Bible in 90 Days

Jesus Teaches the People^(A)

5 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on ·a hill [the mountain] and sat down. His ·followers [disciples] ·came to [gathered around] him, ² and he began to teach them, saying:

¹¹ “·You are blessed [^TBlessed are you; or God will bless you] when people ·insult [mock; abuse; revile] you and ·hurt [persecute] you. They will lie and say all kinds of evil things ·about [against] you because ·you follow [^Lof] me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, because you have a great reward in heaven. ·People did the same evil things to [^LThey likewise persecuted] the prophets who lived before you.

You Are Like Salt and Light^(B)

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt ·loses its salty taste [becomes tasteless], ·it cannot [^Lhow can it…?] be made salty again. It is good for nothing, except to be thrown out and ·walked on [trampled].

¹⁴ “You are the light ·that gives light to [for; ^Lof] the world. A city that ·is built [stands; is set] on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ And people don’t light a lamp and then hide it under a ·bowl [or basket]. They put it on a lampstand so the light shines for all the people in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way let your light shine ·before others [for people to see], so that they will see ·the good things you do [^Lyour good deeds/works] and will ·praise [glorify; give honor to] your Father in heaven.

The Importance of the Law and the Prophets^(C)

¹⁷ “Don’t think that I have come to ·destroy [abolish; do away with] ·the law of Moses or the teaching of the prophets [^Lthe Law and the Prophets; ^Creferring to the OT]. I have not come to destroy them but to ·bring about what they said [fulfill/complete them]. ¹⁸ I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth ·are gone [pass away; disappear], not even ·the smallest letter [^Tone jot; ^Lone iota; ^Cthe smallest Greek letter] or the smallest ·part [stroke; ^Ttittle] of a letter will ·be lost [pass away; disappear] until everything ·has happened [is accomplished/achieved]. ¹⁹ [^LTherefore] Whoever ·refuses to obey [ignores; breaks; annuls] ·any command [^Lone of the least of these commands] and teaches other people ·not to obey that command [^Lto do likewise] will be ·the least important [^Lcalled/considered least] in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever ·obeys [keeps; practices] the commands and teaches other people to obey them will be [considered; ^Lcalled] great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ [^LFor] I tell you that ·if you are no more obedient than [^Lunless your righteousness surpasses/exceeds that of] the ·teachers of the law [scribes] and the Pharisees, you will ·never [or certainly not] enter the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus Teaches About Anger^(D)

²¹ “You have heard that it was said to ·our people long ago [our ancestors; the ancients], ‘You ·must [^Lshall] not murder [Ex. 20:13; Deut. 5:17]. Anyone who murders another will be ·judged [subject to judgment].’ ²² But I tell you, ·if you are [^Leveryone who is] angry with a brother or sister,^[a] you will be ·judged [subject to judgment]. ·If you say [^LWhoever says] ·bad things [“Fool!”; ^LRaca; ^Can Aramaic term of derision] to a brother or sister, you will be ·judged [subject/liable to judgment] by the ·council [Sanhedrin]. And if you call someone a ·fool [idiot; moron], you will be in danger of the fire of ·hell [^LGehenna; ^Ca valley outside of Jerusalem where in the OT period children were sacrificed to a pagan god; later used as a burning trash heap; a metaphor for hell].

²³ “So when you ·offer your gift to God [present your offering/sacrifice] at the altar, and you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, ²⁴ leave your ·gift [offering; sacrifice] there at the altar. Go and ·make peace [be reconciled] with that person [^Lfirst], and then come and ·offer your gift [present your offering/sacrifice].

²⁵ “If your ·enemy [opponent; adversary; accuser] is taking you to court, ·become friends [reach agreement; settle matters] quickly, ·before you go [on the way] to court. Otherwise, your ·enemy [opponent; adversary; accuser] might turn you over to the judge, and the judge might give you to the ·guard [officer; warden] to ·put [throw] you in ·jail [prison]. ²⁶ I tell you the truth, you will ·not [never; certainly not] leave there until you have paid ·everything you owe [the last penny; ^CGreek: the last quadrans; a small copper coin of very low value].

Jesus Teaches About Sexual Sin^(E)

²⁷ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You ·must [shall] not ·be guilty of [commit] adultery [Ex. 20:14; Deut. 5:18].’ ²⁸ But I tell you that if anyone looks at a woman ·and wants to sin sexually with her [lustfully; ^Lwith a desire for her], in his ·mind [heart] he has already ·done that sin [committed adultery] with her. ²⁹ If your right eye causes you to ·sin [^Lstumble], ·take [tear; gouge] it out and throw it away. [^LFor] It is better to lose one part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into ·hell [^LGehenna; v. 22]. ³⁰ If your right hand causes you to ·sin [^Lstumble], cut it off and throw it away. It is better to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into ·hell [^LGehenna; v. 22].

Jesus Teaches About Divorce^(F)

³¹ “It was also said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a written divorce ·paper [notice; certificate; Deut. 24:1].’ ³² But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife ·forces [causes; makes] her ·to be guilty of [commit] adultery. ·The only reason for a man to divorce his wife is if she has sexual relations with another man [^L…except in the case of sexual immorality]. And anyone who marries that divorced woman ·is guilty of [commits] adultery.

Make Promises Carefully

³³ “[^LAgain] You have heard that it was said to ·our people long ago [our ancestors; the ancients], ‘Don’t break your ·promises [vows; oaths], but ·keep [fulfill] the ·promises [vows; oaths] you make to the Lord [Lev. 19:12; Num. 30:2; Deut. 23:21].’ ³⁴ But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all. ·Don’t swear an oath using the name of heaven [^L…neither by heaven], because heaven is God’s throne. ³⁵ ·Don’t swear an oath using the name of the earth [^L…nor by earth], because the earth ·belongs to God [^Lis his footstool; Is. 66:1]. ·Don’t swear an oath using the name of Jerusalem […nor by Jerusalem], because it is the city of the great King [Ps. 48:2]. ³⁶ Don’t even swear by your own head, because you cannot make one hair on your head become white or black. ³⁷ ·Say only yes if you mean yes, and no if you mean no [^LLet your word “yes” be “yes”; your “no” be “no”]. ·If you say more than yes or no, it [^LAnything more than this] is from the Evil One.

Don’t Retaliate^(G)

³⁸ “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth [Ex. 21:24; Lev. 24:20; Deut. 19:21].’ ³⁹ But I tell you, don’t ·stand up against [resist; retaliate against] an evil person. If someone ·slaps [strikes] you on the right cheek [^Ceither an insult or an act of violence], turn to him the other cheek also. ⁴⁰ If someone wants to sue you in court and take your ·shirt [tunic], let him have your coat also. ⁴¹ If someone forces you to go with him one mile, go with him two miles [^Calluding to the practice of impressment, whereby a Roman soldier could command a civilian to carry his gear for a mile]. ⁴² If a person asks you for something, give it to him. Don’t ·refuse to give to [^Lturn away from] someone who wants to borrow from you.

Love All People^(H)

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy [Lev. 19:18].’ ⁴⁴ But I say to you, love your enemies. Pray for those who ·hurt [persecute] you.^{[b] 45} ·If you do this, […so that] you will be ·true children [^Lchildren; or sons] of your Father in heaven. [^LFor] He causes ·the [^Lhis] sun to rise on evil people and on good people, and he sends rain ·to those who do right and to those who do wrong [^Lon the just/righteous and the unjust/unrighteous]. ⁴⁶ [^LFor] If you love only the people who love you, ·you will get no reward [what reward is there for that?]. ·Even [^LDon’t even…?] the tax collectors do that. ⁴⁷ And if you ·are nice only to your friends [^Lgreet only your brothers; ^Cprobably meaning fellow Jews], ·you are no better than other people [^Lwhat more are you doing (than others)?]. Even ·those who don’t know God [the Gentiles; pagans] ·are nice to their friends [^Ldo the same]. ⁴⁸ ·So [Therefore] you must be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Jesus Teaches About Giving

6 “·Be careful! When you do good things, don’t do them [or Be careful not to do/parade your righteous deeds] in front of people to be ·seen [noticed] by them. If you do that, you will ·have no [lose the] reward from your Father in heaven.

² “[^LSo] When you give to the poor, don’t be like the hypocrites. They blow trumpets [^Ceither figuratively (“blow their own horn”) or literally, since trumpets sometimes announced public events] in the synagogues and on the streets so that people will see them and ·honor [admire] them. I tell you the truth, those hypocrites already have their full reward [^Cpraise from people, rather than reward from God]. ³ So when you give to the poor, don’t let ·anyone know what you are [^Lyour left hand know what your right hand is] doing. ⁴ Your giving should be done in ·secret [private]. Your Father can see what is done in ·secret [private], and he will reward you.

Jesus Teaches About Prayer^(I)

⁵ “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites. They love to stand in the synagogues and on the street corners and pray so people will ·see [notice] them. I tell you the truth, they already have their full reward. ⁶ When you pray, you should go into your [private; inner] room and close the door and pray to your Father ·who cannot be seen [or who is in that secret place; or secretly; in private]. Your Father can see what is done in ·secret [private], and he will reward you.

⁷ “And when you pray, don’t be like ·those people who don’t know God [the pagans/Gentiles/heathen]. They ·continue saying things that mean nothing [babble; repeat empty phrases], thinking ·that God will hear them [^Lthey will be heard; ^Cthe passive verb implies God as subject] because of their many words. ⁸ Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask him. ⁹ So when you pray, you should pray like this:

¹⁴ ·Yes, [For] if you forgive others for their ·sins [transgressions; failings; trespasses], your Father in heaven will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you don’t forgive others, your Father in heaven will not forgive your ·sins [transgressions; failings; trespasses].

Jesus Teaches About Worship

¹⁶ “When you fast [^Cgiving up eating for spiritual purposes], don’t put on a ·sad [gloomy; somber] face like the hypocrites. They make their faces ·look sad [disheveled; disfigured; unattractive] to show people they are fasting. I tell you the truth, those hypocrites already have their full reward [v. 2]. ¹⁷ So when you fast [v. 16], ·comb your hair [^Lput oil on/anoint your head; ^Ctypical first century grooming] and wash your face. ¹⁸ Then people will not know that you are fasting, but your Father, ·whom you cannot see [who is hidden/in secret], will see you. Your Father sees what is done in ·secret [private], and he will reward you.

God Is More Important than Money^(J)

¹⁹ “Don’t store treasures for yourselves here on earth where moths and rust will destroy them and thieves can break in and steal them. ²⁰ But store ·your [for yourselves] treasures in heaven where they cannot be destroyed by moths or rust and where thieves cannot break in and steal them. ²¹ Your heart will be where your treasure is.

²² “The eye is ·a light [^Lthe lamp] for the body. If your eyes are ·good [healthy; clear], your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eyes are ·evil [unhealthy; bad], your whole body will be full of darkness. And if the ·only light you have [or light you think you have; ^Llight in you] is really darkness, then ·you have the worst darkness [how great that darkness is!].

²⁴ “No one can serve two ·masters [lords]. The person will hate one master and love the other, or will ·follow [be devoted/loyal to] one master and ·refuse to follow [despise] the other. You cannot serve both God and ·worldly riches [money; ^Lmammon].

Don’t Worry^(K)

²⁵ “So I tell you, don’t worry about the food or drink you need to live, or about the clothes you need for your body. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothes. ²⁶ ·Look at [Consider; Think of] the birds in the air. They don’t ·plant [sow] or ·harvest [reap] or ·store food in [gather into] barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. And ·you know that you are [^Laren’t you…?] worth much more than the birds. ²⁷ ·You cannot [^LWho of you can…?] add ·any time [or one step; ^Lone cubit; ^Cabout eighteen inches] to your ·life [or height; ^Cthe Greek probably refers to time instead of stature] by worrying about it.

²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? ·Look at [Consider; Think] how the lilies in the field grow. They don’t ·work [toil] or ·make clothes for themselves [^Lspin thread]. ²⁹ But I tell you that even Solomon ·with his riches [^Lin all his glory] was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. ³⁰ ·God clothes [^LIf God clothes…?] the ·grass [wildflower] in the field, which is ·alive [here] today but tomorrow is thrown into the ·fire [^Lfurnace; oven]. ·So you can be even more sure that God will [Will he not much more…?] clothe you. ·Don’t have so little faith [or How little faith you have; ^TYou of little faith]! ³¹ Don’t worry and say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ ³² The ·people who don’t know God [Gentiles; pagans; unbelievers] ·keep trying to get [eagerly seek; run after] these things, and your Father in heaven knows you need them. ³³ ·Seek first [Be concerned above all else with] God’s kingdom and ·what God wants [^Lhis righteousness]. Then all ·your other needs will be met as well [^Lthese things will be given to you]. ³⁴ So don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will ·have its own worries [or worry about/take care of itself]. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Be Careful About Judging Others^(L)

7 “Don’t judge others, ·or you will [so that you will not] be judged. ² You will be judged in the same way that you judge others, and ·the amount you give to others will be given to you [or the standard you use for others will be the standard used for you; ^Lwith the measure you measure, it will be measured to you].

³ “Why do you notice the ·little piece of dust [speck; tiny splinter] in your ·friend’s [^Lbrother’s (or sister’s)] eye, but you don’t ·notice [consider] the ·big piece of wood [log; plank; beam] in your own eye? ⁴ How can you say to your ·friend [^Lbrother], ‘Let me take that ·little piece of dust [speck; splinter] out of your eye’? ·Look at yourself [^TBehold]! You still have that ·big piece of wood [log; plank; beam] in your own eye. ⁵ You hypocrite! First, take the ·wood [log; plank; beam] out of your own eye. Then you will see clearly to take the ·dust [speck; splinter] out of your ·friend’s [^Lbrother’s] eye.

⁶ “Don’t give holy things to dogs, and don’t throw your pearls ·before [to] ·pigs [^Tswine]. ·Pigs will only trample on them, and dogs will turn to attack you [^LThey will trample them and turn to attack you; ^Cpigs were ritually unclean and dogs were considered scavengers].

Ask God for What You Need^(M)

⁷ “·Ask [Keep asking], and ·God will give [^Lit will be given; ^Cthe passive verb implies God as subject] to you. ·Search [Seek; Keep seeking], and you will find. ·Knock [Keep knocking], and the door will open for you. ⁸ ·Yes, [^LFor; Because] everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who ·searches [seeks] will find. And everyone who knocks will have the door opened.

⁹ “If your children ask for bread, which of you would give them a stone? ¹⁰ Or [^Lwhich of you] if your ·children ask [or son asks] for a fish, would you give them a snake? ¹¹ ·Even though you are bad, you [If you, being evil,] know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more your heavenly Father will give good things to those who ask him!

The Most Important Rule^(N)

¹² “[So always; So in everything] ·Do to others what [Treat others as] you want them to ·do to [treat] you. This ·is [sums up; is the essence of] the ·meaning of the law of Moses and the teaching of the prophets [^LLaw and the Prophets; ^Creferring to the OT].

The Way to Heaven Is Hard^(O)

¹³ “Enter through the narrow gate. [^LBecause] The gate is wide and the road is ·wide [broad; spacious; or easy] that leads to ·hell [^Ldestruction; ruin], and many people enter through that gate. ¹⁴ But the gate is small and the road is ·narrow [or difficult; hard] that leads to true life. ·Only a few people [And there are few who] find that road.

People Know You by Your Actions^(P)

¹⁵ “·Be careful of [Beware of; Watch out for] false prophets. They come to you ·looking gentle like sheep [disguised like sheep; ^Lin sheep’s clothing], but ·they are really dangerous like wolves [^Lunderneath/inwardly they are ravenous/vicious/ferocious wolves]. ¹⁶ You will know these people by ·what they do [^Ltheir fruit]. ·Grapes don’t come [^LCan you pick grapes…?] from thornbushes, ·and figs don’t come from [^Land figs from…?] ·thorny weeds [thistles]. ¹⁷ In the same way, every ·good [healthy; sound] tree produces good fruit, but a ·bad [rotten; diseased] tree produces bad fruit. ¹⁸ A ·good [healthy; sound] tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a ·bad [rotten; diseased] tree cannot produce good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ In the same way, you will know ·these false prophets [^Lthem] by ·what they do [^Ltheir fruit].

²¹ “Not all those who say [^Lto me] ·‘You are our Lord’ [^L‘Lord! Lord!’] will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do ·what my Father in heaven wants [the will of my Father in heaven]. ²² On ·the last day [judgment day; ^Lthat day] many people will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, ·we spoke for you [^LDid we not prophesy in your name…?], and ·through you we forced out demons [^Lcast out demons in your name…?] and did many ·miracles [^Lmighty works in your name…?].’ ²³ Then I will ·tell them clearly [declare to them; publicly announce to them], ‘I never knew you. ·Get away [Depart] from me, you who ·do evil [break God’s law; practice lawlessness; Ps. 6:8].’

Two Kinds of People^(Q)

²⁴ “Everyone who hears my words and ·obeys [acts on; practices] them is like a ·wise [sensible] man who built his house on rock. ²⁵ It rained hard, the ·floods came [rivers rose], and the winds blew and ·hit [beat; slammed against] that house. But it did not ·fall [collapse], because it was built on rock. ²⁶ Everyone who hears my words and does not ·obey [act on; practice] them is like a ·foolish [stupid] man who built his house on sand. ²⁷ It rained hard, the ·floods came [rivers rose], and the winds blew and ·hit [beat; slammed against] that house, and it ·fell [collapsed] with a big crash.”

²⁸ When Jesus finished ·saying these things [^Lthese words; ^Cthe end of the first of five major discourses in Matthew, all of which conclude with a similar phrase; see also 11:1; 13:53; 19:1; 26:1], the ·people [crowds] were amazed at his teaching, ²⁹ because he did not teach like their ·teachers of the law [scribes]. He taught like a person who had authority.

Jesus Heals a Sick Man^(R)

8 When Jesus came down from the ·hill [mountainside], ·great crowds [many people] followed him. ² Then a ·man with a skin disease [^Tleper; ^Cthe term does not refer to modern leprosy (Hansen’s disease), but to various skin disorders; see Lev. 14] came to Jesus. The man ·bowed down [knelt] before him and said, “Lord, you can ·heal me [^Lmake me clean; ^Csuch skin disorders rendered the victim ceremonially unclean] if you ·will [choose; are willing].”

³ Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man and said, “I ·will [do choose; am willing]. Be ·healed [^Lcleansed]!” And immediately the man was ·healed [^Lcleansed] from his disease. ⁴ Then Jesus said to him, “Don’t tell anyone about this. But go and show yourself to the priest and offer the ·gift [offering; sacrifice] Moses commanded for people who are made well [Lev. 14:1–32]. This will ·show the people [be a public testimony to; be evidence for] what I have done.”

Jesus Heals a Soldier’s Servant^(S)

⁵ When Jesus entered the city of Capernaum, an ·army officer [^Lcenturion] came to him, ·begging [pleading] for help. ⁶ The officer said, “Lord, my servant is at home in bed. He ·can’t move his body [is paralyzed] and ·is in much pain [suffering terribly].”

⁷ Jesus said to the officer, “·I will go and heal him. [or Shall I go and heal him?]”

⁸ The officer answered, “Lord [or Sir], I ·am not worthy [do not deserve] for you to come into my house. You only need to ·command it [^Lsay the word], and my servant will be healed. ⁹ [^LFor] I, too, am a man ·under the authority of others [^Lunder authority], and I have soldiers under my command. I tell one soldier, ‘Go,’ and he goes. I tell another soldier, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my ·servant [slave], ‘Do this,’ and my ·servant [slave] does it.”

¹⁰ When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. He said to those who were following him, “I tell you the truth, ·this is the greatest faith I have found [^LI haven’t found such faith], ·even in Israel [or in all Israel]. ¹¹ Many people will come from the east and from the west and will ·sit and eat [^Lrecline; ^Cthe posture for a banquet or dinner party] with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven [^Cthe messianic banquet, a metaphor for God’s restoration of creation; Is. 25:6–8]. ¹² But ·those people who should be in [the heirs of; or the subjects of; ^Lthe sons of] the kingdom will be thrown ·outside into the darkness [into the outer darkness], where ·people will cry and grind their teeth with pain [^Lthere will be weeping and gnashing of teeth; ^Cmetaphors for agony and torment].”

¹³ Then Jesus said to the ·officer [^Lcenturion], “Go home. ·Your servant will be healed just as you believed he would [^LLet it be done for you just as you have believed].” And his servant was healed that ·same hour [exact time].

Jesus Heals Many People^(T)

¹⁴ When Jesus went to Peter’s house, he saw that Peter’s mother-in-law was ·sick in bed [lying down] with a fever. ¹⁵ Jesus touched her hand, and the fever left her. Then she stood up and began ·to serve [waiting on] Jesus.

¹⁶ That evening people brought to Jesus many who ·had demons [were demon-possessed]. Jesus ·spoke and the demons left them [^Ldrove/cast out the demons with a word/command], and he healed all the sick. ¹⁷ He did these things to ·bring about [fulfill] what Isaiah the prophet had said:

People Want to Follow Jesus^(U)

¹⁸ When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he ·told [instructed; ordered] his ·followers [disciples] to ·go [cross] to the other side of the lake. ¹⁹ Then a ·teacher of the law [scribe] came to Jesus and said, “·Teacher [Master], I will follow you any place you go.”

²⁰ Jesus said to him, “The foxes have ·holes [dens] to live in, and the birds [^Lof the sky] have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to ·rest [lay] his head.”

²¹ Another man, one of Jesus’ ·followers [disciples], said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

²² But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the people who are dead [^Cspiritually] bury their own dead.”

Jesus Calms a Storm^(V)

²³ Jesus got into a boat, and his ·followers [disciples] ·went with [^Lfollowed] him. ²⁴ [Suddenly; ^LAnd look/^Tbehold] A ·great [fierce] storm arose on the ·lake [sea] so that waves ·covered [swept over] the boat, but Jesus was sleeping. ²⁵ His ·followers [disciples] went to him and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We ·will drown [^Lare lost/perishing]!”

²⁶ Jesus answered, “Why are you ·afraid [cowardly]? ·You don’t have enough faith [or How little faith you have!; ^TYou of little faith].” Then Jesus got up and ·gave a command to [reprimanded; rebuked] the wind and the waves, and it became completely calm [^Cparalleling God’s subduing of the waters representing chaos in the OT; Ps. 65:7; 89:9; 107:29].

²⁷ The men were amazed and said, “What kind of man is this? Even the wind and the ·waves [^Lsea] obey him!”

Jesus Heals Two Men with Demons^(W)

²⁸ When Jesus arrived at the other side of the lake in the ·area [region; territory] of the Gadarene^[d] people [^Cfrom Gadara, an area southeast of Lake Galilee; the exact location is uncertain], two ·men who had demons in them [demon-possessed men; demoniacs] came out of the ·burial caves [tombs] and met him. These men were so ·dangerous [violent; fierce] that people could not ·use the road by those caves [^Lpass that way]. ²⁹ They shouted, “·What do you want with us [or Leave us alone; What business do we have with each other?; ^LWhat to me and to you?], Son of God? Did you come here to ·torture [torment] us before the ·right time [or appointed time; ^Ltime; ^Cthe day of judgment]?”

³⁰ ·Near that place there [In the distance] was a large herd of pigs feeding. ³¹ The demons begged Jesus, “If you ·make us leave these men [^Ldrive/cast us out], please send us into that herd of pigs [^Critually unclean animals].”

³² Jesus said to them, “Go!” So the demons ·left [came out of] the men and went into the pigs. Then [^Llook; ^Tbehold] the whole herd rushed down the ·hill [steep bank; precipice] into the ·lake [sea] and ·were drowned [^Ldied in the waters]. ³³ The herdsmen ·ran away [fled] and went into town, where they told about all of this and what had happened to the ·men who had demons [demon-possessed men; demoniacs]. ³⁴ Then [^Llook; ^Tbehold] the whole town went out to ·see [meet] Jesus. When they saw him, they begged him to leave their ·area [region; territory].

Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man^(X)

9 Jesus got into a boat and went back across the ·lake [sea] to his own town. ² [^LAnd look/^Tbehold] Some people brought to Jesus a man who was paralyzed and lying on a ·mat [cot; bed]. When Jesus saw ·the faith of these people [^Ltheir faith], he said to the paralyzed man, “·Be encouraged [Have courage; Take heart], ·young man [son; child]. Your sins are forgiven.”

³ Some of the ·teachers of the law [scribes] said to themselves, “·This man speaks as if he were God. That is blasphemy [^LThis man blasphemes]!”

⁴ ·Knowing [Perceiving] their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why are you thinking evil ·thoughts [^Lin your hearts]? ⁵ [^LFor] Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to tell him, ‘Stand up and walk’? ⁶ But ·I will prove to you [^Lso that you may know] that the Son of Man [^Ca title for the Messiah; Dan. 7:13–14] has authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Stand up, ·take [pick up] your ·mat [cot; bed], and go home.” ⁷ And the man stood up and went home. ⁸ When the ·people [crowds] saw this, they were ·amazed [filled with awe; afraid] and ·praised [glorified] God for giving ·power like this [such authority] to ·human beings [mankind; ^Cthe language echoes the Son of Man title just used by Jesus (v. 6), which the crowds misunderstand to mean simply “a human being”].

Jesus Chooses Matthew^(Y)

⁹ When Jesus was ·leaving [walking along], he saw a man named Matthew sitting in the tax collector’s booth [^Cprobably a tariff booth for taxing goods in transit]. Jesus said to him, “Follow me,” and he stood up and followed Jesus.

¹⁰ As Jesus was ·having dinner [^Lreclining; ^Caround a low table; the posture for a formal banquet or dinner party] at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ·ate [^Lreclined together] with Jesus and his ·followers [disciples]. ¹¹ When the Pharisees saw this, they asked Jesus’ ·followers [disciples], “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors [^Cdespised because they worked for the Roman rulers and were notorious for corruption and extortion] and sinners?”

¹² When Jesus heard them, he said, “It is not the healthy people who need a doctor, but the sick. ¹³ Go and learn what this means: ‘I ·want [desire; require; am pleased by] ·kindness [compassion; mercy] ·more than I want [^Lnot] animal sacrifices [Hos. 6:6].’ [^LFor] I did not come to ·invite [call] ·good people [the righteous; ^Cmeaning the “self-righteous” who feel no need to repent] but to invite [call] sinners [^Cthose who recognize their need to repent].”

Jesus’ Followers Are Criticized^(Z)

¹⁴ Then the ·followers [disciples] of John [^Cthe Baptist] came to Jesus and said, “Why do we and the Pharisees often fast [^Cgiving up eating for spiritual purposes], but your ·followers [disciples] don’t?”

¹⁵ Jesus answered, “The ·friends of the bridegroom [or wedding guests; ^Lchildren of the wedding hall] ·are not sad [^Lcannot mourn] while he is with them [^CJesus is referring to himself; John 3:29; Rev. 19:7]. But the ·time [^Ldays] will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and then they will fast.

¹⁶ “No one sews a patch of unshrunk [^Cnew] cloth over a hole in an old ·coat [garment]. If he does, the patch will shrink and pull away from the ·coat [garment], making the ·hole [tear] worse. ¹⁷ Also, people never pour new wine into old ·leather bags [wineskins]. Otherwise, the ·bags [wineskins] will ·break [burst; ^Cbecause the fermenting wine expands], the wine will spill, and the ·wine bags [wineskins] will be ruined. But people always pour new wine into ·new [fresh] ·wine bags [wineskins]. Then both ·will continue to be good [are preserved].”

Jesus Gives Life to a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman^(AA)

¹⁸ While Jesus was saying these things, a ·leader of the synagogue [^Lleader; official; ruler; ^CMark 5:22 identifies him as a synagogue leader] came to him. He ·bowed down [knelt] before Jesus and said, “My daughter has just died. But if you come and lay your hand on her, she will live again.” ¹⁹ So Jesus and his ·followers [disciples] stood up and ·went with [^Lfollowed] him.

²⁰ ·Then [^LAnd look/^Tbehold,] a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years [^Cprobably a chronic menstrual disorder] came behind Jesus and touched the ·edge [or tassels; see Num. 15:38–39] of his ·coat [cloak; garment]. ²¹ [^LFor] She was thinking, “If I can just touch his clothes, I will ·be healed [get well; be saved].”

²² Jesus turned and saw the woman and said, “·Be encouraged [Have courage; Take heart], ·dear woman [^Ldaughter]. ·You are made well because you believed [Your faith has saved/healed you].” And the woman was ·healed [made well; saved] from that moment on.

²³ Jesus continued along with the ·leader [ruler; official] and went into his house. There he saw the ·funeral musicians [^Lpipe/flute players] and ·many people crying [a noisy crowd]. ²⁴ Jesus said, “·Go away [Get out; Leave]. [^LFor] The girl is not dead, only asleep.” But the people ·laughed at [ridiculed] him. ²⁵ After the crowd had been ·thrown [sent; put] out of the house, Jesus went into the girl’s room and took hold of her hand, and she ·stood up [arose]. ²⁶ The ·news [report] about this spread ·all around the area [^Lthroughout that whole land/region].

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men^(AB)

²⁷ When Jesus was leaving there, two blind men followed him. They cried out, “·Have mercy [Take pity] on us, Son of David [^Ca title for the Messiah, a descendant of King David; 2 Sam. 7:11–16]!”

²⁸ After Jesus went inside, the blind men went with him. He asked the men, “Do you believe that I can ·make you see again [^Ldo this]?”

They answered, “Yes, Lord.”

²⁹ Then Jesus touched their eyes and said, “·Because you believe [^LAccording to your faith], ·it will happen [^Llet it be done for you].” ³⁰ Then ·the men were able to see [^Ltheir eyes were opened]. But Jesus warned them strongly, saying, “·Don’t tell anyone [^LSee that no one knows] about this.” ³¹ But the blind men left and spread the news about Jesus ·all around that area [^Lthroughout that whole land/region].

Jesus Heals a Demon Possessed Man^(AC)

³² When the two men were leaving, [^Llook; behold] some people brought to Jesus ·another man who could not talk because he had a demon in him [a mute, demon-possessed man]. ³³ After Jesus ·forced the demon to leave the man [drove/cast out the demon], he ·was able [began] to speak. The crowd was amazed and said, “·We have never seen anything like this [^LNothing like this has ever been seen/happened] in Israel.”

³⁴ But the Pharisees said, “He forces [drives; casts] demons out by the power of the ·prince [ruler] of demons.”

The Harvest Is Great^(AD)

³⁵ Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, ·preaching [proclaiming] the ·Good News [Gospel] about the kingdom, and healing all kinds of diseases and sicknesses. ³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he ·felt sorry [had compassion] for them because they were ·hurting [distressed; confused; harassed] and ·helpless [discouraged; dejected], like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Jesus said to his ·followers [disciples], “·There are many people to harvest [^LThe harvest is great/large] but ·there are only a few workers [the workers/laborers are few]. ³⁸ So pray to the Lord ·who owns [who is in charge of; ^Lof] the harvest, that he will send more ·workers [laborers] ·to gather [^Linto] his harvest.”

Jesus Sends Out His Apostles^(AE)

10 Jesus called his twelve ·followers [disciples] together and gave them authority to drive [force; cast] out ·evil [defiling; ^Lunclean] spirits and to heal every kind of disease and sickness. ² These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (also called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; ³ Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew, the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; ⁴ Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who ·turned against [betrayed] Jesus.

⁵ Jesus sent out these twelve men with the following ·order [instructions]: “Don’t go ·to [^Lon the way/road of] the ·Gentiles [non-Jewish people] or ·to [^Lenter] any town where the Samaritans live. ⁶ But go to the ·people of Israel, who are like lost sheep [^Llost sheep of the house of Israel]. ⁷ When you go, ·preach [announce; proclaim] this: ‘The kingdom of heaven is ·near [at hand].’ ⁸ Heal the sick, raise the dead to life again, ·heal [^Lcleanse] ·those who have skin diseases [^Tthe lepers; see 8:2], and ·force demons out of people [^Lcast out demons]. ·I give you these powers freely, so help other people freely [^LFreely you have received, freely give]. ⁹ Don’t ·carry [or acquire] any money ·with you [^Lin your belts]—gold or silver or copper. ¹⁰ Don’t carry a ·bag [traveler’s bag; or beggar’s purse] or ·extra clothes [^Ltwo tunics] or sandals or a ·walking stick [staff]. Workers ·should be given what they need [deserve to be supported; ^Ldeserve their food/sustenance].

¹¹ “When you enter a city or town, ·find [seek out] some ·worthy [honorable; respected] person there and stay in that home until you leave. ¹² When you enter that home, ·give it your blessing [^Lgreet it; ^Ctypically, “Peace be with you”; see Luke 10:5]. ¹³ If the ·people there welcome you [^Lhouse is worthy], let your peace ·stay there [^Lcome upon it]. But if ·they don’t welcome you [^Lit is not worthy], ·take back the peace you wished for them [^Llet your peace return to you]. ¹⁴ And if ·a home or town [^Lanyone] refuses to welcome you or ·listen to you [heed your words/message], leave that ·place [^Lhome or town] and shake its dust off your feet [^Cin protest and as a warning of judgment]. ¹⁵ I tell you the truth, on the judgment day it will be ·better [more bearable/tolerable] for the ·towns [^Lland] of Sodom and Gomorrah [^Cevil cities destroyed by God; Gen. 19] than for the people of that town.

Jesus Warns His Apostles^(AF)

¹⁶ “·Listen [^LLook; ^TBehold], I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. So be as ·clever [wise; shrewd; cunning] as ·snakes [serpents] and as ·innocent [harmless] as doves. ¹⁷ ·Be careful of [Beware of; Watch out for] people, because they will ·arrest you and take you to court [hand you over to the courts/councils; ^Clocal councils associated with Jewish synagogues] and ·whip [flog; scourge] you in their synagogues. ¹⁸ ·Because of me [On my account; For my sake] you will be taken to stand before governors and kings, ·and you will tell them and the Gentiles about me [^Las a witness/testimony to them and to the Gentiles]. ¹⁹ When you are arrested, don’t worry about what to say or how to say it. [^LFor] At that time you will be given the things to say. ²⁰ It will not really be you speaking but the Spirit of your Father speaking ·through [in] you.

²¹ “Brothers will ·give [betray; hand over] their own brothers to ·be killed [death], and fathers will give their own children to ·be killed [death]. Children will ·fight [rebel; rise up] against their own parents and have them put to death. ²² All people will hate you because ·you follow me [^Lof my name], but those people who ·keep their faith [endure; stand firm; persevere] until the end will be saved. ²³ When you are ·treated badly [persecuted] in one city, ·run [flee] to ·another city [the next]. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through all the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes [Dan. 7:13–14].

²⁴ “A ·student [disciple; follower] is not ·better than [superior to; ^Labove] his teacher, and a ·servant [slave] is not ·better than [superior to; ^Labove] his ·master [lord]. ²⁵ ·A student should be satisfied [^LIt is enough for a student/disciple/follower] to become like his teacher; ·a servant should be satisfied to become [^Land a servant/slave] like his master. If the head of the family [^Chere referring to Jesus] is called Beelzebul [^Canother name for Satan], ·then the other members of the family will be called worse names [^Lhow much more the members of his household]!

Fear God, Not People^(AG)

²⁶ “So don’t be afraid of those people, because everything that is ·hidden [concealed; covered up] will be ·shown [revealed; uncovered; disclosed]. Everything that is ·secret [hidden] will be made ·known [clear]. ²⁷ I tell you these things in the dark, but I want you to tell them in the ·light [daylight]. What you hear whispered in your ear you should ·shout [proclaim] from the housetops. ²⁸ Don’t be afraid of people, who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul. The only one you should fear is the one who can destroy [^Lboth] the soul and the body in ·hell [^LGehenna; 5:22]. ²⁹ Two sparrows are sold [^LAre not two sparrows sold…?] for only a penny [^CGreek: assarion; a copper coin of very low value], but not even one of them can ·die [^Lfall to the ground] ·without your Father’s knowing it [or apart from your Father’s will]. ³⁰ God even ·knows [numbers; counts] how many hairs are on your head. ³¹ So don’t be afraid. You are ·worth much more [more valuable] than many sparrows.

³² “All those who ·stand before others and say they believe in me [^Lconfess/acknowledge me before people], I will ·say before my Father in heaven that they belong to me [^Lconfess/acknowledge them before my Father in heaven]. ³³ But all who ·stand before others and say they do not believe in me [^Ldeny/disown me before people] I will ·say before my Father in heaven that they do not belong to me [^Lalso deny/disown them before my Father in heaven].

Divisions Within Households^(AH)

³⁴ “Don’t ·think [suppose] that I came to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵ [^LFor] I have come ·so that

Conditions and Rewards of Discipleship^(AI)

³⁷ “·Those who love [^LThe one who loves…] their father or mother more than they love me are not worthy ·to be my followers [^Lof me]. Those who love their son or daughter more than they love me are not worthy ·to be my followers [^Lof me]. ³⁸ Whoever ·is not willing to carry the [^Ldoes not take up his] cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ³⁹ Those who ·try to hold on to [cling to; seek to preserve; ^Lfind] their lives will ·give up true life [lose them]. Those who ·give up [lose] their lives for ·me [my sake] will ·hold on to true life [^Lfind them]. ⁴⁰ Whoever ·accepts [receives; welcomes] you also ·accepts [receives; welcomes] me, and whoever ·accepts [receives; welcomes] me also ·accepts [receives; welcomes] the One who sent me. ⁴¹ Whoever ·accepts [receives; welcomes] a prophet ·because he is a prophet [^Lin the name of a prophet] will receive the ·reward of [same reward as] a prophet. And whoever ·accepts [receives; welcomes] a ·good [righteous; upright] person because that person is ·good [righteous; upright] will receive the ·reward of [same reward as] a ·good [righteous; upright] person. ⁴² Those who give one of these little ones [even; so much as] a cup of cold water because they are my ·followers [disciples] will ·truly get [^Lcertainly not lose] their reward.”

Jesus and John the Baptist^(AJ)

11 After Jesus finished ·telling these things to [instructing; see 7:28] his twelve ·followers [disciples], he left there and went to ·the towns in Galilee [^Ltheir towns] to teach and preach.

² John the Baptist was in prison, but he heard about ·what Christ was doing [or the deeds/actions of the Messiah]. So John sent some of his ·followers [disciples] to Jesus. ³ They asked him, “Are you the ·One who is to come [Expected One; ^Cthe Messiah], or should we ·wait for [look for; expect] someone else?”

⁴ Jesus answered them, “Go ·tell [report to] John what you hear and see: ⁵ The blind can see, the ·crippled [lame] can walk, and ·people with skin diseases [^Tlepers; see 8:2] are ·healed [^Lcleansed]. The deaf can hear, the dead are raised to life, and the ·Good News [Gospel] is preached to the poor [^Csigns of God’s restoration of creation, predicted by the prophet Isaiah; Is. 29:18–19; 35:5–6; 61:1–2]. ⁶ Those who ·do not stumble in their faith [are not offended] because of me are blessed.”

⁷ As ·John’s followers [^Lthey] were leaving, Jesus began talking to the ·people [crowds] about John. Jesus said, “What did you go out into the ·desert [wilderness] to see? A reed ·blown by [shaken by; swaying in] the wind [^Ca metaphor for something weak or wavering]? ⁸ What did you go out to see? A man dressed in ·fine [expensive] clothes? No, those who wear ·fine [expensive; ^Lsoft] clothes ·live [are found] in kings’ ·palaces [houses]. ⁹ So why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, and I tell you, John is more than a prophet. ¹⁰ This was written about him:

¹¹ I tell you the truth, John the Baptist is greater than any other person ·ever born [^Lborn to women], but even the least important person in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John [^Cbecause John prepares for, but does not fully participate in the blessings of the kingdom]. ¹² ·Since the time [^LFrom the days] John the Baptist came until now, the kingdom of heaven has been ·going forward in strength [advancing forcefully; or subject to violence; suffering violent attacks], and ·forceful [or violent] people have been trying to ·take it by force [lay hold of it; or attack it]. ¹³ All the prophets and the law of Moses ·told about what would happen [^Lprophesied] until ·the time John came [^LJohn]. ¹⁴ And if you ·will believe what they said, you will believe that John is Elijah [^Lare willing to accept it, he is Elijah], whom they said would come. ¹⁵ ·Let those with ears use them and listen[^LThe one who has ears to hear, let him hear]!

¹⁶ “·What can I say about the people of this time? What are they like? [^LTo what shall I compare this generation?] They are like children sitting in the marketplace, who call out to each other,

¹⁸ [^LFor] John came and did not eat or drink like other people. So people say, ‘He ·has [is possessed by] a demon.’ ¹⁹ The Son of Man came, eating and drinking, and people say, ‘Look at him! ·He eats too much and drinks too much wine [^LHe’s a glutton and a drunkard], and he is a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is ·proved to be right [vindicated] by ·what she does [or its deeds/actions/results; ^CWisdom is personified as a woman (Prov. 8), her “children” being those who respond favorably to the message of John and Jesus].”

Jesus Warns Unbelievers^(AK)

²⁰ Then Jesus began to ·criticize [denounce; reproach] the cities where he did ·most [so many] of his ·miracles [powerful deeds], because the people did not ·change their lives and stop sinning [repent]. ²¹ He said, “·How terrible for [^LWoe to] you, Korazin! ·How terrible for [^LWoe to] you, Bethsaida! If the same ·miracles [powerful deeds] ·I did [^Lthat occurred] in you had happened in Tyre and Sidon [^Ccities in Phoenicia notorious for their wickedness], those people would have ·changed their lives [repented] a long time ago. ·They would have worn rough cloth and put ashes on themselves to show they had changed [^L…in sackcloth/burlap and ashes; ^Csigns of sorrow and deep remorse]. ²² But I tell you, on the judgment day it will be ·better [more bearable/tolerable] for Tyre and Sidon than for you. ²³ And you, Capernaum [^Ca town in Galilee where Jesus lived and ministered], will you be ·lifted up to [honored/exalted in] heaven? No! you will be thrown down to ·the depths [the place of the dead; ^LHades; Is. 14:13, 15]. If the ·miracles [powerful deeds] ·I did [^Lthat occurred] in you had happened in Sodom [^Ca city God destroyed because the people were so evil; Gen. 19], it would ·still be a city [^Lhave remained until] today [^Cbecause its people would have repented and judgment averted]. ²⁴ But I tell you, on the judgment day it will be ·better [more bearable/tolerable] for [^Lthe region/land of] Sodom than for you.”

Jesus Offers Rest to People^(AL)

²⁵ At that time Jesus said, “I ·praise [bless; thank; acknowledge] you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the people who are wise and ·smart [learned; intelligent]. But you have ·shown [revealed] them to ·those who are like little children [^Llittle children; infants; ^Cthose with a childlike faith]. ²⁶ Yes, Father, [^Lbecause] this is what ·you really wanted [pleased you].

²⁷ “My Father has ·given [entrusted/committed to] me all things. No one knows the Son, except the Father. And no one knows the Father, except the Son and those whom the Son ·chooses [desires; intends] to ·tell [reveal it].

²⁸ “Come to me, all of you who are ·tired [weary] and ·have heavy loads [overburdened; ^Theavy-laden] and I will give you rest. ²⁹ ·Accept my teachings [^LTake my yoke upon you] and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in ·spirit [heart], and you will find rest for your ·lives [souls; Jer. 6:16]. ³⁰ ·The burden that I ask you to accept [^L…because my yoke] is easy; ·the load I give you to carry [^Land my burden] is light.”

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath^(AM)

12 At that time Jesus was walking through some fields of grain on a Sabbath day. His ·followers [disciples] were hungry, so they began to pick the grain and eat it [Deut. 23:25]. ² When the Pharisees saw this, they said to Jesus, “Look! Your ·followers [disciples] are doing what is ·unlawful to do [forbidden] on the Sabbath day.” [^CGleaning was viewed as work, and therefore forbidden on the Sabbath; Ex. 34:21.]

³ Jesus answered, “Have you not read what David did when he and ·the people with him [his companions] were hungry? ⁴ He went into God’s house, and he and ·those with him [his companions] ate the ·holy bread [consecrated bread; ^Lbread of presentation], which was ·lawful [allowed] only for priests to eat [Ex. 25:30; Lev. 24:5–9]. ⁵ And have you not read in the ·law of Moses [^LLaw] that on every Sabbath day the priests in the Temple ·break this law about [violate; desecrate; profane] the Sabbath day [^Cby working when they offer sacrifices]? But the priests are ·not wrong for doing that [^Linnocent; not guilty]. ⁶ I tell you that there is ·something [or someone; ^Cmay refer to Jesus himself or to the arrival of the kingdom] here that is greater than the Temple. ⁷ The Scripture says, ‘I want ·kindness more than I want animal sacrifices [^Lmercy and not sacrifice; Hos. 6:6].’ If you ·understood [had known] what these words mean, you would not have ·judged those who have done nothing wrong [condemned the innocent/guiltless].

⁸ “·So [For] the Son of Man is ·Lord [Master] of the Sabbath day.”

Jesus Heals a Man’s Hand^(AN)

⁹ Jesus left there and went into their synagogue, ¹⁰ ·where [^Land look/^Tbehold] there was a man with a ·crippled [paralyzed; deformed; shriveled] hand. They were looking for a reason to ·accuse [bring charges against] Jesus, so they asked him, “Is it ·right [lawful] to ·heal [cure] on the Sabbath day?”

¹¹ Jesus answered, “If any of you has a sheep, and it falls into a ·ditch [pit; hole] on the Sabbath day, ·you will [would you not…?] ·help [^Lgrab it and lift] it out of the ditch. ¹² ·Surely a human being is more important [^LHow much better is a person] than a sheep. So it is ·lawful [permitted] to do ·good things [good] on the Sabbath day.”

¹³ Then Jesus said to the man, “·Hold [Stretch] out your hand.” The man ·held [stretched] out his hand, and it ·became well again [was restored], ·like [^Las healthy as] the other hand. ¹⁴ But the Pharisees left and ·made plans [plotted; conspired] to ·kill [destroy] Jesus.

Jesus Is God’s Chosen Servant^(AO)

¹⁵ Jesus knew ·what the Pharisees were doing [^Lthis], so he left that place. ·Many people [Large crowds] followed him, and he healed all who were sick. ¹⁶ But Jesus warned the people not to ·tell who he was [make him known]. ¹⁷ He did these things to ·bring about [fulfill] what Isaiah the prophet had said:

Jesus’ Power Is from God^(AP)

²² Then some people brought to Jesus a man who was blind and ·could not talk [mute], because he ·had a demon [was demon-possessed/demonized]. Jesus healed the man so that he could talk and see. ²³ All the people were amazed and said, “Perhaps this man is the Son of David [^Ca title for the Messiah, a descendant of King David; 2 Sam. 7:11–16]!”

²⁴ When the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man uses the power of Beelzebul [^Canother name for Satan], the ruler of demons, to ·force [drive; cast] demons out of people.”

²⁵ Jesus knew what the Pharisees were thinking, so he said to them, “Every kingdom that is ·divided against [at war with] itself ·will be destroyed [is doomed/headed for ruin]. And any city or ·family [^Lhouse] that is ·divided against [at war with] itself will not ·continue [survive; stand]. ²⁶ And if Satan ·forces out himself [^Ldrives/casts out Satan], then Satan is ·divided against [at war with] himself, and ·his kingdom will not continue [^Lhow will his kingdom stand?]. ²⁷ You say that I use the power of Beelzebul [v. 24] to ·force [drive; cast] out demons. If that is true, then what power do your ·people [own exorcists; followers; ^Lsons] use to ·force [drive; force] out demons? So they will be your judges. ²⁸ But if I use the power of God’s Spirit to ·force [drive; cast] out demons, then the kingdom of God has ·come to you [arrived among you; or overtaken you; caught you unaware].

²⁹ “·If anyone wants to [^LOr how can anyone…?] enter a strong person’s house and ·steal [seize; plunder] his things, he must first ·tie up [bind] the strong person. Then he can ·steal [seize; plunder] the things from the house. [^CSatan is the strong man and his possessions are the people Jesus is freeing from Satan’s power.]

The Sin Against the Holy Spirit^(AQ)

³⁰ “Whoever is not with me is against me. Whoever does not ·work [gather] with me ·is working against me [scatters; ^Cprobably a reference to gathering or scattering a flock; John 10:12]. ³¹ So I tell you, people can be forgiven for every sin and ·everything they say against God [blasphemy]. But whoever ·speaks [blasphemes] against the ·Holy Spirit [^LSpirit] will not be forgiven. ³² Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, ·now or in the future [^Lneither in this age, nor the one to come].

People Know You by Your Words

³³ “If you want good fruit, you must ·make the tree good [grow a good/healthy tree]. If ·your tree is not good [you grow a bad/unhealthy tree], it will have bad fruit. A tree is ·known [identified; recognized] by the kind of fruit it produces. ³⁴ You ·snakes [^Tbrood/offspring of vipers]! You are evil people, so how can you say anything good? [^LFor] The mouth speaks the things that ·are in [overflow from] the heart. ³⁵ Good people ·have good things in their hearts, and so they say good things [^Lbring forth good things from the good treasure/storehouse]. But evil people ·have evil in their hearts, so they say evil things [^Lbring forth evil things from the evil treasure/storehouse]. ³⁶ And I tell you that on the judgment day people will ·be responsible [give an accounting; answer] for every ·careless [idle; thoughtless; unhelpful] ·thing [word] they have said. ³⁷ ·The words you have said will be used to judge you. Some of your words will prove you right, but some of your words will prove you guilty [^LFor by your words you will be acquitted/justified, and by your words you will be condemned].”

The People Ask for a Miracle^(AR)

³⁸ Then some of the Pharisees and ·teachers of the law [scribes] answered Jesus, saying, “Teacher, we want to see ·you work a miracle as a sign [^La sign from you].”

³⁹ Jesus answered, “Evil and sinful people [^LAn evil and adulterous/unfaithful generation] are the ones who ·want to see [seek after; ask for; demand] ·a miracle for a sign [^La sign]. But no sign will be given to them, except the sign of the prophet Jonah. ⁴⁰ [^LFor just as] Jonah was in the stomach of the ·big fish [sea monster; sea creature] for three days and three nights [Jon. 1:17]. In the same way, the Son of Man will be in the ·grave [^Lheart of the earth] three days and three nights. ⁴¹ On the judgment day the ·people [or men] from Nineveh will stand up with ·you people who live now [this generation], and they will ·show that you are guilty [condemn you]. [^LBecause] When Jonah preached to them, they ·were sorry and changed their lives [repented]. And ·I tell you that [^Llook; ^Tbehold] ·someone [or something; ^Ceither Jesus or the Kingdom of God] greater than Jonah is here. ⁴² On the judgment day, the Queen of the South will ·stand [rise] up with ·you people who live today [this generation]. She will ·show that you are guilty [condemn you], because she came from ·far away [the ends of the earth] to listen to Solomon’s wise teaching [1 Kin. 10:1–13]. And ·I tell you that [^Llook; ^Tbehold] ·someone [or something] greater than Solomon is here.

People Today Are Full of Evil^(AS)

⁴³ “When an ·evil [defiling; ^Lunclean] spirit comes out of a person, it travels through ·dry [waterless; arid] places, looking for a place to rest, but it doesn’t find it. ⁴⁴ So the spirit says, ‘I will go back to the house [^Cthe person] I left.’ When the spirit comes back, it finds the house still empty, swept clean, and ·made neat [put in order; fixed up]. ⁴⁵ Then the evil spirit goes out and brings seven other spirits even more ·evil [wicked] than it is, and they go in and live there. So ·the person has even more trouble than before [^Lthe last state of that person is worse than the first]. ·It is the same way [^LSo it will be] with ·the evil people who live today [this evil generation].”

Jesus’ True Family^(AT)

⁴⁶ While Jesus was talking to the ·people [crowds], [^Llook; ^Tbehold] his mother and ·brothers [or brothers and sisters; ^Cthe Greek word can mean “siblings”] stood outside, ·trying to find a way [seeking; asking] to talk to him. ⁴⁷ Someone told Jesus, “[^LLook; ^TBehold] Your mother and brothers [and sisters] are standing outside, ·and they want [seeking; asking] to talk to you.”^[e]

⁴⁸ He answered, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers [and sisters]?” ⁴⁹ Then he ·pointed to [or stretched out his hand toward] his ·followers [disciples] and said, “·Here are [^LLook; ^TBehold] my mother and my brothers. ⁵⁰ My true brother and sister and mother are those who do ·what my Father in heaven wants [the will of my Father in heaven].”

A Story About Planting Seed^(AU)

13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake [^Cthe Sea of Galilee]. ² Large crowds gathered around him, so he got into a boat and sat down, while the people stood on the shore. ³ Then Jesus used ·stories [parables] to teach them many things. He said: “A ·farmer [sower] went out to ·plant [sow] his seed. ⁴ While he was ·planting [sowing], some seed fell ·by the road [along the path], and the birds came and ate it all up. ⁵ Some seed fell on rocky ground, where there wasn’t much dirt. That seed ·grew [sprang up] very fast, because the ground was not deep. ⁶ But when the sun rose, the plants ·dried up [were scorched and withered], because they did not have deep roots. ⁷ Some other seed fell among thorny weeds, which grew and choked the good plants. ⁸ Some other seed fell on good ground where it grew and produced ·a crop [grain]. Some plants made a hundred times more, some made sixty times more, and some made thirty times more. ⁹ ·Let those with ears use them and listen [^LThe one who has ears to hear, let him hear].”

Why Jesus Used Stories to Teach^(AV)

¹⁰ The ·followers [disciples] came to Jesus and asked, “Why do you ·use stories to teach the people [^Lspeak to them in parables]?”

¹¹ Jesus answered, “·You have been chosen [^LIt has been granted/given to you] to ·know [understand] the ·secrets [mysteries] about the kingdom of heaven, but ·others cannot know these secrets [^Lit has not been given/granted to those others]. ¹² Those who ·have understanding [^Lhave] will be given more, and they will have ·all they need [an abundance]. But those who do not ·have understanding [^Lhave], even what they have will be taken away from them. ¹³ This is why I ·use stories to teach the people [^Lspeak in parables]: [^LBecause] They ·see [look], but they don’t ·really see [perceive]. They hear, but they don’t really hear or understand. ¹⁴ ·So they show that the things Isaiah said about them are true [^LIn them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says]:

¹⁶ But ·you [^Lyour eyes] are blessed, because you see with your eyes and hear with your ears. ¹⁷ I tell you the truth, many prophets and ·good [righteous; just] people ·wanted [longed] to see the things that you now see, but they did not see them. And they ·wanted [longed] to hear the things that you now hear, but they did not hear them.

Jesus Explains the Seed Story^(AW)

¹⁸ “So listen to the ·meaning of that story about the farmer [parable of the sower]. ¹⁹ What is the seed that fell ·by the road [along the path]? That seed is like ·the person [anyone] who hears the ·message [word; teaching] about the kingdom but does not understand it. The Evil One comes and ·takes away [snatches] what was ·planted [sown] in that person’s heart. ²⁰ And what is the seed ·that fell [sown] on rocky ground? That seed is like the person who hears the ·teaching [word; message] and quickly ·accepts [receives] it with joy. ²¹ But ·he does not let the teaching go deep into his life, so [^Lsince he has no root in himself] ·he keeps it only a short time [he does not endure; it is shortlived]. When trouble or persecution comes because of the ·teaching he accepted [word, message], he ·quickly [immediately] ·gives up [falls away; stumbles]. ²² And what is the seed ·that fell [sown] among the thorny weeds? That seed is like the person who hears the ·teaching [word; message] but lets worries about this ·life [world; age] and the ·temptation [deceitfulness; seduction] of wealth ·stop that teaching from growing [^Lchoke the word/message]. So the teaching does not produce fruit in that person’s life. ²³ But what is the seed ·that fell [sown] on the good ground? That seed is like the person who hears the teaching and understands it. That person grows and produces ·fruit [a crop], sometimes a hundred times more, sometimes sixty times more, and sometimes thirty times more.”

A Story About Wheat and Weeds

²⁴ Then Jesus ·told [presented to] them another ·story [parable]: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who ·planted [sowed] good seed in his field. ²⁵ That night, when everyone was asleep, his enemy came and ·planted [sowed] ·weeds [^Ttares; ^Ca noxious weed that looks like wheat] among the wheat and then left. ²⁶ Later, the wheat sprouted and the heads of grain grew, but the ·weeds [^Ttares] also ·grew [appeared]. ²⁷ Then the man’s ·servants [slaves] came to him and said, ‘[Master; Sir] ·You planted [^LDidn’t you sow…?] good seed in your field. Where did the ·weeds [^Ttares] come from?’ ²⁸ The man answered, ‘An enemy ·planted weeds [^Ldid this].’ The ·servants [slaves] asked, ‘Do you want us to ·pull up the weeds [^Lgo and gather them]?’ ²⁹ The man answered, ‘No, because when you ·pull up [gather] the ·weeds [^Ttares], you might also ·pull up [uproot] the wheat. ³⁰ Let ·the weeds and the wheat [^Lboth] grow together until the harvest time. At harvest time I will tell the ·workers [reapers], “First gather the ·weeds [^Ttares] and tie them ·together [in bundles] to be burned. Then gather the wheat and bring it to my barn.”’”

Stories of Mustard Seed and Yeast^(AX)

³¹ Then Jesus ·told [presented to them] another ·story [parable]: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man ·planted [sowed] in his field. ³² That seed is the smallest of all seeds [^Cthe mustard seed was the smallest seed known to Jesus’ hearers], but when it grows, it is one of the largest garden plants. It becomes ·big enough [^La tree] for the ·wild birds [^Lbirds of the sky] to come and build nests in its branches.”

³³ Then Jesus told another ·story [parable]: “The kingdom of heaven is like ·yeast [leaven] that a woman took and ·hid [mixed] in a large tub [^CGreek: three sata; about fifty pounds] of flour until ·it made all the dough rise [^Lthe whole was leavened; Luke 13:20–21].”

³⁴ Jesus used ·stories [parables] to tell all these things to the people; he ·always used stories to teach them [^Ldid not speak to them without parables; Mark 4:33–34]. ³⁵ This ·is as [fulfills what] the prophet said:

Jesus Explains About the Weeds

³⁶ Then Jesus left the crowd and went into the house. His ·followers [disciples] came to him and said, “Explain to us the meaning of the ·story [parable] about the ·weeds [^Ttares] in the field.”

³⁷ Jesus answered, “The man who ·planted [sowed] the good seed in the field is the Son of Man. ³⁸ The field is the world, and the good seed are ·all of God’s children who belong to the kingdom [^Lthe children/sons of the kingdom]. The ·weeds [^Ttares] are ·those people who belong to the Evil One [^Lthe children/sons of the Evil One]. ³⁹ And the enemy who ·planted [sowed] the bad seed is the devil. The harvest time is the end of the age, and the ·workers who gather [harvesters; reapers] are God’s angels.

⁴⁰ “Just as the ·weeds [^Ttares] are ·pulled up [gathered] and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. ⁴¹ The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will ·gather [remove; weed] out of his kingdom ·all who [or all things that] ·cause sin [^Tare stumbling blocks] and all who ·do evil [break God’s law]. ⁴² The angels will throw them into the blazing furnace [Dan. 3:6], where ·the people will cry and grind their teeth with pain [^Lthere will be weeping and gnashing of teeth; ^Cindicating agony and remorse]. ⁴³ Then the ·good people [righteous] will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father [Dan. 12:3]. ·Let those with ears use them and listen [^LThe one who has ears to hear, let him hear.].

Stories of a Treasure and a Pearl

⁴⁴ “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. One day a man found the treasure, and then he hid it in the field again. He was so ·happy [joyful; excited] that he went and sold everything he owned to buy that field.

⁴⁵ “Also, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. ⁴⁶ When he found a very valuable pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it.

A Story of a Fishing Net

⁴⁷ “Also, the kingdom of heaven is like a ·net [dragnet; ^Ca net dragged between two boats, or between a boat and the shore] that was put into the ·lake [sea] and caught many different kinds of fish. ⁴⁸ When it was full, the fishermen pulled the net to the shore. They sat down and put all the good fish in baskets and threw away the ·bad [worthless] fish. ⁴⁹ It will be this way at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the evil people from the ·good [righteous] people. ⁵⁰ The angels will throw the evil people into the blazing furnace [Dan. 3:11, 19–30], where ·people will cry and grind their teeth with pain [^Lthere will be weeping and gnashing of teeth; v. 42].”

⁵¹ Jesus asked his ·followers [disciples], “Do you understand all these things?”

They answered, “Yes.”

⁵² Then Jesus said to them, “So every ·teacher of the law [scribe] who has ·been taught about [become a disciple of] the kingdom of heaven is like the ·owner [head] of a house. He brings out both new things and old things ·he has saved [^Lfrom his treasure/storeroom; ^Cknowledge of the Old Testament provides insight into Jesus’ “new” message of the kingdom of God].”

Jesus Goes to His Hometown^(AY)

⁵³ When Jesus finished teaching [see 7:28] with these ·stories [parables], he left there. ⁵⁴ He went to his hometown [^CNazareth; 2:23; Luke 2:39] and taught the people in their synagogue, and they were ·amazed [astonished]. They said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and this power to do miracles? ⁵⁵ ·He is just [Isn’t this…?] the son of ·a [^Lthe] carpenter. ·His mother is Mary [^LIsn’t his mother called Mary…?], and his brothers are James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. ⁵⁶ And all his sisters are here with us. Where then does this man get all these things?” ⁵⁷ So the people were ·upset with [offended by] Jesus.

But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is ·honored everywhere [not dishonored] except in his hometown and in his own ·home [family; household].”

⁵⁸ So he did not do many miracles there because ·they had no faith [of their unbelief].

How John the Baptist Was Killed^(AZ)

14 At that time Herod, the ·ruler of Galilee [^Ltetrarch; see Luke 3:1], heard the reports about Jesus. ² So he said to his servants, “·Jesus [^LThis] is John the Baptist, who has risen from the dead. That is why ·he can work these miracles [^Lmiraculous powers are at work in him].”

³ ·Sometime before this, [^LFor] Herod had arrested John, ·tied him up [chained/bound him], and put him into prison. Herod did this because of Herodias, who had been the wife of Philip, Herod’s brother. ⁴ [^LFor] John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to ·be married to Herodias [have her].” ⁵ Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the ·people [crowd], because they ·believed John was [regarded John as] a prophet.

⁶ On Herod’s birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced for Herod and his guests, and she [greatly] pleased him. ⁷ So he ·promised [announced] with ·an oath [a vow] to give her anything she ·wanted [asked]. ⁸ ·Herodias told her daughter what to ask for, so [At her mother’s urging/prompting] she said to Herod, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” ⁹ Although King Herod was very ·sad [sorry; grieved; distressed], he had made a ·promise [vow; oath], and his dinner guests had heard him. So Herod ·ordered [commanded] that what she asked for be done. ¹⁰ He sent soldiers to the prison to cut off John’s head. ¹¹ And they brought it on a platter and gave it to the girl, and she took it to her mother. ¹² John’s ·followers [disciples] came and got his ·body [corpse] and buried it. Then they went and ·told [reported it to] Jesus.

More than Five Thousand Fed^(BA)

¹³ When Jesus heard what had happened to John, he left in a boat and went to a ·lonely [isolated; deserted] place by himself. But the crowds heard about it and followed him on foot from the towns. ¹⁴ When he ·arrived [landed; came ashore], he saw a great crowd waiting. He ·felt sorry [had compassion] for them and healed those who were sick.

¹⁵ When it was evening, his ·followers [disciples] came to him and said, “·No one lives in this [This is a remote/deserted] place, and it is already late. Send the people away so they can go to the ·towns [villages] and buy food for themselves.”

¹⁶ But Jesus answered, “They don’t need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

¹⁷ They said to him, “But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish.”

¹⁸ Jesus said, “Bring ·the bread and the fish [^Lthem here] to me.” ¹⁹ Then he ·told [commanded; ordered] the people to ·sit down [recline] on the grass. He took the five loaves and the two fish and, looking to heaven, he ·thanked God for [blessed] the food. Jesus ·divided [broke] the bread and gave it to his ·followers [disciples], who gave it to the people. ²⁰ All the people ate and were satisfied. Then ·the followers [^Lthey] filled twelve baskets with the leftover pieces of food. ²¹ There were about five thousand men there who ate, not counting women and children.

Jesus Walks on the Water^(BB)

²² Immediately Jesus ·told [compelled; made] his ·followers [disciples] to get into the boat and go ahead of him ·across the lake [to the other side]. He stayed there to ·send the people home [dismiss the crowds]. ²³ After he had ·sent them away [dismissed them], he went by himself up into the ·hills [mountain] to pray. ·It was late, and [When evening/night came,] Jesus was there alone. ²⁴ By this time, the boat was already ·far away [^Lmany stadia; ^Ca stadion was about six hundred feet] from land. It was being ·hit [buffeted; beaten] by waves, because the wind was blowing against it.

²⁵ ·Between three and six o’clock in the morning [^LAnd in the fourth watch of the night], Jesus came to them, walking on the water. ²⁶ When his ·followers [disciples] saw him walking on the water, they were ·afraid [terrified]. They said, “It’s a ghost!” and cried out in fear.

²⁷ But Jesus ·quickly [immediately] spoke to them, “Have courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.”

²⁸ Peter said, “Lord, if it is really you, then ·command [tell] me to come to you on the water.”

²⁹ Jesus said, “Come.”

And Peter left the boat and walked on the water ·to [^Land came toward] Jesus. ³⁰ But when Peter saw the wind,^[f] he became ·afraid [terrified] and began to sink. He shouted, “Lord, save me!”

³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and ·caught [took hold of] Peter. Jesus said, “·Your faith is small [What little faith you have; ^TYou of little faith]. Why did you doubt?”

³² After they got into the boat, the wind ·became calm [stopped; died down]. ³³ Then those who were in the boat worshiped Jesus and said, “Truly you are the Son of God!”

Healings at Gennesaret^(BC)

³⁴ When they had crossed the lake, they came to shore at Gennesaret. ³⁵ When the ·people there [or men of that place] recognized Jesus, they ·told people [sent word] all around there that Jesus had come, and they brought all their sick to him. ³⁶ They begged Jesus to let them touch just the ·edge [or tassels; see Num. 15:38–39] of his ·coat [cloak], and all who touched it were healed.

Obey God’s Law^(BD)

15 Then some Pharisees and ·teachers of the law [scribes] came to Jesus from Jerusalem. They asked him, ² “Why don’t your ·followers [disciples] obey the ·unwritten laws which have been handed down to us [^Ltraditions of the elders]? [^LFor] They don’t wash their hands before they eat [^Ca Jewish ritual for ceremonial purity].”

³ Jesus answered, “And why do you ·refuse to obey [break; violate] God’s command ·so that you can follow your own teachings [^Lfor the sake of your traditions]? ⁴ God said, ‘Honor your father and your mother [Ex. 20:12; Deut. 5:16],’ and ‘Anyone who ·says cruel things to [speaks evil of; curses] his father or mother must be put to death [Ex. 21:17; Lev. 20:9].’ ⁵ But you say a person can tell his father or mother, ‘I have something I could use to help you, but I have ·given [dedicated; devoted] it to God already [^Ca practice known as Corban; see Mark 7:10–12].’ ⁶ You teach that person ·not to [that he need not] honor his father or his mother. You ·rejected [invalidated; canceled; nullified] ·what God said [^Lthe word of God] for the sake of your own ·rules [tradition]. ⁷ You are hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he ·said [^Lprophesied] about you:

¹⁰ After Jesus called the crowd to him, he said, “Listen and ·understand what I am saying [try to understand]. ¹¹ It is not what ·people put into their mouths [^Lgoes into the mouth] that ·makes them unclean [pollutes/defiles the person]. It is what comes out of their mouths that ·makes them unclean [pollutes/defiles the person].”

¹² Then his ·followers [disciples] came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees are ·angry [offended; shocked] because of what you said?”

¹³ Jesus answered, “Every plant that my Father in heaven has not planted himself will be pulled up by the roots. ¹⁴ ·Stay away from the Pharisees [^LLeave/Ignore them]; they are blind ·leaders [guides].^[g] And if a blind person ·leads [guides] a blind person, both will fall into a ·ditch [pit; hole].”

¹⁵ Peter said, “Explain the ·example [parable] to us.”

¹⁶ Jesus said, “·Do you still not understand [^LAre you still so dull/foolish]? ¹⁷ ·Surely you know [^LDon’t you know…?] that all the food that enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then goes ·out of the body [^Linto the sewer/latrine].” ¹⁸ But ·what people say with their mouths [^Lthe things that come out of the mouth] comes from the ·way they think [^Lthe heart]; these are the things that ·make people unclean [pollute/defiled a person]. ¹⁹ [^LFor] Out of the ·mind [heart] come evil ·thoughts [intentions; ideas], murder, adultery, sexual sins, stealing, ·lying [false witness/testimony], and ·speaking evil of others [slander; blasphemy]. ²⁰ These things make people ·unclean [polluted; defiled]; eating with unwashed hands does not make them ·unclean [polluted; defiled].”

Jesus Helps a Gentile Woman^(BE)

²¹ Jesus left that place and went to the ·area [district; region] of Tyre and Sidon [^Ccities on the coast north of Israel]. ²² A ·Canaanite [^Ca non-Jewish (Gentile) resident of Palestine (Canaan was the ancient name for Palestine)] woman from that area came to Jesus and cried out, “Lord, Son of David [^Ca title for the Messiah], have mercy on me! My daughter ·has a demon, and she is suffering very much [is tormented; ^Lis severely demon-possessed].”

²³ But Jesus did not ·answer the woman [^Lanswer her a word]. So his ·followers [disciples] came to Jesus and ·begged [asked; urged] him, “Tell the woman to go away. [^LBecause] She is following us and ·shouting [crying out].”

²⁴ Jesus answered, “·God sent me [^LI was sent] only to the lost sheep, the ·people [^Lhouse] of Israel.”

²⁵ Then the woman came to Jesus again and bowed before him and said, “Lord, help me!”

²⁶ Jesus answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and ·give [throw] it to the dogs.” [^C“Children” refers to Israel; “dogs” to the Gentiles.]

²⁷ The woman said, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”

²⁸ Then Jesus answered, “[^LO] Woman, you have great faith! ·I will do what you asked [^LLet it be done for you as you wish].” And ·at that moment [^Lfrom that hour] the woman’s daughter was healed.

Jesus Heals Many People^(BF)

²⁹ After leaving there, Jesus went along ·the shore of Lake Galilee [^Tthe Sea of Galilee]. He went up on ·a hill [or the mountain] and sat there.

³⁰ Great crowds came to Jesus, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, ·those who could not speak [the mute/deaf; ^Cthe word can refer to speech or hearing; v. 31 suggests it here means “mute”], and many others. They ·put [laid] them at Jesus’ feet, and he healed them. ³¹ The crowd was ·amazed [astonished; marveled] when they saw that ·people who could not speak before [the mute/deaf] were now able to speak. The crippled were ·made strong [well; whole]. The lame could walk, and the blind could see. And they ·praised [glorified] the God of Israel for this.

More than Four Thousand Fed^(BG)

³² Jesus called his ·followers [disciples] to him and said, “I ·feel sorry [have compassion] for these people, because they have already been with me three days, and they have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry. They might ·faint [collapse] while going home.”

³³ His ·followers [disciples] asked him, “·How [^LFrom where] can we get enough bread in this ·remote place [desolate place; desert] to feed ·all these people [^Lso great a crowd]?”

³⁴ Jesus asked, “How many loaves of bread do you have?”

They answered, “Seven, and a few small fish.”

³⁵ Jesus told the people to ·sit [recline] on the ground. ³⁶ He took the seven loaves of bread and the fish and gave thanks to God. Then he ·divided the food [^Lbroke them] and gave it to his ·followers [disciples], and they gave it to the people. ³⁷ All the people ate and were satisfied. Then his ·followers [disciples] filled seven ·baskets [large baskets; ^Ca different word than in the feeding of the five thousand; 14:20] with the leftover pieces of food. ³⁸ There were about four thousand men there who ate, besides women and children. ³⁹ After ·sending the people home [dismissing the crowds], Jesus got into the boat and went to the ·area [region] of Magadan [^Can unknown place, probably on the western shore of Lake Galilee; perhaps Magdala, the hometown of Mary Magdalene].