Bible in 90 Days

Chapter 16

The Demand for a Sign.^{[a] 1} The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to put him to the test they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. ² He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘Tomorrow there will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ ³ and in the morning you say, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. ⁴ An evil and adulterous^[b] generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” Then he left them and went away.

The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.^{[c] 5} In crossing to the other side of the lake, the disciples had forgotten to bring bread. ⁶ Jesus said to them, “Be careful, and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” ⁷ They talked about this among themselves and concluded: “It is because we brought no bread.”

⁸ Aware of what they were saying, Jesus said, “O you of little faith, why are you talking about having no bread? ⁹ Do you still not understand? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand and the number of baskets you collected? ¹⁰ Or the seven loaves for the four thousand and how many baskets you gathered? ¹¹ How could you fail to see that I was not speaking about bread when I said, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees’?” ¹² Then they understood that he had not told them to beware of the yeast used in bread but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

¹³ Peter’s Confession of Christ’s Divinity.^[d]When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi,^[e] he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴ They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the Prophets.” ¹⁵ “But you,” he said to them, “who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶ Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”^[f]

¹⁷ Then Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood^[g] has not revealed this to you but my heavenly Father. ¹⁸ And I say to you: You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church,^[h] and the gates of the netherworld will not prevail against it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”^{[i] 20} Then he gave the disciples strict orders not to tell^[j] anyone that he was the Christ.

²¹ Jesus Predicts His Passion. From then onward Jesus made it clear to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and endure great suffering at the hands of the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be put to death, and be raised on the third day.^[k]

^22 [l]Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid, Lord. Such a fate must never happen to you.” ²³ He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as men do.”

²⁴ The Conditions of Discipleship. Jesus then said to his disciples, “Anyone who wishes to follow me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. ²⁵ For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.^{[m] 26} What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his very life? Or what can he give in exchange for his life?

²⁷ “For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone according to what has been done. ²⁸ Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”^[n]

Chapter 17

Jesus Is Transfigured.^{[o] 1} Six days later, Jesus took Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain^[p] by themselves. ² And in their presence he was transfigured; his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. ³ Suddenly, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, conversing with him. ⁴ Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will make three tents here—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

⁵ While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud cast a shadow over them. Then a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.” ⁶ When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were greatly frightened. ⁷ But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Stand up, and do not be frightened.” ⁸ And when they raised their eyes, they saw no one, but only Jesus.

Elijah Has Already Come.^{[q] 9} As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one about this vision until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” ¹⁰ And the disciples asked him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” ¹¹ He said in reply, “Elijah will indeed come, and he will set everything right again. ¹² However, I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but they did to him whatever they pleased. In the same way, the Son of Man will suffer at their hands.” ¹³ Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them about John the Baptist.

¹⁴ Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon.^[r] When they returned to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, fell to his knees before him, ¹⁵ and pleaded, “Lord, have pity on my son, for he is subject to epileptic seizures and endures great suffering. He falls often into fire and often into water. ¹⁶ I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.”

¹⁷ Jesus said in reply, “O unbelieving and perverse generation, how much longer shall I remain with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” ¹⁸ Then Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was cured from that very moment.

¹⁹ Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked him privately, “Why were we not able to cast it out?” ²⁰ He answered, “Because you have such little faith. Amen, I say to you, if you have faith as tiny as a mustard seed, you will be able to say to this mountain: ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. [ ²¹ But this kind of demon does not come out except by prayer and fasting.]”^[s]

²² Jesus Predicts His Passion a Second Time.^[t] When they were together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be handed over into the power of men. ²³ They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised.” And they were overwhelmed with grief.

²⁴ Jesus Pays the Temple Tax.^[u] When they arrived at Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax came up to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?” ²⁵ “Yes, he does,” he replied.

When Peter went into the house, but before he had a chance to speak, Jesus asked him, “Simon, what is your opinion? From whom do the kings of the earth exact tolls and taxes—from their own sons or from others?” ²⁶ And when he said, “From others,” Jesus replied, “Then their sons are exempt. ²⁷ However, lest we give offense to them, go to the lake and cast a hook. Take the first fish that you catch and open its mouth. There you will find a silver coin. Take it and give it to them for me and for yourself.”

Instructions to the Disciples: The Charter of the Community^[v]

Chapter 18

Become Like Little Children.^{[w] 1} At that time, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” ² Then Jesus beckoned a child to come to him, placed it in their midst, ³ and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Whoever humbles himself and becomes like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Woe to the World because of Scandals.^{[x] 5} “And whoever receives one such child in my name receives me. ⁶ But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. ⁷ Woe to the world because of scandals. Such things are bound to occur, but woe to the one through whom they come.

^8 [y]“If your hand or your foot is an occasion of sin for you, cut it off and throw it away. It is preferable for you to enter into life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire. ⁹ And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is preferable for you to enter into life with one eye than to have two eyes and be cast into the fires of Gehenna.

¹⁰ “Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven gaze continually on the face of my heavenly Father. [ ¹¹ For the Son of Man has come to save what was lost.]^[z]

¹² The Parable of the Lost Sheep.^[aa]“Tell me your opinion. If a man owns a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the other ninety-nine on the hillside and go off in search of the one who went astray? ¹³ And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he is more filled with joy over it than over the ninety-nine who did not wander off. ¹⁴ In the same way, it is not the will of your Father in heaven that a single one of these little ones should be lost.

¹⁵ The Church: Community of Love, Prayer, and Pardon.^[ab]“If your brother wrongs you, go and take up the matter with him when the two of you are alone. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. ¹⁶ But if he will not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that every detail may be confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses. ¹⁷ If he refuses to listen to them, report it to the Church. And if he refuses to listen to the Church, treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.

¹⁸ “Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. ¹⁹ [Amen,] I say to you, further, if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there in their midst.”

²¹ Then Peter came up to him and asked, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” ²² Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy times seven.^[ac]

²³ The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant.^[ad]“For this reason, the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴ When he began the accounting, a man was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.^{[ae] 25} Since he had no possible way to repay what he owed, his master ordered him to be sold, together with his wife, his children, and all his property, to satisfy the debt. ²⁶ At this, the servant fell to his knees, saying, ‘Be patient with me, and I will repay you in full.’ ²⁷ Moved with compassion, the master of that servant let him go and canceled the debt.

²⁸ “However, when that servant left, he encountered one of his fellow servants who owed him one hundred denarii,^[af] and, choking him, he demanded, ‘Pay me back what you owe.’ ²⁹ His fellow servant fell to his knees and pleaded with him, saying, ‘Be patient with me and I will repay you.’ ³⁰ But he turned a deaf ear and had him thrown into prison until he had repaid the debt.

³¹ “When his fellow servants observed what had happened, they were greatly upset, and, going to their master, they reported everything that had taken place. ³² Then his master sent for the man and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you for your complete debt because you begged me. ³³ Should you not have had mercy on your fellow servant as I had mercy on you?’ ³⁴ And in his anger his master handed him over to be tortured until he repaid the entire debt. ³⁵ In the same way, my heavenly Father will also deal with you unless each of you forgives his brother from the heart.”

The Coming of the Son of Man^[ag]

The Ministry in Judea and Jerusalem

Chapter 19

Marriage and Celibacy.^{[ah] 1} When Jesus had finished this discourse, he left Galilee and came into the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. ² Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

³ Some Pharisees came forward and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason whatsoever?” ⁴ He replied, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female’ ⁵ and said: ‘That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two become one flesh’? ⁶ And so they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

⁷ They said to him, “Why then did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?” ⁸ He replied, “It was because you were so hard-hearted that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but it was not like this from the beginning. ⁹ Now I say to you: if a man divorces his wife for any reason except if the marriage was unlawful and marries another, he commits adultery.”

¹⁰ His disciples said to him, “If that is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.” ¹¹ He replied, “Not everyone can accept this teaching, but only those to whom it has been given. ¹² For there are eunuchs who have been made so from birth and eunuchs who were made so by others, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let those accept this who can do so.”^[ai]

¹³ Jesus Receives Little Children.^[aj] Then people brought children to him so that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked them, ¹⁴ but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them. For it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” ¹⁵ And after he had laid his hands on them he proceeded on his way.

¹⁶ The Rich Young Man.^[ak] Then a man came forward and asked him, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to achieve eternal life?” ¹⁷ He said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. But if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” ¹⁸ He said, “Which ones?” And Jesus answered, “You shall not kill. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness. ¹⁹ Honor your father and your mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.”

²⁰ The young man said to him, “I have observed all these. Is there anything more I must do?” ²¹ Jesus replied, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” ²² When the young man heard this, he went away grieving, for he possessed great wealth.

²³ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Amen, I say to you, it will be difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴ Again I tell you, 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 heaven.” ²⁵ When the disciples heard this, they were astonished, and they asked, “Who then can be saved?” ²⁶ Jesus looked at them and said, “For men this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”

²⁷ Reward for Following Jesus.^[al] Then Peter said in reply, “We have given up everything to follow you. What then will there be for us?” ²⁸ Jesus replied, “Amen, I say to you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man is seated on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will yourselves sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹ And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more and will inherit eternal life. ³⁰ But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.

Chapter 20

The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard.^{[am] 1} “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. ² After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius^[an] a day, he sent them into his vineyard. ³ Going out about nine o’clock,^[ao] he saw some others standing idle in the marketplace. ⁴ He said to them, ‘You also go into my vineyard and I will give you what is just.’ ⁵ When he went out again around noon and at three in the afternoon,^[ap] he did the same. ⁶ Then, about five o’clock,^[aq] he went out and found others standing around, and he said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’ ⁷ They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’

⁸ “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Summon the workers and give them their pay, beginning with those who came last and ending with the first.’ ⁹ When those who had started to labor at five o’clock came, each of them received a denarius. ¹⁰ Therefore, those who had come first thought that they would receive more, but they were paid a denarius, the same as the others. ¹¹ And when they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner, ¹² saying, ‘These men who were hired last worked only one hour, and yet you have rewarded them on the same level with us who have borne the greatest portion of the work and the heat of the day.’

¹³ “The owner replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am not treating you unfairly. Did you not agree with me to work for a denarius? ¹⁴ Take your pay and leave. I have chosen to pay the latecomers the same as I pay you. ¹⁵ Am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ ¹⁶ Thus, the last will be first and the first will be last.”

¹⁷ Jesus Predicts His Passion a Third Time.^[ar] As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside by themselves and said to them, ¹⁸ “Behold, we are now going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death. ¹⁹ Then they will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and on the third day he will be raised to life.”

²⁰ The Son of Man Has Come To Serve.^[as] Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons and made a request of him after kneeling before him. ²¹ “What do you wish?” he asked her. She said to him, “Promise that these two sons of mine may sit, one at your right hand and the other at your left, in your kingdom.” ²² Jesus said in reply, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup^[at] I am going to drink?” They said to him, “We can.”

²³ He then said to them, “You shall indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not in my power to grant. Those places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”

²⁴ When the other ten disciples heard this, they were indignant at the two brothers. ²⁵ But Jesus called them over and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. ²⁶ This must not be so with you. Instead, whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your servant. ²⁸ In the same way, the Son of Man did not come to be served but rather to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”^[au]

²⁹ Two Blind Men Receive Sight.^[av] As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Jesus. ³⁰ Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they learned that Jesus was passing by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, take pity on us.” ³¹ The crowd rebuked them and told them to be silent, but they only shouted even more loudly, “Lord, Son of David, take pity on us.”

³² Jesus stopped and called them, saying, “What do you want me to do for you?” ³³ They said to him, “Lord, grant that our eyes may be opened.” ³⁴ Jesus, moved with compassion, touched their eyes. Immediately, they received their sight and followed him.

Encounters at Jerusalem

Chapter 21

The Entry into Jerusalem.^{[aw] 1} When they drew near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent off two disciples, ² saying to them, “Go to the village directly ahead of you, and as soon as you enter you will find a tethered donkey and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. ³ If anyone says anything to you, tell them, ‘The Lord needs them.’ Then he will let you have them at once.” ⁴ This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the prophet:

⁶ The disciples went off and did as Jesus had instructed them. ⁷ They brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their cloaks on their backs, and he sat on them.^{[ay] 8} A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹ The crowds that preceded him and those that followed kept shouting:

¹⁰ And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was filled with excitement. “Who is this?” the people asked, ¹¹ and the crowds replied, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”

¹² Jesus Cleanses the Temple.^[ba] Then Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those whom he found buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. ¹³ He said to them, “It is written:

¹⁴ The blind and the crippled came to him in the temple, and he cured them. ¹⁵ But when the chief priests and the scribes witnessed the wonderful things he was performing and heard the children crying out in the temple area, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became infuriated ¹⁶ and said to him, “Do you hear what they are saying?” Jesus replied, “Yes. Have you never read the text:

¹⁷ Then he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.

¹⁸ The Lesson of the Withered Fig Tree.^[bc] Early the next morning, as he was returning to the city, he was hungry. ¹⁹ Noticing a fig tree by the side of the road, he went over to it but found nothing on its branches except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never give forth fruit again!” And instantly the fig tree withered away.

²⁰ When the disciples witnessed this, they were stunned, and they asked, “How could that fig tree wither away in an instant?” ²¹ Jesus answered them, “Amen, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what has been done to this fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will be accomplished. ²² Whatever you ask for in faith-filled prayer, you will receive.”

²³ The Authority of Jesus Questioned.^[bd] When he entered the temple and began to teach, the chief priests and the elders of the people approached him and asked, “By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority?” ²⁴ Jesus said to them in reply, “I will also ask you one question. If you give me an answer, then I will tell you by what authority I do these things. ²⁵ Where did John’s baptism originate? From heaven or from men?”

They argued among themselves, “If we say: ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ ²⁶ But if we say, ‘From men,’ we are afraid of the people, for they all regard John as a prophet.”

²⁷ Therefore, they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Then neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.^[be]

²⁸ The Parable of the Two Sons.^[bf]“What is your opinion about this? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘My son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ ²⁹ He answered, ‘I will not,’ but later he had a change of heart and went. ³⁰ The father then gave the same instruction to the second son, who answered, ‘Of course I will,’ but then did not go. ³¹ Which of the two complied with his father’s instruction?” They responded, “The first.”

Then Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. ³² For John came to show you the path of righteousness, but you did not believe him, whereas the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. Yet even after you realized that, you still refused to change your minds and believe in him.

³³ The Parable of the Tenants.^[bg]“Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, fenced it in on all sides, dug a winepress in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went off on a journey.

³⁴ “When the time for harvest approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his share of the produce. ³⁵ But the tenants seized his servants and beat one of them, killed another, and stoned a third. ³⁶ Again, he sent more servants, but they treated them in the same manner.

³⁷ “Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’ ³⁸ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.’ ³⁹ And so they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.

⁴⁰ “Now what do you think the owner of the vineyard will do to those tenants when he comes?” ⁴¹ They said to him, “He will kill those evil men, and then he will lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest.”

⁴² Jesus then said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

⁴³ Therefore, I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce fruit in abundance. [ ⁴⁴ The one who falls on this stone will be broken into pieces, and the one on whom it falls will be crushed.]”^[bh]

⁴⁵ When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. ⁴⁶ They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowds, who regarded him as a prophet.

Chapter 22

The Parable of the Wedding Banquet.^{[bi] 1} Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying, ² “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. ³ He sent forth his servants to summon those who had been invited to the banquet, but they refused to come. ⁴ Then he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Behold, my banquet has been prepared, my oxen and my fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.” ’

⁵ “But they ignored his invitation. One went off to his farm, another to his business, ⁶ while the rest seized his servants, mistreated them, and killed them.

⁷ “The king was enraged, and he sent forth his troops who destroyed those murderers and burned their city to the ground. ⁸ Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy of that honor. ⁹ Go forth, therefore, to the main roads and invite everyone you can find to the wedding banquet.’ ¹⁰ The servants went forth into the streets and gathered together everyone they could find, good and bad alike. And so the wedding hall was filled with guests.

^11 [bj]“But when the king came in to greet the guests, he noticed one man who was not properly dressed for a wedding. ¹² ‘My friend,’ he said to him, ‘how did you gain entrance here without a wedding garment?’ The man was speechless. ¹³ Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind his hands and feet and cast him outside into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ ¹⁴ For many are called, but few are chosen.”^[bk]

¹⁵ God or Caesar.^[bl] Then the Pharisees went off and made plans to trap him in what he said. ¹⁶ They sent some of their disciples to him, along with the Herodians,^[bm] and said, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Nor are you concerned with anyone’s opinion for you do not care about people’s opinions. ¹⁷ Tell us then what you think about this: Is it lawful or not for us to pay taxes to Caesar?”

¹⁸ Jesus was aware of their malicious intent, and he said, “You hypocrites! Why are you trying to trap me? ¹⁹ Show me the coin that is used for paying the tax.” When they brought him a denarius,^{[bn] 20} he asked them, “Whose image is this, and whose inscription?” ²¹ They replied, “Caesar’s.” On hearing this, he said to them, “Give to Caesar what is due to Caesar, and to God what is due to God.”^{[bo] 22} Stunned on hearing this reply, they went away and left him alone.

²³ Marriage and the Resurrection.^[bp] On that same day, the Sadducees, who assert that there is no resurrection, approached him and posed this question, ²⁴ “Teacher, Moses said that if a man dies without having children, his brother^[bq] is to marry his brother’s wife and raise up children for his brother. ²⁵ Now there were seven brothers who belonged to our group. The first one married and died without issue, and therefore left his wife to his brother. ²⁶ The same result occurred with the second brother and the third, right down to the seventh. ²⁷ Finally, the woman herself died. ²⁸ Now at the resurrection, whose wife of the seven will she be, inasmuch as all of them had her?”

²⁹ Jesus answered them, “You are in error, for you do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God. ³⁰ At the resurrection they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. They are like the angels in heaven.

³¹ “And in regard to the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what God himself said to you: ³² ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.”

³³ When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.

³⁴ The Greatest Commandment.^[br] When the Pharisees learned that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, ³⁵ and, to test him, one of them, a lawyer, asked this question, ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

³⁷ Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the greatest and the first commandment. ³⁹ The second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ Everything in the Law and the Prophets depends on these two commandments.”

⁴¹ Jesus Is Lord.^[bs] While the Pharisees were assembled together, Jesus asked them this question, ⁴² “What is your opinion about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They replied, “He is the son of David.” ⁴³ He responded, “How is it then that David, under the inspiration of the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord,’ saying:

⁴⁵ If David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” ⁴⁶ No one was able to give him an answer, and from that day onward no one dared to ask him any further questions.

Chapter 23

Portrait of the Scribes and Pharisees.^{[bt] 1} Then Jesus addressed the crowds and his disciples: ² “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat. ³ Therefore, be careful to do whatever they tell you, but do not follow their example, for they do not practice what they preach. ⁴ They tie up heavy burdens that are difficult to bear and lay them on the shoulders of others, but they will not lift a finger to be of assistance.

⁵ “Everything they do is meant to attract the attention of others. They widen their phylacteries^[bu] and lengthen their tassels. ⁶ They love to have places of honor at banquets and the best seats in synagogues, ⁷ and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be addressed as ‘Rabbi.’

Do Not Be Called Teacher.^{[bv] 8} “But do not allow yourselves to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master, and you are all brethren. ⁹ Call no one on earth your father, for you have but one Father, and he is in heaven. ¹⁰ You must not be called ‘teacher,’ for you have only one Teacher, the Christ. ¹¹ The greatest among you must be your servant. ¹² All those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all those who humble themselves will be exalted.

¹³ Woe to You, Teachers of the Law.^[bw]“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the entrance to the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor do you allow others to enter.

[¹⁴ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you devour the houses of widows, while for the sake of appearance you recite lengthy prayers. As a result, you will receive the severest possible condemnation.]^[bx]

¹⁵ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You journey over sea and land to make a single convert,^[by] and then you make that convert twice as worthy of Gehenna as you are.

^16 [bz]“Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If someone swears by the temple, that is not binding, but if someone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ ¹⁷ You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred?

¹⁸ “And you say, ‘If someone swears by the altar, that is not binding, but if someone swears by the offering that lies on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ ¹⁹ You blind fools! Which is of greater value—the offering, or the altar that makes the offering sacred?

²⁰ “The one who swears by the altar swears both by it and by everything that lies upon it. ²¹ The one who swears by the temple swears both by it and by the one who dwells within it. ²² And the one who swears by heaven swears both by the throne of God and by the One who is seated upon it.

^23 [ca]“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint and dill and cumin, but you have neglected the more important aspects of the Law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced these without neglecting the others. ²⁴ You blind guides! You strain out a gnat and then swallow a camel!

²⁵ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You cleanse the outside of a cup and dish, but you leave the inside full of greed and self-indulgence. ²⁶ Blind Pharisee! First cleanse the inside of the cup and dish so that the outside may also be clean.

²⁷ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs^[cb] that look beautiful on the outside, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of decay. ²⁸ In the same way, on the outside you appear to be righteous, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

²⁹ The Judgment of God Has Already Come on This Generation.^[cc]“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build the tombs of the Prophets and adorn the graves of the righteous, ³⁰ and you say, ‘If we had lived in the time of our ancestors, we never would have collaborated with them in shedding the blood of the Prophets.’ ³¹ Thus, you acknowledge that you are the descendants of those who murdered the Prophets. ³² Go and complete the work that your ancestors began.

³³ “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How can you escape being condemned to Gehenna? ³⁴ Behold, therefore, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. ³⁵ As a result, upon you will fall the guilt of all the innocent blood that has been shed upon the earth, from the blood of the righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. ³⁶ Amen, I say to you, the guilt for all this will fall upon this generation.

³⁷ The Lament over Jerusalem.^[cd]“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you murder the Prophets and stone the messengers sent to you! How often have I longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would not allow it! ³⁸ Behold, your house has been abandoned and left desolate. ³⁹ I tell you, you will not see me again until you say: ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’ ”

Instructions for the Coming of the Kingdom^[ce]

Chapter 24

The Time of the End^[cf]

Jesus Announces the Destruction of the Temple.^{[cg] 1} As Jesus left the temple and was walking away, his disciples came up to him to call his attention to the buildings of the temple. ² He thereupon said to them, “Do you see all these? Amen, I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another; every one will be thrown down.”

The End Has Not Yet Come.^{[ch] 3} As he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached and spoke to him when they were alone. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

⁴ Jesus answered them, “Take care that no one deceives you. ⁵ For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. ⁶ You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Do not be alarmed, for those things are bound to happen, but the end is still to come. ⁷ For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. ⁸ All these are only the beginning of the labor pains.

⁹ “Then you will be handed over to be tortured and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of my name. ¹⁰ At that time, many will fall away from the faith; they will betray and hate one another. ¹¹ Many false prophets will appear and lead many astray, ¹² and with the increase of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold. ¹³ But whoever endures to the end will be saved. ¹⁴ And the good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the entire world as a testimony offered to all the nations. And then the end will come.

¹⁵ The Great Trial.^[ci]“Therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation, about which the prophet Daniel spoke, standing in the Holy Place (let the reader understand), ¹⁶ then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, ¹⁷ the one who is standing on the roof must not come down to collect what is in his house, ¹⁸ and someone who is in the field must not turn back to retrieve his coat.

¹⁹ “Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days! ²⁰ Pray that you will not have to take flight in the winter or on a Sabbath. ²¹ For at that time there will be great suffering that has not been equaled since the beginning of the world until now, and will never again be duplicated. ²² And if those days had not been cut short, no one would be saved; but for the sake of the elect they will be shortened.

²³ False Messiahs and False Prophets.“Therefore, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There he is,’ do not believe it. ²⁴ For false christs and false prophets will arise, and they will perform great signs and wonders that are impressive enough to deceive even the elect, if that were possible.

²⁵ “Remember, I have forewarned you about this. ²⁶ So if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out there. If they say, ‘Behold, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. ²⁷ For just as lightning comes from the east and is visible even in the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. ²⁸ Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.^[cj]

²⁹ The Coming of the Son of Man.^[ck]“Immediately after the distress of those days,

³⁰ “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the peoples of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. ³¹ And he will send forth his angels with a trumpet blast, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

Be Vigilant in Expectation of the End^[cl]

³² The Parable of the Fig Tree.^[cm]“Learn this lesson from the fig tree. As soon as its twigs become tender and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. ³³ In the same way, when you see all these things take place, know that he is near, at the very gates. ³⁴ Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. ³⁵ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

³⁶ The Day and Hour Unknown.^[cn]“As for the exact day and hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³⁷ For as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸ In the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and being given in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark. ³⁹ They knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and swept them all away.

“That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰ Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken and the other will be left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and the other will be left. ⁴² Therefore, keep watch, for you do not know the day when your Lord is coming.

⁴³ The Parable of the Owner of the House.^[co]“But keep this in mind: if the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not allowed his house to be broken into. ⁴⁴ Therefore, you must also be prepared, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

⁴⁵ The Parable of the Faithful Servant.^[cp]“Who, then, is the faithful and wise servant whom his master has put in charge of his household to give its members their food at the proper time? ⁴⁶ Blessed is that servant if his master finds him doing so when he returns home. ⁴⁷ Amen, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property.

⁴⁸ “But if that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is detained,’ ⁴⁹ and he proceeds to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, ⁵⁰ the master of that servant will return on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know. ⁵¹ He will punish him and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Chapter 25

The Parable of the Ten Virgins.^{[cq] 1} “Then^[cr] the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom. ² Five of them were foolish and five were wise. ³ When the foolish ones took their lamps, they neglected to take any oil with them, ⁴ whereas those who were wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. ⁵ Since the bridegroom was delayed in coming, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

⁶ “At midnight, a shout was raised: ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ ⁷ Then all the virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ ⁹ The wise ones replied, ‘No, for there may not be enough for both us and you. You had better go to the merchants and buy some.’

¹⁰ “While they went off to purchase it, the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. Then the door was locked. ¹¹ Afterward, the other virgins returned, and they cried out, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’ ¹² But he replied,‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’ ¹³ Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

¹⁴ The Parable of the Talents.^[cs]“Again, the kingdom of heaven will be like a man going on a journey who summoned his servants and entrusted his property to them. ¹⁵ To one he gave five talents,^[ct] to another two talents, to a third one talent—to each according to his ability. Then he set forth on his journey.

¹⁶ “The servant who had received the five talents promptly went to invest them and gained five more. ¹⁷ In the same manner, the servant who had received the two talents gained two more. ¹⁸ But the servant who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

¹⁹ “After a long period of time, the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. ²⁰ The one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing an additional five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you gave me five talents. Behold, I have gained five more.’ ²¹ His master said to him,‘Well done, good and faithful servant. Since you have been faithful in small matters, I will give you much greater responsibilities. Come and share your master’s joy.’

²² “Next, the one who had received the two talents also came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. Behold, I have gained two more.’ ²³ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. Since you have been faithful in small matters, I will give you much greater responsibilities. Come and share your master’s joy.’

²⁴ “Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, ‘Master, I knew that you were a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed. ²⁵ Therefore, out of fear I went off and hid your talent in the ground. Behold, I give it back to you.’

²⁶ “His master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant. So you knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered! ²⁷ Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have gotten back my money with interest.

²⁸ “ ‘Therefore, take the talent from him and give it to the one with the ten talents. ²⁹ For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he does have will be taken away. ³⁰ As for this worthless servant, cast him outside into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

³¹ The Solemn Judgment at the End of Time.^[cu]“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger and you welcomed me; ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed me; I was ill and you took care of me; I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

³⁷ “Then the righteous will say to him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you something to eat, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you ill or in prison and come to visit you?’ ⁴⁰ And the King will answer, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brethren of mine, you did for me.’

⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you did not give me anything to eat; I was thirsty and you did not give me anything to drink; ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not welcome me; I was naked and you did not give me any clothing; I was ill and in prison and you did not visit me.’

⁴⁴ “Then they will ask him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison and not minister to you?’ ⁴⁵ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you failed to do for one of the least of these brethren of mine, you failed to do for me.’ ⁴⁶ And they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous will enter eternal life.”

The Passion and Resurrection^[cv]

Chapter 26

The Plot against Jesus.^{[cw] 1} When Jesus had finished discoursing on all these subjects, he said to his disciples, ² “In two days it will be Passover, at which time the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”

³ Meanwhile, the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled together in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas,^{[cx] 4} and they made plans to arrest Jesus by deceit and have him put to death. ⁵ However, they said, “It must not occur during the feast, or the people may begin to riot.”

A Woman of Bethany Anoints Jesus.^{[cy] 6} Now when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, ⁷ a woman came up to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive ointment and poured it over his head as he reclined at table. ⁸ When the disciples saw this, they became indignant, and they remarked, “Why this waste? ⁹ This ointment could have been sold for a considerable sum, with the money given to the poor.”

¹⁰ Jesus was aware of their attitude, and he said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has performed a good deed for me. ¹¹ The poor you will always have with you,^[cz] but you will not always have me. ¹² In pouring this ointment on my body, she has prepared me for burial. ¹³ Amen, I say to you, wherever in the whole world this gospel is proclaimed, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.”

¹⁴ Judas Betrays Jesus.^[da] Then one of the Twelve, the man called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests ¹⁵ and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver, ¹⁶ and from that moment he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.

¹⁷ The Preparations for the Passover Supper.^[db] On the first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread,^[dc] the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?” ¹⁸ He said: “Go to a certain man in the city and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My appointed time is near. I intend to celebrate the Passover at your house with my disciples.” ’ ” ¹⁹ The disciples thereupon followed Jesus’ instructions, and they prepared the Passover.

²⁰ The Treachery of Judas Foretold.^[dd] When evening came, he reclined at table with the Twelve. ²¹ And while they were eating, he said, “Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” ²² Greatly distressed on hearing this, they began to ask him, one after another, “Is it I, Lord?”

²³ He answered, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me is the one who will betray me. ²⁴ The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be better for that man if he had never been born.”

²⁵ Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said: “Is it I, Rabbi?” Jesus replied, “You have said so.”

²⁶ The Last Supper.^[de] While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after he had pronounced the blessing, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take this and eat; this is my body.” ²⁷ Then he took a cup, and after offering thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from this, all of you. ²⁸ For this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins. ²⁹ And I tell you, from now on I shall not drink this fruit of the vine until the day when I shall drink it anew with you in the kingdom of my Father.”

³⁰ And after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

³¹ Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial.^[df] Then Jesus said to them, “This very night you will all be scandalized because of me, for it is written:

³² But after I have been raised up, I shall go ahead of you to Galilee.”

³³ Peter said to him, “Even if all the others will be scandalized because of you, I will never be.” ³⁴ Jesus replied, “Amen, I say to you, this very night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.”^{[dg] 35} Peter said to him, “Even if I have to die with you, I will not deny you.” And all the other disciples said the same thing.

³⁶ The Agony in the Garden.^[dh] Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” ³⁷ He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and he began to suffer grief and anguish.

³⁸ Then he said to them, “My soul is sorrowful, even to the point of death. Remain here and keep watch with me.” ³⁹ Moving on a little farther, he threw himself prostrate on the ground in prayer, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, allow this cup to be taken from me. Yet let your will, not mine, be done.”

⁴⁰ Returning to the disciples, he found them sleeping. He said to Peter, “Could you not keep watch with me for just one hour? ⁴¹ Stay awake and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak.”

⁴² He went apart for a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.” ⁴³ Then he came back again and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.

⁴⁴ He left them there and went away again, praying for the third time in the same words as before. ⁴⁵ Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Behold, the hour has come for the Son of Man to be betrayed into the hands of sinners. ⁴⁶ Get up! Let us be going! Look, my betrayer is approaching.”

⁴⁷ Jesus Is Arrested.^[di][dj]While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him there was a large crowd of men, armed with swords and clubs, who had been sent by the chief priests and the elders of the people. ⁴⁸ Now his betrayer had agreed with them on a signal, saying, “The one I shall kiss is the man. Arrest him.” ⁴⁹ Proceeding directly to Jesus, he said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him. ⁵⁰ Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you are here to do.” Then they came forward, seized Jesus, and placed him under arrest.

⁵¹ Suddenly, one of those who were accompanying Jesus reached for his sword, drew it, and struck a servant of the high priest, slicing off his ear. ⁵² Then Jesus said to him, “Put back your sword into its place. For all who take the sword shall die by the sword. ⁵³ Do you suppose that I cannot appeal to my Father for help^[dk] and he will not immediately send me more than twelve legions of angels? ⁵⁴ But then how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”

⁵⁵ At that hour, Jesus said to the crowd, “Why are you coming forth with swords and clubs to arrest me, as though I were a bandit? Day after day I sat teaching in the temple, and you did not arrest me. ⁵⁶ But all this has taken place so that the writings of the Prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.