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Matthew English Standard Version (ESV)

chapter 1


The Genealogy of Jesus Christ

¹The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
²Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, ³and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, ⁴and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, ⁵and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, ⁶and Jesse the father of David the king.And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, ⁷and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, ⁸and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, ⁹and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, ¹⁰and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, ¹¹and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.
¹²And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, ¹³and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, ¹⁴and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, ¹⁵and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, ¹⁶and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.
¹⁷So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.

The Birth of Jesus Christ

¹⁸Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. ²⁰But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." ²²All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
²³"Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
   and they shall call his name Immanuel"(which means, God with us). ²⁴When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, ²⁵but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Chapter 2


The Visit of the Wise Men

¹Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, ²saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him." ³When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; ⁴and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. ⁵They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
⁶"'And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
   are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
   who will shepherd my people Israel.'"
⁷Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. ⁸And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him." ⁹After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. ¹⁰When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. ¹¹And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. ¹²And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

The Flight to Egypt

¹³Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." ¹⁴And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt ¹⁵and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, "Out of Egypt I called my son."

Herod Kills the Children

¹⁶Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. ¹⁷Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:
¹⁸"A voice was heard in Ramah,
   weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
   she refused to be comforted, because they are no more."

The Return to Nazareth

¹⁹But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, ²⁰saying, "Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead." ²¹And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. ²²But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. ²³And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled: "He shall be called a Nazarene."

Chapter 3


John the Baptist Prepares the Way

¹In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ²"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." ³For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,   "The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
'Prepare the way of the Lord;
   make his paths straight.'"
⁴Now John wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, ⁶and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
⁷But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. ⁹And do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father,' for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. ¹⁰Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
¹¹"I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. ¹²His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

The Baptism of Jesus

¹³Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. ¹⁴John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" ¹⁵But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented. ¹⁶And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; ¹⁷and behold, a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."

Chapter 4


The Temptation of Jesus

¹Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ²And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. ³And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." ⁴But he answered, "It is written,   "'Man shall not live by bread alone,
   but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
⁵Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple ⁶and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,   "'He will command his angels concerning you,'and   "'On their hands they will bear you up,
   lest you strike your foot against a stone.'"
⁷Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'" ⁸Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. ⁹And he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." ¹⁰Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written,   "'You shall worship the Lord your God
   and him only shall you serve.'"
¹¹Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

Jesus Begins His Ministry

¹²Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. ¹³And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, ¹⁴so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
¹⁵"The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
   the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles--
¹⁶the people dwelling in darkness
   have seen a great light,
and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death,
   on them a light has dawned."
¹⁷From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

¹⁸While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. ¹⁹And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." ²⁰Immediately they left their nets and followed him. ²¹And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. ²²Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Jesus Ministers to Great Crowds

²³And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. ²⁴So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them. ²⁵And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

Chapter 5


The Sermon on the Mount

¹Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

The Beatitudes

²And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
³ "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴ "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
⁵ "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
⁶ "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
⁷ "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
⁸ "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
⁹ "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
¹⁰ "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
¹¹ "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Salt and Light

¹³ "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.
¹⁴ "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Christ Came to Fulfill the Law

¹⁷ "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. ¹⁸ For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. ¹⁹ Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Anger

²¹ "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.' ²² But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire. ²³ So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. ²⁵ Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. ²⁶ Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

Lust

²⁷ "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' ²⁸ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹ If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. ³⁰ And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.

Divorce

³¹ "It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' ³² But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Oaths

³³ "Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.' ³⁴ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, ³⁵ or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. ³⁶ And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. ³⁷ Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from evil.

Retaliation

³⁸ "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' ³⁹ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. ⁴⁰ And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. ⁴¹ And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. ⁴² Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

Love Your Enemies

⁴³ "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' ⁴⁴ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. ⁴⁶ For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? ⁴⁸ You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Chapter 6


Giving to the Needy

¹ "Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
² "Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. ³ But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

The Lord's Prayer

⁵ "And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. ⁶ But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
⁷ "And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. ⁸ Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. ⁹ Pray then like this:   "Our Father in heaven,
   hallowed be your name.
    ¹⁰ Your kingdom come,
   your will be done,

       on earth as it is in heaven.
    ¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread,
    ¹² and forgive us our debts,

       as we also have forgiven our debtors.
    ¹³ And lead us not into temptation,

       but deliver us from evil.

¹⁴ For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, ¹⁵ but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Fasting

¹⁶ "And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. ¹⁷ But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, ¹⁸ that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Lay Up Treasures in Heaven

¹⁹ "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, ²⁰ but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
²² "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, ²³ but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
²⁴ "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Do Not Be Anxious

²⁵ "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷ And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? ²⁸ And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹ yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰ But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹ Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' ³² For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
³⁴ "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Chapter 7


Judging Others

¹ "Judge not, that you be not judged. ² For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. ³ Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? ⁴ Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.
⁶ "Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.

Ask, and It Will Be Given

⁷ "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. ⁹ Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? ¹¹ If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

The Golden Rule

¹² "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
¹³ "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. ¹⁴ For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

A Tree and Its Fruit

¹⁵ "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶ You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

I Never Knew You

²¹ "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²² On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' ²³ And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'

Build Your House on the Rock

²⁴ "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. ²⁶ And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷ And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."

The Authority of Jesus

²⁸And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, ²⁹for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

Chapter 8


Jesus Cleanses a Leper

¹When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. ²And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean." ³And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, "I will; be clean." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. ⁴And Jesus said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them."

The Faith of a Centurion

⁵When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, ⁶"Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly." ⁷And he said to him, "I will come and heal him." ⁸But the centurion replied, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. ⁹For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes, and to another, 'Come,' and he comes, and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." ¹⁰When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, "Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. ¹¹ I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, ¹² while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." ¹³And to the centurion Jesus said, "Go; let it be done for you as you have believed." And the servant was healed at that very moment.

Jesus Heals Many

¹⁴And when Jesus entered Peter's house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. ¹⁵He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him. ¹⁶That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. ¹⁷This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: "He took our illnesses and bore our diseases."

The Cost of Following Jesus

¹⁸Now when Jesus saw a great crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. ¹⁹And a scribe came up and said to him, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." ²⁰And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." ²¹Another of the disciples said to him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." ²²And Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead."

Jesus Calms a Storm

²³And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. ²⁴And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. ²⁵And they went and woke him, saying, "Save us, Lord; we are perishing." ²⁶And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?" Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. ²⁷And the men marveled, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?"

Jesus Heals Two Demon-Possessed Men

²⁸And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. ²⁹And behold, they cried out, "What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?" ³⁰Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. ³¹And the demons begged him, saying, "If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs." ³²And he said to them, "Go." So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. ³³The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men. ³⁴And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.

Chapter 9


Jesus Heals a Paralytic

¹And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city. ²And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven." ³And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man is blaspheming." ⁴But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? ⁵ For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise and walk'? ⁶ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" --he then said to the paralytic--"Rise, pick up your bed and go home." ⁷And he rose and went home. ⁸When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

Jesus Calls Matthew

⁹As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him.
¹⁰And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. ¹¹And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" ¹²But when he heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. ¹³ Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."

A Question About Fasting

¹⁴Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" ¹⁵And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. ¹⁶ No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. ¹⁷ Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved."

A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed

¹⁸While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live." ¹⁹And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples. ²⁰And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, ²¹for she said to herself, "If I only touch his garment, I will be made well." ²²Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, "Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well." And instantly the woman was made well. ²³And when Jesus came to the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, ²⁴he said, "Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him. ²⁵But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. ²⁶And the report of this went through all that district.

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men

²⁷And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, "Have mercy on us, Son of David." ²⁸When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to him, "Yes, Lord." ²⁹Then he touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith be it done to you." ³⁰And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, "See that no one knows about it." ³¹But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.

Jesus Heals a Man Unable to Speak

³²As they were going away, behold, a demon-oppressed man who was mute was brought to him. ³³And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds marveled, saying, "Never was anything like this seen in Israel." ³⁴But the Pharisees said, "He casts out demons by the prince of demons."

The Harvest Is Plentiful, the Laborers Few

³⁵And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. ³⁶When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; ³⁸ therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."

Chapter 10


The Twelve Apostles

¹And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. ²The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; ³Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; ⁴Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles

⁵These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, "Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, ⁶ but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ⁷ And proclaim as you go, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' ⁸ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. ⁹ Acquire no gold nor silver nor copper for your belts, ¹⁰ no bag for your journey, nor two tunics nor sandals nor a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. ¹¹ And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. ¹² As you enter the house, greet it. ¹³ And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. ¹⁴ And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. ¹⁵ Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.

Persecution Will Come

¹⁶ "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. ¹⁷ Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, ¹⁸ and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. ¹⁹ When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. ²⁰ For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. ²¹ Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, ²² and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. ²³ When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
²⁴ "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. ²⁵ It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.

Have No Fear

²⁶ "So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. ²⁷ What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. ²⁸ And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. ³⁰ But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. ³² So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, ³³ but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

Not Peace, but a Sword

³⁴ "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵ For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. ³⁶ And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. ³⁷ Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. ³⁸ And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ³⁹ Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Rewards

⁴⁰ "Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. ⁴¹ The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward. ⁴² And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."

     Chapter 11

     Messengers from John the Baptist

     1When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their

     cities.

     2Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3and said to him,

     "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?" 4And Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John

     what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf

     hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. 6 And blessed is the one

     who is not offended by me."

     7As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: "What did you go out into the

     wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft

     clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. 9 What then did you go out to see? A

     prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is he of whom it is written, "'Behold, I send my

     messenger before your face,

        who will prepare your way before you.'

     11 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist.

     Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist

     until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the

     Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, 14 and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come.

     15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

     16 "But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to

     their playmates,

     17 "'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;

        we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.'

     18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' 19 The Son of Man came

     eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and

     sinners!' Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds."

     Woe to Unrepentant Cities

     20Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did

     not repent. 21 "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been

     done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it will

     be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will you

     be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done

     in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of

     judgment for the land of Sodom than for you."

     Come to Me, and I Will Give You Rest

     25At that time Jesus declared, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these

     things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26 yes, Father, for such was

     your gracious will. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son

     except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to

     reveal him. 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon

     you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my

     yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

     Chapter 12

     Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

     1At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began

     to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, "Look, your disciples are

     doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath." 3He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when

     he was hungry, and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the

     Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5

     Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are

     guiltless? 6 I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. 7 And if you had known what this means, 'I

     desire mercy, and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is lord of

     the Sabbath."

     A Man with a Withered Hand

     9He went on from there and entered their synagogue. 10And a man was there with a withered hand. And

     they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"--so that they might accuse him. 11He said to them,

     "Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out?

     12 Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." 13Then he

     said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the

     other. 14But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.

     God's Chosen Servant

     15Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all 16and ordered

     them not to make him known. 17This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:

     18"Behold, my servant whom I have chosen,

        my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased.

     I will put my Spirit upon him,

        and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.

     19He will not quarrel or cry aloud,

        nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;

     20a bruised reed he will not break,

        and a smoldering wick he will not quench,

     until he brings justice to victory;

         21and in his name the Gentiles will hope."

     Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit

     22Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the

     man spoke and saw. 23And all the people were amazed, and said, "Can this be the Son of David?" 24But when

     the Pharisees heard it, they said, "It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out

     demons." 25Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and

     no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against

     himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons

     cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons,

     then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can someone enter a strong man's house and plunder

     his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. 30 Whoever is not

     with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and

     blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 And whoever

     speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be

     forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

     A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit

     33 "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known

     by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of

     the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil

     person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account

     for every careless word they speak, 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be

     condemned."

     The Sign of Jonah

     38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you."

     39But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it

     except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of

     the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of

     Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching

     of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the South will rise up at the

     judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of

     Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.

     Return of an Unclean Spirit

     43 "When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but

     finds none. 44 Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when it comes, it finds the

     house empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than

     itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it

     be with this evil generation."

     Jesus' Mother and Brothers

     46While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to

     speak to him. 48But he replied to the man who told him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?"

     49And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For

     whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."

     Chapter 13

     The Parable of the Sower

     1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2And great crowds gathered about him,

     so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3And he told them many

     things in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and

     the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil,

     and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were

     scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns

     grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some

     sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears, let him hear."

     The Purpose of the Parables

     10Then the disciples came and said to him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" 11And he answered

     them, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been

     given. 12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who

     has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing

     they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the

     prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: "'You will indeed hear but never understand,

        and you will indeed see but never perceive.

     15 For this people's heart has grown dull,

        and with their ears they can barely hear,

            and their eyes they have closed,

     lest they should see with their eyes

        and hear with their ears

        and understand with their heart

        and turn, and I would heal them.'

     16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 Truly, I say to you, many

     prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear,

     and did not hear it.

     The Parable of the Sower Explained

     18 "Hear then the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not

     understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was

     sown along the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and

     immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when

     tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 As for what was sown

     among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches

     choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the

     word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in

     another thirty."

     The Parable of the Weeds

     24He put another parable before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who

     sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among

     the wheat and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27

     And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in

     your field? How then does it have weeds?' 28 He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' So the servants said

     to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?' 29 But he said, 'No, lest in gathering the weeds you

     root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell

     the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my

     barn.'"

     The Mustard Seed and the Leaven

     31He put another parable before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a

     man took and sowed in his field. 32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all

     the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches."

     33He told them another parable. "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three

     measures of flour, till it was all leavened."

     Prophecy and Parables

     34All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable.

     35This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables;

        I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world."

     The Parable of the Weeds Explained

     36Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, "Explain to us the

     parable of the weeds of the field." 37He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38

     The field is the world, and the good seed is the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil

     one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are

     angels. 40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. 41 The

     Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers,

     42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then

     the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

     The Parable of the Hidden Treasure

     44 "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his

     joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

     The Parable of the Pearl of Great Value

     45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46 who, on finding one pearl of

     great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

     The Parable of the Net

     47 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind.

     48 When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away

     the bad. 49 So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the

     righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

     New and Old Treasures

     51 "Have you understood all these things?" They said to him, "Yes." 52And he said to them, "Therefore every

     scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his

     treasure what is new and what is old."

     Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

     53And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there, 54and coming to his hometown he

     taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, "Where did this man get this wisdom

     and these mighty works? 55Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his

     brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this

     man get all these things?" 57And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without

     honor except in his hometown and in his own household." 58And he did not do many mighty works there,

     because of their unbelief.

     Chapter 14

     The Death of John the Baptist

     1At that time Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus, 2and he said to his servants, "This is John

     the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why these miraculous powers are at work in him." 3For

     Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife,

     4because John had been saying to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her." 5And though he wanted to put

     him to death, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet. 6But when Herod's birthday

     came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod, 7so that he promised with an

     oath to give her whatever she might ask. 8Prompted by her mother, she said, "Give me the head of John the

     Baptist here on a platter." 9And the king was sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it

     to be given. 10He sent and had John beheaded in the prison, 11and his head was brought on a platter and

     given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 12And his disciples came and took the body and buried it,

     and they went and told Jesus.

     Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

     13Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the

     crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14When he went ashore he saw a great crowd,

     and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. 15Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him

     and said, "This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages

     and buy food for themselves." 16But Jesus said, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat."

     17They said to him, "We have only five loaves here and two fish." 18And he said, "Bring them here to me."

     19Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he

     looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the

     disciples gave them to the crowds. 20And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets

     full of the broken pieces left over. 21And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and

     children.

     Jesus Walks on the Water

     22Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed

     the crowds. 23And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When

     evening came, he was there alone, 24but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the

     waves, for the wind was against them. 25And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on

     the sea. 26But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, "It is a ghost!"

     and they cried out in fear. 27But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be

     afraid."

     28And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." 29He said, "Come."

     So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30But when he saw the wind, he

     was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me." 31Jesus immediately reached out his hand and

     took hold of him, saying to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" 32And when they got into the boat,

     the wind ceased. 33And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

     Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret

     34And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. 35And when the men of that place

     recognized him, they sent around to all that region and brought to him all who were sick 36and implored him

     that they might only touch the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.

     Chapter 15

     Traditions and Commandments

     1Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 2"Why do your disciples break the

     tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat." 3He answered them, "And why do

     you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, 'Honor your father

     and your mother,' and, 'Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.' 5 But you say, 'If anyone tells his

     father or his mother, What you would have gained from me is given to God, 6 he need not honor his father.'

     So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. 7 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah

     prophesy of you, when he said:

     8 "'This people honors me with their lips,

        but their heart is far from me;

     9 in vain do they worship me,

        teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"

     What Defiles a Person

     10And he called the people to him and said to them, "Hear and understand: 11 it is not what goes into the

     mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person." 12Then the disciples

     came and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?" 13He

     answered, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. 14 Let them alone; they

     are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit." 15But Peter said to him, "Explain the

     parable to us." 16And he said, "Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not see that whatever

     goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? 18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds

     from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual

     immorality, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands

     does not defile anyone."

     The Faith of a Canaanite Woman

     21And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22And behold, a

     Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my

     daughter is severely oppressed by a demon." 23But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and

     begged him, saying, "Send her away, for she is crying out after us." 24He answered, "I was sent only to the

     lost sheep of the house of Israel." 25But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." 26And he

     answered, "It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." 27She said, "Yes, Lord, yet