New King James Version (NKJV)

Jesus Cleanses a Leper

1 When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him.

2 And behold, a leper came andworshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”

3 Then Jesus put outHishand and touched him, saying,“I am willing; be cleansed.”Immediately his leprosywas cleansed.

4 And Jesus said to him,“See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift thatMosescommanded, as a testimony to them.”

Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant

5 Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, acenturion came to Him, pleading with Him,

6 saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.”

7 And Jesus said to him,“I will come and heal him.”

8 The centurion answered and said, “Lord,I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But onlyspeak a word, and my servant will be healed.

9 For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to thisone,‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he doesit.”

10 When Jesus heardit,He marveled, and said to those who followed,“Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!

11 And I say to you thatmany will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

12 Butthe sons of the kingdomwill be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

13 Then Jesus said to the centurion,“Go your way; and as you have believed,solet it be done for you.”And his servant was healed that same hour.

Peter’s Mother-in-Law Healed

14 Now when Jesus had come into Peter’s house, He sawhis wife’s mother lying sick with a fever.

15 So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served them.

Many Healed in the Evening

16 When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick,

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

# “He Himself took our infirmities

And bore our sicknesses.”

The Cost of Discipleship

18 And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side.

19 Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.”

20 And Jesus said to him,“Foxes have holes and birds of the airhavenests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to layHishead.”

21 Then another of His disciples said to Him, “Lord,let me first go and bury my father.”

22 But Jesus said to him,“Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Wind and Wave Obey Jesus

23 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.

24 And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep.

25 Then His disciples came toHimand awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”

26 But He said to them,“Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?”ThenHe arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

27 So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”

Two Demon-Possessed Men Healed

28 When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessedmen,coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.

29 And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”

30 Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding.

31 So the demons begged Him, saying, “If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine.”

32 And He said to them, “Go.” So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine. And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.

33 Then those who keptthemfled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including whathadhappenedto the demon-possessedmen.

34 And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him,they beggedHimto depart from their region.

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralytic

1 So He got into a boat, crossed over,and came to His own city.

2 Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed.When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic,“Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.”

3 And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, “This Man blasphemes!”

4 But Jesus,knowing their thoughts, said,“Why do you think evil in your hearts?

5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Yoursins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’?

6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic,“Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”

7 And he arose and departed to his house.

8 Now when the multitudes sawit,theymarveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.

Matthew the Tax Collector

9 As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him,“Follow Me.”So he arose and followed Him.

10 Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house,thatbehold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples.

11 And when the Pharisees sawit,they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat withtax collectors andsinners?”

12 When Jesus heardthat,He said to them,“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.

13 But go and learn whatthismeans:‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’For I did not come to call the righteous,but sinners,to repentance.”

Jesus Is Questioned About Fasting

14 Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying,“Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?”

15 And Jesus said to them,“Canthefriends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, andthen they will fast.

16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; forthe patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse.

17 Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskinsbreak, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed

18 While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.”

19 So Jesus arose and followed him, and sodidHisdisciples.

20 And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind andtouched the hem of His garment.

21 For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.”

22 But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said,“Be of good cheer, daughter;your faith has made you well.”And the woman was made well from that hour.

23 When Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and sawthe flute players and the noisy crowd wailing,

24 He said to them,“Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping.”And they ridiculed Him.

25 But when the crowd was put outside, He went in andtook her by the hand, and the girl arose.

26 And thereport of this went out into all that land.

Two Blind Men Healed

27 When Jesus departed from there,two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying,“Son of David, have mercy on us!”

28 And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them,“Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”

29 Then He touched their eyes, saying,“According to your faith let it be to you.”

30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying,“Seethatno one knowsit.”

31 But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country.

A Mute Man Speaks

32 As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed.

33 And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying, “It was never seen like this in Israel!”

34 But the Pharisees said,“He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons.”

The Compassion of Jesus

35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages,teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered,like sheep having no shepherd.

37 Then He said to His disciples,“The harvest trulyisplentiful, but the laborersarefew.

38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

The Twelve Apostles

1 Andwhen He had called His twelve disciples toHim,He gave them poweroverunclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.

2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon,who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James thesonof Zebedee, and John his brother;

3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James thesonof Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;

4 Simon the Cananite, and JudasIscariot, who also betrayed Him.

Sending Out the Twelve

5 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying:“Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city ofthe Samaritans.

6 But go rather to thelost sheep of the house of Israel.

7 And as you go, preach, saying,‘The kingdom of heavenis at hand.’

8 Heal the sick,cleanse the lepers,raise the dead,cast out demons.Freely you have received, freely give.

9 Provide neither gold nor silver norcopper in your money belts,

10 nor bag foryourjourney, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs;for a worker is worthy of his food.

11 “Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out.

12 And when you go into a household, greet it.

13 If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it.But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.

14 And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city,shake off the dust from your feet.

15 Assuredly, I say to you,it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!

Persecutions Are Coming

16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.Therefore be wise as serpents andharmlessas doves.

17 But beware of men, forthey will deliver you up to councils andscourge you in their synagogues.

18 You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.

19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. Forit will be given to you in that hour what you should speak;

20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

21 “Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a fatherhischild; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.

22 Andyou will be hated by all for My name’s sake.But he who endures to the end will be saved.

23 When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not havegone through the cities of Israelbefore the Son of Man comes.

24 “A disciple is not abovehisteacher, nor a servant above his master.

25 It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. Ifthey have called the master of the houseBeelzebub,how much morewill they callthose of his household!

26 Therefore do not fear them.For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

Jesus Teaches the Fear of God

27 “Whatever I tell you in the dark,speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.

28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But ratherfear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body inhell.

29 Are not twosparrows sold for acopper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.

30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Confess Christ Before Men

32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men,him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.

33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

Christ Brings Division

34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.

35 For I have come to‘seta man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’;

36 and‘a man’s enemieswill bethose of hisownhousehold.’

37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

A Cup of Cold Water

40 “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.

41 He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.

42 And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of coldwaterin the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”

John the Baptist Sends Messengers to Jesus

1 Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there toteach and to preach in their cities.

2 And when John had heardin prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples

3 and said to Him, “Are Youthe Coming One, or do we look for another?”

4 Jesus answered and said to them,“Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:

5 Theblind see andthelame walk;thelepers are cleansed andthedeaf hear;thedead are raised up andthepoor have the gospel preached to them.

6 And blessed is he who is notoffended because of Me.”

7 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:“What did you go out into the wilderness to see?A reed shaken by the wind?

8 But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear softclothingare in kings’ houses.

9 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you,and more than a prophet.

10 For this isheof whom it is written:

# ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,

Who will prepare Your way before You.’

11 “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.

14 And if you are willing to receiveit,he isElijah who is to come.

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

16 “But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions,

17 and saying:

‘We played the flute for you,

And you did not dance;

We mourned to you,

And you did notlament.’

18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’

19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and awinebibber,a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’But wisdom is justified by herchildren.”

Woe to the Impenitent Cities

20 Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent:

21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long agoin sackcloth and ashes.

22 But I say to you,it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.

23 And you, Capernaum,whoare exalted to heaven, will bebrought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.

24 But I say to youthat it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.”

Jesus Gives True Rest

25 At that time Jesus answered and said,“I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thatYou have hidden these things fromthewise and prudentand have revealed them to babes.

26 Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.

27 All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father.Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, andthe oneto whom the Son wills to revealHim.

28 Come toMe, allyouwho labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take My yoke upon youand learn from Me, for I amgentle andlowly in heart,and you will find rest for your souls.

30 For My yokeiseasy and My burden is light.”

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

1 At that timeJesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began topluck heads of grain and to eat.

2 And when the Pharisees sawit,they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!”

3 But He said to them,“Have you not readwhat David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:

4 how he entered the house of God and atethe showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him,but only for the priests?

5 Or have you not read in thelaw that on the Sabbath the priests in the templeprofane the Sabbath, and are blameless?

6 Yet I say to you that in this place there isOnegreater than the temple.

7 But if you had known whatthismeans,‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’you would not have condemned the guiltless.

8 For the Son of Man is Lordevenof the Sabbath.”

Healing on the Sabbath

9 Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue.

10 And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying,“Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—that they might accuse Him.

11 Then He said to them,“What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and liftitout?

12 Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

13 Then He said to the man,“Stretch out your hand.”And he stretcheditout, and it was restored as whole as the other.

14 Thenthe Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him.

Behold, My Servant

15 But when Jesus knewit,He withdrew from there.And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.

16 Yet Hewarned them not to make Him known,

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

18 “Behold!My Servant whom I have chosen,

# My Belovedin whom My soul is well pleased!

I will put My Spirit upon Him,

And He will declare justice to the Gentiles.

19 He will not quarrel nor cry out,

Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.

20 A bruised reed He will not break,

And smoking flax He will not quench,

Till He sends forth justice to victory;

21 And in His name Gentiles will trust.”

A House Divided Cannot Stand

22 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.

23 And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be theSon of David?”

24 Now when the Pharisees hearditthey said, “Thisfellowdoes not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”

25 But Jesusknew their thoughts, and said to them:“Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.

26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?

27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons castthemout? Therefore they shall be your judges.

28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God,surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.

29 Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.

30 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.

The Unpardonable Sin

31 “Therefore I say to you,every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men,but the blasphemyagainstthe Spirit will not be forgiven men.

32 Anyone whospeaks a word against the Son of Man,it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in theageto come.

A Tree Known by Its Fruit

33 “Either make the tree good andits fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known byitsfruit.

34 Broodof vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things?For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

35 A good man out of the good treasureof his heartbrings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.

36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.

37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

The Scribes and Pharisees Ask for a Sign

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”

39 But He answered and said to them,“An evil andadulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

41 The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation andcondemn it,because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonahishere.

42 The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomonishere.

An Unclean Spirit Returns

43 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man,he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.

44 Then he says,‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he findsitempty, swept, and put in order.

45 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there;and the laststateof that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers Send for Him

46 While He was still talking to the multitudes,behold, His mother andbrothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.

47 Then one said to Him, “Look,Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.”

48 But He answered and said to the one who told Him,“Who is My mother and who are My brothers?”

49 And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said,“Here are My mother and Mybrothers!

50 Forwhoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”

The Parable of the Sower

1 On the same day Jesus went out of the houseand sat by the sea.

2 And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so thatHe got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying:“Behold, a sower went out to sow.

4 And as he sowed, someseedfell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.

5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth.

6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.

7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them.

8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: somea hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

The Purpose of Parables

10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”

11 He answered and said to them,“Becauseit has been given to you to know themysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.

12 For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:

# ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand,

# And seeing you will see and notperceive;

15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull.

# Theirearsare hard of hearing,

# And their eyes they haveclosed,

Lest they should see withtheireyes and hear withtheirears,

Lest they should understand withtheirhearts and turn,

# So that Ishouldheal them.’

16 Butblessedareyour eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear;

17 for assuredly, I say to youthat many prophets and righteousmendesired to see what you see, and did not seeit,and to hear what you hear, and did not hearit.

The Parable of the Sower Explained

18 “Therefore hear the parable of the sower:

19 When anyone hears the wordof the kingdom, and does not understandit,then the wickedonecomes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.

20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediatelyreceives it with joy;

21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For whentribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediatelyhe stumbles.

22 Nowhe who received seedamong the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.

23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understandsit,who indeed bearsfruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares

24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying:“The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field;

25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.

26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.

27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’

28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’

29 But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.

30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, butgather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

31 Another parable He put forth to them, saying:“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field,

32 which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes atree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”

The Parable of the Leaven

33 Another parable He spoke to them:“The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in threemeasuresof meal tillit was all leavened.”

Prophecy and the Parables

34 All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them,

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

# “I will open My mouth in parables;

# I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world.”

The Parable of the Tares Explained

36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”

37 He answered and said to them:“He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.

38 The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares arethe sons of the wickedone.

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

40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.

41 The Son of Man will send out His angels,and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness,

42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire.There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

The Parable of the Hidden Treasure

44 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes andsells all that he has andbuys that field.

The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price

45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls,

46 who, when he had foundone pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

The Parable of the Dragnet

47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea andgathered some of every kind,

48 which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away.

49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth,separate the wicked from among the just,

50 and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”

51 Jesus said to them,“Have you understood all these things?”

They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”

52 Then He said to them,“Therefore everyscribe instructedconcerningthe kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasurethingsnew and old.”

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

53 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there.

54 When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did thisManget this wisdom andthesemighty works?

55 Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? AndHis brothersJames, Joses, Simon, and Judas?

56 And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did thisManget all these things?”

57 So theywere offended at Him.

# But Jesus said to them,“A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.”

58 NowHe did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

John the Baptist Beheaded

1 At that timeHerod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus

2 and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.”

3 For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and puthimin prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife.

4 Because John had said to him,“It is not lawful for you to have her.”

5 And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude,because they counted him as a prophet.

6 But when Herod’s birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod.

7 Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask.

8 So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, “Give me John the Baptist’s head here on a platter.”

9 And the king was sorry; nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he commandeditto be given toher.

10 So he sent and had John beheaded in prison.

11 And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she broughtitto her mother.

12 Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

Feeding the Five Thousand

13 When Jesus heardit,He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities.

14 And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and Hewas moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.

15 When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.”

16 But Jesus said to them,“They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

17 And they said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”

18 He said,“Bring them here to Me.”

19 Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven,He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes.

20 So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained.

21 Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Jesus Walks on the Sea

22 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away.

23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray.Now when evening came, He was alone there.

24 But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.

25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.

26 And when the disciples saw Himwalking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.

27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying,“Be of goodcheer!It is I; do not be afraid.”

28 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”

29 So He said,“Come.”And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.

30 But when he saw that the windwasboisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”

31 And immediately Jesus stretched outHishand and caught him, and said to him,“O you oflittle faith, why did you doubt?”

32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

33 Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “TrulyYou are the Son of God.”

Many Touch Him and Are Made Well

34 When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret.

35 And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick,

36 and begged Him that they might onlytouch the hem of His garment. Andas many as toucheditwere made perfectly well.

Defilement Comes from Within

1 Thenthe scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying,

2 “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”

3 He answered and said to them,“Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?

4 For God commanded, saying,‘Honor your father and your mother’;and,‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’

5 But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother,“Whatever profit you might have received from meisa giftto God”—

6 then he need not honor his fatheror mother.’Thus you have made thecommandmentof God of no effect by your tradition.

7 Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:

8 ‘Thesepeopledraw near to Me with their mouth,

Andhonor Me withtheirlips,

But their heart is far from Me.

9 And in vain they worship Me,

# Teachingasdoctrines the commandments of men.’”

10 When He had called the multitude toHimself,He said to them,“Hear and understand:

11 Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”

12 Then His disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?”

13 But He answered and said,“Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.

14 Let them alone.They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”

15 Then Peter answered and said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.”

16 So Jesus said,“Are you also still without understanding?

17 Do you not yet understand thatwhatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated?

18 Butthose things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.

19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.

20 These arethe thingswhich defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”

A Gentile Shows Her Faith

21 Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon.

22 And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord,Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”

23 But He answered her not a word.

And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.”

24 But He answered and said,“I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

25 Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”

26 But He answered and said,“It is not good to take the children’s bread and throwitto the littledogs.”

27 And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”

28 Then Jesus answered and said to her,“O woman,greatisyour faith! Let it be to you as you desire.”And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

Jesus Heals Great Multitudes

29 Jesus departed from there,skirted the Sea of Galilee, and went up on the mountain and sat down there.

30 Then great multitudes came to Him, having with themthelame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’feet, and He healed them.

31 So the multitude marveled when they sawthemute speaking,themaimed made whole,thelame walking, andtheblind seeing; and theyglorified the God of Israel.

Feeding the Four Thousand

32 Now Jesus called His disciples toHimselfand said,“I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.”

33 Then His disciples said to Him, “Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?”

34 Jesus said to them,“How many loaves do you have?”

And they said, “Seven, and a few little fish.”

35 So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.

36 AndHe took the seven loaves and the fish andgave thanks, brokethemand gavethemto His disciples; and the disciplesgaveto the multitude.

37 So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left.

38 Now those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.

39 And He sent away the multitude, got into the boat, and came to the region of Magdala.

The Pharisees and Sadducees Seek a Sign

1 Then thePharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven.

2 He answered and said to them,“When it is evening you say, ‘It will befair weather, for the sky is red’;

3 and in the morning, ‘It will befoul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’Hypocrites!You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannotdiscernthe signs of the times.

4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign ofthe prophetJonah.”And He left them and departed.

The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees

5 Nowwhen His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.

6 Then Jesus said to them,“Take heed and beware of theleaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”

7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “Itisbecause we have taken no bread.”

8 But Jesus, being aware ofit,said to them,“O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because youhave brought no bread?

9 Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up?

10 Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up?

11 How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—butto beware of theleaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

12 Then they understood that He did not tellthemto beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying,“Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”

14 So they said,“SomesayJohn the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah orone of the prophets.”

15 He said to them,“But who doyou say that I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered and said,“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

17 Jesus answered and said to him,“Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah,for flesh and blood has not revealedthisto you, butMy Father who is in heaven.

18 And I also say to you thatyou are Peter, andon this rock I will build My church, andthe gates of Hades shall notprevail against it.

19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earthwill be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosedin heaven.”

20 Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.

Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection

21 From that time Jesus beganto show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.

22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”

23 But He turned and said to Peter,“Get behind Me,Satan!You arean offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

Take Up the Cross and Follow Him

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples,“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, andfollow Me.

25 Forwhoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

26 For whatprofit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Orwhat will a man give in exchange for his soul?

27 Forthe Son of Man will come in the glory of His Fatherwith His angels,and then He will reward each according to his works.

28 “Assuredly, I say to you,there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

Jesus Transfigured on the Mount

1 Nowafter six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves;

2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.

3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.

4 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying,“This is My beloved Son,in whom I am well pleased.Hear Him!”

6 And when the disciples heardit,they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid.

7 But Jesus came andtouched them and said,“Arise, and do not be afraid.”

8 When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

9 Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying,“Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.”

10 And His disciples asked Him, saying,“Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

11 Jesus answered and said to them,“Indeed, Elijah is comingfirstand willrestore all things.

12 But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and theydid not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewisethe Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.”

13 Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.

A Boy Is Healed

14 And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying,

15 “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.

16 So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.”

17 Then Jesus answered and said,“Ofaithless andperverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.”

18 And Jesusrebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.

19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”

20 So Jesus said to them,“Because of yourunbelief;for assuredly, I say to you,if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

Jesus Again Predicts His Death and Resurrection

22 Now while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them,“The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men,

23 and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up.”And they were exceedinglysorrowful.

Peter and His Master Pay Their Taxes

24 When they had come to Capernaum, those who received thetempletax came to Peter and said, “Does your Teacher not pay thetempletax?”

25 He said, “Yes.”

# And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying,“What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or fromstrangers?”

26 Peter said to Him, “From strangers.”

Jesus said to him,“Then the sons are free.

27 Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find apiece of money;take that and give it to them for Me and you.”