Matthew 15 Cross References - WNT

¹ Then there came to Jesus a party of Pharisees and Scribes from Jerusalem, who inquired, ² "Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the Elders by not washing their hands before meals?" ³ "Why do you, too," He retorted, "transgress God's commands for the sake of your tradition? ⁴ For God said, 'HONOUR THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER'; and 'LET HIM WHO REVILES FATHER OR MOTHER BE CERTAINLY PUT TO DEATH'; ⁵ but you--this is what you say: 'If a man says to his father or mother, That is consecrated, whatever it is, which otherwise you should have received from me-- ⁶ he shall be absolved from honouring his father'; and so you have abrogated God's Word for the sake of your tradition. ⁷ Hypocrites! well did Isaiah prophesy of you, ⁸ "'THIS IS A PEOPLE WHO HONOUR ME WITH THEIR LIPS, WHILE THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME; ⁹ BUT IT IS IN VAIN THEY WORSHIP ME, WHILE THEY LAY DOWN PRECEPTS WHICH ARE MERE HUMAN RULES.'" ¹⁰ Then, when He had called the people to Him, Jesus said, "Hear and understand. ¹¹ It is not what goes into a man's mouth that defiles him; but it is what comes out of his mouth-- *that* defiles a man." ¹² Then His disciples came and said to Him, "Do you know that the Pharisees were greatly shocked when they heard those words?" ¹³ "Every plant," He replied, "which my Heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. ¹⁴ Leave them alone. They are blind guides of the blind; and if a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into some pit." ¹⁵ "Explain to us this figurative language," said Peter. ¹⁶ "Are even you," He answered, "still without intellingence? ¹⁷ Do you not understand that whatever enters the mouth passes into the stomach and is afterwards ejected from the body? ¹⁸ But the things that come out of the mouth proceed from the heart, and it is these that defile the man. ¹⁹ For out of the heart proceed wicked thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, perjury, impiety of speech. ²⁰ These are the things which defile the man; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile." ²¹ Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew into the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon. ²² Here a Canaanitish woman of the district came out and persistently cried out, "Sir, Son of David, pity me; my daughter is cruelly harassed by a demon." ²³ But He answered her not a word. Then the disciples interposed, and begged Him, saying, "Send her away because she keeps crying behind us." ²⁴ "I have only been sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel," He replied. ²⁵ Then she came and threw herself at His feet and entreated Him. "O Sir, help me," she said. ²⁶ "It is not right," He said, "to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." ²⁷ "Be it so, Sir," she said, "for even the dogs eat the scraps which fall from their masters' tables." ²⁸ "O woman," replied Jesus, "great is your faith: be it done to you as you desire." And from that moment her daughter was restored to health. ²⁹ Again, moving thence, Jesus went along by the Lake of Galilee; and ascending the hill, He sat down there. ³⁰ Soon great crowds came to Him, bringing with them those who were crippled in feet or hands, blind or dumb, and many besides, and they hastened to lay them at His feet. And He cured them, ³¹ so that the people were amazed to see the dumb speaking, the maimed with their hands perfect, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they gave the glory to the God of Israel. ³² But Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, "My heart yearns over this mass of people, for it is now the third day that they have been with me and they have nothing to eat. I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they should faint on the road." ³³ "Where can we," asked the disciples, "get bread enough in this remote place to satisfy so vast a multitude?" ³⁴ "How many loaves have you?" Jesus asked. "Seven," they said, "and a few small fish." ³⁵ So He bade all the people sit down on the ground, ³⁶ and He took the seven loaves and the fish, and after giving thanks He broke them up and then distributed them to the disciples, and they to the people. ³⁷ And they all ate and were satisfied. The broken portions that remained over they took up--seven full hampers. ³⁸ Those who ate were 4,000 adult men, without reckoning women and children. ³⁹ He then dismissed the people, went on board the boat, and came into the district of Magadan.

²⁰ For I assure you that unless your righteousness greatly surpasses that of the Scribes and the Pharisees, you will certainly not find entrance into the Kingdom of the Heavens.

² "The Scribes," He said, "and the Pharisees sit in the chair of Moses.

¹⁵ "Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you scour sea and land in order to win one convert--and when he is gained, you make him twice as much a son of Gehenna as yourselves. ¹⁶ "Alas for you, you blind guides, who say, "'Whoever swears by the Sanctuary it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the Sanctuary, is bound by the oath.' ¹⁷ "Blind fools! Why, which is greater? --the gold, or the Sanctuary which has made the gold holy? ¹⁸ And you say, "'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the offering lying on it is bound by the oath.' ¹⁹ "You are blind! Why, which is greater? --the offering, or the altar which makes the offering holy? ²⁰ He who swears by the altar swears both by it and by everything on it; ²¹ he who swears by the Sanctuary swears both by it and by Him who dwells in it; ²² and he who swears by Heaven swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it. ²³ "Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you pay the tithe on mint, dill, and cumin, while you have neglected the weightier requirements of the Law--just judgement, mercy, and faithful dealing. These things you ought to have done, and yet you ought not to have left the others undone. ²⁴ You blind guides, straining out the gnat while you gulp down the camel! ²⁵ "Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you wash clean the outside of the cup or dish, while within they are full of greed and self-indulgence. ²⁶ Blind Pharisee, first wash clean the inside of the cup or dish, and then the outside will be clean also. ²⁷ "Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you are just like whitewashed sepulchres, the outside of which pleases the eye, though inside they are full of dead men's bones and of all that is unclean. ²⁸ The same is true of you: outwardly you seem to the human eye to be good and honest men, but, within, you are full of insincerity and disregard of God's Law.

²² The Scribes, too, who had come down from Jerusalem said, "He has Baal-zebul in him; and it is by the power of the Prince of the demons that he expels the demons."

¹ Then the Pharisees, with certain Scribes who had come from Jerusalem, came to Him in a body. ² They had noticed that some of His disciples were eating their food with 'unclean' (that is to say, unwashed) hands. ³ (For the Pharisees and all the Jews--being, as they are, zealous for the traditions of the Elders--never eat without first carefully washing their hands, ⁴ and when they come from market they will not eat without bathing first; and they have a good many other customs which they have received traditionally and cling to, such as the rinsing of cups and pots and of bronze utensils, and the washing of beds.) ⁵ So the Pharisees and Scribes put the question to Him: "Why do your disciples transgress the traditions of the Elders, and eat their food with unclean hands?" ⁶ "Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites," He replied; "as it is written, "'THIS PEOPLE HONOUR ME WITH THEIR LIPS, WHILE THEIR HEARTS ARE FAR AWAY FROM ME: ⁷ BUT IDLE IS THEIR DEVOTION WHILE THEY LAY DOWN PRECEPTS WHICH ARE MERE HUMAN RULES.' ⁸ "You neglect God's Commandment: you hold fast to men's traditions." ⁹ "Praiseworthy indeed!" He added, "to set at nought God's Commandment in order to observe your own traditions! ¹⁰ For Moses said, 'HONOUR THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER' and again, 'HE WHO CURSES FATHER OR MOTHER, LET HIM DIE THE DEATH.' ¹¹ But *you* say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, It is a Korban (that is, a thing devoted to God), whatever it is, which otherwise you would have received from me--' ¹² And so you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or mother, ¹³ thus nullifying God's precept by your tradition which you have handed down. And many things of that kind you do." ¹⁴ Then Jesus called the people to Him again. "Listen to me, all of you," He said, "and understand. ¹⁵ There is nothing outside a man which entering him can make him unclean; but it is the things which come out of a man that make him unclean." ¹⁶ OMITTED TEXT ¹⁷ After He had left the crowd and gone indoors, His disciples began to ask Him about this figure of speech. ¹⁸ "Have *you* also so little understanding?" He replied; "do you not understand that anything whatever that enters a man from outside cannot make him unclean, ¹⁹ because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and passes away ejected from him?" By these words Jesus pronounced all kinds of food clean. ²⁰ "What comes out of a man," He added, "that it is which makes him unclean. ²¹ For from within, out of men's hearts, their evil purposes proceed--fornication, theft, murder, adultery, ²² covetousness, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, reviling, pride, reckless folly: ²³ all these wicked things come out from within and make a man unclean."

¹⁷ One day He was teaching, and there were Pharisees and teachers of the Law sitting there who had come from every village in Galilee and Judaea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present for Him to cure people.

²¹ Then the Scribes and Pharisees began to cavil, asking, "Who is this, uttering blasphemies? Who but God alone can forgive sins?"

³⁰ This led the Pharisees and Scribes of their party to expostulate with His disciples and ask, "Why are you eating and drinking with these tax-gatherers and notorious sinners?"

⁹ So there arose a great uproar; and some of the Scribes belonging to the sect of the Pharisees sprang to their feet and fiercely contended, saying, "We find no harm in the man. What if a spirit has spoken to him, or an angel----!"

² They had noticed that some of His disciples were eating their food with 'unclean' (that is to say, unwashed) hands.

⁵ So the Pharisees and Scribes put the question to Him: "Why do your disciples transgress the traditions of the Elders, and eat their food with unclean hands?"

³⁸ Now the Pharisee saw to his surprise that He did not wash His hands before breakfasting.

⁸ Take care lest there be some one who leads you away as prisoners by means of his philosophy and idle fancies, following human traditions and the world's crude notions instead of following Christ.

²⁰ If you have died with Christ and have escaped from the world's rudimentary notions, why, as though your life still belonged to the world, do you submit to such precepts as ²¹ "Do not handle this;" "Do not taste that;" "Do not touch that other thing" -- ²² referring to things which are all intended to be used up and perish--in obedience to mere human injunctions and teachings? ²³ These rules have indeed an appearance of wisdom where self-imposed worship exists, and an affectation of humility and an ascetic severity. But not one of them is of any value in combating the indulgence of our lower natures.

¹⁸ knowing, as you do, that it was not with a ransom of perishable wealth, such as silver or gold, that you were set free from your frivolous habits of life which had been handed down to you from your forefathers,

³ And why do you look at the splinter in your brother's eye, and not notice the beam which is in your own eye? ⁴ Or how say to your brother, 'Allow me to take the splinter out of your eye,' while the beam is in your own eye? ⁵ Hypocrite, first take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly how to remove the splinter from your brother's eye. ⁶ "Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites," He replied; "as it is written, "'THIS PEOPLE HONOUR ME WITH THEIR LIPS, WHILE THEIR HEARTS ARE FAR AWAY FROM ME: ⁷ BUT IDLE IS THEIR DEVOTION WHILE THEY LAY DOWN PRECEPTS WHICH ARE MERE HUMAN RULES.' ⁸ "You neglect God's Commandment: you hold fast to men's traditions."

¹³ thus nullifying God's precept by your tradition which you have handed down. And many things of that kind you do."

²³ These rules have indeed an appearance of wisdom where self-imposed worship exists, and an affectation of humility and an ascetic severity. But not one of them is of any value in combating the indulgence of our lower natures.

¹⁴ and not give attention to Jewish legends and the maxims of men who turn their backs on the truth.

¹⁰ "Begone, Satan!" Jesus replied; "for it is written, 'TO THE LORD THY GOD THOU SHALT DO HOMAGE, AND TO HIM ALONE SHALT THOU RENDER WORSHIP.'"

¹⁷ "Do not for a moment suppose that I have come to abrogate the Law or the Prophets: I have not come to abrogate them but to give them their completion. ¹⁸ Solemnly I tell you that until Heaven and earth pass away, not one iota or smallest detail will pass away from the Law until all has taken place. ¹⁹ Whoever therefore breaks one of these least commandments and teaches others to break them, will be called the least in the Kingdom of the Heavens; but whoever practises them and teaches them, he will be acknowledged as great in the Kingdom of the Heavens.

¹⁹ 'HONOUR THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER'; AND 'THOU SHALT LOVE THY FELLOW MAN AS MUCH AS THYSELF.'"

³¹ Do we then by means of this faith abolish the Law? No, indeed; we give the Law a firmer footing.

¹ Children, be obedient to your parents as a Christian duty, for it is a duty.

¹⁶ "Alas for you, you blind guides, who say, "'Whoever swears by the Sanctuary it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the Sanctuary, is bound by the oath.' ¹⁷ "Blind fools! Why, which is greater? --the gold, or the Sanctuary which has made the gold holy? ¹⁸ And you say, "'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the offering lying on it is bound by the oath.'

¹⁰ For Moses said, 'HONOUR THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER' and again, 'HE WHO CURSES FATHER OR MOTHER, LET HIM DIE THE DEATH.' ¹¹ But *you* say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, It is a Korban (that is, a thing devoted to God), whatever it is, which otherwise you would have received from me--' ¹² And so you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or mother, ¹³ thus nullifying God's precept by your tradition which you have handed down. And many things of that kind you do."

¹⁹ But Peter and John replied, "Judge whether it is right in God's sight to listen to you instead of listening to God.

²⁹ Peter and the other Apostles replied, "We must obey God rather than man.

³ Honour widows who are really in need. ⁴ But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let these learn first to show piety towards their own homes and to prove their gratitude to their parents; for this is well pleasing in the sight of God.

⁸ But if a man makes no provision for those dependent on him, and especially for his own family, he has disowned the faith and is behaving worse than an unbeliever.

¹⁶ If a believing woman has widows dependent on her, she should relieve their wants, and save the Church from being burdened--so that the Church may relieve the widows who are really in need.

⁵ Hypocrite, first take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly how to remove the splinter from your brother's eye.

²³ "Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you pay the tithe on mint, dill, and cumin, while you have neglected the weightier requirements of the Law--just judgement, mercy, and faithful dealing. These things you ought to have done, and yet you ought not to have left the others undone. ²⁴ You blind guides, straining out the gnat while you gulp down the camel! ²⁵ "Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you wash clean the outside of the cup or dish, while within they are full of greed and self-indulgence. ²⁶ Blind Pharisee, first wash clean the inside of the cup or dish, and then the outside will be clean also. ²⁷ "Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you are just like whitewashed sepulchres, the outside of which pleases the eye, though inside they are full of dead men's bones and of all that is unclean. ²⁸ The same is true of you: outwardly you seem to the human eye to be good and honest men, but, within, you are full of insincerity and disregard of God's Law. ²⁹ "Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you repair the sepulchres of the Prophets and keep in order the tombs of the righteous,

⁶ "Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites," He replied; "as it is written, "'THIS PEOPLE HONOUR ME WITH THEIR LIPS, WHILE THEIR HEARTS ARE FAR AWAY FROM ME:

²⁵ Unable to agree among themselves, they at last left him, but not before Paul had spoken a parting word to them, saying, "Right well did the Holy Spirit say to your forefathers through the Prophet Isaiah: ²⁶ "'GO TO THIS PEOPLE AND TELL THEM, YOU WILL HEAR AND HEAR, AND BY NO MEANS UNDERSTAND; AND WILL LOOK AND LOOK, AND BY NO MEANS SEE. ²⁷ FOR THIS PEOPLE'S MIND HAS GROWN CALLOUS, THEIR HEARING HAS BECOME DULL, AND THEIR EYES THEY HAVE CLOSED; TO PREVENT THEIR EVER SEEING WITH THEIR EYES, OR HEARING WITH THEIR EARS, OR UNDERSTANDING WITH THEIR MINDS, AND TURNING BACK, SO THAT I MIGHT CURE THEM.'

⁴⁷ Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, and said of him, "Look! here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceitfulness!"

²¹ No part or lot have you in this matter, for your heart is not right in God's sight.

¹² see to it, brethren, that there is never in any one of you--as perhaps there may be--a sinful and unbelieving heart, manifesting itself in revolt from the ever-living God.

¹⁰ For "HE WHO WISHES TO BE WELL-SATISFIED WITH LIFE AND SEE HAPPY DAYS-- LET HIM RESTRAIN HIS TONGUE FROM EVIL, AND HIS LIPS FROM DECEITFUL WORDS;

⁷ BUT IDLE IS THEIR DEVOTION WHILE THEY LAY DOWN PRECEPTS WHICH ARE MERE HUMAN RULES.'

² through which also you are obtaining salvation, if you bear in mind the words in which I proclaimed it--unless indeed your faith has been unreal from the very first.

¹⁸ Let no one defraud you of your prize, priding himself on his humility and on his worship of the angels, and taking his stand on the visions he has seen, and idly puffed up with his unspiritual thoughts. ¹⁹ Such a one does not keep his hold upon Christ, the Head, from whom the Body, in all its parts nourished and strengthened by its points of contact and its connections, grows with a divine growth. ²⁰ If you have died with Christ and have escaped from the world's rudimentary notions, why, as though your life still belonged to the world, do you submit to such precepts as ²¹ "Do not handle this;" "Do not taste that;" "Do not touch that other thing" -- ²² referring to things which are all intended to be used up and perish--in obedience to mere human injunctions and teachings?

⁴ and the attention they bestow on mere fables and endless pedigrees, such as lead to controversy rather than to a true stewardship for God, which only exists where there is faith. And I make the same request now.

¹ Now the Spirit expressly declares that in later times some will fall away from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and the teachings of demons; ² through the hypocrisy of men who teach falsely and have their own consciences seared as with a hot iron; ³ forbidding people to marry, and insisting on abstinence from foods which God has created to be partaken of, with thankfulness, by those who believe and have a clear knowledge of the truth.

⁶ If you warn the brethren of these dangers you will be a good and faithful servant of Christ Jesus, inwardly feeding on the lessons of the faith and of the sound teaching of which you have been, and are, so close a follower. ⁷ But worldly stories, fit only for credulous old women, have nothing to do with.

⁹ Do not be drawn aside by all sorts of strange teaching; for it is well to have the heart made stedfast through God's grace, and not by special kinds of food, from which those who scrupulously attend to them have derived no benefit.

²⁰ But, idle boaster, are you willing to be taught how it is that faith apart from obedience is worthless? Take the case of Abraham our forefather.

¹⁸ "I solemnly declare to every one who hears the words of the prophecy contained in this book, that if any one adds to those words, God will add to him the plagues spoken of in this book;

¹⁹ When a man hears the Message concerning the Kingdom and does not understand it, the Evil one comes and catches away what has been sown in his heart. This is he who has received the seed by the road-side.

¹⁵ "When you have seen (to use the language of the Prophet Daniel) the 'ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION', standing in the Holy Place" --let the reader observe those words--

¹⁴ Then Jesus called the people to Him again. "Listen to me, all of you," He said, "and understand. ¹⁵ There is nothing outside a man which entering him can make him unclean; but it is the things which come out of a man that make him unclean."

⁴⁵ Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to the disciples, ⁴⁶ "Beware of the Scribes, who like to walk about in long robes, and love to be bowed to in places of public resort and to occupy the best seats in the synagogues or at a dinner party; ⁴⁷ who swallow up the property of widows and mask their wickedness by making long prayers. They will be punished far more severely than others."

⁴⁵ Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,

¹⁷ For I always beseech the God of our Lord Jesus Christ--the Father most glorious--to give you a spirit of wisdom and penetration through an intimate knowledge of Him,

⁹ For this reason we also, from the day we first received these tidings, have never ceased to pray for you and to entreat that you may be filled with a clear knowledge of His will accompanied by thorough wisdom and discernment in spiritual things;

⁵ And if any one of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives with open hand to all men, and without upbraiding; and it will be given him.

³⁴ O vipers' brood, how can you speak what is good when you are evil? For it is from the overflow of the heart that the mouth speaks. ³⁵ A good man from his good store produces good things, and a bad man from his bad store produces bad things. ³⁶ But I tell you that for every careless word that men shall speak they will be held accountable on the day of Judgement. ³⁷ For each of you by his words shall be justified, or by his words shall be condemned."

¹⁸ But the things that come out of the mouth proceed from the heart, and it is these that defile the man. ¹⁹ For out of the heart proceed wicked thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, perjury, impiety of speech. ²⁰ These are the things which defile the man; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile."

¹⁵ There is nothing outside a man which entering him can make him unclean; but it is the things which come out of a man that make him unclean."

³⁸ Now the Pharisee saw to his surprise that He did not wash His hands before breakfasting. ³⁹ The Master however said to him, "Here we see how you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup or plate, while your secret hearts are full of greed and selfishness. ⁴⁰ Foolish men! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also? ⁴¹ But as to what is within, give alms, and instantly all is clean in you.

¹⁴ "On no account, Lord," he replied; "for I have never yet eaten anything unholy and impure." ¹⁵ Again a second time a voice was heard which said, "What God has purified, you must not regard as unholy."

⁸ "'On no account, Lord,' I replied, 'for nothing unholy or impure has ever gone into my mouth.' ⁹ "But a voice answered, speaking a second time from the sky, "'What God has purified, you must not regard as unholy.'

¹³ "THEIR THROATS RESEMBLE AN OPENED GRAVE; WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY HAVE BEEN TALKING DECEITFULLY." "THE VENOM OF VIPERS LIES HIDDEN BEHIND THEIR LIPS." ¹⁴ "THEIR MOUTHS ARE FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS."

¹⁴ As one who lives in union with the Lord Jesus, I know and am certain that in its own nature no food is 'impure'; but if people regard any food as impure, to them it is.

¹⁷ For the Kingdom of God does not consist of eating and drinking, but of right conduct, peace and joy, through the Holy Spirit;

²⁰ Do not for food's sake be throwing down God's work. All food is pure; but a man is in the wrong if his food is a snare to others.

⁴ For everything that God has created is good, and nothing is to be cast aside, if only it is received with thanksgiving. ⁵ For it is made holy by the word of God and by prayer.

¹⁵ To the pure everything is pure; but to the polluted and unbelieving nothing is pure, but on the contrary their very minds and consciences are polluted.

⁵ In the same way the tongue is an insignificant part of the body, but it is immensely boastful. Remember how a mere spark may set a vast forest in flames. ⁶ And the tongue is a fire. That world of iniquity, the tongue, is placed within us spotting and soiling our whole nature, and setting the whole round of our lives on fire, being itself set on fire by Gehenna. ⁷ For brute nature under all its forms--beasts and birds, reptiles and fishes--can be subjected and kept in subjection by human nature. ⁸ But the tongue no man or woman is able to tame. It is an ever-busy mischief, and is full of deadly poison.

¹⁸ For, while they pour out their frivolous and arrogant talk, they use earthly cravings--every kind of immorality--as a bait to entrap men who are just escaping from the influence of those who live in error.

²⁷ "However, lest we cause them to sin, go and throw a hook into the Lake, and take the first fish that comes up. When you open its mouth, you will find a shekel in it: bring that coin and give it to them for yourself and me."

³² Do not be causes of stumbling either to Jews or to Gentiles, nor to the Church of God. ³³ That is the way that I also seek in everything the approval of all men, not aiming at my own profit, but at that of the many, in the hope that they may be saved.

³ We endeavour to give people no cause for stumbling in anything, lest the work we are doing should fall into discredit.

⁵ But not for an hour did we give way and submit to them; in order that the Good News might continue with you in its integrity.

¹⁷ The wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceful, courteous, not self-willed, full of compassion and kind actions, free from favouritism and from all insincerity.

⁴⁰ As then the darnel is collected together and burnt up with fire, so will it be at the Close of the Age. ⁴¹ The Son of Man will commission His angels, and they will gather out of His Kingdom all causes of sin and all who violate His laws;

² Every branch in me--if it bears no fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

⁶ If any one does not continue in me, he is like the unfruitful branch which is at once thrown away and then withers up. Such branches they gather up and throw into the fire and they are burned.

⁹ Apollos and I are simply fellow workers for and with God, and you are *God's* field-- *God's* building.

¹² And whether the building which any one is erecting on that foundation be of gold or silver or costly stones, of timber or hay or straw-- ¹³ the true character of each individual's work will become manifest. For the day of Christ will disclose it, because that day is soon to come upon us clothed in fire, and as for the quality of every one's work-- the fire is the thing which will test it. ¹⁴ If any one's work--the building which he has erected--stands the test, he will be rewarded. ¹⁵ If any one's work is burnt up, he will suffer the loss of it; yet he will himself be rescued, but only, as it were, by passing through the fire.

¹⁶ "Alas for you, you blind guides, who say, "'Whoever swears by the Sanctuary it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the Sanctuary, is bound by the oath.' ¹⁷ "Blind fools! Why, which is greater? --the gold, or the Sanctuary which has made the gold holy? ¹⁸ And you say, "'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the offering lying on it is bound by the oath.' ¹⁹ "You are blind! Why, which is greater? --the offering, or the altar which makes the offering holy? ²⁰ He who swears by the altar swears both by it and by everything on it; ²¹ he who swears by the Sanctuary swears both by it and by Him who dwells in it; ²² and he who swears by Heaven swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it. ²³ "Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you pay the tithe on mint, dill, and cumin, while you have neglected the weightier requirements of the Law--just judgement, mercy, and faithful dealing. These things you ought to have done, and yet you ought not to have left the others undone. ²⁴ You blind guides, straining out the gnat while you gulp down the camel!

³⁹ He also spoke to them in figurative language. "Can a blind man lead a blind man?" He asked; "would not both fall into the ditch?

⁵ and persistent wranglings on the part of people whose intellects are disordered and they themselves blinded to all knowledge of the truth; who imagine that godliness means gain.

¹ But there were also false prophets among the people, as there will be teachers of falsehood among you also, who will cunningly introduce fatal divisions, disowning even the Sovereign Lord who has redeemed them, and bringing on themselves swift destruction.

¹⁷ These people are wells without water, mists driven along by a storm, men for whom the dense darkness has been reserved.

²⁰ who had done the miracles in his presence with which he had led astray those who had received the mark of the Wild Beast, and those who worshipped his statue. Both of them were thrown alive into the Lake of fire that was all ablaze with sulphur.

¹⁵ The unclean are shut out, and so are all who practise magic, all fornicators, all murderers, and those who worship idols, and every one who loves falsehood and tells lies.

³⁶ When He had dismissed the people and had returned to the house, His disciples came to Him with the request, "Explain to us the parable of the darnel sown in the field."

³⁴ But except in figurative language He spoke nothing to them; while to His own disciples He expounded everything, in private.

¹⁷ After He had left the crowd and gone indoors, His disciples began to ask Him about this figure of speech.

²⁹ "Ah, now you are using plain language," said His disciples, "and are uttering no figure of speech!

⁵¹ "Have you understood all this?" He asked. "Yes," they said.

¹⁰ Then, when He had called the people to Him, Jesus said, "Hear and understand.

⁹ Do you not yet understand? nor even remember the 5,000 and the five loaves, and how many basketfuls you carried away,

¹¹ How is it you do not understand that it was not about bread that I spoke to you? But beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

⁵² For they had not learned the lesson taught by the loaves, but their minds were dull.

¹⁸ "Have *you* also so little understanding?" He replied; "do you not understand that anything whatever that enters a man from outside cannot make him unclean,

¹⁷ He perceived what they were saying, and He said to them, "What is this discussion of yours about having no bread? Do you not yet see and understand? Are your minds so dull of comprehension? ¹⁸ YOU HAVE EYES! CAN YOU NOT SEE? YOU HAVE EARS! CAN YOU NOT HEAR? and have you no memory?

³² They, however, did not understand what He meant, and were afraid to question Him.

⁴⁵ But they did not understand His meaning: it was veiled from them that they might not perceive it, and they were afraid to ask Him about it.

³⁴ Nothing of this did they understand. The words were a mystery to them, nor could they see what He meant.

¹² For although, considering the long time you have been believers, you ought now to be teachers of others, you really need some one to teach you over again the very rudiments of the truths of God, and you have come to require milk instead of solid food.

¹⁹ Every tree which does not yield good fruit is cut down and thrown aside for burning. ²⁰ So by their fruits at any rate, you will easily recognize them.

⁴⁵ A good man from the good stored up in his heart brings out what is good; and an evil man from the evil stored up brings out what is evil; for from the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

¹³ Food of all kinds is meant for the stomach, and the stomach is meant for food, and God will cause both of them to perish. Yet the body does not exist for the purpose of fornication, but for the Master's service, and the Master exists for the body;

⁶ And the tongue is a fire. That world of iniquity, the tongue, is placed within us spotting and soiling our whole nature, and setting the whole round of our lives on fire, being itself set on fire by Gehenna.

³⁴ O vipers' brood, how can you speak what is good when you are evil? For it is from the overflow of the heart that the mouth speaks.

¹¹ It is not what goes into a man's mouth that defiles him; but it is what comes out of his mouth-- *that* defiles a man."

²² "'By your own words,' he replied, 'I will judge you, you bad servant. You knew me to be a severe man, taking up what I did not lay down, and reaping what I did not sow:

⁶ And the tongue is a fire. That world of iniquity, the tongue, is placed within us spotting and soiling our whole nature, and setting the whole round of our lives on fire, being itself set on fire by Gehenna. ⁷ For brute nature under all its forms--beasts and birds, reptiles and fishes--can be subjected and kept in subjection by human nature. ⁸ But the tongue no man or woman is able to tame. It is an ever-busy mischief, and is full of deadly poison. ⁹ With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in God's likeness. ¹⁰ Out of the same mouth there proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, this ought not to be.

⁵ And there was given him a mouth full of boastful and blasphemous words; and liberty of action was granted him for forty-two months. ⁶ And he opened his mouth to utter blasphemies against God, to speak evil of His name and of His dwelling-place--that is to say, of those who dwell in Heaven.

⁴ Knowing their thoughts Jesus said, "Why are you cherishing evil thoughts in your hearts?

²² Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord, in the hope that the purpose which is in your heart may perhaps be forgiven you.

¹⁰ Thus it stands written, "THERE IS NOT ONE RIGHTEOUS MAN. ¹¹ THERE IS NOT ONE WHO IS REALLY WISE, NOR ONE WHO IS A DILIGENT SEEKER AFTER GOD. ¹² ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE FROM THE RIGHT PATH; THEY HAVE EVERY ONE OF THEM BECOME CORRUPT. THERE IS NO ONE WHO DOES WHAT IS RIGHT--NO, NOT SO MUCH AS ONE." ¹³ "THEIR THROATS RESEMBLE AN OPENED GRAVE; WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY HAVE BEEN TALKING DECEITFULLY." "THE VENOM OF VIPERS LIES HIDDEN BEHIND THEIR LIPS." ¹⁴ "THEIR MOUTHS ARE FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS." ¹⁵ "THEIR FEET MOVE SWIFTLY TO SHED BLOOD. ¹⁶ RUIN AND MISERY MARK THEIR PATH; ¹⁷ AND THE WAY TO PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN." ¹⁸ "THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES." ¹⁹ But it cannot be denied that all that the Law says is addressed to those who are living under the Law, in order that every mouth may be stopped, and that the whole world may await sentence from God.

¹⁸ For I know that in me, that is, in my lower self, nothing good has its home; for while the will to do right is present with me, the power to carry it out is not.

⁷ Abandonment to earthly things is a state of enmity to God. Such a mind does not submit to God's Law, and indeed cannot do so. ⁸ And those whose hearts are absorbed in earthly things cannot please God.

¹⁹ Now you know full well the doings of our lower natures. Fornication, impurity, indecency, idol-worship, sorcery; ²⁰ enmity, strife, jealousy, outbursts of passion, intrigues, dissensions, factions, envyings; ²¹ hard drinking, riotous feasting, and the like. And as to these I forewarn you, as I have already forewarned you, that those who are guilty of such things will have no share in the Kingdom of God.

¹ To you Gentiles also, who were dead through your offences and sins, ² which were once habitual to you while you walked in the ways of this world and obeyed the Prince of the powers of the air, the spirits that are now at work in the hearts of the sons of disobedience--to you God has given Life. ³ Among them all of us also formerly passed our lives, governed by the inclinations of our lower natures, indulging the cravings of those natures and of our own thoughts, and were in our original state deserving of anger like all others.

² not speak evil of any one, nor be contentious, but yield unselfishly to others and constantly manifest a forgiving spirit towards all men. ³ For there was a time when we also were deficient in understanding, obstinate, deluded, the slaves of various cravings and pleasures, spending our lives in malice and envy, hateful ourselves and hating one another. ⁴ But when the goodness of God our Saviour, and His love to man, dawned upon us, not in consequence of things which we, ⁵ as righteous men, had done, but as the result of His own mercy He saved us by means of the bath of regeneration and the renewal of our natures by the Holy Spirit, ⁶ which He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

¹³ Let no one say when passing through trial, "My temptation is from God;" for God is incapable of being tempted to do evil, and He Himself tempts no one. ¹⁴ But when a man is tempted, it is his own passions that carry him away and serve as a bait. ¹⁵ Then the passion conceives, and becomes the parent of sin; and sin, when fully matured, gives birth to death.

² "Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the Elders by not washing their hands before meals?"

²⁵ "Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you wash clean the outside of the cup or dish, while within they are full of greed and self-indulgence. ²⁶ Blind Pharisee, first wash clean the inside of the cup or dish, and then the outside will be clean also.

³ (For the Pharisees and all the Jews--being, as they are, zealous for the traditions of the Elders--never eat without first carefully washing their hands, ⁴ and when they come from market they will not eat without bathing first; and they have a good many other customs which they have received traditionally and cling to, such as the rinsing of cups and pots and of bronze utensils, and the washing of beds.)

³⁸ Now the Pharisee saw to his surprise that He did not wash His hands before breakfasting. ³⁹ The Master however said to him, "Here we see how you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup or plate, while your secret hearts are full of greed and selfishness. ⁴⁰ Foolish men! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also?

¹⁶ Do you not know that you are God's Sanctuary, and that the Spirit of God has His home within you? ¹⁷ If any one is marring the Sanctuary of God, him will God mar; for the Sanctuary of God is holy, which you all are.

⁹ Do you not know that unrighteous men will not inherit God's Kingdom? Cherish no delusion here. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor any who are guilty of unnatural crime, ¹⁰ nor theives, nor avaricious people, nor any who are addicted to hard drinking, to abusive language or to greed of gain, will inherit God's Kingdom. ¹¹ And all this describes what some of you were. But now you have had every stain washed off: now you have been set apart as holy: now you have been pronounced free from guilt; in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and through the Spirit of our God.

¹⁸ Flee from fornication. Any other sin that a human being commits lies outside the body; but he who commits fornication sins against his own body. ¹⁹ Or do you not know that your bodies are a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is within you--the Spirit whom you have from God? ²⁰ And you are not your own, for you have been redeemed at infinite cost. Therefore glorify God in your bodies.

³ But fornication and every kind of impurity, or covetousness, let them not even be mentioned among you, for they ought not to be named among God's people. ⁴ Avoid shameful and foolish talk and low jesting--they are all alike discreditable--and in place of these give thanks. ⁵ For be well assured that no fornicator or immoral person and no money-grubber--or in other words idol-worshipper--has any share awaiting him in the Kingdom of Christ and of God. ⁶ Let no one deceive you with empty words, for it is on account of these very sins that God's anger is coming upon the disobedient.

⁸ But as for cowards and the unfaithful, and the polluted, and murderers, fornicators, and those who practise magic or worship idols, and all liars--the portion allotted to them shall be in the Lake which burns with fire and sulphur. This is the Second Death."

²⁷ And no unclean thing shall ever enter it, nor any one who is guilty of base conduct or tells lies, but only they whose names stand recorded in the Lamb's Book of Life.

⁵ These twelve Jesus sent on a mission, after giving them their instructions: "Go not," He said, "among the Gentiles, and enter no Samaritan town; ⁶ but, instead of that, go to the lost sheep of Israel's race.

²¹ "Alas for thee, Chorazin!" He cried. "Alas for thee, Bethsaida! For had the mighty works been done in Tyre and Sidon which have been done in both of you, they would long ere now have repented, covered with sackcloth and ashes. ²² Only I tell you that it will be more endurable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of Judgement than for you. ²³ And thou, Capernaum, shalt thou be exalted even to Heaven? Even to Hades shalt thou descend. For had the mighty works been done in Sodom which have been done in thee, it would have remained until now.

²⁴ Then He rose and left that place and went into the neighbourhood of Tyre and Sidon. Here He entered a house and wished no one to know it, but He could not escape observation. ²⁵ Forthwith a woman whose little daughter was possessed by a foul spirit heard of Him, and came and flung herself at His feet. ²⁶ She was a Gentile woman, a Syro-phoenician by nation: and again and again she begged Him to expel the demon from her daughter. ²⁷ "Let the children first eat all they want," He said; "it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." ²⁸ "True, Sir," she replied, "and yet the dogs under the table eat the children's scraps." ²⁹ "For those words of yours, go home," He replied; "the demon has gone out of your daughter." ³⁰ So she went home, and found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

¹ The Genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

⁸ Therefore let your lives prove your change of heart; ⁹ and do not imagine that you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our forefather,' for I tell you that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones.

²⁴ Thus His fame spread through all Syria; and they brought all the sick to Him, the people who were suffering from various diseases and pains--demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He cured them.

²⁷ As Jesus passed on, two blind men followed Him, shouting and saying, "Pity us, Son of David."

¹⁵ "Sir," he said, "have pity on my son, for he is an epileptic and is very ill. Often he falls into the fire and often into the water.

³⁰ two blind men sitting by the roadside heard that it was Jesus who was passing by, and cried aloud, "Sir, Son of David, pity us." ³¹ The people angrily tried to silence them, but they cried all the louder. "O Sir, Son of David, pity us," they said.

⁴² "What think you about the Christ," He said, "whose son is He?" "David's," they replied. ⁴³ "How then," He asked, "does David, taught by the Spirit, call Him Lord, when he says, ⁴⁴ "'THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND UNTIL I HAVE PUT THY FOES BENEATH THY FEET'? ⁴⁵ "If therefore David calls Him Lord, how can He be his son?"

²⁵ Forthwith a woman whose little daughter was possessed by a foul spirit heard of Him, and came and flung herself at His feet. ²⁶ She was a Gentile woman, a Syro-phoenician by nation: and again and again she begged Him to expel the demon from her daughter.

¹⁷ "Rabbi," answered one of the crowd, "I have brought you my son. He has a dumb spirit in him; ¹⁸ and wherever it comes upon him, it dashes him to the ground, and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth, and he is pining away. I begged your disciples to expel it, but they had not the power." ¹⁹ "O unbelieving generation!" replied Jesus; "how long must I be with you? how long must I have patience with you? Bring the boy to me." ²⁰ So they brought him to Jesus. And the spirit, when he saw Jesus, immediately threw the youth into convulsions, so that he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. ²¹ Then Jesus asked the father, "How long has he been like this?" "From early childhood," he said; ²² "and often it has thrown him into the fire or into pools of water to destroy him. But, if you possibly can, have pity on us and help us."

¹³ In loud voices they cried out, "Jesus, Rabbi, take pity on us."

¹³ "But the tax-gatherer, standing far back, would not so much as lift his eyes to Heaven, but kept beating his breast and saying, "'O God, be reconciled to me, sinner that I am.'

³⁸ Then, at the top of his voice, he cried out, "Jesus, son of David, take pity on me." ³⁹ Those in front reproved him and tried to silence him; but he continued shouting, louder than ever, "Son of David, take pity on me."

⁴¹ Others said, "He is the Christ." But others again, "Not so, for is the Christ to come from Galilee? ⁴² Has not the Scripture declared that the Christ is to come of the family of David and from Bethlehem, David's village?"

¹⁵ But when evening was come, the disciples came to Him and said, "This is an uninhabited place, and the best of the day is now gone; send the people away to go into the villages and buy something to eat."

⁴⁷ Hearing that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out, "Son of David, Jesus, have pity on me." ⁴⁸ Many angrily told him to leave off shouting; but he only cried out all the louder, "Son of David, have pity on me."

³⁶ And when He saw the crowds He was touched with pity for them, because they were distressed and were fainting on the ground like sheep which have no shepherd.

⁴ "Which of you men, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in their pasture and go in search of the lost one till he finds it? ⁵ And when he has found it, he lifts it on his shoulder, glad at heart. ⁶ Then coming home he calls his friends and neighbours together, and says, 'Congratulate me, for I have found my sheep--the one I had lost.'

²⁵ "You are the heirs of the Prophets, and of the Covenant which God made with your forefathers when He said to Abraham, 'AND THROUGH YOUR POSTERITY ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE WORLD SHALL BE BLESSED.' ²⁶ It is to you first that God, after raising His Servant from the grave, has sent Him to bless you, by causing every one of you to turn from your wickedness."

⁴⁶ Then, throwing off all reserve, Paul and Barnabas said, "We were bound to proclaim God's Message to you first. But since you spurn it and judge yourselves to be unworthy of the Life of the Ages--well, we turn to the Gentiles.

⁸ My meaning is that Christ has become a servant to the people of Israel in vindication of God's truthfulness-- in showing how sure are the promises made to our forefathers--

² And a leper came to Him, and throwing himself at His feet, said, "Sir, if only you are willing you are able to cleanse me."

³³ and the men on board fell down before him and said, "You are indeed God's Son."

³¹ The people angrily tried to silence them, but they cried all the louder. "O Sir, Son of David, pity us," they said.

²² "and often it has thrown him into the fire or into pools of water to destroy him. But, if you possibly can, have pity on us and help us."

²⁴ Immediately the father cried out, "I do believe: strengthen my weak faith."

⁸ "I tell you that even if he will not rise and give him the loaves because he is his friend, at any rate because of his persistency he will rouse himself and give him as many as he requires. ⁹ "So I say to you, 'Ask, and what you ask for shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and the door shall be opened to you.' ¹⁰ For every one who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, the door shall be opened.

¹ He also taught them by a parable that they must always pray and never lose heart. ² "In a certain town," He said, "there was a judge who had no fear of God and no respect for man. ³ And in the same town was a widow who repeatedly came and entreated him, saying, "'Give me justice and stop my oppressor.' ⁴ "For a time he would not, but afterwards he said to himself, "'Though I have neither reverence for God nor respect for man, ⁵ yet because she annoys me I will give her justice, to prevent her from constantly coming to pester me.'" ⁶ And the Lord said, "Hear those words of the unjust judge. ⁷ And will not God avenge the wrongs of His own People who cry aloud to Him day and night, although He seems slow in taking action on their behalf? ⁸ Yes, He will soon avenge their wrongs. Yet, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?"

⁶ "Give not that which is holy to the dogs, nor throw your pearls to the swine; otherwise they will trample them under their feet and then turn and attack you.

²⁷ "Let the children first eat all they want," He said; "it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." ²⁸ "True, Sir," she replied, "and yet the dogs under the table eat the children's scraps."

²¹ "'Go,' He replied; 'I will send you as an Apostle to nations far away.'" ²² Until they heard this last statement the people listened to Paul, but now with a roar of disapproval they cried out, "Away with such a fellow from the earth! He ought not to be allowed to live."

⁴ To them belongs recognition as God's sons, and they have His glorious Presence and the Covenants, and the giving of the Law, and the Temple service, and the ancient Promises.

¹⁵ You and I, though we are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners,

¹² At that time you were living apart from Christ, estranged from the Commonwealth of Israel, with no share by birth in the Covenants which are based on the Promises, and you had no hope and no God, in all the world.

² Beware of 'the dogs,' the bad workmen, the self-mutilators.

⁴⁵ that so you may become true sons of your Father in Heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the wicked as well as the good, and sends rain upon those who do right and those who do wrong.

⁸ "Sir," replied the Captain, "I am not a fit person to receive you under my roof: merely say the word, and my servant will be cured.

⁶ Then Jesus went with them. But when He was not far from the house, the Captain sent friends to Him with the message: "Sir, do not trouble to come. I am not worthy of having you come under my roof; ⁷ and therefore I did not deem myself worthy to come to you. Only speak the word, and let my young man be cured.

¹⁸ I will rise and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before you: ¹⁹ I no longer deserve to be called a son of yours: treat me as one of your hired men.'

²¹ covered with sores and longing to make a full meal off the scraps flung on the floor from the rich man's table. Nay, the dogs, too, used to come and lick his sores.

⁴⁰ But the other, answering, reproved him. "Do you also not fear God," he said, "when you are actually suffering the same punishment? ⁴¹ And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving due requital for what we have done. But He has done nothing amiss." ⁴² And he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come in your Kingdom."

⁴ No, indeed; let us hold God to be true, though every man should prove to be false. As it stands written, "THAT THOU MAYEST BE SHOWN TO BE JUST IN THE SENTENCE THOU PRONOUNCEST, AND GAIN THY CAUSE WHEN THOU CONTENDEST."

¹⁹ But it cannot be denied that all that the Law says is addressed to those who are living under the Law, in order that every mouth may be stopped, and that the whole world may await sentence from God.

²⁹ Is God simply the God of the Jews, and not of the Gentiles also? He is certainly the God of the Gentiles also,

¹² Jew and Gentile are on precisely the same footing; for the same Lord is Lord over all, and is infinitely kind to all who call upon Him for deliverance.

⁸ And last of all, as to one of untimely birth, He appeared to me also. ⁹ For I am the least of the Apostles, and am not fit to be called an Apostle--because I persecuted the Church of God.

⁸ To me who am less than the least of all God's people has this work been graciously entrusted--to proclaim to the Gentiles the Good News of the exhaustless wealth of Christ,

¹⁹ yes, to attain to a knowledge of the knowledge-surpassing love of Christ, so that you may be made complete in accordance with God's own standard of completeness.

¹³ though I was previously a blasphemer and a persecutor and had been insolent in outrage. Yet mercy was shown me, because I had acted ignorantly, not having as yet believed; ¹⁴ and the grace of our Lord came to me in overflowing fulness, conferring faith on me and the love which is in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ Faithful is the saying, and deserving of universal acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; among whom I stand foremost.

¹⁰ Jesus listened to this reply, and was astonished, and said to the people following Him, "I solemnly tell you that in no Israelite have I found faith as great as this.

¹³ And Jesus said to the Captain, "Go, and just as you have believed, so be it for you." And the servant recovered precisely at that time.

²² And Jesus turned and saw her, and said, "Take courage, daughter; your faith has cured you." And the woman was restored to health from that moment.

²⁹ So He touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith let it be to you." ³⁰ Then their eyes were opened. And assuming a stern tone Jesus said to them, "Be careful to let no one know."

³¹ Instantly Jesus stretched out His hand and caught hold of him, saying to him, "O little faith, why did you doubt?"

³⁴ "Daughter," He said, "your faith has cured you: go in peace, and be free from your complaint."

²³ "'If I possibly can!'" replied Jesus; "why, everything is possible to him who believes." ²⁴ Immediately the father cried out, "I do believe: strengthen my weak faith."

⁹ Jesus listened to the Captain's message and was astonished at him, and He turned and said to the crowd that followed Him, "I tell you that not even in Israel have I found faith like that."

⁵⁰ But He said to the woman, "Your faith has cured you: go, and be at peace."

⁵ And the Apostles said to the Lord, "Give us faith."

⁴² "Recover your sight," said Jesus: "your faith has cured you." ⁴³ No sooner were the words spoken than the man regained his sight and followed Jesus, giving glory to God; and all the people, seeing it, gave praise to God.

⁵⁰ "You may return home," replied Jesus; "your son has recovered." He believed the words of Jesus, and started back home; ⁵¹ and he was already on his way down when his servants met him and told him that his son was alive and well. ⁵² So he inquired of them at what hour he had shown improvement. "Yesterday, about seven o'clock," they replied, "the fever left him." ⁵³ Then the father recollected that that was the time at which Jesus had said to him, "Your son has recovered," and he and his whole household became believers.

¹⁹ And, without growing weak in faith, he could contemplate his own vital powers which had now decayed--for he was nearly 100 years old--and Sarah's barrenness. ²⁰ Nor did he in unbelief stagger at God's promise, but became mighty in faith, giving glory to God,

³ Unceasing thanks are due from us to God on your behalf, brethren. They are appropriate because your faith is growing greatly, and the love of every one of you for all the others goes on increasing.

¹⁸ And walking along the shore of the Lake of Galilee He saw two brothers--Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew--throwing a drag-net into the Lake; for they were fishers.

¹ Seeing the multitude of people, Jesus went up the Hill. There He seated Himself, and when His disciples came to Him,

² when a vast multitude of people crowded round Him. He therefore went on board a boat and sat there, while all the people stood on the shore.

²⁹ Again, moving thence, Jesus went along by the Lake of Galilee; and ascending the hill, He sat down there. ³⁰ Soon great crowds came to Him, bringing with them those who were crippled in feet or hands, blind or dumb, and many besides, and they hastened to lay them at His feet. And He cured them, ³¹ so that the people were amazed to see the dumb speaking, the maimed with their hands perfect, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they gave the glory to the God of Israel.

¹⁶ One day, passing along the shore of the Lake of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, Simon's brother, throwing their nets in the Lake; for they were fisherman.

³¹ Returning from the neighbourhood of Tyre, He came by way of Sidon to the Lake of Galilee, passing through the district of the Ten Towns. ³² Here they brought to Him a deaf man that stammered, on whom they begged Him to lay His hands. ³³ So Jesus taking him aside, apart from the crowd, put His fingers into his ears, and spat, and moistened his tongue; ³⁴ and looking up to Heaven He sighed, and said to him, "Ephphatha!" (that is, "Open!") ³⁵ And the man's ears were opened, and his tongue became untied, and he began to speak perfectly. ³⁶ Then Jesus charged them to tell no one; but the more He charged them, all the more did they spread the news far and wide. ³⁷ The amazement was extreme. "He succeeds in everything he attempts," they exclaimed; "he even makes deaf men hear and dumb men speak!"

¹ On one occasion the crowd was pressing on Him and listening to God's Message, while He was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.

¹ After this Jesus went away across the Lake of Galilee (that is, the Lake of Tiberias).

²³ Yet a number of small boats came from Tiberias to the neighbourhood of the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.

¹ After this, Jesus again showed Himself to the disciples. It was at the Lake of Tiberias. The circumstances were as follows.

²³ Then Jesus travelled through all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom, and curing every kind of disease and infirmity among the people. ²⁴ Thus His fame spread through all Syria; and they brought all the sick to Him, the people who were suffering from various diseases and pains--demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He cured them.

⁴ "Go and report to John what you see and hear," replied Jesus; ⁵ "blind eyes receive sight, and cripples walk; lepers are cleansed, and deaf ears hear; the dead are raised to life, and the poor have the Good News proclaimed to them;

³⁵ and the men of the place, recognizing Him, sent word into all the country round. So they brought all the sick to Him, ³⁶ and they entreated Him that they might but touch the tassel of His outer garment; and all who did so were restored to perfect health.

³² When it was evening, after sunset people came bringing Him all who were sick and the demoniacs; ³³ and the whole town was assembled at the door. ³⁴ Then He cured numbers of people who were ill with various diseases, and He drove out many demons; not allowing the demons to speak, because they knew who He was.

⁵⁴ But no sooner had they gone ashore than the people immediately recognized Him. ⁵⁵ Then they scoured the whole district, and began to bring Him the sick on their mats wherever they heard He was. ⁵⁶ And enter wherever He might--village or town or hamlet--they laid their sick in the open places, and entreated Him to let them touch were it but the tassel of His robe; and all, whoever touched Him, were restored to health.

¹⁷ With these He came down till He reached a level place, where there was a great crowd of His disciples, and a multitude of people from every part of Judaea, from Jerusalem, and from the sea-side district of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and to be cured of their diseases; ¹⁸ and those who were tormented by foul spirits were cured. ¹⁹ The whole crowd were eager to touch Him, because power went forth from him and cured every one.

²¹ He immediately cured many of diseases, severe pain, and evil spirits, and to many who were blind He gave the gift of sight. ²² Then He answered the messengers, "Go and report to John what you have seen and heard. Blind men receive sight, the lame walk, lepers are purified, deaf persons hear, the dead are raised to life, the poor have the Good News proclaimed to them.

²² "Listen, Israelites, to what I say. Jesus, the Nazarene, a man accredited to you from God by miracles and marvels and signs which God did among you through Him, as you yourselves know, Him--

¹⁵ so that they would even bring out their sick friends into the streets and lay them on light couches or mats, in order that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on one or other of them. ¹⁶ The inhabitants, too, of the towns in the neighbourhood of Jerusalem came in crowds, bringing sick persons and some who were harassed by foul spirits, and they were cured, one and all.

¹¹ God also brought about extraordinary miracles through Paul's instrumentality. ¹² Towels or aprons, for instance, which Paul had handled used to be carried to the sick, and they recovered from their ailments, or the evil spirits left them.

⁸ And the crowds were awe-struck when they saw it, and ascribed the glory to God who had entrusted such power to a man.

³³ When the demon was expelled, the dumb man could speak. And the crowds exclaimed in astonishment, "Never was such a thing seen in Israel."

⁸ If your hand or your foot is causing you to fall into sin, cut it off and away with it. It is better for you to enter into Life crippled in hand or foot than to remain in possession of two sound hands or feet but be thrown into the fire of the Ages.

¹⁴ And the blind and the lame came to Him in the Temple, and He cured them.

¹² The man rose, and immediately under the eyes of all took up his mat and went out, so that they were all filled with astonishment, gave the glory to God, and said, "We never saw anything like this."

³⁷ The amazement was extreme. "He succeeds in everything he attempts," they exclaimed; "he even makes deaf men hear and dumb men speak!"

⁴³ If your hand should cause you to sin, cut it off: it would be better for you to enter into Life maimed, than remain in possession of both your hands and go away into Gehenna, into the fire which cannot be put out.

¹⁶ All were awe-struck, and they gave glory to God--some saying, "A Prophet, a great Prophet, has risen up among us." Others said, "God has not forgotten His People."

¹³ But when you entertain, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind;

²¹ "So the servant came and brought these answers to his master, and they stirred his anger. "'Go out quickly,' he said, 'into the streets of the city--the wide ones and the narrow. You will see poor men, and crippled, blind, lame: fetch them all in here.'

¹⁵ One of them, seeing that he was cured, came back, adoring and praising God in a loud voice, ¹⁶ and he threw himself at the feet of Jesus, thanking Him. He was a Samaritan. ¹⁷ "Were not all ten made clean?" Jesus asked; "but where are the nine? ¹⁸ Have none been found to come back and give glory to God except this foreigner?"

⁴³ No sooner were the words spoken than the man regained his sight and followed Jesus, giving glory to God; and all the people, seeing it, gave praise to God.

²⁴ A second time therefore they called the man who had been blind, and said, "Give God the praise: we know that that man is a sinner."

² some men were carrying there one who had been lame from birth, whom they were wont to place every day close to the Beautiful Gate (as it was called) of the Temple, for him to beg from the people as they went in. ³ Seeing Peter and John about to go into the Temple, he asked them for alms. ⁴ Peter fixing his eyes on him, as John did also, said, "Look at us." ⁵ So he looked and waited, expecting to receive something from them. ⁶ "I have no silver or gold," Peter said, "but what I have, I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ, the Nazarene-- walk!" ⁷ Then taking his hand Peter lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were strengthened. ⁸ Leaping up, he stood upright and began to walk, and went into the Temple with them, walking, leaping, and praising God. ⁹ All the people saw him walking and praising God; ¹⁰ and recognizing him as the man who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple asking for alms, they were filled with awe and amazement at what had happened to him. ¹¹ While he still clung to Peter and John, the people, awe-struck, ran up crowding round them in what was known as Solomon's Portico.

⁸ Now a man who had no power in his feet used to sit in the streets of Lystra. He had been lame from his birth and had never walked. ⁹ After this man had listened to one of Paul's sermons, the Apostle, looking steadily at him and perceiving that he had faith to be cured, ¹⁰ said in a loud voice, "Stand upright upon your feet!"

³² For all these are questions that Gentiles are always asking; but your Heavenly Father knows that you need these things--all of them. ³³ But make His Kingdom and righteousness your chief aim, and then these things shall all be given you in addition.

⁴⁰ For just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS IN THE SEA-MONSTER'S BELLY, so will the Son of Man be three days in the heart of the earth.

¹⁴ So Jesus went out and saw an immense multitude, and felt compassion for them, and cured those of them who were out of health. ¹⁵ But when evening was come, the disciples came to Him and said, "This is an uninhabited place, and the best of the day is now gone; send the people away to go into the villages and buy something to eat." ¹⁶ "They need not go away," replied Jesus; "you yourselves must give them something to eat." ¹⁷ "We have nothing here," they said, "but five loaves and a couple of fish." ¹⁸ "Bring them here to me," He said, ¹⁹ and He told all the people to sit down on the grass. Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and after looking up to heaven and blessing them, He broke up the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples distributed them to the people. ²⁰ So all ate, and were fully satisfied. The broken portions that remained over they gathered up, filling twelve baskets. ²¹ Those who had eaten were about 5,000 adult men, without reckoning women and children.

³⁴ Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes, and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.

⁶³ "Sir," they said, "we recollect that during his lifetime that impostor pretended that after two days he was to rise to life again.

¹ About that time there was again an immense crowd, and they found themselves with nothing to eat. So He called His disciples to Him. ² "My heart yearns over the people," He said; "for this is now the third day they have remained with me, and they have nothing to eat. ³ If I were to send them home hungry, they would faint on the way, some of them having come a great distance." ⁴ "Where can we possibly get bread here in this remote place to satisfy such a crowd?" answered His disciples. ⁵ "How many loaves have you?" He asked. "Seven," they said. ⁶ So He passed the word to the people to sit down on the ground. Then taking the seven loaves He blessed them, and broke them into portions and proceeded to give them to His disciples for them to distribute, and they distributed them to the people. ⁷ They had also a few small fish. He blessed them, and He told His disciples to distribute these also. ⁸ So the people ate an abundant meal; and what remained over they picked up and carried away--seven hampers of broken pieces. ⁹ The number fed were about 4,000. Then He sent them away, ¹⁰ and at once going on board with His disciples He came into the district of Dalmanutha.

¹³ The Lord saw her, was moved with pity for her, and said to her, "Do not weep."

²⁹ "Therefore, do not be asking what you are to eat nor what you are to drink; and do not waver between hope and fear. ³⁰ For though the nations of the world pursue these things, as for you, your Father knows that you need them.

³³ And continually, up till daybreak, Paul kept urging all on board to take some food. "This is the fourteenth day," he said, "that you have been anxiously waiting for the storm to cease, and have fasted, eating little or nothing.

¹⁵ For we have not a High Priest who is unable to feel for us in our weaknesses, but one who was tempted in every respect just as we are tempted, and yet did not sin.

³⁷ "Give them food yourselves," He replied. "Are we," they asked, "to go and buy two hundred shillings' worth of bread and give them food?"

⁴ "Where can we possibly get bread here in this remote place to satisfy such a crowd?" answered His disciples. ⁵ "How many loaves have you?" He asked. "Seven," they said.

¹³ "You yourselves," He said, "must give them food." "We have nothing," they replied, "but five loaves and a couple of fish, unless indeed we were to go and buy provisions for all this host of people."

⁵ And when He looked round and saw an immense crowd coming towards Him, He said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for all these people to eat?" ⁶ He said this to put Philip to the test, for He Himself knew what He was going to do. ⁷ "Seven pounds' worth of bread," replied Philip, "is not enough for them all to get even a scanty meal." ⁸ One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, ⁹ "There is a boy here with five barley loaves and a couple of fish: but what is that among so many?"

⁹ Do you not yet understand? nor even remember the 5,000 and the five loaves, and how many basketfuls you carried away, ¹⁰ nor the 4,000 and the seven loaves, and how many hampers you carried away?

⁴¹ But, while they still could not believe it for joy and were full of astonishment, He asked them, "Have you any food here?" ⁴² And they gave Him a piece of roasted fish,

⁹ As soon as they landed, they saw a charcoal fire burning there, with fish broiling on it, and bread close by. ¹⁰ Jesus told them to fetch some of the fish which they had just caught.

³⁹ So He directed them to make all sit down in companies on the green grass. ⁴⁰ And they sat down in rows of hundreds and of fifties.

¹⁴ (For there were about 5,000 adult men.) But He said to His disciples, "Make them sit down in parties of about fifty each." ¹⁵ They did so, making them all, without exception, sit down. ¹⁶ Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to Heaven He blessed them and broke them into portions which He gave to the disciples to distribute to the people.

¹⁰ "Make the people sit down," said Jesus. The ground was covered with thick grass; so they sat down, the adult men numbering about 5,000.

¹⁹ and He told all the people to sit down on the grass. Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and after looking up to heaven and blessing them, He broke up the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples distributed them to the people.

²⁶ During the meal Jesus took a Passover biscuit, blessed it and broke it. He then gave it to the disciples, saying, "Take this and eat it: it is my body." ²⁷ And He took the cup and gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, "Drink from it, all of you;

¹⁷ Then, having received the cup and given thanks, He said, "Take this and share it among yourselves;

¹⁹ Then, taking a Passover biscuit, He gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body which is being given on your behalf: this do in remembrance of me."

³⁰ But as soon as He had sat down with them, and had taken the bread and had blessed and broken it, and was handing it to them,

¹¹ Then Jesus took the loaves, and after giving thanks He distributed them to those who were resting on the ground; and also the fish in like manner--as much as they desired.

³⁵ Having said this he took some bread, and, after giving thanks to God for it before them all, he broke it in pieces and began to eat it.

⁶ He who regards the day as sacred, so regards it for the Master's sake; and he who eats certain food eats it for the Master's sake, for he gives thanks to God; and he who refrains from eating it refrains for the Master's sake, and he also gives thanks to God.

³¹ Whether, then, you are eating or drinking, or whatever you are doing, let everything be done to the glory of God.

³ forbidding people to marry, and insisting on abstinence from foods which God has created to be partaken of, with thankfulness, by those who believe and have a clear knowledge of the truth. ⁴ For everything that God has created is good, and nothing is to be cast aside, if only it is received with thanksgiving.

³³ "Where can we," asked the disciples, "get bread enough in this remote place to satisfy so vast a multitude?"

⁸ So the people ate an abundant meal; and what remained over they picked up and carried away--seven hampers of broken pieces. ⁹ The number fed were about 4,000. Then He sent them away,

¹⁹ When I broke up the five loaves for the 5,000 men, how many baskets did you carry away full of broken portions?" "Twelve," they said. ²⁰ "And when the seven for the 4,000, how many hampers full of portions did you take away?" "Seven," they answered. ²¹ "Do you not yet understand?" He said.

⁵³ The hungry He has satisfied with choice gifts, But the rich He has sent empty-handed away.

²² Immediately afterwards He made the disciples go on board the boat and cross to the opposite shore, leaving Him to dismiss the people.

¹⁰ and at once going on board with His disciples He came into the district of Dalmanutha.