Bible in 90 Days
Religious Leaders Demand Signs
16 Now the Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and testing Yeshua, they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven. 2 But He replied to them, “When evening comes, you say, ‘Fair weather coming, for the sky is red,’ 3 and in the morning, ‘Stormy weather today, for the sky is red and gloomy.’ You know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times! 4 An evil and adulterous generation clamors for a sign, yet no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.”[a] And leaving them behind, He went away.
5 Now when the disciples came to the other side of the sea, they had forgotten to take bread. 6 “Watch out,” Yeshua said to them, “and beware of the hametz of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
7 And they began to discuss among themselves, saying, “We didn’t bring any bread.”
8 But knowing this, Yeshua said, “O you of little faith, why do you discuss among yourselves that you have no bread? 9 You still don’t get it? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets of leftovers you gathered? 10 Or how about the seven loaves for the four thousand and all the baskets of leftovers you gathered? 11 How is it that you don’t understand that I wasn’t talking to you about bread? Now beware of the hametz of the Pharisees and Sadducees!” 12 Then they understood that He wasn’t talking about the hametz in the bread, but about the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
The Father Reveals His Son
13 When Yeshua came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
14 They answered, “Some say John the Immerser, others say Elijah, and still others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”
15 He said, “But who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17 Yeshua said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven! 18 And I also tell you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My community[b]; and the gates of Sheol will not overpower it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will have been forbidden in heaven and what you permit on earth will have been permitted in heaven.” 20 Then He ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that He was the Messiah.
First Prediction: Death and Resurrection
21 From that time on, Yeshua began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and ruling kohanim and Torah scholars, and be killed, and be raised on the third day.
22 Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Never, Master! This must never happen to You!”
23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, satan! You are a stumbling block to Me, for you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but the things of men.”
24 Then Yeshua said to His disciples, “If anyone wants to follow after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world but forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is about to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then ‘He will repay everyone according to his deeds.’ [c] 28 Amen, I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”
Two Witnesses and a Voice from Heaven
17 After six days, Yeshua takes with Him Peter and Jacob and John his brother, and brings them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 Now He was transfigured before them; His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Yeshua. 4 Peter responded to Yeshua, “Master, it’s good for us to be here! If You wish, I will make three sukkot here—one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”[d]
5 While He was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them; and behold, a voice from out of the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him!”[e]
6 When the disciples heard this, they fell face down, terrified. 7 But Yeshua came and touched them. “Get up,” He said. “Stop being afraid.” 8 And lifting their eyes, they saw no one except Yeshua alone.
9 As they were coming down from the mountain, Yeshua commanded them, saying, “Do not tell anyone about the vision until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.”
10 The disciples questioned Him, saying, “Why then do the Torah scholars say that Elijah must come first?”
11 Yeshua replied, “Indeed, Elijah is coming and will restore all things. [f] 12 I tell you that Elijah already came; and they didn’t recognize him, but did to him whatever they wanted. In the same way, the Son of Man is about to suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that He was speaking to them about John the Immerser.
See What Faith Can Do
14 When they came to the crowd, a man came to Yeshua, falling on his knees before Him and saying, 15 “Master, have mercy on my son, for he has seizures and suffers badly. For he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 I brought him to Your disciples, but they couldn’t heal him.”
17 And answering, Yeshua said, “O faithless and twisted generation![g] How long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.” 18 Yeshua rebuked the demon and it came out of him, and the boy was healed from that very hour.
19 Then the disciples came to Yeshua in private and said, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
20 And He said to them, “Because you trust so little. Amen, I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (21 )[h]
Second Prediction: Death and Resurrection
22 Now while they were gathering in the Galilee, Yeshua said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men; 23 and they will kill Him, and on the third day He will be raised.” And the disciples became greatly distressed.
24 When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the Temple tax came to Peter and said, “Your teacher pays the Temple tax,[i] doesn’t He?”
25 “Yes,” Peter said.
Now when Peter came into the house, Yeshua spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? The kings of the earth, from whom do they collect tolls or tax? From their sons or from strangers?”
26 After Peter said, “From strangers,” Yeshua said to him, “Then the sons are free. 27 But so that we do not offend them, go to the sea and throw out a hook, and take the first fish that comes up. And when you open its mouth, you’ll find a coin.[j] Take that, and give it to them, for Me and you.”
Childlike Humility
18 At that hour the disciples came to Yeshua, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 And He called a child to Himself, set him in the midst of them, 3 and said, “Amen, I tell you, unless you turn and become like children, you shall never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever then shall humble himself like this child, this one is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in My name, welcomes Me.
6 “But whoever causes one of these little ones who trust in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck and to be sunk in the depth of the sea! 7 Woe to the world because of snares! For snares must come, but woe to that man through whom the snare comes!
8 “And if your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away from you. It’s better for you to enter into life crippled or lame than, having two hands or two feet, to be thrown into fiery Gehenna. 9 If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. It’s better for you to enter into life with one eye than, having two eyes, to be thrown into fiery Gehenna.
Parable of the Lost Sheep
10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father in heaven. (11 )[k]
12 “What do you think? If a certain man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, won’t he leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go looking for the one that is straying? 13 And if he finds it, amen I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t stray. 14 Even so, it’s not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.”
Restoring a Lost Brother
15 “Now if your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault while you’re with him alone. If he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take with you one or two more, so that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may stand.’ [l] 17 But if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to Messiah’s community. And if he refuses to listen even to Messiah’s community, let him be to you as a pagan and a tax collector.
18 “Amen, I tell you, whatever you forbid on earth will have been forbidden in heaven and what you permit on earth will have been permitted in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst.”
Lessons about Forgiveness
21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Master, how often shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22 Yeshua said to him, “No, not up to seven times, I tell you, but seventy times seven! [m] 23 Therefore, the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves. 24 When he had begun to settle up, a man was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. [n] 25 But since he didn’t have the money to repay, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 Then the slave fell on his knees and begged him, saying, ‘Be patient with me, and I’ll repay you everything.’ 27 And the master of that slave, filled with compassion, released him and forgave him the debt.
28 “Now that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii. And he grabbed him and started choking him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe!’
29 “So his fellow slave fell down and kept begging him, saying, ‘Be patient with me, and I’ll pay you back.’ 30 Yet he was unwilling. Instead, he went off and threw the man into prison until he paid back all he owed.
31 “So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply distressed. They went to their master and reported in detail all that had happened. 32 Then summoning the first slave, his master said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Wasn’t it necessary for you also to show mercy to your fellow slave, just as I showed mercy to you?’ 34 Enraged, the master handed him over to the torturers until he paid back all he owed.
35 “So also My heavenly Father will do to you, unless each of you, from your hearts, forgives his brother.”
Marriage and Covenant Faithfulness
19 Now when Yeshua had finished these words, He moved on from the Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. 2 Large crowds followed Him, and He healed them there. 3 Pharisees came up to Yeshua, testing Him and saying, “Is it permitted for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?”
4 “Haven’t you read?” He answered. “He who created them from the beginning ‘made them male and female’ [o] 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ [p] 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no man separate.”
7 They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to ‘give her a certificate of divorce and put her away?’”[q]
8 Yeshua said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9 Now I tell you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”[r]
10 The disciples said to Him, “If that’s the case for a man and his wife, it’s better not to marry!”
11 But He said to them, “Not everyone can accept this saying—only those to whom it has been given. 12 For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb; and there are eunuchs who were made that way by men; and there are eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who can accept this, let him accept it.”
Receiving the Kingdom of Heaven
13 Then little children were brought to Yeshua so that He might lay hands upon them and pray. Then the disciples rebuked those who brought them. [s] 14 But Yeshua said, “Let the little children come to Me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 15 After laying His hands upon them, He went on from there.
16 Now behold, one came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good shall I do to have eternal life?”
17 “Why do you ask Me about what is good?” Yeshua said to him. “There is only One who is good; but if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
18 “Which ones?” he said.
Yeshua said, “‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’”[t]
20 “All these I’ve kept,” the young man said to Him. “What do I still lack?”
21 Yeshua said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you own, and give to the poor; and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.” 22 But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving, for he had much property.
23 Then Yeshua said to His disciples, “Amen, I tell you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
25 When the disciples heard this, they were utterly astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?”
26 And looking, Yeshua said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”[u]
27 Then Peter said to Him, “Look, we’ve left everything to follow You! So what will we have?”
28 And Yeshua said to them, “Amen, I tell you, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne in the new world,[v] you who have followed Me shall also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for My name’s sake, will receive a hundred times as much, and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
Parable of the Day Laborers
20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household, who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 Now when he had agreed with the workers for a denarius per day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing in the marketplace, idle. 4 And to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and I’ll give you whatever is right.’ 5 So they went. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour and did the same. 6 And about the eleventh hour, he went out and found others standing around. And he said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle the whole day?’
7 “‘Because no one hired us,’ they said to him.
“He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard, too.’
8 “Now when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning from the last to the first.’ 9 And those who had come about the eleventh hour each received a denarius. 10 And when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; yet they too received a denarius.
11 “But when they received it, they began to grumble against the master of the house, 12 saying, ‘These last guys did one hour, and you’ve made them equal to us, who bore the burden and scorching heat of the day!’
13 “But answering, he said to one of them, ‘Friend, I’m doing you no wrong. Didn’t you agree with me on a denarius? 14 Take what is yours and go. But I want to give this last guy the same as you. 15 Am I not permitted to do what I want with what belongs to me? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’
16 “So the last will be first, and the first last.”
Third Prediction: Death and Resurrection
17 Now as Yeshua was going up to Jerusalem, He took the Twelve aside privately; and on the way he told them, 18 “Look, we’re going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the ruling kohanim and Torah scholars. They will condemn Him to death 19 and hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify. Yet on the third day, He will be raised up.”[w]
Leading by Serving
20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came with her sons to Yeshua, and she was kneeling down and asking something from Him.
21 “What do you want?” He said to her.
She said to Him, “Declare that these two sons of mine might sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your kingdom.”
22 But Yeshua replied, “You don’t know what you’re asking! Are you able to drink the cup I am about to drink?”
“We are able,” they say to Him.
23 He said to them, “You shall indeed drink My cup. But to sit on My right and left, this isn’t Mine to grant. Rather, it’s for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.”
24 Now when the ten heard, they became indignant with the two brothers. 25 But Yeshua called them over and said, “You know that the rulers of the nations lord it over them, and their great ones play the tyrant over them. 26 It shall not be this way among you. But whoever wants to be great among you shall be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first among you shall be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
What Do You Want Me to Do for You?
29 Now as they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. 30 And here two blind men sitting by the roadside, when they heard that Yeshua was passing by, cried out, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Master, Ben-David!” 31 The crowd warned them to be quiet, but they cried out all the more, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Master, Ben-David!”[x]
32 Yeshua stopped and called out to them. “What do you want Me to do for you?” He said.
33 They said to Him, “Master, let our eyes be opened!” 34 Moved with compassion, Yeshua touched their eyes. Instantly they regained their sight and followed Him.[y]
Baruch Ha-Ba! Blessed Is He Who Comes!
21 Now as they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Yeshua sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village before you. Right away, you’ll find a donkey tied up and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to Me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Master needs them.’ And right away he will send them.”
4 This happened to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet, saying,
5 “Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘See, your King is coming to you,
humble and sitting on a donkey,
a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”[z]
6 The disciples went and did as Yeshua had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and colt and put their clothing on them, and He sat on the clothing. 8 Most of the crowd spread their clothing on the road, and others began cutting branches from the trees and spreading them on the road. 9 The crowds going before Him and those following kept shouting, saying,
“Hoshia-na to Ben-David!
Baruch ha-ba b’shem Adonai!
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hoshia-na in the highest!”[aa]
10 When He entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds kept saying, “This is the prophet Yeshua, from Natzeret in the Galilee.”
12 Then Yeshua entered the Temple[ab] and drove out all those selling and buying in the Temple. He overturned the tables of the moneychangers[ac] and the seats of those selling doves. [ad] 13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’[ae] but you are making it ‘a den of thieves’!”[af]
14 The blind and lame came to Him in the Temple, and He healed them. 15 But when the ruling kohanim and Torah scholars saw the wonders He performed, and the children crying out in the Temple and saying, “Hoshia-na to Ben-David,” they became indignant. 16 And they said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” “Yes,” Yeshua said to them. “Haven’t you ever read,
‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing toddlers
You have prepared praise for Yourself’?”[ag]
17 Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He spent the night there.
Faith Moves Mountains
18 Now early in the morning, as He was returning to the city, He became hungry. 19 Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came up to it and found nothing on it except leaves only. And He said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree shriveled up at once.
20 When the disciples saw it they were astonished. “How did the fig tree shrivel on the spot?” they asked.
21 Yeshua answered them, “Amen, I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. 22 And whatever you ask in prayer, trusting, you shall receive.”
Questions about Yeshua’s Authority
23 Now when He entered the Temple, the ruling kohanim and the elders of the people came to Him while He was teaching, saying, “By what authority are You doing these things? Who gave You this authority?”
24 Yeshua replied to them, “I also will ask you one question. If you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 John’s immersion, where was it from? From heaven or from men?”
They began to dialogue among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the crowd, for all hold up John as a prophet.” 27 So answering Yeshua, they said, “We don’t know.”
Then He said to them, “Neither am I telling you by what authority I do these things.”
A Parable about Intentions and Actions
28 “Now what do you think? A man had two sons, and he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go work in the vineyard today.’ 29 The son answered, ‘I won’t,’ but afterward he had a change of heart and went. 30 The man went to the second son and said the same thing. But he answered, ‘I will, sir,’ and didn’t go. 31 Which of the two did the will of the father?”
“The first,” they said.
Yeshua said to them, “Amen, I tell you, the tax collectors and prostitutes are going ahead of you into the kingdom of God. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and even after you saw this, you had no change of heart to believe him.”
Parable of the Vineyard
33 “Listen to another parable. There was a master of a household who planted a vineyard. He put a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a tower.[ah] Then He leased it to some tenant farmers and went on a journey. 34 Now when fruit season drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. 35 But grabbing his servants, the tenants beat up one, killed another, and stoned still another. 36 Again the master sent other servants, even more than the first, and they did the same thing to them. 37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
38 “But when the tenants saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir! Come on, let’s kill him and get his inheritance!’ 39 So grabbing him, they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 Therefore when the master of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”
41 “He will bring those miserable men to a miserable end,” they said to Him, “and will lease the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the fruits in their seasons.” 42 Yeshua said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures[ai]?
‘The stone which the builders rejected,
this has become the chief cornerstone.
This came from Adonai,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.’[aj]
43 Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to people producing its fruits. 44 Whoever falls on this stone will be shattered; but the one upon whom it falls, it will crush him.”[ak]
45 When the ruling kohanim and Pharisees heard Yeshua’s parables, they realized He was talking about them. 46 Although they were trying to seize Him, they feared the crowds, because they regarded Him as a prophet.
Invitation to the Wedding Feast
22 Yeshua answered and spoke to them again in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who made a wedding feast for his son. 3 He sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they wouldn’t come. 4 Again he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who were invited, “Look, I’ve prepared my meal. My oxen and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast!”’
5 “But paying no attention, they went away, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6 And the rest grabbed his servants, humiliated them, and killed them. 7 Now the king became furious! Sending his troops, he destroyed those murderers and set fire to their city.
8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 So go into the highways and byways, and invite everyone you find to the wedding feast.’ 10 And those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all they found, both bad and good; and the wedding was filled with guests.
11 “But when the king came in to look over the guests, he saw a man there who wasn’t dressed in wedding clothes. 12 ‘Friend,’ he said to him, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ But the man was silent. 13 Then the king said to his servants, ‘Tie him up hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”
A Trap about Paying Taxes
15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might trap Him with a word. 16 And they sent to Him some of their disciples, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are honest and teach the way of God in truth. And what others think doesn’t concern You, for You do not look at men’s appearance. 17 Tell us therefore, what do You think? Is it permitted to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”
18 But Yeshua, knowing their wickedness, said, “Why are you testing Me, you hypocrites? 19 Show Me the tax money.”
So they brought Him a denarius.
20 And He said to them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”
21 “Caesar’s,” they said to Him.
Then He said to them, “Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22 And hearing this, they were amazed. So they left Him and went away.
Religious Leaders Ask a Tricky Question
23 On that day, Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) came to Yeshua and questioned Him, saying, 24 “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If someone dies having no children, his brother as next of kin shall marry his widow and father children for his brother.’ [al] 25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died; and having no offspring, left his wife to his brother. 26 In the same way also the second, and the third, down to the seventh. 27 Last of all, the woman died. 28 So in the resurrection, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had married her.”
29 But answering, Yeshua said to them, “You’ve gone astray, because you don’t understand the Scriptures or the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 31 But concerning the resurrection of the dead, haven’t you read what was spoken to you by God, saying, 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living!” [am] 33 When the crowds heard this, they were astounded at His teaching.
The Greatest Mitzvot
34 But the Pharisees, when they heard that Yeshua had silenced the Sadducees, gathered together in one place. 35 And testing Him, one of them, a lawyer, asked, 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Torah?”
37 And He said to him, “‘You shall love Adonai your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ [an] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ [ao] 40 The entire Torah and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Yeshua Overturns the Arguments
41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Yeshua asked them a question, 42 saying, “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose Son is He?”[ap]
“David’s,” they say to Him.
43 “Then how is it,” He says to them, “that David by the Ruach calls him ‘Lord’?
44 For he says, ‘Adonai said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
until I put Your enemies under Your feet.”’[aq]
45 If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his son?” 46 No one was able to answer Him a word. Nor did anyone dare from that day on to question Him any longer.
Seven Woes
23 Then Yeshua spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, 2 saying, “The Torah scholars and Pharisees sit on the seat of Moses. 3 So whatever they tell you, do and observe. But don’t do what they do; for what they say, they do not do. 4 They tie up heavy loads, hard to carry,[ar] and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves aren’t willing to lift a finger to move them. 5 All their works they do to be noticed by men. They make their tefillin wide and their tzitziyot long. [as] 6 They love the place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, 7 greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called rabbi by men.
8 “But you are not to be called rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And call no man on earth your father; for One is your Father, who is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Messiah. 11 But the greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.
13 “But woe to you, Torah scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut people out of the kingdom of heaven. For you do not enter yourselves, nor do you let those enter who are trying to go in. (14 )[at]
15 “Woe to you, Torah scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel over land and sea to make one convert. And when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of Gehenna as yourself.
16 “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘Whoever swears by the Temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the Temple, he is obligated.’ 17 O fools and blind ones! Which is greater, the gold or the Temple that made the gold holy? [au] 18 And you say, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the offering on it, he is obligated.’ 19 O blind ones! Which is greater, the offering or the altar that makes the offering holy? [av] 20 Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears both by the altar and everything on it. 21 And whoever swears by the Temple, swears both by the Temple and by Him who dwells in it. 22 And whoever swears by heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.
23 “Woe to you, Torah scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites! You tithe[aw] mint and dill and cumin, yet you have neglected the weightier matters of Torah—justice and mercy and faithfulness. It is necessary to do these things without neglecting the others. 24 O blind guides, straining out a gnat while swallowing a camel!
25 “Woe to you, Torah scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and uncontrolled desire. 26 O blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, so that the outside may become clean as well.
27 “Woe to you, Torah scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, you appear righteous to men on the outside, but are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 “Woe to you, Torah scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the tzaddikim. 30 And you say, ‘If we’d been alive in the days of our forefathers, we wouldn’t have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers! 33 O snakes, you brood of vipers! How will you escape the condemnation of Gehenna?
34 “Because of this, behold, I’m sending you prophets and wise men and Torah scholars. Some of them you will kill and execute at the stake, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city. 35 And so, upon you shall come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah,[ax] whom you murdered between the Temple and the altar. [ay] 36 Amen, I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.”
Holy Temple to Be Destroyed
37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate! [az] 39 For I tell you, you will never see Me again until you say, ‘Baruch ha-ba b’shem Adonai. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’”[ba]
24 Now when Yeshua went out and was going away from the Temple, His disciples came up to point out to Him the Temple buildings. 2 “Don’t you see all these?” He responded to them. “Amen, I tell you, not one stone will be left here on top of another—every one will be torn down!”
Signs of the End of Time
3 As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen? What will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”
4 Yeshua answered them, “Be careful that no one leads you astray! 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will lead many astray. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must happen but it is not yet the end. 7 For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.[bb] And there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 But all these things are only the beginning of birth pains.
9 “Then they will hand you over to persecution and will kill you. You will be hated by all the nations because of My name. 10 And then many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one other. 11 Many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 This Good News of the kingdom shall be proclaimed in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.
15 “So when you see ‘the abomination of desolation,’[bc] which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the Holy Place (let the reader understand), 16 then those in Judea must flee to the mountains. 17 The one on the roof must not go down to take what is in his house, 18 and the one in the field must not turn back to get his coat. 19 Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 Pray that your escape will not happen in winter, or on Shabbat. 21 For then there will be great trouble,[bd] such as has not happened since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. 22 And unless those days were cut short, no one would be delivered. But for the sake of the chosen, those days will be cut short.
23 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here’s the Messiah,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up[be] and show great signs and wonders so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen. 25 See, I have told you beforehand.
26 “So if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. Or, ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For just as lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so also will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 For wherever the carcass is, there the vultures will gather.
29 “But immediately after the trouble of those days,
‘the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light
and the stars will fall from heaven
and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’[bf]
30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the land will mourn, and they will see ‘the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven’[bg] with power and great glory. 31 He will send out His angels with a great shofar, and they will gather together His chosen from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”[bh]
Watching for Messiah’s Return
32 “Now learn the parable from the fig tree. When its branch becomes tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So also, when you see all these things, know that it is near, at the door. 34 Amen, I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things happen. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away. [bi] 36 But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven nor the Son,[bj] except the Father alone.
37 “For just as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark. 39 And they did not understand until the flood came and swept them all away.[bk] So shall it be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two men will be in the field, one taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill, one taken and one left. [bl] 42 Therefore stay alert; for you do not know what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what time the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and not let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
The Faithful Servant
45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master put in charge of his household to give them food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that servant whose master finds him so doing when he comes. 47 Amen, I tell you, his master will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But if that wicked servant says in his heart, ‘My master is taking a long time,’ 49 and he begins to beat his fellow servants, and he eats and drinks with drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know. 51 And he will cut him in two and assign his place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Parable of the Ten Virgins
25 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. [bm] 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish ones took their lamps, they took no oil with them. 4 But the wise ones took oil in jars along with their lamps.
5 “Now while the bridegroom was taking a long time, they all got drowsy and started falling asleep. 6 But in the middle of the night there was a shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ 7 Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. 8 Now the foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, since our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise ones replied, ‘No, there won’t be enough for us and for you. Instead, go to those who sell, and buy some for yourselves.’
10 “But while they were going off to buy, the bridegroom came. And those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut. 11 Now later, the other virgins came, saying, ‘Sir, Sir, open up for us!’
12 “But he replied, ‘Amen, I tell you, I do not know you.’ 13 Therefore stay alert, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
Parable of the Talents
14 “For it is like a man about to go on a journey. He called his own servants and handed over his possessions to them. 15 To one he gave five talents,[bn] to another two, and to another one, each according to his own ability. Then he went on his journey.
16 “Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them and gained five more. 17 In the same way, the one with two gained two more. 18 But the one who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
19 “Now after a long time, the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 The one who had received the five talents came up and brought another five talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed me five talents. Look, I’ve gained five more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful with a little, so I’ll put you in charge of much. Enter into your master’s joy!’
22 “The one who had received the two talents also came up and said, ‘Master, you handed me two talents. Look, I’ve gained two more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful with a little, so I’ll put you in charge of much. Enter into your master’s joy!’
24 “Then the one who had received the one talent also came up and said, ‘Master, I knew that you are a hard man, reaping where you didn’t sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. 25 So I was afraid, and I went off and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’
26 “But his master responded, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! You knew that I reap where I didn’t sow and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you should have brought my money to the brokers, and when I came I would have received it back with interest. 28 Therefore take the talent away from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29 For to the one who has, more shall be given, and he shall have an abundance. But from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 30 Throw the worthless servant out, into the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”
The Righteous Judge
31 “Now when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them from one another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. [bo] 33 And He will put the sheep on His right, but the goats on His left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you invited Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’[bp]
37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You? Or thirsty and give You something to drink? 38 And when did we see You a stranger and invite You in? Or naked and clothe You? 39 When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’
40 “And answering, the King will say to them, ‘Amen, I tell you, whatever you did to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ [bq] 41 Then He will also say to those on the left, ‘Go away from Me, you cursed ones, into the everlasting fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite Me in; naked and you did not clothe Me; sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
44 “Then they too will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not care for You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Amen, I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.’ 46 These shall go off to everlasting punishment, but the righteous into everlasting life.”[br]
The Conspiracy Grows
26 Now it happened that when Yeshua had finished all these words, He said to His disciples, 2 “You know that Passover comes in two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be executed.”
3 Then the ruling kohanim and elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the kohen gadol named Caiaphas. 4 They plotted together in order that they might seize Yeshua by stealth and kill Him. 5 “But not during the festival,” they were saying, “so there won’t be a riot among the people.”
A Woman Anoints Yeshua for Burial
6 Now while Yeshua was in Bethany at the house of Simon ha-Metzora, 7 a woman came up to Him with an alabaster jar of very expensive oil. And she poured it on His head as He was reclining at the table. 8 But when the disciples saw this, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? 9 It could have been sold for a lot, and the money given to the poor!”
10 But Yeshua, knowing this, said to them, “Why do you cause trouble for this woman? She’s done Me a mitzvah. 11 You always have the poor with you,[bs] but you won’t always have Me. 12 For when she poured this oil on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial. 13 Amen, I tell you, wherever this Good News is proclaimed in all the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”
Betrayed and Sold for Silver
14 Then one of the Twelve, the one called Judah of Kriot, went to the ruling kohanim 15 and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?” And they weighed out thirty shekels[bt] of silver for him. 16 From then on, Judah began looking for a chance to hand Him over.
17 Now on the first day of matzah,[bu] the disciples came to Yeshua, saying, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”
18 He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and tell him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is near; at your house I am to keep the Passover with My disciples.”’” 19 The disciples did as Yeshua had ordered them, and they prepared the Passover.[bv]
20 Now when it was evening, Yeshua was reclining at the table with the Twelve. 21 As they were eating, He said, “Amen, I tell you, one of you will betray Me.”
22 And being very sorrowful, they began, each one, to say to Him, “I’m not the one, am I, Master?”
23 And He replied, “The one who dipped his hand in the bowl with Me, he’s the one who will betray Me. [bw] 24 The Son of Man indeed goes, just as it is written about Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed![bx] It would have been better for that man if he had not been born!”
25 And Judah, the one betraying Him, replied, “I’m not the one, am I, Rabbi?”
Yeshua said to him, “You’ve said it yourself.”
26 Now while they were eating, Yeshua took matzah;[by] and after He offered the bracha, He broke and gave to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” 27 And He took a cup; and after giving thanks, He gave to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; 28 for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the removal of sins. [bz] 29 But I say to you, I will never drink of this fruit of the vine from now on, until that day when I drink it anew with you in My Father’s kingdom.”
30 After singing the Hallel,[ca] they went out to the Mount of Olives. 31 Then Yeshua said to them, “This night you will all fall away because of Me; for it is written,
‘I will strike the Shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’[cb]
32 But after I am raised up, I will go before you to the Galilee.”
33 But Peter replied to Him, “Though all fall away because of You, I’ll never fall away.”
34 Yeshua said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”
35 “Even if I must die with You,” Peter says to Him, “I’ll never deny You!” And so said all the disciples.
“Your Will Be Done”
36 Then Yeshua comes with them to a place called Gethsemane, and He tells the disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” 37 And He took along Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, and He began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then He tells them, “My soul is deeply grieved, even to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.” 39 Going a little farther, He fell face down and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me! Yet not as I will, but as You will.”
40 Then He comes to the disciples and finds them sleeping; and He tells Peter, “So couldn’t you keep watch with Me for one hour? 41 Keep watching and praying, so that you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 Again for a second time He went away and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, let Your will be done.” 43 And again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So He left them again and prayed a third time, saying the same words once more. 45 Then He comes to the disciples and says to them, “Still sleeping? Taking your rest? Look, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being delivered into the hands of sinners. 46 Get up, let’s go! Look, My betrayer is near.”
Taken into Custody
47 While Yeshua was still speaking, here came Judah, one of the Twelve, and with him a big crowd with swords and clubs, from the ruling kohanim and elders of the people. 48 Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, ‘The One I kiss, He’s the One—seize Him!’ 49 And immediately Judah drew near[cc] to Yeshua and said, “Shalom, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.
50 “Friend,” Yeshua said to him, “do what you’ve come to do.” Then they came up and threw their hands on Yeshua and seized Him. 51 And suddenly, one of those with Yeshua stretched out his hand and drew his sword, and he struck the kohen gadol’s servant and cut off his ear.
52 Then Yeshua said to him, “Put your sword back in its place! For all who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. [cd] 53 Or do you suppose that I cannot call on My Father, and at once He will place at My side twelve legions[ce] of angels? 54 How then would the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”
55 At that hour Yeshua said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs, to capture Me as you would a revolutionary?[cf] Every day I sat teaching in the Temple, and you didn’t seize Me. 56 But all this has happened so that the writings of the prophets would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples fled, abandoning Him.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.