6 Jesus 1 was going through the grain fields on 2 a Sabbath, 3 and his disciples picked some heads of wheat, 4 rubbed them in their hands, and ate them. 5 2 But some of the Pharisees 6 said, “Why are you 7 doing what is against the law 8 on the Sabbath?” 3 Jesus 9 answered them, 10 “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry – 4 how he entered the house of God, took 11 and ate the sacred bread, 12 which is not lawful 13 for any to eat but the priests alone, and 14 gave it to his companions?” 15 5 Then 16 he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord 17 of the Sabbath.”
6 On 18 another Sabbath, Jesus 19 entered the synagogue 20 and was teaching. Now 21 a man was there whose right hand was withered. 22 7 The experts in the law 23 and the Pharisees 24 watched 25 Jesus 26 closely to see if 27 he would heal on the Sabbath, 28 so that they could find a reason to accuse him. 8 But 29 he knew 30 their thoughts, 31 and said to the man who had the withered hand, “Get up and stand here.” 32 So 33 he rose and stood there. 9 Then 34 Jesus said to them, “I ask you, 35 is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil, to save a life or to destroy it?” 10 After 36 looking around 37 at them all, he said to the man, 38 “Stretch out your hand.” The man 39 did so, and his hand was restored. 40 11 But they were filled with mindless rage 41 and began debating with one another what they would do 42 to Jesus.
12 Now 43 it was during this time that Jesus 44 went out to the mountain 45 to pray, and he spent all night 46 in prayer to God. 47 13 When 48 morning came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles: 49 14 Simon 50 (whom he named Peter), and his brother Andrew; and James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, 51 15 Matthew, Thomas, 52 James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, 53 16 Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, 54 who became a traitor.
17 Then 55 he came down with them and stood on a level place. 56 And a large number 57 of his disciples had gathered 58 along with 59 a vast multitude from all over Judea, from 60 Jerusalem, 61 and from the seacoast of Tyre 62 and Sidon. 63 They came to hear him and to be healed 64 of their diseases, 18 and those who suffered from 65 unclean 66 spirits were cured. 19 The 67 whole crowd was trying to touch him, because power 68 was coming out from him and healing them all.
20 Then 69 he looked up 70 at his disciples and said:
“Blessed 71 are you who are poor, 72 for the kingdom of God belongs 73 to you.
21 “Blessed are you who hunger 74 now, for you will be satisfied. 75
“Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. 76
22 “Blessed are you when people 77 hate you, and when they exclude you and insult you and reject you as evil 78 on account of the Son of Man! 23 Rejoice in that day, and jump for joy, because 79 your reward is great in heaven. For their ancestors 80 did the same things to the prophets. 81
24 “But woe 82 to you who are rich, for you have received 83 your comfort 84 already.
25 “Woe to you who are well satisfied with food 85 now, for you will be hungry.
“Woe to you 86 who laugh 87 now, for you will mourn and weep.
26 “Woe to you 88 when all people 89 speak well of you, for their ancestors 90 did the same things to the false prophets.
27 “But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies, 91 do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat 92 you. 29 To the person who strikes you on the cheek, 93 offer the other as well, 94 and from the person who takes away your coat, 95 do not withhold your tunic 96 either. 97 30 Give to everyone who asks you, 98 and do not ask for your possessions 99 back 100 from the person who takes them away. 31 Treat others 101 in the same way that you would want them to treat you. 102
32 “If 103 you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners 104 love those who love them. 105 33 And 106 if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 107 sinners 108 do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to be repaid, 109 what credit is that to you? Even sinners 110 lend to sinners, so that they may be repaid in full. 111 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back. 112 Then 113 your reward will be great, and you will be sons 114 of the Most High, 115 because he is kind to ungrateful and evil people. 116 36 Be merciful, 117 just as your Father is merciful.
37 “Do 118 not judge, 119 and you will not be judged; 120 do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; forgive, 121 and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you: A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, 122 will be poured 123 into your lap. For the measure you use will be the measure you receive.” 124
39 He also told them a parable: “Someone who is blind cannot lead another who is blind, can he? 125 Won’t they both fall 126 into a pit? 40 A disciple 127 is not greater than 128 his teacher, but everyone when fully trained will be like his teacher. 41 Why 129 do you see the speck 130 in your brother’s eye, but fail to see 131 the beam of wood 132 in your own? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck from your eye,’ while you yourself don’t see the beam in your own? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
43 “For 133 no good tree bears bad 134 fruit, nor again 135 does a bad tree bear good fruit, 44 for each tree is known 136 by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered 137 from thorns, nor are grapes picked 138 from brambles. 139 45 The good person out of the good treasury of his 140 heart 141 produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasury 142 produces evil, for his mouth speaks 143 from what fills 144 his heart.
46 “Why 145 do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ 146 and don’t do what I tell you? 147
47 “Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and puts them into practice 148 – I will show you what he is like: 48 He is like a man 149 building a house, who dug down deep, 150 and laid the foundation on bedrock. When 151 a flood came, the river 152 burst against that house but 153 could not shake it, because it had been well built. 154 49 But the person who hears and does not put my words into practice 155 is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When 156 the river burst against that house, 157 it collapsed immediately, and was utterly destroyed!” 158
7 After Jesus 1 had finished teaching all this to the people, 2 he entered Capernaum. 3 2 A centurion 4 there 5 had a slave 6 who was highly regarded, 7 but who was sick and at the point of death. 3 When the centurion 8 heard 9 about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders 10 to him, asking him to come 11 and heal his slave. 4 When 12 they came 13 to Jesus, they urged 14 him earnestly, 15 “He is worthy 16 to have you do this for him, 5 because he loves our nation, 17 and even 18 built our synagogue.” 19 6 So 20 Jesus went with them. When 21 he was not far from the house, the centurion 22 sent friends to say to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, 23 for I am not worthy 24 to have you come under my roof. 7 That is why 25 I did not presume 26 to come to you. Instead, say the word, and my servant must be healed. 27 8 For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me. 28 I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, 29 and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 30 9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed 31 at him. He turned and said to the crowd that followed him, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith!” 32 10 So 33 when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave 34 well.
11 Soon 35 afterward 36 Jesus 37 went to a town 38 called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. 12 As he approached the town gate, a man 39 who had died was being carried out, 40 the only son of his mother (who 41 was a widow 42 ), and a large crowd from the town 43 was with her. 13 When 44 the Lord saw her, he had compassion 45 for her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 46 14 Then 47 he came up 48 and touched 49 the bier, 50 and those who carried it stood still. He 51 said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” 15 So 52 the dead man 53 sat up and began to speak, and Jesus 54 gave him back 55 to his mother. 16 Fear 56 seized them all, and they began to glorify 57 God, saying, “A great prophet 58 has appeared 59 among us!” and “God has come to help 60 his people!” 17 This 61 report 62 about Jesus 63 circulated 64 throughout 65 Judea and all the surrounding country.
18 John’s 66 disciples informed him about all these things. So 67 John called 68 two of his disciples 19 and sent them to Jesus 69 to ask, 70 “Are you the one who is to come, 71 or should we look for another?” 20 When 72 the men came to Jesus, 73 they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, 74 ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?’” 75 21 At that very time 76 Jesus 77 cured many people of diseases, sicknesses, 78 and evil spirits, and granted 79 sight to many who were blind. 22 So 80 he answered them, 81 “Go tell 82 John what you have seen and heard: 83 The blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the 84 deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news proclaimed to them. 23 Blessed is anyone 85 who takes no offense at me.”
24 When 86 John’s messengers had gone, Jesus 87 began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness 88 to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 89 25 What 90 did you go out to see? A man dressed in fancy 91 clothes? 92 Look, those who wear fancy clothes and live in luxury 93 are in kings’ courts! 94 26 What did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more 95 than a prophet. 27 This is the one about whom it is written, ‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, 96 who will prepare your way before you.’ 97 28 I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater 98 than John. 99 Yet the one who is least 100 in the kingdom of God 101 is greater than he is.” 29 (Now 102 all the people who heard this, even the tax collectors, 103 acknowledged 104 God’s justice, because they had been baptized 105 with John’s baptism. 30 However, the Pharisees 106 and the experts in religious law 107 rejected God’s purpose 108 for themselves, because they had not been baptized 109 by John. 110 ) 111
31 “To what then should I compare the people 112 of this generation, and what are they like? 32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to one another, 113
‘We played the flute for you, yet you did not dance; 114
we wailed in mourning, 115 yet you did not weep.’
33 For John the Baptist has come 116 eating no bread and drinking no wine, 117 and you say, ‘He has a demon!’ 118 34 The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him, 119 a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ 120 35 But wisdom is vindicated 121 by all her children.” 122
36 Now one of the Pharisees 123 asked Jesus 124 to have dinner with him, so 125 he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. 126 37 Then 127 when a woman of that town, who was a sinner, learned that Jesus 128 was dining 129 at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar 130 of perfumed oil. 131 38 As 132 she stood 133 behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. She 134 wiped them with her hair, 135 kissed 136 them, 137 and anointed 138 them with the perfumed oil. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, 139 he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, 140 he would know who and what kind of woman 141 this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner.” 40 So 142 Jesus answered him, 143 “Simon, I have something to say to you.” He replied, 144 “Say it, Teacher.” 41 “A certain creditor 145 had two debtors; one owed him 146 five hundred silver coins, 147 and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he canceled 148 the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, 149 “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.” 150 Jesus 151 said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 Then, 152 turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house. You gave me no water for my feet, 153 but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss of greeting, 154 but from the time I entered she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet 155 with perfumed oil. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which were many, are forgiven, thus she loved much; 156 but the one who is forgiven little loves little.” 48 Then 157 Jesus 158 said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 159 49 But 160 those who were at the table 161 with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 He 162 said to the woman, “Your faith 163 has saved you; 164 go in peace.”
8 Some time 1 afterward 2 he went on through towns 3 and villages, preaching and proclaiming the good news 4 of the kingdom of God. 5 The 6 twelve were with him, 2 and also some women 7 who had been healed of evil spirits and disabilities: 8 Mary 9 (called Magdalene), from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 and Joanna the wife of Cuza 10 (Herod’s 11 household manager), 12 Susanna, and many others who provided for them 13 out of their own resources.
4 While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus 14 from one town after another, 15 he spoke to them 16 in a parable: 5 “A sower went out to sow 17 his seed. 18 And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled on, and the wild birds 19 devoured it. 6 Other seed fell on rock, 20 and when it came up, it withered because it had no moisture. 7 Other seed fell among the thorns, 21 and they grew up with it and choked 22 it. 8 But 23 other seed fell on good soil and grew, 24 and it produced a hundred times as much grain.” 25 As he said this, 26 he called out, “The one who has ears to hear had better listen!” 27
9 Then 28 his disciples asked him what this parable meant. 29 10 He 30 said, “You have been given 31 the opportunity to know 32 the secrets 33 of the kingdom of God, 34 but for others they are in parables, so that although they see they may not see, and although they hear they may not understand. 35
11 “Now the parable means 36 this: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those along the path are the ones who have heard; then the devil 37 comes and takes away the word 38 from their hearts, so that they may not believe 39 and be saved. 13 Those 40 on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, 41 but 42 in a time of testing 43 fall away. 44 14 As for the seed that 45 fell among thorns, these are the ones who hear, but 46 as they go on their way they are choked 47 by the worries and riches and pleasures of life, 48 and their fruit does not mature. 49 15 But as for the seed that landed on good soil, these are the ones who, after hearing 50 the word, cling to it 51 with an honest and good 52 heart, and bear fruit with steadfast endurance. 53
16 “No one lights 54 a lamp 55 and then covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lampstand so that those who come in can see the light. 56 17 For nothing is hidden 57 that will not be revealed, 58 and nothing concealed that will not be made known and brought to light. 18 So listen carefully, 59 for whoever has will be given more, but 60 whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has 61 will be taken from him.”
19 Now Jesus’ 62 mother and his brothers 63 came to him, but 64 they could not get near him because of the crowd. 20 So 65 he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.” 21 But he replied 66 to them, “My mother and my brothers are those 67 who hear the word of God and do it.” 68
22 One 69 day Jesus 70 got into a boat 71 with his disciples and said to them, “Let’s go across to the other side of the lake.” So 72 they set out, 23 and as they sailed he fell asleep. Now a violent windstorm 73 came down on the lake, 74 and the boat 75 started filling up with water, and they were in danger. 24 They 76 came 77 and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, 78 we are about to die!” So 79 he got up and rebuked 80 the wind and the raging waves; 81 they died down, and it was calm. 25 Then 82 he said to them, “Where is your faith?” 83 But they were afraid and amazed, 84 saying to one another, “Who then is this? He commands even the winds and the water, 85 and they obey him!”
26 So 86 they sailed over to the region of the Gerasenes, 87 which is opposite 88 Galilee. 27 As 89 Jesus 90 stepped ashore, 91 a certain man from the town 92 met him who was possessed by demons. 93 For a long time this man 94 had worn no clothes and had not lived in a house, but among 95 the tombs. 28 When he saw 96 Jesus, he cried out, fell 97 down before him, and shouted with a loud voice, “Leave me alone, 98 Jesus, Son of the Most High 99 God! I beg you, do not torment 100 me!” 29 For Jesus 101 had started commanding 102 the evil 103 spirit to come out of the man. (For it had seized him many times, so 104 he would be bound with chains and shackles 105 and kept under guard. But 106 he would break the restraints and be driven by the demon into deserted 107 places.) 108 30 Jesus then 109 asked him, “What is your name?” He 110 said, “Legion,” 111 because many demons had entered him. 31 And they began to beg 112 him not to order 113 them to depart into the abyss. 114 32 Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, 115 and the demonic spirits 116 begged Jesus 117 to let them go into them. He gave them permission. 118 33 So 119 the demons came out of the man and went into the pigs, and the herd of pigs 120 rushed down the steep slope into the lake and drowned. 34 When 121 the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran off and spread the news 122 in the town 123 and countryside. 35 So 124 the people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus. They 125 found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 36 Those 126 who had seen it told them how the man who had been demon-possessed had been healed. 127 37 Then 128 all the people of the Gerasenes 129 and the surrounding region 130 asked Jesus 131 to leave them alone, 132 for they were seized with great fear. 133 So 134 he got into the boat and left. 135 38 The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go 136 with him, but Jesus 137 sent him away, saying, 39 “Return to your home, 138 and declare 139 what God has done for you.” 140 So 141 he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole town 142 what Jesus 143 had done for him.
40 Now when Jesus returned, 144 the crowd welcomed him, because they were all waiting for him. 41 Then 145 a man named Jairus, who was a ruler 146 of the synagogue, 147 came up. Falling 148 at Jesus’ feet, he pleaded 149 with him to come to his house, 42 because he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying. 150
As Jesus was on his way, the crowds pressed 151 around him. 43 Now 152 a woman was there who had been suffering from a hemorrhage 153 for twelve years 154 but could not be healed by anyone. 44 She 155 came up behind Jesus 156 and touched the edge 157 of his cloak, 158 and at once the bleeding 159 stopped. 45 Then 160 Jesus asked, 161 “Who was it who touched me?” When they all denied it, Peter 162 said, “Master, the crowds are surrounding you and pressing 163 against you!” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I know that power has gone out 164 from me.” 47 When 165 the woman saw that she could not escape notice, 166 she came trembling and fell down before him. In 167 the presence of all the people, she explained why 168 she had touched him and how she had been immediately healed. 48 Then 169 he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. 170 Go in peace.”
49 While he was still speaking, someone from the synagogue ruler’s 171 house came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the teacher any longer.” 50 But when Jesus heard this, he told 172 him, “Do not be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.” 173 51 Now when he came to the house, Jesus 174 did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John, 175 and James, and the child’s father and mother. 52 Now they were all 176 wailing and mourning 177 for her, but he said, “Stop your weeping; she is not dead but asleep.” 53 And they began making fun 178 of him, because they knew 179 that she was dead. 180 54 But Jesus 181 gently took her by the hand and said, 182 “Child, get up.” 55 Her 183 spirit returned, 184 and she got up immediately. Then 185 he told them to give her something to eat. 56 Her 186 parents were astonished, but he ordered them to tell no one 187 what had happened.