New Testament Plan

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.

¹Summoning the Twelve, he gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases.

²Then he sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

³“Take nothing for the road,” he told them, “no staff, no traveling bag, no bread, no money; and don’t take an extra shirt.

⁴Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there.

⁵If they do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.”

⁶So they went out and traveled from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing everywhere.

⁷Herod the tetrarch heard about everything that was going on. He was perplexed, because some said that John had been raised from the dead,

⁸some that Elijah had appeared, and others that one of the ancient prophets had risen.

⁹“I beheaded John,” Herod said, “but who is this I hear such things about?” And he wanted to see him.

¹⁰When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus all that they had done. He took them along and withdrew privately to a town called Bethsaida.

¹¹When the crowds found out, they followed him. He welcomed them, spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.

¹²Late in the day, the Twelve approached and said to him, “Send the crowd away, so that they can go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find food and lodging, because we are in a deserted place here.”

¹³“You give them something to eat,” he told them. “We have no more than five loaves and two fish,” they said, “unless we go and buy food for all these people.”

¹⁴(For about five thousand men were there.) Then he told his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.”

¹⁵They did what he said, and had them all sit down.

¹⁶Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke them. He kept giving them to the disciples to set before the crowd.

¹⁷Everyone ate and was filled. They picked up twelve baskets of leftover pieces.

¹⁸While he was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”

¹⁹They answered, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, that one of the ancient prophets has come back.”

²⁰“But you,” he asked them, “who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.”

²¹But he strictly warned and instructed them to tell this to no one,

²²saying, “It is necessary that the Son of Man suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day.”

²³Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.

²⁴For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will save it.

²⁵For what does it benefit someone if he gains the whole world, and yet loses or forfeits himself?

²⁶For whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and that of the Father and the holy angels.

²⁷Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”

²⁸About eight days after this conversation, he took along Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.

²⁹As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white.

³⁰Suddenly, two men were talking with him — Moses and Elijah.

³¹They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish in Jerusalem.

³²Peter and those with him were in a deep sleep, and when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men who were standing with him.

³³As the two men were departing from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it’s good for us to be here. Let us set up three shelters: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” — not knowing what he was saying.

³⁴While he was saying this, a cloud appeared and overshadowed them. They became afraid as they entered the cloud.

³⁵Then a voice came from the cloud, saying: “This is my Son, the Chosen One; listen to him!”

³⁶After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. They kept silent, and at that time told no one what they had seen.

³⁷The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him.

³⁸Just then a man from the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, because he’s my only child.

³⁹A spirit seizes him; suddenly he shrieks, and it throws him into convulsions until he foams at the mouth; severely bruising him, it scarcely ever leaves him.

⁴⁰I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they couldn’t.”

⁴¹Jesus replied, “You unbelieving and perverse generation, how long will I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”

⁴²As the boy was still approaching, the demon knocked him down and threw him into severe convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.

⁴³And they were all astonished at the greatness of God. While everyone was amazed at all the things he was doing, he told his disciples,

⁴⁴“Let these words sink in: The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.”

⁴⁵But they did not understand this statement; it was concealed from them so that they could not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.

⁴⁶An argument started among them about who was the greatest of them.

⁴⁷But Jesus, knowing their inner thoughts, took a little child and had him stand next to him.

⁴⁸He told them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me. And whoever welcomes me welcomes him who sent me. For whoever is least among you — this one is great.”

⁴⁹John responded, “Master, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because he does not follow us.”

⁵⁰“Don’t stop him,” Jesus told him, “because whoever is not against you is for you.”

⁵¹When the days were coming to a close for him to be taken up, he determined to journey to Jerusalem.

⁵²He sent messengers ahead of himself, and on the way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make preparations for him.

⁵³But they did not welcome him, because he determined to journey to Jerusalem.

⁵⁴When the disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?”

⁵⁵But he turned and rebuked them,

⁵⁶and they went to another village.

⁵⁷As they were traveling on the road someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

⁵⁸Jesus told him, “Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

⁵⁹Then he said to another, “Follow me.” “Lord,” he said, “first let me go bury my father.”

⁶⁰But he told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.”

⁶¹Another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to those at my house.”

⁶²But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

¹After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two others, and he sent them ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself was about to go.

²He told them, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.

³Now go; I’m sending you out like lambs among wolves.

⁴Don’t carry a money-bag, traveling bag, or sandals; don’t greet anyone along the road.

⁵Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’

⁶If a person of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you.

⁷Remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they offer, for the worker is worthy of his wages. Don’t move from house to house.

⁸When you enter any town, and they welcome you, eat the things set before you.

⁹Heal the sick who are there, and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near you.’

¹⁰When you enter any town, and they don’t welcome you, go out into its streets and say,

¹¹‘We are wiping off even the dust of your town that clings to our feet as a witness against you. Know this for certain: The kingdom of God has come near.’

¹²I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town.

¹³“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.

¹⁴But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.

¹⁵And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will go down to Hades.

¹⁶Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”

¹⁷The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”

¹⁸He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like lightning.

¹⁹Look, I have given you the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy; nothing at all will harm you.

²⁰However, don’t rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

²¹At that time he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, because this was your good pleasure.

²²All things have been entrusted to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son desires to reveal him.”

²³Then turning to his disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see the things you see!

²⁴For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see the things you see but didn’t see them; to hear the things you hear but didn’t hear them.”

²⁵Then an expert in the law stood up to test him, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

²⁶“What is written in the law?” he asked him. “How do you read it?”

²⁷He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind;” and “your neighbor as yourself.”

²⁸“You’ve answered correctly,” he told him. “Do this and you will live.”

²⁹But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

³⁰Jesus took up the question and said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him up, and fled, leaving him half dead.

³¹A priest happened to be going down that road. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

³²In the same way, a Levite, when he arrived at the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

³³But a Samaritan on his journey came up to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion.

³⁴He went over to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

³⁵The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him. When I come back I’ll reimburse you for whatever extra you spend.’

³⁶“Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?”

³⁷“The one who showed mercy to him,” he said. Then Jesus told him, “Go and do the same.”

³⁸While they were traveling, he entered a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home.

³⁹She had a sister named Mary, who also sat at the Lord’s feet and was listening to what he said.

⁴⁰But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand.”

⁴¹The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things,

⁴²but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.”