Matthew 7:3-19:2 Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, while you do not perceive the beam in your own eye?

Riverside⁽ⁱ⁾ ³ Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, while you do not perceive the beam in your own eye? ⁴ Or how will you say to your brother, 'Let me get out the speck from your eye,' when there is a beam in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first get the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to get the speck out of your brother's eye. ⁶ "Do not give what is holy to the dogs, nor east your pearls before swine, for they may trample them under their feet and turn and tear you. ⁷ "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened. ⁸ For every one who asks obtains, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks the door is opened. ⁹ Is there any man of you who if his son asks him for bread will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish will give him a serpent? ¹¹ If you, though evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him. ¹² "All things that you wish men to do for you, do yourselves for them; for this is the Law and the Prophets. ¹³ "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide and spacious is the road that leads away to ruin, and many there are who go through it; ¹⁴ but narrow is the gate and contracted is the road that leads into life, and few there are who find it. ¹⁵ "Beware of false prophets, such as come to you in the clothing of sheep, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶ From their fruits you will know them. Are grapes gathered from thorns or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ Just so every good tree yields fine fruit, but a worthless tree yields bad fruit. ¹⁸ It is not possible for a good tree to yield had fruit nor for a worthless tree to yield fine fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not yield fine fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ So then, from their fruits you will know them. ²¹ "Not every one who says to me, 'Master, Master,' will enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²² Many will say to me on that day, 'Master, Master, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name east out demons, and in your name do many miracles?' ²³ And then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work lawlessness.' ²⁴ "Every one, therefore, who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; ²⁵ and the rain descended and the rivers rose and the winds blew, and they beat upon that house; but it fell not, for it had been founded on the rock. ²⁶ And every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. ²⁷ And the rain descended and the rivers rose and the winds blew, and they struck upon that house and it fell, and great was the ruin of it." ²⁸ When Jesus ended these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching. ²⁹ For he taught them like one who had authority, and not as their scribes taught. ⁸ ¹ WHEN Jesus had come down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. ² And a leper came up and bowed before him, and said, "Sir, if you have the will, you have power to make me clean." ³ Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him and said, "I have the will, be cleansed." Instantly his leprosy was cleansed away. ⁴ Jesus said to him, "Be sure and do not say a word to any one, but go and show yourself to the priest and offer the gift which Moses prescribed as evidence for them." ⁵ When Jesus had entered Capernaum there came to him a Centurion who implored his help. ⁶ "Sir," he said, "my servant lies in my house a paralytic, in great distress." ⁷ Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him." ⁸ The Centurion answered, "Sir, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but just speak the word and my servant will be cured. ⁹ For I am a man, — under authority, — with soldiers under me, and I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes, and to another, 'Come,' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it." ¹⁰ When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said, "Truly I tell you, I have not found so great faith on the part of any one in Israel. ¹¹ I tell you many will come from the east and from the west and will recline at table with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. ¹² But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the darkness outside. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth." ¹³ Then Jesus said to the Centurion, "Go. As you have believed, so be it to you." His servant was healed that very hour. ¹⁴ When Jesus entered the house of Peter, he saw his wife's mother lying sick with fever. ¹⁵ He touched her hand and the fever left her. Then she arose and waited upon him. ¹⁶ When evening came, they brought to him many demoniacs and he cast out the spirits by a word, and all their sick he healed. ¹⁷ This was in order to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, "He took our weaknesses and bore away our diseases." ¹⁸ When Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave directions to go over to the other side of the lake. ¹⁹ Then a certain scribe came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." ²⁰ Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have coverts, but the Son of Man has not where to lay his head." ²¹ Another of his disciples said to him, "Sir, let me first go and bury my father." ²² But Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead." ²³ Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. ²⁴ Soon a great storm broke on the lake so that the boat was hidden under the waves; but he was sleeping. ²⁵ His disciples came to him and woke him and said, "Master, save us. We are going down." ²⁶ But he said, "Why are you frightened, you men of little faith?" Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the lake, and there was a great calm. ²⁷ The men were astonished and said, "What sort of a person is this, whom even the winds and the lake obey?" ²⁸ When he arrived at the other side, the country of the Gadarenes, there met him two demoniacs coming out of the tombs. They were very fierce, so that no one was able to pass along that road. ²⁹ Suddenly they shouted, "Son of God, what have you to do with us? Have you come here to torment us before the time?" ³⁰ There was far off from them a herd of many swine feeding. ³¹ The demons begged him, "If you cast us out, send us into the herd of swine." ³² He said to them, "Go." So they went out and entered into the swine. Then suddenly the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the waves. ³³ The herdsmen fled and went away to the town and told everything, including what had happened to the demoniacs. ³⁴ Then at once all the town came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him they begged him to depart from their neighborhood. ⁹ ¹ SO Jesus got into the boat and crossed over and came to his own city. ² They brought to him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith he said to the paralytic, "Have courage, boy, your sins are forgiven." ³ At once some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man is speaking profane words." ⁴ Jesus knew their thoughts and said, "Why are you thinking evil thoughts in your hearts? ⁵ For which is easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise and walk'? ⁶ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" — then he said to the paralytic, "Rise, take up your bed and go to your house." ⁷ Thereupon he rose and went away to his house. ⁸ The crowds that saw it were astonished and gave glory to God, who had given such power to men. ⁹ As Jesus was passing along from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. Jesus said to him, "Follow me," and he arose and followed him. ¹⁰ It happened that, while he was reclining at table in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came in and reclined at the table with Jesus and his disciples. ¹¹ When the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" ¹² Jesus heard it and said, "The strong have no need of a physician, but the sick have. ¹³ Go and learn what this means: 'I wish for kindness, and not for sacrifice.' I have not come to call righteous people, but sinners." ¹⁴ Then the disciples of John came to Jesus and said, "Why are we and the Pharisees fasting while your disciples are not fasting?" ¹⁵ He said, "Can the bridal party fast while the bridegroom is with them? But days will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and then they will fast. ¹⁶ No one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak, for the filling pulls away from the cloak and the result is a worse tear. ¹⁷ Nor do they pour new wine into old wine-skins, for if they do the skins burst. So the wine is spilled and the skins are ruined. But they put new wine into fresh wine-skins and both are preserved." ¹⁸ While Jesus was talking to them, a synagogue Director came and bowed down before him and said, "My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand upon her and she will live." ¹⁹ Jesus rose and followed him, and so did his disciples. ²⁰ Suddenly a woman who had been suffering for twelve years from hemorrhage came up behind him and touched the tassel of his cloak. ²¹ For she said to herself, "If I touch only his cloak, I shall be healed." ²² But Jesus turned and, seeing her, said, "Courage, daughter, your faith has healed you." The woman was cured from that hour. ²³ Jesus entered the house of the Director and saw the flute-players and the crowd that was noisily lamenting, and he said, ²⁴ "Leave the room, for the girl is not dead; she is sleeping." They laughed at him. ²⁵ But after the crowd had been turned out, he went in and took hold of her hand and the girl rose up. ²⁶ The report of this spread through all that country. ²⁷ As Jesus was going along from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, "Have pity on us, Son of David." ²⁸ After he had entered the house, these blind men came to him. Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I can do this?" They said, "Yes, Sir." ²⁹ Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith be it to you." ³⁰ And their eyes were opened. Jesus sternly commanded them, "Be sure and let no one know of this." ³¹ But they went out and spread his fame through all that country. ³² As they were going out, a dumb man who was also a demoniac was brought to him. ³³ After the demon had been cast out, the dumb man spoke. The crowd wondered and said, "Never was anything like this seen in Israel." ³⁴ But the Pharisees said, "Through the Chief of the demons he casts out the demons." ³⁵ Jesus made a circuit through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every infirmity. ³⁶ Seeing the crowds, he was touched with compassion for them, for they were torn and flung down like sheep that have no shepherd. ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is great, but the laborers are few. ³⁸ Pray to the Master of the harvest to rush out laborers into his harvest." ¹⁰ ¹ THEN, calling to him his twelve disciples, he gave them authority over impure spirits to cast them out, and power to cure every disease and every infirmity. ² The names of the twelve apostles are these: Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, ³ Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector, James the son of Alphaeus and Thaddaeus, ⁴ Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him. ⁵ These twelve Jesus sent out and directed them: "Do not go into any way of the Gentiles. Do not enter into any city of the Samaritans. ⁶ But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ⁷ As you go proclaim, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. ⁸ Heal sick men, raise dead men, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying, give without being paid. ⁹ Provide no gold nor silver nor copper in your belts, ¹⁰ no bag for the road, nor two tunics nor shoes nor stick, for the workman has a right to his food. ¹¹ Whatever city or village you go into, inquire who in it is worthy and stay with him until you leave the place. ¹² When you enter the house, salute it. ¹³ If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. ¹⁴ If any one does not receive you or hear your words, as you go out of that house or that city shake off the dust of your feet. ¹⁵ I tell you truly it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city. ¹⁶ See, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be as wise as serpents and as pure as doves. ¹⁷ Be on your guard against men. For they will deliver you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you, ¹⁸ and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a witness to them and to the Gentiles. ¹⁹ But when they deliver you up, do not worry how or what you are to speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you are to say. ²⁰ For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaks within you. ²¹ Brother will betray brother to death, and father will betray child, and children will rise up against parents and put them to death. ²² And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. He who endures to the end, that one will be saved. ²³ "When they persecute you in one city, flee to another. I tell you truly, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes. ²⁴ The scholar is not above his teacher, nor the servant above his master. ²⁵ It is sufficient for the scholar to fare like his teacher and for the servant to fare like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household. ²⁶ Do not be afraid of them; for there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor secret which will not be known. ²⁷ What I say to you in darkness speak in the light, and what is whispered into your ear proclaim on the housetops. ²⁸ Do not fear before those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. ²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet one of them will not fall on the ground without your Father. ³⁰ But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ So do not fear. You are worth more than many sparrows. ³² Every one who shall confess me before men I too will confess before my Father in heaven. ³³ Every one who shall disown me before men I too will disown before my Father in heaven. ³⁴ "Do not think that I came to send peace on the earth. I came not to send peace, but a sword. ³⁵ For I came to set a man against his father and a daughter against her mother and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. ³⁶ A man's enemies will be the members of his own household. ³⁷ He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. He who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. ³⁸ Whoever 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. ⁴⁰ He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him that sent me. ⁴¹ He who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will get a prophet's reward, and he who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will get a righteous man's reward. ⁴² Whoever gives merely a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple, I tell you truly he will not lose his reward." ¹¹ ¹ WHEN Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went away from that place to teach and preach in the towns. ² John had heard in prison of the doings of the Christ, and he sent by some of his disciples to ask, ³ "Are you 'the Coming One' or are we to expect some other?" ⁴ Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see. ⁵ Blind men recover sight, lame men walk, lepers are cleansed, deaf men hear, dead men are raised, and poor men have the good news proclaimed to them. ⁶ Blessed is he who does not mistake regarding me!" ⁷ As these men went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about 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 dressed in soft clothes? Those who wear soft clothes are in kings' palaces. ⁹ But why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ¹⁰ This is the one of whom it was written, 'Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who will prepare thy way before thee.' ¹¹ I tell you truly there has not arisen among those born of women a greater than John the Baptist. But any inferior in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ¹² From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has been suffering violence and violent men have been seizing it. ¹³ For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John. ¹⁴ If you are willing to believe it, he is Elijah who was to come. ¹⁵ Whoever has ears, let him hear. ¹⁶ "To what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market-places who call to the others, ¹⁷ 'We played the flute to you and you did not dance; we mourned and you did not beat your breasts.' 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, 'See a glutton and a wine-drinker; a friend of tax collectors and sinners.' Yet wisdom is proved to be in the right by her works." ²⁰ Then he began to reproach the cities in which most of his miracles had been done, because they had not repented: ²¹ "Alas for you, Chorazin! Alas for you, Bethsaida! For if in Tyre and Sidon the miracles had been done which were done in you, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. ²² But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. ²³ And you, Capernaum! No, you will not be exalted to heaven. You will be abased to Hades. Because if those miracles which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. ²⁴ But I tell you it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you." ²⁵ At that time Jesus said, "I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them to babes. ²⁶ Yes, Father, I thank thee that such was thy good pleasure. ²⁷ "All things have been delivered tome by my Father, and no one knows the Son but the Father, nor does any one know the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son may choose to reveal him. ²⁸ "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." ¹² ¹ AT that time Jesus went on the Sabbath through the grain-fields. His disciples were hungry and began to pluck heads of grain to eat. ² When the Pharisees saw it they said, "See, your disciples are doing what is not allowable on the Sabbath." ³ He said to them, "Have you not read what David did, when he and his men were hungry? ⁴ how he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread which it was not allowable either for him to eat or for his men, but only for the priests? ⁵ Or have you not read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the Temple break the Sabbath and yet are guiltless? ⁶ I tell you that something greater than the Temple is here. ⁷ If you had understood this, 'I desire kindness and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. ⁸ For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath." ⁹ Passing over from there, he came into their synagogue. ¹⁰ A man was there with a withered hand. They asked Jesus, "Is it allowable to heal on the Sabbath?" — so that they might have something to accuse him of. ¹¹ He said to them, "What man is there of you who, if he has one sheep, and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold on it and lift it out? ¹² But how much more is a man worth than a sheep! So it is allowable to do good on the Sabbath." ¹³ Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out and it was restored as sound as the other. ¹⁴ The Pharisees went out and plotted against him how they could destroy him. ¹⁵ But Jesus was aware of it and went away from that place. Many followed him and he healed them all; ¹⁶ but he gave strict orders to them not to make him known. ¹⁷ It was in fulfillment of these words of Isaiah the prophet, ¹⁸ "Behold my servant whom I have chosen, the Beloved in whom my soul delights. I will put my spirit upon him and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. ¹⁹ He will not strive nor cry, nor will any one hear his voice in the streets. ²⁰ A bruised reed he will not break, and a low-burning wick he will, not quench, until he has carried justice to victory. ²¹ In his name will Gentiles hope." ²² Then there was brought to Jesus a demoniac, blind and dumb. He healed him so that he spoke and saw. ²³ All the crowds were astonished and said, "Is not this man the Son of David?" ²⁴ The Pharisees when they heard it said, "This man casts out demons only through Beelzebul the Chief of the demons." ²⁵ But he knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself becomes a desolation, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. ²⁶ If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? ²⁷ If I by Beelzebul am casting out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. ²⁸ But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is right upon you. ²⁹ How can any one enter the house of a strong man and seize his goods unless he first binds the strong man? Then he can plunder his house. ³⁰ "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters. ³¹ Therefore I say to you, every sin and profane word will be forgiven to men, but any profane word against the Spirit will not be forgiven. ³² Whoever says a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven either in this world or in the world to come. ³³ Either make the tree good and its fruit good or make the tree bad and its fruit bad. For from the fruit the tree is known. ³⁴ Brood of vipers, how can you who are evil speak good things? For from the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. ³⁵ The good man out of his good treasury pours out good things, and the bad man out of his bad treasury pours out bad things. ³⁶ I tell you, for every idle word that men speak they will give full account in the day of judgment, ³⁷ for from your words you will be justified and from your words you will be condemned." ³⁸ Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you." ³⁹ He answered them, "A wicked and adulterous generation seeks for a sign. But no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. ⁴⁰ For as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. ⁴¹ The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and more than Jonah is here. ⁴² The Queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and more than Solomon is here. ⁴³ "When the impure spirit has gone out of a man, he passes through waterless places seeking rest and finds none. ⁴⁴ Then he says, 'I will return into my house that I left.' And he comes and finds it vacant, swept and in order. ⁴⁵ Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits worse than himself, and they enter and live there. So the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. Just so will it be with this wicked generation." ⁴⁶ While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers were standing outside, trying to speak to him. ⁴⁷ Some one told him, ⁴⁸ but he replied, "Who is my mother and who are my brothers?" ⁴⁹ Then, stretching out his hand over his disciples, he said, "See my mother and my brothers! ⁵⁰ For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." ¹³ ¹ ON that day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the lake. ² Great crowds gathered to him so that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the crowd stood on the shore. ³ He spoke at length to them in illustrations. "A sower," he said, "went out to sow. ⁴ And as he was sowing some seeds fell at the roadside and the birds came and ate them up. ⁵ Others fell on rocky places where they had not much soil, and at once they sprang up because they had no depth of soil. ⁶ But when the sun rose they were scorched, and because they had no roots they withered. ⁷ Others fell among thorns and the thorns grew up and choked them. ⁸ Others fell on good ground and made a yield, some of a hundred fold, some of sixty fold, some of thirty fold. ⁹ He who has ears, let him hear." ¹⁰ Then his disciples came to him and said, "Why do you talk to them in figures of speech?" ¹¹ He answered, "Because to you it is granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to those people it is not granted. ¹² For whoever has, to him will be given and he will have abundance. But whoever has not, from him will be taken even what he has. ¹³ For this reason I speak to them in figures, because, though they see, they do not see, and though they hear, they do not hear nor understand, ¹⁴ and to them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: 'You will plainly hear, but you will not understand, and you will clearly look, but you will not see. ¹⁵ For the heart of these people has grown fat, and with their ears they are dull of hearing and their eyes they have closed; so that they may not see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and repent and I should heal them.' ¹⁶ But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. ¹⁷ I tell you truly many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things you see, but they did not see them, and to hear the things you hear, but they did not hear them. ¹⁸ So listen to the story of the sower: ¹⁹ When any one hears the message of the kingdom and does not understand it, the Evil One comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the man who receives seed by the roadside. ²⁰ He who received seed on stony ground is he who bears the word and receives it at once with joy, ²¹ yet has no root in himself, but is inconstant, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the message he stumbles and falls. ²² He who received seed among thorns is he who hears the message, but the care of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the message and it becomes fruitless. ²³ He who received seed in good ground is he who hears the message and understands it and makes a yield of a hundred, or sixty, or thirty fold." ²⁴ Another illustration he put before them. He said, "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. ²⁵ But while people were sleeping his enemy came and sowed weeds through the wheat, and went away. ²⁶ When the blades shot up and formed grain, the weeds also appeared. ²⁷ Then the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where do the weeds come from?' ²⁸ He replied, 'An enemy did this.' The servants said to him, 'Do you want us to go and gather them up?' ²⁹ He said, 'No, for in gathering up the weeds you might pull up the wheat along with them. ³⁰ Let both grow together until the harvest. At the time of harvest I will say to the harvesters, Gather up first the weeds and tie them into bundles for burning, but bring the wheat into my granary.' " ³¹ Another illustration he put before them. He said, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field. ³² It is the least of all the seeds, but when it grows up it is greater than the garden herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and live in its branches." ³³ Another illustration he spoke to them. "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour until it was all leavened." ³⁴ All of these things Jesus spoke to them in illustrations, and without an illustration he spoke nothing to them, ³⁵ to fulfill the words of the prophet when he said, "I will open my mouth in illustrations, I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world." ³⁶ Then leaving the crowds he came into the house, and his disciples came to him and said, "Explain to us the illustration of the weeds of the field." ³⁷ He replied, "He who sows the good seeds is the Son of Man. ³⁸ The field is the world. The good seeds are the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the Evil One. ³⁹ The enemy that sowed them is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the world. The reapers are angels. ⁴⁰ As the weeds are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the world. ⁴¹ The Son of Man will send his angels and they will gather up from his kingdom all stumbling-blocks 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 will the righteous shine out like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. ⁴⁴ "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man finds and hides again, and for joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. ⁴⁵ "Again the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. ⁴⁶ Having found one very precious pearl he went away and sold everything that he had and bought it. ⁴⁷ "Again the kingdom of heaven is like a net cast into the lake that gathered up every sort. ⁴⁸ But when it was filled they drew it to the beach and sat down and gathered the good into pails, but threw the worthless away. ⁴⁹ So will it be at the end of the world. The angels will come forth and will separate the wicked from among the righteous ⁵⁰ and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. ⁵¹ Have you understood all these things?" They said, "Yes." ⁵² He said to them, "Therefore every scribe educated in the kingdom of heaven is like a man who is a householder who brings out from his storehouse new things and old things." ⁵³ When Jesus had finished these illustrations, he went away from that place. ⁵⁴ Then he came to his native place and taught them in their synagogue so that they were astonished and said, "Where did this man get this wisdom and these miracles? ⁵⁵ Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? ⁵⁶ And his sisters — are they not all here with us? Where then did he get all this?" ⁵⁷ So they fell into mistake about him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house." ⁵⁸ Because of their unbelief he worked there but few miracles. ¹⁴ ¹ AT that time Herod the Prince heard the reports about Jesus ² and said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist. He has risen from the dead and so miraculous powers are working in him." ³ For Herod had arrested John and had bound him and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife. ⁴ For John had said to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her." ⁵ Although he wished to kill him, he was afraid of the people because they held him for a prophet. ⁶ But when Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced in the midst and pleased Herod, ⁷ so that he promised with an oath that he would give her whatever she asked. ⁸ She, prompted by her mother, said, "Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist." ⁹ The king was grieved, but on account of his oaths and his guests he ordered it to be given her, ¹⁰ and he sent and had John beheaded in the prison. ¹¹ The head was brought in on a platter and was given to the girl and she bore it to her mother. ¹² The disciples of John came and took the body and buried it, and then they came and told Jesus. ¹³ Upon hearing of it, Jesus went away in a boat privately to an uninhabited place. But the people heard of it and followed him by land from the towns. ¹⁴ As he got out of the boat, he saw a great crowd and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. ¹⁵ When evening had come on, his disciples came to him and said, "This is an uninhabited place and the time is already late; send away the crowd so that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food." ¹⁶ But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to go away. Give them food yourselves." ¹⁷ They said to him, "We have here nothing but five loaves and two fishes." ¹⁸ He said, "Bring them to me." ¹⁹ Then he commanded the crowd to recline on the grass, and he took the five loaves and the two fishes and looked up to heaven and asked a blessing. Then he broke up the loaves and gave them to his disciples, and the disciples distributed to the crowd. ²⁰ All ate and had abundance, and they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces that remained over. ²¹ Those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children. ²² Then he made his disciples get into the boat and go on across while he was dismissing the crowd. ²³ After dismissing the crowd, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray, When evening came, he was there alone. ²⁴ The boat was already far out from land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. ²⁵ In the fourth watch of the night, he came to them walking on the water. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified, saying that it was a ghost, and they cried out with fear. ²⁷ But at once Jesus spoke to them and said, "Courage. It is I. Do not be afraid." ²⁸ Peter answered, "Sir, if it is you, bid me to come to you on the water." ²⁹ Jesus said, "Come." Then Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. ³⁰ But seeing the wind he became frightened, and, beginning to sink, he cried out, "Sir, save me!" ³¹ At once Jesus stretched out his hand and grasped him and said, "O man of little faith, why did you doubt?" ³² After they got into the boat, the wind stopped. ³³ Then the men in the boat bowed down to him and said, "Truly you are the Son of God." ³⁴ Having crossed, they came to land at Gennesaret. ³⁵ When the men of that place recognized him, they sent into all that neighborhood and brought to him all the sick ³⁶ and begged him that they might touch merely the tassel of his cloak, and all who touched were cured. ¹⁵ ¹ THEN scribes and Pharisees came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, ² "Why do your disciples violate the tradition of our forefathers? For they do not wash their hands when they eat food." ³ He answered them, "And why do you violate the command of God for the sake of your tradition? ⁴ For God said, 'Honor thy father and thy mother,' and, 'If any one speaks evil of father or mother, let him surely die.' ⁵ But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or to his mother, Whatever benefit you get from me is now dedicated to God, ⁶ he shall not honor his father or his mother.' So you have nullified the command of God for the sake of your tradition. ⁷ You hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you when he said, ⁸ 'This people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. ⁹ In vain they worship me while they teach as precepts the commands of men.' " ¹⁰ Calling the crowd to him he said to them, "Hear and understand. ¹¹ Not what enters the mouth defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth — that defiles a man." ¹² Then his disciples came to him and said, "Do you know that the Pharisees were shocked when they heard what you said?" ¹³ He replied, "Every plant which my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted. ¹⁴ Beware of them. They are blind guides of the blind. If the blind leads the blind, both will fall into the ditch." ¹⁵ Peter said, "Explain to us your figure." ¹⁶ Jesus answered, "Are even you without insight? ¹⁷ Do you not know that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is cast out into the sewer? ¹⁸ But the things that come out of the mouth proceed from the heart, and they defile the man. ¹⁹ For from the heart proceed wicked thoughts, murders, adulteries, unchastities, thefts, perjuries, profane words. ²⁰ These are the things that defile a man. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man." ²¹ Leaving that place, Jesus retired into the region of Tyre and Sidon. ²² Here a Canaanite woman of those parts came out and cried, "Sir, have pity on me, Son of David. My daughter is terribly tormented by a demon." ²³ But he did not answer her a word. Then his disciples came and begged him, saying, "Send her away; she keeps calling out behind us." ²⁴ He replied, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." ²⁵ But she came and bowed before him and said, "Help me, Sir." ²⁶ He answered, "It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." ²⁷ But she said, "Yes, Sir; for even the dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." ²⁸ Then Jesus said to her, "O woman, great is your faith. Be it to you as you will." And her daughter was cured from that hour. ²⁹ On leaving there, Jesus came along by the lake of Galilee and went up on the mountain and sat down there. ³⁰ Then a great crowd came to him having with them lame men, maimed men, blind men, mutes, and many others, and they laid them at his feet and he healed them. ³¹ The crowd was astonished when they saw mutes talking, maimed men sound, lame men walking about, and blind men seeing, and they gave glory to the God of Israel. ³² Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I have compassion for the crowd, for they have now been with me three days and they have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away fasting; they might faint on the road." ³³ The disciples said to him, "Where can we get enough bread in this uninhabited place to feed such a crowd?" ³⁴ Jesus said, "How many loaves have you?" They said, "Seven, and a few small fishes." ³⁵ Then he told the crowd to recline on the ground, ³⁶ and he took the seven loaves and the fishes and gave thanks and broke them and gave to his disciples, and the disciples distributed to the crowd. ³⁷ All ate and were satisfied, and they picked up seven baskets full of fragments that were left over. ³⁸ There were four thousand men that ate, besides women and children. ³⁹ Then after dismissing the crowd he got into a boat and came into the region of Magadan. ¹⁶ ¹ THE Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus, and, in order to put him to a test, asked him to show them a sign from heaven. ² TEXT OMITTED ³ TEXT OMITTED ⁴ But he answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation is eager for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah"; and he left them and went away. ⁵ When the disciples got to the other side of the lake, they had forgotten to take bread, ⁶ and Jesus said to them, "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the Sadducees." ⁷ They were discussing this among themselves, saying, "It is because we have brought no bread." ⁸ But Jesus, when he knew it, said, "Why are you discussing among yourselves, O men of little faith, because you have no bread? ⁹ Do you not yet know? Do you not remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many basketfuls you picked up? ¹⁰ Or the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many basketfuls you picked up? ¹¹ How is it that you do not perceive that I was not speaking to you about bread? But beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." ¹² Then they understood that he had told them to beware not of the yeast of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. ¹³ After corning into the neighborhood of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" ¹⁴ They said, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; others Jeremiah or some one of the prophets." ¹⁵ He said to them, "But you, who do you say that I am?" ¹⁶ Simon Peter said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." ¹⁷ Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood have not revealed it to you, but my Father in heaven. ¹⁸ And I tell you that you are Peter [which means Rock], and upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." ²⁰ Then he strictly charged his disciples not to tell any one that he was the Christ. ²¹ From that time Jesus began to make plain to his disciples that he had to go away to Jerusalem, and suffer greatly from the elders and high priests and scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised. ²² Peter took him and began to reprove him, saying, "Please God, Sir; this shall not happen to you." ²³ But he, turning, said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan; you are a snare to me, for you are not thinking God's thoughts, but men's." ²⁴ Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If any one chooses to come after me, let him disown self and take up his cross and follow me. ²⁵ For whoever chooses to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. ²⁶ For what profit will a man have if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? or what can a man give to buy back his soul? ²⁷ For the Son of Man will soon come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will repay each in full according to his actions. ²⁸ I tell you truly there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste of death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom." ¹⁷ ¹ Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain alone. ² There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as the light. ³ Then appeared to them Moses and Elijah talking with him. ⁴ Peter said to Jesus, "Sir, it is fine for us to be here. If you like, I will make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." ⁵ While he was speaking, a bright cloud suddenly overspread them and a voice issued from the cloud, "This is my Son, the Beloved, in whom I delight. Hear him." ⁶ The disciples on hearing this fell on their faces in great terror. ⁷ But Jesus came and touched them and said, "Rise and do not be afraid." ⁸ When they raised their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus himself alone. ⁹ As they were descending the mountain, Jesus charged them, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man has risen from the dead." ¹⁰ The disciples asked him, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" ¹¹ He answered, "Elijah does come and restore all things. ¹² But I tell you Elijah has already come and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they chose. Just so the Son of Man is about to suffer at their hands." ¹³ Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist. ¹⁴ When they reached the crowd, a man came to Jesus and knelt to him and said, ¹⁵ "Sir, have pity on my son, for he is a lunatic and is in a very bad way. For often he falls into the fire and often into the water. ¹⁶ I brought him to your disciples and they could not cure him." ¹⁷ Jesus answered, "O unbelieving and perverse generation, how long must I be with you? How long must I bear you? Bring him here." ¹⁸ Then Jesus rebuked the demon, and he came out of him and the boy was well from that hour. ¹⁹ Then the disciples came to Jesus aside and said, "Why were we unable to cast it out?" ²⁰ He said to them, "Because of your lack of faith. I tell you truly, if you have faith like a mustard seed you will say to this mountain, 'Remove from here to there,' and it will remove, and nothing will be impossible for you." ²¹ TEXT OMITTED ²² While they were assembling in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man will soon be betrayed into the hands of men, ²³ and they will kill him and on the third day he will be raised"; and they were deeply distressed. ²⁴ After they came to Capernaum, the men who were collecting the Temple tax came to Peter and said, "Does not your teacher pay the Temple tax?" ²⁵ He said, "Yes." But when he went into the house Jesus spoke first to him and said, "How do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth collect taxes or tribute, from their own sons or from those who are not?" ²⁶ Upon his saying, "From those who are not," Jesus said to him, "So then the sons are free. ²⁷ But in order that we may not mislead them, go to the lake and throw in a hook and take the first fish that comes up. When you open his mouth you will find a coin. Take that and give it to them for me and yourself. ¹⁸ ¹ AT that time the disciples came to Jesus saying, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" ² He called to him a little child and stood him in the midst of them ³ and said, "I tell you truly, unless you turn and become like the little children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ He who humbles himself like this little child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵ Whoever receives one such little child for my name receives me; ⁶ and whoever causes one of these little ones that believe in me to stumble, it were better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck and be cast into the depths of the lake. ⁷ Alas for the world because of the occasions of stumbling! It must be that such occasions come, but alas for the man through whom any one is tripped up! ⁸ If your hand or your foot is a snare to you, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life maimed or lame than with two hands or two feet to be cast into the fire eternal. ⁹ If your eye is a snare to you, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life one-eyed than with two eyes to be cast into the Gehenna of fire. ¹⁰ See to it that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you, in heaven their angels continually behold the face of my Father in heaven. ¹¹ TEXT OMITTED ¹² How does it seem to you? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them strays away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the straying one? ¹³ And if he finds it, I tell you he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that have not strayed. ¹⁴ Just so it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. ¹⁵ "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault between yourself and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. ¹⁶ If he does not listen to you, take along with you one or two more, that at the mouth of two witnesses, or three, every word may be confirmed. ¹⁷ If he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. If he refuses to hear the church, let him be to you as a Gentile or a tax collector. ¹⁸ I tell you truly, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. ¹⁹ "Again I tell you that, if two of you agree on earth regarding any matter, whatever they pray for will come to them from my Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them." ²¹ Then Peter came to him and said, "How often, Sir, if my brother sins against me, shall I forgive him? Up to seven times?" ²² Jesus said to him, "I do not say up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. ²³ "Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a man who was a king, who determined to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴ When he had begun the accounting there was brought to him one who owed him ten thousand talents. ²⁵ Since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, as well as his wife and his children and whatever he had, and payment to be made. ²⁶ But the servant fell down and did homage and said, 'Have patience with me and I will pay you in full.' ²⁷ Then the master, pitying the servant, released him and cancelled his debt. ²⁸ But that servant, on going out, found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred shillings, and he seized him and choked him, saying, 'Pay in full what you owe.' ²⁹ His fellow servant fell down and begged, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will pay you in full.' ³⁰ But he would not, but went and threw him into prison until he should pay off the debt. ³¹ When his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and went and informed their master about everything. ³² The master summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant, all that debt of yours I cancelled when you begged me. ³³ Ought you not to have had pity on your fellow servant as I had pity on you?' ³⁴ Then his master was angry and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay off all that was owing to him. ³⁵ Just so will my Father in heaven do to you if you do not forgive each one his brother from your hearts." ¹⁹ ¹ WHEN Jesus had finished these words, he left Galilee and came within that part of Judaea beyond the Jordan. ² Great crowds followed him and he healed them there.