Bible in 90 Days

Jesus Teaches the People

5 Jesus saw the crowds who were there. He went up on a hill and sat down. His followers came to him. ² Jesus taught the people and said:

¹¹ “People will say bad things about you and hurt you. They will lie and say all kinds of evil things about you because you follow me. But when they do these things to you, you are happy. ¹² Rejoice and be glad. You have a great reward waiting for you in heaven. People did the same evil things to the prophets who lived before you.

You Are Like Salt and Light

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its salty taste, it cannot be made salty again. It is good for nothing. It must be thrown out for people to walk on.

¹⁴ “You are the light that gives light to the world. A city that is built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ And people don’t hide a light under a bowl. They put the light on a lampstand. Then the light shines for all the people in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do. Live so that they will praise your Father in heaven.

The Importance of the Law

¹⁷ “Don’t think that I have come to destroy the law of Moses or the teaching of the prophets. I have not come to destroy their teachings but to do what they said. ¹⁸ I tell you the truth. Nothing will disappear from the law until heaven and earth are gone. The law will not lose even the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter until all has happened. ¹⁹ Whoever refuses to obey any command and teaches other people not to obey that command will be the least important in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys the law and teaches other people to obey the law will be great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ I tell you that you must do better than the teachers of the law and the Pharisees. If you are not better than they are, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus Teaches About Anger

²¹ “You have heard that it was said to our people long ago, ‘You must not murder anyone.^[a] Anyone who murders another will be judged.’ ²² But I tell you, if you are angry with your brother,^[b] you will be judged. And if you say bad things to your brother, you will be judged by the Jewish council. And if you call your brother a fool, then you will be in danger of the fire of hell.

²³ “So when you offer your gift to God at the altar, and you remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there at the altar. Go and make peace with him. Then come and offer your gift.

²⁵ “If your enemy is taking you to court, become friends with him quickly. You should do that before you go to court. If you don’t become his friend, he might turn you over to the judge. And the judge might give you to a guard to put you in jail. ²⁶ I tell you that you will not leave that jail until you have paid everything you owe.

Jesus Teaches About Adultery

²⁷ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You must not be guilty of adultery.’^{[c] 28} But I tell you that if anyone looks at a woman with lust, he has already committed adultery with her in his mind. ²⁹ If your right eye causes you to sin, then take it out and throw it away. It is better to lose one part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into hell. ³⁰ If your right hand causes you to sin, then 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.

Jesus Teaches About Divorce

³¹ “It was also said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a written divorce paper.’^{[d] 32} But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife is causing his wife to be guilty of adultery. The only reason for a man to divorce his wife is if she has been unfaithful to him. And anyone who marries that divorced woman is guilty of adultery.

Make Promises Carefully

³³ “You have heard that it was said to our people long ago, ‘When you make a promise, don’t break your promise. Keep the promises that you make to the Lord.’^{[e] 34} But I tell you, never make an oath. Don’t make an oath using the name of heaven, because heaven is God’s throne. ³⁵ Don’t make an oath using the name of the earth, because the earth belongs to God. Don’t make an oath using the name of Jerusalem, because that is the city of the great King. ³⁶ And don’t even say that your own head is proof that you will keep your oath. You cannot make one hair on your head become white or black. ³⁷ Say only ‘yes’ if you mean ‘yes,’ and say only ‘no’ if you mean ‘no.’ If you must say more than ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ it is from the Evil One.

Don’t Fight Back

³⁸ “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’^{[f] 39} But I tell you, don’t stand up against an evil person. If someone slaps you on the right cheek, then turn and let him slap the other cheek too. ⁴⁰ If someone wants to sue you in court and take your shirt, then let him have your coat too. ⁴¹ If a soldier forces you to go with him one mile, then go with him two miles. ⁴² If a person asks you for something, then give it to him. Don’t refuse to give to a person who wants to borrow from you.

Love All People

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor^[g] and hate your enemies.’ ⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you.^{[h] 45} If you do this, then you will be true sons of your Father in heaven. Your Father causes the sun to rise on good people and on bad people. Your Father sends rain to those who do good and to those who do wrong. ⁴⁶ If you love only the people who love you, then you will get no reward. Even the tax collectors do that. ⁴⁷ And if you are nice only to your friends, then you are no better than other people. Even people without God are nice to their friends. ⁴⁸ So 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 in front of people to be seen by them. If you do that, then you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

² “When you give to the poor, don’t be like the hypocrites. They blow trumpets before they give so that people will see them. They do that in the synagogues and on the streets. They want other people to honor them. I tell you the truth. Those hypocrites already have their full reward. ³ So when you give to the poor, give very secretly. Don’t let anyone know what you are doing. ⁴ Your giving should be done in secret. Your Father can see what is done in secret, and he will reward you.

Jesus Teaches About Prayer

⁵ “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites. They love to stand in the synagogues and on the street corners and pray loudly. They want people to see them pray. I tell you the truth. They already have their full reward. ⁶ When you pray, you should go into your room and close the door. Then pray to your Father who cannot be seen. Your Father can see what is done in secret, and he will reward you.

⁷ “And when you pray, don’t be like those people who don’t know God. They continue saying things that mean nothing. They think that God will hear them because of the many things they say. ⁸ Don’t be like them. Your Father knows the things you need before you ask him. ⁹ So when you pray, you should pray like this:

¹⁴ Yes, if you forgive others for the things they do wrong, then your Father in heaven will also forgive you for the things you do wrong. ¹⁵ But if you don’t forgive the wrongs of others, then your Father in heaven will not forgive the wrong things you do.

Jesus Teaches About Worship

¹⁶ “When you give up eating,^[j] don’t put on a sad face like the hypocrites. They make their faces look strange to show people that they are giving up eating. I tell you the truth, those hypocrites already have their full reward. ¹⁷ So when you give up eating, comb your hair and wash your face. ¹⁸ Then people will not know that you are giving up eating. But your Father, whom you cannot see, will see you. Your Father sees what is done in secret, and he will reward you.

God Is More Important Than Money

¹⁹ “Don’t store treasures for yourselves here on earth. Moths and rust will destroy treasures here on earth. And thieves can break into your house and steal the things you have. ²⁰ So store your treasure in heaven. The treasures in heaven cannot be destroyed by moths or rust. And thieves cannot break in and steal that treasure. ²¹ Your heart will be where your treasure is.

²² “The eye is a light for the body. If your eyes are good, then your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eyes are evil, then your whole body will be full of darkness. And if the only light you have is really darkness, then you have the worst darkness.

²⁴ “No one can be a slave to two masters. He will hate one master and love the other. Or he will follow one master and refuse to follow the other. So you cannot serve God and money at the same time.

Don’t Worry

²⁵ “So I tell you, don’t worry about the food you need to live. And don’t worry about the clothes you need for your body. Life is more important than food. And the body is more important than clothes. ²⁶ Look at the birds in the air. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns. But your heavenly Father feeds the birds. And you know that you are worth much more than the birds. ²⁷ You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it.

²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? Look at the flowers in the field. See how they grow. They don’t work or make clothes for themselves. ²⁹ But I tell you that even Solomon with his riches was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. ³⁰ God clothes the grass in the field like that. The grass is living today, but tomorrow it is thrown into the fire to be burned. So you can be even more sure that God will clothe you. Don’t have so little faith! ³¹ Don’t worry and say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ ³² All the people who don’t know God keep trying to get these things. And your Father in heaven knows that you need them. ³³ The thing you should want most is God’s kingdom and doing what God wants. Then all these other things you need will be given to you. ³⁴ So don’t worry about tomorrow. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Tomorrow will have its own worries.

Be Careful About Judging Others

7 “Don’t judge other people, and you will not be judged. ² You will be judged in the same way that you judge others. And the forgiveness you give to others will be given to you.

³ “Why do you notice the little piece of dust that is in your brother’s eye, but you don’t notice the big piece of wood that is in your own eye? ⁴ Why do you say to your brother, ‘Let me take that little piece of dust out of your eye’? Look at yourself first! You still have that big piece of wood in your own eye. ⁵ You are a hypocrite! First, take the wood out of your own eye. Then you will see clearly enough to take the dust out of your brother’s eye.

⁶ “Don’t give holy things to dogs. Don’t throw your pearls before pigs. Pigs will only trample on them. And the dogs will only turn to attack you.

Ask God for What You Need

⁷ “Continue to ask, and God will give to you. Continue to search, and you will find. Continue to knock, and the door will open for you. ⁸ Yes, everyone who continues asking will receive. He who continues searching will find. And he who continues knocking will have the door opened for him.

⁹ “What would you do if your son asks for bread? Which of you would give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if your son asks for a fish, would you give him a snake? ¹¹ Even though you are bad, you know how to give good gifts to your children. So surely your heavenly Father will give good things to those who ask him.

The Most Important Rule

¹² “Do for other people the same things you want them to do for you. This is the meaning of the law of Moses and the teaching of the prophets.

The Way to Heaven Is Hard

¹³ “Enter through the narrow gate. The road that leads to hell is a very easy road. And the gate to hell is very wide. Many people enter through that gate. ¹⁴ But the gate that opens the way to true life is very small. And the road to true life is very hard. Only a few people find that road.

People Know You by Your Actions

¹⁵ “Be careful of false prophets. They come to you and look gentle like sheep. But they are really dangerous like wolves. ¹⁶ You will know these people because of the things they do. Good things don’t come from bad people, just as grapes don’t come from thornbushes. And figs don’t come from thorny weeds. ¹⁷ In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit. And bad trees produce bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot produce bad fruit. And a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ You will know these false prophets by what they produce.

²¹ “Not everyone who says ‘You are my Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven. The only people who will enter the kingdom of heaven are those who do the things that my Father in heaven wants. ²² On the last day many people will say to me, ‘You are our Lord! We spoke for you. And through you we forced out demons and did many miracles.’ ²³ Then I will tell them clearly, ‘Get away from me, you who do evil. I never knew you.’

Two Kinds of People

²⁴ “Everyone who hears these things I say and obeys them is like a wise man. The wise man built his house on rock. ²⁵ It rained hard and the water rose. The winds blew and hit that house. But the house did not fall, because the house was built on rock. ²⁶ But the person who hears the things I teach and does not obey them is like a foolish man. The foolish man built his house on sand. ²⁷ It rained hard, the water rose, and the winds blew and hit that house. And the house fell with a big crash.”

²⁸ When Jesus finished saying these things, the people were amazed at his teaching. ²⁹ Jesus did not teach like their teachers of the law. He taught like a person who had authority.

Jesus Heals a Sick Man

8 When Jesus came down from the hill, great crowds followed him. ² Then a man sick with a harmful skin disease came to Jesus. The man bowed down before him and said, “Lord, you have the power to heal me if you want.”

³ Jesus touched the man and said, “I want to heal you. Be healed!” And immediately the man was healed from his skin disease. ⁴ Then Jesus said to him, “Don’t tell anyone about what happened. But go and show yourself to the priest.^[k] And offer the gift that Moses commanded^[l] for people who are made well. This will show people that you are healed.”

Jesus Heals a Soldier’s Servant

⁵ Jesus went to the city of Capernaum. When he entered the city, an army officer came to Jesus and begged for help. ⁶ The officer said, “Lord, my servant is at home in bed. He can’t move his body and is in much pain.”

⁷ Jesus said to the officer, “I will go and heal him.”

⁸ The officer answered, “Lord, I am not good enough for you to come into my house. All you need to do is command that my servant be healed, and he will be healed. ⁹ I myself am a man under the authority of other men. 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, ‘Do this,’ and my servant obeys me.

¹⁰ When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. He said to those who were with him, “I tell you the truth. This man has more faith than any other person I have found, even in Israel. ¹¹ Many people will come from the east and from the west. They will sit and eat with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. ¹² And those people who should have the kingdom will be thrown outside into the darkness. In that place people will cry and grind their teeth with pain.”

¹³ Then Jesus said to the officer, “Go home. Your servant will be healed just as you believed he would.” And at that same time his servant was healed.

Jesus Heals Many People

¹⁴ Jesus went to Peter’s house. There Jesus saw that Peter’s mother-in-law was in bed with a high fever. ¹⁵ Jesus touched her hand, and the fever left her. Then she stood up and began to serve Jesus.

¹⁶ That evening people brought to Jesus many who had demons. Jesus spoke and the demons left them. Jesus healed all the sick. ¹⁷ He did these things to make come true what Isaiah the prophet said:

People Want to Follow Jesus

¹⁸ When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he told his followers to go to the other side of the lake. ¹⁹ Then a teacher of the law came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, I will follow you any place you go.”

²⁰ Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes to live in. The birds have nests to live in. But the Son of Man has no place where he can rest his head.”

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

²² But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and let the people who are dead bury their own dead.”

Jesus Stops a Storm

²³ Jesus got into a boat, and his followers went with him. ²⁴ A very bad storm arose on the lake. The waves covered the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. ²⁵ The followers went to Jesus and woke him. They said, “Lord, save us! We will drown!”

²⁶ Jesus answered, “Why are you afraid? You don’t have enough faith.” Then Jesus got up and gave a command to the wind and the sea. The wind stopped, and the sea became very calm.

²⁷ The men were amazed. They said, “What kind of man is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him!”

Jesus Heals Two Men with Demons

²⁸ Jesus arrived at the other side of the lake in the country of the Gadarene^[m] people. There, two men came to Jesus. They had demons in them. These men lived in the burial caves. They were so dangerous that people could not use the road by those caves. ²⁹ The two men came to Jesus and shouted, “What do you want with us, Son of God? Did you come here to punish us before the right time?”

³⁰ Near that place there was a large herd of pigs feeding. ³¹ The demons begged Jesus, “If you make us leave these men, please send us into that herd of pigs.”

³² Jesus said to them, “Go!” So the demons left the men and went into the pigs. Then the whole herd of pigs ran down the hill into the lake and were drowned. ³³ The men who were caring for the pigs ran away and went into town. They told about all of this and what had happened to the men who had demons. ³⁴ Then the whole town went out to see Jesus. When they saw him, they begged him to leave their area.

Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man

9 Jesus got into a boat and went back across the lake to his own town. ² Some people brought to Jesus a man who was paralyzed. The man was lying on his mat. Jesus saw that these people had great faith, so he said to the paralyzed man, “Be happy, young man. Your sins are forgiven.”

³ Some of the teachers of the law heard this. They said to themselves, “This man speaks as if he were God—that is blasphemy!”^[n]

⁴ Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he said, “Why are you thinking evil thoughts? ⁵ Which is easier: to tell this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to tell him, ‘Stand up and walk’? ⁶ But I will prove to you that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Stand up. Take your mat and go home.” ⁷ And the man stood up and went home. ⁸ The people saw this and were amazed. They praised God for giving power like this to men.

Jesus Chooses Matthew

⁹ When Jesus was leaving, he saw a man named Matthew. Matthew was sitting in the tax office. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” And Matthew stood up and followed Jesus.

¹⁰ Jesus had dinner at Matthew’s house. Many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with Jesus and his followers. ¹¹ The Pharisees saw this and asked Jesus’ followers, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?”

¹² Jesus heard the Pharisees ask this. So he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor. Only the sick need a doctor. ¹³ Go and learn what this means: ‘I want faithful love more than I want animal sacrifices.’^[o] I did not come to invite good people. I came to invite sinners.”

Jesus Is Not Like Other Jews

¹⁴ Then the followers of John^[p] came to Jesus. They said to Jesus, “We and the Pharisees often give up eating.^[q] But your followers don’t. Why?”

¹⁵ Jesus answered, “The friends of the bridegroom are not sad while he is with them. But the time will come when the bridegroom will leave them. Then his friends are sad, and they will give up eating.

¹⁶ “When someone sews a patch over a hole in an old coat, he never uses a piece of cloth that is not yet shrunk. If he does, the patch will shrink and pull away from the coat. Then the hole will be worse. ¹⁷ Also, people never pour new wine into old leather bags for holding wine. If they do, the old bags will break. The wine will spill, and the wine bags will be ruined. But people always pour new wine into new wine bags. Then the wine and the wine bags will continue to be good.”

Jesus Gives Life to a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman

¹⁸ While Jesus was saying these things, a ruler of the synagogue came to him. The ruler bowed down before Jesus and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and touch her with your hand, and she will live again.”

¹⁹ So Jesus stood up and went with the ruler. Jesus’ followers went too.

²⁰ Then a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years came behind Jesus and touched the edge of his coat. ²¹ She was thinking, “If I can touch his coat, then I will be healed.”

²² Jesus turned and saw the woman. He said, “Be happy, dear woman. You are made well because you believed.” And the woman was healed at once.

²³ Jesus continued along with the ruler and went into the ruler’s house. Jesus saw people there who play music for funerals. And he saw many people there crying. ²⁴ Jesus said, “Go away. The girl is not dead. She is only asleep.” But the people laughed at Jesus. ²⁵ After the crowd had been put outside, Jesus went into the girl’s room. He took her hand, and she stood up. ²⁶ The news about this spread all around the area.

Jesus Heals More People

²⁷ When Jesus was leaving there, two blind men followed him. They cried out, “Show kindness to us, Son of David!”

²⁸ Jesus went inside, and the blind men went with him. He asked the men, “Do you believe that I can make you see again?”

They answered, “Yes, Lord.”

²⁹ Then Jesus touched their eyes and said, “You believe that I can make you see again. So this will happen.” ³⁰ Then the men were able to see. But Jesus warned them very strongly, saying, “Don’t tell anyone about this.” ³¹ But the blind men left and spread the news about Jesus all around that area.

³² When the two men were leaving, some people brought another man to Jesus. This man could not talk because he had a demon in him. ³³ Jesus forced the demon to leave the man. Then the man who couldn’t talk was able to speak. The crowd was amazed and said, “We have never seen anything like this in Israel.”

³⁴ But the Pharisees said, “The leader of demons is the one that gives him power to force demons out.”

³⁵ Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages. He taught in their synagogues and told people the Good News about the kingdom. And he healed all kinds of diseases and sicknesses. ³⁶ He saw the crowds of people and felt sorry for them because they were worried and helpless. They were like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Jesus said to his followers, “There are many people to harvest, but there are only a few workers to help harvest them. ³⁸ God owns the harvest. Pray to him that he will send more workers to help gather his harvest.”^[r]

Jesus Sends Out His Apostles

10 Jesus called his 12 followers together. He gave them power to drive out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and sickness. ² These are the names of the 12 apostles: 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. Judas is the one who turned against Jesus.

⁵ These 12 men he sent out with the following order: “Don’t go to the non-Jewish people. And don’t go into any town where the Samaritans live. ⁶ But go to the people of Israel. They are like sheep that are lost. ⁷ When you go, preach this: ‘The kingdom of heaven is coming soon.’ ⁸ Heal the sick. Give dead people life again. Heal those who have harmful skin diseases. Force demons to leave people. I give you these powers freely. So help other people freely. ⁹ Don’t carry any money with you—gold or silver or copper. ¹⁰ Don’t carry a bag. Take for your trip only the clothes and sandals you are wearing. Don’t take a walking stick. A worker should be given the things he needs.

¹¹ “When you enter a city or town, find some worthy person there and stay in his home until you leave. ¹² When you enter that home, say, ‘Peace be with you.’ ¹³ If the people there welcome you, let your peace stay there. But if they don’t welcome you, take back the peace you wished for them. ¹⁴ And if a home or town refuses to welcome you or listen to you, then leave that place. Shake its dust off your feet.^{[s] 15} I tell you the truth. On the Judgment Day it will be worse for that town than for the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah.^[t]

Jesus Warns His Apostles

¹⁶ “Listen! I am sending you out, and you will be like sheep among wolves. So be as smart as snakes. But also be like doves and do nothing wrong. ¹⁷ Be careful of people. They will arrest you and take you to court. They will whip you in their synagogues. ¹⁸ Because of me you will be taken to stand before governors and kings. You will tell them and the non-Jewish people about me. ¹⁹ When you are arrested, don’t worry about what to say or how you should say it. At that time you will be given the things to say. ²⁰ It will not really be you speaking. The Spirit of your Father will be speaking through you.

²¹ “Brothers will turn against their own brothers and give them over to be killed. Fathers will turn against their own children and give them to be killed. Children will fight against their own parents and have them killed. ²² All people will hate you because you follow me. But the person who continues strong until the end will be saved. ²³ When you are treated badly in one city, go to another city. I tell you the truth. You will not finish going through all the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

²⁴ “A student is not better than his teacher. A servant is not better than his master. ²⁵ A student should be satisfied to become like his teacher. A servant should be satisfied to become like his master. If the head of the family is called Beelzebul, then the other members of the family will be called worse names!

Fear God, Not People

²⁶ “So don’t be afraid of those people. Everything that is hidden will be shown. Everything that is secret will be made known. ²⁷ I tell you these things in the dark, but I want you to tell them in the light. I speak these things only to you, but you should tell them to everyone. ²⁸ Don’t be afraid of people. They can only kill the body. They cannot kill the soul. The only one you should fear is the One who can destroy the body and the soul in hell. ²⁹ When birds are sold, two small birds cost only a penny. But not even one of the little birds can die without your Father’s knowing it. ³⁰ God even knows how many hairs are on your head. ³¹ So don’t be afraid. You are worth much more than many birds.

Tell People About Your Faith

³² “If anyone stands before other people and says he believes in me, then I will say that he belongs to me. I will say this before my Father in heaven. ³³ But if anyone stands before people and says he does not believe in me, then I will say that he does not belong to me. I will say this before my Father in heaven.

³⁴ “Don’t think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵ I have come to make this happen:

³⁷ “Whoever loves his father or mother more than he loves me is not worthy to be my follower. Whoever loves his son or daughter more than he loves me is not worthy to be my follower. ³⁸ Whoever is not willing to die on a cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ³⁹ Whoever tries to hold on to his life will give up true life. Whoever gives up his life for me will hold on to true life. ⁴⁰ Whoever accepts you also accepts me. And whoever accepts me also accepts the One who sent me. ⁴¹ Whoever meets a prophet and accepts him will receive the reward of a prophet. And whoever accepts a good man because that man is good will receive the reward of a good man. ⁴² Whoever helps one of these little ones because they are my followers will truly get his reward. He will get his reward even if he only gave my follower a cup of cold water.”

Jesus and John the Baptist

11 Jesus finished telling these things to his 12 followers. Then he left there and went to the towns in Galilee to teach and preach.

² John the Baptist was in prison, but he heard about the things the Christ was doing. So John sent some of his followers to Jesus. ³ They asked Jesus, “Are you the man who John said was coming, or should we wait for another one?”

⁴ Jesus answered, “Go back to John and tell him about the things you hear and see: ⁵ The blind can see. The crippled can walk. People with harmful skin diseases are healed. The deaf can hear. The dead are raised to life. And the Good News is told to the poor. ⁶ The person who does not lose faith because of me is blessed.”

⁷ As John’s followers were leaving, Jesus began talking to the people about John. Jesus said, “What did you go out to the desert to see? A reed^[u] blown by the wind? No. ⁸ Really, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No. Those people who wear fine clothes live in kings’ palaces. ⁹ So what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, and I tell you, John is more than a prophet. ¹⁰ This was written about John in the Scriptures:

¹¹ I tell you the truth: John the Baptist is greater than any other man who has ever lived. But even the least important person in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John. ¹² Since the time John the Baptist came until now, the kingdom of heaven has been going forward in strength. People using force have been trying to take the kingdom. ¹³ All the prophets and the law of Moses spoke until the time John came. They told about the things that would happen. ¹⁴ And if you will believe the things the law and the prophets said, then you will believe that John is Elijah. The law and the prophets said he would come. ¹⁵ Let those with ears use them and listen!

¹⁶ “What can I say about the people who live today? What are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace. One group calls to the other,

¹⁸ John came, and he did not eat like other people or drink wine. And people say, ‘He has a demon.’ ¹⁹ The Son of Man came, eating and drinking wine, and people say, ‘Look at him! He eats too much and drinks too much. He is a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.”’ But wisdom is proved to be right by the things it does.”

Jesus Warns Unbelievers

²⁰ Then Jesus criticized the cities where he did most of his miracles. He criticized them because the people there did not change their lives and stop sinning. ²¹ Jesus said, “How terrible for you, Korazin! How terrible for you, Bethsaida! I did many miracles in you. If those same miracles had happened in Tyre and Sidon,^[v] then the people there would have changed their lives a long time ago. They would have worn rough cloth and put ashes on themselves to show that they had changed. ²² But I tell you, on the Judgment Day it will be worse for you than for Tyre and Sidon. ²³ And you, Capernaum,^[w] will you be lifted up to heaven? No. You will be thrown down to the depths. I did many miracles in you. If those same miracles had happened in Sodom,^[x] its people would have stopped sinning, and it would still be a city today. ²⁴ But I tell you it will be worse for you on the Judgment Day than for Sodom.”

Jesus Offers Rest to People

²⁵ Then Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. I praise you because you have hidden these things from the people who are wise and smart. But you have shown them to those who are like little children. ²⁶ Yes, Father, this is what you really wanted.

²⁷ “My Father has given me all things. No one knows the Son—only the Father knows the Son. And no one knows the Father—only the Son knows the Father. And the only people who will know about the Father are those whom the Son chooses to tell.

²⁸ “Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads. I will give you rest. ²⁹ Accept my work and learn from me. I am gentle and humble in spirit. And you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ The work that I ask you to accept is easy. The load I give you to carry is not heavy.”

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

12 About that same time, Jesus was walking through some fields of grain on a Sabbath day. His followers were with him, and they were hungry. So they began to pick the grain and eat it. ² The Pharisees saw this, and they said to Jesus, “Look! Your followers are doing something that is against the Jewish law to do on the Sabbath day.”

³ Jesus answered, “Have you not read what David did when he and the people with him were hungry? ⁴ David went into God’s house. He and those with him ate the bread that was made holy for God. It was against the law for them to eat that bread. Only the priests were allowed to eat it. ⁵ And have you not read in the law of Moses that on every Sabbath day the priests in the Temple break this law about the Sabbath day? But the priests are not wrong for doing that. ⁶ I tell you that there is something here that is greater than the Temple. ⁷ The Scripture says, ‘I want faithful love more than I want animal sacrifices.’^[y] You don’t really know what those words mean. If you understood them, you would not judge those who have done nothing wrong.

⁸ “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath day.”

Jesus Heals a Man’s Crippled Hand

⁹ Jesus left there and went into their synagogue. ¹⁰ In the synagogue, there was a man with a crippled hand. Some Jews there were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus of doing wrong. So they asked him, “Is it right to heal on the Sabbath day?”^[z]

¹¹ Jesus answered, “If any of you has a sheep, and it falls into a ditch on the Sabbath day, then you will take the sheep and help it out of the ditch. ¹² Surely a man is more important than a sheep. So the law of Moses allows people to do good things on the Sabbath day.”

¹³ Then Jesus said to the man with the crippled hand, “Let me see your hand.” The man put his hand out, and the hand became well again, the same as the other hand. ¹⁴ But the Pharisees left and made plans to kill Jesus.

Jesus Is God’s Chosen Servant

¹⁵ Jesus knew what the Pharisees were doing, so he left that place. Many people followed him, and he healed all who were sick. ¹⁶ But Jesus warned the people not to tell who he was. ¹⁷ He did these things to make come true what Isaiah the prophet had said:

Jesus’ Power Is from God

²² Then some people brought a man to Jesus. This man was blind and could not talk, because he had a demon. Jesus healed the man, and the man could talk and see. ²³ All the people were amazed. They said, “Perhaps this man is the Son of David!”

²⁴ The Pharisees heard the people saying this. The Pharisees said, “Jesus uses the power of Beelzebul to force demons out of people. Beelzebul is the ruler of demons.”

²⁵ Jesus knew what the Pharisees were thinking. So he said to them, “Every kingdom that is fighting against itself will be destroyed. And every city that is divided will fall. And every family that is divided cannot succeed. ²⁶ So if Satan forces out his own demons, then Satan is divided, and his kingdom will not continue. ²⁷ You say that I use the power of Satan when I force out demons. If that is true, then what power do your people use when they force out demons? So your own people prove that you are wrong. ²⁸ But if I use the power of God’s Spirit to force out demons, this shows that the kingdom of God has come to you.

²⁹ “If anyone wants to enter a strong man’s house and steal his things, first he must tie up the strong man. Then he can steal the things from the strong man’s house.

³⁰ “If anyone is not with me, then he is against me. He who does not work with me is working against me. ³¹ So I tell you, people can be forgiven for every sin they do. And people can be forgiven for every bad thing they say. But if anyone speaks against the Holy Spirit, then he will not be forgiven. ³² Anyone who says things against the Son of Man can be forgiven. But anyone who says things against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. He will not be forgiven now or in the future.

People Know You by Your Words

³³ “If you want good fruit, you must make the tree good. If your tree is not good, then it will have bad fruit. A tree is known by the kind of fruit it produces. ³⁴ You snakes! You are evil people! How can you say anything good? The mouth speaks the things that are in the heart. ³⁵ A good person has good things in his heart. And so he speaks the good things that come from his heart. But an evil person has evil in his heart. So he speaks the evil things that come from his heart. ³⁶ And I tell you that people will have to explain about every careless thing they have said. This will happen on the Judgment Day. 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.”

The Leaders Ask for a Miracle

³⁸ Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law answered Jesus. They said, “Teacher, we want to see you work a miracle as a sign.”

³⁹ Jesus answered, “Evil and sinful people are the ones who want to see a miracle for a sign. But no sign will be given to them. The only sign will be what happened to the prophet Jonah. ⁴⁰ Jonah was in the stomach of the big fish for three days and three nights. In the same way, the Son of Man will be in the grave three days and three nights. ⁴¹ And on the Judgment Day the men from Nineveh^[aa] will stand up with you people who live today. They will show that you are guilty because when Jonah preached to them, they were sorry and changed their lives. And I tell you that someone greater than Jonah is here! ⁴² On the Judgment Day, the Queen of the South^[ab] will stand up with you people who live today. She will show that you are guilty because she came from far away to listen to Solomon’s wise teaching. And I tell you that someone greater than Solomon is here!

People Today Are Full of Evil

⁴³ “When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it travels through dry places looking for a place to rest. But it finds no place to rest. ⁴⁴ So the spirit says, ‘I will go back to the home I left.’ When the spirit comes back to the man, the spirit finds the home still empty. The home is swept clean and made neat. ⁴⁵ Then the evil spirit goes out and brings seven other spirits even more evil than it is. Then all the spirits go into the man and live there. And that man has even more trouble than he had before. It is the same way with the evil people who live today.”

Jesus’ True Family

⁴⁶ While Jesus was talking to the people, his mother and brothers stood outside. They wanted to talk to him. ⁴⁷ Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and brothers are waiting for you outside. They want to talk to you.”^[ac]

⁴⁸ He answered, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” ⁴⁹ Then he pointed to his followers and said, “See! These people are my mother and my brothers. ⁵⁰ My true brothers and sisters and mother are those who do the things that my Father in heaven wants.”

A Story About Planting Seed

13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. ² Large crowds gathered around him. So Jesus got into a boat and sat, while the people stayed on the shore. ³ Then Jesus used stories to teach them many things. He said: “A farmer went out to plant his seed. ⁴ While he was planting, some seed fell by the road. The birds came and ate all that seed. ⁵ Some seed fell on rocky ground, where there wasn’t enough dirt. That seed grew very fast, because the ground was not deep. ⁶ But when the sun rose, the plants dried up because they did not have deep roots. ⁷ Some other seed fell among thorny weeds. The weeds grew and choked the good plants. ⁸ Some other seed fell on good ground where it grew and became grain. Some plants made 100 times more grain. Other plants made 60 times more grain, and some made 30 times more grain. ⁹ Let those with ears use them and listen!”

Why Jesus Used Stories to Teach

¹⁰ The followers came to Jesus and asked, “Why do you use stories to teach the people?”

¹¹ Jesus answered, “Only you can know the secret truths about the kingdom of heaven. Other people cannot know these secret truths. ¹² The person who has something will be given more. And he will have all he needs. But the person who does not have much, even what he has will be taken from him. ¹³ This is why I use stories to teach the people: They see, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really understand. ¹⁴ So they show that the things Isaiah said about them are true:

¹⁶ But you are blessed. You understand the things you see with your eyes. And you understand the things you hear with your ears. ¹⁷ I tell you the truth. Many prophets and good people wanted to see the things that you now see. But they did not see them. And many prophets and good people wanted to hear the things that you now hear. But they did not hear them.

Jesus Explains the Seed Story

¹⁸ “So listen to the meaning of that story about the farmer. ¹⁹ What is the seed that fell by the road? That seed is like the person who hears the teaching about the kingdom but does not understand it. The Evil One comes and takes away the things that were planted in that person’s heart. ²⁰ And what is the seed that fell on rocky ground? That seed is like the person who hears the teaching and quickly accepts it with joy. ²¹ But he does not let the teaching go deep into his life. He keeps it only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the teaching he accepted, then he quickly gives up. ²² And what is the seed that fell among the thorny weeds? That seed is like the person who hears the teaching but lets worries about this life and love of money stop that teaching from growing. So the teaching does not produce fruit^[ad] in that person’s life. ²³ But what is the seed that fell on the good ground? That seed is like the person who hears the teaching and understands it. That person grows and produces fruit, sometimes 100 times more, sometimes 60 times more, and sometimes 30 times more.”

A Story About Wheat and Weeds

²⁴ Then Jesus told them another story. He said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who planted good seed in his field. ²⁵ That night, when everyone was asleep, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat. Then the enemy went away. ²⁶ Later, the wheat grew and heads of grain grew on the wheat plants. But at the same time the weeds also grew. ²⁷ Then the man’s servants came to him and said, ‘You planted good seed in your field. Where did the weeds come from?’ ²⁸ The man answered, ‘An enemy planted weeds.’ The servants asked, ‘Do you want us to pull up the weeds?’ ²⁹ The man answered, ‘No, because when you pull up the weeds, you might also pull up the wheat. ³⁰ Let the weeds and the wheat grow together until the harvest time. At harvest time I will tell the workers this: First gather the weeds and tie them together to be burned. Then gather the wheat and bring it to my barn.’”

Stories of Mustard Seed and Yeast

³¹ Then Jesus told another story: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. A man plants the seed in his field. ³² That seed is the smallest of all seeds. But when it grows, it is one of the largest garden plants. It becomes a tree, big enough for the wild birds to come and make nests in its branches.”

³³ Then Jesus told another story: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman mixes into a big bowl of flour. The yeast makes all the dough rise.”

³⁴ Jesus used stories to tell all these things to the people. He always used stories to teach people. ³⁵ This is as the prophet said:

Jesus Explains About the Wheat and Weeds

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

³⁷ Jesus answered, “The man who planted 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 in the kingdom. The weeds are those people who belong to the Evil One. ³⁹ And the enemy who planted the bad seed is the devil. The harvest time is the end of the age. And the workers who gather are God’s angels.

⁴⁰ “The weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire. It will be this way at the end of the age. ⁴¹ The Son of Man will send out his angels. They will gather out of his kingdom all who cause sin and all who do evil. ⁴² The angels will throw them into the blazing furnace. There the people will cry and grind their teeth with pain. ⁴³ Then the good people will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let those with ears use them and listen!

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. The man was very happy to find the treasure. He went and sold everything that he owned to buy that field.

⁴⁵ “Also, the kingdom of heaven is like a man looking for fine pearls. ⁴⁶ One day he found a very valuable pearl. The man went and sold everything he had to buy that pearl.

A Story of a Fishing Net

⁴⁷ “Also, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was put into the lake. The net 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. Then they threw away the bad 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 people. ⁵⁰ The angels will throw the evil people into the blazing furnace. In that place the people will cry and grind their teeth with pain.”

⁵¹ Jesus asked his followers, “Do you understand all these things?”

They answered, “Yes, we understand.”

⁵² Then Jesus said to them, “So every teacher of the law who has been taught about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house. He has both new things and old things saved in his house. And he brings out both those new things and old things.”

Jesus Goes to His Hometown

⁵³ When Jesus finished teaching with these stories, he left there. ⁵⁴ He went to the town where he grew up. He taught the people in the synagogue, and they were amazed. They said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and this power to do miracles? ⁵⁵ He is only the son of the carpenter. And his mother is Mary. His brothers are James, Joseph, Simon and Judas. ⁵⁶ And all his sisters are here with us. So where does this man get all these things?” ⁵⁷ And the people refused to accept Jesus.

But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own town or in his own home.”

⁵⁸ The people there did not believe in Jesus. So Jesus did not do many miracles there.

How John the Baptist Was Killed

14 At that time Herod, the ruler of Galilee, heard the reports about Jesus. ² So Herod said to his servants, “Jesus is really John the Baptist. He has risen from death. That is why he is able to do these miracles.”

³ Sometime before this, Herod had arrested John, tied him up, and put him into prison. Herod did this because of Herodias. Herodias was the wife of Philip, Herod’s brother. ⁴ Herod arrested John because he told Herod: “It is not right for you to have Herodias.” ⁵ Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people. They believed that John was a prophet.

⁶ On Herod’s birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced for Herod and his guests. Herod was very pleased with her, ⁷ so he promised he would give her anything she wanted. ⁸ Herodias told her daughter what to ask for. So she said to Herod, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” ⁹ King Herod was very sad. But he had promised to give her anything she wanted, and the people eating with him had heard his promise. So Herod ordered that what she asked for be done. ¹⁰ He sent men to the prison to cut off John’s head. ¹¹ And the men brought John’s head on a platter and gave it to the girl. She took it to her mother, Herodias. ¹² John’s followers came and got his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus what happened.

More Than 5,000 People Fed

¹³ When Jesus heard what happened to John, Jesus left in a boat. He went to a lonely place by himself. But when the crowds heard about it, they followed him on foot from the towns. ¹⁴ When Jesus arrived, he saw a large crowd. He felt sorry for them and healed those who were sick.

¹⁵ Late that afternoon, his followers came to Jesus and said, “No one lives in this place. And it is already late. Send the people away so they can go to the towns and buy food for themselves.”

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

¹⁷ The followers answered, “But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish.”

¹⁸ Jesus said, “Bring the bread and the fish to me.” ¹⁹ Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves of bread and the two fish. Then he looked to heaven and thanked God for the food. Jesus divided the loaves of bread. He gave them to his followers, and they gave the bread to the people. ²⁰ All the people ate and were satisfied. After they finished eating, the followers filled 12 baskets with the pieces of food that were not eaten. ²¹ There were about 5,000 men there who ate, as well as women and children.

Jesus Walks on the Water

²² Then Jesus made his followers get into the boat. He told them to go ahead of him to the other side of the lake. Jesus stayed there to tell the people they could go home. ²³ After he said good-bye to them, he went alone up into the hills to pray. It was late, and Jesus was there alone. ²⁴ By this time, the boat was already far away on the lake. The boat was having trouble because of the waves, and the wind was blowing against it.

²⁵ Between three and six o’clock in the morning, Jesus’ followers were still in the boat. Jesus came to them. He was walking on the water. ²⁶ When the followers saw him walking on the water, they were afraid. They said, “It’s a ghost!” and cried out in fear.

²⁷ But Jesus quickly spoke to them. He said, “Have courage! It is I! Don’t be afraid.”

²⁸ Peter said, “Lord, if that is really you, then tell me to come to you on the water.”

²⁹ Jesus said, “Come.”

And Peter left the boat and walked on the water to Jesus. ³⁰ But when Peter saw the wind and the waves, he became afraid and began to sink. He shouted, “Lord, save me!”

³¹ Then Jesus reached out his hand and caught Peter. Jesus said, “Your faith is small. Why did you doubt?”

³² After Peter and Jesus were in the boat, the wind became calm. ³³ Then those who were in the boat worshiped Jesus and said, “Truly you are the Son of God!”

³⁴ After they crossed the lake, they came to the shore at Gennesaret. ³⁵ The people there saw Jesus and knew who he was. So they told people all around there that Jesus had come. They brought all their sick to him. ³⁶ They begged Jesus to let them just touch the edge of his coat to be healed. And all the sick people who touched it were healed.

Obey God’s Law Not Men’s

15 Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem. They asked him, ² “Why do your followers not obey the rules given to us by the great people who lived before us? Your followers don’t wash their hands before they eat!”

³ Jesus answered, “And why do you refuse to obey God’s command so that you can follow those rules you have? ⁴ God said, ‘Honor your father and mother.’^[ae] And God also said, ‘Anyone who says cruel things to his father or mother must be put to death.’^{[af] 5} But you say that a person can tell his father or mother, ‘I have something I could use to help you. But I will not use it for you. I will give it to God.’ ⁶ You teach that person not to honor his father. You teach that it is not important to do what God said. You think that it is more important to follow the rules you have. ⁷ You are hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he spoke about you:

¹⁰ Jesus called the crowd to him. He said, “Listen and understand what I am saying. ¹¹ It is not what a person puts into his mouth that makes him unclean. It is what comes out of his mouth that makes him unclean.”

¹² Then his followers came to Jesus and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees are angry 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. They are blind leaders.^[ag] And if a blind man leads another blind man, then both men will fall into a ditch.”

¹⁵ Peter said, “Explain the story to us.”

¹⁶ Jesus said, “You still have trouble understanding? ¹⁷ Surely you know that all the food that enters the mouth goes into the stomach. Then that food goes out of the body. ¹⁸ But what a person says with his mouth comes from the way he thinks. And these are the things that make him unclean. ¹⁹ Out of the mind come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, stealing, lying, and saying bad things against other people. ²⁰ These things make a person unclean. But eating with unwashed hands does not make him unclean.”

Jesus Helps a Non-Jewish Woman

²¹ Jesus left that place and went to the area of Tyre and Sidon. ²² A Canaanite woman from that area came to Jesus. The woman cried out, “Lord, Son of David, please help me! My daughter has a demon, and she is suffering very much.”

²³ But Jesus did not answer the woman. So the followers came to Jesus and begged him, “Tell the woman to go away. She is following us and shouting.”

²⁴ Jesus answered, “God sent me only to the lost sheep, the people of Israel.”

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

²⁶ Jesus answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and give it to the dogs.”

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

²⁸ Then Jesus answered, “Woman, you have great faith! I will do what you asked me to do.” And at that moment the woman’s daughter was healed.

Jesus Heals Many People

²⁹ Then Jesus left that place and went to the shore of Lake Galilee. He went up on a hill and sat there.

³⁰ Great crowds came to Jesus. They brought their sick with them: the lame, the blind, the crippled, the dumb and many others. They put them at Jesus’ feet, and he healed them. ³¹ The crowd was amazed when they saw that people who could not speak were able to speak again. The crippled were made strong again. Those who could not walk were able to walk again. The blind were able to see again. And they praised the God of Israel for this.

More Than 4,000 People Fed

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

³³ His followers asked him, “Where can we get enough bread to feed all these people? We are far away from any town.”

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

They answered, “We have seven loaves and a few small fish.”

³⁵ Jesus told the people to sit on the ground. ³⁶ He took the seven loaves of bread and the fish and gave thanks to God for the food. Then Jesus divided the food and gave it to his followers. They gave the food to the people. ³⁷ All the people ate and were satisfied. After this, the followers filled seven baskets with the pieces of food that were not eaten. ³⁸ There were about 4,000 men there who ate, besides women and children. ³⁹ After they ate, Jesus told the people to go home. He got into the boat and went to the area of Magadan.