New King James Version (NKJV)

Who Is the Greatest?

1 Atthat time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

2 Then Jesus called a littlechild to Him, set him in the midst of them,

3 and said,“Assuredly, I say to you,unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

4 Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

5 Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.

Jesus Warns of Offenses

6 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

7 Woe to the world because ofoffenses! Foroffenses must come, butwoe to that man by whom the offense comes!

8 “If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and castitfrom you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire.

9 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and castitfrom you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast intohell fire.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

10 “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaventheir angels alwayssee the face of My Father who is in heaven.

11 Forthe Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.

12 “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?

13 And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over thatsheepthan over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.

14 Even so it is not thewill of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

Dealing with a Sinning Brother

15 “Moreoverif your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you,you have gained your brother.

16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’

17 And if he refuses to hear them, tellitto the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like aheathen and a tax collector.

18 “Assuredly, I say to you,whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

19 “AgainI sayto you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask,it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.

20 For where two or three are gatheredtogether in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?Up to seven times?”

22 Jesus said to him,“I do not say to you,up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.

24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.

25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commandedthat he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made.

26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’

27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

28 “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and tookhimby the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’

29 So his fellow servant fell downat his feetand begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay youall.’

30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt.

31 So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done.

32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave youall that debt because you begged me.

33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’

34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.

35 “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brotherhis trespasses.”

Marriage and Divorce

1 Now it came to pass,when Jesus had finished these sayings,thatHe departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan.

2 And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there.

3 The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife forjustany reason?”

4 And He answered and said to them,“Have you not read that He whomadethemat the beginning‘made them male and female,’

5 and said,‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, andthe two shall become one flesh’?

6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

7 They said to Him,“Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?”

8 He said to them,“Moses, because of thehardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce yourwives, but from the beginning it was not so.

9 And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except forsexual immorality,and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.”

10 His disciples said to Him,“If such is the case of the man withhiswife, it is better not to marry.”

Jesus Teaches on Celibacy

11 But He said to them,“All cannot accept this saying, but onlythoseto whom it has been given:

12 For there areeunuchs who were born thus fromtheirmother’s womb, andthere are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He who is able to acceptit,let him acceptit.”

Jesus Blesses Little Children

13 Then little children were brought to Him that He might putHishands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them.

14 But Jesus said,“Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; forof such is the kingdom of heaven.”

15 And He laidHishands on them and departed from there.

Jesus Counsels the Rich Young Ruler

16 Now behold, one came and said to Him,“Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”

17 So He said to him,“Why do you call Me good?No oneisgood but One,that is,God.But if you want to enter into life,keep the commandments.”

18 He said to Him, “Which ones?”

# Jesus said,“‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’

19 ‘Honor your father andyourmother,’and,‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”

20 The young man said to Him, “All these things I havekept from my youth. What do I still lack?”

21 Jesus said to him,“If you want to be perfect,go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

With God All Things Are Possible

23 Then Jesus said to His disciples,“Assuredly, I say to you thatit is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

25 When His disciples heardit,they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”

26 But Jesus looked atthemand said to them,“With men this is impossible, butwith God all things are possible.”

27 Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See,we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?”

28 So Jesus said to them,“Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory,you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or motheror wifeor children orlands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.

30 But manywho arefirst will be last, and the last first.

The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard

1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.

2 Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

3 And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,

4 and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went.

5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise.

6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standingidle,and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’

7 They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard,and whatever is right you will receive.’

8 “So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give themtheirwages, beginning with the last to the first.’

9 And when those came whowere hiredabout the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius.

10 But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius.

11 And when they had receivedit,theycomplained against the landowner,

12 saying, ‘These lastmenhave workedonlyone hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’

13 But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?

14 Takewhat isyours and go your way. I wish to give to this last manthe sameas to you.

15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Oris your eye evil because I am good?’

16 So the last will be first, and the first last.Formany are called, but few chosen.”

Jesus a Third Time Predicts His Death and Resurrection

17 Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them,

18 “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death,

19 and deliver Him to the Gentiles tomock and toscourge and tocrucify. And the third day He willrise again.”

Greatness Is Serving

20 Then the mother ofZebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.

21 And He said to her,“What do you wish?”

# She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of minemay sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.”

22 But Jesus answered and said,“You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drinkthe cup that I am about to drink,and be baptized withthe baptism that I am baptized with?”

They said to Him, “We are able.”

23 So He said to them,“You will indeed drink My cup,and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with;but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, butit is for thosefor whom it is prepared by My Father.”

24 And when the ten heardit,they were greatly displeased with the two brothers.

25 But Jesus called them toHimselfand said,“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them.

26 Yetit shall not be so among you; butwhoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.

27 And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—

28 just as theSon of Man did not come to be served,but to serve, andto give His life a ransomfor many.”

Two Blind Men Receive Their Sight

29 Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him.

30 And behold,two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord,Son of David!”

31 Then the multitudewarned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!”

32 So Jesus stood still and called them, and said,“What do you want Me to do for you?”

33 They said to Him, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.”

34 So Jesus hadcompassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.

The Triumphal Entry

1 Nowwhen they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, atthe Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,

2 saying to them,“Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loosethemand bringthemto Me.

3 And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.”

4 All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:

5 “Tellthe daughter of Zion,

‘Behold, your King is coming to you,

Lowly, and sitting on a donkey,

A colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”

6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them.

7 They brought the donkey and the colt,laid their clothes on them, and setHimon them.

8 And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road;others cut down branches from the trees and spreadthemon the road.

9 Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:

“Hosanna to the Son of David!

# ‘BlessedisHe who comes in the name of theLord!’

Hosanna in the highest!”

10 And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?”

11 So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus,the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

12 Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of themoney changers and the seats of those who sold doves.

13 And He said to them,“It is written,‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’but you have made it a‘den of thieves.’”

14 Thentheblind andthelame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.

15 But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to theSon of David!” they were indignant

16 and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?”

And Jesus said to them,“Yes. Have you never read,

# ‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants

You have perfected praise’?”

17 Then He left them andwent out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.

The Fig Tree Withered

18 Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry.

19 And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it,“Let no fruit grow on you ever again.”Immediately the fig tree withered away.

The Lesson of the Withered Fig Tree

20 And when the disciples sawit,they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?”

21 So Jesus answered and said to them,“Assuredly, I say to you,if you have faith anddo not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree,but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done.

22 Andwhatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

Jesus’ Authority Questioned

23 Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, andsaid, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?”

24 But Jesus answered and said to them,“I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things:

25 Thebaptism ofJohn—where was it from? From heaven or from men?”

And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’

26 But if we say, ‘From men,’ wefear the multitude,for all count John as a prophet.”

27 So they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.”

And He said to them,“Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

28 “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in myvineyard.’

29 He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went.

30 Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘Igo,sir,’ but he did not go.

31 Which of the two did the will ofhisfather?”

They said to Him, “The first.”

# Jesus said to them,“Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.

32 ForJohn came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him;but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you sawit,you did not afterwardrelent and believe him.

The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers

33 “Hear another parable: There was a certain landownerwho planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers andwent into a far country.

34 Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.

35 And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.

36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.

37 Then last of all he sent hisson to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

38 But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves,‘This is the heir.Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’

39 So they took him and casthimout of the vineyard and killedhim.

40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?”

41 They said to Him,“He will destroy those wicked men miserably,and leasehisvineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.”

42 Jesus said to them,“Have you never read in the Scriptures:

# ‘The stone which the builders rejected

Has become the chief cornerstone.

This was theLord’s doing,

And it is marvelous in our eyes’?

43 “Therefore I say to you,the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.

44 Andwhoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls,it will grind him to powder.”

45 Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.

46 But when they sought to lay hands on Him, theyfeared the multitudes, becausethey took Him for a prophet.

The Parable of the Wedding Feast

1 And Jesus answeredand spoke to them again by parables and said:

2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son,

3 and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come.

4 Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner;my oxen and fatted cattlearekilled, and all thingsareready. Come to the wedding.” ’

5 But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business.

6 And the rest seized his servants, treatedthemspitefully, and killedthem.

7 But when the king heardabout it,he was furious. And he sent outhis armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.

8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were notworthy.

9 Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’

10 So those servants went out into the highways andgathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the weddinghallwas filled with guests.

11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man therewho did not have on a wedding garment.

12 So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he wasspeechless.

13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot,take him away, andcasthiminto outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

14 “For many are called, but fewarechosen.”

The Pharisees: Is It Lawful to Pay Taxes to Caesar?

15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him inHistalk.

16 And they sent to Him their disciples with theHerodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men.

17 Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”

18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said,“Why do you test Me,youhypocrites?

19 Show Me the tax money.”

So they brought Him a denarius.

20 And He said to them,“Whose image and inscriptionisthis?”

21 They said to Him, “Caesar’s.”

# And He said to them,“Rendertherefore to Caesar the things that areCaesar’s, and to God the things that areGod’s.”

22 When they had heardthesewords,they marveled, and left Him and went their way.

The Sadducees: What About the Resurrection?

23 The same day the Sadducees,who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him,

24 saying: “Teacher,Moses said that if a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.

25 Now there were with us seven brothers. The first died after he had married, and having no offspring, left his wife to his brother.

26 Likewise the second also, and the third, even to the seventh.

27 Last of all the woman died also.

28 Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her.”

29 Jesus answered and said to them,“You aremistaken,not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.

30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, butare like angelsof Godin heaven.

31 But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying,

32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”

33 And when the multitudes heardthis,they were astonished at His teaching.

The Scribes: Which Is the First Commandment of All?

34 But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.

35 Then one of them,a lawyer, askedHimaquestion,testing Him, and saying,

36 “Teacher, whichisthe great commandment in the law?”

37 Jesus said to him,“‘You shall love theLordyour God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’

38 This isthefirst and great commandment.

39 Andthesecondislike it:‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Jesus: How Can David Call His Descendant Lord?

41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,

42 saying,“What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?”

# They said to Him, “TheSon of David.”

43 He said to them,“How then does David in the Spirit call Him‘Lord,’saying:

44 ‘TheLordsaid to my Lord,

“Sit at My right hand,

Till I make Your enemies Your footstool” ’?

45 If David then calls Him‘Lord,’how is He his Son?”

46 And no one was able to answer Him a word,nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.

Woe to the Scribes and Pharisees

1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples,

2 saying:“The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.

3 Therefore whatever they tell youto observe,thatobserve and do, but do not do according to their works; forthey say, and do not do.

4 For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and laythemon men’s shoulders; but theythemselveswill not move them with one of their fingers.

5 But all their works they do tobe seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments.

6 They love thebest places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,

7 greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’

8 But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is yourTeacher,the Christ,and you are all brethren.

9 Do not call anyone on earth your father;for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.

10 And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.

11 Buthe who is greatest among you shall be your servant.

12 And whoever exalts himself will behumbled, and he who humbles himself will beexalted.

13 “Butwoe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go inyourselves,nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.

14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.

15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son ofhell as yourselves.

16 “Woe to you,blind guides, who say,‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obligedto perform it.’

17 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the goldor the temple thatsanctifiesthe gold?

18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obligedto perform it.’

19 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the giftor the altar that sanctifies the gift?

20 Therefore he whoswears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it.

21 He who swears by the temple, swears by it and byHim whodwellsin it.

22 And he who swears by heaven, swears bythe throne of God and by Him who sits on it.

23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, andhave neglected the weightiermattersof the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.

24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!

25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion andself-indulgence.

26 Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.

27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of deadmen’sbones and all uncleanness.

28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets andadorn the monuments of the righteous,

30 and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’

31 “Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves thatyou are sons of those who murdered the prophets.

32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’guilt.

33 Serpents,broodof vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?

34 Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes:someof them you will kill and crucify, andsomeof them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city,

35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth,from the blood of righteous Abel tothe blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.

36 Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.

Jesus Laments over Jerusalem

37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophetsand stones those who are sent to her! How oftenI wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicksunderherwings, but you were not willing!

38 See! Your house is left to you desolate;

39 for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say,‘BlessedisHe who comes in the name of theLord!’ ”

Jesus Predicts the Destruction of the Temple

1 ThenJesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.

2 And Jesus said to them,“Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you,notonestone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

The Signs of the Times and the End of the Age

3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives,the disciples came to Him privately, saying,“Tell us, when will these things be? And whatwillbethe sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

4 And Jesus answered and said to them:“Take heed that no one deceives you.

5 Formany will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’and will deceive many.

6 And you will hear ofwars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; forallthese thingsmust come to pass, but the end is not yet.

7 Fornation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will befamines,pestilences,and earthquakes in various places.

8 All thesearethe beginning of sorrows.

9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.

10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.

11 Thenmany false prophets will rise up anddeceive many.

12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will growcold.

13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved.

14 And thisgospel of the kingdomwill be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

The Great Tribulation

15 “Therefore when you see the‘abomination of desolation,’spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place”(whoever reads, let him understand),

16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.

18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.

19 Butwoe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!

20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.

21 Forthen there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.

22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved;but for theelect’s sake those days will be shortened.

23 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, hereisthe Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believeit.

24 Forfalse christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive,if possible, even the elect.

25 See, I have told you beforehand.

26 “Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out;or‘Look,He isin the inner rooms!’ do not believeit.

27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

28 For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.

The Coming of the Son of Man

29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those daysthe sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven,and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together Hiselect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

The Parable of the Fig Tree

32 “Now learnthis parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summerisnear.

33 So you also, when you see all these things, knowthatitis near—at the doors!

34 Assuredly, I say to you,this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.

35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

No One Knows the Day or Hour

36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels ofheaven,but My Father only.

37 But as the days of Noahwere,so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,

39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

40 Then twomenwill be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.

41 Twowomen will begrinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.

42 Watch therefore, for you do not know whathouryour Lord is coming.

43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known whathour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.

44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

The Faithful Servant and the Evil Servant

45 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them foodin due season?

46 Blessedisthat servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.

47 Assuredly, I say to you thathe will make him ruler over all his goods.

48 But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My masteris delayinghis coming,’

49 and begins to beathisfellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards,

50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking forhimand at an hour that he isnot aware of,

51 and will cut him in two and appointhimhis portion with the hypocrites.There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins

1 “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meetthe bridegroom.

2 Now five of them were wise, and fivewerefoolish.

3 Those whowerefoolish took their lamps and took no oil with them,

4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

5 But while the bridegroom was delayed,they all slumbered and slept.

6 “And at midnighta cry washeard:‘Behold, the bridegroomis coming;go out to meet him!’

7 Then all those virgins arose andtrimmed their lamps.

8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give ussomeof your oil, for our lamps are going out.’

9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘No,lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’

10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; andthe door was shut.

11 “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying,‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’

12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you,I do not know you.’

13 “Watch therefore, for youknow neither the day nor the hourin which the Son of Man is coming.

The Parable of the Talents

14 “Forthe kingdom of heaven islike a man traveling to a far country,whocalled his own servants and delivered his goods to them.

15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one,to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.

16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.

17 And likewise he whohad receivedtwo gained two more also.

18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money.

19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

20 “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’

21 His lord said to him, ‘Welldone,good and faithful servant; you werefaithful over a few things,I will make you ruler over many things. Enter intothe joy of your lord.’

22 He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’

23 His lord said to him,‘Welldone,good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter intothe joy of your lord.’

24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.

25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look,thereyou havewhat isyours.’

26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘Youwicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.

27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.

28 Therefore take the talent from him, and giveitto him who has ten talents.

29 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.

30 And cast the unprofitable servantinto the outer darkness.There will be weeping andgnashing of teeth.’

The Son of Man Will Judge the Nations

31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all theholyangels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.

32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, andHe will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideshissheep from the goats.

33 And He will set thesheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.

34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father,inherit the kingdomprepared for you from the foundation of the world:

35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink;I was a stranger and you took Me in;

36 Iwasnaked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me;I was in prison and you came to Me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feedYou,or thirsty and giveYoudrink?

38 When did we see You a stranger and takeYouin, or naked and clotheYou?

39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’

40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you,inasmuch as you diditto one of the least of these My brethren, you diditto Me.’

41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand,‘Depart from Me, you cursed,into the everlasting fire prepared forthe devil and his angels:

42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink;

43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

44 “Then they also will answerHim,saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’

45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you,inasmuch as you did not doitto one of the least of these, you did not doitto Me.’

46 Andthese will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

The Plot to Kill Jesus

1 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings,thatHe said to His disciples,

2 “You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”

3 Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,

4 andplotted to take Jesus by trickery and killHim.

5 But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among thepeople.”

The Anointing at Bethany

6 And when Jesus was inBethany at the house of Simon the leper,

7 a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she pourediton His head as He satatthetable.

8 But when His disciples sawit,they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste?

9 For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given tothepoor.”

10 But when Jesus was aware ofit,He said to them,“Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me.

11 For you have the poor with you always, butMe you do not have always.

12 For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she diditfor Myburial.

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

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

14 Then one of the twelve, calledJudas Iscariot, went to the chief priests

15 and said,“What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver.

16 So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.

Jesus Celebrates Passover with His Disciples

17 Now on the firstdayoftheFeastof Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”

18 And He said,“Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says,“My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.” ’ ”

19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.

20 When evening had come, He sat down with the twelve.

21 Now as they were eating, He said,“Assuredly, I say to you, one of you willbetray Me.”

22 And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, “Lord, is it I?”

23 He answered and said,“He who dippedhishand with Me in the dish will betray Me.

24 The Son of Man indeed goes justas it is written of Him, butwoe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”

25 Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, “Rabbi, is it I?”

He said to him,“You have said it.”

Jesus Institutes the Lord’s Supper

26 And as they were eating,Jesus took bread, blessed and brokeit,and gaveitto the disciples and said,“Take, eat;this is My body.”

27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gaveitto them, saying,“Drink from it, all of you.

28 Forthis is My bloodof thenewcovenant, which is shedfor many for theremission of sins.

29 ButI say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now onuntil that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

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

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

31 Then Jesus said to them,“All of you willbemade to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:

# ‘I will strike the Shepherd,

And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’

32 But after I have been raised,I will go before you to Galilee.”

33 Peter answered and said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.”

34 Jesus said to him,“Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”

35 Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!”

And so said all the disciples.

The Prayer in the Garden

36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples,“Sit here while I go and pray over there.”

37 And He took with Him Peter andthe two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.

38 Then He said to them,“My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”

39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, andprayed, saying,“O My Father, if it is possible,let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless,not as I will, but as Youwill.”

40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter,“What! Could you not watch with Me one hour?

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

42 Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying,“O My Father,if this cup cannot pass away from Me unlessI drink it, Your will be done.”

43 And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.

44 So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.

45 Then He came to His disciples and said to them,“Areyoustill sleeping and resting? Behold, the houris at hand, and the Son of Man is beingbetrayed into the hands of sinners.

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

Betrayal and Arrest in Gethsemane

47 Andwhile He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people.

48 Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him.”

49 Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!”and kissed Him.

50 But Jesus said to him,“Friend, why have you come?”

Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.

51 And suddenly,one of thosewhowerewith Jesus stretched outhishand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.

52 But Jesus said to him,“Put your sword in its place,for all who take the sword willperishby the sword.

53 Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me withmore than twelve legions of angels?

54 How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled,that it must happen thus?”

55 In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes,“Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me.

56 But all this was done that theScriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.”

# Thenall the disciples forsook Him and fled.

Jesus Faces the Sanhedrin

57 And those who had laid hold of Jesus ledHimaway to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.

58 ButPeter followed Him at a distance to the high priest’s courtyard. And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end.

59 Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council soughtfalse testimony against Jesus to put Him to death,

60 but found none. Even thoughmany false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at lasttwo false witnesses came forward

61 and said, “Thisfellowsaid,‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.’ ”

62 And the high priest arose and said to Him, “Do You answer nothing? Whatisitthese men testify against You?”

63 ButJesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him,“I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!”

64 Jesus said to him,“It is asyou said. Nevertheless, I say to you,hereafter you will see the Son of Mansitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

65 Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, “He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard Hisblasphemy!

66 What do you think?”

# They answered and said,“He is deserving of death.”

67 Then they spat in His face and beat Him; andothers struckHimwith the palms of their hands,

68 saying,“Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?”

Peter Denies Jesus, and Weeps Bitterly

69 Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.”

70 But he denied it beforethemall, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.”

71 And when he had gone out to the gateway, anothergirlsaw him and said to thosewhowerethere, “Thisfellowalso was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

72 But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!”

73 And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also areoneof them, for yourspeech betrays you.”

74 Thenhe began to curse and swear,saying,“I do not know the Man!”

Immediately a rooster crowed.

75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him,“Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”So he went out and wept bitterly.

Jesus Handed Over to Pontius Pilate

1 When morning came,all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death.

2 And when they had bound Him, they led Him away anddelivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.

Judas Hangs Himself

3 Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirtypieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,

4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.”

And they said, “Whatisthatto us? You seetoit!”

5 Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple anddeparted, and went and hanged himself.

6 But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood.”

7 And they consulted together and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in.

8 Therefore that field has been calledthe Field of Blood to this day.

9 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying,“And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced, whom they of the children of Israel priced,

10 andgave them for the potter’s field, as theLorddirected me.”

Jesus Faces Pilate

11 Now Jesus stood before the governor.And the governor asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?”

# Jesus said to him,“It is asyou say.”

12 And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders,He answered nothing.

13 Then Pilate said to Him,“Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?”

14 But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly.

Taking the Place of Barabbas

15 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wished.

16 And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.

17 Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?”

18 For he knew that they had handed Him over because ofenvy.

19 While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.”

20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.

21 The governor answered and said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?”

# They said,“Barabbas!”

22 Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?”

Theyall said to him, “Let Him be crucified!”

23 Then the governor said,“Why, what evil has He done?”

But they cried out all the more, saying, “Let Him be crucified!”

24 When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but ratherthata tumult was rising, hetook water and washedhishands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You seetoit.”

25 And all the people answered and said,“His bloodbeon us and on our children.”

26 Then he released Barabbas to them; and whenhe had scourged Jesus, he deliveredHimto be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him.

28 And theystripped Him andput a scarlet robe on Him.

29 When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they putiton His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”

30 Thenthey spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head.

31 And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put Hisownclothes on Him,and led Him away to be crucified.

The King on a Cross

32 Now as they came out,they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear His cross.

33 And when they had come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Place of a Skull,

34 they gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He had tastedit,He would not drink.

35 Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet:

# “They divided My garments among them,

And for My clothing they cast lots.”

36 Sitting down, they kept watch over Him there.

37 And theyput up over His head the accusation written against Him:

THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

38 Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left.

39 Andthose who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads

40 and saying,“You who destroy the temple and builditin three days, save Yourself!If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”

41 Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said,

42 “Hesaved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him.

43 He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ”

44 Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing.

Jesus Dies on the Cross

45 Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land.

46 And about the ninth hourJesus cried out with a loud voice, saying,“Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is,“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

47 Some of those who stood there, when they heardthat,said, “This Man is calling for Elijah!”

48 Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge,filleditwith sour wine and putiton a reed, and offered it to Him to drink.

49 The rest said, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him.”

50 And Jesuscried out again with a loud voice, andyielded up His spirit.

51 Then, behold,the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split,

52 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;

53 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

54 So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying,“Truly this was the Son of God!”

55 And many womenwho followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar,

56 among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

Jesus Buried in Joseph’s Tomb

57 Nowwhen evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.

58 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him.

59 When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,

60 andlaid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed.

61 And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.

Pilate Sets a Guard

62 On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate,

63 saying, “Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said,‘After three days I will rise.’

64 Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Himaway,and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So the last deception will be worse than the first.”

65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go your way, makeitas secure as you know how.”

66 So they went and made the tomb secure,sealing the stone and setting the guard.