Bible in 90 Days

2 About that time, Augustus the Roman ruler made a law. All the people in the world must have their names written down in a book.

² This was the first time names were written in a book in this way. Quirinius was the ruler of Syria at that time.

³ Everyone went to his home town to have his name written in the book.

⁴ Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to the town of Bethlehem in Judea. This was David's town, and Joseph came from David's family line.

⁵ He went to have his name written in the book. Joseph took Mary with him. She was promised to Joseph to be his wife. She was going to have a baby.

⁶ While they were there, the time came for her baby to be born.

⁷ This was her first child, a son. She wrapped him in a cloth and laid him in a box where cows feed. There was no room for them in the house for strangers.

⁸ In the same part of the country, men were taking care of sheep. They were in the field watching their sheep at night.

⁹ An angel of the Lord came to them and a bright light from the Lord shone all around them. They were very much afraid.

¹⁰ The angel said to them, `Fear not! Listen, I bring you good news! This news will make you very glad. It is for all people.

¹¹ A saviour has been born for you today in David's town. He is Christ the Lord.

¹² This is the way you will know him. You will find a baby wrapped in a cloth, lying in a box where cows feed.'

¹³ All at once a great number of angels from heaven were with the angel. They were praising God.

¹⁴ They said, `Praise God in the highest heaven! Peace on earth and loving mercy towards all people!'

¹⁵ The angels left them and went back to heaven. The men who were taking care of the sheep said to one another `Let us go to Bethlehem and see what has happened. It is the Lord who has told us about it.'

¹⁶ They went quickly. They found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the box where cows feed.

¹⁷ When they saw the child, they told what the angel had said to them about him.

¹⁸ All those who heard them were surprised at what the shepherds had told them.

¹⁹ Mary remembered all these things and kept thinking about them.

²⁰ Then the men who were taking care of the sheep went back. They praised and thanked God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as they had been told it would be.

²¹ When the child was eight days old, it was time to circumcise him. They named him Jesus. That was the name the angel gave him before the baby began to grow inside Mary.

²² The time came when Mary was no longer unclean by the law of Moses. Joseph and Mary took Jesus to Jerusalem to bring him to the Lord.

²³ This is what is written in the law of the Lord: `Every boy who is the first child of his mother will be holy for the Lord.'

²⁴ They also came to make a sacrifice as an offering to God. The law of the Lord said, `A pair of doves or two young pigeons.'

²⁵ A man named Simeon was in Jerusalem. He was a good man and he loved God. He was watching and waiting for the one who would save Israel. The Holy Spirit was on him.

²⁶ The Holy Spirit had shown him that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

²⁷ He came into the temple, led by the Spirit. The parents brought in the child Jesus to do what the law said they should do about him.

²⁸ Then Simeon took Jesus in his arms and praised God.

²⁹ He said, `Lord, now you are letting your servant go in peace, just as you said.

³⁰ I have seen with my own eyes the one you have sent to save people.

³¹ You have made this way for all peoples to be saved.

³² He is a light which will shine for those who do not know God. He is the one who will bring praise to your people Israel.'

³³ Joseph and Mary were surprised at the things Simeon said about Jesus.

³⁴ Simeon blessed them. He said to Mary, the mother of Jesus, `He will be a sign that people do not believe in. He will make many people in Israel fall and rise.

³⁵ (Yes, a long knife will cut your heart too.) What people think will be made known.'

³⁶ Anna, a woman prophet of God, was there too. Her father's name was Phanuel. She was of the tribe of Asher. She was very old. She had been married and lived with her husband for seven years.

³⁷ Then her husband died. Now she had been alone for eighty-four years. She did not leave the temple, but worshipped day and night. She talked with God and fasted [did not eat food for a time].

³⁸ While Simeon was talking to Mary, Anna also came along and thanked God. She talked about Jesus to all the people who were waiting for the one who would set Jerusalem free.

³⁹ The parents did everything that the law of the Lord said they should do. Then they went back to Galilee to their own town, Nazareth.

⁴⁰ The child grew. He became strong and very wise. And God blessed him.

⁴¹ Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast [a special time to thank God].

⁴² When Jesus was twelve years old, they went to Jerusalem for the feast as they always did.

⁴³ After the days of the feast were finished, they started home. But the boy Jesus stayed in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it.

⁴⁴ They thought he was coming with the rest of the people. They travelled one day. Then they looked for him among their family and friends.

⁴⁵ But they did not find him. So they went back to Jerusalem and looked for him.

⁴⁶ On the third day they found him in the temple. He was sitting in front of the teachers of the law. He was listening to them and asking them questions.

⁴⁷ All who heard him were surprised at what he knew and his answers.

⁴⁸ His parents were surprised when they saw him. His mother said to him, `Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you. We have been very troubled.'

⁴⁹ He said to them, `Why did you look for me? Did you not know that I had to be in my Father's house?'

⁵⁰ They did not understand what he meant.

⁵¹ He went with them back to Nazareth and obeyed them. But his mother remembered all these things.

⁵² Jesus grew and became wiser and taller. He pleased God and also people.

3 Tiberius Caesar had been king for fifteen years. Pontius Pilate was the ruler of Judea. Herod was the ruler of Galilee. Herod's brother Philip was the ruler of Iturea and Trachonitis. Lysanias was the ruler of Abilene.

² Annas and Caiaphas were high priests. At that time God spoke to John in the desert. John was the son of Zechariah.

³ Then John went to all the country around the Jordan River. He told the people to stop doing wrong things, turn back to God and be baptised. And God would forgive them for the wrong things they did.

⁴ Isaiah, the prophet of God, wrote about him long ago in his book: `A man is calling out in the desert: "Make the way ready for the Lord. Make the road straight for him.

⁵ Every valley will be filled. Every big hill and every small hill will be cut down flat. Crooked roads will be made into straight roads. Bad roads will be made into good roads.

⁶ And all people will see that God can save." '

⁷ Many people came out to John to be baptised. He said to them, `You family of snakes! Who told you to run away from God's anger that is coming?

⁸ Do good things that will show you have stopped your wrong ways! Do not begin to say to yourselves, "We are Abraham's children. " I tell you, God can make children for Abraham from these stones.

⁹ The axe is ready to cut down the trees. Every tree that does not have good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.'

¹⁰ The people asked John, `What shall we do?'

¹¹ John answered them, `Any man who has two shirts should give one to a man who has none. Any man who has food should do the same.'

¹² Tax collectors also came to be baptised. They asked John, `Sir, what shall we do?'

¹³ He said to them, `Do not make people pay more money than you are told to.'

¹⁴ Some soldiers also asked him, `What shall we do?' He answered them `Do not force people. Do not tell lies about people. Do not want more pay than you get.'

¹⁵ The people were waiting to see what would happen. They were all asking about John. They thought that he might be the Christ, the great king promised by God long ago.

¹⁶ John said to them all, `I baptise you with water. But another person is coming. He is greater than I am. I am not good enough to untie his shoe strings. He will baptise you with the Holy spirit and with fire.

¹⁷ He has a cleaning fan in his hand and will fan his grain very clean. He will put the grain into his storehouse. But he will burn the chaff in the fire that never goes out.'

¹⁸ By these words and many other ways, he told the people the good news.

¹⁹ John told Herod the ruler that he had done wrong things. He told him he should not have his brother's wife, Herodias. He also told him about all the other wrong things he had done.

²⁰ Later on Herod did another wrong thing after all those wrong things. He put John in prison.

²¹ When all the other people had been baptised, Jesus was also baptised. While he was talking with God, the sky opened.

²² The Holy Spirit came down upon him like a dove. And a voice from the sky said, `You are my dear Son. I am very pleased with you'.

^23-38 esus was about thirty years old when he began his work. The people thought he was Joseph's son. Here are the names of Jesus' family line: Joseph, Heli, Matthat, Levi, Melchi, Janna, Joseph, Mattathiah, Amos, Nahum, Esli, Naggai, Maath, Mattathiah, Semei, Joseph, Judah, Joannas, Rhesa, Zerubbabel, Shealtiel, Neri, Melchi, Addi, Cosam, Elmodam, Er, Jose, Eliezer, Jorim, Matthat, Levi, Simeon, Judah, Joseph, Jonan, Eliakim, Melea, Menen, Mattathah, Nathan, David, Jesse, Obed, Boaz, Salmon, Nahshon, Amminadab, Ram, Hezron, Perez, Judah, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, Terah, Nahor, Serug, Reu, Peleg, Eber, Shelah, Cainan, Arphaxad, Shem, Noah, Lamech, Methuselah, Enoch, Jared, Mahalalel, Cainan, Enosh, Seth, Adam. Adam came from God.

4 Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit. He left the Jordan River, and the Spirit led him into the desert for forty days.

² The devil tried to make him do wrong. Jesus did not eat in those forty days. Then he was very hungry.

³ The devil said to him, `If you are God's Son, tell this stone to be changed into bread.'

⁴ Jesus answered him, `The holy writings say, "Man cannot live on bread only." '

⁵ The devil took Jesus to a high place where he could see all the countries of the world at one time.

⁶ He said to Jesus, `I will give you the right to rule over all these countries. They will make you great. All this has been given to me. I can give it to anyone I want.

⁷ So, if you worship and give honour to me, all will be yours.'

⁸ Jesus answered him, `The holy writings say, "You must worship the Lord your God and he is the only one you are to worship." '

⁹ The devil took Jesus to Jerusalem. He put him on a high part of the temple. He said to him, `If you are God's Son, jump down.

¹⁰ The holy writings say, "God will tell his angels to take care of you."

¹¹ And "They will hold you up in their hands so that you will not knock your foot on a stone." '

¹² Jesus answered him, `The holy writings say, "You must not test the Lord your God." '

¹³ When the devil finished all his testing, he left him for a while.

¹⁴ Jesus had the power of the Spirit when he went back to Galilee. People talked about him in all that part of the country.

¹⁵ He taught them in their meeting houses. All the people praised him.

¹⁶ He went to Nazareth where he had grown up. He went to the meeting house as he always did on the Sabbath day. He stood up to read.

¹⁷ A man gave him the book that Isaiah the prophet of God wrote long ago. He opened the book and found the place where it says,

¹⁸ `The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he chose me to tell the good news to poor people. He has sent me to tell the prisoners they can go free, and to tell the blind people they can see. He has sent me to set free those who have been wrongly held down,

¹⁹ and to tell people that the year when the Lord will help them has come.'

²⁰ Then Jesus closed the book and gave it back to the man. He sat down. Everyone in the meeting house was watching him.

²¹ He began to talk to them. He said, `You have heard what the holy writings say. They have come true today.'

²² They all began to talk about him. They were surprised to hear him say such good words. They asked, `Is not this Joseph's son?'

²³ Then Jesus said, `I know that you will say this to me "Doctor, heal yourself. We have heard what you did in Capernaum. Do the same things here in your own country." '

²⁴ And he went on to say, `I tell you the truth. No prophet of God is accepted by the people in his own country.

²⁵ `I tell you the truth. At the time of Elijah, there were many women in Israel whose husbands were dead. There was no rain for three years and six months. All over the country there was great trouble because there was no food.

²⁶ But Elijah was not sent to any of these widowed women in Israel. He was sent to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon.

²⁷ `Also while Elisha was the prophet of God, many people in Israel had leprosy [a bad skin disease]. None of them was healed. The only one who was healed was Naaman from the country of Syria.'

²⁸ When they heard this, all the people in the meeting house were very angry.

²⁹ They jumped to their feet and put Jesus out of the town. Their town was built on a hill. They took Jesus out to the top and wanted to throw him down the hill.

³⁰ But Jesus walked out between them and went away.

³¹ Jesus went to the town of Capernaum in Galilee. He taught the people there on the Sabbath day.

³² They were surprised at his teaching because he taught them as if he had the right to teach them.

³³ A man who had a bad spirit in him was in the meeting house. He called in a loud voice.

³⁴ He said, `Jesus from Nazareth! What do you want to do to us? Have you come to kill us? I know who you are. You are God's Holy Man.'

³⁵ Jesus said to him, `Be quiet! Come out of him!' The bad spirit threw the man down in front of them. He came out of the man and did not hurt him.

³⁶ All the people were very much surprised. They said to each other, `What kind of talk is this? He can make bad spirits obey him. He tells them to come out and they come out.'

³⁷ The people in all the places around Capernaum heard about him.

³⁸ Jesus left the meeting house and went to Simon's house. The mother of Simon's wife was sick with a bad fever. They asked Jesus to help her.

³⁹ He went and stood beside her. He told the fever to leave her. It left. She got up right away and began to do things for them.

⁴⁰ When the sun went down, the people brought to Jesus all who were sick in any way. He put his hands on every one of them and healed them.

⁴¹ The bad spirits also came out of many people. They called out, `You are the Son of God!' But he stopped them. He would not let them talk because they knew that he was the Christ.

⁴² The next morning Jesus went away to a place by himself. The people went to look for him. When they found him, they did not want him to leave them.

⁴³ But he said to them, `I must tell the good news to the people in other towns also. It is the news of God's kingdom. I was sent to tell this.'

⁴⁴ So he told God's word in the meeting houses in the Galilee area.

5 The people came close around Jesus to hear God's word. He was standing by Lake Gennesaret [the Sea of Galilee].

² He saw two boats by the water. The fishermen were not in their boats. They were washing their nets.

³ Jesus got into one of the boats. It was Simon's boat. Jesus asked him to put the boat out into the water a little way from the land. Then he sat down in the boat and taught the people.

⁴ When he stopped talking, he said to Simon, `Put the boat out into deep water and let down your nets to catch some fish.'

⁵ Simon answered, `Master, we worked hard all night and did not catch anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.'

⁶ When they did this, they caught many fish. Their nets were so full they were breaking.

⁷ They called their friends in the other boat to come and help them. They came. They filled both boats with so much fish, they began to go down.

⁸ When Simon Peter saw this, he kneeled down in front of Jesus. He said, `Lord, leave me because I am a bad man!'

⁹ He was very much surprised to see how many fish they had caught. All those who were with him were surprised too.

¹⁰ James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were helping Simon. They were surprised also. Jesus said to Simon, `Do not fear. From now on your work will be to catch men.'

¹¹ They brought their boats to the land. Then they left everything and went with Jesus.

¹² Jesus was in one of the cities and a man was there who had leprosy, a bad skin disease. When he saw Jesus, he bowed his face to the ground. He begged Jesus saying, `Sir, I know you can heal me if you want to.'

¹³ Jesus put out his hand and touched the man. He said, `I want you to be healed.' Right away the man was free from leprosy.

¹⁴ Jesus said to him, `Do not tell anyone about this. But go and let the priest look at you. Moses gave a law about the sacrifice you must give when you are healed. Give it to prove to the people that you are healed.'

¹⁵ But more people heard about Jesus than before. And many people gathered to hear him, and so be healed.

¹⁶ Many times Jesus went away to the desert and talked with God.

¹⁷ One day Jesus was teaching people. Pharisees and other Jewish teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every town in Galilee and Judea, and from Jerusalem. Jesus had the power of the Lord to heal the sick.

¹⁸ Some men brought a sick man on his bed. The man could not move his arms or legs. They tried to bring him in and put him in front of Jesus.

¹⁹ But they could not get in the house where Jesus was, because there were so many people. So they went up on the roof. Then through a hole in the roof they let down the bed with the sick man on it, until he was in front of Jesus.

²⁰ Jesus saw that they believed he would be healed. So he said to him, `Man, the wrong things you have done are forgiven.'

²¹ The scribes and Pharisees began to talk about this. They said, `Who is this man that is not giving respect to God? No one but God can forgive anyone for the wrong things they have done.'

²² Jesus knew what they were thinking. He said, `Why do you think these wrong things in your hearts?

²³ Which is easier, to say, "The wrong things you have done are forgiven," or to say, "Get up and walk"?

²⁴ I want you to know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive wrong things people have done.' So he said to the sick man, `I tell you, get up. Take up your bed and go home.'

²⁵ Right away the man stood up in front of them. He took up his bed and went home praising God.

²⁶ The people were all surprised and they praised God. They did not know what to think. They said, `We have seen things today that are hard to believe.'

²⁷ After this, Jesus went out. He saw a tax collector named Levi. Levi was sitting at the place where people came to pay taxes. Jesus said to him `Come with me.'

²⁸ Levi left everything. He stood up and went with Jesus.

²⁹ Levi made a big dinner at his house for Jesus. Many tax collectors and other people were sitting at the table with them.

³⁰ The Pharisees and their scribes did not like what Jesus' disciples did. They said, `Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and bad people?"

³¹ Jesus answered them, `People who are well do not need a doctor. But sick people need him.

³² I did not come to call good people. I came to call bad people to stop doing wrong things.'

³³ They said to him, `The disciples or followers of John are often fasting [not eating for a time], and they talk with God. The disciples of the Pharisees do the same. But your disciples eat and drink.'

³⁴ Then Jesus said to them, `The people at a wedding cannot be sad while the man who is married is with them.

³⁵ But the time will come when he will be taken away from them. Then they will be fasting at that time.'

³⁶ Jesus told them a short story. He said, `No one takes a piece from a new coat and sews it on an old coat. If he does, the new coat will have a hole. And the new piece will not be like the old coat.

³⁷ No one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will break the skins. The wine will be lost and the skins will be spoiled.

³⁸ New wine must be put into new skins.

³⁹ No one wants to drink new wine after he has had old wine. He says, "The old is better." '

6 Jesus was walking through the grain fields on a Sabbath day. His disciples picked some of the grain as they went along. They cleaned it by rubbing it in their hands, and ate it.

² Some of the Pharisees said, `Why do your disciples do what is not right on the Sabbath day?"

³ Jesus answered them, `Have you not read what David did? He and his men were hungry.

⁴ He went into God's house. Some bread was there for God. But David took the bread and ate it. He also gave some of it to the men who were with him. Only the priests have the right to eat that bread.'

⁵ Jesus said to them, `The Son of Man rules over the Sabbath day.'

⁶ On another Sabbath day, Jesus went into the meeting house and taught. A man was there whose right hand was thin and weak.

⁷ The scribes and Pharisees watched Jesus to see if he would heal the man on the Sabbath day. They wanted to find something wrong about Jesus.

⁸ But Jesus knew what they were thinking. He spoke to the man whose hand was thin and weak. He said, `Come and stand here in front' The man stood up.

⁹ Jesus said to them, `I ask you, is it right to do good things on the Sabbath day, or to do wrong things? Is it right to heal people so that they will live, or to let them die?'

¹⁰ He looked around at them all. Then he said to the man, `Hold out your hand.' The man did so and it was made well like the other hand.

¹¹ The Pharisees were very angry and they talked together about what they could do to Jesus.

¹² About that time Jesus went out of the city on the hill to talk with God. He talked with God all night.

¹³ In the morning he called his disciples to him. He chose twelve of them and called them apostles [special messengers].

^14-16 hey were Simon, whom Jesus called Peter, and his brother Andrew, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the freedom fighter, Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, the one who gave Jesus over to people who hated him.

¹⁷ Then Jesus came down the hill with them and stood on the flat ground. Many people came. There were many of his disciples. And there were many people from all parts of Judea, and from Jerusalem, and from the seaside of Tyre and Sidon. They came to hear him and to be healed because they were sick.

¹⁸ Some were troubled by bad spirits, and they were healed.

¹⁹ All the people wanted to touch Jesus. Power came from him and he healed them all.

²⁰ Jesus looked at his disciples and said, `God will make happy you who are poor. The kingdom of God is for you.

²¹ `God will make happy you who are hungry now. You will be filled. `God will make happy you who cry now. You will laugh.

²² `God will make you happy when people hate you, when they will not let you belong to their group, when they say wrong things about you and make your name bad. God blesses you when it is for the sake of the Son of Man.

²³ Be very happy on that day and dance for joy. God will be good to you in heaven. The fathers of these people did the same things to the prophets of God long ago.

²⁴ `But you who are rich will have trouble. You have already had your good times.

²⁵ `You who have all you want now will have trouble! You will be hungry. `You who laugh now will have trouble. You will be sad and cry.

²⁶ `When all the people praise you, you will have trouble! The fathers of these people did the same things to those who were not true prophets of God.'

²⁷ `But I say to you who hear, love your enemies. Do good things to those who hate you.

²⁸ Bless those who use bad words about you. Ask God to do good to those who trouble you.

²⁹ `If someone hits you on one side of your face, turn the other side also. `If someone takes your coat, let him have your shirt also.

³⁰ `Give to every one who begs you for something.

³¹ `Do to other people what you want them to do to you.

³² If you love those who love you, what good is there in that? Even bad people love those who love them.

³³ If you do good things to those who do good things to you, what good is there in that? Bad people do the same.

³⁴ If you lend to those who will give to you, what good is there in that? Even bad people lend to bad people, if they think they will get the same from them.

³⁵ `Love your enemies. Do good things. Lend to people and do not look to get anything back. You will be paid well. You will be sons of the Highest One. He is kind to those who do not thank him and to those who are bad.

³⁶ So be kind like your Father.'

³⁷ `Do not judge others and you will not be judged. Do not punish others, and you will not be punished. Let others go free and God will let you go free.

³⁸ Give to people and they will give to you. They will fill your cup, press it down, shake it, and let it run over. That is what they will give to you. How much you give to others is how much God will give to you.'

³⁹ Jesus also told the people a story. He said, `A blind man cannot lead a blind man. They will both fall into a hole.

⁴⁰ The one who learns is not better than his teacher. But every one who learns will be like his teacher when his teacher has finished teaching him.

⁴¹ `Why do you look at the small piece of dust in your brother's eye? And you do not see the big stick in your own eye.

⁴² How can you say to your brother, "Brother, let me take the dust out of your eye"? But you do not see the stick in your own eye. You are not true to yourselves! First take the stick out of your own eye. Then you will be able to see to take the dust out of your brother's eye.'

⁴³ `A good tree does not have bad fruit. And also, a bad tree does not have good fruit.

⁴⁴ Every kind of tree is known by its fruit. People do not pick fruit like figs from thorn trees. And they do not pick grapes from bramble bushes.

⁴⁵ A good man has stored up good things in his heart, so he says good things. A bad man has stored up wrong things in his heart, so he will say wrong things. The mouth will say what is in the heart.'

⁴⁶ `Why do you call me "Lord, Lord," but you do not do what I tell you?

⁴⁷ `A person comes to me. He hears what I say and obeys me. I will show you who he is like.

⁴⁸ He is like a man who built a house. He dug down deep in the ground and made it stand on a rock. The water in the river came up high. The water beat hard against the house. But the house did not move, because it was built on a rock.

⁴⁹ A man hears what I say but does not obey me. He is like a man who built his house on top of the ground. He did not dig down deep. The water beat hard against it and it fell with a loud noise!'

7 Jesus finished saying all these things for the people to hear. Then he went to Capernaum.

² An army officer had a servant whom he loved. The servant was sick and almost dying.

³ The officer heard of Jesus. So he sent some of the leaders of the Jews to him. He asked him to come and heal his servant.

⁴ They came to Jesus and begged him very much. They said, `He is a good man. You should come and do this for him.

⁵ He loves our people and he built the meeting house for us.'

⁶ Jesus went with them. When he came near the house, the officer sent some friends to meet him and to say, `Sir, do not trouble yourself to come further. I am not good enough to have you come into my house.

⁷ And I did not think I was good enough to come to you. Just say the word and my servant will be healed.

⁸ I myself am a man who takes orders, and I have soldiers who take orders from me. I say to one, "Go," and he goes. I say to another, "Come," and he comes. I say to my servant, "Do this," and he does it.'

⁹ Jesus was surprised when he heard this. He turned to the people who followed him. He said, `I tell you, I have not found a Jew who believes as this man does.'

¹⁰ The men who had been sent to Jesus went back into the house. They found that the servant who had been sick was well.

¹¹ Soon after that, Jesus went to the town of Nain. His disciples and many other people went with him.

¹² He came near the gate of the town. There he met people carrying out a man who had died. He was the only son of his mother. And her husband was dead too. Many people from the city were with her.

¹³ The Lord saw her. He shared in her sorrows and troubles. He said to her, `Do not cry.'

¹⁴ Jesus came and touched the thing on which the body lay. The men who were carrying it stopped walking. Jesus said, `Young man, I tell you, get up!'

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

¹⁶ Everyone was very much surprised. They praised God. They said, `A great prophet of God has come to us. God has remembered his people.'

¹⁷ The people all over Judea and all the country around it heard what Jesus had done.

¹⁸ John also heard about all these things from his disciples.

¹⁹ He called two of them and sent them to Jesus. He asked, `Are you the One who is to come? Or shall we wait for another person?'

²⁰ When the men came to Jesus, they said, `John the Baptizer sent us to you. He asks, "Are you the One who is to come? Or shall we wait for another person?" '

²¹ At that time Jesus healed many people who were sick or had troubles or bad spirits. He made many blind people able to see.

²² He answered John's disciples, `Go tell John what you have seen and heard. Blind people see. The lame people walk. People with leprosy are healed. People who could not hear can hear. Dead people are alive again. Poor people hear the good news.

²³ Happy is the person who is not troubled in his heart about me.'

²⁴ When John's messengers had gone away, Jesus began to talk to the people about John. He said, `What did you go out into the desert to see? Did you go out to see a tall grass moving in the wind?

²⁵ What did you go out to see? A man wearing fine clothes? People who wear fine clothes and have nice things live in kings' houses.

²⁶ What did you go out to see? A prophet of God? Yes, I tell you, and he is much more than a prophet.

²⁷ He is the one the holy writings tell about: "See, I send my messenger ahead of you. He will make the way ready for you."

²⁸ I tell you, no one has ever been born who is greater than John. And yet, the smallest one in the kingdom of God is greater than he.'

²⁹ All the people and the tax collectors praised God when they heard that. They had been baptised by John.

³⁰ But the Pharisees and teachers of the law would not follow God's way and they were not baptised by John.

³¹ Jesus asked, `What will I say that the people of today are like? What are they like?

³² They are like children who sit in the market. They call to other children. They say, "We played music for you, but you did not dance. We cried, but you did not cry."

³³ John the Baptizer came. He does not eat bread or drink wine. You say, "He has a bad spirit in him."

³⁴ The Son of Man came. He eats and drinks. You say, "This man eats and drinks too much! He is a friend of tax collectors and bad people!"

³⁵ A man is proved wise by what he has done.'

³⁶ One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to come and eat with him. So Jesus went into the Pharisee's house and sat down to eat.

³⁷ In that city was a bad woman. When she knew that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she came and brought a bottle of oil. It was oil that smelled very sweet and cost much money.

³⁸ She stood behind Jesus by his feet, and she was crying. She began to wash his feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. Then she kissed his feet and put oil on them.

³⁹ The Pharisee who had asked Jesus to his house saw this. He said to himself, `If this man were a prophet of God, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She is a bad woman.'

⁴⁰ Jesus said to him, `Simon, I have something to say to you.' And he said, `Teacher, say it.'

⁴¹ Jesus said, `There was a man who used to lend money to people. Two people owed him money. One man owed him five hundred pieces of silver money. The other owed him fifty pieces.

⁴² They could not pay the money, so he let them both free. Now which one of them will love him more?'

⁴³ Simon answered, `I would say the one he let off the most.' Jesus said, `You are right.'

⁴⁴ Then he turned towards the woman. He said to Simon, `Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me water to wash my feet. But she has washed my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.

⁴⁵ You did not kiss me. But since she came in, she has kissed my feet again and again.

⁴⁶ You did not put oil on my head. But she has put sweet smelling oil on my feet.

⁴⁷ So I tell you, she has done many wrong things, but she has been forgiven because she loved me so much. But one who has been forgiven a little loves me only a little'

⁴⁸ Jesus said to the woman, `The wrong things you have done are forgiven.'

⁴⁹ Then those who were at the table with him began to say to themselves, `Who is this man? He even forgives people for the wrong things they have done.'

⁵⁰ Jesus said to the woman, `You are saved because you believed. Go in peace.'

8 Soon after this, Jesus went through the cities and towns. He told the people God's word about the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve disciples were with him.

² Some women were also with him. They had bad spirits and had been sick. But they had been healed. One was Mary, called Magdalene. Seven bad spirits had gone out of her.

³ Another one was Joanna, the wife of Chuza, who worked for Herod. Another one was Susanna. And there were many others who gave what they could to help him.

⁴ Many people came to him from many towns. Then he told them a story.

⁵ He said, `A man went out to sow his seed. As he sowed it, some seed fell on the road. People stepped on the seed. Birds ate it.

⁶ Some seed fell on the stony ground. It grew but soon died because the place was too dry.

⁷ Some seed fell among the weeds. The weeds grew up and made the new plants die.

⁸ But some seed fell on good ground and it grew well. Those plants gave a hundred times as much grain as the man sowed.' When Jesus had said this, he called out, `Everyone who has ears to hear, listen!'

⁹ His disciples asked Jesus what this story meant.

¹⁰ He said to them, `You can learn the secret things about the kingdom of God. But other people must have stories. They will look, but they will not see. They will hear, but they will not understand.'

¹¹ `Now here is what the story means. The seed is God's word.

¹² Some seeds fell on the road. They are like the people who hear the word of God. Then the devil comes and takes the word out of their hearts. He does not want them to believe and be saved.

¹³ Some seeds fell on the stones. They are like people who are glad when they hear the word. But it does not go down deep into their hearts. They believe for a short time. But when they have trouble they stop believing.

¹⁴ Some seeds fell among the weeds. They are like people who hear the word. But they think about the things of this world. They want to get money and things to be happy in this life. As they go on in life, these things push the message out of their hearts and no good comes from them.

¹⁵ Some seeds fell on good ground. They are like people who hear the word and remember it. Their hearts are honest and good. These people keep on believing, and much good comes from them.'

¹⁶ `No person lights a lamp and covers it with a basket or puts it under a bed. But he puts it on the place for a lamp. Then people who come in can see the light.

¹⁷ Everything that is hidden will be seen. Everything that is secret will be known and come out to be seen.

¹⁸ So take care how you listen. Anyone who has something will get more. But he who does not have anything, even the little that he has will be taken away from him.'

¹⁹ The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him. They could not reach him because there were so many people around him.

²⁰ Someone told him, `Your mother and brothers are standing outside. They want to talk to you.'

²¹ But he said to them, `These people who hear the word of God and do it, they are my mother and my brothers.'

²² One day Jesus got into a boat with his disciples. He said to them, `Let us cross over to the other side of the sea.' So they started out.

²³ While they were going, Jesus was sleeping. A bad storm came on the sea. Water was coming into the boat, and they were in trouble.

²⁴ The disciples came to Jesus and woke him. They shouted, `Master! Master! We will die!' Jesus woke and said to the wind and the water, `Stop!' They stopped. Then all was quiet

²⁵ He said to the disciples, `Why do you not believe God?' They were afraid and surprised. They said to each other, `What kind of man is this? He tells the wind and the sea what to do and they obey him.'

²⁶ They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarene people. Their country is on the other side of the sea from Galilee.

²⁷ As Jesus got out of the boat a man met him from the town. He had bad spirits in him. He had not worn clothes for a long time. He did not live in a house, but among the graves.

²⁸ When he saw Jesus, he screamed loudly and bowed down in front of him. He called out loud, `Jesus, Son of the Highest One! What do you want to do to me? I beg you, do not hurt me.'

²⁹ He said this because Jesus had told the bad spirit to come out of the man. Many times the spirit had taken hold of the man. People had guarded him. They had tied him with chains and strong ropes. But he broke the chains and ropes. The bad spirit drove him into the desert.

³⁰ Jesus asked him, `What is your name?' He answered, `My name is An Army.' He said this because many bad spirits had gone into him.

³¹ The spirits begged Jesus not to send them away to the big hole that has no bottom.

³² Many pigs were feeding on the hill there. The spirits begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs. Jesus let them.

³³ The spirits came out of the man and went into the pigs. They ran fast down the steep hill into the sea. They died in the water.

³⁴ The men who cared for the pigs saw what happened. They ran and told it to the people in the town and in the country.

³⁵ The people went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus. They saw the man from whom the bad spirits had gone. He was sitting near the feet of Jesus. He had clothes on and was not crazy any more. The people were afraid.

³⁶ Those who had seen it told the people how the man had been saved from the bad spirits.

³⁷ All the people in the country around the Gadarenes asked Jesus to go away from them to some other place. They were very much afraid. So Jesus got into a boat and went back.

³⁸ The man from whom the bad spirits had gone begged to go with him. But Jesus sent him away.

³⁹ He said, `Go home and tell the people what God has done for you.' So the man went away and told the people all through the town what Jesus had done for him.

⁴⁰ When Jesus came back, the people were very glad to see him. They were all waiting for him.

⁴¹ A man named Jairus came to him. He was a ruler in the meeting house. He bowed down in front of Jesus and begged him to come to his house.

⁴² He had only one daughter She was about twelve years old. And she was dying. Many people went with Jesus and pushed against him.

⁴³ A woman among them had a sickness for twelve years. She was bleeding all the time. She had given all her money to the doctors, but no one had been able to heal her.

⁴⁴ She came behind Jesus and touched his clothes. The bleeding stopped right away.

⁴⁵ Jesus said, `Who touched me?' Everyone said, `Not I!' Peter said, `Master, the people are all around you and push you.'

⁴⁶ But Jesus said, `Someone touched me. I know that power to heal went out from me.'

⁴⁷ The woman saw that he knew about her. So she came trembling and bowed down in front of him. She told him in front of all the people why she had touched him. She told him that she had been healed right away.

⁴⁸ Jesus said to her, `Daughter, you were healed because you believed. Go and do not be troubled.'

⁴⁹ While he was still talking, a man came from the ruler's house. He said, `Your daughter has died. Do not trouble the Teacher any more.'

⁵⁰ Jesus heard it. He said, `Do not fear. Only believe and she will be healed.'

⁵¹ When Jesus came to the house, he did not let the people go in with him. The only people he let go in were Peter, John and James, and the girl's father and mother.

⁵² All the people were crying and making a lot of noise because she had died. But he said, `Do not cry. She is not dead, but sleeping.'

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

⁵⁴ He took her hand and called out, `Little girl, get up.'

⁵⁵ Her life came back and she got up right away. He told them to give her something to eat.

⁵⁶ Her parents were very much surprised. Jesus said, `Do not tell anyone what has happened.'

9 Jesus called his twelve disciples together. He gave them power over all the bad spirits, and power to heal sick people.

² He sent them out to tell people about the kingdom of God and to heal sick people.

³ He said, `Take nothing with you for your trip. Do not take a walking stick, or a bag, or food, or money. And do not take two shirts.

⁴ When you go into a certain house, stay there until you leave the town.

⁵ Some people might not take you in. When you leave that town, shake the dust off your feet. That will be a sign to them.'

⁶ The disciples left and went through the towns. They told the good news and healed people everywhere.

⁷ Herod the ruler heard about all that was happening. He did not know what to think. Some people said John the Baptizer had risen from death.

⁸ Some people said Elijah had come back. And other people said that one of the old prophets of God had risen from death.

⁹ Herod said, `I cut off John's head. Now who is this man of whom I hear such things?' He wanted to see Jesus.

¹⁰ When the apostles came back, they told Jesus all they had done. He took them away with him and they went by themselves to a town called Bethsaida.

¹¹ But the people found out and they followed him. He was glad to see them and talked to them about God's kingdom. He healed those who were sick.

¹² When it was late in the day, the twelve disciples came to him. They said, `Send the people away so they can go to the towns and the farms to sleep and get something to eat. This is a lonely place.'

¹³ But Jesus said to them, `You give them food to eat.' They said, `All we have is five loaves of bread and two fish. Shall we go and buy food for all these people?'

¹⁴ There were about five thousand men. He said to his disciples, `Tell the people to sit down in groups of fifty.'

¹⁵ They did what he said, and they made all the people sit down.

¹⁶ He took the five loaves of bread and the two fish. He looked up to heaven and thanked God for them. Then he broke the bread. He gave it to the disciples to give to the people.

¹⁷ They all ate and had enough. They picked up twelve baskets full of pieces that were left.

¹⁸ One day Jesus was alone talking to God. His disciples were there too. He asked them, `Who do people say I am?'

¹⁹ They answered, `Some people say you are John the Baptizer. Others say you are Elijah. And others say that one of the old prophets of God has risen from death.'

²⁰ Jesus said, `But who do you say I am?' Peter answered, `You are the Christ sent by God.'

²¹ Jesus said to them, `Do not tell this to anyone.'

²² Then he went on to say, `The Son of Man will have much trouble. The leaders of the people, the chief priests, and the scribes will not believe him. He will be killed. On the third day he will be raised from death.'

²³ And He said to all the people, `If anyone wants to come with me, he must leave what he himself wants to do. Every day he must take up his cross [be ready to die] and come with me.

²⁴ Anyone who tries to keep his life will lose it. And anyone who gives up his life for my sake will find it.

²⁵ What good will it do a man if he gets the whole world for himself but loses his life or spoils it?

²⁶ If anyone is ashamed of me and the things I say, the Son of man will be ashamed of that person when he comes. The Son of man will come with his holy angels and be great like his Father.

²⁷ I tell you the truth. Some people are standing here who will not die before they see the kingdom of God.'

²⁸ About eight days after saying these things, Jesus went up on a hill to talk with God. He took Peter, John, and James with him.

²⁹ As he was talking with God, he was changed. His face was different. His clothes became very white and shining.

³⁰ And then two men were talking with Jesus. They were Moses and Elijah.

³¹ Light was shining from them. They talked about his leaving this world. That would happen when he was in Jerusalem.

³² Peter and the others were very sleepy. They woke up and saw the light shining from Jesus. And they saw the two men standing with him.

³³ When the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, `Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three places here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.' Peter did not know what he was saying.

³⁴ As he said this, a cloud came over them. They were very much afraid when the cloud came around them.

³⁵ A voice in the cloud said, `This is my dear Son. Listen to him!'

³⁶ The talking stopped. Then Jesus was left alone. The disciples did not say anything. They did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.

³⁷ The next day they came down the hill. Many people met him.

³⁸ One man among them called out, `Teacher, I beg you, look at my son. He is my only child.

³⁹ A bad spirit takes hold of him and he screams. It throws him around and makes him foam at his mouth. It beats him badly and does not want to leave him.

⁴⁰ I begged your disciples to drive the bad spirit out, but they could not do it.'

⁴¹ Jesus said, `You people today do not believe. You have turned away from God. How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.'

⁴² While he was coming, the bad spirit knocked him down and threw him around. Jesus told the spirit to stop. He healed the boy and gave him back to his father.

⁴³ All the people were surprised to see that God has so much power. While the people were wondering about everything Jesus did, he talked to his disciples.

⁴⁴ He said, `Listen well to what I say. The Son of Man will be given over to men,'

⁴⁵ But they did not understand what he said. The meaning was hidden from them so they would not understand it. And they were afraid to ask him about it.

⁴⁶ The disciples started talking among themselves. They quarrelled about which of them was the greatest person.

⁴⁷ Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he took a child and put him by his side.

⁴⁸ Then he said, `If anyone takes in a child like this for my sake, he takes in me. And if anyone takes in me, he takes in the one who sent me. The one who takes the least or lowest place among you is the greatest.'

⁴⁹ John answered, `Master, we saw a man driving bad spirits out of people. He was using your name. We told him to stop because he is not one of us.'

⁵⁰ But Jesus said, `Do not stop him. Anyone who is not against you is on your side.'

⁵¹ The time was near for Jesus to be taken up to heaven. Then he started off for Jerusalem. He sent messengers ahead of him.

⁵² They went to one of the towns of the Samaritan people to get ready for him.

⁵³ But the people would not take him in because he was going to Jerusalem.

⁵⁴ When the disciples James and John saw that, they said, `Lord, do you want us to ask for fire to come down from the sky and burn them up?'

⁵⁵ But he turned and said to them, `Stop that! You do not think about what kind of spirit you are showing.

⁵⁶ The Son of Man did not come to kill people, but to save them.' And they went on to another town.

⁵⁷ As they went along on the road, a man said to him, `I will go anywhere you go.'

⁵⁸ Jesus said, `Foxes have holes to live in. Birds have nests. But the Son of Man has no place to lie down to rest.'

⁵⁹ Jesus said to another man who followed him, `Come with me.' But the man said, `Lord, let me go first and bury my father.'

⁶⁰ Jesus said to him, `Let those who are dead bury their own dead people. As for you, go and tell people about God's kingdom.'

⁶¹ Another man said to Jesus, `Sir, I will go with you. But let me go first to my home and tell them I am going.'

⁶² Jesus said to him, `Any person who starts doing something and then keeps looking back is not fit for the kingdom of God.'