The Gospel of Matthew

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

the son of Abraham.

Abraham became the father of Isaac; Isaac became the father of Jacob;

Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers; Judah the father of Perez

and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar; and Perez became the father of

Hezron; Hezron became the father of Ram; Ram became the father of

Amminadab; and Amminadab the father of Nahshon; and Nahshon the father

of Salmon; Salmon became the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab;

and Boaz became the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth; Obed the

father of Jesse; Jesse the father of David the king; David the king

became the father of Solomon whose mother had been the wife of Uriah.

Solomon became the father of Rehoboam; and Rehoboam the father of Abia;

and Abia the father of Asa; Asa became the father of Jehosaphat; and

Jehosaphat the father of Joram; and Joram the father of Ozias; And

Ozias became the father of Joatham; and Joatham the father of Achaz;

and Achaz the father of Hezekiah; And Hezekiah became the father of

Manasseh; and Manasseh the father of Amos; and Amos the father of

Josiah; And Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time

they were exiled to Babylon.

After they were in Babylon, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel;

and Shealtiel the father of Zorobabel; And Zorobabel became the father

of Abiud; and Abiud the father of Eliakim; and Eliakim the father of

Azor; And Azor became the father of Zadoc; Zadoc the father of Achim;

and Achim the father of Eliud; And Eliud became the father of Eleazar;

and Eleazar the father of Matthan; and Matthan the father of Jacob; And

Jacob became the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born

Jesus, the Christ.

The generations from Abraham to David are fourteen, from David until

the exile to Babylon are fourteen; and from the exile to Babylon until

the birth of Christ are fourteen generations.

The birth of Jesus Christ was thus: When Mary, His mother, was espoused

to Joseph, and before they came together, she was found with child of

the Holy Spirit. Joseph, a just man, not willing to make her a public

example, decided to put her away privately. But while he thought about

these things an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,

Joseph, thou son of David, do not fear to take Mary as thy wife. The

one who is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She shall bring

forth a son and thou shall call Him Jesus. He will save His people from

their sins.

All this was done so that what was spoken of the Lord by the prophet

might be fulfilled: Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall

bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, God with us.

Then Joseph awoke and did as the angel of the Lord told him and took

unto him his wife. He knew her not until she brought forth her

firstborn son, Jesus.

2. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea, in the days of

King Herod, wise men, magi, from the east went to Jerusalem. They said,

One is born King of the Jews. We have seen His star in the east and we

are going to worship Him. When Herod heard this, he was troubled as was

all Jerusalem. Herod gathered all the chief priests and scribes

together and demanded to know where Christ would be born. They said, In

Bethlehem of Judaea. It is written by the prophet: And thou Bethlehem,

in the land of Juda, the least among the princes of Juda, yet out of

thee shall come a Governor that shall rule my people.

Herod called the magi to find out the time the star would appear. He

sent them to Bethlehem and said, Go and search diligently for the young

child. When you have found Him, bring word to me so I may also go to

worship Him. After they met with the king they departed; and, lo, the

star that they saw in the east went before them until it stood over the

young child.

When they saw the star they rejoiced. The magi went to the place and

saw the young child with Mary, His mother. They bowed down and

worshipped Him. They presented Him with gifts of gold, and

frankincense, and myrrh. Since they were warned by God in a dream that

they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country

by another way.

After they departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in

a dream and said, Arise and take the young child and His mother and

flee into Egypt. Stay there until I bring thee word, for Herod will

seek the young child to destroy Him. Joseph took the young child and

His mother, by night, and departed into Egypt. They remained there

until the death of Herod. This was so it might be fulfilled what was

spoken of the Lord by the prophet: Out of Egypt have I called my son.

Herod realized he was deceived by the magi and became exceedingly

wrathful. He ordered that all the children in Bethlehem and the

surrounding coasts who were aged two years old and under be slayed.

This was based on the timing he was given by the magi. Then the saying

of Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: In Ramah there was heard the

sound of lamentation, weeping, and great mourning. Rachel was weeping

for her children and would not be comforted because they are no longer.

When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in

Egypt. The angel said, Arise and take the young child and His mother

and go into the land of Israel. They are now dead who sought the young

child's life. Joseph took the young child and His mother and started

toward Israel. Along the way Joseph heard that Archelaus reigned in

Judaea in the place of his father, Herod. Joseph was afraid to go

there. Despite being warned by God in a dream, he turned toward

Galilee. He came to dwell in a city called Nazareth that it might be

fulfilled what was spoken by the prophets: He shall be called a

Nazarene.

3. In those days John the Baptist preached in the wilderness of

Judaea. His message was, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

John is the one that was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah: The voice of

one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord. Make His

paths straight.

The same John wore camel's hair and a leathern girdle around his loins.

His food was locusts and wild honey. He went out to Jerusalem. all

Judaea, and all the region round Jordan. Many people were baptized by

him and confessed their sins.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his

baptism, he said to them, O generation of vipers, who has warned you to

flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth fruits fit for repentance. Do

not say, We have Abraham for our father, because I say to you, God is

able to raise up children to Abraham with these stones. The axe is now

laid to the root of the trees. Every tree which does not bring forth

good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire.

I baptize you with water for repentance but He who comes after me is

mightier than I. His shoes I am not worthy to carry. He shall baptize

you with the Holy Spirit and with the fire whose fan is in His hand. He

will throughly purge His floor and gather His wheat into the garner. He

will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

When Jesus came from Galilee to Jordan to be baptized by him, John

forbad Him. He said, Why come to me? I should be baptized by thee.

Jesus answered, For now, suffer it to be so because it becomes us to

fulfill all righteousness.

When Jesus was baptized He came up out of the water and the heavens

opened to Him. John saw the Spirit of God descend like a dove and light

upon Him. A voice from heaven said, This is my beloved Son in whom I am

well pleased.

4. Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be

tempted by the devil. After He fasted forty days and forty nights He

was hungry. The tempter came to Him and said, If thou be the Son of

God, command that these stones be made bread. Jesus answered, It is

written, Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that

proceeds out of the mouth of God. The devil then took Him up into the

holy city and sat Him on a pinnacle of the temple. He said, If thou be

the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written, He shall give His

angels charge concerning thee and in their hands they shall bear thee

up lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus countered

Him saying, It is also written, Thou shalt not test the Lord thy God.

Next, the devil took Him up into an exceedingly high mountain. He

showed Him the kingdoms of the world in all their glory. He said, All

these things I will give thee if thou will bow down and worship me.

Then Jesus said, Get thee hence, Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt

worship the Lord thy God and Him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil

left Him. And, behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

When Jesus heard that John was cast into prison, He departed into

Galilee. And, leaving Nazareth, He dwelt in Capernaum on the sea coast,

in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim. This He did so that what was

spoken by Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled: In the land of

Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim by the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee

of the Gentiles, the people which sat in darkness saw great light. And

to those who sat in the region and shadow of death, light is sprung up.

From this time forward Jesus began His teaching of repentance because

the kingdom of God is at hand.

As Jesus walked by the sea of Galilee, He saw Simon, called Peter, and

Andrew, his brother. They were fishers and were casting a net into the

sea. He said to them, Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.

They left their nets and followed Him.

Going on from there, Jesus saw two other brethren, James, the son of

Zebedee, and John. They were in a boat, mending their nets, with

Zebedee, their father. Jesus called them and they immediately left the

boat and their father and followed Him. Then Jesus went all about

Galilee, teaching in the synagogues, preaching the gospel of the

kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and disease among the

people.

His fame spread throughout all Syria. They brought to Him sick people

who were taken with diverse diseases, torments, and those who were

possessed with devils. They brought those who were lunatic, and those

who had palsy. He healed them. Great multitudes of people from Galilee,

and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from

beyond Jordan followed Him.

5. Seeing the multitudes, He went up into a mountain and sat.

His disciples came and He taught them: Blessed are the poor in spirit

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn for

they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit

the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness

for they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the

pure of heart for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers for

they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are those who are

persecuted for righteousness' sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when men revile and persecute you, and say all manner

of evil against you for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad. Great

is your reward in heaven. And, likewise, they persecuted the prophets

who were before you.

Ye are the salt of the earth. If the salt loses its savour it is good

for nothing except to be cast out and walked on. Ye are the light of

the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. A candle is

not lighted to be put under a bushel, but on a candlestick. This way it

gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine that others

see your good works reflecting only your Father in heaven.

Do not think that I came to destroy the law or the words of the

prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For verily I say,

Until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter or one word shall pass

from the law until all is fulfilled. Whoever breaks one of these least

commandments, and teaches others to do likewise shall be called the

least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever shall keep these least

commandments and teach them shall be called great in the kingdom of

heaven. Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the

scribes and Pharisees, there is no way you shall enter the kingdom of

heaven.

Ye have heard it was said of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whoever

shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment. But I say to you,

Whoever is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment.

Whoever shows contempt toward his brother shall be in danger of the

council. But whosoever curses his brother is in danger of hell fire.

So, if thou bring a gift to the altar and then remember that thy

brother has something against thee, leave the gift before the altar. Be

reconciled to thy brother first. Then come back and offer thy gift.

Agree with thine adversary quickly while thou art with him; lest, at

any time, thy adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge

deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say

unto thee, Thou shalt not come out then until all is paid.

Ye have heard it said by them of old, Thou shalt not commit adultery.

But I say, Whoever looks on a woman in lust has already committed

adultery in his heart. If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out and

cast it away. It is more profitable for thee that one of thy members

should perish rather than thy whole body be cast into hell. And if thy

right hand offend thee, cut it off and cast it from thee. It is more

profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish rather than

thy whole body be cast into hell.

It has been said, Whoever puts away his wife shall give her a writing

of divorcement. But I say, Whoever puts away his wife, except for

reason of fornication, causes her to commit adultery. And whoever

marries her that is divorced commits adultery.

Also, ye have heard it said by them of old, Thou shalt not forswear

thyself but perform your oaths unto the Lord. But I say, take no oaths

at all. Do not swear by heaven because it is God's throne. Do not swear

by the earth because it is His footstool. Do not swear by Jerusalem for

it is the city of the great King. Do not swear by thy self because you

are incapable of making even one hair white or black. Let your

statement be only Yea, yes; Nay, no: for anything more than this comes

to evil.

Ye have heard it said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I

say, Do not resist evil. Whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn

the other to him also. And, if any one lawfully sues you and takes away

thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. Whoever compels you to go a

mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks of you. From him who would

borrow from you, do not turn away.

Ye have heard it said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine

enemy. But I say, Love your enemy. Bless those who curse you. Do good

to those who hate you. Pray for those who spitefully use and persecute

you.

Do this that ye may be the children of your Father in heaven. He makes

His sun rise on the evil and on the good. He sends rain on the just and

on the unjust. If ye love only those who love you, what reward have ye?

Do not even the publicans do this? And if ye greet your friends only,

what do ye do more than others? Do not even the publicans do this?

Instead be ye as perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.

6. Take heed that ye do not do your almsgiving to be seen by

others. If so, ye have no reward from your Father in heaven. When you

give, do not sound a trumpet in the synagogues and in the streets as do

the hypocrites. They seek the glory of men. Verily, I say unto you,

They have their reward.

When you give alms, do not let thy left hand know what thy right does.

Give alms in secret and thy Father, who sees in secret, shall reward

thee openly.

When thou pray, thou shalt not be like the hypocrites. They love to

pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets so

they may be seen. Verily, I say unto you, They have their reward.

When you pray, enter into your closet. When you shut the door, pray to

thy Father in secret. Thy Father, who sees in secret, shall reward you

openly.

When ye pray, do not use vain repetitions like the heathen. They think

that they shall be heard for their long speaking. Be not like them.

Your Father knows what things ye need even before ye ask Him.

Pray like this: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy

kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us

this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our

debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For

Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

If ye forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also

forgive you. But if ye do not forgive others their trespasses, neither

will your Father forgive your trespasses. Moreover, when ye fast, be

not as the hypocrites. They disfigure their faces and look sad so they

may appear to others to fast. Verily, I say unto you, They have their

reward.

However, when thou fast, anoint thy head and wash thy face so you do

not appear to fast. Keep secret except unto thy Father, who is in

secret, and thy Father shall reward thee openly.

Do not lay up treasures on earth, where moth and rust corrupts, and

where thieves break in and steal them. Instead, lay up treasures in

heaven, where neither moth nor rust corrupts, nor thieves can break in

and steal. For, where your treasure is, there, also, will be your heart.

The light of the body is the eye. If your eye is clear, your whole body

is full of light. But, if your eye is clouded with evil, your whole

body is full of darkness. And, if that light in you grows dark, how

much greater will that darkness be!

No one can serve two masters. He will either hate the one and love the

other, or he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot

serve God and mammon. Therefore, I say unto you, Take no concern for

your life: what ye shall eat, what ye shall drink; nor for your body:

what ye shall put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than

raiment? Behold the fowls of the air. They sow not, and neither do they

reap nor gather into barns. Yet, your heavenly Father feeds them. Are

ye not worth as much as they are? And, who of you, by worrying, can add

one cubit to his stature? So why take thought for raiment?

Consider the lilies of the field and how they grow. They toil not and

neither do they spin. Even Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed

like one of them. So, if God so clothes the grass of the field, which

today is here and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall He not clothe

you even more, O ye of little faith?

So, take no concern by saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we

drink? or, How shall we be clothed? Your heavenly Father knows that ye

need all these things. Instead, seek ye first the kingdom of God and

His righteousness. Then all these things shall be added unto you. Take

no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take care of itself.

The cares of today are sufficient for today.

7. Judge not that ye be not judged, for with what judgment ye

judge, ye shall be judged. And with what measure ye mete, it shall be

measured to you again.

Why behold the mote in thy brother's eye, but not consider the beam in

thine own eye? How can you say to thy brother, Let me pull the mote out

of thine eye when, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite.

First, cast out the beam from thine own eye, then thou shall see

clearly enough to cast the mote from thy brother's eye.

Do not give that which is holy to dogs. And do not cast your pearls

before swine lest they trample them under their feet and turn around

and rend you.

Ask and it shall be given you. Seek and ye shall find. Knock and it

shall be opened to you. Who of you is there who, if his son asks for

bread, will give him a stone? Or, if he asks for a fish, will give him

a serpent? If ye, then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your

children, how much more shall your Father in heaven give good things to

those who ask Him? Therefore, all things ye would have others do to

you, do so to them. This is the law and the meaning of the prophets.

Enter in at the narrow gate. Wide is the gate and broad is the way that

leads to destruction. Many go that way. Because the gate and the way

that leads to life is narrow, few find it.

Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing but are

inwardly ravenous wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men

gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? No, every good tree

brings forth good fruit. A corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit. A good

tree cannot bring forth evil fruit. A corrupt tree cannot bring forth

good fruit. Every tree that does not bring forth good fruit is hewn

down and cast into the fire. So, by their fruits ye shall know them.

Now, not every one that says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the

kingdom of heaven. Only he who does the will of my Father in heaven

shall enter. Many will say to me, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in

thy name? In thy name have we not cast out devils? And, in thy name,

have we not done many wonderful works? Then will I say to them, I never

knew you. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Whoever hears these sayings and does them, I liken to a wise man who

built his house upon a rock. When the rain descended, and the floods

came, and the winds blew and beat upon the house, it did not fall

because it was founded upon a rock.

Whoever hears these sayings and does not do them I liken to a foolish

man who built his house upon the sand. When the rain descended, and the

floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, it fell. And

a great fall it was.

When Jesus finished these sayings, people were astonished at His

teaching because He spoke as one having authority different from the

scribes.

8. When He came down from the mountain, great multitudes

followed Him. And, behold, there came a leper who worshipped Him,

saying, Lord, if Thou will, Thou can make me clean. Jesus put out His

hand, touched him, and said, Be thou clean. Immediately his leprosy was

cleansed. Then Jesus said to him, See that thou tell no man. Go thy

way, show thyself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded

for a testimony.

Then, when Jesus was in Capernaum, a centurion beseeched Him saying,

Lord, my servant lies at home sick with palsy and grievously tormented.

Jesus said to him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered,

Lord, I am not worthy that thou should come under my roof, but only

give the word and my servant shall be healed. I am a man of authority,

understand commands, and have soldiers under me. I command this man,

Go, and he goes. To another I say, Come, and he comes. I direct my

servant to do this, and he does it.

When Jesus heard this, He marvelled and said to those who followed,

Verily, I say unto you, I have not found such great faith anywhere, no,

not even in Israel. And I say to you, Many shall come from the east and

west and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the

kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out

into darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Jesus said

to the centurion, Go thy way. As thou has believed, so be it done unto

thee. And the servant was healed that same hour.

When Jesus went to Peter's house, He saw Peter's wife's mother laid

sick with a fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her. She

arose and ministered to them. That evening they brought to Him many who

were possessed with devils and He cast out the spirits with His word.

He healed all who were sick so that the words of Isaiah the prophet

were fulfilled: He took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.

Jesus saw great multitudes gathering. He decided they should depart to

the other side of the water. A scribe approached Him and said, Master,

I will follow wherever thou go. Jesus only replied, The foxes have

holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has no

place to lay His head. Another came to Him and said, Lord, let me first

go and bury my father. But Jesus replied, Follow me and let the dead

bury their dead. Then they got in a boat and started for the other side.

Behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea. It was so great that

the boat was covered with the waves. Jesus was asleep. His disciples

woke Him and said, Lord, save us. We will perish. Jesus replied, Why

are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then He got up and rebuked the

winds and the sea. There was a great calm. The disciples marvelled and

said, What kind of man is this who even the winds and the sea obey!

On the other side they came into the country of the Gadarenes. There He

met two men coming out of the tombs who were possessed with devils so

fierce that no man dared pass them. They cried out, What have we to do

with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? Art thou come here to torment us

before the time?

At a distance from them was a herd of swine. The devils said to Him, If

thou cast us out, suffer us to go into the herd of swine. Jesus said to

them, Go. When they came out of the men, they went into the herd of

swine. Behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place

into the sea and perished in the waters. The herders who kept them fled

into the city and told people what happened to those possessed by the

devils. Then the whole city went to see Jesus and, when they saw Him,

they besought Him to depart from their coasts.

9. He took a boat to His own city. There they brought to Him a

man with palsy who was lying on a bed. Jesus, seeing their faith, said

to the sick man; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins are forgiven thee.

Behold, certain of the scribes said, This man blasphemes. And, Jesus

knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? Is

it easier to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee or Arise and walk? So ye

may know that the Son of man has power on earth to forgive sins, (then

He said to the sick man) Arise, take up thy bed and go to thy house.

The man did get up and went to his house. When the multitude saw it,

they marvelled and glorified God who had given such power.

When Jesus left there He saw a man sitting at the receipt of custom. He

said to him, Follow me. And he arose and followed Him. As Jesus sat at

dinner, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with Him and His

disciples. When the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, Why

does your master eat with publicans and sinners? When Jesus heard this,

He said, Those who are well do not need a physician, but those who are

sick do. Go and learn what that means. I will have mercy and not

revenge because I have not come to call the righteous, but to call

sinners to repentance.

Then John's disciples came to Him and asked, Why do we and the

Pharisees often fast, but thy disciples do not fast? Jesus said to

them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn as long as the

bridegroom is with them? The day will come when the bridegroom will be

taken from them and then they will fast.

No one uses a piece of new cloth to patch an old garment for the piece

that is put in to cover the space takes from the garment and the rent

is worse than before. Nor does anyone put new wine into old bottles:

else the bottles break, the wine runs out and the bottles perish. They

put new wine into new bottles and both are preserved. While He spoke

these things there came a certain ruler who worshipped Him and said, My

daughter is almost now dead, but come and lay thy hand upon her and she

shall live. Jesus arose and followed him, and His disciples came along

also.

On the way, a woman who was diseased with an issue of blood for twelve

years came up behind Him. She touched the hem of His garment because

she said within herself, If I may but touch His garment I shall be

healed. Jesus turned around, and when He saw her, He said, Daughter, be

of good comfort; thy faith has made thee whole. The woman was healed

from that hour.

Finally, when Jesus arrived at the ruler's house, He saw many mourners.

He said to them, Stand aside. The maid is not dead but sleeps. They

laughed Him to scorn. But when the people moved aside, He went in, took

her by the hand, and she arose. This news spread abroad into all that

land.

When Jesus left there, two blind men followed Him. They cried, Thou son

of David, have mercy on us. When He entered a house, the blind men came

to Him. Jesus said to them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They

said to Him, Yea, Lord. Then He touched their eyes and said, According

to your faith be it done unto you. Their eyes were opened. Then Jesus

charged them to make sure that no man knew of this. But, after they

departed, they spread His fame all around that country.

As they were leaving that place a mute man possessed with a devil was

brought to Jesus. When the devil was cast out, the man could then

speak. The multitude marvelled and said nothing like it was ever seen

before in Israel. But the Pharisees said, He casts out devils through

the prince of the devils.

Jesus went to all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues

and preaching the gospel of the kingdom. He healed every kind of

sickness and disease among the people. But when He saw the crowds, He

was moved with compassion on them because they fainted and were

scattered like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples,

The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few. Pray to the

Lord so He will send forth laborers to His harvest.

10. Jesus called together His twelve disciples and gave them

power to cast out unclean spirits and to heal all manner of sickness

and disease. The names of the twelve apostles are these; Simon, who is

called Peter, Andrew, his brother; James the son of Zebedee, John his

brother; Philip; Bartholomew; Thomas; the publican; James the son of

Alphaeus; Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite;

and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.

These twelve Jesus sent forth and commanded them: Go not into the way

of the Gentiles or into any city of the Samaritans. Rather, go to the

lost sheep of the house of Israel. As ye go, preach that the kingdom of

heaven is at hand. Heal the sick. Cleanse the lepers. Raise the dead.

Cast out devils. Freely ye have received, freely give.

Provide neither gold nor silver nor brass in your purses. Take no scrip

for your journey. Neither take two coats, nor shoes, nor staves because

the workman is worthy of his food. Into whatever city or town ye enter,

enquire who in it is worthy. Abide there until ye go on. When ye come

into a house, salute it. If the house is worthy, let your peace come

upon it. If it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. Whoever

shall not receive you or hear your words, when ye leave that house or

city, shake the dust from your feet. Verily, it shall be more tolerable

for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment than for that

city.

Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be wise as

serpents and harmless as doves. Beware of men. They will deliver you up

to the councils. They will scourge you in their synagogues. Ye shall be

brought before governors and kings for a testimony against them and the

Gentiles because of me. But when they deliver you up, do not worry how

or what ye shall speak. It will be given you at the time ye speak

because it is not ye that will speak, but the Spirit of your Father

which speaks through you.

Also be aware that a brother shall deliver up a brother to death, and a

father the child. Children shall rise up against their parents and

cause them to be put to death. Ye shall be hated by all for my name's

sake. But those who endure to the end will be saved. When they

persecute you in one city, flee to another.

Truly, I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone to all the cities of

Israel before the Son comes. The disciple is not above his master, nor

the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as

his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master

of the house, Beelzebub, how much more shall they call those of God's

household?

Fear them not. There is nothing covered that shall not be revealed; and

nothing hidden that shall not be known. What I tell you in darkness,

speak it in light. And what ye hear in the ear, preach it from the

housetops. Fear not those who kill the body but are not able to kill

the soul. Instead, fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and

body in hell.

Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? Yet not one of them falls to

the ground without your Father knowing. The very hairs on your head are

all numbered by Him. Fear not because ye are of more value than many

sparrows. Whoever confesses me before all, I will confess him before my

Father in heaven. Whoever denies me before all, I will deny him before

my Father in heaven.

Do not think that I came to earth to bring peace. I came not to bring

peace, but a sword. My coming will set a man against his father, and a

daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her

mother-in-law. One's foes shall be those of his own household.

Anyone who loves a father or mother more than me is not worthy of me.

Anyone who loves a son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

And anyone who does not take up his cross and follow me, is not worthy

of me.

He who finds his life will lose it. He who loses his life for my sake

will find it. Whoever accepts you accepts me, and whoever accepts me

accepts the one who sent me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a

prophet will receive a prophet's reward. He who receives a righteous

man in the name of a righteous man will receive a righteous man's

reward. And whoever gives a cup of cold water to one of the little ones

in the name of a disciple, will never lose his reward.

11. When Jesus finished instructing His twelve disciples, He

departed to teach and preach in their cities. When John, who was in

prison, heard of the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples.

They asked Jesus, Art thou the one who is to come or do we look for

another? Jesus answered, Go and show John what you hear and see. The

blind receive their sight. The lame walk. The lepers are cleansed. The

deaf hear. The dead are raised up. And the poor have the gospel

preached to them. Blessed is he who is not be offended by me.

As they departed, Jesus spoke to the crowds about John. He said, What

went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?

What went ye out to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they

that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. What went ye out to see?

A prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is

written: Behold, I send my messenger who shall prepare the way before

thee.

Truly, I tell you, of all those born of woman, there is none greater

than John the Baptist, who would make himself least in the kingdom of

heaven. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of

heaven suffered violence and the violent took it by force. All the

prophets and the law prophesied of John. If ye will receive it, this is

Elias, who was to come. He that has ears to hear, let him hear.

But how shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in

the markets and calling unto their fellows saying, We have piped to you

and ye have not danced. We have mourned you and ye have not lamented.

John came neither eating nor drinking and they said he had a devil. The

Son of man came eating and drinking and they say he is a glutton, a

winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom will be

justified by her children.

Then He began to upbraid the cities where most of His mighty works were

done because they did not repent. Woe unto thee, Chorazin! Woe unto

thee, Bethsaida! If the mighty works that were done in you had been

done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth

and ashes. But I say to you, It will be more tolerable for Tyre and

Sidon at the day of judgment than for you.

And Capernaum, praised to heaven, will be brought down to hell. If the

mighty works that were done in Capernaum had been done in Sodom, it

would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, it will be more

tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.

Then Jesus prayed aloud: I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and

earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent

and revealed them to babes. It is so, Father, for it seemed good in thy

sight.

All things are delivered to me by my Father. No man knows the Son but

the Father. Neither knows any man the Father except the Son. He is

revealed to whomever the Son will reveal Him.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.

Take up my yoke and learn from me. I am meek and lowly in heart. You

will find rest for your souls because my yoke is easy and my burden is

light.

12. It was a sabbath day when Jesus and His disciples passed

through a cornfield. His disciples were hungry and began to pluck ears

of corn to eat. When the Pharisees saw it, they said to Jesus, Behold,

thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath day. But

Jesus answered them, Have ye not read what David did when he was

hungry? He and those who were with him entered into the house of God

and ate the showbread. This was not lawful for him to eat, nor for

those with him because the bread was only for the priests.

And, have ye not read in the law how, on the sabbath days, the priests

in the temple profane the sabbath and are blameless? But, here is one

greater than the temple. If you knew what this meant, you would not

condemn the guiltless because the Son of man is Lord even of the

sabbath.

When Jesus went into the synagogue He was met by a man who had a

withered hand. So that they might accuse Jesus, the Pharisees asked

Him, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? Jesus replied, What man

is there among you who has one sheep and, if it falls into a pit on the

sabbath day, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? How much more is

a man worth than a sheep? Therefore, it is lawful to do good on the

sabbath day. Jesus turned to the man and said, Stretch out your hand.

The man stretched his hand and it was restored, whole and like his

other hand.

Then the Pharisees left and held a council about how they might destroy

Jesus. But when Jesus knew this, He departed from there. Great

multitudes followed Him and He healed them all. He charged them that

they should not make Him known. This was done to fulfill what was

spoken by Isaiah the prophet: Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my

beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my spirit upon Him

and He shall show judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor

cry; neither shall any man hear His voice in the streets. A bruised

reed shall He not break, and smoking flax shall He not quench till He

send forth judgment unto victory. And in His name the Gentiles shall

trust.

Then a blind and mute man, who was possessed with a devil, was brought

to Him. Jesus healed him, and, to such an extent, that he both spoke

and saw. All the people were amazed and said, Is not this the son of

David? But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This one casts out

devils by Beelzebub, the prince of the devils.

Jesus knew their thoughts and said, Every kingdom divided against

itself is brought to desolation. Every city or house divided against

itself shall not stand. If Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against

himself. How, then, shall his kingdom stand?

If I, by Beelzebub, cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them

out? Therefore, they shall be your judges. But, if I cast out devils by

the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. And, if

not, then how can someone enter into a strong man's house and spoil his

goods unless he first bind the strong man? Only then is he able to

spoil his house.

The one who is not with me is against me. He who does not gather around

me, scatters abroad. So, I say to you, all kinds of sin and blasphemy

against men will be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit

will not be forgiven.

Whoever speaks a word against the Son of man, will be forgiven. But

whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, will not be forgiven; not in

this world and not in the world to come. Either make the tree good and

its fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt and its fruit corrupt;

for the tree is known by its fruit.

O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? Out

of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. A good man, out of the

good treasure of the heart, brings forth good things. An evil man, out

of the evil of the heart, brings forth evil things.

For every idle word that you speak, you will account for it in the day

of judgment. By your words you shall be justified; and by your words

you shall be condemned.

Then, some of the scribes and Pharisees said, Master, we want to see a

sign from thee. But Jesus answered, An evil and adulterous generation

seeks after a sign. There shall be no sign given except the sign of the

prophet Jonah. Just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the

whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights

in the heart of the earth.

The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment of this generation and shall

condemn it. This is so because they repented at the preaching of Jonah.

Behold, one greater than Jonah is right here. The queen of the south

shall rise up in the judgment of this generation and shall condemn it.

She came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of

Solomon and, behold, one greater than Solomon is right here.

When an unclean spirit has left a man, he wanders through dry places,

seeking rest, and finds none. Then the unclean spirit says, I will

return to the house from which I came. When he comes, he finds it

empty, swept, and garnished. Then he returns with seven other spirits

more wicked than himself. They go back into the man and dwell there.

Then the last state of that man is worse than the first. This is how it

shall be with this wicked generation.

While Jesus continued to talk to the people, His mother and His

brothers stood outside and requested to speak with Him. Someone

reported this to Him saying, Behold, thy mother and brethren are

outside and desire to speak with thee. But Jesus addressed the one who

told Him by saying, Who is my mother and who are my brothers? Then He

stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, Behold, my mother

and my brethren! Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my

brother, and sister, and mother.

13. That same day Jesus sat by the sea. Great multitudes

gathered. He had to get into a boat and sit while the whole multitude

stood on the shore. Then He taught them in parables.

Jesus said, Behold, a sower went forth to sow seed. When he sowed, some

seeds fell by the wayside and the birds came and devoured them. Some

fell upon stony places where there was not much earth. They sprang up

but they had no deep roots. So, when the sun was up, they were scorched

and withered away. Also, some of the seeds fell among thorns. The

thorns sprang up and choked them. Yet other seeds fell on good ground.

These brought forth fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some

thirtyfold. Who has ears to hear, let him hear.

The disciples asked Jesus, Why do you speak to them in parables? He

answered, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the

kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whoever has

understanding, more shall be given him and he shall have abundance. But

whoever does not have understanding, what little he has shall be taken

away from him. Therefore, I speak to them in parables because, not

seeing and not hearing, they do not understand.

Also, in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: By hearing ye shall

hear and shall not understand. And by seeing ye shall see and shall not

perceive. For the people's hearts are hardened. Their ears are dull of

hearing. They have closed their eyes. They do not see or hear for fear

they will be converted and have to change their hearts.

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

Many prophets and righteous men have desired to see the things you see

and they have not seen them. They have desired to hear the things you

hear, and have not heard them. So, again, listen to the parable of the

sower.

When any one hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it,

the wicked one snatches away all that was sown in his heart. This is

the one who received seed by the wayside. Now he who received the seed

in the stony places, received the word with joy. But he has no deep

root and endures only for a while. When tribulation or persecution

arises he is uprooted. Now the one who received seed among the thorns

hears the word but is too much ensnared by things of this world and the

deceitfulness of riches. The understanding of the word is choked out

and he becomes unfruitful. Finally, the one who received seed in the

good ground is he who hears the word, understands it, and bears fruit.

He brings forth a hundredfold or sixty or thirty.

He spoke another parable saying, The kingdom of heaven is like a man

who sowed good seed in his field. But, during the night, his enemy came

and sowed weeds among the wheat then slipped away. When the blades

sprang up and brought forth fruit, weeds appeared also. The

householder's servants came to him and asked, Sir, did you not sow good

seed in the field? Where did the tares come from? The householder

answered, An enemy has done this. The servants then asked, Shall we go

and pull them up? But he said, No; if you gather up the tares, you will

uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest.

Then, at harvest time, I will tell the reapers to gather the weeds,

bind them in bundles, and burn them first. Then the wheat goes into the

shelter.

Jesus told another parable, The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of

mustard seed. A man sowed it in his field. Now this, indeed, is the

least of all seeds. However, when it is grown, it is the largest among

all the herbs. It grows like a tree so the birds of the air can come

and lodge in its branches.

Another parable: The kingdom of heaven is like leaven. A woman took a

little, hid it in three measures of meal and, at last, all was

leavened. All these things Jesus spoke in parables to the multitude.

Thus it might be fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet: I will open

my mouth in parables. I will utter things which have been kept secret

from the foundation of the world.

Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went inside. His disciples came

in and asked Him to explain the parable of the tares in the field.

Jesus said, He who sows the good seed is the Son of man. The field is

the world. The good seed are the children of the kingdom. The weeds are

the children of the wicked one. The enemy that sowed them is the devil.

The harvest is the end of the world. The reapers are the angels. As the

tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so it will be at the end of

this world. The Son of man will send forth His angels. They will clear

His kingdom of all that offends and does iniquity. They will cast it

into a furnace. There shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the

righteous will shine as bright as the sun in the kingdom of their

Father. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a

man discovers it, he buries it again. Then, joyfully, he goes and sells

all he has in order to buy that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is

like a merchant in search of good pearls. When he finds even one pearl

of great price, he gladly sells all he has to buy it.

And the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea to

gather every kind of fish. When it was full, they drew the net to

shore. The good they gathered into vessels. But they cast the bad away.

So it will be at the end of the world. The angels will come and sever

the wicked from the just and cast them into the furnace.

Jesus asked, Have you understood all these things? They said, Yes,

Lord. Then He said, Therefore, every scribe who is instructed about the

kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings forth, out of his

treasure, things both new and old.

Jesus went into His own country. He taught in the synagogue. The people

were astonished and said, Whence has He this wisdom and these mighty

works? Is this not the carpenter's son? Is His mother not called Mary

and His brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? Are His

sisters not here with us? Where did this man get all this?

They were offended by Him. Jesus told them that a prophet is not

without honor except in His own country and in His own house. He did

not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

14 At that time Herod heard of the fame of Jesus. He said to his

servants, This is John the Baptist. He is risen from the dead and

mighty works show forth in him.

Herod had imprisoned John for the sake of Herodia, his brother Philip's

wife. He did this because John told Herod that it was not lawful for

Herod to have her. He would have immediately put John to death but

Herod feared the multitude, who counted John as a prophet.

But when Herod's birthday was celebrated, Herodias' daughter danced and

greatly pleased Herod. He promised, with an oath, to give her whatever

she asked. Having previously been instructed by her mother, she said,

Give me John the Baptist's head on a charger. Herod was sorry. However,

for the oath's sake and because of those at his dinner, he commanded it

be given her. He had John beheaded in prison. Then his head was brought

on a charger, presented to her, and she took it to her mother. Then

John's disciples came, took up the body, buried it, and reported it to

Jesus.

When Jesus heard, He departed from there by boat to a desert place.

When the people heard this, they followed Him on foot out of the

cities. As Jesus went along, He saw a great multitude. He was moved

with compassion for them and He healed their sick. When it was evening,

His disciples came to Him and said, This is a desert place and it is

late. Send the multitude away so they may go into the villages and buy

food. But Jesus said, They need not depart. Give them food to eat. They

said, We have only five loaves and two fish. Jesus said, Bring them to

me.

He told the multitude to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves

and the two fish, and, looking up to heaven, He blessed it. Then He

broke and gave the loaves to His disciples, and the disciples gave them

to the multitude. They all ate and were full. Afterwards, they took up

the fragments that remained, twelve baskets full. Those who had eaten

numbered about five thousand men, in addition to women and children.

Immediately, Jesus instructed His disciples to get into a boat and go

ahead of Him to the other side. After He sent the multitude away, He

went up into a mountain to pray. When evening came He was there alone.

But the boat was now in the midst of the sea and tossed with waves by

the strong wind. In the fourth watch of the night, the disciples saw

Jesus walking toward them on the sea. They were afraid and said, It is

a spirit. They cried out for fear. But Jesus said, Be of good cheer. It

is I. Be not afraid.

Peter answered and said, Lord, if it is you, bid me to come to you on

the water. Jesus said, Come. Peter got out of the boat and walked on

the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he became afraid and

immediately began to sink. He cried, Lord, save me. Jesus stretched out

His hand, caught Peter, and said, O thou of little faith. Why did you

doubt?

When they got into the boat the wind ceased. Then those who were in the

boat came and worshipped Jesus. They said, Surely thou art the Son of

God. Then they reached the land of Gennesaret. When the people heard,

they sent word all around the country. They brought to Jesus all who

were diseased. They besought Him that they might only touch the hem of

His garment. And all who touched His garment were made perfectly whole.

15 Then scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem came to Jesus. They

asked, Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?

They do not wash their hands when they eat bread. Jesus answered, Why

do you also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? God

commanded: Honor thy father and mother. Let him be put to death who

curses father or mother. But ye say that whoever says to his father or

mother that it is a gift by whatever thou might profit by me,

dishonoring the father or mother, shall be free. Your tradition has

made the commandment of God useless.

Ye hypocrites. Well did Isaiah prophesy: This people draw nigh unto me

with their mouth, and honor me with their lips. But their hearts are

far from me. In vain do they worship me. They teach the commandments of

men as doctrines.

Jesus then called the multitude and said, Hear and understand. Nothing

that goes into the mouth defiles a man. But that which comes out of the

mouth defiles a man. His disciples approached him and said, Do you know

that the Pharisees were offended by your words? Jesus said, Every plant

that was not planted by my heavenly Father will be uprooted. Ignore

them. They are blind leaders of the blind. If the blind lead the blind,

both will fall into the ditch.

Next, Peter approached Him and said, Explain the parable to us. Jesus

replied, Are ye still without understanding? Do ye not yet understand

that whatever goes in at the mouth goes into the belly and is expelled.

But those things which come out of the mouth come from the heart. They

defile the man because out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders,

adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, and blasphemies. These

are the things that defile a man. To eat with unwashed hands does not

defile a man.

Then Jesus went into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. A woman of Canaan

came to Him and said, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David. My

daughter is grievously tormented with a devil. Jesus said not a word to

her. Finally, His disciples came and said, Send her away for she cries

after us. Jesus replied, I am not here for the lost sheep of the house

of Israel only.

She came forward and worshipped Him. She said, Lord, help me. He

answered, It is not fit to take the children's bread and cast it to

dogs. She answered, True, Lord. Yet dogs eat the crumbs that fall from

their masters' table. Jesus said to her, O woman, great is thy faith.

Be it done unto thee as thou wilt. So her daughter was made whole from

that very hour.

Jesus left and went to rest in the mountains near the sea of Galilee.

Soon, great multitudes came to Him. They brought those who were lame,

blind, dumb, maimed, and many others. They placed them at Jesus' feet

and He healed them. The multitude wondered when they saw the dumb

speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind

seeing. They glorified the God of Israel.

Jesus called His disciples aside and said, I have compassion on the

multitude because they have been with me three days and have nothing to

eat. I will not send them away hungry lest they faint on the way. His

disciples said, Where should we find enough bread in the wilderness to

fill so great a multitude? Jesus asked them, How many loaves have ye?

They said, Seven and a few little fish.

Jesus commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. He took the

seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks. He broke them and gave them

to His disciples and the disciples gave them to the multitude. They all

ate and were full. They took up the food that was left, seven baskets

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

Then Jesus sent away the multitude and took a boat to the coasts of

Magdala.

16 The Pharisees and the Sadducees came and, testing Jesus, asked

Him to show them a sign from heaven. He answered and said, When it is

evening, ye say it will be fair weather because the sky is red. In the

morning, ye say it will be foul weather because the sky is red.

O ye hypocrites. Ye can discern the face of the sky but cannot discern

the signs of the times! It is a wicked and adulterous generation that

seeks a sign. There shall be no sign given except the sign of the

prophet, Jonah. Then He left them, and departed to the other side.

Jesus uttered, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and

of the Sadducees. The disciples thought He referred to their not

remembering to bring bread along with them. When Jesus perceived this,

He said, O ye of little faith, why do you concern yourselves because ye

have brought no bread? Do ye not yet understand or remember the five

loaves for the five thousand and how many baskets of leftovers ye took

up? Do ye not remember the seven loaves for the four thousand and how

many baskets of leftovers ye took up?

How is it that ye do not understand that I spoke not about the leaven

of bread but that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and

of the Sadducees? Then they understood that the leaven was the doctrine

and teachings of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

When Jesus came to the coast of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His

disciples, Who do men say that I, the Son of man, am? They answered,

Some say that thou art John the Baptist. Some say Elias. Others say

Jeremiah or one of the prophets.

Then Jesus asked them, But who do you say that I am? Simon Peter spoke

up, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus answered and

said, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood has not

revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven.

I say also unto thee, Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build

my church. The gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give

thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatsoever thou shalt bind on

earth, shall be bound in heaven. Whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth,

shall be loosed in heaven. Then He charged His disciples to tell no one

that He was Jesus the Christ.

From that time, Jesus instructed His disciples about how He must go

into Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief

priests, and scribes. He told them He would be killed and be raised

again on the third day. Peter began to rebuke Him and said, Far be it

from thee, Lord. This shall not be. Jesus turned quickly, stopped

Peter, and said, Get thee behind me, Satan. Thou art an offence to me.

Thou savor not the things of God, but those of men.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, If any man will come after me, let

him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. Whoever saves his

life shall lose it. Whoever loses his life, for my sake, shall find it.

What is a man profited if he gains the whole world and loses his own

soul? What can a man give in exchange for his soul? The Son of man

shall come in the glory of His Father, with His angels and shall reward

every man according to his works. I tell you, there are some standing

here who will not taste death until they see the Son of man coming in

His kingdom.

17 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and his brother, John

up into a high mountain. Here Jesus was transfigured before them. His

face shone as bright as the sun. His raiment was as white as pure

light. And, behold, Moses and Elias appeared and talked with Him.

Peter then said, Lord, it is good for us to be here. If thou wilt, let

us make three tabernacles; one for thee, one for Moses, and one for

Elias. But, as he was speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them. From

the cloud, a voice said, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well

pleased. Hear ye Him.

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

Then Jesus came, touched them, and said, Arise. Be not afraid. When

they looked up they saw no one but Jesus. As they came down from the

mountain, Jesus charged them to tell no one what they witnessed until

the Son of man had risen from the dead.

His disciples asked Him, Why, then, do the scribes say that Elias must

come first? Jesus answered, Elias comes first and restores all things.

But I tell you that Elias has already come. They knew him not and

caused him to suffer at their hands. Likewise, the Son of man shall

also suffer of them. Then the disciples understood that Jesus meant

John the Baptist.

As they approached the multitude, a man came up to Jesus. Kneeling

down, the man said, Lord, have mercy on my son. He is lunatic and

greatly vexed. He often falls into the fire and into the water. I

brought my son to thy disciples but they could not cure him.

Jesus said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be

with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring the boy here to me. When

Jesus rebuked the devil, he left the child and the boy was cured from

that very hour.

The disciples took Jesus aside and asked, Why could we not cast the

devil out? Jesus answered, Because of your unbelief. Verily, I say to

you, if ye have the faith of a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say to

this mountain, Move yonder and it shall move. Nothing shall be

impossible. This kind of devil goes out only after much strengthening

of faith by prayer and fasting.

During their time in Galilee, Jesus told all His disciples, The Son of

man shall be betrayed into the hands of men. They shall kill Him and,

on the third day, He shall be raised again. The disciples felt great

sorrow.

When they arrived at Capernaum, those who collected tribute money came

to Peter and asked, Does your master pay tribute? Peter said, Yes.

When Peter came into the house, Jesus stopped him and said, What do you

think, Simon? Should the kings of the earth take custom or tribute from

their own children or from strangers? Peter replied, From strangers.

Jesus said, So then, the children are free.

Then Jesus added, Nonetheless, so we do not offend them, go to the sea,

cast a hook, and take up the first fish that comes up. In his mouth you

will find a coin. Take that and give it to those who collect the

tribute money for me and thee.

18 Later, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, Who is the

greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Jesus called a little child to Him,

set him in the midst of them, and said, I tell you, Unless you are

converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the

kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this little child, is

greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Whoever receives a little child in my name receives me. But whoever

offends one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better

for him that a millstone were hung around his neck and he drown in the

deep of the sea.

Woe unto the world because of offences! It must needs be that offences

come; but woe to the one by whom the offence comes! Therefore, if thy

hand or foot offends thee, cut it off and cast it away. It is better to

enter eternal life halt or maimed, than have two hands or two feet to

be cast into everlasting fire. And if thine eye offends thee, pluck it

out and cast it away. It is better to enter into life with one eye,

than have two eyes to be cast into hell fire. Be careful not to despise

one of these little ones; for I tell you, in heaven, their angels

always look upon the face of my Father.

The Son of man is here to save what was lost. Consider this. If a man

has a hundred sheep, and one of them strays, does he not leave the

ninety-nine and go into the mountains in search of the one gone astray?

And, if he finds it, he rejoices more over that sheep than of the

ninety-nine that did not stray. So, it is not the will of your Father

in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

If your brother trespasses against you, go and tell him his fault

between you and him alone. If he hears, you have gained your brother.

But if he will not hear you, then take another with you, that in the

mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. If he

ignores them, tell it to the church. But if he ignores the church, let

him be treated as a heathen and a publican.

Whatever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven. Whatever ye

shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven. If two of you agree

regarding a thing that you will ask, it shall be done by my Father in

heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there

am I in the midst of them.

Then Peter asked Him, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me

and I forgive him? Until seven times? Jesus replied, I say unto thee,

not until seven times but until seventy times seven.

The kingdom of heaven is like a king who took an account of his

servants. When he began to reckon, one was brought to him who owed him

ten thousand talents. But since he was unable to pay, his lord

commanded him to be sold, along with his wife, and children, and all

that he had, and payment to be made. The servant fell down and

worshipped him saying, Lord, have patience with me and I will pay it

all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, loosed

him, and forgave him the debt.

This same servant left and met one of his fellowservants who owed him a

small sum. He laid hands on him and took him by the throat saying, Pay

me what thou owe. The fellowservant fell down at his feet and besought

him saying, have patience with me and I will pay it all. But he would

not. He cast him into prison until the debt was paid. When the rest of

the servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and went to their

lord and told him everything.

Then the servant's lord called him and said, O, thou wicked servant! I

forgave thee all that debt because thou desired it of me. Should not

thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant as I had pity on

thee? His lord was angry and delivered him to the tormentors until he

paid all that was due. So also shall my heavenly Father do to you if ye

do not forgive other's trespasses.

19 After this, Jesus left Galilee and went to the coasts of

Judaea beyond Jordan. Great multitudes followed Him and He healed many

there. The Pharisees came to test Him. They asked Him, Is it lawful for

a man to divorce his wife for every cause?

Jesus answered, Have ye not read: He who made them at the beginning,

male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and

mother and shall cleave to his wife. The two shall be one? Therefore,

they are no longer two but one flesh. What God has joined together, let

no one put asunder.

They said, Why, then, did Moses allow a writing of divorcement? Jesus

said, Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, allowed you to

divorce your wives. But, from the beginning, it was not so. I say to

you, Whoever divorces his wife, except for fornication, and marries

another, commits adultery. Whoever marries a divorced woman also

commits adultery.

His disciples said, If this is the case with man and wife, it is not

good to marry. Jesus said, All men cannot accept this, only those to

whom God gives it. There are some who were born eunuchs. There are some

who were made that way by men. And there are some who do not marry for

the kingdom of heaven's sake. He who is able to accept it, let him

accept it.

Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on

them and pray. When the disciples rebuked them Jesus said, Allow these

little children and do not forbid them to come to me; for of such is

the kingdom of heaven. Jesus laid His hands on them, and then departed.

Behold, a young man came to Him and asked, Good Master, what must I do

to gain eternal life? Jesus answered, If you will enter into life, keep

the commandments. The young man asked, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt

not murder. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou

shalt not bear false witness. Honor thy father and thy mother. Thou

shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

The young man said, I have kept all these from my youth up. What do I

yet lack? Jesus answered, If thou will be perfect, go and sell what you

have and give to the poor. Thou shalt have treasure in heaven. Then

come and follow me. But when the young man heard that answer, he went

away filled with sorrow, because he had many possessions.

Then said Jesus to His disciples, Hardly a rich man shall enter into

the kingdom of heaven. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye

of a needle, than for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. When His

disciples heard this they were greatly amazed. They asked, Who, then,

can be saved? Jesus beheld them and said, With men, it is impossible;

but with God, all things are possible!

Peter asked, Behold, we have forsaken all and followed thee. What shall

we have? Jesus said, Verily, at the regeneration, when the Son of man

shall sit in the throne of His glory, ye who have followed me shall

also sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Everyone who has forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father,

or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall

receive a hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. But many

that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.

20 The kingdom of heaven is like a householder who went out

early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. When he had

agreed with the laborers for a coin a day, he sent them into his

vineyard. Then, about the third hour he went out and saw others

standing idle in the marketplace. He said to them, Go ye also into my

vineyard and whatever is right I will give you.

He went out again about the sixth and the ninth hour and did the same.

About the eleventh hour he went out, found others standing idle, and

said, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They answered, Because no man

has hired us. He then replied, Go ye also into the vineyard and

whatever is right you shall receive.

When evening came, the lord of the vineyard said to his steward, Call

the laborers and give them their pay, beginning from the last unto the

first. When those who were hired about the eleventh hour came, every

man received a coin. But when the first came, supposing they should

receive more, they each also received a coin. When they received it,

they murmured against the good man of the house and said, These last

have worked only an hour and you have made them equal to those of us

who have borne the burden and heat of the day.

He answered one of them and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong. Did thou

not agree with me for a coin? Take what is thine and go thy way. I will

give to the last the same as I give to thee. Is it not lawful for me to

do what I will with my own coins? Must you see evil in my goodness? So,

the last shall be first, and the first last: for many are called, but

few are chosen.

Then Jesus took the twelve disciples aside and said, We are now going

to Jerusalem where the Son of man will be betrayed to the chief priests

and scribes. They will condemn Him to death. They will deliver Him to

the Gentiles to mock, scourge, and crucify Him. And on the third day He

will rise again.

The mother of the sons of Zebedee and her sons, James and John,

approached Jesus. She praised Him, desiring something of Him. He said

to her, What wilt thou? She replied, Grant that my two sons may sit,

one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left, in thy kingdom. But

Jesus answered, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the

cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I

am baptized with?

They said to Him, We are able. And Jesus said, Ye shall drink indeed of

my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but

to sit on my right hand or on my left is not mine to give. It shall be

given to them for whom it is prepared by my Father.

When the remaining ten heard this they were moved with indignation

against the two brethren. But Jesus called them to Him and said, Ye

know that the princes of worldliness and ambition influence them. But

it shall not be so among you. Whoever will be great among you, let him

be your minister. Whoever will be chief among you, let him be your

servant. Likewise, the Son of man came not to be ministered to, but to

minister, and to give His life as a ransom for many.

As they were leaving Jericho a great multitude followed. When they

heard that Jesus was passing by, two blind men, who were sitting by the

wayside, cried out, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David. The

multitude told them to keep quiet. But they cried more, saying, Have

mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.

Jesus stood still and said to them, What shall I do for you? They

answered, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. Jesus had compassion and

touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and they

followed Him.

21 As they drew close to Jerusalem, they came to Bethphage by

the mount of Olives. Jesus sent two disciples ahead and said, Go into

the village and ye shall find tied there an ass with her colt. Untie

them and bring them to me. If a man says anything to you, say, The Lord

has need of them and, straightway, he will send them. All this was done

so this saying of the prophet might be fulfilled: Tell ye the daughter

of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon a

colt, the foal of an ass.

The disciples did as Jesus directed. They brought the ass and the colt

and set Jesus thereupon. A multitude spread out their garments and

others cut down tree branches and lined the way. They cried out,

Hosanna to the son of David. Blessed is He that comes in the name of

the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. When Jesus came into Jerusalem, all

the city was stirred. They asked, Who is this? The multitude said, This

is Jesus the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.

Jesus went into the temple and cast out all who bought and sold. He

overthrew the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who

sold doves. He said to them, it is written: My house shall be called a

house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

The blind and the lame came to Him in the temple and He healed them.

When the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things Jesus did

and heard the children crying out in the temple, Hosanna to the son of

David; they were greatly displeased. They said to Him, Hear thou what

they are saying? Jesus answered, Yea. Have ye never read, Out of the

mouth of babes comes perfect praise? Then He left them and went into

Bethany where He lodged that night.

In the morning Jesus, being very hungry, started out to return to the

city. On His way He saw a fig tree. As He came to it He found nothing

on it but leaves. He said, Let no fruit ever grow on thee. The fig tree

withered away.

When the disciples saw this, they marvelled and said, How quickly the

fig tree withered away! Jesus answered, If ye have faith, and doubt

not, ye shall not only do this that was done to the fig tree, but also,

if ye shall say to this mountain, Be thou removed and cast into the

sea; it shall be done. Those things you ask in prayer, believing, you

will receive.

Then He went into the temple. The chief priests and the elders of the

people came up to Him as He was teaching and asked, By what authority

do you do these things? Who gave you this authority?

Jesus replied, I, in turn, will ask you one thing, which, if ye can

tell me, I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the

baptism of John come from heaven or from man?

They reasoned among themselves and said, If we say, From heaven; He

will ask us, Why did ye not then believe him? But if we say, From man;

we fear the people for they hold John as a prophet.

Finally they said to Jesus, We cannot tell. Jesus responded, Neither,

then, do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

Hear this. A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, Son,

today go to work in my vineyard. The son answered, I will not. But,

afterward he repented and went to work. Then the man went to the second

son and said the same thing. The second son said, I will go, sir; but

he did not go. Which of these two did the will of his father? They

answered, The first son.

Jesus said, Verily I say, The publicans and the harlots enter the

kingdom of God before you. John came to you in the way of righteousness

and ye believed him not. But the publicans and the harlots believed

him. And yet, even after you had seen, you did not repent that you

believed him.

Hear another parable: There was a householder who planted a vineyard.

He hedged it all around, dug a winepress in it, and built a tower. Then

he rented it out to husbandsmen and went abroad. When the time of the

harvest drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandsmen to receive

the fruits of it. The husbandsmen took his servants, beat one, stoned

one, and killed another. Next, he sent more servants than the first

time. They did to them the same thing.

Finally, he sent his son, saying, They will respect my son. But when

the husbandsmen saw the son, they said, This is the heir. Let us kill

him and seize his inheritance. So they caught him, cast him out of the

vineyard, and slew him. When, therefore, the lord of the vineyard

comes, what will he do to these husbandsmen?

They said to Jesus, He will destroy these miserable and wicked men and

he will rent out his vineyard to others who will render him the fruits

in their seasons.

Jesus said, Did ye never read in the scriptures: The stone which the

builders rejected is the same that has become the cornerstone; this is

the Lord's doing and it is marvellous in our eyes?

I tell you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a

nation that brings forth its fruits. Whoever falls on this stone shall

be broken. On whomever this stone falls, he will be ground into powder.

When the chief priests and Pharisees heard these parables, they saw

that Jesus spoke about them. But when they thought of laying hands on

Him, they feared the multitude because they took Jesus for a prophet.

22 Jesus related more parables. He said, The kingdom of heaven

is like a king who arranged a marriage feast for his son. He sent his

servants forth to call those who were invited to the wedding but they

did not come. He sent other servants to say, Dinner is prepared. The

king's oxen and fatlings are killed. Everything is ready. Come to the

marriage. Those who were invited made light of it and went their ways.

One went out to his farm. Another attended to his merchandise. The

others took the king's servants, treated them spitefully, and then slew

them.

When the king heard this he was outraged. He sent out his armies to

destroy the murderers and burn their city. Then he said to his

servants, The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not

worthy. Go into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, invite them

to the marriage feast. These servants went out and gathered together

all those they found, both bad and good, and the wedding was furnished

with guests.

Then, the king came in to greet the guests. He spotted a man who did

not wear the wedding garment that was provided. The king said to him,

Friend, why did you come in here without the wedding garment? The man

made no answer. So the king told his servants, Bind him hand and foot.

Then take him away and cast him into outer darkness. There will be

weeping and gnashing of teeth, for many are invited, but few are chosen.

Then the Pharisees met to discuss how they might trap Jesus in His

words. They sent some of their people along with the Herodians to

question Jesus. They said, Master, we know that thou art true and teach

the way of God in truth. Tell us, therefore, what thou think. Is it

lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not?

Jesus, perceiving their wicked motive, said, Why test me, ye

hypocrites? Show me the tribute money. They brought a coin to Him.

Jesus asked, Whose image and superscription is this? They said,

Caesar's. Jesus said, Render, therefore, unto Caesar the things that

are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God's. When they heard

these words, they marvelled, and left Him to go their way.

The same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to

Him and asked, Master, Moses said if a man dies and has no children,

his brother shall marry his wife and raise up seed unto his brother.

Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he married a

wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother.

Likewise, the second also, and the third, up to the seventh brother.

Then, finally the woman died also. Now, according to the resurrection,

whose wife shall she be of the seven since they all had her?

Jesus said, Ye err. You do not know the scriptures nor the power of

God. In the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage,

but are as the angels of God in heaven. Concerning the resurrection of

the dead, have ye not read: I am the God of Abraham, and the God of

Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the

living.

When the multitude heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.

But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus put the Sadducees to silence,

they gathered together. One of them, a lawyer, tested Jesus with this

question, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus

answered, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with

all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and greatest

commandment. The second is, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

On these two commandments rests all the law and the prophets.

While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, What do

you think of Christ? Whose son is He? They said, The son of David.

Jesus then asked, How, then, does David, in spirit, call him Lord,

saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand till I

make thine enemies thy footstool? If David calls him Lord, how is he

his son? No man was able to answer a word, nor did anyone dare ask

Jesus any more questions from that day forth.

23 Jesus then addressed the crowd and His followers. He said,

The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' place. Whatever they bid

you to observe and do, ye shall observe and do. But do not follow after

their works because what they say, they do not do themselves. They bind

heavy burdens, grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders.

But they, themselves, will not even lay so much as a finger on one of

them. All their works they do for show to other men. They love the

uppermost rooms at feasts and the chief seats in the synagogues. They

like greetings in the markets and to be called out to, Rabbi, Rabbi.

But be ye not called Rabbi. Only one is your teacher, even Christ; and

ye are all brethren. Call no one on earth your father, for only one is

your Father, who is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters, for only

one is your Master, even Christ. Also, he that is greatest among you

shall be your servant. Whosoever exalts himself will be abased; and he

who is humble will be exalted.

But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees. Hypocrites! Ye shut men out of

the kingdom of heaven. Yet, you do not enter in yourselves, and you do

not allow others to attempt to enter. Woe unto you, scribes and

Pharisees. Hypocrites! Ye devour widows' houses and, for a pretence,

make long prayers. Therefore, you will receive the greater damnation.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees. Hypocrites! You venture over land

and sea for one proselyte. Then, when you have him, you make him two

times more the child of hell than yourselves. Woe unto you, ye blind

guides who say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, is worth nothing;

but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, makes a good

pledge! Ye fools and blind men. What is greater, the gold or the temple

that sanctifies the gold?

And ye say, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, is worth nothing; but

whosoever swears by the gift that is upon it, is worthy of praise. Ye

fools and blind men. What is greater, the gift, or the altar that

sanctifies the gift? The one who, therefore, swears by the altar,

swears by it and by all things upon it. And the one who swears by the

temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells therein. And He who swears

by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits thereon.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees. Hypocrites! Ye pay tithe of mint

and anise and cummin, but ye have ignored the weightier matters of the

law; judgment, mercy, and faith. Ye blind guides who strain from your

drink a gnat and swallow a camel.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees. Hypocrites! Ye make the outside of

the cup and platter clean, but inside they are full of extortion and

excess. Thou blind Pharisee. First clean the inside of the cup and

platter, so the outside may be clean also.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees. Hypocrites! Ye are like whited

sepulchres, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full

of dead men's bones and uncleanness. Even if, on the outside, you

appear righteous to others, inside you are full of hypocrisy and

iniquity.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees. Hypocrites! Ye build the tombs for

the prophets and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous. Ye say, If we

had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have been

partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Be witnesses unto

yourselves. Ye are the children of those who killed the prophets and ye

fill up what your fathers measured out.

Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation

of hell? I send prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them ye shall

kill and crucify. Some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues and

persecute them from city to city. On your hands shall be the blood of

all the righteous shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel

to the blood of Zacharias, son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the

temple and the altar. All these things shall come upon this generation.

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killed the prophets, and stoned those

sent to thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together,

even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and ye would not

have it! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. Ye shall not see

me again until ye shall say, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the

Lord.

24 Jesus went outside and His disciples came to show Him the

buildings of the temple. Jesus said, Take note of all this. There will

not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.

On the mount of Olives, the disciples said, Tell us, when will this

happen? What is the sign of thy coming and of the end of the world?

Jesus answered, Take heed that no one deceives you. Many will come in

my name, saying, I am Christ. They will deceive many. You will hear of

wars and rumours of wars. See that you are not troubled. All these

things must come to pass; but the end is not come yet. Nation shall

rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There shall be

famines, pestilence, and earthquakes in divers places. All these are

the beginning of sorrows.

They will deliver you up to be afflicted. They will kill you. You will

be hated by all nations for my name's sake. Many will be offended and

will betray and hate one another. False prophets will arise and

deceive. And, because iniquity will abound, the love of many will wax

cold. But those who endure until the end will be saved.

This gospel of the kingdom will be preached all around the world as a

witness to all nations. Then, the end will come. When ye see the

abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet, Daniel, stand in

the holy place; understand the prophecy.

Let those who are in Judaea flee into the mountains. Let the one who is

on the housetop stay there and not come down to take anything out of

his house. Neither let the one who is in the field return to get his

clothing.

Woe unto the women who are with child, and those who are nursing. Pray

that your flight is not in the winter or on the sabbath day. There will

be great tribulation, such as has not been seen since the beginning of

the world until now and will never be seen again. Unless those days are

numbered, no flesh will be saved. But, for the elect's sake, those days

will be numbered.

Thus, if anyone says to you, Lo, here is Christ, or there He is; do not

believe it. There will arise false Christs and false prophets. They

will show great signs and wonders; so much that, if at all possible,

they will deceive the very elect.

I am telling you all this beforehand, so, if they say to you, Behold,

He is in the desert, do not go forth. Or, behold, He is in the secret

chambers, do not believe it. For, just as the lightning comes out of

the east and shines over unto the west, so, also, will be the coming of

the Son of man.

Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be

darkened. The moon will not reflect light. The stars will fall from

heaven. The powers of the heavens will be shaken. All the people on

earth will mourn.

Then the sign of the Son of man will appear. They will see Him coming

in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. He will send His

angels with a great sound of a trumpet. His angels will gather together

His elect from the four winds and from one end of heaven to the other.

Now learn a parable about the fig tree. When its branch is yet tender

and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So, likewise, when

you see all these things, know what is near.

This generation shall not pass away until all these things are

fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not

pass away. But, of the day and the hour no man knows, no, not the

angels of heaven, but only my Father.

The coming of the Son of man shall be like in the days of Noah. Before

the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in

marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark. They knew nothing

until the flood came and took them all away. So, also, will be the

coming of the Son of man.

At that time, two shall be in the field. One shall be taken and the

other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill. One shall be taken

and the other left. Watch, for ye know not what hour your Lord comes.

Know this, If the good man of the house had known in what watch the

thief would come, he would have stood guard and not have suffered his

house to be broken into. Therefore, be ready. At an hour that ye think

the Son of man will not come, then He will come.

It is a faithful and wise servant who, his lord having given him charge

over the household, prepares the foods in due season. Blessed is that

servant who, when his lord arrives, shall find him doing so. He shall

make the servant ruler over all his goods.

It is an evil servant who says, My lord delays his coming so I shall

take advantage. He smites his fellowservants and eats and drinks until

drunken. The lord of that servant shall come in a day when the servant

does not expect him. At a time when the servant is unaware, he shall be

cut asunder and thrown out with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping

and gnashing of teeth.

25 The kingdom of heaven is likened unto ten virgins who took

their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were wise.

Five were foolish. The foolish took their lamps but no extra oil with

them. The wise took oil in their vessels along with their lamps. While

the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered. At midnight there was a

cry, Behold, the bridegroom is coming. Go out to meet Him.

All the virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the

wise, Give us some of your oil for our lamps are gone out. But the wise

answered, No, there will be not enough for us and you. Go to them that

sell oil and buy some.

While they went to buy the oil, the bridegroom came. Those who were

ready went in with him to the marriage and the door was shut. Much

later, the other virgins arrived and called, Lord, Lord, open the door

to us. But He answered and said, I do not know you. Watch, therefore,

for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man comes.

The kingdom of heaven is like a man who travels into a far country.

Before he leaves, he calls his servants and turns his goods over to

them. To one he gives five talents. To another he gives two talents. To

another he gives one. He gives to every man according to his ability.

The servant who received the five talents traded and made another five

talents. He who received two, gained another two. But the servant that

received one, dug a hole in the earth and hid his lord's money.

After a long time, the lord returned from his journey and reckoned with

his servants. He who received five talents came and brought another

five talents. He said, Lord, thou delivered five talents to me. Behold,

I have gained five more talents besides them. His lord said, Well done.

Thou has been faithful over a few things so I will make thee ruler over

many things. Enter into the joy of thy lord!

He who received two talents came and said, Lord, thou delivered to me

two talents. Behold, I have gained two more talents beside them. His

lord said, Well done. Thou has been faithful over a few things. I will

make thee ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of thy lord!

Then the servant who received the one talent came and said, Lord, I

know that thou art a hard man who reaps where he has not sown and

gathers where he has not toiled. I was afraid, so I hid thy talent in

the earth. Here, now thou has what is thine.

His lord cried, Thou wicked and slothful servant. Thou knew that I reap

where I sow not and gather where I do not toil. Thou ought to have, at

least, put my money out to the exchangers so, upon my return, I should

have received my own money with interest. Take the talent and give it

to the one who has ten talents.

To the one who uses his talent wisely, more shall be given, and he

shall have abundance. But to the one who does not, any talent he has

shall be taken away. The unprofitable servant shall be cast into outer

darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

When the Son of man comes with His holy angels, He shall sit upon the

throne of His glory. Before Him shall be gathered all nations. He shall

separate them one from another as a shepherd divides his sheep from his

goats. He shall set the sheep on His right hand, and the goats on the

left.

Then the King shall say to those on His right, Come, ye blessed of my

Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the

world. For I was hungry and ye gave me food. I was thirsty and ye gave

me a drink. I was a stranger and ye took me in. I was naked and ye

clothed me. I was sick and ye visited me. I was in prison and ye came

to me.

Then the righteous shall ask Him, Lord, when did we see thee hungry and

feed thee? Or thirsty and gave thee drink? When did we see thee a

stranger and take thee in? Or naked and clothe thee? When did we see

thee sick, or in prison and come to thee? The King shall answer,

Verily, I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it to one of the least

of my brethren, ye have done it to me.

Then He shall say to those on the left, Depart from me into the

everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. I was hungry

and ye gave me no food. I was thirsty and ye gave me no drink. I was a

stranger and ye did not take me in. I was naked and ye did not clothe

me. I was sick and in prison and ye did not visit me.

Then they shall also ask Him, Lord, when did we see thee hungry or

thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and not

minister unto thee? He shall answer them, Inasmuch as ye did not do

these things to one of the least of my brethren, ye did not do it to

me. These shall go to everlasting punishment. And the righteous shall

have life eternal.

26 It came to pass, when Jesus finished instructing His

disciples, He said, The feast of the passover is in two days. The Son

of man will be betrayed and crucified.

The chief priests, scribes, and elders of the people held a meeting in

the palace of the high priest, Caiaphas. They discussed how they might

take Jesus by stealth and kill Him. But they said, It cannot happen on

the feast day lest there be an uproar among the people.

Jesus was now in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper. There He was

approached by a woman carrying an alabaster box containing very

precious ointment. She annointed His head as He sat at dinner. When His

disciples saw it they were indignant and said, To what purpose is this

waste? This ointment could have been sold for much and the money given

to the poor.

When Jesus overheard them He said, Why bother this woman? She has

wrought a good work upon me. The poor you have always to care for; but

you will not always have me. In annointing me, she prepared me for my

burial. Anywhere in the world this gospel is preached it will also be

told what this woman has done.

Then, one of the twelve, Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests. He

asked, What will you give me if I will deliver Jesus to you? They

agreed on thirty pieces of silver and, from that time, Judas looked for

an opportunity to betray Him.

On the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to

Jesus and asked, Where shall we prepare for thee to eat the passover?

Jesus told them to go into the city to a certain man and tell him that

the Master says His time is at hand and that He will keep the passover

there with His disciples. Then the disciples did as Jesus told them and

they prepared the passover.

When it was evening, Jesus sat down with the twelve. While they ate, He

said, Verily, I say unto you, one of you will betray me. The disciples

heard this with great sorrow. They uttered, Lord, is it me? Jesus only

said, He who dips his hand in the dish with me will betray me.

It is written: Woe unto the one by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It

had been better for him if he had not been born. Then Judas, who

betrayed Him, asked, Master, is it me? Jesus turned to him and quietly

said, Thou has said right.

While they ate, Jesus took up the bread and blessed it. He then broke

it and gave it to the disciples saying, Take this and eat for this is

my body. Then He took the cup and gave thanks. He passed it to them

saying, Drink ye all from this for this is my blood of the new

testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins. I say unto

you, I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day

when I drink it with you in my Father's kingdom. Following the meal,

they sang hymns and went out into the mount of Olives.

Jesus said to the disciples, Ye shall all be offended this night

because of me for it is written: I will smite the shepherd, and the

sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. But, after I am risen

again, I will go before you into Galilee.

Peter said to Him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, I

will never be offended. Jesus answered Peter, This night, before the

cock crows, thou shalt deny me thrice. Peter replied, Though I should

die with thee, I will not deny thee. Then all the disciples said the

same.

Jesus took them into a place called Gethsemane and said, Sit here while

I go yonder to pray. He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with

Him. He said to these three, My soul is exceedingly sorrowful and heavy

unto death. Stay here and watch with me.

He went off a little farther and fell on His face. Jesus prayed,

saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.

Nevertheless, be it not as I will, but as Thou wilt.

Then He went to the three disciples and found them asleep. He said to

Peter, Could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray so ye do not

give in to this temptation again because, while the spirit may be

willing, the flesh is weak.

He went away a second time and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup

may not pass away from me unless I drink it, then Thy will be done.

Returning to the three, He, again, found that they had been asleep for

their eyes were heavy. He left them and went to pray a third time,

saying the same words.

When Jesus went back to all the disciples He said, Behold, the hour is

at hand. The Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. The one

who betrays me is at hand.

While He spoke, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came with a great

multitude. They were armed with swords and staves from the chief

priests and elders of the people. Judas had agreed on a sign saying,

Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is He. Hold Him fast. Judas

approached Jesus, greeted Him; then kissed Him. Jesus said to him,

Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then they came and took hold of Jesus.

Behold, one who was with Jesus drew his sword, and, striking out at one

of the high priest's servants, smote off his ear. Jesus said to him,

Put thy sword back into its place. All who take to the sword shall

perish by the sword. Think thou that I cannot pray to my Father and He

shall give me more than twelve legions of angels? But, then, how shall

the scriptures be fulfilled that this is the way it must be?

Jesus said to this multitude, Do ye come at me as against a thief with

swords and staves to take me? Daily I sat with you teaching in the

temple and ye did not lay hold of me. This was done so the scriptures

of the prophets might be fulfilled.

When they took hold of Jesus, all the disciples left Him and fled. They

led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest where the scribes and elders

were assembled. But Peter followed far behind to the high priest's

palace. He went in and sat with the servants.

The chief priests, elders, and all the council sought false witness

against Jesus in order to put Him to death. At last, two false

witnesses came and said, This one said He was able to destroy the

temple of God and build it up again in three days.

The high priest arose and said to Jesus, Answerest thou nothing? What

is it that they witness against thee? But Jesus said nothing. Then the

high priest said to Him, I adjure thee, by the living God, tell us

whether thou are the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus replied, Thou has

said so. I say unto you, hereafter, ye shall see the Son of man sitting

on the right hand of power and appearing in the clouds of heaven.

Then the high priest cried, He has spoken blasphemy. What further need

have we of witnesses? Behold, now ye have heard His blasphemy. What

think ye? They answered, He is guilty of death. Then they spit in His

face. Others struck Him with the palms of their hands and said,

Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that struck thee?

During this, Peter sat outside the palace. A damsel came up to him and

said, Thou also was with Jesus of Galilee. But Peter denied this and he

went out on the porch. Another maid saw him and said to the others

standing there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. Peter

denied this with an oath and said, I do not know the man.

Later, one of the bystanders came up to Peter and said, Surely, by thy

voice I know thou art one of them. Peter began to curse and swear and

said, I know not the man. Then the cock crowed. Peter remembered the

words of Jesus to him: Before the cock crows, thou shall deny me

thrice. He went out and wept bitterly.

27 The next morning all the chief priests and elders met

concerning Jesus. They agreed to put Him to death. They bound Him, led

Him away, and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate, the governor.

When Judas realized that Jesus was condemned, he repented. He took the

thirty pieces of silver back to the chief priests and elders. He said,

I have sinned. I have betrayed the innocent. They retorted, What is

that to us? So Judas cast down the pieces of silver in the temple.

Immediately he went out and hung himself.

At the same time, the chief priests took up the silver pieces and said,

It is not lawful to put this into the treasury because it is blood

money. After they took counsel, they bought the potter's field for the

burial of strangers, which became known as The Field of Blood. The

prophecy of Jeremy was fulfilled: They took the thirty pieces of

silver, the price for Him that was valued of the children of Israel,

and gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed.

Jesus now stood before Pilate, the governor. Pilate asked Him, Art thou

the King of the Jews? Jesus replied, Thou sayest so. When Jesus was

accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing. Then

Pilate asked Him, Hearest thou the things they witness against thee?

Jesus said never a word. At this the governor marvelled greatly.

The custom at the passover feast was for the governor to release a

prisoner of the people's choosing. A notable prisoner named Barabbas

was in the prison. Therefore, when the people were gathered together,

Pilate said, Whom will ye that I release, Barabbas or Jesus, who is

called Christ?

While he was seated on the judgment seat, Pilate's wife sent a message

to him that said, Have nothing to do with that just man. Today I have

suffered many things in a dream because of Him. But the chief priests

and elders persuaded the multitude to choose Barabbas and destroy Jesus.

When Pilate, the governor, asked which of the two they chose they said,

Barabbas. Pilate asked, What shall I do then with Jesus who is called

Christ? They all said, Let Him be crucified.

The governor asked, Why, what evil has He done? But they cried out the

more and shouted, Let Him be crucified. Pilate realized he could not

prevail without making a tumult among the people. So he took water,

washed his hands before the multitude, and said, I am innocent of the

blood of this just person. See ye to it. The people said, His blood be

on us, and on our children. Then Pilate released Barabbas. He had Jesus

scourged and delivered Him to be crucified.

Pilate's soldiers took Jesus into the common hall where the whole band

of soldiers gathered around Him. They stripped Him and put a scarlet

robe on Him. They platted a crown of thorns and put it on His head.

Then they put a reed in His right hand. Bowing down, they mocked Him

saying, Hail, King of the Jews! They spit on Him, took the reed, and

struck Him on the head. As they were leading Him away to be crucified,

they found a man from Cyrene, Simon by name, and compelled him to carry

the cross for Jesus.

They took Him to a place called Golgotha, or the place of a skull.

There they gave Him vinegar to drink mixed with gall. When Jesus tasted

it, He would not drink it. They crucified Him and parted out His

garments by casting lots. Thus the prophecy was fulfilled: They parted

my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. Then

the soldiers placed a written accusation over His head. It read: This

Is Jesus, The King Of The Jews.

Two thieves were crucified alongside Jesus, one on His right hand and

the other on His left. As people passed by they reviled Him and called

out: Thou that destroys the temple and builds it again in three days,

save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.

The chief priests, along with the scribes and elders, mocked Him. They

said, He saved others but He cannot save Himself. If He is the King of

Israel, let Him come down from the cross and we will believe Him. He

trusts in God. Let God deliver Him now, if God will have Him, for He

said, I am the Son of God.

From the sixth until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the

land. At about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, Eli, Eli,

lama sabachthani? My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

When some of those standing by heard this, they said, This man calls

for Elias. Presently, one of them ran to get a sponge. He filled it

with vinegar, put it on a reed, and gave it to Jesus to drink. The rest

said, Leave it alone. Let us see whether Elias will come to save Him.

Then Jesus cried again in a loud voice and yielded Himself up.

Behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The

earth shook and the rocks split apart. Graves were opened. The bodies

of many saints who slept rose up and, after His resurrection, went into

the holy city and appeared to many. When the centurions who were

watching Jesus saw the earthquake and the things that were done, they

became afraid and said, Truly this was the Son of God.

Many of the women who followed Jesus of Galilee and ministered to Him

were there looking on. Among them was Mary Magdalene; another Mary; and

the mother of Zebedee's children. When evening came, a rich man of

Arimathaea, named Joseph, who was also Jesus' disciple arrived. He went

to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth

and laid it in his own new tomb which was hewn out of rock. He rolled a

great stone across the door of the sepulchre and departed. Mary

Magdalene and the other Mary sat alongside the sepulchre.

The next day following the day of the preparation, the chief priests

and Pharisees went to Pilate and said, Sir, that deceiver, while he was

yet alive, said that, in three days, He would rise up again. Command

that the sepulchre be made secure until the third day lest His

disciples come by night, steal Him away, and tell the people that He is

risen from the dead. Then the last error will be worse than the first.

Pilate said to them, Ye have a watch. Go your way. Make it as secure as

ye can. The chief priests and the Pharisees went and made the sepulchre

secure by sealing the stone and setting guards to watch.

28 After the sabbath, near dawn of the first day of the week,

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to the sepulchre. Behold, there

was a great earthquake. An angel of the Lord descended from heaven,

came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His

countenance was like lightning with raiment white as snow. The guards

shook with fear of Him and became as dead men.

The angel said to the women, Fear not for I know that ye seek Jesus who

was crucified. He is not here for, as He said, He is risen. Come, see

the place where the Lord lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples

that He is risen from the dead. Behold, He goes before you into

Galilee. There ye shall see Him. Lo, I have told you.

The women quickly left the sepulchre filled with both fear and great

joy. They ran to bring word to Jesus' disciples. As they went along

Jesus met them and greeted them. They went to Him, held Him by the

feet, and worshipped Him. Then Jesus said to them, Be not afraid. Go

and tell my brethren to go into Galilee and there they shall see me.

Some of the guards on watch went into the city and told the chief

priests the things that were done. After an assembly of the elders the

soldiers were offered a large amount of money to say that Jesus'

disciples came by night and stole Him away while they slept. The

soldiers were assured they would be protected if this came to the

governor's ears. They took the money and did as they were told. This

report is common among the Jews until this day.

The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain appointed by

Jesus. When they saw Him, they worshipped Him. Jesus came to them and

said, All power is given to me in heaven and on earth. Go and teach all

nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of

the Holy Spirit. Teach them to observe all the things I have commanded

you.