Bible in 90 Days
Jesus is Tried before the High Priest(A)
57 Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had assembled. 58 Peter, however, followed him at a distance as far as the high priest’s courtyard. He went inside and sat down with the servants to see how this would end.
59 Meanwhile, the high priests and the whole Council[a] were looking for false testimony against Jesus in order to have him put to death. 60 But they couldn’t find any, even though many false witnesses had come forward. At last two men came forward 61 and stated, “This man said, ‘I can destroy the sanctuary of God and rebuild it in three days.’”
62 At this, the high priest stood up and asked Jesus,[b] “Don’t you have any answer to what these men are testifying against you?” 63 But Jesus was silent. Then the high priest told him, “I command you by the living God to tell us if you are the Messiah,[c] the Son of God!”
64 Jesus told him, “You have said so. Nevertheless I tell you, from now on you will see ‘the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power’[d] and ‘coming on the clouds of heaven.’”[e]
65 Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? Listen! You yourselves have just heard the blasphemy! 66 What is your verdict?”
They replied, “He deserves to die!”
67 Then they spit in his face and hit him. Some slapped him, 68 saying, “Prophesy to us, you Messiah![f] Who hit[g] you?”
Peter Denies Jesus(B)
69 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard when a servant girl came up to him and said, “You, too, were with Jesus the Galilean.”
70 But he denied it in front of them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about!” he exclaimed.
71 As he went out to the gateway, another woman saw him and told those who were there, “This man was with Jesus from Nazareth.”[h]
72 Again he denied it and swore with an oath, “I don’t know the man!”
73 After a little while, the people who were standing there came up and told Peter, “Obviously you’re also one of them, because your accent gives you away.”
74 Then he began to curse violently. “I don’t know the man!” he swore solemnly. Just then a rooster crowed. 75 Peter remembered the words of Jesus when he said, “Before a rooster crows, you’ll deny me three times.” Then he went outside and cried bitterly.
Jesus is Taken to Pilate(C)
27 When morning came, all the high priests and elders of the people conspired against Jesus to put him to death. 2 They bound him with chains, led him away, and handed him over to Pontius[i] Pilate, the governor.
The Death of Judas(D)
3 Then Judas, who had betrayed him, regretted what had happened when he saw that Jesus[j] was condemned. He brought the 30 pieces of silver back to the high priests and elders, 4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent[k] blood.”
But they replied, “What do we care? Attend to that yourself.” 5 Then he flung the pieces of silver into the sanctuary, went outside, ran away, and hanged himself.
6 The high priests picked up the pieces of silver and said, “It is not lawful to put this into the Temple treasury, because it is blood money.” 7 So they decided to use the money to buy the Potter’s Field as a burial ground for foreigners. 8 That is why that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9 Then what had been declared through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled when he said,
“They[l] took the 30 pieces of silver,
the value of the man on whom a price had been set by the Israelis,
10 and they[m] gave them for the potter’s field,
as the Lord commanded me.”[n]
Pilate Questions Jesus(E)
11 Meanwhile, Jesus was made to stand in front of the governor. The governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
Jesus said, “You say so.”
12 While Jesus[o] was being accused by the high priests and elders, he made no reply. 13 Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear how many charges they’re bringing against you?” 14 But Jesus[p] did not reply at all, so that the governor was very surprised.
Jesus is Sentenced to Death(F)
15 At every festival[q] the governor had a custom of releasing to the crowd any prisoner whom they wanted. 16 At that time they were holding a notorious prisoner named Barabbas.[r] 17 So when the people[s] had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which man do you want me to release for you—Barabbas,[t] or Jesus who is called ‘the Messiah’?”[u] 18 He did this[v] because he knew that they had handed him over out of jealousy.
19 While he was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him a message[w] that said, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, because today I have suffered terribly due to a dream I had about him.”
20 But the high priests and elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to demand that Jesus be put to death. 21 So the governor asked them, “Which of the two men do you want me to release for you?”
“Barabbas!” they replied.
22 Pilate asked them, “Then what should I do with Jesus, who is called the Messiah?”[x]
They all said, “Let him be crucified!”
23 He asked, “What has he done wrong?”
But they kept shouting louder and louder, “Let him be crucified!”
24 Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that a riot was about to break out instead. So he took some water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s[y] blood. Attend to that yourselves.”
25 All the people answered, “Let his blood be on us and our children!” 26 Then he released Barabbas for them, but he had Jesus whipped and handed over to be crucified.
The Soldiers Make Fun of Jesus(G)
27 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the imperial headquarters[z] and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28 They stripped[aa] him and put a scarlet robe on him. 29 Twisting some thorns into a victor’s crown, they placed it on his head and put[ab] a stick in his right hand. They knelt down in front of him and began making fun of him, saying, “Long live the king of the Jews!” 30 Then they spit on him and took the stick and hit him repeatedly on his head. 31 When they had finished making fun of him, they stripped him of the robe, put his own clothes back on him, and led him away to crucify him.
Jesus is Crucified(H)
32 As they were leaving, they found a man from Cyrene named Simon, whom they forced to carry Jesus’[ac] cross. 33 When they came to a place called Golgotha (which means “Skull Place”), 34 they offered him a drink of wine mixed with gall. But when he tasted it, he refused to drink it. 35 After they had crucified him, they determined who would get his clothes by throwing dice for them.[ad] 36 Then they sat down there and continued guarding him. 37 Above his head they placed the charge against him. It read, “This is Jesus, the king of the Jews.”
38 At that time two bandits[ae] were crucified with him, one on his right and the other on his left. 39 Those who passed by kept insulting[af] him, shaking their heads, 40 and saying, “You who were going to destroy the sanctuary and rebuild it in three days—save yourself! If you’re the Son of God, come down from the cross!”
41 In the same way the high priests, along with the scribes and elders, were also making fun of him. They kept saying, 42 “He saved others but can’t save himself! He is the king of Israel. Let him[ag] come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God[ah] rescue him, if he wants to do so now. After all, he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”
44 In a similar way, the bandits[ai] who were being crucified with him kept insulting him.
Jesus Dies on the Cross(I)
45 From noon[aj] on, darkness came over the whole land[ak] until three in the afternoon.[al] 46 About three o’clock,[am] Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eli, eli,[an] lema sabachthani?”,[ao] which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”[ap]
47 When some of the people standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling for Elijah.”[aq] 48 So one of the men ran off at once, took a sponge, and soaked it in some sour wine. Then he put it on a stick and offered Jesus[ar] a drink.
49 But the others kept saying, “Wait! Let’s see if Elijah will come and save him.”[as]
50 Then Jesus cried out with a loud voice again and died.[at] 51 Suddenly, the curtain[au] in the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth shook, rocks were split open, 52 tombs were opened, and many[av] saints who had died[aw] were brought back to life. 53 After his resurrection, they came out of their tombs, went into the Holy City,[ax] and appeared to many people.
54 When the centurion[ay] and those guarding Jesus with him saw the earthquake and the other things that were taking place, they were terrified and said, “This man certainly was the Son of God!”
55 Now many women were also there, watching from a distance. They had accompanied Jesus from Galilee and had ministered to[az] him. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene,[ba] Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.
Jesus is Buried(J)
57 Later that evening, a rich man arrived from Arimathea. His name was Joseph, and he had become a disciple of Jesus. 58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus, and Pilate ordered it to be done. 59 So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth. 60 Then he placed it in his own new tomb, which he had cut out of the rock. After rolling a large stone across the door of the tomb, he left, 61 but Mary Magdalene[bb] and the other Mary remained there, sitting in front of the tomb.
The Tomb is Secured
62 The following day (that is, after the Day of Preparation), the high priests and Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63 and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said while he was still alive, ‘I will be raised after three days.’ 64 Therefore, order the tomb to be secured until the third day, or his disciples may go and steal him and then tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead.’ Then the last deception would be worse than the first one.”
65 Pilate told them, “You have[bc] a military guard. Go and make the tomb[bd] as secure as you know how.” 66 So they went and secured the tomb by putting a seal on the stone in the presence of the guards.
Jesus is Raised from the Dead(K)
28 After the Sabbaths,[be] around dawn on the first day of the week,[bf] Mary Magdalene[bg] and the other Mary went to take a look at the burial site.[bh] 2 Suddenly, there was a powerful earthquake, because an angel of the Lord had come down from heaven, approached the stone, rolled it away, and was sitting on top of it. 3 His appearance was bright as lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 Trembling from fear, even the guards themselves became catatonic.[bi]
5 Responding to the women, the angel said, “Stop being frightened! I know you’re looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here. He has been raised, just as he said. Come and see the place where he[bj] was lying. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead. He is going ahead of you into Galilee, and you will see him there. Remember, I have told you!”
8 So they quickly left the tomb, terrified but also ecstatic, and ran to tell Jesus’[bk] disciples. 9 Suddenly, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” They went up to him, took hold of his feet, and worshipped him. 10 Then Jesus told them, “Stop being frightened! Go and tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”
The Guards Report to the High Priests
11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and told the high priests everything that had happened. 12 So they met with the elders and agreed on a plan to give the soldiers a large[bl] amount of money. 13 They said, “Say that Jesus’[bm] disciples came at night and stole him while you were sleeping. 14 If this is reported to the governor, we’ll personally persuade him to keep you out of trouble.”[bn] 15 So the soldiers[bo] took the money, did as they were instructed, and this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.
Jesus Commissions His Disciples(L)
16 The eleven disciples went into Galilee to the hillside to which Jesus had directed them. 17 When they saw him, they worshipped him, though some had doubts. 18 Then Jesus approached them and told them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore, as you go, disciple people in all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. And remember, I am with you each and every day[bp] until the end of the age.”[bq]
John the Baptist Prepares the Way for Jesus(M)
1 This is[br] the beginning of the gospel of Jesus the Messiah,[bs] the Son of God.[bt] 2 As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,
“See! I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way.[bu]
3 He is a voice calling out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way for the Lord![bv]
Make his paths straight!’”[bw]
4 John was baptizing in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism about repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 People from[bx] the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were flocking to him, being baptized by him while they confessed their sins. 6 Now John was dressed in camel’s hair with[by] a leather belt around his waist. He ate grasshoppers[bz] and wild honey. 7 He kept proclaiming, “The one who is coming after me is stronger than I am, and I am not worthy to bend down and untie his sandal straps. 8 I baptized you with[ca] water, but it is he who will baptize you with[cb] the Holy Spirit.”
Jesus is Baptized(N)
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 Just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens split open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 Then a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love. I am pleased with you!”
Jesus is Tempted by Satan(O)
12 At once the Spirit drove him into the wilderness. 13 He was in the wilderness for 40 days being tempted by Satan. He was among wild animals, and angels were ministering to him.
Jesus Begins His Ministry in Galilee(P)
14 Now after John had been arrested, Jesus went to Galilee and proclaimed the gospel about the kingdom[cc] of God. 15 He said, “The time is now! The kingdom of God is near! Repent, and keep believing the gospel!”
Jesus Calls His First Disciples(Q)
16 While Jesus[cd] was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew. They were throwing a net into the sea because they were fishermen. 17 Jesus told them, “Follow me, and I’ll make you fishers of people!” 18 So immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 Going on a little farther, he saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat repairing their nets. 20 He immediately called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
Jesus Heals a Man with an Unclean Spirit(R)
21 Then they went to Capernaum. As soon as it was the Sabbaths, Jesus[ce] went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people[cf] were utterly amazed at his teaching, because he was teaching them like one with authority, and not like their scribes. 23 All of a sudden,[cg] there was a man in their synagogue who had an unclean spirit! He screamed, 24 “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
25 But Jesus rebuked him. “Be quiet,” he ordered, “and come out of him!” 26 At this, the unclean spirit shook the man,[ch] cried out with a loud voice, and came out of him.
27 All the people were so stunned that they kept saying to each other, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He tells even the unclean spirits what to do, and they obey him!” 28 At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.
Jesus Heals Many People(S)
29 After they left the synagogue, they went directly to the house of Simon and Andrew, along with James and John. 30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law was lying in bed, sick with a fever, so they promptly told Jesus[ci] about her. 31 He went up to her, took her by the hand, and helped her up. The fever left her, and she began serving them. 32 When evening came, after the sun had set, people[cj] started bringing to him everyone who was sick or possessed by demons. 33 In fact, the whole city gathered at the door. 34 He healed many who were sick with various diseases and drove out many demons. However, he wouldn’t allow the demons to speak because they knew who he was.
Jesus Goes on a Preaching Tour(T)
35 In the morning, while it was still very dark, Jesus[ck] got up and went to a deserted place and prayed there. 36 Simon and his companions searched frantically for him. 37 When they found him, they told him, “Everyone’s looking for you.”
38 “Let’s go to the neighboring town,” he replied, “so I can preach there, too, because that’s why I came.” 39 So he went throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
Jesus Cleanses a Leper(U)
40 Then a leper[cl] came to Jesus[cm] and began pleading with him. He fell on his knees and told him, “If you want to, you can make me clean.”
41 Moved with compassion, Jesus[cn] reached out his hand, touched him, and told him, “I do want to. Be made clean!” 42 Instantly the leprosy left him, and he was clean.
43 Then Jesus[co] sternly warned him and encouraged him to go at once. 44 He told the man, “Be sure that you don’t tell anyone. Instead, go and show yourself to the priest, and then offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded as proof to the authorities.”[cp] 45 But when the man[cq] left, he began to proclaim it freely. He spread the news so widely that Jesus[cr] could no longer enter a town openly, but had to stay out in deserted places. Still, people[cs] kept coming to him from everywhere.
Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man(V)
2 Several days later, Jesus[ct] returned to Capernaum and it was reported that he was at home. 2 Such a large crowd gathered that there wasn’t room for them, even in front of the door. Jesus[cu] was speaking his message to them 3 when some people[cv] came and brought him a paralyzed man being carried by four men. 4 Since they couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof over the place where he was. They dug through it and let down the mat on which the paralyzed man was lying.
5 When Jesus saw their faith, he told the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
6 Now some scribes were sitting there, arguing among themselves,[cw] 7 “Why does this man talk this way? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
8 At once, Jesus knew in his spirit what they were saying to themselves. “Why are you arguing about such things among yourselves?”[cx] he asked them. 9 “Which is easier: to say to the paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Get up, pick up your mat, and walk’? 10 But I want you to know[cy] that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” Then he told the paralyzed man, 11 “I say to you, get up, pick up your mat, and go home!” 12 So the man[cz] got up, immediately picked up his mat, and went out in front of all of them.
As a result, all of the people were amazed and began to glorify God as they kept on saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
Jesus Calls Matthew(W)
13 Jesus[da] went out again beside the sea. The whole crowd kept coming to him, and he kept teaching them. 14 As he was walking along, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax collector’s desk. Jesus[db] told him, “Follow me!” So Levi[dc] got up and followed him.
15 Later, he was having dinner at Levi’s[dd] house. Many tax collectors and sinners were also eating with Jesus and his disciples, because there were many who were following him. 16 When the scribes and the Pharisees saw him eating with sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat and drink[de] with tax collectors and sinners?”
17 When Jesus heard that, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a physician, but sick ones do. I did not come to call righteous people, but sinners.”
A Question about Fasting(X)
18 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees would fast regularly. Some people[df] came and asked Jesus,[dg] “Why do John’s disciples and the Pharisees’ disciples fast, but your disciples don’t fast?”
19 Jesus replied, “The wedding guests[dh] can’t fast while the groom is with them, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they can’t fast. 20 But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day.”
The Unshrunk Cloth(Y)
21 “No one patches an old garment with a piece of unshrunk cloth. If he does, the patch pulls away from it—the new from the old—and a worse tear is made. 22 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will make the skins burst, and both the wine and the skins will be ruined. Instead, new wine is poured[di] into fresh wineskins.”
Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath(Z)
23 Jesus[dj] happened to be going through the grain fields on a Sabbath.[dk] As they made their way, his disciples began picking the heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees asked him, “Look! Why are they doing what is not lawful on Sabbath days?”[dl]
25 He asked them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? 26 How was it that he went into the House of God during the lifetime[dm] of Abiathar the high priest and ate the Bread of the Presence, which was not lawful for anyone but the priests to eat, and gave some of it to his companions?”
27 Then he told them, “The Sabbath was made for people, not people for the Sabbath. 28 Therefore, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
Jesus Heals a Man with a Paralyzed Hand(AA)
3 Jesus[dn] went into the synagogue again, and a man with a paralyzed hand was there. 2 The people[do] watched Jesus[dp] closely to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath,[dq] intending to accuse him of doing something wrong. 3 He told the man with the paralyzed hand, “Come forward.”[dr] 4 Then he asked them, “Is it lawful to do good or to do evil on Sabbath days,[ds] to save a life or to destroy it?” But they remained silent.
5 Jesus[dt] looked around at them in anger, deeply hurt because of their hard hearts. Then he told the man, “Hold out your hand.” The man[du] held it out, and his hand was restored to health. 6 Immediately the Pharisees and Herodians[dv] went out and began to plot how to kill him.
Jesus Encounters a Large Crowd
7 So Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea. A large crowd from Galilee, Judea, 8 Jerusalem, Idumea, from across the Jordan, and from the region around Tyre and Sidon followed him. They came to him because they kept hearing about everything he was doing. 9 Jesus[dw] told his disciples to have a boat ready for him so that the crowd wouldn’t crush him, 10 because he had healed so many people that everyone who had diseases kept crowding up against him in order to touch him. 11 Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they would fall down in front of him and scream, “You are the Son of God!” 12 But he sternly ordered them again and again not to tell people who he was.
Jesus Appoints Twelve Apostles(AB)
13 Then Jesus[dx] went up on a hillside and called to himself those whom he had decided on, and they approached him. 14 He appointed the Twelve,[dy] whom he called apostles, to accompany him, to be sent out to preach, 15 and to have the authority to drive out demons. 16 He appointed the Twelve:[dz] Simon (whom he named Peter), 17 Zebedee’s sons James and his brother John (whom he named Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder), 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddeus,[ea] Simon the Cananaean,[eb] 19 and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
Jesus is Accused of Working with Beelzebul(AC)
20 Then he went home. Such a large crowd gathered again that Jesus and his disciples[ec] couldn’t even eat. 21 When his family heard about it, they went to restrain him, because they kept saying, “He’s out of his mind!”
22 The scribes who had come down from Jerusalem kept repeating, “He has Beelzebul,” and, “He drives out demons by the ruler of demons.”
23 So Jesus[ed] called them together and began to speak to them in parables. “How can Satan drive out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a household is divided against itself, that household won’t stand. 26 So if Satan rebels against himself and is divided, he cannot stand. Indeed, his end has come. 27 No one can go into a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions without first tying up the strong man. Then he can ransack his house. 28 I tell all of you[ee] with certainty, people will be forgiven their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter.[ef] 29 But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never be forgiven, but is guilty of eternal sin.” 30 …because they had been saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”
The True Family of Jesus(AD)
31 Then his mother and his brothers arrived. Milling around outside, they sent for him, continuously summoning him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him. They told him, “Look! Your mother and your brothers[eg] are outside asking for you.”
33 He answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 Then looking at the people sitting around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”
The Parable about a Farmer(AE)
4 Then Jesus[eh] began to teach again beside the sea. Such a large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it,[ei] while the entire crowd remained beside the sea on the shore. 2 He began teaching them many things in parables. While he was teaching them he said, 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to sow. 4 As he was sowing, some seeds fell along the path, and birds came and ate them up. 5 Others fell on stony ground, where they didn’t have a lot of soil. They sprouted at once, because the soil wasn’t deep. 6 But when the sun came up, they were scorched. Since they didn’t have any roots, they dried up. 7 Others fell among thorn bushes, and the thorn bushes came up and choked them out, and they didn’t produce anything. 8 But others fell on good soil and produced a crop. They grew up, increased in size, and produced 30, 60, or 100 times what was sown.”[ej] 9 He added, “Let the person who has ears to hear, listen!”
The Purpose of the Parables(AF)
10 When he was alone with the Twelve and those around him, they began to ask him about the parables. 11 He told them, “The secret about the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside, everything comes in parables 12 so that
‘they may see clearly but not perceive,
and they may hear clearly but not understand,
otherwise they might turn around and be forgiven.’”[ek]
Jesus Explains the Parable about the Farmer(AG)
13 Then he told them, “You don’t understand this parable, so how can you understand any of the parables? 14 The farmer sows the word. 15 Some people are like the seeds[el] along the path, where the word is sown. When they hear it, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others are like the seeds[em] sown on the stony ground. When they hear the word, at once they joyfully accept it, 17 but since they don’t have any roots, they last for only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes along because of the word, they immediately fall away. 18 Still others are like the seeds[en] sown among the thorn bushes. These are the people who hear the word, 19 but the worries of life, the deceitful pleasures of wealth, and the desires for other things come in and choke the word so that it can’t produce a crop. 20 Others are like the seeds[eo] sown on good soil. They hear the word, accept it, and produce crops—30, 60, or 100 times what was sown.”[ep]
A Light under a Basket(AH)
21 Then Jesus[eq] told them, “A lamp isn’t brought indoors to be put under a basket or under a bed, is it? It’s to be put on a lamp stand, isn’t it? 22 Nothing is hidden except for the purpose of having it revealed, and nothing is secret except for the purpose of having it come to light. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen!
24 He went on to say to them, “Pay attention to what you’re hearing! You will be evaluated by the same standard with which you do your evaluating, and still more will be given to you, 25 because whoever has something, will have more given to him. But whoever has nothing, even what he has will be taken away.”
The Parable about a Growing Seed
26 He was also saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seeds on the ground. 27 He sleeps and gets up night and day while the seeds sprout and grow, although he doesn’t know how 28 the ground produces grain by itself—first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. 29 But when the grain is ripe, he immediately starts cutting with his sickle because the harvest time has come.”
The Parable about a Mustard Seed(AI)
30 He was also saying, “How can we show what the kingdom of God is like, or what parable can we use to describe it? 31 It’s like a mustard seed planted in the ground. Although it’s the smallest of[er] all the seeds on earth, 32 when it’s planted it comes up and becomes larger than all the garden plants. It grows such large branches that the birds in the sky can nest in its shade.”
Why Jesus Used Parables(AJ)
33 With many other parables like these, Jesus[es] kept speaking his message to them according to their ability to understand. 34 He did not tell them anything without using[et] a parable, though he explained everything to his disciples in private.
Jesus Calms the Sea(AK)
35 That day, when evening had come, he told them, “Let’s cross to the other side.” 36 So they left the crowd and took him away in a boat without making any special preparations.[eu] Other boats were with him. 37 A violent windstorm came up, and the waves began breaking into the boat, so that the boat was rapidly[ev] becoming swamped.
38 But Jesus[ew] was in the back of the boat, asleep on a cushion. So they woke him up and asked him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to die?”
39 Then he got up, rebuked the wind, and told the sea, “Calm down! Be still!” Then the wind stopped blowing, and there was a great calm. 40 He asked them, “Why are you such cowards? Don’t you have any faith yet?”
41 Overcome with fear, they kept saying to one another, “Who is this man? Even the wind and the sea obey him!”
Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Man(AL)
5 They arrived at the other side of the sea in the territory of the Gerasenes.[ex] 2 Just as Jesus[ey] stepped out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit came out of the tombs and met him. 3 He lived among the tombs, and no one could restrain him any longer, not even with a chain. 4 He had often been restrained with shackles and chains, but had snapped the chains apart and broken the shackles in pieces. No one could tame him. 5 He kept screaming night and day among the tombs and on the mountainsides, and kept cutting himself with stones.
6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell down in front of him, 7 screaming in a loud voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you in the name of[ez] God never to torment me!”
8 Jesus[fa] had been saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 Then Jesus[fb] asked him, “What’s your name?”
He told him, “My name is Legion,[fc] because there are many of us.” 10 He kept pleading with Jesus[fd] not to send them out of that region.
11 Now a large herd of pigs was grazing on a hillside nearby. 12 So the demons[fe] begged him, “Send us among the pigs, so that we can go into them!” 13 So he let them do this. The unclean spirits came out of the man[ff] and went into the pigs, and the herd of about 2,000 rushed down a steep slope into the sea and drowned there.[fg]
14 Now when those who had been taking care of the pigs ran away, they reported what had happened[fh] in the city and countryside. So the people[fi] went to see what had happened. 15 When they came to Jesus and saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there dressed and in his right mind, they were frightened. 16 The people who had seen it told them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and the pigs. 17 So they began to beg Jesus[fj] to leave their territory.
18 As Jesus[fk] was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed kept begging him to let him go with him. 19 But Jesus[fl] wouldn’t let him. Instead, he told him, “Go home to your family, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been to you.” 20 So the man[fm] left and began proclaiming in the Decapolis[fn] how much Jesus had done for him. And everyone was utterly amazed.
Jesus Heals a Woman and Resurrects a Girl(AM)
21 When Jesus again had crossed to the other side in a boat,[fo] a large crowd gathered around him by the seashore. 22 Then a synagogue leader named Jairus arrived. When he saw Jesus,[fp] he fell at his feet 23 and begged him urgently, saying, “My little daughter is dying. Come and lay your hands on her so that she may get well and live.” 24 So Jesus[fq] went with him. A huge crowd kept following him and jostling him.
25 Now there was a woman who had been suffering from chronic bleeding for twelve years. 26 Although she had endured a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all of her money, she had not been helped at all, but rather grew worse. 27 Since she had heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his robe, 28 because she had been saying, “If I can just touch his robe, I will get well.” 29 Her bleeding stopped at once, and she felt in her body that she was healed from her illness.
30 Immediately Jesus became aware that power had gone out of him. So he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”
31 His disciples asked him, “You see the crowd jostling you, and yet you ask, ‘Who touched me?’” 32 But he kept looking around to look at the woman who had done this. 33 So the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came forward fearfully, fell down trembling in front of him, and told him the whole truth.
34 He told her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be healed from your illness.”
35 While he was still speaking, some people[fr] came from the synagogue leader’s home[fs] and said, “Your daughter is dead. Why bother the Teacher anymore?”
36 But when Jesus heard[ft] what they said, he told the synagogue leader, “Stop being afraid! Just keep on believing.” 37 Jesus[fu] allowed no one to go further with him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.
38 When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus[fv] saw mass confusion. People[fw] were crying and sobbing loudly. 39 He entered the house[fx] and asked them, “Why all this confusion and crying? The child isn’t dead. She’s sleeping.” 40 They laughed and laughed at him. But when he had driven all of them outside, he took the child’s father and mother, along with the men who were with him, and went into the room[fy] where the child was.
41 He took her by the hand and told her, “Talitha koum,”[fz] which means, “Young lady, I tell you, get up!” 42 The young lady got up at once and started to walk. She was twelve years old. Instantly they were overcome with astonishment. 43 But Jesus[ga] strictly ordered them not to let anyone know about this. He also told them to give her something to eat.
Jesus is Rejected at Nazareth(AN)
6 Jesus[gb] left that place and went back to his hometown,[gc] and his disciples followed him. 2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were utterly amazed. “Where did this man get all these things?” they asked. “What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What great miracles are being done by his hands! 3 This is the builder,[gd] the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon, isn’t it? His sisters are here with us, aren’t they?” And they were offended by him.
4 Jesus had been telling them, “A prophet is without honor only in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his own home.” 5 He couldn’t perform a miracle there except to lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 He was amazed at their unbelief. Then he went around to the villages and continued teaching.
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve(AO)
7 He called the Twelve and began to send them out two by two, giving them authority over unclean spirits. 8 He instructed them to take nothing along on the trip except a walking stick—no bread, no traveling bag, nothing in their moneybag. 9 They could wear sandals but not take along an extra shirt.[ge] 10 He told them repeatedly, “Whenever you go into a home, stay there until you leave that place. 11 If any place will not welcome you and the people[gf] refuse to listen to you, when you leave, shake its dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So they went and preached that people[gg] should repent. 13 They also kept driving out many demons and anointing with oil many who were sick, and healing them.
The Death of John the Baptist(AP)
14 King Herod heard about this, because Jesus’[gh] name had become well-known. He was[gi] saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead! That’s why he is able to do these miracles.”
15 Others were saying, “He is Elijah.”
Still others were saying, “He is a prophet like one of the other[gj] prophets.”
16 But when Herod heard about it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised,” 17 because Herod himself had sent men who arrested[gk] John, bound him with chains, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom Herod[gl] had married.
18 John had been telling Herod, “It’s not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 So Herodias bore a grudge against John[gm] and wanted to kill him. But she couldn’t do it 20 because Herod was afraid of John. He knew that John[gn] was a righteous and holy man, and so he protected him. Whenever he listened to John,[go] he did much of what he said.[gp] In fact, he liked listening to him.
21 An opportunity came during Herod’s birthday celebration, when he gave a banquet for his top officials, military officers, and the most important people of Galilee. 22 When the daughter of Herodias[gq] came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. So the king told the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.” 23 He swore with an oath to her, “I’ll give you anything you ask for, up to half of my kingdom.”
24 So she went out and asked her mother, “What should I ask for?”
Her mother[gr] replied, “The head of John the Baptist.”
25 Immediately the girl[gs] hurried back to the king with her request, “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”
26 The king was deeply saddened, yet because of his oaths and his guests he was reluctant to refuse her. 27 So without delay the king sent a soldier and ordered him to bring John’s[gt] head. The soldier[gu] went and beheaded him in prison. 28 Then he brought John’s[gv] head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When John’s[gw] disciples heard about this, they came and carried off his body and laid it in a tomb.
Jesus Feeds More than Five Thousand People(AQ)
30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and told him everything they had done and taught. 31 He told them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest for a while,” because so many people were coming and going[gx] that they didn’t even have time to eat. 32 So they went away in a boat to a deserted place by themselves. 33 But when many people saw them leave and recognized them, they hurried on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. 34 When he got out of the boat,[gy] he saw a large crowd. He had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things.
35 When it was quite late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and it’s already late. 36 Send the crowds[gz] away so that they can go to the neighboring farms and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”
37 But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.”
They asked him, “Should we go and buy 200 denarii[ha] worth of bread and give it to them to eat?”
38 He asked them, “How many loaves of bread do you have? Go and see.”
They found out and told him, “Five loaves[hb] and two fish.”
39 Then he ordered them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and blessed them. Then he broke the loaves in pieces and kept giving them to his disciples to set before the people.[hc] He also divided the two fish among them all. 42 All of them ate and were filled. 43 Then the disciples[hd] picked up twelve baskets full of leftover bread and fish. 44 There were 5,000 men who had eaten the loaves.
Jesus Walks on the Sea(AR)
45 Jesus[he] immediately had his disciples get into a boat and cross to Bethsaida ahead of him, while he sent the crowd away. 46 After saying goodbye to them, he went up on a hillside to pray. 47 When evening had come, the boat was in the middle of the sea, while he was alone on the land. 48 He saw that his disciples[hf] were straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn[hg] he came to them, walking on the sea. He intended to go up right beside them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and began to scream. 50 All of them saw him and were terrified. Immediately he told them, “Have courage! It’s me. Stop being afraid!”
51 Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped blowing. The disciples[hh] were utterly astounded, 52 because they didn’t understand the significance of the loaves. Instead, their hearts were hardened.
Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret(AS)
53 When they had crossed over, they came ashore at Gennesaret and anchored the boat. 54 As soon as they got out of the boat, the people recognized Jesus.[hi] 55 They ran all over the countryside and began carrying the sick on their mats to any place where they heard he was. 56 Wherever he went, whether into villages, towns, or farms, people[hj] would place their sick in the marketplaces and beg him to let them touch even the tassel of his garment, and everyone who touched it was healed.
Jesus Challenges the Tradition of the Elders(AT)
7 The Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus.[hk] 2 They noticed that some of his disciples were eating[hl] with unclean hands, that is, without washing them. 3 (The Pharisees—and indeed all the Jewish people—don’t eat unless they wash their hands properly,[hm] following the tradition of their elders. 4 They don’t eat anything from the marketplace unless they dip it in water. They also observe many other traditions, such as the proper washing of washing cups, jars, brass pots, and dinner tables.)[hn] 5 So the Pharisees and the scribes asked Jesus,[ho] “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders? Instead, they eat[hp] with unclean hands.”
6 He told them, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites. As it is written,
‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
7 Their worship of me is worthless,
because they teach human rules as doctrines.’[hq]
8 You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.”
9 Then he told them, “You have such a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to keep your own tradition! 10 Because Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’[hr] and, ‘Whoever curses his father or mother must certainly be put to death.’[hs] 11 But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or mother, “Whatever support you might have received from me is Corban,”’ (that is, an offering to God) 12 ‘you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother.’ 13 You are destroying the word of God through your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many other things like that.”
14 Then he called to the crowd again and told them, “Listen to me, all of you, and understand! 15 Nothing that goes into a person from the outside can make him unclean. It’s what comes out of a person that makes a person unclean. 16 If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen!”[ht]
17 When he had left the crowd and gone home, his disciples began asking him about the parable. 18 He asked them, “Are you so ignorant? Don’t you know that nothing that goes into a person from the outside can make him unclean? 19 Because it doesn’t go into his heart but into his stomach, and then into the sewer,[hu] thereby expelling[hv] all foods.” 20 Then he continued, “It’s what comes out of a person that makes a person unclean, 21 because it’s from within, from the human heart, that evil thoughts come, as well as sexual immorality, stealing, murder, 22 adultery, greed, wickedness, cheating, shameless lust, envy, slander,[hw] arrogance, and foolishness. 23 All these things come from inside and make a person unclean.”
A Canaanite Woman’s Faith(AU)
24 Jesus[hx] left that place and went to the territory of Tyre and Sidon.[hy] He went into a house, not wanting anyone to know he was there. However, it couldn’t be kept a secret. 25 In fact, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him and came and fell down at his feet. 26 Now the woman happened to be a Greek, born in Phoenicia in Syria. She kept asking him to drive the demon out of her daughter. 27 But he kept telling her, “First let the children be filled. It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the puppies.”
28 But she answered him, “Yes,[hz] Lord. Yet even the puppies under the table eat some of the children’s crumbs.”
29 Then he told her, “Because you have said this, go! The demon has left your daughter.” 30 So she went home and found her child lying in bed, and the demon was gone.
Jesus Heals a Deaf Man with a Speech Impediment
31 Then Jesus[ia] left the territory of Tyre and passed through Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the territory of the Decapolis.[ib] 32 Some people[ic] brought him a deaf man who also had a speech impediment. They begged him to lay his hand on him. 33 Jesus[id] took him away from the crowd to be alone with him. Putting his fingers into the man’s[ie] ears, he touched the man’s[if] tongue with saliva.
34 Then he looked up to heaven, sighed, and told him, “Ephphatha,”[ig] that is, “Be opened!” 35 The man’s[ih] hearing and speech were restored at once, and he began to talk normally. 36 Jesus[ii] ordered the people[ij] not to tell anyone, but the more he kept ordering them, the more they kept spreading the news.
37 Amazed beyond measure, they kept on saying, “He does everything well! He even makes deaf people hear and mute people talk!”
Jesus Feeds More than Four Thousand People(AV)
8 At that time, after a large crowd again had gathered together with nothing to eat, Jesus[ik] called his disciples and told them, 2 “I have compassion for the crowd, because they’ve already been with me for three days and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them away to their homes hungry, they’ll faint on the road. Some of them have come a long distance.”
4 His disciples answered him, “Where could anyone get enough bread to feed these people out here in the wilderness?”
5 He asked them, “How many loaves of bread do you have?”
“Seven,” they said.
6 So he ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and gave thanks. He broke them in pieces and kept giving them to his disciples to distribute. So they served them to the crowd. 7 They also had a few small fish. He blessed them and said that the fish[il] should also be distributed. 8 The people[im] ate and were filled. Then the disciples[in] picked up the leftover pieces—seven large baskets full. 9 Now about 4,000 men were there. Then he sent them on their way. 10 Immediately he got into a boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha.[io]
Interpreting the Time(AW)
11 The Pharisees arrived and began arguing with Jesus.[ip] They tested him by demanding from him a sign from heaven. 12 He sighed deeply in his spirit and remarked, “Why do those living today[iq] demand a sign? I tell all of you[ir] with certainty, no sign will be given to this generation.” 13 Leaving them, he got into a boat again and crossed to the other side.
The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees(AX)
14 Now the disciples[is] had forgotten to take any bread along, but they had one loaf with them in the boat. 15 Jesus[it] had been warning them, “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod!”[iu]
16 So they were discussing with one another the fact that they didn’t have any bread. 17 Knowing this, Jesus[iv] asked them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you don’t have any bread? Don’t you understand or perceive yet? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Do you have eyes, but fail to see? Do you have ears, but fail to hear?[iw] Don’t you remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the 5,000, how many baskets did you fill with leftover pieces?”
They told him, “Twelve.”
20 “When I broke[ix] the seven loaves[iy] for the 4,000, how many large baskets did you fill with the leftover pieces?”
They told him, “Seven.”
21 Then he asked them, “Don’t you understand yet?”
Jesus Heals a Blind Man in Bethsaida
22 As they came to Bethsaida, some people[iz] brought a blind man to Jesus[ja] and begged him to touch him.[jb] 23 Jesus[jc] took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. He spit into his eyes, placed his hands on him, and asked him, “Do you see anything?”
24 The man[jd] looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees walking around.” 25 Then Jesus[je] placed his hands on the man’s[jf] eyes again, and he saw clearly. His sight was restored, and he saw everything perfectly, even from a distance.
26 Then Jesus[jg] sent him home, saying, “Don’t go into the village or tell anyone in the village.”[jh]
Peter Declares His Faith in Jesus(AY)
27 Then Jesus and his disciples set out for the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he was asking his disciples, “Who do people say I am?”
28 They answered him, “Some say[ji] John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others one of the prophets.”
29 Then he began to ask them, “But who do you say I am?”
Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah!”[jj] 30 Jesus[jk] sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.
Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection(AZ)
31 Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man would have to suffer a great deal and be rejected by the elders, the high priests, and the scribes. Then he would be killed, but after three days he would rise again. 32 He was speaking about this matter quite openly.
Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and looking at his disciples, Jesus[jl] rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind me, Satan, because you’re not thinking God’s thoughts, but human thoughts!”
34 Then Jesus[jm] called the crowd to himself along with his disciples and told them, “If anyone wants to follow me, he must deny himself, pick up his cross, and follow me continuously, 35 because whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and for the gospel will save it. 36 What profit will a person have if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? 37 Indeed, what can a person give in exchange for his life? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes with the holy angels in his Father’s glory.”
9 Then he told them, “I tell all of you[jn] with certainty, some people standing here will not experience[jo] death until they see the kingdom of God arrive with power.”
Jesus’ Appearance is Changed(BA)
2 Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain to be alone with him. His appearance was changed in front of them, 3 and his clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone[jp] on earth could bleach them. 4 Then Elijah appeared to them, accompanied by Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.
5 Then Peter told Jesus, “Rabbi,[jq] it’s good that we’re here! Let’s set up three shelters[jr]—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6 (Peter[js] didn’t know how to respond, because they were terrified.)
7 Then a cloud appeared and overshadowed them. A voice came out of the cloud and said,[jt] “This is my Son, whom I love. Keep on listening to him!” 8 Suddenly, as they looked around, they saw no one with them but Jesus alone.
9 On their way down the mountain, Jesus[ju] ordered them not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 They kept the matter to themselves but argued about what “rising from the dead” meant. 11 So they asked him, “Don’t the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
12 He told them, “Elijah is indeed coming first and will restore all things. Why, then, is it written that the Son of Man must suffer a great deal and be treated shamefully? 13 But I tell you that Elijah has come, yet people[jv] treated him just as they pleased, as it is written about him.”
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