and the other be abandoned.+ 42 Keep on the watch, therefore, because YOU do not know on what day YOUR Lord is coming.+

43 “But know one thing, that if the householder had known in what watch the thief was coming,+ he would have kept awake and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 On this account YOU too prove yourselves ready,+ because at an hour that YOU do not think to be it, the Son of man is coming.

45 “Who really is the faithful and discreet slave+ whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time?+ 46 Happy+ is that slave if his master on arriving* finds him doing so. 47 Truly I say to YOU, He will appoint him over all his belongings.+

48 “But if ever that evil slave should say in his heart,+ ‘My master is delaying,’+ 2TH.2:3-5 ■ 49 and should start to beat his fellow slaves and should eat and drink with the confirmed drunkards, 50 the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect and in an hour+ that he does not know, 51 and will punish him with the greatest severity*+ and will assign him his part with the hypocrites. There is where [his]* weeping and the gnashing* of [his]* teeth will be.+

25 “Then the kingdom of the heavens will become like ten virgins that took their lamps+ and went out to meet the bridegroom.+ 2 Five of them were foolish,+ and five were discreet.+ 3 For the foolish took their lamps but took no oil with them, 4 whereas the discreet took oil in their receptacles with their lamps. 5 While the bridegroom was delaying, they all nodded and went to sleep.+ 6 Right in the middle of the night there arose a cry,+ ‘Here is the bridegroom! Be on YOUR way out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and put their lamps+ in order. 8 The foolish said to the discreet, ‘Give us some of YOUR oil,+ because our lamps are about to go out.’ 9 The discreet+ answered with the words, ‘Perhaps there may not be quite enough for us and YOU. Be on YOUR way, instead, to those who sell it and buy for yourselves.’ 10 While they were going off to buy, the bridegroom arrived, and the virgins that were ready went in with him to the marriage feast;+ and the door was shut. 11 Afterwards the rest of the virgins also came, saying, ‘Sir, sir, open to us!’+ 12 In answer he said, ‘I tell YOU the truth, I do not know YOU.’+

13 “Keep on the watch,+ therefore, because YOU know neither the day nor the hour.+

14 “For it is just as when a man,+ about to travel abroad,+ summoned slaves of his and committed to them his belongings.+ 15 And to one he gave five talents,* to another two, to still another one, to each one according to his own ability,+ and he went abroad. 16 Immediately the one that received the five talents went his way and did business with them and gained five more.+ 17 In the same way the one that received the two gained two more. 18 But the one that received just one went off, and dug in the ground and hid the silver money of his master.

19 “After a long time+ the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them.+ 20 So the one that had received five talents* came forward and brought five additional talents, saying, ‘Master, you committed five talents to me; see, I gained five talents more.’+ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave!+ You were faithful+ over a few things. I will appoint you over many things.+ Enter into the joy+ of your master.’ 22 Next the one that had received the two talents came forward and said, ‘Master, you committed to me two talents; see, I gained two talents more.’+ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things. I will appoint you over many things.+ Enter into the joy+ of your master.’

24 “Finally the one that had received the one talent came forward+ and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be an exacting* man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you did not winnow. 25 So I grew afraid+ and went off and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ 26 In reply his master said to him, ‘Wicked and sluggish* slave, you knew, did you, that I reaped where I did not sow and gathered where I did not winnow? 27 Well, then, you ought to have deposited my silver monies with the bankers, and on my arrival I would be receiving what is mine with interest.+

28 “‘Therefore TAKE away the talent* from him and give it to him that has the ten talents.+ 29 For to everyone that has, more will be given and he will have abundance; but as for him that does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.+ 30 And throw the good-for-nothing slave out into the darkness outside. There is where [his] weeping and the gnashing* of [his] teeth will be.’+

31 “When the Son of man+ arrives in his glory, and all the angels with him,+ then he will sit down on his glorious throne.+ 32 And all the nations will be gathered before him,+ and he will separate+ people one from another,+ just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will put the sheep on his right+ hand, but the goats* on his left.+

34 “Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, YOU who have been blessed by my Father,+ inherit+ the kingdom+ prepared for YOU from the founding* of the world.+ 35 For I became hungry and YOU gave me something to eat;+ I got thirsty and YOU gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and YOU received me hospitably;+ 36 naked,*+ and YOU clothed me. I fell sick and YOU looked after me. I was in prison+ and YOU came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous ones will answer him with the words, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty,+ and give you something to drink?+ 38 When did we see you a stranger and receive you hospitably, or naked, and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to you?’ 40 And in reply the king+ will say to them, ‘Truly I say to YOU, To the extent that YOU did it to one of the least+ of these my brothers,+ YOU did it to me.’+