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Mark Contemporary English Version (CEV)

chapter 1

     The Preaching of John the Baptist

     (Matthew 3.1-12; Luke 3.1-18; John 1.19-28)

     1This is the good news about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2It began just as God had said in the book written

     by Isaiah the prophet,

     "I am sending my messenger

     to get the way ready

     for you.

     3In the desert

     someone is shouting,

     `Get the road ready

     for the Lord!

     Make a straight path

     for him.' "

     4So John the Baptist showed up in the desert and told everyone, "Turn back to God and be baptized! Then

     your sins will be forgiven."

     5From all Judea and Jerusalem crowds of people went to John. They told how sorry they were for their sins,

     and he baptized them in the Jordan River.

     6John wore clothes made of camel's hair. He had a leather strap around his waist and ate grasshoppers and

     wild honey.

     7John also told the people, "Someone more powerful is going to come. And I am not good enough even to

     stoop down and untie his sandals. 8I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!"

     The Baptism of Jesus

     (Matthew 3.13-17; Luke 3.21,22)

     9About that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. 10As soon

     as Jesus came out of the water, he saw the sky open and the Holy Spirit coming down to him like a dove. 11A

     voice from heaven said, "You are my own dear Son, and I am pleased with you."

     Jesus and Satan

     (Matthew 4.1-11; Luke 4.1-13)

     12Right away God's Spirit made Jesus go into the desert. 13He stayed there for forty days while Satan tested

     him. Jesus was with the wild animals, but angels took care of him.

     Jesus Begins His Work

     (Matthew 4.12-17; Luke 4.14,15)

     14After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee and told the good news that comes from God. 15He said,

     "The time has come! God's kingdom will soon be here. Turn back to God and believe the good news!"

     Jesus Chooses Four Fishermen

     (Matthew 4.18-22; Luke 5.1-11)

     16As Jesus was walking along the shore of Lake Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew. They were

     fishermen and were casting their nets into the lake. 17Jesus said to them, "Come with me! I will teach you

     how to bring in people instead of fish." 18Right then the two brothers dropped their nets and went with him.

     19Jesus walked on and soon saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were in a boat, mending their

     nets. 20At once Jesus asked them to come with him. They left their father in the boat with the hired workers

     and went with him.

     A Man with an Evil Spirit

     (Luke 4.31-37)

     21Jesus and his disciples went to the town of Capernaum. Then on the next Sabbath he went into the Jewish

     meeting place and started teaching. 22Everyone was amazed at his teaching. He taught with authority, and

     not like the teachers of the Law of Moses. 23Suddenly a man with an evil spirit in him entered the meeting

     place and yelled, 24"Jesus from Nazareth, what do you want with us? Have you come to destroy us? I know

     who you are! You are God's Holy One."

     25Jesus told the evil spirit, "Be quiet and come out of the man!" 26The spirit shook him. Then it gave a loud

     shout and left.

     27Everyone was completely surprised and kept saying to each other, "What is this? It must be some new kind

     of powerful teaching! Even the evil spirits obey him." 28News about Jesus quickly spread all over Galilee.

     Jesus Heals Many People

     (Matthew 8.14-17; Luke 4.38-41)

     29As soon as Jesus left the meeting place with James and John, they went home with Simon and Andrew.

     30When they got there, Jesus was told that Simon's mother-in-law was sick in bed with fever. 31Jesus went

     to her. He took hold of her hand and helped her up. The fever left her, and she served them a meal.

     32That evening after sunset, all who were sick or had demons in them were brought to Jesus. 33In fact, the

     whole town gathered around the door of the house. 34Jesus healed all kinds of terrible diseases and forced

     out a lot of demons. But the demons knew who he was, and he did not let them speak.

     35Very early the next morning, Jesus got up and went to a place where he could be alone and pray. 36Simon

     and the others started looking for him. 37And when they found him, they said, "Everyone is looking for you!"

     38Jesus replied, "We must go to the nearby towns, so that I can tell the good news to those people. This is

     why I have come." 39Then Jesus went to Jewish meeting places everywhere in Galilee, where he preached

     and forced out demons.

     Jesus Heals a Man

     (Matthew 8.1-4; Luke 5.12-16)

     40A man with leprosy came to Jesus and knelt down. He begged, "You have the power to make me well, if

     only you wanted to."

     41Jesus felt sorry for the man. So he put his hand on him and said, "I want to! Now you are well." 42At once

     the man's leprosy disappeared, and he was well.

     43After Jesus strictly warned the man, he sent him on his way. 44He said, "Don't tell anyone about this. Just

     go and show the priest that you are well. Then take a gift to the temple as Moses commanded, and everyone

     will know that you have been healed."

     45The man talked about it so much and told so many people, that Jesus could no longer go openly into a

     town. He had to stay away from the towns, but people still came to him from everywhere.

     Chapter 2

     Jesus Heals a Crippled Man

     (Matthew 9.1-8; Luke 5.17-26)

     1Jesus went back to Capernaum, and a few days later people heard that he was at home. 2Then so many of

     them came to the house that there wasn't even standing room left in front of the door.

     Jesus was still teaching 3when four people came up, carrying a crippled man on a mat. 4But because of the

     crowd, they could not get him to Jesus. So they made a hole in the roof above him and let the man down in

     front of everyone.

     5When Jesus saw how much faith they had, he said to the crippled man, "My friend, your sins are forgiven."

     6Some of the teachers of the Law of Moses were sitting there. They started wondering, 7"Why would he say

     such a thing? He must think he is God! Only God can forgive sins."

     8Right away, Jesus knew what they were thinking, and he said, "Why are you thinking such things? 9Is it

     easier for me to tell this crippled man that his sins are forgiven or to tell him to get up and pick up his mat

     and go on home? 10I will show you that the Son of Man has the right to forgive sins here on earth." So Jesus

     said to the man, 11"Get up! Pick up your mat and go on home."

     12The man got right up. He picked up his mat and went out while everyone watched in amazement. They

     praised God and said, "We have never seen anything like this!"

     Jesus Chooses Levi

     (Matthew 9.9-13; Luke 5.27-32)

     13Once again, Jesus went to the shore of Lake Galilee. A large crowd gathered around him, and he taught

     them. 14As he walked along, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus. Levi was sitting at the place for paying taxes,

     and Jesus said to him, "Come with me!" So he got up and went with Jesus.

     15Later, Jesus and his disciples were having dinner at Levi's house. Many tax collectors and other sinners had

     become followers of Jesus, and they were also guests at the dinner.

     16Some of the teachers of the Law of Moses were Pharisees, and they saw that Jesus was eating with

     sinners and tax collectors. So they asked his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

     17Jesus heard them and answered, "Healthy people don't need a doctor, but sick people do. I didn't come to

     invite good people to be my followers. I came to invite sinners."

     People Ask about Going without Eating

     (Matthew 9.14-17; Luke 5.33-39)

     18The followers of John the Baptist and the Pharisees often went without eating. Some people came and

     asked Jesus, "Why do the followers of John and those of the Pharisees often go without eating, while your

     disciples never do?"

     19Jesus answered:

     The friends of a bridegroom don't go without eating while he is still with them. 20But the time will come when

     he will be taken from them. Then they will go without eating.

     21No one patches old clothes by sewing on a piece of new cloth. The new piece would shrink and tear a

     bigger hole.

     22No one pours new wine into old wineskins. The wine would swell and burst the old skins. Then the wine

     would be lost, and the skins would be ruined. New wine must be put into new wineskins.

     A Question about the Sabbath

     (Matthew 12.1-8; Luke 6.1-5)

     23One Sabbath Jesus and his disciples were walking through some wheat fields. His disciples were picking

     grains of wheat as they went along. 24Some Pharisees asked Jesus, "Why are your disciples picking grain on

     the Sabbath? They are not supposed to do that!"

     25Jesus answered, "Haven't you read what David did when he and his followers were hungry and in need? 26It

     was during the time of Abiathar the high priest. David went into the house of God and ate the sacred loaves

     of bread that only priests are allowed to eat. He also gave some to his followers."

     27Jesus finished by saying, "People were not made for the good of the Sabbath. The Sabbath was made for

     the good of people. 28So the Son of Man is Lord over the Sabbath."

     Chapter 3

     A Man with a Crippled Hand

     (Matthew 12.9-14; Luke 6.6-11)

     1The next time that Jesus went into the meeting place, a man with a crippled hand was there. 2The

     Pharisees wanted to accuse Jesus of doing something wrong, and they kept watching to see if Jesus would

     heal him on the Sabbath.

     3Jesus told the man to stand up where everyone could see him. 4Then he asked, "On the Sabbath should we

     do good deeds or evil deeds? Should we save someone's life or destroy it?" But no one said a word.

     5Jesus was angry as he looked around at the people. Yet he felt sorry for them because they were so

     stubborn. Then he told the man, "Stretch out your hand." He did, and his bad hand was healed.

     6The Pharisees left. And right away they started making plans with Herod's followers to kill Jesus.

     Large Crowds Come to Jesus

     7Jesus led his disciples down to the shore of the lake. Large crowds followed him from Galilee, Judea, 8and

     Jerusalem. People came from Idumea, as well as other places east of the Jordan River. They also came from

     the region around the cities of Tyre and Sidon. All of these crowds came because they had heard what Jesus

     was doing. 9He even had to tell his disciples to get a boat ready to keep him from being crushed by the

     crowds.

     10After Jesus had healed many people, the other sick people begged him to let them touch him. 11And

     whenever any evil spirits saw Jesus, they would fall to the ground and shout, "You are the Son of God!" 12But

     Jesus warned the spirits not to tell who he was.

     Jesus Chooses His Twelve Apostles

     (Matthew 10.1-4; Luke 6.12-16)

     13Jesus decided to ask some of his disciples to go up on a mountain with him, and they went. 14Then he

     chose twelve of them to be his apostles, so that they could be with him. He also wanted to send them out to

     preach 15and to force out demons. 16Simon was one of the twelve, and Jesus named him Peter. 17There

     were also James and John, the two sons of Zebedee. Jesus called them Boanerges, which means

     "Thunderbolts." 18Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus

     were also apostles. The others were Simon, known as the Eager One, 19and Judas Iscariot, who later

     betrayed Jesus.

     Jesus and the Ruler of Demons

     (Matthew 12.22-32; Luke 11.14-23; 12.10)

     20Jesus went back home, and once again such a large crowd gathered that there was no chance even to

     eat. 21When Jesus' family heard what he was doing, they thought he was crazy and went to get him under

     control.

     22Some teachers of the Law of Moses came from Jerusalem and said, "This man is under the power of

     Beelzebul, the ruler of demons! He is even forcing out demons with the help of Beelzebul."

     23Jesus told the people to gather around him. Then he spoke to them in riddles and said:

     How can Satan force himself out? 24A nation whose people fight each other won't last very long. 25And a

     family that fights won't last long either. 26So if Satan fights against himself, that will be the end of him.

     27How can anyone break into the house of a strong man and steal his things, unless he first ties up the

     strong man? Then he can take everything.

     28I promise you that any of the sinful things you say or do can be forgiven, no matter how terrible those

     things are. 29But if you speak against the Holy Spirit, you can never be forgiven. That sin will be held against

     you forever.

     30Jesus said this because the people were saying that he had an evil spirit in him.

     Jesus' Mother and Brothers

     (Matthew 12.46-50; Luke 8.19-21)

     31Jesus' mother and brothers came and stood outside. Then they sent someone with a message for him to

     come out to them. 32The crowd that was sitting around Jesus told him, "Your mother and your brothers and

     sisters are outside and want to see you."

     33Jesus asked, "Who is my mother and who are my brothers?" 34Then he looked at the people sitting around

     him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. 35Anyone who obeys God is my brother or sister or

     mother."

     Chapter 4

     A Story about a Farmer

     (Matthew 13.1-9; Luke 8.4-8)

     1The next time Jesus taught beside Lake Galilee, a big crowd gathered. It was so large that he had to sit in a

     boat out on the lake, while the people stood on the shore. 2He used stories to teach them many things, and

     this is part of what he taught:

     3Now listen! A farmer went out to scatter seed in a field. 4While the farmer was scattering the seed, some of

     it fell along the road and was eaten by birds. 5Other seeds fell on thin, rocky ground and quickly started

     growing because the soil wasn't very deep. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched and dried

     up, because they did not have enough roots. 7Some other seeds fell where thornbushes grew up and choked

     out the plants. So they did not produce any grain. 8But a few seeds did fall on good ground where the plants

     grew and produced thirty or sixty or even a hundred times as much as was scattered.

     9Then Jesus said, "If you have ears, pay attention."

     Why Jesus Used Stories

     (Matthew 13.10-17; Luke 8.9,10)

     10When Jesus was alone with the twelve apostles and some others, they asked him about these stories.

     11He answered:

     I have explained the secret about God's kingdom to you, but for others I can use only stories. 12The reason

     is,

     "These people will look

     and look, but never see.

     They will listen and listen,

     but never understand.

     If they did,

     they would turn to God,

     and he would forgive them."

     Jesus Explains the Story about the Farmer

     (Matthew 13.18-23; Luke 8.11-15)

     13Jesus told them:

     If you don't understand this story, you won't understand any others. 14What the farmer is spreading is really

     the message about the kingdom. 15The seeds that fell along the road are the people who hear the message.

     But Satan soon comes and snatches it away from them. 16The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people

     who gladly hear the message and accept it right away. 17But they don't have any roots, and they don't last

     very long. As soon as life gets hard or the message gets them in trouble, they give up.

     18The seeds that fell among the thornbushes are also people who hear the message. 19But they start

     worrying about the needs of this life. They are fooled by the desire to get rich and to have all kinds of other

     things. So the message gets choked out, and they never produce anything. 20The seeds that fell on good

     ground are the people who hear and welcome the message. They produce thirty or sixty or even a hundred

     times as much as was planted.

     Light

     (Luke 8.16-18)

     21Jesus also said:

     You don't light a lamp and put it under a clay pot or under a bed. Don't you put a lamp on a lampstand?

     22There is nothing hidden that will not be made public. There is no secret that will not be well known. 23If

     you have ears, pay attention!

     24Listen carefully to what you hear! The way you treat others will be the way you will be treated--and even

     worse. 25Everyone who has something will be given more. But people who don't have anything will lose what

     little they have.

     Another Story about Seeds

     26Again Jesus said:

     God's kingdom is like what happens when a farmer scatters seed in a field. 27The farmer sleeps at night and is

     up and around during the day. Yet the seeds keep sprouting and growing, and he doesn't understand how.

     28It is the ground that makes the seeds sprout and grow into plants that produce grain. 29Then when

     harvest season comes and the grain is ripe, the farmer cuts it with a sickle.

     A Mustard Seed

     (Matthew 13.31,32; Luke 13.18,19)

     30Finally, Jesus said:

     What is God's kingdom like? What story can I use to explain it? 31It is like what happens when a mustard seed

     is planted in the ground. It is the smallest seed in all the world. 32But once it is planted, it grows larger than

     any garden plant. It even puts out branches that are big enough for birds to nest in its shade.

     The Reason for Teaching with Stories

     (Matthew 13.34,35)

     33Jesus used many other stories when he spoke to the people, and he taught them as much as they could

     understand. 34He did not tell them anything without using stories. But when he was alone with his disciples,

     he explained everything to them.

     A Storm

     (Matthew 8.23-27; Luke 8.22-25)

     35That evening, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's cross to the east side." 36So they left the crowd, and his

     disciples started across the lake with him in the boat. Some other boats followed along. 37Suddenly a

     windstorm struck the lake. Waves started splashing into the boat, and it was about to sink.

     38Jesus was in the back of the boat with his head on a pillow, and he was asleep. His disciples woke him and

     said, "Teacher, don't you care that we're about to drown?"

     39Jesus got up and ordered the wind and the waves to be quiet. The wind stopped, and everything was calm.

     40Jesus asked his disciples, "Why were you afraid? Don't you have any faith?"

     41Now they were more afraid than ever and said to each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves

     obey him!"

     Chapter 5

     A Man with Evil Spirits

     (Matthew 8.28-34; Luke 8.26-39)

     1Jesus and his disciples crossed Lake Galilee and came to shore near the town of Gerasa. 2When he was

     getting out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit quickly ran to him 3from the graveyard where he had been

     living. No one was able to tie the man up anymore, not even with a chain. 4He had often been put in chains

     and leg irons, but he broke the chains and smashed the leg irons. No one could control him. 5Night and day he

     was in the graveyard or on the hills, yelling and cutting himself with stones.

     6When the man saw Jesus in the distance, he ran up to him and knelt down. 7He shouted, "Jesus, Son of God

     in heaven, what do you want with me? Promise me in God's name that you won't torture me!" 8The man said

     this because Jesus had already told the evil spirit to come out of him.

     9Jesus asked, "What is your name?"

     The man answered, "My name is Lots, because I have `lots' of evil spirits." 10He then begged Jesus not to

     send them away.

     11Over on the hillside a large herd of pigs was feeding. 12So the evil spirits begged Jesus, "Send us into those

     pigs! Let us go into them." 13Jesus let them go, and they went out of the man and into the pigs. The whole

     herd of about two thousand pigs rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.

     14The men taking care of the pigs ran to the town and the farms to spread the news. Then the people came

     out to see what had happened. 15When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had once been full of

     demons. He was sitting there with his clothes on and in his right mind, and they were terrified.

     16Everyone who had seen what had happened told about the man and the pigs. 17Then the people started

     begging Jesus to leave their part of the country.

     18When Jesus was getting into the boat, the man begged to go with him. 19But Jesus would not let him.

     Instead, he said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how good he

     has been to you."

     20The man went away into the region near the ten cities known as Decapolis and began telling everyone how

     much Jesus had done for him. Everyone who heard what had happened was amazed.

     A Dying Girl and a Sick Woman

     (Matthew 9.18-26; Luke 8.40-56)

     21Once again Jesus got into the boat and crossed Lake Galilee. Then as he stood on the shore, a large crowd

     gathered around him. 22The person in charge of the Jewish meeting place was also there. His name was

     Jairus, and when he saw Jesus, he went over to him. He knelt at Jesus' feet 23and started begging him for

     help. He said, "My daughter is about to die! Please come and touch her, so she will get well and live." 24Jesus

     went with Jairus. Many people followed along and kept crowding around.

     25In the crowd was a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years. 26She had gone to many doctors, and

     they had not done anything except cause her a lot of pain. She had paid them all the money she had. But

     instead of getting better, she only got worse.

     27The woman had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him in the crowd and barely touched his

     clothes. 28She had said to herself, "If I can just touch his clothes, I will get well." 29As soon as she touched

     them, her bleeding stopped, and she knew she was well.

     30At that moment Jesus felt power go out from him. He turned to the crowd and asked, "Who touched my

     clothes?"

     31His disciples said to him, "Look at all these people crowding around you! How can you ask who touched

     you?" 32But Jesus turned to see who had touched him.

     33The woman knew what had happened to her. She came shaking with fear and knelt down in front of Jesus.

     Then she told him the whole story.

     34Jesus said to the woman, "You are now well because of your faith. May God give you peace! You are

     healed, and you will no longer be in pain."

     35While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from Jairus' home and said, "Your daughter has died! Why

     bother the teacher anymore?"

     36Jesus heard what they said, and he said to Jairus, "Don't worry. Just have faith!"

     37Jesus did not let anyone go with him except Peter and the two brothers, James and John. 38They went

     home with Jairus and saw the people crying and making a lot of noise. 39Then Jesus went inside and said to

     them, "Why are you crying and carrying on like this? The child isn't dead. She is just asleep." 40But the

     people laughed at him.

     After Jesus had sent them all out of the house, he took the girl's father and mother and his three disciples

     and went to where she was. 41-42He took the twelve-year-old girl by the hand and said, "Talitha, koum!"

     which means, "Little girl, get up!" The girl got right up and started walking around.

     Everyone was greatly surprised. 43But Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened. Then he

     said, "Give her something to eat."

     Chapter 6

     The People of Nazareth Turn against Jesus

     (Matthew 13.53-58; Luke 4.16-30)

     1Jesus left and returned to his hometown with his disciples. 2The next Sabbath he taught in the Jewish

     meeting place. Many of the people who heard him were amazed and asked, "How can he do all this? Where did

     he get such wisdom and the power to work these miracles? 3Isn't he the carpenter, the son of Mary? Aren't

     James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon his brothers? Don't his sisters still live here in our town?" The people were

     very unhappy because of what he was doing.

     4But Jesus said, "Prophets are honored by everyone, except the people of their hometown and their relatives

     and their own family." 5Jesus could not work any miracles there, except to heal a few sick people by placing

     his hands on them. 6He was surprised that the people did not have any faith.

     Jesus taught in all the neighboring villages.

     Instructions for the Twelve Apostles

     (Matthew 10.5-15; Luke 9.1-6)

     7Then he called together his twelve apostles and sent them out two by two with power over evil spirits. 8He

     told them, "You may take along a walking stick. But don't carry food or a traveling bag or any money. 9It's all

     right to wear sandals, but don't take along a change of clothes. 10When you are welcomed into a home, stay

     there until you leave that town. 11If any place won't welcome you or listen to your message, leave and shake

     the dust from your feet as a warning to them."

     12The apostles left and started telling everyone to turn to God. 13They forced out many demons and healed

     a lot of sick people by putting olive oil on them.

     The Death of John the Baptist

     (Matthew 14.1-12; Luke 9.7-9)

     14Jesus became so well-known that Herod the ruler heard about him. Some people thought he was John the

     Baptist, who had come back to life with the power to work miracles. 15Others thought he was Elijah or some

     other prophet who had lived long ago. 16But when Herod heard about Jesus, he said, "This must be John! I

     had his head cut off, and now he has come back to life."

     17-18Herod had earlier married Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. But John had told him, "It isn't right for

     you to take your brother's wife!" So, in order to please Herodias, Herod arrested John and put him in prison.

     19Herodias had a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she could not do it 20because Herod was

     afraid of John and protected him. He knew that John was a good and holy man. Even though Herod was

     confused by what John said, he was glad to listen to him. And he often did.

     21Finally, Herodias got her chance when Herod gave a great birthday celebration for himself and invited his

     officials, his army officers, and the leaders of Galilee. 22The daughter of Herodias came in and danced for

     Herod and his guests. She pleased them so much that Herod said, "Ask for anything, and it's yours! 23I swear

     that I will give you as much as half of my kingdom, if you want it."

     24The girl left and asked her mother, "What do you think I should ask for?"

     Her mother answered, "The head of John the Baptist!"

     25The girl hurried back and told Herod, "Right now on a platter I want the head of John the Baptist!"

     26The king was very sorry for what he had said. But he did not want to break the promise he had made in

     front of his guests. 27At once he ordered a guard to cut off John's head there in prison. 28The guard put the

     head on a platter and took it to the girl. Then she gave it to her mother.

     29When John's followers learned that he had been killed, they took his body and put it in a tomb.

     Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

     (Matthew 14.13-21; Luke 9.10-17; John 6.1-14)

     30After the apostles returned to Jesus, they told him everything they had done and taught. 31But so many

     people were coming and going that Jesus and the apostles did not even have a chance to eat. Then Jesus

     said, "Let's go to a place where we can be alone and get some rest." 32They left in a boat for a place where

     they could be alone. 33But many people saw them leave and figured out where they were going. So people

     from every town ran on ahead and got there first.

     34When Jesus got out of the boat, he saw the large crowd that was like sheep without a shepherd. He felt

     sorry for the people and started teaching them many things.

     35That evening the disciples came to Jesus and said, "This place is like a desert, and it is already late. 36Let

     the crowds leave, so they can go to the farms and villages near here and buy something to eat."

     37Jesus replied, "You give them something to eat."

     But they asked him, "Don't you know that it would take almost a year's wages to buy all of these people

     something to eat?"

     38Then Jesus said, "How much bread do you have? Go and see!"

     They found out and answered, "We have five small loaves of bread and two fish." 39Jesus told his disciples to

     have the people sit down on the green grass. 40They sat down in groups of a hundred and groups of fifty.

     41Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish. He looked up toward heaven and blessed the food. Then he

     broke the bread and handed it to his disciples to give to the people. He also divided the two fish, so that

     everyone could have some.

     42After everyone had eaten all they wanted, 43Jesus' disciples picked up twelve large baskets of leftover

     bread and fish.

     44There were five thousand men who ate the food.

     Jesus Walks on the Water

     (Matthew 14.22-33; John 6.15-21)

     45Right away, Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and start back across to Bethsaida. But he stayed

     until he had sent the crowds away. 46Then he told them good-by and went up on the side of a mountain to

     pray.

     47Later that evening he was still there by himself, and the boat was somewhere in the middle of the lake.

     48He could see that the disciples were struggling hard, because they were rowing against the wind. Not long

     before morning, Jesus came toward them. He was walking on the water and was about to pass the boat.

     49When the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water, they thought he was a ghost, and they started

     screaming. 50All of them saw him and were terrified. But at that same time he said, "Don't worry! I am Jesus.

     Don't be afraid." 51He then got into the boat with them, and the wind died down. The disciples were

     completely confused. 52Their minds were closed, and they could not understand the true meaning of the

     loaves of bread.

     Jesus Heals Sick People in Gennesaret

     (Matthew 14.34-36)

     53Jesus and his disciples crossed the lake and brought the boat to shore near the town of Gennesaret. 54As

     soon as they got out of the boat, the people recognized Jesus. 55So they ran all over that part of the

     country to bring their sick people to him on mats. They brought them each time they heard where he was.

     56In every village or farm or marketplace where Jesus went, the people brought their sick to him. They

     begged him to let them just touch his clothes, and everyone who did was healed.

     Chapter 7

     The Teaching of the Ancestors

     (Matthew 15.1-9)

     1Some Pharisees and several teachers of the Law of Moses from Jerusalem came and gathered around Jesus.

     2They noticed that some of his disciples ate without first washing their hands.

     3The Pharisees and many other Jewish people obey the teachings of their ancestors. They always wash their

     hands in the proper way before eating. 4None of them will eat anything they buy in the market until it is

     washed. They also follow a lot of other teachings, such as washing cups, pitchers, and bowls.

     5The Pharisees and teachers asked Jesus, "Why don't your disciples obey what our ancestors taught us to

     do? Why do they eat without washing their hands?"

     6Jesus replied:

     You are nothing but show-offs! The prophet Isaiah was right when he wrote that God had said,

     "All of you praise me

     with your words,

     but you never really

     think about me.

     7It is useless for you

     to worship me,

     when you teach rules

     made up by humans."

     8You disobey God's commands in order to obey what humans have taught. 9You are good at rejecting God's

     commands so that you can follow your own teachings! 10Didn't Moses command you to respect your father

     and mother? Didn't he tell you to put to death all who curse their parents? 11But you let people get by

     without helping their parents when they should. You let them say that what they own has been offered to

     God. 12You won't let those people help their parents. 13And you ignore God's commands in order to follow

     your own teaching. You do a lot of other things that are just as bad.

     What Really Makes People Unclean

     (Matthew 15.10-20)

     14Jesus called the crowd together again and said, "Pay attention and try to understand what I mean.

     15-16The food that you put into your mouth doesn't make you unclean and unfit to worship God. The bad

     words that come out of your mouth are what make you unclean."

     17After Jesus and his disciples had left the crowd and had gone into the house, they asked him what these

     sayings meant. 18He answered, "Don't you know what I am talking about by now? You surely know that the

     food you put into your mouth cannot make you unclean. 19It doesn't go into your heart, but into your

     stomach, and then out of your body." By saying this, Jesus meant that all foods were fit to eat.

     20Then Jesus said:

     What comes from your heart is what makes you unclean. 21Out of your heart come evil thoughts, vulgar

     deeds, stealing, murder, 22unfaithfulness in marriage, greed, meanness, deceit, indecency, envy, insults,

     pride, and foolishness. 23All of these come from your heart, and they are what make you unfit to worship

     God.

     A Woman's Faith

     (Matthew 15.21-28)

     24Jesus left and went to the region near the city of Tyre, where he stayed in someone's home. He did not

     want people to know he was there, but they found out anyway. 25A woman whose daughter had an evil spirit

     in her heard where Jesus was. And right away she came and knelt down at his feet. 26The woman was Greek

     and had been born in the part of Syria known as Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to force the demon out of her

     daughter. 27But Jesus said, "The children must first be fed! It isn't right to take away their food and feed it

     to dogs."

     28The woman replied, "Lord, even dogs eat the crumbs that children drop from the table."

     29Jesus answered, "That's true! You may go now. The demon has left your daughter." 30When the woman

     got back home, she found her child lying on the bed. The demon had gone.

     Jesus Heals a Man Who Was Deaf and Could Hardly Talk

     31Jesus left the region around Tyre and went by way of Sidon toward Lake Galilee. He went through the land

     near the ten cities known as Decapolis. 32Some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly

     talk. They begged Jesus just to touch him.

     33After Jesus had taken him aside from the crowd, he stuck his fingers in the man's ears. Then he spit and

     put it on the man's tongue. 34Jesus looked up toward heaven, and with a groan he said, "Effatha!" which

     means "Open up!" 35At once the man could hear, and he had no more trouble talking clearly.

     36Jesus told the people not to say anything about what he had done. But the more he told them, the more

     they talked about it. 37They were completely amazed and said, "Everything he does is good! He even heals

     people who cannot hear or talk."

     Chapter 8

     Jesus Feeds Four Thousand

     (Matthew 15.32-39)

     1One day another large crowd gathered around Jesus. They had not brought along anything to eat. So Jesus

     called his disciples together and said, 2"I feel sorry for these people. They have been with me for three days,

     and they don't have anything to eat. 3Some of them live a long way from here. If I send them away hungry,

     they might faint on their way home."

     4The disciples said, "This place is like a desert. Where can we find enough food to feed such a crowd?"

     5Jesus asked them how much food they had. They replied, "Seven small loaves of bread."

     6After Jesus told the crowd to sit down, he took the seven loaves and blessed them. He then broke the

     loaves and handed them to his disciples, who passed them out to the crowd. 7They also had a few little fish,

     and after Jesus had blessed these, he told the disciples to pass them around.

     8-9The crowd of about four thousand people ate all they wanted, and the leftovers filled seven large baskets.

     As soon as Jesus had sent the people away, 10he got into the boat with the disciples and crossed to the

     territory near Dalmanutha.

     A Sign from Heaven

     (Matthew 16.1-4)

     11The Pharisees came out and started an argument with Jesus. They wanted to test him by asking for a sign

     from heaven. 12Jesus groaned and said, "Why are you always looking for a sign? I can promise you that you

     will not be given one!" 13Then he left them. He again got into a boat and crossed over to the other side of

     the lake.

     The Yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod

     (Matthew 16.5-12)

     14The disciples had forgotten to bring any bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15Jesus

     warned them, "Watch out! Guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod."

     16The disciples talked this over and said to each other, "He must be saying this because we don't have any

     bread."

     17Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, "Why are you talking about not having any bread? Don't

     you understand? Are your minds still closed? 18Are your eyes blind and your ears deaf? Don't you remember

     19how many baskets of leftovers you picked up when I fed those five thousand people with only five small

     loaves of bread?"

     "Yes," the disciples answered. "There were twelve baskets."

     20Jesus then asked, "And how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up when I broke seven small loaves of

     bread for those four thousand people?"

     "Seven," they answered.

     21"Don't you know what I am talking about by now?" Jesus asked.

     Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida

     22As Jesus and his disciples were going into Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to him and begged

     him to touch the man. 23Jesus took him by the hand and led him out of the village, where he spit into the

     man's eyes. He placed his hands on the blind man and asked him if he could see anything. 24The man looked

     up and said, "I see people, but they look like trees walking around."

     25Once again Jesus placed his hands on the man's eyes, and this time the man stared. His eyes were healed,

     and he saw everything clearly. 26Jesus said to him, "You may return home now, but don't go into the village."

     Who Is Jesus?

     (Matthew 16.13-20; Luke 9.18-21)

     27Jesus and his disciples went to the villages near the town of Caesarea Philippi. As they were walking along,

     he asked them, "What do people say about me?"

     28The disciples answered, "Some say you are John the Baptist or maybe Elijah. Others say you are one of the

     prophets."

     29Then Jesus asked them, "But who do you say I am?"

     "You are the Messiah!" Peter replied.

     30Jesus warned the disciples not to tell anyone about him.

     Jesus Speaks about His Suffering and Death

     (Matthew 16.21-28; Luke 9.22-27)

     31Jesus began telling his disciples what would happen to him. He said, "The nation's leaders, the chief priests,

     and the teachers of the Law of Moses will make the Son of Man suffer terribly. He will be rejected and killed,

     but three days later he will rise to life." 32Then Jesus explained clearly what he meant.

     Peter took Jesus aside and told him to stop talking like that. 33But when Jesus turned and saw the disciples,

     he corrected Peter. He said to him, "Satan, get away from me! You are thinking like everyone else and not like

     God."

     34Jesus then told the crowd and the disciples to come closer, and he said:

     If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and

     follow me. 35If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me and for the

     good news, you will save it. 36What will you gain, if you own the whole world but destroy yourself? 37What

     could you give to get back your soul?

     38Don't be ashamed of me and my message among these unfaithful and sinful people! If you are, the Son of

     Man will be ashamed of you when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

     Chapter 9

     1I can assure you that some of the people standing here will not die before they see God's kingdom come

     with power.

     The True Glory of Jesus

     (Matthew 17.1-13; Luke 9.28-36)

     2Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him. They went up on a high mountain, where they

     could be alone. There in front of the disciples, Jesus was completely changed. 3And his clothes became much

     whiter than any bleach on earth could make them. 4Then Moses and Elijah were there talking with Jesus.

     5Peter said to Jesus, "Teacher, it is good for us to be here! Let us make three shelters, one for you, one for

     Moses, and one for Elijah." 6But Peter and the others were terribly frightened, and he did not know what he

     was talking about.

     7The shadow of a cloud passed over and covered them. From the cloud a voice said, "This is my Son, and I

     love him. Listen to what he says!" 8At once the disciples looked around, but they saw only Jesus.

     9As Jesus and his disciples were coming down the mountain, he told them not to say a word about what they

     had seen, until the Son of Man had been raised from death. 10So they kept it to themselves. But they

     wondered what he meant by the words "raised from death."

     11The disciples asked Jesus, "Don't the teachers of the Law of Moses say that Elijah must come before the

     Messiah does?"

     12Jesus answered:

     Elijah certainly will come to get everything ready. But don't the Scriptures also say that the Son of Man must

     suffer terribly and be rejected? 13I can assure you that Elijah has already come. And people treated him just

     as they wanted to, as the Scriptures say they would.

     Jesus Heals a Boy

     (Matthew 17.14-20; Luke 9.37-43a)

     14When Jesus and his three disciples came back down, they saw a large crowd around the other disciples.

     The teachers of the Law of Moses were arguing with them.

     15The crowd was really surprised to see Jesus, and everyone hurried over to greet him.

     16Jesus asked, "What are you arguing about?"

     17Someone from the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought my son to you. A demon keeps him from talking.

     18Whenever the demon attacks my son, it throws him to the ground and makes him foam at the mouth and

     grit his teeth in pain. Then he becomes stiff. I asked your disciples to force out the demon, but they couldn't

     do it."

     19Jesus said, "You people don't have any faith! How much longer must I be with you? Why do I have to put

     up with you? Bring the boy to me."

     20They brought the boy, and as soon as the demon saw Jesus, it made the boy shake all over. He fell down

     and began rolling on the ground and foaming at the mouth.

     21Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?"

     The man answered, "Ever since he was a child. 22The demon has often tried to kill him by throwing him into a

     fire or into water. Please have pity and help us if you can!"

     23Jesus replied, "Why do you say `if you can'? Anything is possible for someone who has faith!"

     24Right away the boy's father shouted, "I do have faith! Please help me to have even more."

     25When Jesus saw that a crowd was gathering fast, he spoke sternly to the evil spirit that had kept the boy

     from speaking or hearing. He said, "I order you to come out of the boy! Don't ever bother him again."

     26The spirit screamed and made the boy shake all over. Then it went out of him. The boy looked dead, and

     almost everyone said he was. 27But Jesus took hold of his hand and helped him stand up.

     28After Jesus and the disciples had gone back home and were alone, they asked him, "Why couldn't we force

     out that demon?"

     29Jesus answered, "Only prayer can force out that kind of demon."

     Jesus Again Speaks about His Death

     (Matthew 17.22,23; Luke 9.43b-45)

     30Jesus left with his disciples and started through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know about it,

     31because he was teaching the disciples that the Son of Man would be handed over to people who would kill

     him. But three days later he would rise to life. 32The disciples did not understand what Jesus meant, and they

     were afraid to ask.

     Who Is the Greatest?

     (Matthew 18.1-5; Luke 9.46-48)

     33Jesus and his disciples went to his home in Capernaum. After they were inside the house, Jesus asked

     them, "What were you arguing about along the way?" 34They had been arguing about which one of them was

     the greatest, and so they did not answer.

     35After Jesus sat down and told the twelve disciples to gather around him, he said, "If you want the place of

     honor, you must become a slave and serve others!"

     36Then Jesus had a child stand near him. He put his arm around the child and said, 37"When you welcome

     even a child because of me, you welcome me. And when you welcome me, you welcome the one who sent

     me."

     For or against Jesus

     (Luke 9.49,50)

     38John said, "Teacher, we saw a man using your name to force demons out of people. But he wasn't one of

     us, and we told him to stop."

     39Jesus said to his disciples:

     Don't stop him! No one who works miracles in my name will soon turn and say something bad about me.

     40Anyone who isn't against us is for us. 41And anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name, just

     because you belong to me, will surely be rewarded.

     Temptations To Sin

     (Matthew 18.6-9; Luke 17.1,2)

     42It will be terrible for people who cause even one of my little followers to sin. Those people would be better

     off thrown into the ocean with a heavy stone tied around their necks. 43-44So if your hand causes you to

     sin, cut it off! You would be better off to go into life crippled than to have two hands and be thrown into the

     fires of hell that never go out. 45-46If your foot causes you to sin, chop it off. You would be better off to go

     into life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. 47If your eye causes you to sin, get rid of it.

     You would be better off to go into God's kingdom with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown

     into hell. 48The worms there never die, and the fire never stops burning.

     49Everyone must be salted with fire.

     50Salt is good. But if it no longer tastes like salt, how can it be made salty again? Have salt among you and

     live at peace with each other.

     Chapter 10

     Teaching about Divorce

     (Matthew 19.1-12; Luke 16.18)

     1After Jesus left, he went to Judea and then on to the other side of the Jordan River. Once again large

     crowds came to him, and as usual, he taught them.

     2Some Pharisees wanted to test Jesus. So they came up to him and asked if it was right for a man to divorce

     his wife. 3Jesus asked them, "What does the Law of Moses say about that?"

     4They answered, "Moses allows a man to write out divorce papers and send his wife away."

     5Jesus replied, "Moses gave you this law because you are so heartless. 6But in the beginning God made a man

     and a woman. 7That's why a man leaves his father and mother and gets married. 8He becomes like one

     person with his wife. Then they are no longer two people, but one. 9And no one should separate a couple

     that God has joined together."

     10When Jesus and his disciples were back in the house, they asked him about what he had said. 11He told

     them, "A man who divorces his wife and marries someone else is unfaithful to his wife. 12A woman who

     divorces her husband and marries again is also unfaithful."

     Jesus Blesses Little Children

     (Matthew 19.13-15; Luke 18.15-17)

     13Some people brought their children to Jesus so that he could bless them by placing his hands on them. But

     his disciples told the people to stop bothering him.

     14When Jesus saw this, he became angry and said, "Let the children come to me! Don't try to stop them.

     People who are like these little children belong to the kingdom of God. 15I promise you that you cannot get

     into God's kingdom, unless you accept it the way a child does." 16Then Jesus took the children in his arms

     and blessed them by placing his hands on them.

     A Rich Man

     (Matthew 19.16-30; Luke 18.18-30)

     17As Jesus was walking down a road, a man ran up to him. He knelt down, and asked, "Good teacher, what

     can I do to have eternal life?"

     18Jesus replied, "Why do you call me good? Only God is good. 19You know the commandments. `Do not

     murder. Be faithful in marriage. Do not steal. Do not tell lies about others. Do not cheat. Respect your father

     and mother.' "

     20The man answered, "Teacher, I have obeyed all these commandments since I was a young man."

     21Jesus looked closely at the man. He liked him and said, "There's one thing you still need to do. Go sell

     everything you own. Give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come with me."

     22When the man heard Jesus say this, he went away gloomy and sad because he was very rich.

     23Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "It's hard for rich people to get into God's kingdom!" 24The

     disciples were shocked to hear this. So Jesus told them again, "It's terribly hard to get into God's kingdom!

     25In fact, it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get into God's

     kingdom."

     26Jesus' disciples were even more amazed. They asked each other, "How can anyone ever be saved?"

     27Jesus looked at them and said, "There are some things that people cannot do, but God can do anything."

     28Peter replied, "Remember, we left everything to be your followers!"

     29Jesus told him:

     You can be sure that anyone who gives up home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or land

     for me and for the good news 30will be rewarded. In this world they will be given a hundred times as many

     houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and pieces of land, though they will also be

     mistreated. And in the world to come, they will have eternal life. 31But many who are now first will be last,

     and many who are now last will be first.

     Jesus Again Tells about His Death

     (Matthew 20.17-19; Luke 18.31-34)

     32The disciples were confused as Jesus led them toward Jerusalem, and his other followers were afraid. Once

     again, Jesus took the twelve disciples aside and told them what was going to happen to him. He said:

     33We are now on our way to Jerusalem where the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the

     teachers of the Law of Moses. They will sentence him to death and hand him over to foreigners, 34who will

     make fun of him and spit on him. They will beat him and kill him. But three days later he will rise to life.

     The Request of James and John

     (Matthew 20.20-28)

     35James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, will you do us a favor?"

     36Jesus asked them what they wanted, 37and they answered, "When you come into your glory, please let

     one of us sit at your right side and the other at your left."

     38Jesus told them, "You don't really know what you're asking! Are you able to drink from the cup that I must

     soon drink from or be baptized as I must be baptized?"

     39"Yes, we are!" James and John answered.

     Then Jesus replied, "You certainly will drink from the cup from which I must drink. And you will be baptized

     just as I must! 40But it isn't for me to say who will sit at my right side and at my left. That is for God to

     decide."

     41When the ten other disciples heard this, they were angry with James and John. 42But Jesus called the

     disciples together and said:

     You know that those foreigners who call themselves kings like to order their people around. And their great

     leaders have full power over the people they rule. 43But don't act like them. If you want to be great, you

     must be the servant of all the others. 44And if you want to be first, you must be everyone's slave. 45The

     Son of Man did not come to be a slave master, but a slave who will give his life to rescue many people.

     Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus

     (Matthew 20.29-34; Luke 18.35-43)

     46Jesus and his disciples went to Jericho. And as they were leaving, they were followed by a large crowd. A

     blind beggar by the name of Bartimaeus son of Timaeus was sitting beside the road. 47When he heard that it

     was Jesus from Nazareth, he shouted, "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!" 48Many people told the man to

     stop, but he shouted even louder, "Son of David, have pity on me!"

     49Jesus stopped and said, "Call him over!"

     They called out to the blind man and said, "Don't be afraid! Come on! He is calling for you." 50The man threw

     off his coat as he jumped up and ran to Jesus.

     51Jesus asked, "What do you want me to do for you?"

     The blind man answered, "Master, I want to see!"

     52Jesus told him, "You may go. Your eyes are healed because of your faith."

     Right away the man could see, and he went down the road with Jesus.

     Chapter 11

     Jesus Enters Jerusalem

     (Matthew 21.1-11; Luke 19.28-40; John 12.12-19)

     1Jesus and his disciples reached Bethphage and Bethany near the Mount of Olives. When they were getting

     close to Jerusalem, Jesus sent two of them on ahead. 2He told them, "Go into the next village. As soon as

     you enter it, you will find a young donkey that has never been ridden. Untie the donkey and bring it here. 3If

     anyone asks why you are doing that, say, `The Lord needs it and will soon bring it back.' "

     4The disciples left and found the donkey tied near a door that faced the street. While they were untying it,

     5some of the people standing there asked, "Why are you untying the donkey?" 6They told them what Jesus

     had said, and the people let them take it.

     7The disciples led the donkey to Jesus. They put some of their clothes on its back, and Jesus got on. 8Many

     people spread clothes on the road, while others went to cut branches from the fields.

     9In front of Jesus and behind him, people went along shouting,

     "Hooray!

     God bless the one

     who comes

     in the name of the Lord!

     10God bless the coming kingdom

     of our ancestor David.

     Hooray for God

     in heaven above!"

     11After Jesus had gone to Jerusalem, he went into the temple and looked around at everything. But since it

     was already late in the day, he went back to Bethany with the twelve disciples.

     Jesus Puts a Curse on a Fig Tree

     (Matthew 21.18,19)

     12When Jesus and his disciples left Bethany the next morning, he was hungry. 13From a distance Jesus saw a

     fig tree covered with leaves, and he went to see if there were any figs on the tree. But there were not any,

     because it wasn't the season for figs. 14So Jesus said to the tree, "Never again will anyone eat fruit from this

     tree!" The disciples heard him say this.

     Jesus in the Temple

     (Matthew 21.12-17; Luke 19.45-48; John 2.13-22)

     15After Jesus and his disciples reached Jerusalem, he went into the temple and began chasing out everyone

     who was selling and buying. He turned over the tables of the moneychangers and the benches of those who

     were selling doves. 16Jesus would not let anyone carry things through the temple. 17Then he taught the

     people and said, "The Scriptures say, `My house should be called a place of worship for all nations.' But you

     have made it a place where robbers hide!"

     18The chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses heard what Jesus said, and they started looking for

     a way to kill him. They were afraid of him, because the crowds were completely amazed at his teaching.

     19That evening, Jesus and the disciples went outside the city.

     A Lesson from the Fig Tree

     (Matthew 21.20-22)

     20As the disciples walked past the fig tree the next morning, they noticed that it was completely dried up,

     roots and all. 21Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the tree. Then Peter said, "Teacher, look! The tree

     you put a curse on has dried up."

     22Jesus told his disciples:

     Have faith in God! 23If you have faith in God and don't doubt, you can tell this mountain to get up and jump

     into the sea, and it will. 24Everything you ask for in prayer will be yours, if you only have faith.

     25-26Whenever you stand up to pray, you must forgive what others have done to you. Then your Father in

     heaven will forgive your sins.

     A Question about Jesus' Authority

     (Matthew 21.23-27; Luke 20.1-8)

     27Jesus and his disciples returned to Jerusalem. And as he was walking through the temple, the chief priests,

     the nation's leaders, and the teachers of the Law of Moses came over to him. 28They asked, "What right do

     you have to do these things? Who gave you this authority?"

     29Jesus answered, "I have just one question to ask you. If you answer it, I will tell you where I got the right

     to do these things. 30Who gave John the right to baptize? Was it God in heaven or merely some human

     being?"

     31They thought it over and said to each other, "We can't say that God gave John this right. Jesus will ask us

     why we didn't believe John. 32On the other hand, these people think that John was a prophet. So we can't

     say that it was merely some human who gave John the right to baptize."

     They were afraid of the crowd 33and told Jesus, "We don't know."

     Jesus replied, "Then I won't tell you who gave me the right to do what I do."

     Chapter 12

     Renters of a Vineyard

     (Matthew 21.33-46; Luke 20.9-19)

     1Jesus then told them this story:

     A farmer once planted a vineyard. He built a wall around it and dug a pit to crush the grapes in. He also built

     a lookout tower. Then he rented out his vineyard and left the country.

     2When it was harvest time, he sent a servant to get his share of the grapes. 3The renters grabbed the

     servant. They beat him up and sent him away without a thing.

     4The owner sent another servant, but the renters beat him on the head and insulted him terribly. 5Then the

     man sent another servant, and they killed him. He kept sending servant after servant. They beat some of

     them and killed others.

     6The owner had a son he loved very much. Finally, he sent his son to the renters because he thought they

     would respect him. 7But they said to themselves, "Someday he will own this vineyard. Let's kill him! That way

     we can have it all for ourselves." 8So they grabbed the owner's son and killed him. Then they threw his body

     out of the vineyard.

     9Jesus asked, "What do you think the owner of the vineyard will do? He will come and kill those renters and

     let someone else have his vineyard. 10You surely know that the Scriptures say,

     `The stone that the builders

     tossed aside

     is now the most important

     stone of all.

     11This is something

     the Lord has done,

     and it is amazing to us.' "

     12The leaders knew that Jesus was really talking about them, and they wanted to arrest him. But because

     they were afraid of the crowd, they let him alone and left.

     Paying Taxes

     (Matthew 22.15-22; Luke 20.20-26)

     13The Pharisees got together with Herod's followers. Then they sent some men to trick Jesus into saying

     something wrong. 14They went to him and said, "Teacher, we know that you are honest. You treat everyone

     with the same respect, no matter who they are. And you teach the truth about what God wants people to

     do. Tell us, should we pay taxes to the Emperor or not?"

     15Jesus knew what they were up to, and he said, "Why are you trying to test me? Show me a coin!"

     16They brought him a silver coin, and he asked, "Whose picture and name are on it?"

     "The Emperor's," they answered.

     17Then Jesus told them, "Give the Emperor what belongs to him and give God what belongs to God." The men

     were amazed at Jesus.

     Life in the Future World

     (Matthew 22.23-33; Luke 20.27-40)

     18The Sadducees did not believe that people would rise to life after death. So some of them came to Jesus

     and said:

     19Teacher, Moses wrote that if a married man dies and has no children, his brother should marry the widow.

     Their first son would then be thought of as the son of the dead brother. 20There were once seven brothers.

     The first one married, but died without having any children. 21The second brother married his brother's

     widow, and he also died without having children. The same thing happened to the third brother, 22and finally

     to all seven brothers. At last the woman died. 23When God raises people from death, whose wife will this

     woman be? After all, she had been married to all seven brothers.

     24Jesus answered:

     You are completely wrong! You don't know what the Scriptures teach. And you don't know anything about

     the power of God. 25When God raises people to life, they won't marry. They will be like the angels in heaven.

     26You surely know about people being raised to life. You know that in the story about Moses and the burning

     bush, God said, "I am the God worshiped by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." 27He isn't the God of the dead, but

     of the living. You Sadducees are all wrong.

     The Most Important Commandment

     (Matthew 22.34-40; Luke 10.25-28)

     28One of the teachers of the Law of Moses came up while Jesus and the Sadducees were arguing. When he

     heard Jesus give a good answer, he asked him, "What is the most important commandment?"

     29Jesus answered, "The most important one says: `People of Israel, you have only one Lord and God. 30You

     must love him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.' 31The second most important commandment

     says: `Love others as much as you love yourself.' No other commandment is more important than these."

     32The man replied, "Teacher, you are certainly right to say there is only one God. 33It is also true that we

     must love God with all our heart, mind, and strength, and that we must love others as much as we love

     ourselves. These commandments are more important than all the sacrifices and offerings that we could

     possibly make."

     34When Jesus saw that the man had given a sensible answer, he told him, "You are not far from God's

     kingdom." After this, no one dared ask Jesus any more questions.

     About David's Son

     (Matthew 22.41-46; Luke 20.41-44)

     35As Jesus was teaching in the temple, he said, "How can the teachers of the Law of Moses say that the

     Messiah will come from the family of King David? 36The Holy Spirit led David to say,

     `The Lord said to my Lord:

     Sit at my right side

     until I make your enemies

     into a footstool for you.'

     37If David called the Messiah his Lord, how can the Messiah be his son?"

     The large crowd enjoyed listening to Jesus teach.

     Jesus Condemns the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law of Moses

     (Matthew 23.1-36; Luke 20.45-47)

     38As Jesus was teaching, he said:

     Guard against the teachers of the Law of Moses! They love to walk around in long robes and be greeted in

     the market. 39They like the front seats in the meeting places and the best seats at banquets. 40But they

     cheat widows out of their homes and pray long prayers just to show off. They will be punished most of all.

     A Widow's Offering

     (Luke 21.1-4)

     41Jesus was sitting in the temple near the offering box and watching people put in their gifts. He noticed that

     many rich people were giving a lot of money. 42Finally, a poor widow came up and put in two coins that were

     worth only a few pennies. 43Jesus told his disciples to gather around him. Then he said:

     I tell you that this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 44Everyone else gave what they didn't

     need. But she is very poor and gave everything she had. Now she doesn't have a cent to live on.

     Chapter 13

     The Temple Will Be Destroyed

     (Matthew 24.1,2; Luke 21.5,6)

     1As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Teacher, look at these beautiful stones

     and wonderful buildings!"

     2Jesus replied, "Do you see these huge buildings? They will certainly be torn down! Not one stone will be left

     in place."

     Warning about Trouble

     (Matthew 24.3-14; Luke 21.7-19)

     3Later, as Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives across from the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew

     came to him in private. 4They asked, "When will these things happen? What will be the sign that they are

     about to take place?"

     5Jesus answered:

     Watch out and don't let anyone fool you! 6Many will come and claim to be me. They will use my name and

     fool many people.

     7When you hear about wars and threats of wars, don't be afraid. These things will have to happen first, but

     that isn't the end. 8Nations and kingdoms will go to war against each other. There will be earthquakes in

     many places, and people will starve to death. But this is just the beginning of troubles.

     9Be on your guard! You will be taken to courts and beaten with whips in their meeting places. And because of

     me, you will have to stand before rulers and kings to tell about your faith. 10But before the end comes, the

     good news must be preached to all nations.

     11When you are arrested, don't worry about what you will say. You will be given the right words when the

     time comes. But you will not really be the ones speaking. Your words will come from the Holy Spirit.

     12Brothers and sisters will betray each other and have each other put to death. Parents will betray their own

     children, and children will turn against their parents and have them killed. 13Everyone will hate you because

     of me. But if you keep on being faithful right to the end, you will be saved.

     The Horrible Thing

     (Matthew 24.15-21; Luke 21.20-24)

     14Someday you will see that "Horrible Thing" where it should not be. Everyone who reads this must try to

     understand! If you are living in Judea at that time, run to the mountains. 15If you are on the roof of your

     house, don't go inside to get anything. 16If you are out in the field, don't go back for your coat. 17It will be

     an awful time for women who are expecting babies or nursing young children. 18Pray that it won't happen in

     winter. 19This will be the worst time of suffering since God created the world, and nothing this terrible will

     ever happen again. 20If the Lord doesn't make the time shorter, no one will be left alive. But because of his

     chosen and special ones, he will make the time shorter.

     21If someone should say, "Here is the Messiah!" or "There he is!" don't believe it. 22False messiahs and false

     prophets will come and work miracles and signs. They will even try to fool God's chosen ones. 23But be on

     your guard! That's why I am telling you these things now.

     When the Son of Man Appears

     (Matthew 24.29-31; Luke 21.25-28)

     24In those days, right after that time of suffering,

     "The sun will become dark,

     and the moon

     will no longer shine.

     25The stars will fall,

     and the powers in the sky

     will be shaken."

     26Then the Son of Man will be seen coming in the clouds with great power and glory. 27He will send his

     angels to gather his chosen ones from all over the earth.

     A Lesson from a Fig Tree

     (Matthew 24.32-35; Luke 21.29-33)

     28Learn a lesson from a fig tree. When its branches sprout and start putting out leaves, you know summer is

     near. 29So when you see all these things happening, you will know that the time has almost come. 30You can

     be sure that some of the people of this generation will still be alive when all this happens. 31The sky and the

     earth will not last forever, but my words will.

     No One Knows the Day or Time

     (Matthew 24.36-44)

     32No one knows the day or the time. The angels in heaven don't know, and the Son himself doesn't know.

     Only the Father knows. 33So watch out and be ready! You don't know when the time will come. 34It is like

     what happens when a man goes away for a while and places his servants in charge of everything. He tells

     each of them what to do, and he orders the guard to keep alert. 35So be alert! You don't know when the

     master of the house will come back. It could be in the evening or at midnight or before dawn or in the

     morning. 36But if he comes suddenly, don't let him find you asleep. 37I tell everyone just what I have told

     you. Be alert!

     Chapter 14

     A Plot To Kill Jesus

     (Matthew 26.1-5; Luke 22.1,2; John 11.45-53)

     1It was now two days before Passover and the Festival of Thin Bread. The chief priests and the teachers of

     the Law of Moses were planning how they could sneak around and have Jesus arrested and put to death.

     2They were saying, "We must not do it during the festival, because the people will riot."

     At Bethany

     (Matthew 26.6-13; John 12.1-8)

     3Jesus was eating in Bethany at the home of Simon, who once had leprosy, when a woman came in with a

     very expensive bottle of sweet-smelling perfume. After breaking it open, she poured the perfume on Jesus'

     head. 4This made some of the guests angry, and they complained, "Why such a waste? 5We could have sold

     this perfume for more than three hundred silver coins and given the money to the poor!" So they started

     saying cruel things to the woman.

     6But Jesus said:

     Leave her alone! Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing for me. 7You will always have

     the poor with you. And whenever you want to, you can give to them. But you won't always have me here

     with you. 8She has done all she could by pouring perfume on my body to prepare it for burial. 9You may be

     sure that wherever the good news is told all over the world, people will remember what she has done. And

     they will tell others.

     Judas and the Chief Priests

     (Matthew 26.14-16; Luke 22.3-6)

     10Judas Iscariot was one of the twelve disciples. He went to the chief priests and offered to help them arrest

     Jesus. 11They were glad to hear this, and they promised to pay him. So Judas started looking for a good

     chance to betray Jesus.

     Jesus Eats with His Disciples

     (Matthew 26.17-25; Luke 22.7-14,21-23; John 13.21-30)

     12It was the first day of the Festival of Thin Bread, and the Passover lambs were being killed. Jesus' disciples

     asked him, "Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal?"

     13Jesus said to two of the disciples, "Go into the city, where you will meet a man carrying a jar of water.

     Follow him, 14and when he goes into a house, say to the owner, `Our teacher wants to know if you have a

     room where he can eat the Passover meal with his disciples.' 15The owner will take you upstairs and show

     you a large room furnished and ready for you to use. Prepare the meal there."

     16The two disciples went into the city and found everything just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared

     the Passover meal.

     17-18While Jesus and the twelve disciples were eating together that evening, he said, "The one who will

     betray me is now eating with me."

     19This made the disciples sad, and one after another they said to Jesus, "You surely don't mean me!"

     20He answered, "It is one of you twelve men who is eating from this dish with me. 21The Son of Man will die,

     just as the Scriptures say. But it is going to be terrible for the one who betrays me. That man would be

     better off if he had never been born."

     The Lord's Supper

     (Matthew 26.26-30; Luke 22.14-23; 1 Corinthians 11.23-25)

     22During the meal Jesus took some bread in his hands. He blessed the bread and broke it. Then he gave it to

     his disciples and said, "Take this. It is my body."

     23Jesus picked up a cup of wine and gave thanks to God. He gave it to his disciples, and they all drank some.

     24Then he said, "This is my blood, which is poured out for many people, and with it God makes his agreement.

     25From now on I will not drink any wine, until I drink new wine in God's kingdom." 26Then they sang a hymn

     and went out to the Mount of Olives.

     Peter's Promise

     (Matthew 26.31-35; Luke 22.31-34; John 13.36-38)

     27Jesus said to his disciples, "All of you will reject me, as the Scriptures say,

     `I will strike down

     the shepherd,

     and the sheep

     will be scattered.'

     28But after I am raised to life, I will go ahead of you to Galilee."

     29Peter spoke up, "Even if all the others reject you, I never will!"

     30Jesus replied, "This very night before a rooster crows twice, you will say three times that you don't know

     me."

     31But Peter was so sure of himself that he said, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never say that I don't

     know you!"

     All the others said the same thing.

     Jesus Prays

     (Matthew 26.36-46; Luke 22.39-46)

     32Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he told them, "Sit here while I pray."

     33Jesus took along Peter, James, and John. He was sad and troubled and 34told them, "I am so sad that I

     feel as if I am dying. Stay here and keep awake with me."

     35-36Jesus walked on a little way. Then he knelt down on the ground and prayed, "Father, if it is possible,

     don't let this happen to me! Father, you can do anything. Don't make me suffer by having me drink from this

     cup. But do what you want, and not what I want."

     37When Jesus came back and found the disciples sleeping, he said to Simon Peter, "Are you asleep? Can't you

     stay awake for just one hour? 38Stay awake and pray that you won't be tested. You want to do what is

     right, but you are weak."

     39Jesus went back and prayed the same prayer. 40But when he returned to the disciples, he found them

     sleeping again. They simply could not keep their eyes open, and they did not know what to say.

     41When Jesus returned to the disciples the third time, he said, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough of

     that! The time has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to sinners. 42Get up! Let's go. The one who

     will betray me is already here."

     Jesus Is Arrested

     (Matthew 26.47-56; Luke 22.47-53; John 18.3-12)

     43Jesus was still speaking, when Judas the betrayer came up. He was one of the twelve disciples, and a mob

     of men armed with swords and clubs were with him. They had been sent by the chief priests, the nation's

     leaders, and the teachers of the Law of Moses. 44Judas had told them ahead of time, "Arrest the man I greet

     with a kiss. Tie him up tight and lead him away."

     45Judas walked right up to Jesus and said, "Teacher!" Then Judas kissed him, 46and the men grabbed Jesus

     and arrested him.

     47Someone standing there pulled out a sword. He struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.

     48Jesus said to the mob, "Why do you come with swords and clubs to arrest me like a criminal? 49Day after

     day I was with you and taught in the temple, and you didn't arrest me. But what the Scriptures say must

     come true."

     50All of Jesus' disciples ran off and left him. 51One of them was a young man who was wearing only a linen

     cloth. And when the men grabbed him, 52he left the cloth behind and ran away naked.

     Jesus Is Questioned by the Council

     (Matthew 26.57-68; Luke 22.54,55,63-71; John 18.13,14,19-24)

     53Jesus was led off to the high priest. Then the chief priests, the nation's leaders, and the teachers of the

     Law of Moses all met together. 54Peter had followed at a distance. And when he reached the courtyard of

     the high priest's house, he sat down with the guards to warm himself beside a fire.

     55The chief priests and the whole council tried to find someone to accuse Jesus of a crime, so they could put

     him to death. But they could not find anyone to accuse him. 56Many people did tell lies against Jesus, but

     they did not agree on what they said. 57Finally, some men stood up and lied about him. They said, 58"We

     heard him say he would tear down this temple that we built. He also claimed that in three days he would build

     another one without any help." 59But even then they did not agree on what they said.

     60The high priest stood up in the council and asked Jesus, "Why don't you say something in your own

     defense? Don't you hear the charges they are making against you?" 61But Jesus kept quiet and did not say a

     word. The high priest asked him another question, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the glorious God?"

     62"Yes, I am!" Jesus answered.

     "Soon you will see

     the Son of Man

     sitting at the right side

     of God All-Powerful,

     and coming with the clouds

     of heaven."

     63At once the high priest ripped his robe apart and shouted, "Why do we need more witnesses? 64You heard

     him claim to be God! What is your decision?" They all agreed that he should be put to death.

     65Some of the people started spitting on Jesus. They blindfolded him, hit him with their fists, and said, "Tell

     us who hit you!" Then the guards took charge of Jesus and beat him.

     Peter Says He Doesn't Know Jesus

     (Matthew 26.69-75; Luke 22.56-62; John 18.15-18,25-27)

     66While Peter was still in the courtyard, a servant girl of the high priest came up 67and saw Peter warming

     himself by the fire. She stared at him and said, "You were with Jesus from Nazareth!"

     68Peter replied, "That isn't true! I don't know what you're talking about. I don't have any idea what you

     mean." He went out to the gate, and a rooster crowed.

     69The servant girl saw Peter again and said to the people standing there, "This man is one of them!"

     70"No, I'm not!" Peter replied.

     A little while later some of the people said to Peter, "You certainly are one of them. You're a Galilean!"

     71This time Peter began to curse and swear, "I don't even know the man you're talking about!"

     72Right away the rooster crowed a second time. Then Peter remembered that Jesus had told him, "Before a

     rooster crows twice, you will say three times that you don't know me." So Peter started crying.

     Chapter 15

     Pilate Questions Jesus

     (Matthew 27.1,2,11-14; Luke 23.1-5; John 18.28-38)

     1Early the next morning the chief priests, the nation's leaders, and the teachers of the Law of Moses met

     together with the whole Jewish council. They tied up Jesus and led him off to Pilate.

     2He asked Jesus, "Are you the king of the Jews?"

     "Those are your words," Jesus answered.

     3The chief priests brought many charges against Jesus. 4Then Pilate questioned him again, "Don't you have

     anything to say? Don't you hear what crimes they say you have done?" 5But Jesus did not answer, and Pilate

     was amazed.

     The Death Sentence

     (Matthew 27.15-26; Luke 23.13-25; John 18.39--19.16)

     6During Passover, Pilate always freed one prisoner chosen by the people. 7And at that time there was a

     prisoner named Barabbas. He and some others had been arrested for murder during a riot. 8The crowd now

     came and asked Pilate to set a prisoner free, just as he usually did.

     9Pilate asked them, "Do you want me to free the king of the Jews?" 10Pilate knew that the chief priests had

     brought Jesus to him because they were jealous.

     11But the chief priests told the crowd to ask Pilate to free Barabbas.

     12Then Pilate asked the crowd, "What do you want me to do with this man you say is the king of the Jews?"

     13They yelled, "Nail him to a cross!"

     14Pilate asked, "But what crime has he done?"

     "Nail him to a cross!" they yelled even louder.

     15Pilate wanted to please the crowd. So he set Barabbas free. Then he ordered his soldiers to beat Jesus

     with a whip and nail him to a cross.

     Soldiers Make Fun of Jesus

     (Matthew 27.27-30; John 19.2,3)

     16The soldiers led Jesus inside the courtyard of the fortress and called together the rest of the troops.

     17They put a purple robe on him, and on his head they placed a crown that they had made out of thorn

     branches. 18They made fun of Jesus and shouted, "Hey, you king of the Jews!" 19Then they beat him on the

     head with a stick. They spit on him and knelt down and pretended to worship him.

     20When the soldiers had finished making fun of Jesus, they took off the purple robe. They put his own clothes

     back on him and led him off to be nailed to a cross. 21Simon from Cyrene happened to be coming in from a

     farm, and they forced him to carry Jesus' cross. Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus.

     Jesus Is Nailed to a Cross

     (Matthew 27.31-44; Luke 23.27-43; John 19.17-27)

     22The soldiers took Jesus to Golgotha, which means "Place of a Skull." 23There they gave him some wine

     mixed with a drug to ease the pain, but he refused to drink it.

     24They nailed Jesus to a cross and gambled to see who would get his clothes. 25It was about nine o'clock in

     the morning when they nailed him to the cross. 26On it was a sign that told why he was nailed there. It read,

     "This is the King of the Jews." 27-28The soldiers also nailed two criminals on crosses, one to the right of

     Jesus and the other to his left.

     29People who passed by said terrible things about Jesus. They shook their heads and shouted, "Ha! So you're

     the one who claimed you could tear down the temple and build it again in three days. 30Save yourself and

     come down from the cross!"

     31The chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses also made fun of Jesus. They said to each other,

     "He saved others, but he can't save himself. 32If he is the Messiah, the king of Israel, let him come down

     from the cross! Then we will see and believe." The two criminals also said cruel things to Jesus.

     The Death of Jesus

     (Matthew 27.45-56; Luke 23.44-49; John 19.28-30)

     33About noon the sky turned dark and stayed that way until around three o'clock. 34Then about that time

     Jesus shouted, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you deserted me?"

     35Some of the people standing there heard Jesus and said, "He is calling for Elijah." 36One of them ran and

     grabbed a sponge. After he had soaked it in wine, he put it on a stick and held it up to Jesus. He said, "Let's

     wait and see if Elijah will come and take him down!" 37Jesus shouted and then died.

     38At once the curtain in the temple tore in two from top to bottom.

     39A Roman army officer was standing in front of Jesus. When the officer saw how Jesus died, he said, "This

     man really was the Son of God!"

     40-41Some women were looking on from a distance. They had come with Jesus to Jerusalem. But even before

     this they had been his followers and had helped him while he was in Galilee. Mary Magdalene and Mary the

     mother of the younger James and of Joseph were two of these women. Salome was also one of them.

     Jesus Is Buried

     (Matthew 27.57-61; Luke 23.50-56; John 19.38-42)

     42It was now the evening before the Sabbath, and the Jewish people were getting ready for that sacred day.

     43A man named Joseph from Arimathea was brave enough to ask Pilate for the body of Jesus. Joseph was a

     highly respected member of the Jewish council, and he was also waiting for God's kingdom to come.

     44Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was already dead, and he called in the army officer to find out if

     Jesus had been dead very long. 45After the officer told him, Pilate let Joseph have Jesus' body.

     46Joseph bought a linen cloth and took the body down from the cross. He had it wrapped in the cloth, and he

     put it in a tomb that had been cut into solid rock. Then he rolled a big stone against the entrance to the

     tomb.

     47Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph were watching and saw where the body was placed.

     Chapter 16

     Jesus Is Alive

     (Matthew 28.1-8; Luke 24.1-12; John 20.1-10)

     1After the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene, Salome, and Mary the mother of James bought some spices to put on

     Jesus' body. 2Very early on Sunday morning, just as the sun was coming up, they went to the tomb. 3On

     their way, they were asking one another, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance for us?" 4But when

     they looked, they saw that the stone had already been rolled away. And it was a huge stone!

     5The women went into the tomb, and on the right side they saw a young man in a white robe sitting there.

     They were alarmed.

     6The man said, "Don't be alarmed! You are looking for Jesus from Nazareth, who was nailed to a cross. God

     has raised him to life, and he isn't here. You can see the place where they put his body. 7Now go and tell his

     disciples, and especially Peter, that he will go ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told

     you."

     8When the women ran from the tomb, they were confused and shaking all over. They were too afraid to tell

     anyone what had happened.

     ONE OLD ENDING

     TO MARK'S GOSPEL

     Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

     (Matthew 28.9,10; John 20.11-18)

     9Very early on the first day of the week, after Jesus had risen to life, he appeared to Mary Magdalene. Earlier

     he had forced seven demons out of her. 10She left and told his friends, who were crying and mourning.

     11Even though they heard that Jesus was alive and that Mary had seen him, they would not believe it.

     Jesus Appears to Two Disciples

     (Luke 24.13-35)

     12Later, Jesus appeared in another form to two disciples, as they were on their way out of the city. 13But

     when these disciples told what had happened, the others would not believe.

     What Jesus' Followers Must Do

     (Matthew 28.16-20; Luke 24.36-49; John 20.19-23; Acts 1.6-8)

     14Afterwards, Jesus appeared to his eleven disciples as they were eating. He scolded them because they

     were too stubborn to believe the ones who had seen him after he had been raised to life. 15Then he told

     them:

     Go and preach the good news to everyone in the world. 16Anyone who believes me and is baptized will be

     saved. But anyone who refuses to believe me will be condemned. 17Everyone who believes me will be able to

     do wonderful things. By using my name they will force out demons, and they will speak new languages.

     18They will handle snakes and will drink poison and not be hurt. They will also heal sick people by placing their

     hands on them.

     Jesus Returns to Heaven

     (Luke 24.50-53; Acts 1.9-11)

     19After the Lord Jesus had said these things to the disciples, he was taken back up to heaven where he sat

     down at the right side of God. 20Then the disciples left and preached everywhere. The Lord was with them,

     and the miracles they worked proved that their message was true.

     ANOTHER OLD ENDING TO MARK'S GOSPEL

     9-10The women quickly told Peter and his friends what had happened. Later, Jesus sent the disciples to the

     east and to the west with his sacred and everlasting message of how people can be saved forever.