Mark 14

The Plot to Kill Jesus

1 Aftertwo days it was the Passover andtheFeastof Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by trickery and putHimto death.

2 But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people.”

The Anointing at Bethany

3 And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and pourediton His head.

4 But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, “Why was this fragrant oil wasted?

5 For it might have been sold for more than three hundreddenarii and given to the poor.” And theycriticized her sharply.

6 But Jesus said,“Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me.

7 For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good;but Me you do not have always.

8 She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial.

9 Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel ispreached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them.

11 And when they heardit,they were glad, and promised to give him money. So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him.

Jesus Celebrates the Passover with His Disciples

12 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they killed the Passoverlamb,His disciples said to Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare, that You may eat the Passover?”

13 And He sent out two of His disciples and said to them,“Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him.

14 Wherever he goes in, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?” ’

15 Then he will show you a large upper room, furnishedandprepared; there make ready for us.”

16 So His disciples went out, and came into the city, and found it just as He had said to them; and they prepared the Passover.

17 In the evening He came with the twelve.

18 Now as they sat and ate, Jesus said,“Assuredly, I say to you,one of you who eats with Me will betray Me.”

19 And they began to be sorrowful, and to say to Him one by one, “Isit I?” And anothersaid,“Isit I?”

20 He answered and said to them,“It isone of the twelve, who dips with Me in the dish.

21 The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had never been born.”

Jesus Institutes the Lord’s Supper

22 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and brokeit,and gaveitto them and said,“Take,eat;this is Mybody.”

23 Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gaveitto them, and they all drank from it.

24 And He said to them,“This is My blood of thenewcovenant, which is shed for many.

25 Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

26 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

27 Then Jesus said to them,“All of you will be made to stumblebecause of Me this night,for it is written:

# ‘I will strike the Shepherd,

And the sheep will be scattered.’

28 “Butafter I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.”

29 Peter said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble, yet Iwillnotbe.”

30 Jesus said to him,“Assuredly, I say to you that today,eventhis night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”

31 But he spoke more vehemently, “If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!”

And they all said likewise.

The Prayer in the Garden

32 Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples,“Sit here while I pray.”

33 And Hetook Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed.

34 Then He said to them,“My soul is exceedingly sorrowful,evento death. Stay here and watch.”

35 He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him.

36 And He said,“Abba, Father,all thingsarepossible for You. Take this cup away from Me;nevertheless, not what I will, but what Youwill.”

37 Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter,“Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour?

38 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.The spirit indeediswilling, but the fleshisweak.”

39 Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words.

40 And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him.

41 Then He came the third time and said to them,“Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough!The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.

42 Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”

Betrayal and Arrest in Gethsemane

43 And immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.

44 Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, “Whomever Ikiss, He is the One; seize Him and leadHimaway safely.”

45 As soon as he had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, “Rabbi, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.

46 Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him.

47 And one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.

48 Then Jesus answered and said to them,“Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?

49 I was daily with you in the templeteaching, and you did not seize Me. Butthe Scriptures must be fulfilled.”

50 Then they all forsook Him and fled.

A Young Man Flees Naked

51 Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown aroundhisnakedbody.And the young men laid hold of him,

52 and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.

Jesus Faces the Sanhedrin

53 And they led Jesus away to the high priest; and with him wereassembled all thechief priests, the elders, and the scribes.

54 ButPeter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire.

55 Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none.

56 For many borefalse witness against Him, but their testimonies did not agree.

57 Then some rose up and bore false witness against Him, saying,

58 “We heard Him say,‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.’ ”

59 But not even then did their testimony agree.

60 And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying, “Do You answer nothing? Whatisitthese men testify against You?”

61 ButHe kept silent and answered nothing.

# Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?”

62 Jesus said,“I am.And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

63 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “What further need do we have of witnesses?

64 You have heard theblasphemy! What do you think?”

# And they all condemned Him to be deserving ofdeath.

65 Then some began tospit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, “Prophesy!” And the officers struck Him with the palms of their hands.

Peter Denies Jesus, and Weeps

66 Now as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came.

67 And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were withJesus of Nazareth.”

68 But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are saying.” And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed.

69 And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, “This isoneof them.”

70 But he denied it again.

# And a little later those who stood by said to Peter again, “Surely you areoneof them;for you are a Galilean, and your speech showsit.”

71 Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this Man of whom you speak!”

72 A second timetherooster crowed. Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him,“Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”And when he thought about it, he wept.

Mark 15

Jesus Faces Pilate

1 Immediately,in the morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council; and they bound Jesus, ledHimaway, anddeliveredHimto Pilate.

2 Then Pilate asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”

He answered and said to him,“It is asyou say.”

3 And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but Heanswered nothing.

4 Then Pilate asked Him again, saying, “Do You answer nothing? See how many things they testify against You!”

5 But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled.

Taking the Place of Barabbas

6 Nowat the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested.

7 And there was one named Barabbas,whowaschained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion.

8 Then the multitude, crying aloud, began to askhimtodojust as he had always done for them.

9 But Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”

10 For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.

11 Butthe chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them.

12 Pilate answered and said to them again, “What then do you want me to dowithHimwhom you call theKing of the Jews?”

13 So they cried out again, “Crucify Him!”

14 Then Pilate said to them, “Why,what evil has He done?”

But they cried out all the more, “Crucify Him!”

15 So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourgedHim,to becrucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

16 Then the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Praetorium, and they called together the whole garrison.

17 And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on Hishead,

18 and began to salute Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!”

19 Then theystruck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him.

20 And when they hadmocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.

The King on a Cross

21 Then they compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, as he was coming out of the country and passing by, to bear His cross.

22 And they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull.

23 Then they gave Him wine mingled with myrrh to drink, but He did not takeit.

24 And when they crucified Him,they divided His garments, casting lots for themtodeterminewhat every man should take.

25 Nowit was the third hour, and they crucified Him.

26 Andthe inscription of His accusation was written above:

THE KING OF THE JEWS.

27 With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left.

28 So the Scripture was fulfilled which says,“And He was numbered with the transgressors.”

29 Andthose who passed by blasphemed Him,wagging their heads and saying, “Aha!Youwho destroy the temple and builditin three days,

30 save Yourself, and come down from the cross!”

31 Likewise the chief priests also,mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, “He savedothers; Himself He cannot save.

32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe.”

# Eventhose who were crucified with Him reviled Him.

Jesus Dies on the Cross

33 Nowwhen the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.

34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying,“Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”which is translated,“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

35 Some of those who stood by, when they heardthat,said, “Look, He is calling for Elijah!”

36 Thensomeone ran and filled a sponge full of sour wine, putiton a reed, andoffereditto Him to drink, saying, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to take Him down.”

37 And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last.

38 Thenthe veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

39 Sowhen the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, “Truly this Man was the Son of God!”

40 There were also women looking onfrom afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome,

41 who alsofollowed Him and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee, and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.

Jesus Buried in Joseph’s Tomb

42 Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath,

43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, whowas himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

44 Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time.

45 So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph.

46 Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen. And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.

47 And Mary Magdalene and Marythemotherof Joses observed where He was laid.

Mark 16

He Is Risen

1 Nowwhen the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Marythemotherof James, and Salomebought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.

2 Very early in the morning, on the firstdayof the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.

3 And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?”

4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large.

5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.

6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him.

7 But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him,as He said to you.”

8 So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed.And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Mary Magdalene Sees the Risen Lord

9 Now whenHerose early on the firstdayof the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene,out of whom He had cast seven demons.

10 She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.

11 And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.

Jesus Appears to Two Disciples

12 After that, He appeared in another formto two of them as they walked and went into the country.

13 And they went and tolditto the rest,butthey did not believe them either.

The Great Commission

14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.

15 And He said to them,“Go into all the worldand preach the gospel to every creature.

16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved;but he who does not believe will be condemned.

17 And thesesigns will follow those whobelieve:In My name they will cast out demons;they will speak with new tongues;

18 theywill take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them;they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Christ Ascends to God’s Right Hand

19 So then,after the Lord had spoken to them, He wasreceived up into heaven, andsat down at the right hand of God.

20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working withthemand confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.

Matthew 1

The Genealogy of Jesus Christ

1 The book of thegenealogy of Jesus Christ,the Son of David,the Son of Abraham:

2 Abraham begot Isaac,Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begotJudah and his brothers.

3 Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar,Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram.

4 Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon.

5 Salmon begotBoaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse,

6 andJesse begot David the king.

# David the king begot Solomon by herwhohadbeenthewifeof Uriah.

7 Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begotAbijah, and Abijah begot Asa.

8 Asa begotJehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begotUzziah.

9 Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begotAhaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah.

10 Hezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot Amon, and Amon begotJosiah.

11 Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they werecarried away to Babylon.

12 And after they were brought to Babylon,Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begotZerubbabel.

13 Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor.

14 Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud.

15 Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob.

16 And Jacob begot Joseph the husband ofMary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.

17 So all the generations from Abraham to Davidarefourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylonarefourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christarefourteen generations.

Christ Born of Mary

18 Now thebirth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with childof the Holy Spirit.

19 Then Joseph her husband, being a justman,and not wantingto make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.

20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife,for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His nameJesus,for He will save His people from their sins.”

22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:

23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife,

25 and did not know her till she had brought forthher firstborn Son. And he called His nameJesus.

Matthew 2

Wise Men from the East

1 Now afterJesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise menfrom the East came to Jerusalem,

2 saying,“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seenHis star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

3 When Herod the king heardthis,he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

4 And when he had gathered allthe chief priests andscribes of the people together,he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:

6 ‘Butyou, Bethlehem,inthe land of Judah,

Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;

For out of you shall come a Ruler

# Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”

7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time thestar appeared.

8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have foundHim,bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”

9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.

10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.

11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures,they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

12 Then, being divinely warnedin a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

The Flight into Egypt

13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”

14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt,

15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying,“Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

Massacre of the Innocents

16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.

17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:

18 “Avoice was heard in Ramah,

Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,

Rachel weepingforher children,

Refusing to be comforted,

Because they are no more.”

The Home in Nazareth

19 Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,

20 saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those whosought the young Child’s life are dead.”

21 Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.

22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in adream, he turned asideinto the region of Galilee.

23 And he came and dwelt in a city calledNazareth, that it might be fulfilledwhich was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

Matthew 3

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

1 In those daysJohn the Baptist came preachingin the wilderness of Judea,

2 and saying, “Repent, forthe kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:

# “The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

# ‘Prepare the way of theLord;

Make His paths straight.’ ”

4 NowJohn himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food waslocusts andwild honey.

5 Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him

6 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them,“Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee fromthe wrath to come?

8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,

9 and do not think to say to yourselves,‘We have Abraham asourfather.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

10 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees.Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

11 I indeed baptize you with water unto 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 fire.

12 His winnowing fanisin His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He willburn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

John Baptizes Jesus

13 Then Jesus camefrom Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.

14 And Johntriedtoprevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”

15 But Jesus answered and said to him,“Permitit to be sonow, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”Then he allowed Him.

16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He sawthe Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.

17 And suddenly a voicecamefrom heaven, saying,“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Matthew 4

Satan Tempts Jesus

1 ThenJesus was led up bythe Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.

3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

4 But He answered and said,“It is written,‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”

5 Then the devil took Him upinto the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple,

6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:

# ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’

and,

# ‘Intheirhands they shall bear you up,

Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”

7 Jesus said to him,“It is written again,‘You shall nottempt theLordyour God.’”

8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, andshowed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.

9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”

10 Then Jesus said to him,“Away with you,Satan! For it is written,‘You shall worship theLordyour God, and Him only you shall serve.’”

11 Then the devilleft Him, and behold,angels came and ministered to Him.

Jesus Begins His Galilean Ministry

12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee.

13 And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali,

14 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

15 “Theland of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,

By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,

Galilee of the Gentiles:

16 The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,

And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death

Light has dawned.”

17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say,“Repent, for the kingdom of heavenis at hand.”

Four Fishermen Called as Disciples

18 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simoncalled Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.

19 Then He said to them,“Follow Me, andI will make you fishers of men.”

20 They immediately lefttheirnets and followed Him.

21 Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, Jamesthesonof Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them,

22 and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

Jesus Heals a Great Multitude

23 And Jesus went about all Galilee,teaching in their synagogues, preachingthe gospel of the kingdom,and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.

24 Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and theybrought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.

25 Great multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, andfromDecapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.

Matthew 5

The Beatitudes

1 And seeing the multitudes,He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.

2 Then He opened His mouth andtaught them, saying:

3 “Blessedarethe poor in spirit,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessedarethose who mourn,

For they shall be comforted.

5 Blessedarethe meek,

# Forthey shall inherit theearth.

6 Blessedarethose whohunger and thirst for righteousness,

# For they shall be filled.

7 Blessedarethe merciful,

# For they shall obtain mercy.

8 Blessedarethe pure in heart,

# Forthey shall see God.

9 Blessedarethe peacemakers,

For they shall be called sons of God.

10 Blessedarethose who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds ofevil against you falsely for My sake.

12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for greatisyour reward in heaven, forso they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Believers Are Salt and Light

13 “You are the salt of the earth;but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

15 Nor do theylight a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to allwho arein the house.

16 Let your light so shine before men,that they may see your good works andglorify your Father in heaven.

Christ Fulfills the Law

17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.

18 For assuredly, I say to you,till heaven and earth pass away, onejot or onetittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.

19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teachesthem,he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceedsthe righteousnessof the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

Murder Begins in the Heart

21 “You have heard that it was said to thoseof old,‘You shall not murder,and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’

22 But I say to you thatwhoever is angry with his brotherwithout a causeshall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother,‘Raca!’shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says,‘You fool!’ shall be in danger ofhell fire.

23 Thereforeif you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,

24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

25 Agree with your adversary quickly,while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.

26 Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.

Adultery in the Heart

27 “You have heard that it was saidto those of old,‘You shall not commit adultery.’

28 But I say to you that whoeverlooks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

29 If your right eye causes you tosin,pluck it out and castitfrom you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

30 And if your right hand causes you tosin, cut it off and castitfrom you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

Marriage Is Sacred and Binding

31 “Furthermore it has been said,‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’

32 But I say to you thatwhoever divorces his wife for any reason exceptsexual immoralitycauses her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.

Jesus Forbids Oaths

33 “Again you have heard thatit was said to those ofold,‘You shall not swear falsely, butshall perform your oaths to the Lord.’

34 But I say to you,do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it isGod’s throne;

35 nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city ofthe great King.

36 Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.

37 But letyour ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.

Go the Second Mile

38 “You have heard that it was said,‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’

39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person.But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.

40 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him haveyourcloak also.

41 And whoevercompels you to go one mile, go with him two.

42 Give to him who asks you, andfrom him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.

Love Your Enemies

43 “You have heard that it was said,‘You shall love your neighborand hate your enemy.’

44 But I say to you,love your enemies, bless those who curse you,do good to those who hate you, and prayfor those who spitefully use you and persecute you,

45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; forHe 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 have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

47 And if you greet yourbrethrenonly, what do you do morethan others?Do not even thetax collectorsdo so?

48 Therefore you shall be perfect, justas your Father in heaven is perfect.

Matthew 6

Do Good to Please God

1 “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

2 Therefore,when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.

3 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

4 that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secretwill Himself reward youopenly.

The Model Prayer

5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like thehypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.

6 But you, when you pray,go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father whoisin the secretplace;and your Father who sees in secret will reward youopenly.

7 And when you pray,do not use vain repetitions as the heathendo.For they think that they will be heard for their many words.

8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Fatherknows the things you have need of before you ask Him.

9 In thismanner, therefore, pray:

# Our Father in heaven,

# Hallowed be Yourname.

10 Your kingdom come.

# Your will be done

# On earthasit is in heaven.

11 Give us this day ourdaily bread.

12 Andforgive us our debts,

As we forgive our debtors.

13 And do not lead us into temptation,

# Butdeliver us from the evil one.

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

15 Butif you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Fasting to Be Seen Only by God

16 “Moreover,when you fast, do not be like thehypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.

17 But you, when you fast,anoint your head and wash your face,

18 so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father whoisin the secretplace;and your Father who sees in secret will reward youopenly.

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.

The Lamp of the Body

22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye isgood, your whole body will be full of light.

23 But if your eye isbad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how greatisthat darkness!

You Cannot Serve God and Riches

24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.You cannot serve God andmammon.

Do Not Worry

25 “Therefore I say to you,do not worry 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, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

27 Which of you by worrying can add onecubit to hisstature?

28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;

29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was notarrayed like one of these.

30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven,will Henot much moreclotheyou, O you of little faith?

31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’

32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

33 Butseek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the dayisits own trouble.

Matthew 7

Do Not Judge

1 “Judgenot, that you be not judged.

2 For with whatjudgment you judge, you will be judged;and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.

3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?

4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plankisin your own eye?

5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

6 “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.

Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking

7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

8 Foreveryone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?

10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?

11 If you then,being 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!

12 Therefore,whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, forthis is the Law and the Prophets.

The Narrow Way

13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wideisthe gate and broadisthe way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.

14 Becausenarrowisthe gate anddifficultisthe way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

You Will Know Them by Their Fruits

15 “Beware of false prophets,who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

16 You will know them by their fruits.Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?

17 Even so,every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.

18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, norcana bad tree bear good fruit.

19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

I Never Knew You

21 “Not everyone who says to Me,‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he whodoes the will of My Father in heaven.

22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have wenot prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’

23 Andthen I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you;depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Build on the Rock

24 “Thereforewhoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:

25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:

27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, thatthe people were astonished at His teaching,

29 for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.