Bible in 90 Days Plan

¹He began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug out a pit for a winepress, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went away.

²At harvest time he sent a servant to the farmers to collect some of the fruit of the vineyard from them.

³But they took him, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed.

⁴Again he sent another servant to them, and they hit him on the head and treated him shamefully.

⁵Then he sent another, and they killed that one. He also sent many others; some they beat, and others they killed.

⁶He still had one to send, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

⁷But those tenant farmers said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’

⁸So they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.

⁹What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill the farmers and give the vineyard to others.

¹⁰Haven’t you read this Scripture: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

¹¹ This came about from the Lord and is wonderful in our eyes?”

¹²They were looking for a way to arrest him but feared the crowd because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. So they left him and went away.

¹³Then they sent some of the Pharisees and the Herodians to Jesus to trap him in his words.

¹⁴When they came, they said to him, “Teacher, we know you are truthful and don’t care what anyone thinks, nor do you show partiality but teach the way of God truthfully. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”

¹⁵But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius to look at.”

¹⁶They brought a coin. “Whose image and inscription is this?” he asked them. “Caesar’s,” they replied.

¹⁷Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were utterly amazed at him.

¹⁸Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him and questioned him:

¹⁹“Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife behind but no child, that man should take the wife and raise up offspring for his brother.

²⁰There were seven brothers. The first married a woman, and dying, left no offspring.

²¹The second also took her, and he died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise.

²²None of the seven left offspring. Last of all, the woman died too.

²³In the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be, since the seven had married her?”

²⁴Jesus spoke to them, “Isn’t this the reason why you’re mistaken: you don’t know the Scriptures or the power of God?

²⁵For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like angels in heaven.

²⁶And as for the dead being raised — haven’t you read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God said to him: I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob?

²⁷He is not the God of the dead but of the living. You are badly mistaken.”

²⁸One of the scribes approached. When he heard them debating and saw that Jesus answered them well, he asked him, “Which command is the most important of all?”

²⁹Jesus answered, “The most important is Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

³⁰Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.

³¹The second is, Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other command greater than these.”

³²Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, teacher. You have correctly said that he is one, and there is no one else except him.

³³And to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, is far more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

³⁴When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And no one dared to question him any longer.

³⁵While Jesus was teaching in the temple, he asked, “How can the scribes say that the Messiah is the son of David?

³⁶David himself says by the Holy Spirit: The Lord declared to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.’

³⁷David himself calls him ‘Lord’; how then can he be his son?” And the large crowd was listening to him with delight.

³⁸He also said in his teaching, “Beware of the scribes, who want to go around in long robes and who want greetings in the marketplaces,

³⁹the best seats in the synagogues, and the places of honor at banquets.

⁴⁰They devour widows’ houses and say long prayers just for show. These will receive harsher judgment.”

⁴¹Sitting across from the temple treasury, he watched how the crowd dropped money into the treasury. Many rich people were putting in large sums.

⁴²Then a poor widow came and dropped in two tiny coins worth very little.

⁴³Summoning his disciples, he said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.

⁴⁴For they all gave out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had  — all she had to live on.”

¹As he was going out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Teacher, look! What massive stones! What impressive buildings!”

²Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another — all will be thrown down.”

³While he was sitting on the Mount of Olives across from the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately,

⁴“Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?”

⁵Jesus told them, “Watch out that no one deceives you.

⁶Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and they will deceive many.

⁷When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, don’t be alarmed; these things must take place, but it is not yet the end.

⁸For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.

⁹“But you, be on your guard! They will hand you over to local courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues. You will stand before governors and kings because of me, as a witness to them.

¹⁰And it is necessary that the gospel be preached to all nations.

¹¹So when they arrest you and hand you over, don’t worry beforehand what you will say, but say whatever is given to you at that time, for it isn’t you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

¹²“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.

¹³You will be hated by everyone because of my name, but the one who endures to the end will be saved.

¹⁴“When you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be” (let the reader understand), “then those in Judea must flee to the mountains.

¹⁵A man on the housetop must not come down or go in to get anything out of his house,

¹⁶and a man in the field must not go back to get his coat.

¹⁷Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days!

¹⁸“Pray it won’t happen in winter.

¹⁹For those will be days of tribulation, the kind that hasn’t been from the beginning of creation until now and never will be again.

²⁰If the Lord had not cut those days short, no one would be saved. But he cut those days short for the sake of the elect, whom he chose.

²¹“Then if anyone tells you, ‘See, here is the Messiah! See, there! ’ do not believe it.

²²For false messiahs and false prophets will arise and will perform signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, the elect.

²³And you must watch! I have told you everything in advance.

²⁴“But in those days, after that tribulation: The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not shed its light;

²⁵the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

²⁶Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.

²⁷He will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

²⁸“Learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near.

²⁹In the same way, when you see these things happening, recognize that he is near — at the door.

³⁰“Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things take place.

³¹Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

³²“Now concerning that day or hour no one knows — neither the angels in heaven nor the Son  — but only the Father.

³³“Watch! Be alert! For you don’t know when the time is coming.

³⁴“It is like a man on a journey, who left his house, gave authority to his servants, gave each one his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to be alert.

³⁵Therefore be alert, since you don’t know when the master of the house is coming — whether in the evening or at midnight or at the crowing of the rooster or early in the morning.

³⁶Otherwise, when he comes suddenly he might find you sleeping.

³⁷And what I say to you, I say to everyone: Be alert!”

¹It was two days before the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a cunning way to arrest Jesus and kill him.

²“Not during the festival,” they said, “so that there won’t be a riot among the people.”

³While he was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured it on his head.

⁴But some were expressing indignation to one another: “Why has this perfume been wasted?

⁵For this perfume might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they began to scold her.

⁶Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a noble thing for me.

⁷You always have the poor with you, and you can do what is good for them whenever you want, but you do not always have me.

⁸She has done what she could; she has anointed my body in advance for burial.

⁹Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”

¹⁰Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them.

¹¹And when they heard this, they were glad and promised to give him money. So he started looking for a good opportunity to betray him.

¹²On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrifice the Passover lamb, his disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare the Passover so that you may eat it?”

¹³So he sent two of his disciples and told them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him.

¹⁴Wherever he enters, tell the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’

¹⁵He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make the preparations for us there.”

¹⁶So the disciples went out, entered the city, and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

¹⁷When evening came, he arrived with the Twelve.

¹⁸While they were reclining and eating, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me — one who is eating with me.”

¹⁹They began to be distressed and to say to him one by one, “Surely not I?”

²⁰He said to them, “It is one of the Twelve — the one who is dipping bread in the bowl with me.

²¹For the Son of Man will go just as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for him if he had not been born.”

²²As they were eating, he took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is my body.”

²³Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it.

²⁴He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.

²⁵Truly I tell you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

²⁶After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

²⁷Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will fall away, because it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.

²⁸But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”

²⁹Peter told him, “Even if everyone falls away, I will not.”

³⁰“Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to him, “today, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”

³¹But he kept insisting, “If I have to die with you, I will never deny you.” And they all said the same thing.

³²Then they came to a place named Gethsemane, and he told his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”

³³He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled.

³⁴He said to them, “I am deeply grieved to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake.”

³⁵He went a little farther, fell to the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.

³⁶And he said, “Abba, Father! All things are possible for you. Take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, not what I will, but what you will.”

³⁷Then he came and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Couldn’t you stay awake one hour?

³⁸Stay awake and pray so that you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

³⁹Once again he went away and prayed, saying the same thing.

⁴⁰And again he came and found them sleeping, because they could not keep their eyes open. They did not know what to say to him.

⁴¹Then he came a third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The time has come. See, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

⁴²Get up; let’s go. See, my betrayer is near.”

⁴³While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, suddenly arrived. With him was a mob, with swords and clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders.

⁴⁴His betrayer had given them a signal. “The one I kiss,” he said, “he’s the one; arrest him and take him away under guard.”

⁴⁵So when he came, immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him.

⁴⁶They took hold of him and arrested him.

⁴⁷One of those who stood by drew his sword, struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his ear.

⁴⁸Jesus said to them, “Have you come out with swords and clubs, as if I were a criminal, to capture me?

⁴⁹Every day I was among you, teaching in the temple, and you didn’t arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.”

⁵⁰Then they all deserted him and ran away.

⁵¹Now a certain young man, wearing nothing but a linen cloth, was following him. They caught hold of him,

⁵²but he left the linen cloth behind and ran away naked.

⁵³They led Jesus away to the high priest, and all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes assembled.

⁵⁴Peter followed him at a distance, right into the high priest’s courtyard. He was sitting with the servants, warming himself by the fire.

⁵⁵The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they could not find any.

⁵⁶For many were giving false testimony against him, and the testimonies did not agree.

⁵⁷Some stood up and gave false testimony against him, stating,

⁵⁸“We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with human hands, and in three days I will build another not made by hands.’”

⁵⁹Yet their testimony did not agree even on this.

⁶⁰Then the high priest stood up before them all and questioned Jesus, “Don’t you have an answer to what these men are testifying against you?”

⁶¹But he kept silent and did not answer. Again the high priest questioned him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”

⁶²“I am,” said Jesus, “and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

⁶³Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “Why do we still need witnesses?

⁶⁴You have heard the blasphemy. What is your decision?” They all condemned him as deserving death.

⁶⁵Then some began to spit on him, to blindfold him, and to beat him, saying, “Prophesy!” The temple servants also took him and slapped him.

⁶⁶While Peter was in the courtyard below, one of the high priest’s maidservants came.

⁶⁷When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with Jesus, the man from Nazareth.”

⁶⁸But he denied it: “I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about.” Then he went out to the entryway, and a rooster crowed.

⁶⁹When the maidservant saw him again, she began to tell those standing nearby, “This man is one of them.”

⁷⁰But again he denied it. After a little while those standing there said to Peter again, “You certainly are one of them, since you’re also a Galilean.”

⁷¹Then he started to curse and swear, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about!”

⁷²Immediately a rooster crowed a second time, and Peter remembered when Jesus had spoken the word to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.

¹As soon as it was morning, having held a meeting with the elders, scribes, and the whole Sanhedrin, the chief priests tied Jesus up, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate.

²So Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” He answered him, “You say so.”

³And the chief priests accused him of many things.

⁴Pilate questioned him again, “Aren’t you going to answer? Look how many things they are accusing you of!”

⁵But Jesus still did not answer, and so Pilate was amazed.

⁶At the festival Pilate used to release for the people a prisoner whom they requested.

⁷There was one named Barabbas, who was in prison with rebels who had committed murder during the rebellion.

⁸The crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do for them as was his custom.

⁹Pilate answered them, “Do you want me to release the King of the Jews for you?”

¹⁰For he knew it was because of envy that the chief priests had handed him over.

¹¹But the chief priests stirred up the crowd so that he would release Barabbas to them instead.

¹²Pilate asked them again, “Then what do you want me to do with the one you call the King of the Jews?”

¹³Again they shouted, “Crucify him!”

¹⁴Pilate said to them, “Why? What has he done wrong?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him!”

¹⁵Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them; and after having Jesus flogged, he handed him over to be crucified.

¹⁶The soldiers led him away into the palace (that is, the governor’s residence ) and called the whole company together.

¹⁷They dressed him in a purple robe, twisted together a crown of thorns, and put it on him.

¹⁸And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!”

¹⁹They were hitting him on the head with a stick and spitting on him. Getting down on their knees, they were paying him homage.

²⁰After they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple robe and put his clothes on him. They led him out to crucify him.

²¹They forced a man coming in from the country, who was passing by, to carry Jesus’s cross. He was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus.

²²They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of the Skull ).

²³They tried to give him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.

²⁴Then they crucified him and divided his clothes, casting lots for them to decide what each would get.

²⁵Now it was nine in the morning when they crucified him.

²⁶The inscription of the charge written against him was: THE KING OF THE JEWS.

²⁷They crucified two criminals with him, one on his right and one on his left.

²⁸

²⁹Those who passed by were yelling insults at him, shaking their heads, and saying, “Ha! The one who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,

³⁰save yourself by coming down from the cross!”

³¹In the same way, the chief priests with the scribes were mocking him among themselves and saying, “He saved others, but he cannot save himself!

³²Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, so that we may see and believe.” Even those who were crucified with him taunted him.

³³When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.

³⁴And at three Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lemá sabachtháni?” which is translated, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

³⁵When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “See, he’s calling for Elijah.”

³⁶Someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, fixed it on a stick, offered him a drink, and said, “Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down.”

³⁷Jesus let out a loud cry and breathed his last.

³⁸Then the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

³⁹When the centurion, who was standing opposite him, saw the way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

⁴⁰There were also women watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome.

⁴¹In Galilee these women followed him and took care of him. Many other women had come up with him to Jerusalem.

⁴²When it was already evening, because it was the day of preparation (that is, the day before the Sabbath),

⁴³Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Sanhedrin who was himself looking forward to the kingdom of God, came and boldly went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’s body.

⁴⁴Pilate was surprised that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had already died.

⁴⁵When he found out from the centurion, he gave the corpse to Joseph.

⁴⁶After he bought some linen cloth, Joseph took him down and wrapped him in the linen. Then he laid him in a tomb cut out of the rock and rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb.

⁴⁷Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were watching where he was laid.

¹When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they could go and anoint him.

²Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they went to the tomb at sunrise.

³They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone from the entrance to the tomb for us?”

⁴Looking up, they noticed that the stone — which was very large — had been rolled away.

⁵When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side; they were alarmed.

⁶“Don’t be alarmed,” he told them. “You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they put him.

⁷But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see him there just as he told you.’”

⁸They went out and ran from the tomb, because trembling and astonishment overwhelmed them. And they said nothing to anyone, since they were afraid. [Some of the earliest mss conclude with 16:8.] [

⁹Early on the first day of the week, after he had risen, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons.

¹⁰She went and reported to those who had been with him, as they were mourning and weeping.

¹¹Yet, when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe it.

¹²After this, he appeared in a different form to two of them walking on their way into the country.

¹³And they went and reported it to the rest, who did not believe them either.

¹⁴Later he appeared to the Eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table. He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who saw him after he had risen.

¹⁵Then he said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

¹⁶Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

¹⁷And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;

¹⁸they will pick up snakes; if they should drink anything deadly, it will not harm them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will get well.”

¹⁹So the Lord Jesus, after speaking to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.

²⁰And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word by the accompanying signs.]

¹Many have undertaken to compile a narrative about the events that have been fulfilled among us,

²just as the original eyewitnesses and servants of the word handed them down to us.

³It also seemed good to me, since I have carefully investigated everything from the very first, to write to you in an orderly sequence, most honorable Theophilus,

⁴so that you may know the certainty of the things about which you have been instructed.

⁵In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest of Abijah’s division named Zechariah. His wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

⁶Both were righteous in God’s sight, living without blame according to all the commands and requirements of the Lord.

⁷But they had no children because Elizabeth could not conceive, and both of them were well along in years.

⁸When his division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God,

⁹it happened that he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense.

¹⁰At the hour of incense the whole assembly of the people was praying outside.

¹¹An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense.

¹²When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified and overcome with fear.

¹³But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John.

¹⁴There will be joy and delight for you, and many will rejoice at his birth.

¹⁵For he will be great in the sight of the Lord and will never drink wine or beer. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother’s womb.

¹⁶He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.

¹⁷And he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to make ready for the Lord a prepared people.”

¹⁸“How can I know this?” Zechariah asked the angel. “For I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years.”

¹⁹The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and tell you this good news.

²⁰Now listen. You will become silent and unable to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”

²¹Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah, amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary.

²²When he did come out, he could not speak to them. Then they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He was making signs to them and remained speechless.

²³When the days of his ministry were completed, he went back home.

²⁴After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived and kept herself in seclusion for five months. She said,

²⁵“The Lord has done this for me. He has looked with favor in these days to take away my disgrace among the people.”

²⁶In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,

²⁷to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.

²⁸And the angel came to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you.”

²⁹But she was deeply troubled by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be.

³⁰Then the angel told her: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

³¹Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.

³²He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.

³³He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end.”

³⁴Mary asked the angel, “How can this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?”

³⁵The angel replied to her: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

³⁶And consider your relative Elizabeth — even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless.

³⁷For nothing will be impossible with God.”

³⁸“I am the Lord’s servant,” said Mary. “May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel left her.

³⁹In those days Mary set out and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah

⁴⁰where she entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth.

⁴¹When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped inside her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

⁴²Then she exclaimed with a loud cry: “Blessed are you among women, and your child will be blessed!

⁴³How could this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

⁴⁴For you see, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped for joy inside me.

⁴⁵Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill what he has spoken to her!”

⁴⁶And Mary said: My soul praises the greatness of the Lord,

⁴⁷and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

⁴⁸because he has looked with favor on the humble condition of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed,

⁴⁹because the Mighty One has done great things for me, and his name is holy.

⁵⁰His mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear him.

⁵¹He has done a mighty deed with his arm; he has scattered the proud because of the thoughts of their hearts;

⁵²he has toppled the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly.

⁵³He has satisfied the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty.

⁵⁴He has helped his servant Israel, remembering his mercy

⁵⁵to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he spoke to our ancestors.

⁵⁶And Mary stayed with her about three months; then she returned to her home.

⁵⁷Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she had a son.

⁵⁸Then her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her his great mercy, and they rejoiced with her.

⁵⁹When they came to circumcise the child on the eighth day, they were going to name him Zechariah, after his father.

⁶⁰But his mother responded, “No. He will be called John.”

⁶¹Then they said to her, “None of your relatives has that name.”

⁶²So they motioned to his father to find out what he wanted him to be called.

⁶³He asked for a writing tablet and wrote: “His name is John.” And they were all amazed.

⁶⁴Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God.

⁶⁵Fear came on all those who lived around them, and all these things were being talked about throughout the hill country of Judea.

⁶⁶All who heard about him took it to heart, saying, “What then will this child become?” For, indeed, the Lord’s hand was with him.

⁶⁷Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:

⁶⁸Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and provided redemption for his people.

⁶⁹He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,

⁷⁰just as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets in ancient times;

⁷¹salvation from our enemies and from the hand of those who hate us.

⁷²He has dealt mercifully with our fathers and remembered his holy covenant  —

⁷³the oath that he swore to our father Abraham. He has given us the privilege,

⁷⁴since we have been rescued from the hand of our enemies, to serve him without fear

⁷⁵in holiness and righteousness in his presence all our days.

⁷⁶And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,

⁷⁷to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins.

⁷⁸Because of our God’s merciful compassion, the dawn from on high will visit us

⁷⁹to shine on those who live in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

⁸⁰The child grew up and became spiritually strong, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

¹In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole empire should be registered.

²This first registration took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.

³So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town.

⁴Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David,

⁵to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant.

⁶While they were there, the time came for her to give birth.

⁷Then she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

⁸In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock.

⁹Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

¹⁰But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:

¹¹Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord.

¹²This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.”

¹³Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:

¹⁴Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors!

¹⁵When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

¹⁶They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger.

¹⁷After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child,

¹⁸and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

¹⁹But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them.

²⁰The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard, which were just as they had been told.

²¹When the eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus  — the name given by the angel before he was conceived.

²²And when the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were finished, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord

²³(just as it is written in the law of the Lord,Every firstborn male will be dedicated to the Lord )

²⁴and to offer a sacrifice (according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons ).

²⁵There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking forward to Israel’s consolation, and the Holy Spirit was on him.

²⁶It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he saw the Lord’s Messiah.

²⁷Guided by the Spirit, he entered the temple. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform for him what was customary under the law,

²⁸Simeon took him up in his arms, praised God, and said,

²⁹Now, Master, you can dismiss your servant in peace, as you promised.

³⁰For my eyes have seen your salvation.

³¹You have prepared it in the presence of all peoples —

³²a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory to your people Israel.

³³His father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him.

³⁴Then Simeon blessed them and told his mother Mary: “Indeed, this child is destined to cause the fall and rise of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be opposed  —

³⁵and a sword will pierce your own soul — that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

³⁶There was also a prophetess, Anna, a daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well along in years, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage,

³⁷and was a widow for eighty-four years. She did not leave the temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayers.

³⁸At that very moment, she came up and began to thank God and to speak about him to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

³⁹When they had completed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.

⁴⁰The boy grew up and became strong, filled with wisdom, and God’s grace was on him.

⁴¹Every year his parents traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival.

⁴²When he was twelve years old, they went up according to the custom of the festival.

⁴³After those days were over, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it.

⁴⁴Assuming he was in the traveling party, they went a day’s journey. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends.

⁴⁵When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him.

⁴⁶After three days, they found him in the temple sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.

⁴⁷And all those who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers.

⁴⁸When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”

⁴⁹“Why were you searching for me?” he asked them. “Didn’t you know that it was necessary for me to be in my Father’s house?”

⁵⁰But they did not understand what he said to them.

⁵¹Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them. His mother kept all these things in her heart.

⁵²And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with people.

¹In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,

²during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, God’s word came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.

³He went into all the vicinity of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,

⁴as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight!

⁵Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be made low; the crooked will become straight, the rough ways smooth,

⁶and everyone will see the salvation of God.

⁷He then said to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

⁸Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance. And don’t start saying to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones.

⁹The ax is already at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

¹⁰“What then should we do?” the crowds were asking him.

¹¹He replied to them, “The one who has two shirts must share with someone who has none, and the one who has food must do the same.”

¹²Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?”

¹³He told them, “Don’t collect any more than what you have been authorized.”

¹⁴Some soldiers also questioned him, “What should we do?” He said to them, “Don’t take money from anyone by force or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”

¹⁵Now the people were waiting expectantly, and all of them were questioning in their hearts whether John might be the Messiah.

¹⁶John answered them all, “I baptize you with water, but one who is more powerful than I am is coming. I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

¹⁷His winnowing shovel is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with fire that never goes out.”

¹⁸Then, along with many other exhortations, he proclaimed good news to the people.

¹⁹But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the evil things he had done,

²⁰Herod added this to everything else — he locked up John in prison.

²¹When all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized. As he was praying, heaven opened,

²²and the Holy Spirit descended on him in a physical appearance like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.”

²³As he began his ministry, Jesus was about thirty years old and was thought to be the son of Joseph, son of Heli,

²⁴son of Matthat, son of Levi, son of Melchi, son of Jannai, son of Joseph,

²⁵son of Mattathias, son of Amos, son of Nahum, son of Esli, son of Naggai,

²⁶son of Maath, son of Mattathias, son of Semein, son of Josech, son of Joda,

²⁷son of Joanan, son of Rhesa, son of Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, son of Neri,

²⁸son of Melchi, son of Addi, son of Cosam, son of Elmadam, son of Er,

²⁹son of Joshua, son of Eliezer, son of Jorim, son of Matthat, son of Levi,

³⁰son of Simeon, son of Judah, son of Joseph, son of Jonam, son of Eliakim,

³¹son of Melea, son of Menna, son of Mattatha, son of Nathan, son of David,

³²son of Jesse, son of Obed, son of Boaz, son of Salmon, son of Nahshon,

³³son of Amminadab, son of Ram, son of Hezron, son of Perez, son of Judah,

³⁴son of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham, son of Terah, son of Nahor,

³⁵son of Serug, son of Reu, son of Peleg, son of Eber, son of Shelah,

³⁶son of Cainan, son of Arphaxad, son of Shem, son of Noah, son of Lamech,

³⁷son of Methuselah, son of Enoch, son of Jared, son of Mahalalel, son of Cainan,

³⁸son of Enos, son of Seth, son of Adam, son of God.

¹Then Jesus left the Jordan, full of the Holy Spirit, and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness

²for forty days to be tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over, he was hungry.

³The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

⁴But Jesus answered him, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone.”

⁵So he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

⁶The devil said to him, “I will give you their splendor and all this authority, because it has been given over to me, and I can give it to anyone I want.

⁷If you, then, will worship me, all will be yours.”

⁸And Jesus answered him, “It is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.”

⁹So he took him to Jerusalem, had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here.

¹⁰For it is written: He will give his angels orders concerning you, to protect you,

¹¹and they will support you with their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”

¹²And Jesus answered him, “It is said: Do not test the Lord your God.”

¹³After the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him for a time.

¹⁴Then Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread throughout the entire vicinity.

¹⁵He was teaching in their synagogues, being praised by everyone.

¹⁶He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. As usual, he entered the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read.

¹⁷The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him, and unrolling the scroll, he found the place where it was written:

¹⁸ The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed,

¹⁹ to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

²⁰He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. And the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him.

²¹He began by saying to them, “Today as you listen, this Scripture has been fulfilled.”

²²They were all speaking well of him and were amazed by the gracious words that came from his mouth; yet they said, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”

²³Then he said to them, “No doubt you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Doctor, heal yourself. What we’ve heard that took place in Capernaum, do here in your hometown also.’”

²⁴He also said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in his hometown.

²⁵But I say to you, there were certainly many widows in Israel in Elijah’s days, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months while a great famine came over all the land.

²⁶Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them except a widow at Zarephath in Sidon.

²⁷And in the prophet Elisha’s time, there were many in Israel who had leprosy, and yet not one of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”

²⁸When they heard this, everyone in the synagogue was enraged.

²⁹They got up, drove him out of town, and brought him to the edge of the hill that their town was built on, intending to hurl him over the cliff.

³⁰But he passed right through the crowd and went on his way.

³¹Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbath.

³²They were astonished at his teaching because his message had authority.

³³In the synagogue there was a man with an unclean demonic spirit who cried out with a loud voice,

³⁴“Leave us alone! What do you have to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are — the Holy One of God!”

³⁵But Jesus rebuked him and said, “Be silent and come out of him!” And throwing him down before them, the demon came out of him without hurting him at all.

³⁶Amazement came over them all, and they were saying to one another, “What is this message? For he commands the unclean spirits with authority and power, and they come out!”

³⁷And news about him began to go out to every place in the vicinity.

³⁸After he left the synagogue, he entered Simon’s house. Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked him about her.

³⁹So he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up immediately and began to serve them.

⁴⁰When the sun was setting, all those who had anyone sick with various diseases brought them to him. As he laid his hands on each one of them, he healed them.

⁴¹Also, demons were coming out of many, shouting and saying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ.

⁴²When it was day, he went out and made his way to a deserted place. But the crowds were searching for him. They came to him and tried to keep him from leaving them.

⁴³But he said to them, “It is necessary for me to proclaim the good news about the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because I was sent for this purpose.”

⁴⁴And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

¹As the crowd was pressing in on Jesus to hear God’s word, he was standing by Lake Gennesaret.

²He saw two boats at the edge of the lake; the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets.

³He got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the land. Then he sat down and was teaching the crowds from the boat.

⁴When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”

⁵“Master,” Simon replied, “we’ve worked hard all night long and caught nothing. But if you say so, I’ll let down the nets.”

⁶When they did this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets began to tear.

⁷So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them; they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

⁸When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’s knees and said, “Go away from me, because I’m a sinful man, Lord!”

⁹For he and all those with him were amazed at the catch of fish they had taken,

¹⁰and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons, who were Simon’s partners. “Don’t be afraid,” Jesus told Simon. “From now on you will be catching people.”

¹¹Then they brought the boats to land, left everything, and followed him.

¹²While he was in one of the towns, a man was there who had leprosy all over him. He saw Jesus, fell facedown, and begged him: “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

¹³Reaching out his hand, Jesus touched him, saying, “I am willing; be made clean,” and immediately the leprosy left him.

¹⁴Then he ordered him to tell no one: “But go and show yourself to the priest, and offer what Moses commanded for your cleansing as a testimony to them.”

¹⁵But the news about him spread even more, and large crowds would come together to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses.

¹⁶Yet he often withdrew to deserted places and prayed.

¹⁷On one of those days while he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea, and also from Jerusalem. And the Lord’s power to heal was in him.

¹⁸Just then some men came, carrying on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed. They tried to bring him in and set him down before him.

¹⁹Since they could not find a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the stretcher through the roof tiles into the middle of the crowd before Jesus.

²⁰Seeing their faith he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

²¹Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to think to themselves: “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

²²But perceiving their thoughts, Jesus replied to them, “Why are you thinking this in your hearts?

²³Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?

²⁴But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”  — he told the paralyzed man, “I tell you: Get up, take your stretcher, and go home.”

²⁵Immediately he got up before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God.

²⁶Then everyone was astounded, and they were giving glory to God. And they were filled with awe and said, “We have seen incredible things today.”

²⁷After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me.”

²⁸So, leaving everything behind, he got up and began to follow him.

²⁹Then Levi hosted a grand banquet for him at his house. Now there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others who were guests with them.

³⁰But the Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

³¹Jesus replied to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a doctor, but those who are sick.

³²I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

³³Then they said to him, “John’s disciples fast often and say prayers, and those of the Pharisees do the same, but yours eat and drink.”

³⁴Jesus said to them, “You can’t make the wedding guests fast while the groom is with them, can you?

³⁵But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them — then they will fast in those days.”

³⁶He also told them a parable: “No one tears a patch from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. Otherwise, not only will he tear the new, but also the piece from the new garment will not match the old.

³⁷And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, it will spill, and the skins will be ruined.

³⁸No, new wine is put into fresh wineskins.

³⁹And no one, after drinking old wine, wants new, because he says, ‘The old is better.’”

¹On a Sabbath, he passed through the grainfields. His disciples were picking heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them.

²But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”

³Jesus answered them, “Haven’t you read what David and those who were with him did when he was hungry — 

⁴how he entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat? He even gave some to those who were with him.”

⁵Then he told them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

⁶On another Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. A man was there whose right hand was shriveled.

⁷The scribes and Pharisees were watching him closely, to see if he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they could find a charge against him.

⁸But he knew their thoughts and told the man with the shriveled hand, “Get up and stand here.” So he got up and stood there.

⁹Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you: Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?”

¹⁰After looking around at them all, he told him, “Stretch out your hand.” He did, and his hand was restored.

¹¹They, however, were filled with rage and started discussing with one another what they might do to Jesus.

¹²During those days he went out to the mountain to pray and spent all night in prayer to God.

¹³When daylight came, he summoned his disciples, and he chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles:

¹⁴Simon, whom he also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew;

¹⁵Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot;

¹⁶Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

¹⁷After coming down with them, he stood on a level place with a large crowd of his disciples and a great number of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon.

¹⁸They came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those tormented by unclean spirits were made well.

¹⁹The whole crowd was trying to touch him, because power was coming out from him and healing them all.

²⁰Then looking up at his disciples, he said: Blessed are you who are poor, because the kingdom of God is yours.

²¹Blessed are you who are now hungry, because you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, because you will laugh.

²²Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you, insult you, and slander your name as evil because of the Son of Man.

²³“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy. Take note — your reward is great in heaven, for this is the way their ancestors used to treat the prophets.

²⁴But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your comfort.

²⁵Woe to you who are now full, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who are now laughing, for you will mourn and weep.

²⁶Woe to you when all people speak well of you, for this is the way their ancestors used to treat the false prophets.

²⁷“But I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you,

²⁸bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

²⁹If anyone hits you on the cheek, offer the other also. And if anyone takes away your coat, don’t hold back your shirt either.

³⁰Give to everyone who asks you, and from someone who takes your things, don’t ask for them back.

³¹Just as you want others to do for you, do the same for them.

³²If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.

³³If you do what is good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.

³⁴And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners to be repaid in full.

³⁵But love your enemies, do what is good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High. For he is gracious to the ungrateful and evil.

³⁶Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

³⁷“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

³⁸Give, and it will be given to you; a good measure — pressed down, shaken together, and running over — will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”

³⁹He also told them a parable: “Can the blind guide the blind? Won’t they both fall into a pit?

⁴⁰A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.

⁴¹“Why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye, but don’t notice the beam of wood in your own eye?

⁴²Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the splinter that is in your eye,’ when you yourself don’t see the beam of wood in your eye? Hypocrite! First take the beam of wood out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the splinter in your brother’s eye.

⁴³“A good tree doesn’t produce bad fruit; on the other hand, a bad tree doesn’t produce good fruit.

⁴⁴For each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs aren’t gathered from thornbushes, or grapes picked from a bramble bush.

⁴⁵A good person produces good out of the good stored up in his heart. An evil person produces evil out of the evil stored up in his heart, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.

⁴⁶“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things I say?

⁴⁷I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them:

⁴⁸He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. When the flood came, the river crashed against that house and couldn’t shake it, because it was well built.

⁴⁹But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The river crashed against it, and immediately it collapsed. And the destruction of that house was great.”

¹When he had concluded saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum.

²A centurion’s servant, who was highly valued by him, was sick and about to die.

³When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, requesting him to come and save the life of his servant.

⁴When they reached Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy for you to grant this,

⁵because he loves our nation and has built us a synagogue.”

⁶Jesus went with them, and when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to tell him, “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, since I am not worthy to have you come under my roof.

⁷That is why I didn’t even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed.

⁸For I too am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under my command. I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

⁹Jesus heard this and was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found so great a faith even in Israel.”

¹⁰When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant in good health.

¹¹Afterward he was on his way to a town called Nain. His disciples and a large crowd were traveling with him.

¹²Just as he neared the gate of the town, a dead man was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was also with her.

¹³When the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said, “Don’t weep.”

¹⁴Then he came up and touched the open coffin, and the pallbearers stopped. And he said, “Young man, I tell you, get up!”

¹⁵The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.

¹⁶Then fear came over everyone, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen among us,” and “God has visited his people.”

¹⁷This report about him went throughout Judea and all the vicinity.

¹⁸Then John’s disciples told him about all these things. So John summoned two of his disciples

¹⁹and sent them to the Lord, asking, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

²⁰When the men reached him, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to ask you, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’”

²¹At that time Jesus healed many people of diseases, afflictions, and evil spirits, and he granted sight to many blind people.

²²He replied to them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor are told the good news,

²³and blessed is the one who isn’t offended by me.”

²⁴After John’s messengers left, he began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind?

²⁵What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothes? See, those who are splendidly dressed and live in luxury are in royal palaces.

²⁶What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

²⁷This is the one about whom it is written: See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way before you.

²⁸I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater than John, but the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

²⁹(And when all the people, including the tax collectors, heard this, they acknowledged God’s way of righteousness, because they had been baptized with John’s baptism.

³⁰But since the Pharisees and experts in the law had not been baptized by him, they rejected the plan of God for themselves. )

³¹“To what then should I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like?

³²They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to each other: We played the flute for you, but you didn’t dance; we sang a lament, but you didn’t weep!

³³For John the Baptist did not come eating bread or drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’

³⁴The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’

³⁵Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

³⁶Then one of the Pharisees invited him to eat with him. He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table.

³⁷And a woman in the town who was a sinner found out that Jesus was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house. She brought an alabaster jar of perfume

³⁸and stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to wash his feet with her tears. She wiped his feet with her hair, kissing them and anointing them with the perfume.

³⁹When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “This man, if he were a prophet, would know who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him — she’s a sinner!”

⁴⁰Jesus replied to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” He said, “Say it, teacher.”

⁴¹“A creditor had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.

⁴²Since they could not pay it back, he graciously forgave them both. So, which of them will love him more?”

⁴³Simon answered, “I suppose the one he forgave more.” “You have judged correctly,” he told him.

⁴⁴Turning to the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she, with her tears, has washed my feet and wiped them with her hair.

⁴⁵You gave me no kiss, but she hasn’t stopped kissing my feet since I came in.

⁴⁶You didn’t anoint my head with olive oil, but she has anointed my feet with perfume.

⁴⁷Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; that’s why she loved much. But the one who is forgiven little, loves little.”

⁴⁸Then he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

⁴⁹Those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?”

⁵⁰And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

¹Afterward he was traveling from one town and village to another, preaching and telling the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him,

²and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary, called Magdalene (seven demons had come out of her);

³Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward; Susanna; and many others who were supporting them from their possessions.

⁴As a large crowd was gathering, and people were coming to Jesus from every town, he said in a parable:

⁵“A sower went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some seed fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the sky devoured it.

⁶Other seed fell on the rock; when it grew up, it withered away, since it lacked moisture.

⁷Other seed fell among thorns; the thorns grew up with it and choked it.

⁸Still other seed fell on good ground; when it grew up, it produced fruit: a hundred times what was sown.” As he said this, he called out, “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen.”

⁹Then his disciples asked him, “What does this parable mean?”

¹⁰So he said, “The secrets of the kingdom of God have been given for you to know, but to the rest it is in parables, so that Looking they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.

¹¹“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.

¹²The seed along the path are those who have heard and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.

¹³And the seed on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy. Having no root, these believe for a while and fall away in a time of testing.

¹⁴As for the seed that fell among thorns, these are the ones who, when they have heard, go on their way and are choked with worries, riches, and pleasures of life, and produce no mature fruit.

¹⁵But the seed in the good ground — these are the ones who, having heard the word with an honest and good heart, hold on to it and by enduring, produce fruit.

¹⁶“No one, after lighting a lamp, covers it with a basket or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lampstand so that those who come in may see its light.

¹⁷For nothing is concealed that won’t be revealed, and nothing hidden that won’t be made known and brought to light.

¹⁸Therefore take care how you listen. For whoever has, more will be given to him; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him.”

¹⁹Then his mother and brothers came to him, but they could not meet with him because of the crowd.

²⁰He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.”

²¹But he replied to them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear and do the word of God.”

²²One day he and his disciples got into a boat, and he told them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the lake.” So they set out,

²³and as they were sailing he fell asleep. Then a fierce windstorm came down on the lake; they were being swamped and were in danger.

²⁴They came and woke him up, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to die!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves. So they ceased, and there was a calm.

²⁵He said to them, “Where is your faith?” They were fearful and amazed, asking one another, “Who then is this? He commands even the winds and the waves, and they obey him!”

²⁶Then they sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee.

²⁷When he got out on land, a demon-possessed man from the town met him. For a long time he had worn no clothes and did not stay in a house but in the tombs.

²⁸When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before him, and said in a loud voice, “What do you have to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torment me!”

²⁹For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was guarded, bound by chains and shackles, he would snap the restraints and be driven by the demon into deserted places.

³⁰“What is your name?” Jesus asked him. “Legion,” he said, because many demons had entered him.

³¹And they begged him not to banish them to the abyss.

³²A large herd of pigs was there, feeding on the hillside. The demons begged him to permit them to enter the pigs, and he gave them permission.

³³The demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.

³⁴When the men who tended them saw what had happened, they ran off and reported it in the town and in the countryside.

³⁵Then people went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man the demons had departed from, sitting at Jesus’s feet, dressed and in his right mind. And they were afraid.

³⁶Meanwhile, the eyewitnesses reported to them how the demon-possessed man was delivered.

³⁷Then all the people of the Gerasene region asked him to leave them, because they were gripped by great fear. So getting into the boat, he returned.

³⁸The man from whom the demons had departed begged him earnestly to be with him. But he sent him away and said,

³⁹“Go back to your home, and tell all that God has done for you.” And off he went, proclaiming throughout the town how much Jesus had done for him.

⁴⁰When Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him.

⁴¹Just then, a man named Jairus came. He was a leader of the synagogue. He fell down at Jesus’s feet and pleaded with him to come to his house,

⁴²because he had an only daughter about twelve years old, and she was dying. While he was going, the crowds were nearly crushing him.

⁴³A woman suffering from bleeding for twelve years, who had spent all she had on doctors and yet could not be healed by any,

⁴⁴approached from behind and touched the end of his robe. Instantly her bleeding stopped.

⁴⁵“Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds are hemming you in and pressing against you.”

⁴⁶“Someone did touch me,” said Jesus. “I know that power has gone out from me.”

⁴⁷When the woman saw that she was discovered, she came trembling and fell down before him. In the presence of all the people, she declared the reason she had touched him and how she was instantly healed.

⁴⁸“Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

⁴⁹While he was still speaking, someone came from the synagogue leader’s house and said, “Your daughter is dead. Don’t bother the teacher anymore.”

⁵⁰When Jesus heard it, he answered him, “Don’t be afraid. Only believe, and she will be saved.”

⁵¹After he came to the house, he let no one enter with him except Peter, John, James, and the child’s father and mother.

⁵²Everyone was crying and mourning for her. But he said, “Stop crying, because she is not dead but asleep.”

⁵³They laughed at him, because they knew she was dead.

⁵⁴So he took her by the hand and called out, “Child, get up!”

⁵⁵Her spirit returned, and she got up at once. Then he gave orders that she be given something to eat.

⁵⁶Her parents were astounded, but he instructed them to tell no one what had happened.