Mark

Chapter 1

¹ This is the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

² As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,

     "Look, I am sending my messenger before your face,

     the one who will prepare your way.

     ³ The voice of one crying out in the wilderness,

     'Make ready the way of the Lord;

     make his paths straight.'"

⁴ John came, baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵ The whole country of Judea and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. They were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. ⁶ John wore a coat of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.

⁷ He was preaching, saying, "One will come after me who is more powerful than I; the strap of his sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. ⁸ I baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

⁹ It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and he was baptized by John in the Jordan River. ¹⁰ As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens split open and the Spirit coming down on him like a dove. ¹¹ A voice came out of the heavens, "You are my beloved Son. I am very pleased with you."

¹² Then the Spirit compelled him to go out into the wilderness. ¹³ He was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels served him.

¹⁴ Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God. ¹⁵ He said, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the gospel."

¹⁶ When he was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net in the sea, for they were fishermen. ¹⁷ Jesus said to them, "Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." ¹⁸ Then immediately they left the nets and followed him. ¹⁹ As Jesus was walking on a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and John his brother; they were in the boat mending the nets. ²⁰ He called them and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and they followed him.

²¹ Then they came into Capernaum, and on the Sabbath, Jesus went into the synagogue and taught. ²² They were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as someone who has authority and not as the scribes. ²³ Just then a man in their synagogue who had an unclean spirit cried out, ²⁴ saying, "What do we have to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are. You are the Holy One of God!"

²⁵ Jesus rebuked the demon and said, "Be quiet and come out of him!" ²⁶ The unclean spirit threw him down and went out from him while crying out with a loud voice. ²⁷ All the people were amazed, so they asked each other, "What is this? A new teaching with authority! He even commands the unclean spirits and they obey him!" ²⁸ The news about him went out everywhere into the whole region of Galilee.

²⁹ After coming out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, along with James and John. ³⁰ Now Simon's mother-in-law was lying sick with a fever, and they told Jesus about her. ³¹ So he came, took her by the hand, and raised her up; the fever left her, and she started serving them.

³² That evening after the sun had set, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed by demons. ³³ The whole city gathered together at the door. ³⁴ He healed many who were sick with various diseases and cast out many demons, but he did not allow the demons to speak because they knew him.

³⁵ He got up very early, while it was still dark; he left and went out into a solitary place and there he prayed. ³⁶ Simon and those who were with him searched for him. ³⁷ They found him and they said to him, "Everyone is looking for you."

³⁸ He said, "Let us go elsewhere, out into the surrounding towns, so that I may preach there also. That is why I came out here." ³⁹ He went throughout all of Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.

⁴⁰ A leper came to him. He was begging him; he knelt down and said to him, "If you are willing, you can make me clean."

⁴¹ Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched him, saying to him, "I am willing. Be clean." ⁴² Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. ⁴³ Jesus strictly warned him and sent him away. ⁴⁴ He said to him, "Be sure to say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." ⁴⁵ But he went out and began to declare it freely and spread the word about, so much so that Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but he stayed out in remote places. Yet people were still coming to him from everywhere.

Chapter 2

¹ When he came back to Capernaum after a few days, it was heard that he was at home. ² So many gathered there that there was no more space, not even at the door, and Jesus spoke the word to them. ³ Then some men came to him who were bringing a paralyzed man; four people were carrying him. ⁴ When they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof that was above Jesus, and after they made an opening, they lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. ⁵ Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "Son, your sins are forgiven."

⁶ Now some of the scribes were sitting there, and they reasoned in their hearts, ⁷ "How can this man speak this way? He blasphemes! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

⁸ Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit what they were thinking within themselves. He said to them, "Why are you thinking this in your hearts? ⁹ Which is easier, to say to the paralyzed man, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take up your mat and walk'? ¹⁰ But in order that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins," he said to the paralytic, ¹¹ "I say to you, get up, take up your mat, and go to your house."

¹² He got up and immediately took up the mat, and went out of the house in front of everyone, so that they were all amazed and they gave glory to God, and they said, "We never saw anything like this."

¹³ He went out again by the lake, and all the crowd came to him, and he taught them. ¹⁴ As he passed by, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector's tent and he said to him, "Follow me." He got up and followed him.

¹⁵ Jesus was having a meal in Levi's house and many tax collectors and sinners were dining with him and his disciples, for there were many and they followed him. ¹⁶ When the scribes, who were Pharisees, saw that Jesus was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

¹⁷ When Jesus heard this he said to them, "People who are strong in body do not need a physician; only people who are sick need one. I did not come to call righteous people, but sinners."

¹⁸ Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and said to him, "Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?"

¹⁹ Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding attendants fast while the bridegroom is still with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. ²⁰ But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and in those days, they will fast. ²¹ No one sews a piece of new cloth on an old garment. Otherwise the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and there is a worse tear. ²² No one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the wine will burst the skins and both the wine and the wineskins are lost. Instead, new wine is put into fresh wineskins."

²³ On the Sabbath day Jesus went through some grainfields, and his disciples began to pick heads of grain. ²⁴ The Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing something that is not lawful on the Sabbath day?"

²⁵ He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry—he and the men who were with him— ²⁶ how he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the presence, which is unlawful for anyone to eat except the priests, and he even gave some to those who were with him?" ²⁷ Jesus said, "The Sabbath was made for mankind, not mankind for the Sabbath. ²⁸ Therefore, the Son of Man is Lord, even of the Sabbath."

Chapter 3

¹ Again Jesus walked into the synagogue, and there was a man with a withered hand. ² Some people watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath so that they could accuse him. ³ Jesus said to the man with the withered hand, "Get up and stand here in the middle of everyone." ⁴ Then he said to the people, "Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath day or to do harm; to save a life or to kill?" But they were silent. ⁵ He looked around at them with anger, and he was grieved by their hardness of heart, and he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. ⁶ The Pharisees went out and immediately began to plot with the Herodians as to how they might put him to death.

⁷ Then Jesus, with his disciples, went to the sea, and a great crowd of people followed from Galilee and from Judea ⁸ and from Jerusalem and from Idumea and beyond the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. When they heard about the things he was doing, a great crowd came to him. ⁹ He told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not press against him. ¹⁰ For he healed many, so that everyone who had afflictions eagerly approached him in order to touch him. ¹¹ Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, and they said, "You are the Son of God." ¹² He strictly ordered them not to make him known.

¹³ He went up on the mountain, and he called for those he wanted, and they came to him. ¹⁴ He appointed the twelve (whom he named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them to proclaim the message, ¹⁵ and to have authority to cast out demons. ¹⁶ He appointed the twelve: Simon, to whom he gave the name Peter; ¹⁷ James son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder; ¹⁸ and Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, ¹⁹ and Judas Iscariot, who would betray him.

²⁰ Then he went home, and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat bread. ²¹ When his family heard about it, they went out to seize him, for they said, "He is out of his mind."

²² The scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He is possessed by Beelzebul" and "By the ruler of the demons he drives out demons."

²³ Jesus called them to him and said to them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan? ²⁴ If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. ²⁵ If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. ²⁶ If Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he is not able to stand, but has come to an end. ²⁷ But no one can enter into the house of a strong man and steal his belongings without tying up the strong man first, and then he will plunder his house. ²⁸ Truly I say to you, all sins of the sons of men will be forgiven, even all the blasphemies which they utter, ²⁹ but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin."

³⁰ Jesus said this because they were saying, "He has an unclean spirit."

³¹ Then his mother and his brothers came and stood outside. They sent for him, summoning him. ³² A crowd was sitting around him and they said to him, "Your mother and your brothers and your sisters are outside, and they are looking for you."

³³ He answered them, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" ³⁴ He looked around at those who were sitting in a circle around him and said, "See, here are my mother and my brothers! ³⁵ For whoever does the will of God, that person is my brother, and sister, and mother."

Chapter 4

¹ Again he began to teach beside the sea, and a large crowd gathered around him. He stepped into a boat that was on the sea, and he sat down in it. The whole crowd was on the shore beside the sea. ² He taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching, this is what he said to them. ³ "Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴ As he sowed, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and devoured it. ⁵ Other seed fell on the rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. Immediately it sprang up, because it did not have deep soil. ⁶ But when the sun rose, the plants were scorched, and because they had no root, they dried up. ⁷ Other seed fell among the thorn plants. The thorn plants grew up and choked it, and it did not produce a crop. ⁸ Other seed fell into good soil and it produced a crop growing up and increasing and yielding thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times." ⁹ Then he said, "Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear!"

¹⁰ When Jesus was alone, those who were close to him and with the twelve asked him about the parables. ¹¹ He said to them, "To you is given the mystery of the kingdom of God. But to those outside everything is in parables,

     ¹² so that when they look, yes they look, but do not see, and so that when they hear, yes they hear, but do not understand, or else they would turn and God would forgive them."

¹³ He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?" ¹⁴ The sower sows the word. ¹⁵ These are the ones beside the road, where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. ¹⁶ And these are the seed sown on the rocky ground; who, when they hear the word immediately receive it with joy. ¹⁷ But they do not have root in themselves, but they endure for a while. Afterward when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, they immediately fall away. ¹⁸ Still others are the ones sown among the thorns. They are those who hear the word, ¹⁹ but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, and it is unproductive. ²⁰ Those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word, accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much.

²¹ Jesus said to them, "Do you bring a lamp inside the house to put it under a basket or under the bed? You bring it in and you put it on a lampstand. ²² For nothing is hidden that will not be known, and nothing is secret that will not come out into the open. ²³ If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!" ²⁴ He said to them, "Pay attention to what you hear, for the measure you use will be measured to you, and more will be added to you. ²⁵ Because whoever has, to him will be given more, and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken."

²⁶ He also said, "The kingdom of God is like a man who sows his seed on the ground. ²⁷ He sleeps at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. ²⁸ The earth bears grain by itself: First the blade, then the ear, then the mature grain in the ear. ²⁹ When the crop is ripe, he immediately sends in the sickle because the harvest has come."

³⁰ Again he said, "To what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to explain it? ³¹ It is like a mustard seed, which, when it is sown, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth. ³² Yet, when it is sown, it grows and becomes greater than all the garden plants, and it forms large branches, so that the birds of heaven can make their nests in its shade."

³³ With many parables like this he spoke the word to them, as much as they were able to understand, ³⁴ and he did not speak to them without a parable. But when he was alone, he explained everything to his own disciples.

³⁵ On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go over to the other side." ³⁶ So they left the crowd, taking Jesus with them, just as he was, in the boat. There were other boats going along with him. ³⁷ Just then a violent windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat so that the boat was almost full of water. ³⁸ But Jesus himself was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him up, saying, "Teacher, do you not care that we are about to die?"

³⁹ He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" Then the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰ Then he said to them, "Why are you afraid? Do you still not have faith?"

⁴¹ They were filled with great fear and said to one another, "Who then is this, because even the wind and the sea obey him?"

Chapter 5

¹ They came to the other side of the sea, to the region of the Gerasenes. ² When Jesus was getting out of the boat, immediately there came up to him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. ³ The man lived in the tombs. No one could restrain him anymore, not even with a chain. ⁴ He had been bound many times with shackles and with chains. He tore the chains apart and his shackles were shattered. No one had the strength to subdue him. ⁵ Every night and day in the tombs and in the mountains, he cried out and cut himself with sharp stones. ⁶ When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran to him and bowed down before him. ⁷ He cried out with a loud voice, "What do I have to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you by God himself, do not torment me." ⁸ For he had been saying to him, "Come out of the man, you unclean spirit."

⁹ He asked him, "What is your name?"

He answered him, "My name is Legion, for we are many." ¹⁰ He begged him again and again not to send them out of the region. ¹¹ Now a great herd of pigs was there feeding on the hill, ¹² and they begged him, saying, "Send us into the pigs; let us enter into them." ¹³ So he allowed them; the unclean spirits came out and entered into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep hill into the sea, and about two thousand pigs drowned in the sea. ¹⁴ Then those who were feeding the pigs ran away and reported what had happened in the city and in the countryside, and so people went out to see what had happened. ¹⁵ Then they came to Jesus and they saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had been possessed by Legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. ¹⁶ Those who had seen what happened to the demon-possessed man told them about it in detail, and they also told them about the pigs. ¹⁷ Then they started to beg him to leave their region.

¹⁸ When he was getting into the boat, the demon-possessed man begged him that he might be with him. ¹⁹ But Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go to your house and to your people and tell them what the Lord has done for you, and how he has shown you mercy." ²⁰ So he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis the great things that Jesus had done for him, and everyone was amazed.

²¹ Now when Jesus had crossed over again to the other side in the boat, a great crowd gathered around him, as he was beside the sea. ²² Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came, and when he saw him, fell at his feet. ²³ He begged again and again, saying, "My little daughter is near death. I beg you, come and lay your hands on her that she may be made well and live." ²⁴ So he went with him, and a great crowd followed him and pressed close around him.

²⁵ Now a woman was there who had a flow of blood for twelve years. ²⁶ She had suffered much from many doctors and had spent everything that she had, but instead of getting better she grew worse. ²⁷ When she had heard the reports about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak. ²⁸ For she said, "If I touch just his clothes, I will be healed." ²⁹ When she touched him, the bleeding stopped, and she felt in her body that she was healed from her affliction.

³⁰ Jesus immediately realized in himself that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched my clothes?"

³¹ His disciples said to him, "You see this crowd pressed around you, and you say, 'Who touched me?'"

³² But Jesus looked around to see who had done it. ³³ The woman, knowing what had happened to her, feared and trembled. She came and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. ³⁴ He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be healed from your affliction."

³⁵ While he was speaking, some people came from the leader of the synagogue, saying, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any longer?"

³⁶ But when Jesus overheard the message that was spoken, he said to the leader of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid. Just believe." ³⁷ He did not permit anyone to accompany him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. ³⁸ They came to the house of the leader of the synagogue and he saw there people making a lot of noise; they were weeping and wailing loudly. ³⁹ When he entered the house, he said to them, "Why are you upset and why do you weep? The child is not dead but sleeps." ⁴⁰ They began to mock him. But he put them all outside and took the father of the child and the mother and those who were with him, and he went in where the child was. ⁴¹ He took the hand of the child and said to her, "Talitha, koum!" which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, get up." ⁴² Immediately the child got up and walked (for she was twelve years of age). They were immediately astonished with overwhelming amazement. ⁴³ He strictly ordered them that no one should know about this. Then he told them to give her something to eat.

Chapter 6

¹ He went out from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. ² When the Sabbath came, he taught in the synagogue. Many people heard him and they were amazed. They said, "Where did he get these teachings?" "What is this wisdom that has been given to him?" "What are these miracles that he does with his hands?" ³ "Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are his sisters not here with us?" They were offended by Jesus. ^[1]

⁴ Then Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household." ⁵ He could not do any mighty work, except to lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. ⁶ He was amazed at their unbelief. Then he went around the villages teaching.

⁷ Then he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and he gave them authority over the unclean spirits, ⁸ and instructed them to take nothing for their journey, except a staff—no bread, no bag, and no money in their belts— ⁹ but to wear sandals, and not to wear two tunics. ¹⁰ He said to them, "Whenever you enter a house, remain until you go away from there. ¹¹ If any town will not receive you or listen to you, when you leave that place, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony to them." ¹² They went out and proclaimed that people should repent. ¹³ They cast out many demons, and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.

¹⁴ King Herod heard this, for Jesus's name had become well known. Some were saying, "John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are at work in him." ¹⁵ Some others said, "He is Elijah." Still others said, "He is a prophet, like one of the prophets in ancient times."

¹⁶ But when Herod heard this he said, "John, whom I beheaded, has been raised."

¹⁷ For Herod sent to have John arrested and he had him bound in prison on account of Herodias (his brother Philip's wife), because he had married her. ¹⁸ For John told Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." ¹⁹ But Herodias held on to anger against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not, ²⁰ for Herod feared John; he knew that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. Listening to him made him greatly perplexed, yet he heard him gladly.

²¹ Then a convenient day came when Herod had his birthday and he made a dinner for his officials and for the commanders and leaders of Galilee. ²² The daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced for them, and she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, "Ask me for anything you want and I will give it to you." ²³ He swore to her saying, "Whatever you ask of me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom."

²⁴ She went out and said to her mother, "What should I ask him for?"

She said, "The head of John the Baptist."

²⁵ She immediately hurried back to the king, and she asked, saying, "I want you to give me, right now, the head of John the Baptist on a wooden platter." ²⁶ Though this deeply grieved the king, he could not refuse her request because of the oath he had made and because of his dinner guests. ²⁷ So the king sent a soldier from his guard and commanded him to bring him John's head. The guard went and beheaded him in the prison. ²⁸ He brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. ²⁹ When his disciples heard of this, they came and took his body and placed it in a tomb.

³⁰ The apostles came together with Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. ³¹ Then he said to them, "Come away by yourselves into a deserted place and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. ³² So they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. ³³ But they saw them leaving and many recognized them, and they ran there together on foot from all the towns, and they arrived there before them. ³⁴ When they came ashore, he saw a great crowd and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began to teach them many things.

³⁵ When the hour was late, his disciples came to him and said, "This is a deserted place and the hour is already late. ³⁶ Send them away so that they may go into the nearby countryside and villages to buy something to eat for themselves."

³⁷ But he answered and said to them, "You give them something to eat."

They said to him, "Can we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?"

³⁸ He said to them, "How many loaves do you have? Go and see."

When they found out, they said, "Five loaves and two fish." ³⁹ He commanded all the people to sit down in groups upon the green grass. ⁴⁰ They sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. ⁴¹ He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven he blessed and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. ⁴² They all ate until they were satisfied. ⁴³ They took up broken pieces of bread, twelve baskets full, and also pieces of the fish. ⁴⁴ There were five thousand men who ate the loaves.

⁴⁵ Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he sent the crowd away. ⁴⁶ After taking leave of them, he went up the mountain to pray. ⁴⁷ Evening came, and the boat was now in the middle of the sea, and he was alone on land. ⁴⁸ He saw that they were straining against the oars, for the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea, and he wanted to pass by them. ⁴⁹ But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought he was a ghost and cried out, ⁵⁰ because they saw him and were troubled. Immediately he spoke to them and said to them, "Be courageous! It is I! Do not be afraid!" ⁵¹ He got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased blowing. They were completely amazed. ⁵² For they had not understood what the loaves meant. Instead, their hearts were hardened.

⁵³ When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and anchored the boat. ⁵⁴ When they came out of the boat, the people recognized him immediately, ⁵⁵ and they ran throughout the whole region and began to bring the sick on their mats to wherever they heard he was. ⁵⁶ Wherever he entered into villages, or cities, or into the country, they would put the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch the edge of his garment, and as many as touched him were healed.

Chapter 7

¹ The Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him. ² They saw that some of his disciples ate bread with hands that were unclean, that is, unwashed. ³ (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands, because they hold to the tradition of the elders. ⁴ When the Pharisees come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they bathe themselves, and they hold to many other things they have received, such as the washing of cups, pots, copper vessels, and the couches upon which they eat.) ⁵ The Pharisees and the scribes asked Jesus, "Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with unclean hands?"

⁶ But he said to them, "Isaiah prophesied well about you hypocrites. As it is written,

     'This people honors me with their lips,

     but their heart is far from me.

     ⁷ Empty worship they offer me,

     teaching the commands of men as their doctrines.'

⁸ You abandon the commandment of God and hold on to the tradition of men." ⁹ He also said to them, "How well you reject the commandment of God so you may keep your tradition! ¹⁰ For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'He who speaks evil of his father or mother will surely be put to death.' ¹¹ But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever help you would have received from me is Corban"' (that is to say, 'a Gift'), ¹² then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or his mother. ¹³ You are making the word of God void by your tradition which you have handed down. And many similar things you do." ¹⁴ He called the crowd again and said to them, "Listen to me, all of you, and understand. ¹⁵ There is nothing from outside of a person that can defile him when it enters into him. It is what comes out of the person that defiles him." ^{16[1] 17} Now when Jesus left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about the parable. ¹⁸ Jesus said, "Are you also still without understanding? Do you not perceive that whatever enters into a person from outside cannot defile him, ¹⁹ because it cannot go into his heart, but it goes into his stomach and then passes out into the latrine?" With this statement Jesus declared all foods clean. ²⁰ He said, "It is that which comes out of the person that defiles him. ²¹ For from within a person, out of the heart, proceed evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, ²² adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, folly. ²³ All these evils come from within, and they are what defile a person."

²⁴ He got up from there and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. There he went into a house, and he wanted no one to know where he was, yet he could not be hidden. ²⁵ But immediately ^[2] a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him and came and fell down at his feet. ²⁶ Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by descent. She begged him to cast out the demon from her daughter. ²⁷ He said to her, "Let the children first be fed. For it is not proper to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."

²⁸ But she answered and said to him, "Yes, Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs."

²⁹ He said to her, "Because of what you have said, you are free to go. The demon has gone out of your daughter." ³⁰ She went back to her house and found the child lying on the bed, and the demon was gone.

³¹ Then he went out again from the region of Tyre, and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee up into the region of the Decapolis. ³² They brought to him someone who was deaf and had difficulty speaking, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. ³³ Then taking him aside away from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and then he spit and touched his tongue. ³⁴ Then he looked up to heaven, sighed, and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is to say, "Open!" ³⁵ At once his ears were opened, the bond of his tongue was released, and he began to speak plainly.

³⁶ Jesus ordered them to tell no one. But the more he ordered them, the more abundantly they proclaimed it. ³⁷ They were extremely astonished, saying, "He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."

Chapter 8

¹ In those days, there was again a great crowd, and they had nothing to eat. Jesus called his disciples and said to them, ² "I have compassion on the crowd because they continue to be with me already for three days and have nothing to eat. ³ If I send them away to their home without eating, they may faint on the way. Some of them have come a long way."

⁴ His disciples answered him, "Where can we get enough loaves of bread in such a deserted place to satisfy these people?"

⁵ He asked them, "How many loaves do you have?"

They said, "Seven." ⁶ He commanded the crowd to sit down on the ground. He took the seven loaves, gave thanks, and broke them. He gave them to his disciples to set before them, and they set them before the crowd. ⁷ They also had a few small fish, and after he gave thanks for them, he commanded the disciples to serve these as well. ⁸ They ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the remaining broken pieces, seven large baskets. ⁹ There were about four thousand people. Then he sent them away. ¹⁰ Immediately he got into the boat with his disciples, and they went into the region of Dalmanutha.

¹¹ Then the Pharisees came out and began to argue with him. They sought from him a sign from heaven, to test him. ¹² He sighed deeply in his spirit and said, "Why does this generation seek for a sign? Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation." ¹³ Then he left them, got into a boat again, and went away to the other side.

¹⁴ Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread with them. They had no more than one loaf of bread in the boat. ¹⁵ He instructed them, saying, "Keep watch and be on guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod."

¹⁶ The disciples were arguing with one another about having no bread.

¹⁷ When he understood this, he asked them, "Why are you arguing about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Do you have hardened hearts? ¹⁸ You have eyes, do you not see? You have ears, do you not hear? Do you not remember? ¹⁹ When I broke the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces of bread did you take up?"

They said to him, "Twelve."

²⁰ "When I broke the seven loaves among the four thousand, how many basketfuls of broken pieces of bread did you take up?"

They said to him, "Seven."

²¹ He said, "Do you not yet understand?"

²² They came to Bethsaida. The people there brought to him a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. ²³ Jesus took hold of the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. When he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, "Do you see anything?"

²⁴ He looked up, and said, "I see men who look like walking trees."

²⁵ Then he again laid his hands upon his eyes, and the man opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw all things clearly. ²⁶ Jesus sent him away to his home and said, "Do not enter the village."

²⁷ Jesus went out with his disciples into the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, "Who do the people say that I am?"

²⁸ They answered him and said, "John the Baptist. Others say, 'Elijah,' and others, 'One of the prophets.'"

²⁹ He asked them, "But who do you say that I am?"

Peter said to him, "You are the Christ." ³⁰ Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.

³¹ He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and would be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and would be killed, and after three days rise up. ³² He spoke that message openly. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. ³³ But Jesus turned and looked at his disciples and then he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! You are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of people." ³⁴ Then he called the crowd and his disciples together, and he said to them, "If anyone wants to follow me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. ³⁵ For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake and for the gospel will save it. ³⁶ What does it profit a person to gain the whole world and then forfeit his life? ³⁷ What can a person give in exchange for his life? ³⁸ Whoever 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 in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."

Chapter 9

¹ He said to them, "Truly I say to you, there are some of you who are standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power."

² Six days later, Jesus took Peter and James and John with him up a high mountain, alone by themselves. Then he was transfigured before them. ³ His garments became radiantly brilliant, extremely white, whiter than any bleacher on earth could bleach them. ⁴ Then Elijah with Moses appeared to them, and they were talking with Jesus. ⁵ Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here, and so let us make three shelters, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." ⁶ (For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified.)

⁷ A cloud came and overshadowed them. Then a voice came out of the cloud, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him." ⁸ Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them, but only Jesus.

⁹ As they were coming down the mountain, he commanded them to tell no one what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. ¹⁰ So they kept the matter to themselves, but they discussed among themselves what "rising from the dead" could mean. ¹¹ They asked him, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"

¹² He said to them, "Elijah does come first to restore all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be despised? ¹³ But I say to you that Elijah has come, and they did whatever they wanted to him, just as it is written about him."

¹⁴ When they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes were arguing with them. ¹⁵ As soon as they saw Jesus, the whole crowd was amazed and as they ran up to him they greeted him. ¹⁶ He asked his disciples, "What are you arguing with them about?"

¹⁷ Someone in the crowd answered him, "Teacher, I brought my son to you. He has a spirit that makes him unable to speak. ¹⁸ It seizes him and it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive it out of him, but they could not."

¹⁹ He answered them, "Unbelieving generation, how long will I have to stay with you? How long will I bear with you? Bring him to me." ²⁰ They brought the boy to him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw him into a convulsion. The boy fell on the ground and foamed at the mouth. ²¹ Jesus asked his father, "For how much time has he been like this?"

The father said, "Since childhood. ²² It has often thrown him into the fire or into the waters and tried to destroy him. If you are able to do anything, have pity on us and help us."

²³ Jesus said to him, "'If you are able'? All things are possible for the one who believes."

²⁴ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "I believe! Help my unbelief!"

²⁵ When Jesus saw the crowd running to them, he rebuked the unclean spirit and said, "You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter into him again."

²⁶ It cried out and convulsed the boy greatly and then came out. The boy looked like one who was dead, so that many said, "He is dead." ²⁷ But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and the boy stood up.

²⁸ When Jesus came into the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?"

²⁹ He said to them, "This kind cannot be cast out except by prayer."

³⁰ They went out from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know where they were, ³¹ for he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, "The Son of Man will be given over into the hands of men, and they will put him to death. When he has been put to death, after three days he will rise again." ³² But they did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask him.

³³ Then they came to Capernaum. After he entered the house he asked them, "What were you discussing on the way?" ³⁴ But they were silent. For they had been arguing with one with another on the way about who was the greatest. ³⁵ Sitting down, he called the twelve together and he said to them, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all." ³⁶ He took a little child and placed him in their midst. He took him in his arms and said to them, ³⁷ "Whoever receives such a child in my name receives me; whoever receives me does not receive me but the one who sent me."

³⁸ John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we stopped him, because he does not follow us."

³⁹ But Jesus said, "Do not stop him, for there is no one who will do a mighty work in my name and can soon afterwards say anything bad about me. ⁴⁰ Whoever is not against us is for us. ⁴¹ Whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name because you belong to Christ, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward. ⁴² Whoever causes one of these little ones who believes in me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone tied around his neck and be thrown into the sea. ⁴³ If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than to have two hands and to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire. ^{44[1] 45} If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life lame than to have your two feet and be thrown into hell. ^{46[2] 47} If your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out. It is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, ⁴⁸ where their worm does not die, and the fire is not put out. ⁴⁹ For everyone will be salted with fire. ⁵⁰ Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with one another."

Chapter 10

¹ Jesus left that place and went to the region of Judea and to the area beyond the Jordan River, and the crowds came to him again. He was teaching them again, as he was accustomed to do. ² Then Pharisees came to him to test him and asked, "Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?"

³ He answered, "What did Moses command you?"

⁴ They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and then to send her away."

⁵ "It was because of your hard hearts that he wrote you this law," Jesus said to them. ⁶ "But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female.'

     ⁷ 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, ⁸ and the two will become one flesh.'

So they are no longer two, but one flesh. ⁹ Therefore what God has joined together, let no man tear apart." ¹⁰ When they were in the house, the disciples asked him again about this. ¹¹ He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. ¹² If she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery."

¹³ Then they brought their little children to him so that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. ¹⁴ But when Jesus noticed it, he was indignant and said to them, "Permit the little children to come to me, and do not forbid them, for the kingdom of God belongs to those who are like them. ¹⁵ Truly I say to you, whoever will not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will definitely not enter it." ¹⁶ Then he took the children into his arms and blessed them as he placed his hands on them.

¹⁷ When he began his journey, a man ran up to him and knelt before him and asked, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

¹⁸ Jesus said, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. ¹⁹ You know the commandments: 'Do not kill, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not testify falsely, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'"

²⁰ The man said, "Teacher, all these things I have obeyed from the time I was a youth."

²¹ Jesus looked at him and loved him. He said to him, "One thing you lack. You must sell all that you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." ²² But because of this statement he looked very sad and he went away sorrowful, because he had many possessions.

²³ Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How difficult it is for those who are rich to enter the kingdom of God!" ²⁴ The disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus said to them again, "Children, how hard it is to enter into the kingdom of God! ²⁵ It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."

²⁶ They were greatly astonished and said to each other, "Then who can be saved?"

²⁷ Jesus looked at them and said, "With people it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God."

²⁸ Peter began to speak to him, "Look, we have left everything and have followed you."

²⁹ Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the gospel ³⁰ who will not receive a hundred times as much now in this age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the world to come, eternal life. ³¹ But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

³² They were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going ahead of them. The disciples were amazed, and those who were following behind were afraid. Then Jesus took the twelve aside again and began to tell them what would soon happen to him. ³³ "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be given over to the chief priests and the scribes. They will condemn him to death and give him over to the Gentiles. ³⁴ They will mock him, spit on him, whip him, and put him to death. But after three days he will rise."

³⁵ James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask you."

³⁶ He said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?"

³⁷ They said, "Allow us to sit with you in your glory, one at your right hand and the other at your left."

³⁸ But Jesus replied to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup which I will drink or endure the baptism with which I will be baptized?"

³⁹ They said to him, "We are able."

Jesus said to them, "The cup that I will drink, you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you also will be baptized. ⁴⁰ But who is to sit at my right hand or at my left hand is not mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared." ⁴¹ When the other ten disciples heard about this, they began to be very angry with James and John. ⁴² Jesus called them to himself and said, "You know those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles dominate them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. ⁴³ But it is not this way among you. Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, ⁴⁴ and whoever wishes to be first among you must be the slave of all. ⁴⁵ For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

⁴⁶ They came to Jericho. As he left Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, the son of Timaeus, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, sat by the road. ⁴⁷ When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to shout and to say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

⁴⁸ Many rebuked the blind man, telling him to be quiet. But he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

⁴⁹ Jesus stopped and commanded him to be called. They called the blind man, saying, "Be brave! Get up! He is calling for you." ⁵⁰ He threw aside his coat, sprang up, and came to Jesus.

⁵¹ Jesus answered him and said, "What do you want me to do for you?"

The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to receive my sight."

⁵² Then Jesus said to him, "Go. Your faith has healed you." Immediately he could see again, and he followed him on the road.

Chapter 11

¹ Now as they came to Jerusalem, they were close to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, and Jesus sent out two of his disciples ² and said to them, "Go into the village opposite us. As soon as you enter it, you will find a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it to me. ³ If anyone says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' you should say, 'The Lord has need of it and will immediately send it back here.'"

⁴ They went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. ⁵ Some people were standing there and said to them, "What are you doing, untying that colt?" ⁶ They spoke to them as Jesus told them, and the people let them go their way. ⁷ They brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. ⁸ Many people spread their garments on the road, and others spread branches they had cut from the fields. ⁹ Those who went before him and those who followed shouted,

     "Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.

     ¹⁰ Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!

     Hosanna in the highest!"

¹¹ Then Jesus entered into Jerusalem and went into the temple and looked around at everything. Now the time being late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve. ¹² The next day while they were going out from Bethany, he was hungry. ¹³ Seeing from far away a fig tree that had leaves, he went to see if he could find any fruit on it, and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. ¹⁴ He spoke to it, "No one will ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard it.

¹⁵ They came to Jerusalem, and he entered the temple and began to cast out the sellers and the buyers in the temple. He turned over the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. ¹⁶ He did not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple that could be sold. ¹⁷ He taught them and said, "Is it not written,

     'My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations'?

But you have made it a den of robbers."

¹⁸ The chief priests and the scribes heard what he had said, and they looked for a way to destroy him. For they feared him because the entire crowd was amazed at his teaching. ¹⁹ When evening came, they left the city.

²⁰ As they walked by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. ²¹ Peter remembered and said, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered away."

²² Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God. ²³ Truly I say to you that if anyone says to this mountain, 'Get up and cast yourself into the sea,' and if he does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he said will happen, that is what God will do. ²⁴ Therefore I say to you: Everything you pray and ask for, believe that you received it, and it will be yours. ²⁵ When you stand and pray, you must forgive whatever you have against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your trespasses." ^26[1]

²⁷ They came to Jerusalem again. As Jesus was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to him. ²⁸ They said to him, "By what authority do you do these things, and who gave you the authority to do them?"

²⁹ Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one question. Tell me and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. ³⁰ The baptism of John, was it from heaven or from men? Answer me." ³¹ They discussed between themselves and argued and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?' ³² But if we say, 'From men,' ... ." They were afraid of the people, for everyone was convinced that John was a prophet. ³³ Then they answered Jesus and said, "We do not know."

Then Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

Chapter 12

¹ Then Jesus began to teach them in parables. He said, "A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, and dug a pit for a winepress. He built a watchtower and then leased the vineyard to vine growers. Then he went away on a journey. ² At the right time, he sent a servant to the vine growers to receive from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. ³ But they took him, beat him, and sent him away with nothing. ⁴ Again he sent to them another servant, and they wounded him in the head and treated him shamefully. ⁵ He sent yet another, and this one they killed. They treated many others in the same way, beating some and killing others. ⁶ He had still one more person to send, a beloved son. He was the last one he sent to them. He said, 'They will respect my son.'

⁷ "But the vine growers said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' ⁸ They seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. ⁹ Therefore, what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vine growers and will give the vineyard to others. ¹⁰ Have you not read this scripture?

     'The stone which the builders rejected

     has been made the cornerstone.

     ¹¹ This was from the Lord,

     and it is marvelous in our eyes.'"

¹² After this the Jewish leaders sought a way to arrest Jesus because they understood that he spoke the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd. So they left him and went away.

¹³ Then they sent some of the Pharisees and the Herodians to him to trap him with words. ¹⁴ When they came, they said to him, "Teacher, what people think is not a concern to you because you do not show partiality to anyone. You truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay or not?"

¹⁵ But Jesus knew their hypocrisy and said to them, "Why do you test me? Bring me a denarius so I can look at it." ¹⁶ They brought one to Jesus. He said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?"

They said, "Caesar's."

¹⁷ Jesus said, "Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." They marveled at him.

¹⁸ Then Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him. They asked him, saying, ¹⁹ "Teacher, Moses wrote for us, 'If a man's brother dies and leaves a wife behind him, but no child, the man should take the brother's wife, and raise up seed for his brother.' ²⁰ There were seven brothers; the first took a wife and then died, leaving no seed. ²¹ Then the second took her and died, leaving no seed, and the third in the same way. ²² The seven left no seed. Last of all, the woman also died. ²³ In the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be? For all seven brothers had her as their wife."

²⁴ Jesus said, "Is this not the reason you are mistaken, because you do not know the scriptures nor the power of God? ²⁵ For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but they are like angels in heaven. ²⁶ But concerning the dead that are raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account about the bush, how God spoke to him and said, 'I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob'? ²⁷ He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite mistaken."

²⁸ One of the scribes came and heard their discussion; he saw that Jesus answered them well. He asked him, "What commandment is the most important of all?"

²⁹ Jesus answered, "The most important is, 'Hear, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. ³⁰ You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' ³¹ The second commandment is this, 'You must love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other greater commandment than these."

³² The scribe said, "Good, Teacher! You have truly said that God is one, and that there is no other besides him. ³³ To love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself is even more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

³⁴ When Jesus saw that he had given a wise answer, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." After that, no one dared to ask Jesus any more questions.

³⁵ While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he said, "How is it that the scribes say the Christ is the son of David? ³⁶ David himself, in the Holy Spirit, said,

     'The Lord said to my Lord,

     "Sit at my right hand

     until I make your enemies your footstool."'

³⁷ David himself calls him 'Lord,' so how can the Christ be David's son?" The large crowd gladly listened to him.

³⁸ In his teaching Jesus said, "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk in long robes and be greeted in the marketplaces, ³⁹ and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts. ⁴⁰ They also devour widows' houses, and they pray long prayers for people to see. These men will receive greater condemnation."

⁴¹ Then Jesus sat down across from an offering box in the temple area; he was watching people as they dropped their money into the box. Many rich people put in large amounts of money. ⁴² Then a poor widow came and put in two mites, worth about a penny. ⁴³ He called his disciples and said to them, "Truly I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them who contributed to the offering box. ⁴⁴ For all of them gave out of their abundance. But this widow, out of her poverty, put in all of the money which she had to live on."

Chapter 13

¹ As Jesus was walking away from the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Teacher, look at the wonderful stones and wonderful buildings!"

² Jesus said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left on another which will not be torn down."

³ As he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, ⁴ "Tell us, when will these things happen? What will be the sign when all these things are about to happen?"

⁵ Jesus began to say to them, "Be careful that no one leads you astray. ⁶ Many will come in my name and say, 'I am he,' and they will lead many astray. ⁷ When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be frightened; these things must happen, but the end is not yet. ⁸ For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in many places, and famines. These are the beginnings of birth pains.

⁹ "Be on your guard. They will give you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues. You will stand before both governors and kings for my sake, as a testimony to them. ¹⁰ But the gospel must first be proclaimed to all the nations. ¹¹ When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry about what you should say. For in that hour, what you should say will be given to you; it will not be you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. ¹² Brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise up against their parents and cause them to be put to death. ¹³ You will be hated by everyone because of my name. But whoever endures to the end, that person will be saved.

¹⁴ "When you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be standing," (let the reader understand) "let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, ¹⁵ let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house or take anything out of it, ¹⁶ and let him who is in the field not return to take his cloak. ¹⁷ But woe to those with children in the womb and to those who are nursing infants in those days! ¹⁸ Pray that it might not occur in the winter. ¹⁹ For those will be days of great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of creation, which God created, until now, no, nor ever will be again. ²⁰ Unless the Lord had shortened the days, no flesh would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those whom he chose, he cut short the days. ²¹ Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'Look, there he is!' do not believe it. ²² For false Christs and false prophets will appear and will give signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect. ²³ Be on guard! I have told you all these things ahead of time.

²⁴ "But after the tribulation of those days,

     'the sun will be darkened,

     the moon will not give its light,

     ²⁵ the stars will fall from the sky,

     and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken.'

²⁶ Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. ²⁷ Then he will send his angels and he will gather together his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the sky.

²⁸ Learn a lesson from the fig tree. As soon as the branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. ²⁹ So also, when you see these things happening, recognize that he is near, close to the gates. ³⁰ Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all of these things occur. ³¹ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. ³² But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father.

³³ "Be alert! Watch, because you do not know what time it is. ^{[1] 34} It is like a man who goes on a journey—he leaves his house and puts his servants in charge of the house, each one with his work, and he commands the doorkeeper to stay alert. ³⁵ Therefore stay alert because you do not know when the master of the house will come home; it could be in the evening, at midnight, when the rooster crows, or in the morning. ³⁶ If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. ³⁷ What I say to you I say to everyone: Watch!"

Chapter 14

¹ It was now two days before the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the scribes were seeking ways to stealthily arrest Jesus and then kill him. ² For they were saying, "Not during the festival, so that a riot does not arise among the people."

³ While Jesus was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at the table, a woman came to him having an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which was pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the nard on his head. ⁴ But there were some who were angry. They spoke among themselves and said, "What is the reason for the waste of this perfume? ⁵ This perfume could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and given to the poor." Then they scolded her.

⁶ But Jesus said, "Leave her alone. Why are you troubling her? She has done a beautiful thing for me. ⁷ You always have the poor with you, and whenever you desire you can do good to them, but you will not always have me. ⁸ She has done what she could. She has anointed my body for burial. ⁹ Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will be spoken of, in memory of her."

¹⁰ Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went away to the chief priests so that he might give him over to them. ¹¹ When the chief priests heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. He began looking for an opportunity to give him over to them.

¹² On the first day of unleavened bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, "Where do you want us to go to prepare, so you may eat the Passover meal?"

¹³ He sent two of his disciples and said to them, "Go into the city, and a man bearing a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him. ¹⁴ Where he enters a house, follow him in and say to the owner of that house, 'The Teacher says, "Where is my guest room where I will eat the Passover with my disciples?"' ¹⁵ He will show you a large furnished upper room that is ready. Make the preparations for us there." ¹⁶ The disciples left and went to the city. They found everything as he had said to them, and they prepared the Passover meal.

¹⁷ When it was evening, he came with the twelve. ¹⁸ As they were lying down at the table and eating, Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, one of you eating with me will betray me."

¹⁹ They were all very sorrowful, and one by one they said to him, "Surely not I?"

²⁰ Jesus answered and said to them, "It is one of the twelve, the one now dipping bread with me in the bowl. ²¹ For the Son of Man will go as it is written about him. But woe to that man through whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for him if he had not been born."

²² As they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed it, and broke it. He gave it to them and said, "Take this. This is my body." ²³ He took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. ²⁴ He said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, the blood that is poured out for many. ²⁵ Truly I say to you, I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."

²⁶ When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. ²⁷ Jesus said to them, "All of you will fall away, for it is written,

     'I will strike the shepherd

     and the sheep will be scattered.'

²⁸ But after I am raised up, I will go ahead of you into Galilee."

²⁹ Peter said to him, "Even if all fall away, I will not."

³⁰ Jesus said to him, "Truly I say to you, today—yes, this very night—before the rooster crows twice you will deny me three times."

³¹ But Peter said, "If I must die with you, I will not deny you." They all made the same promise.

³² They came to the place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." ³³ He took Peter, James, and John with him and began to be distressed and deeply troubled. ³⁴ He said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved, even to the point of death. Remain here and watch." ³⁵ Going a little farther, Jesus fell to the ground and prayed that if it were possible the hour might pass from him. ³⁶ He said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible with you. Remove this cup from me. But not my will, but yours." ³⁷ He came back and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch for one hour? ³⁸ Watch and pray that you do not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." ³⁹ Again he went away and prayed, and he used the same words. ⁴⁰ When he came back again, he found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him. ⁴¹ He came the third time and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Enough! The hour has come. Look! The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. ⁴² Get up; let us go. Look, the one who is betraying me is near."

⁴³ While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived, and a large crowd was with him with swords and clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. ⁴⁴ Now his betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "The one I kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard." ⁴⁵ When Judas arrived, immediately he came up to Jesus and said, "Rabbi," and he kissed him. ⁴⁶ Then they laid hands on him and seized him. ⁴⁷ But one of them who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.

⁴⁸ Jesus said to them, "Do you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs, to arrest me? ⁴⁹ When I was daily with you and I was teaching in the temple, you did not arrest me. But this was done that the scriptures might be fulfilled." ⁵⁰ All those with Jesus left him and ran away.

⁵¹ A young man, wearing only a linen garment that was wrapped around him, was following Jesus. When the men seized him ⁵² he left the linen garment and ran away naked.

⁵³ They led Jesus to the high priest. There were gathered with him all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes. ⁵⁴ Now Peter followed him from a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest. He sat among the officers, who were near a fire to keep warm. ⁵⁵ Now the chief priests and the entire Jewish council were seeking testimony against Jesus so they might put him to death. But they did not find any. ⁵⁶ For many brought false testimony against him, but even their testimony did not agree. ⁵⁷ Some stood up and brought false testimony against him; they said, ⁵⁸ "We heard him say, 'I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.'" ⁵⁹ Yet even their testimony did not agree.

⁶⁰ The high priest stood up among them and asked Jesus, "Have you no answer? What is it these men testify against you?" ⁶¹ But he was silent and answered nothing. Again the high priest questioned him and said, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?"

⁶² Jesus said, "I am;

     and you will see the Son of Man

         when he sits at the right hand of power

         and comes with the clouds of heaven."

⁶³ The high priest tore his garments and said, "Do we still need witnesses? ⁶⁴ You have heard the blasphemy. What is your decision?" They all condemned him as one who deserved death.

⁶⁵ Some began to spit on him and to cover his face and strike him with their fists and say to him, "Prophesy!" The officers took him and beat him.

⁶⁶ While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came to him. ⁶⁷ She saw Peter warming himself, and she looked closely at him and said, "You were also with the Nazarene, Jesus."

⁶⁸ But he denied it, saying, "I neither know nor understand what you are talking about." Then he went out into the gateway. ^[1]

⁶⁹ But the servant girl saw him and began to say again to those who stood there, "This man is one of them!"

⁷⁰ But he denied it again. After a little while those who stood there were saying to Peter, "Surely you are one of them, for you also are a Galilean."

⁷¹ But he began to put himself under curses and to swear, "I do not know this man you are talking about."

⁷² The rooster immediately crowed a second time. Then Peter remembered the words that Jesus had said to him: "Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times," and he broke down and wept.

Chapter 15

¹ Early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders and scribes and the entire Jewish council, held a consultation. Then they bound Jesus and led him away. They handed him over to Pilate. ² Pilate asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?"

He answered him, "You say so." ³ The chief priests were accusing him of many things.

⁴ Pilate again asked him, "Do you give no answer? See how many things they are accusing you of!" ⁵ But Jesus no longer answered Pilate, and that amazed him.

⁶ Now at the time of the festival, Pilate usually released to them one prisoner, a prisoner they requested, ⁷ and there was a man called Barabbas in prison with the rebels who had committed murder during the rebellion. ⁸ The crowd came to Pilate and began to ask him to do for them as he had done in the past. ⁹ Pilate answered them and said, "Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?" ¹⁰ For he knew that it was because of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. ¹¹ But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to cry out that Barabbas should be released instead. ¹² Pilate answered them again and said, "What then should I do with the King of the Jews?"

¹³ They shouted again, "Crucify him!"

¹⁴ Pilate said to them, "What evil has he done?"

But they shouted more and more, "Crucify him." ¹⁵ Pilate wanted to satisfy the crowd, so he released Barabbas to them. He scourged Jesus and then handed him over to be crucified.

¹⁶ The soldiers led him inside the courtyard (which is the government headquarters), and they called together the whole cohort of soldiers. ¹⁷ They put a purple robe on Jesus, and they twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on him. ¹⁸ They began to salute him and say, "Hail, King of the Jews!" ¹⁹ They were striking his head with a reed staff and spitting on him. They went to their knees and they bowed down before him. ²⁰ When they had mocked him, they took off of him the purple robe and put his own garments on him, and then led him out to crucify him. ²¹ A certain man, Simon of Cyrene, was coming in from the country (he was the father of Alexander and Rufus), and they forced him to carry his cross.

²² The soldiers brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which is translated "Place of a Skull"). ²³ They offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not drink it. ²⁴ They crucified him and divided up his garments by casting lots to determine what piece each soldier would take. ²⁵ It was the third hour when they crucified him. ²⁶ On a sign they wrote the charge against him, "The king of the Jews." ²⁷ With him they crucified two robbers, one on the right of him and one on his left. ^{28[1] 29} Those who passed by reviled him, shaking their heads and saying, "Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, ³⁰ save yourself and come down from the cross!"

³¹ In the same way the chief priests were mocking him with each other, along with the scribes, and said, "He saved others, but he cannot save himself. ³² Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe." Those who were crucified with him also reproached him.

³³ At the sixth hour, darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. ³⁴ At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which is interpreted, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" ³⁵ Some of those standing by heard his words and said, "Look, he is calling for Elijah."

³⁶ Someone ran, put sour wine on a sponge, put it on a reed staff, and gave it to him to drink. The man said, "Let us see if Elijah comes to take him down." ³⁷ Then Jesus cried out with a loud voice and died.

³⁸ The curtain of the temple was split in two from the top to the bottom. ³⁹ When the centurion who stood and faced Jesus saw that he had died in this way, he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God." ⁴⁰ There were also women who looked on from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James the younger and of Joses) ^[2] , and Salome. ⁴¹ When he was in Galilee they followed him and served him. Many other women also came up with him to Jerusalem.

⁴² When evening had come, because it was the Day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, ⁴³ Joseph of Arimathea came there. He was a respected member of the council who was waiting for the kingdom of God. He boldly went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. ⁴⁴ Pilate was amazed that Jesus was already dead; he called the centurion and asked him if Jesus was dead. ⁴⁵ When Pilate learned from the centurion that Jesus was dead, he gave the body to Joseph. ⁴⁶ Joseph had bought a linen cloth. He took him down from the cross, wrapped him in the linen cloth, and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of a rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. ⁴⁷ Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw the place where Jesus was buried.

Chapter 16

¹ When the Sabbath day was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices that they might come and anoint Jesus's body. ² Very early on the first day of the week, they went to the tomb when the sun had come up. ³ They were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?" ⁴ When they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, for it was very large. ⁵ They entered the tomb and saw a young man dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

⁶ He said to them, "Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus, the Nazarene, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. Look at the place where they had laid him. ⁷ But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.'"

⁸ They went out and ran from the tomb; they were trembling and amazed. They said nothing to anyone because they were so afraid. ^9[1] [Early on the first day of the week, after he arose, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. ¹⁰ She went and told those who were with him, while they were mourning and weeping. ¹¹ They heard that he was alive and that he had been seen by her, but they did not believe.

¹² After these things he appeared in a different form to two of them as they were walking out into the country. ¹³ They went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.

¹⁴ Jesus later appeared to the eleven as they were reclining at the table, and he reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who saw him after he rose from the dead. ¹⁵ He said to them, "Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to the entire creation. ¹⁶ He who believes and is baptized will be saved, and he who does not believe will be condemned. ¹⁷ These signs will go with those who believe: In my name they will cast out demons. They will speak in new languages. ¹⁸ They will pick up snakes with their hands, and if they drink anything deadly, it will not hurt them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will get well."

¹⁹ After the Lord had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. ²⁰ The disciples left and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word by the signs that went with them.] ^[2]