Preparation for the Mission of Jesus^[a]

Chapter 1

Beginning of the Good News.^{[b] 1} The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

² It is written in the prophet Isaiah:^[c]

⁴ Hence, John the Baptist appeared in the desert, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵ People from the entire Judean countryside and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem went out to him, and as they confessed their sins they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

⁶ John was clothed in a garment of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and his food consisted of locusts and wild honey. ⁷ And this was the message he proclaimed: “One who is far more powerful than I am is coming after me. I am not worthy even to stoop down and loosen the straps of his sandals. ⁸ I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”^[d]

Jesus Is Baptized by John.^{[e] 9} At that time,^[f] Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ^10 [g]And as he was coming up out of the water, he beheld the heavens break open and the Spirit descending upon him like a dove. ¹¹ And a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; in you I am well pleased.”

¹² Jesus Is Tempted in the Desert.^[h] The Spirit immediately drove him out into the desert. ¹³ He remained there for forty days, during which time he was tempted by Satan. He lived there among the wild beasts, while the angels ministered to him.

Is Jesus the Messiah?^[i]

First Testimonies of the Messiah’s Mission

¹⁴ Jesus Inaugurates His Mission. After John had been arrested,^[j] Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, ¹⁵ “The time of fulfillment has arrived, and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

¹⁶ The First Disciples.^[k] As Jesus was walking along by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea, for they were fishermen. ¹⁷ Jesus said to them, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” ¹⁸ Immediately, they abandoned their nets and followed him.

¹⁹ As he proceeded farther, he saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They also were in a boat mending their nets. ²⁰ Immediately, he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired workers and followed him.

²¹ Jesus Heals a Man with a Demon.^[l] They journeyed to Capernaum, and on the Sabbath Jesus immediately entered the synagogue and began to instruct the people. ²² They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.

²³ In that synagogue there was a man with an unclean spirit, and he shrieked, ²⁴ “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.”^{[m] 25} But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!”

²⁶ The unclean spirit threw the man into convulsions and with a loud cry emerged from him. ²⁷ The people were all amazed, and they began to ask one another, “What is this? It must be a new kind of teaching! With authority he gives commands even to unclean spirits, and they obey him!” ²⁸ His reputation quickly began to spread everywhere throughout the entire region of Galilee.

²⁹ Jesus Heals Peter’s Mother-in-Law. Immediately on leaving the synagogue, he went with James and John into the house of Simon and Andrew. ³⁰ Simon’s mother-in-law^[n] was lying in bed, sick with a fever, and they informed Jesus at once about her. ³¹ Jesus approached her, grasped her by the hand, and helped her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

³² Other Healings. That evening, after sunset, they brought to him all those who were sick or possessed by demons.^{[o] 33} The whole town was present, crowded around the door. ³⁴ He cured many who were afflicted with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, although he would not permit them to speak because they knew who he was.

³⁵ Jesus Proclaims the Message and Heals the Sick. Early the next morning, long before dawn, he arose and went off to a secluded place, where he prayed. ³⁶ Simon and his companions set forth in search of him, ³⁷ and when they found him they said, “Everybody is looking for you.” ³⁸ He replied, “Let us move on to the neighboring towns so that I may proclaim the message there as well. For this is the reason why I came.” ³⁹ Then he traveled all throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

⁴⁰ Jesus Heals a Man with Leprosy. A man with leprosy^[p] approached and, kneeling before him, begged him, “If you choose to do so, you can make me clean.” ⁴¹ Moved with pity, “he stretched out his hand and touched him,^[q] saying, “I do choose. Be made clean!” ⁴² Immediately, the leprosy left him and he was cured.

⁴³ Jesus then sent him away at once, after first sternly warning him, ⁴⁴ “See that you tell no one anything about this. Just go and show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed. That will be proof for them.”^{[r] 45} However, he went forth and began to proclaim the entire story, spreading the word far and wide. As a result, Jesus could no longer go openly into any town. Rather, he stayed outside in deserted places, and people continued to come to him from every quarter.

First Oppositions^[s]

Chapter 2

Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man. ¹ When Jesus returned some days later to Capernaum, the word quickly spread that he was at home. ² Such large multitudes gathered there that no longer was any space available, even in front of the door, and he was preaching the word to them.

³ Some people arrived, bringing to him a man who was paralyzed, carried by four men. ⁴ Since they were unable to bring him near Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above him and then lowered the bed on which the paralyzed man was lying.

⁵ On perceiving their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” ⁶ Now some scribes^[t] were sitting there, thinking to themselves: ⁷ “How can this man say such things? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

⁸ Jesus was able immediately to discern in his spirit what they were thinking, and he asked, “Why do you entertain such thoughts in your hearts? ⁹ Which is easier: to say to the paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say: ‘Stand up, take your mat, and walk’? ¹⁰ But that you may come to realize that the Son of Man^[u] has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralyzed man— ¹¹ “I say to you, stand up, take your bed, and go to your home.” ¹² The man stood up, immediately picked up his bed, and went off in full view of all of them. The onlookers were all astonished and they glorified God, saying, “We have never before witnessed anything like this.”

¹³ Jesus Calls Levi (Matthew). Once again Jesus went out to the shore of the lake,^[v] and as a large crowd came to him, he taught them. ¹⁴ As he was walking along, he saw Levi^[w] the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. Jesus said to him, “Follow me,” and he got up and followed him.

¹⁵ Jesus Eats with Sinners. When he was sitting at dinner in his^[x] house, many tax collectors and sinners were seated with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed Jesus. ¹⁶ Some scribes who were Pharisees noticed that Jesus was eating with sinners and tax collectors, and they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” ¹⁷ When Jesus overheard this remark, he said, “It is not the healthy who need a physician, but rather those who are sick. I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”

¹⁸ A Time of Joy and Grace.^[y] John’s disciples and the Pharisees were observing a fast. Some people came to Jesus and asked, “Why do John’s disciples and those of the Pharisees fast but your disciples do not do so?” ¹⁹ Jesus answered, “How can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is still with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. ²⁰ But the time will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then on that day they will fast.^[z]

²¹ “No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear results. ²² Nor does anyone pour new wine^[aa] into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and then the wine and the skins are both lost. Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins.”

²³ Picking Grain on the Sabbath.^[ab] One day, as Jesus was passing through a field of grain on the Sabbath, his disciples began to pick some heads of grain as they walked along. ²⁴ The Pharisees said to him, “Behold, why are your disciples doing what is forbidden on the Sabbath?”

²⁵ He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need of food? ²⁶ He entered the house of God when Abiathar^[ac] was high priest and ate the sacred bread that only the priests were permitted to eat, and he shared it with his companions.” ²⁷ Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.^{[ad] 28} That is why the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

Chapter 3

A Man with a Withered Hand.^{[ae] 1} Again, Jesus entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. ² They watched him closely to see whether he would cure him on the Sabbath so that they might accuse him.

³ He said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” ⁴ Then he said to the onlookers, “Is it lawful to do good or to do evil on the Sabbath, to save life or to kill?” But they offered no reply. ⁵ Looking at them with anger, he was saddened at the hardness of their hearts, and he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. ⁶ Then the Pharisees went out and immediately began to plot with the Herodians how they might put him to death.

The Disciples Bear Witness to the Kingdom of God^[af]

Summary of the Activity of Jesus.^{[ag] 7} Thereupon Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lakeshore, and a great multitude of people from Galilee followed him. ⁸ In addition, having heard of all he was doing, large numbers also came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and the region of Tyre and Sidon.^[ah]

⁹ He instructed his disciples to have a small boat ready for him so that he would not be crushed by the crowds. ¹⁰ For he had healed so many that all who were afflicted in any way came crowding around to touch him. ¹¹ And whenever unclean spirits saw him, they would fall at his feet and shout, “You are the Son of God.” ¹² But he strictly ordered them not to make him known.

¹³ Jesus Establishes the Group of the Disciples.^[ai] Jesus then went up onto the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted, and they came to him. ^14 [aj]He appointed twelve—whom he also named apostles—^[ak]that they might be his companions and that he might send them out to proclaim the message, ¹⁵ with the authority to drive out demons. ¹⁶ The twelve he appointed were: Simon, to whom he gave the name Peter; ¹⁷ James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, “Sons of Thunder”;^{[al] 18} Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus; Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, ¹⁹ and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

Contrasting Reactions to the Person of Jesus^[am]

²⁰ The Concern of Jesus’ Relatives.^[an] Jesus then returned home,^[ao] and once again such a great crowd collected around them that they did not even find it possible to eat. ²¹ When his relatives heard about this, they went out to take charge of him, saying, “He has gone out of his mind.”

²² The Blasphemy of the Scribes.^[ap] Meanwhile, the scribes who had come down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.” ²³ Summoning them to him, he spoke to them in parables, “How can Satan drive out Satan? ²⁴ If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot survive. ²⁵ And if a household is divided against itself, that household will not be able to survive. ²⁶ If Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot survive; he is doomed.

²⁷ “But no one can break into a strong man’s house and steal his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man; then he can ransack the house.

²⁸ “Amen, I say to you, all sins that people commit and whatever blasphemies they utter will be forgiven. ²⁹ But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.” ³⁰ He said this because they had claimed he was possessed by an unclean spirit.

³¹ The True Family of Jesus.^[aq] Then his mother and his brethren arrived, and, standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. ³² A crowd was sitting around him, and they said, “Behold, your mother and your brethren are outside asking for you.” ³³ He replied, “Who are my mother and my brethren?” ³⁴ Then, looking around at those who were near him, he said: “Behold, my mother and my brethren. ³⁵ Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

Chapter 4

The Parables—A Veiled Language^[ar]

The Parable of the Sower. ¹ On another occasion he began to teach by the side of the lake. However, such a large crowd gathered that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while the whole crowd gathered on the shore facing the lake. ² Then he taught them many things in parables.

In the course of his teaching, he said to them: ³ “Listen! A sower went out to sow. ⁴ As he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵ Other seed fell on rocky ground, where there was little soil. It sprouted quickly, since the soil had no depth, ⁶ but when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it lacked roots, it withered away. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it produced no crop. ⁸ But some seed fell onto rich soil and brought forth grain, increasing and yielding thirty, sixty, and a hundred times what was sown.” ⁹ He then added, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

¹⁰ The Reason for Parables. When he was alone, the Twelve and his other companions asked him about the parables. ¹¹ He told them, “To you has been granted knowledge of the mysteries^[as] of the kingdom of God, but to those outside, everything comes in parables, ¹² so that

¹³ The Explanation of the Parable of the Sower.^[au] He went on to say to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then are you to understand any of the parables? ¹⁴ What the sower is sowing is the word.

¹⁵ “Some people are like seed that falls along the path where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan immediately comes and carries off the word that has been sown in them.

¹⁶ “Others are like the seed sown on rocky ground. As soon as they hear the word they immediately receive it with joy. ¹⁷ But they have no deep root and they endure for only a short time. When some trial or tribulation arises on account of the word, they immediately fall away.

¹⁸ “Those sown among thorns are the ones who hear the word, ¹⁹ but worldly cares, the lure of riches, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it bears no fruit.

²⁰ “But those sown in rich soil are those who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit and yield thirty or sixty or a hundred times what was sown.”

²¹ The Parable of the Lamp.^[av] He said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket or under a bed? To the contrary, it is placed on a lampstand. ²² For nothing is hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing is secret that will not be brought to light. ²³ If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!”

²⁴ The Parable of the Measure.^[aw] He also told them, “Pay careful attention to what you hear. The measure you give will be the measure you will receive, and you will receive more in addition. ²⁵ To the one who has, more will be given; from the one who does not have, even what little he has will be taken away.”^[ax]

²⁶ The Parable of the Secretly Growing Seed.^[ay] He went on to say, “The kingdom of God is like this. A man scatters seed on the ground. ²⁷ Night and day, while he sleeps and while he is awake, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not understand how. ²⁸ The ground produces fruit of its own accord—first the shoot, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. ²⁹ And when the crop is ripe, he immediately stretches out the sickle, because the time for harvest has come.”

³⁰ The Parable of the Mustard Seed.^[az] He then said, “With what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to explain it? ³¹ It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. ³² But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the greatest of all plants, and it puts forth large branches so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

³³ The Usefulness of Parables.^[ba] With many such parables as these he spoke the word to them so far as they were able to comprehend it. ³⁴ He never spoke to them except in parables, but he explained everything to his disciples when they were by themselves.

Jesus Overcomes Evil and Effects Salvation^[bb]

³⁵ Jesus Calms the Storm.^[bc] On that day, as evening approached, he said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” ³⁶ And so, leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat just as he was. Some other boats joined them.

³⁷ Suddenly, a great storm came up, and the waves were crashing over the boat so that it was almost swamped. ³⁸ Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They awakened him and said, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

³⁹ Then he stood up and rebuked the wind, and he said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰ He said to them, “Why are you so frightened? Are you still without faith?” ⁴¹ They were filled with awe and said to one another, “Who can this be? Even the wind and the sea obey him.”

Chapter 10

Marriage and Divorce.^{[a] 1} After departing from there, Jesus came into the region of Judea beyond the Jordan.^[b] Again the crowds gathered around him, and, as was his custom, he began to teach them.

² Some Pharisees came forward and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” ³ He replied, “What did Moses command you?” ⁴ They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and dismiss her.” ⁵ But Jesus said to them, “It was because of the hardness of your hearts that he wrote this commandment for you. ⁶ But from the very beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ⁷ ‘That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, ⁸ and the two become one flesh.’ And so they are no longer two but one flesh. ⁹ Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

¹⁰ When they were again in the house, the disciples once more questioned Jesus about this. ¹¹ He said to them, “If a man divorces his wife and marries another, he commits adultery against her. ¹² In the same way, if a wife divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

¹³ Jesus Receives Little Children.^[c] People were bringing little children to him so that he might touch them, and the disciples sternly rebuked them. ¹⁴ But when Jesus became aware of this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not hinder them. For it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. ¹⁵ Amen, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” ¹⁶ And he took them up into his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.

¹⁷ The Rich Young Man.^[d] As Jesus was starting out on a journey, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ¹⁸ Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. ¹⁹ You know the commandments: ‘Do not kill. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not bear false witness. Do not defraud. Honor your father and your mother.’ ”

²⁰ The man said to him, “Teacher, I have observed all these since I was a child.” ²¹ Looking at him, Jesus was moved with love and said, “You need to do one further thing. Go and sell what you own, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” ²² When he heard these words, the man’s face fell and he went away grieving, for he possessed great wealth.

²³ Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who are rich to enter the kingdom of God!” ²⁴ The disciples were astounded on hearing his words, but Jesus insisted: “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵ It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” ²⁶ The disciples were even more greatly astonished, and they said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” ²⁷ Jesus looked at them and said, “For men it is impossible, but not for God. For God all things are possible.”

²⁸ Reward for Following Jesus.^[e] Peter said to him, “We have given up everything to follow you.” ²⁹ Jesus answered, “Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel ³⁰ who will not receive in this age a hundred times more houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and lands—as well as persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. ³¹ But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

³² Jesus Predicts His Passion a Third Time.^[f] As they were on the road going up to Jerusalem, Jesus walked ahead of them. The disciples were amazed, and those who followed were apprehensive. Once again, he took the Twelve aside and began to tell them what would happen to him. ³³ “Behold, we are now going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death. Then they will hand him over to the Gentiles, ³⁴ who will mock him, and spit upon him, and scourge him, and put him to death. And after three days he will rise again.”

³⁵ The Son of Man Has Come To Serve.^[g] Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we request.” ³⁶ He asked them, “What is it that you want me to do for you?” ³⁷ They said to him, “Allow us to sit, one at your right hand and the other at your left, in your glory.” ³⁸ Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink,^[h] or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” ³⁹ They said to him, “We can.”

Then Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you shall indeed drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized you shall be baptized. ⁴⁰ But to sit at my right hand or at my left is not in my power to grant. Those places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”

⁴¹ When the other ten heard this, they began to be indignant at James and John. ⁴² Therefore, Jesus called them over and said, “You know that those considered to be rulers among the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. ⁴³ But this must not be so with you. Instead, whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, ⁴⁴ and whoever wishes to be first among you must be the servant of all. ⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

⁴⁶ Jesus Heals a Blind Man.^[i] Then they came to Jericho. And as Jesus, his disciples, and a huge crowd were leaving Jericho, a blind man, Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus,^[j] was sitting by the roadside asking for alms. ⁴⁷ When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!” ⁴⁸ Many rebuked him and told him to be silent, but he only shouted all the louder, “Son of David, have pity on me!”

⁴⁹ Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart! Stand up! He is calling you!” ⁵⁰ Casting aside his cloak, he jumped up and went to Jesus. ⁵¹ Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “Rabbi,^[k] let me receive my sight.” ⁵² Jesus said to him, “Go on your way! Your faith has made you well.” Immediately, he received his sight and followed him along the road.

Chapter 15

Jesus before Pilate.^{[a] 1} As soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a council with the elders and the scribes and the whole Sanhedrin. They bound Jesus and led him away, and handed him over to Pilate.

² Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus replied, “You have said so.” ³ Then the chief priests brought many charges against him. ⁴ Again, Pilate questioned him, “Have you no answer to offer? Just consider how many charges they are leveling against you.” ⁵ But Jesus offered no further reply, so that Pilate was amazed.

Jesus Is Sentenced to Death. ⁶ Now on the occasion of the feast, he released a prisoner to them, anyone for whom they asked.^{[b] 7} At the time, a man named Barabbas was in prison along with some rebels who had committed murder during an uprising. ⁸ When the crowd came forward and began to ask him to do the customary favor for them, ⁹ Pilate asked them, “Do you want me to release for you the king of the Jews?”^{[c] 10} For he realized that it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed him over.

¹¹ However, the chief priests incited the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead. ¹² Pilate then asked, “And what shall I do with the man you call the king of the Jews?” ¹³ They shouted back, “Crucify him!” ¹⁴ Pilate asked them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they only screamed all the louder, “Crucify him!” ¹⁵ And so Pilate, anxious to appease the crowd, released Barabbas to them, and after ordering Jesus to be scourged, he handed him over to be crucified.

¹⁶ Jesus Is Crowned with Thorns.^[d] Then the soldiers led Jesus away inside the palace, that is, the Praetorium, and they called the whole cohort together. ¹⁷ They dressed him in a purple robe and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they placed it on him. ¹⁸ Then they began to salute him with the words, “Hail, King of the Jews!” ¹⁹ They repeatedly struck his head with a reed, spat upon him, and knelt down before him in homage. ²⁰ And when they had finished mocking him, they stripped him of his purple robe and dressed him in his own clothes. Then they led him out to crucify him.

²¹ The Way of the Cross.^[e] They compelled a passer-by who was returning from the country to carry his cross. The man was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus.

²² Jesus Is Crucified. They brought him to the place called Golgotha, which means the place of the skull. ²³ They offered him some wine that had been mixed with myrrh, but he refused to take it. ²⁴ Then they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them to see what each should take.^[f]

²⁵ It was around nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him.^{[g] 26} The inscription giving the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” ²⁷ Along with him they crucified two thieves, one on his right and the other on his left. [ ²⁸ Thus was the Scripture fulfilled that says, “And he was counted among the wicked.”]^[h]

²⁹ Those people who passed by jeered at him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who claimed you could destroy the temple and rebuild it within three days, ³⁰ save yourself and come down from the cross.”

³¹ In much the same way, the chief priests and the scribes joined in the mockery among themselves, saying, “He saved others, but he cannot save himself. ³² Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down from the cross right now so that we may see it and come to believe.” Those who were crucified with him also taunted him.

³³ Jesus Dies on the Cross.^[i] Beginning at midday, there was darkness over the whole land until three in the afternoon. ³⁴ At three o’clock, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

³⁵ On hearing this, some of the bystanders said, “Listen! He is calling Elijah.” ³⁶ Someone ran off, soaked a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait! Let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.”

³⁷ Then Jesus cried out in a loud voice and breathed his last. ³⁸ And the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two, from top to bottom. ³⁹ When the centurion who was standing facing him saw how Jesus had breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God.”

⁴⁰ A number of women were also present, looking on from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger^[j] and of Joses, and Salome. ⁴¹ These women used to follow Jesus when he was in Galilee and minister to his needs. And there were many other women there who had come up with him to Jerusalem.

⁴² Jesus Is Placed in the Tomb.^[k] It was the Day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath. So when evening came, ⁴³ Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also awaiting the kingdom of God, boldly went to Pilate and requested the body of Jesus. ⁴⁴ Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was already dead, and he summoned the centurion to ascertain that Jesus had indeed died. ⁴⁵ When he learned from the centurion that such was the case, he turned over the body to Joseph.

⁴⁶ Having purchased a linen shroud, he lowered Jesus from the cross, wrapped him in the shroud, and laid him in a tomb that had been hewn out of rock. He then rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. ⁴⁷ Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was buried.

Chapter 16

Jesus Is Raised from the Dead.^{[l] 1} When the Sabbath was over,^[m] Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome purchased aromatic spices so that they might go and anoint Jesus. ² And very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they went to the tomb.

³ They had been asking each other, “Who will roll back the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” ⁴ But when they looked up, they observed that the stone, which was extremely large, had already been rolled back. ⁵ On entering the tomb, they saw a young man arrayed in a white robe sitting on the right hand side, and they were stunned.

⁶ He said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised. He is not here. See the place where they laid him. ⁷ But go forth and tell his disciples and Peter: ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee. There you will see him just as he told you.’ ” ⁸ Then the women emerged from the tomb and fled, overcome with trembling and amazement. They said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Appendix

The Longer Ending^[n]

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene. After he had risen from the dead early on the first day of the week, Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had driven out seven demons. ¹⁰ She then went forth and related the story of his appearance to his mourning and weeping companions. ¹¹ However, when they heard that he was alive and that she had seen him, they refused to believe it.

¹² Jesus Appears to Two Disciples. After this, Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them as they were on their way into the country. ¹³ They then returned and reported the news to the others, but they did not believe them either.

¹⁴ Jesus Appears to and Commissions the Eleven. Still later, he appeared to the eleven while they were at table. He reproached them for their lack of faith and their hardness of heart because they refused to believe the witness of those who had seen him after he had risen.

¹⁵ Then he said to them, “Go forth into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to all creation. ¹⁶ Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. ¹⁷ These are the signs that will mark those who believe: In my name they will cast out demons. They will be granted the gift of speaking in new languages. ¹⁸ If they pick up serpents in their hands or drink any deadly poison, they will remain unharmed. The sick on whom they lay their hands will recover.”

¹⁹ Jesus Ascends to Heaven. Then, after he had spoken to them, the Lord Jesus was taken up into heaven, and there he took his place at the right hand of God. ²⁰ And they went forth to proclaim the gospel everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word by means of the signs that accompanied their preaching.

Noncanonical Endings

The Shorter Ending.^[o] And they reported all the instructions briefly to Peter and his companions. Afterward, through them Jesus sent forth from east to west the sacred and perpetual proclamation of eternal salvation.

The Freer Logion.^[p] And they excused themselves, saying, “This age of lawlessness and unbelief is under Satan, who does not allow the truth and power of God to prevail over the unclean things of the spirit. Therefore, reveal your righteousness now”—thus they spoke to Christ. And Christ replied to them, “The limit of the years of Satan’s power has been reached, but other terrible things draw near. And for those who sinned I was handed over to death, that they might return to the truth and no longer sin, in order that they might inherit the spiritual and incorruptible glory of righteousness, which is in heaven.”