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Luke Contemporary English Version (CEV)

chapter 1

     1Many people have tried to tell the story of what God has done among us. 2They wrote what we had been

     told by the ones who were there in the beginning and saw what happened. 3So I made a careful study of

     everything and then decided to write and tell you exactly what took place. Honorable Theophilus, 4I have

     done this to let you know the truth about what you have heard.

     An Angel Tells about the Birth of John

     5When Herod was king of Judea, there was a priest by the name of Zechariah from the priestly group of

     Abijah. His wife Elizabeth was from the family of Aaron. 6Both of them were good people and pleased the Lord

     God by obeying all that he had commanded. 7But they did not have children. Elizabeth could not have any,

     and both Zechariah and Elizabeth were already old. 8One day Zechariah's group of priests were on duty, and

     he was serving God as a priest. 9According to the custom of the priests, he had been chosen to go into the

     Lord's temple that day and to burn incense, 10while the people stood outside praying. 11All at once an angel

     from the Lord appeared to Zechariah at the right side of the altar. 12Zechariah was confused and afraid when

     he saw the angel. 13But the angel told him:

     Don't be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayers. Your wife Elizabeth will have a son, and you must

     name him John. 14His birth will make you very happy, and many people will be glad. 15Your son will be a great

     servant of the Lord. He must never drink wine or beer, and the power of the Holy Spirit will be with him from

     the time he is born.

     16John will lead many people in Israel to turn back to the Lord their God. 17He will go ahead of the Lord with

     the same power and spirit that Elijah had. And because of John, parents will be more thoughtful of their

     children. And people who now disobey God will begin to think as they ought to. That is how John will get

     people ready for the Lord. 18Zechariah said to the angel, "How will I know this is going to happen? My wife

     and I are both very old."

     19The angel answered, "I am Gabriel, God's servant, and I was sent to tell you this good news. 20You have

     not believed what I have said. So you will not be able to say a thing until all this happens. But everything will

     take place when it is supposed to."

     21The crowd was waiting for Zechariah and kept wondering why he was staying so long in the temple.

     22When he did come out, he could not speak, and they knew he had seen a vision. He motioned to them with

     his hands, but did not say a thing.

     23When Zechariah's time of service in the temple was over, he went home. 24Soon after that, his wife was

     expecting a baby, and for five months she did not leave the house. She said to herself, 25"What the Lord has

     done for me will keep people from looking down on me."

     An Angel Tells about the Birth of Jesus

     26One month later God sent the angel Gabriel to the town of Nazareth in Galilee 27with a message for a virgin

     named Mary. She was engaged to Joseph from the family of King David. 28The angel greeted Mary and said,

     "You are truly blessed! The Lord is with you."

     29Mary was confused by the angel's words and wondered what they meant. 30Then the angel told Mary,

     "Don't be afraid! God is pleased with you, 31and you will have a son. His name will be Jesus. 32He will be

     great and will be called the Son of God Most High. The Lord God will make him king, as his ancestor David

     was. 33He will rule the people of Israel forever, and his kingdom will never end."

     34Mary asked the angel, "How can this happen? I am not married!"

     35The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come down to you, and God's power will come over you. So your

     child will be called the holy Son of God. 36Your relative Elizabeth is also going to have a son, even though she

     is old. No one thought she could ever have a baby, but in three months she will have a son. 37Nothing is

     impossible for God!"

     38Mary said, "I am the Lord's servant! Let it happen as you have said." And the angel left her.

     Mary Visits Elizabeth

     39A short time later Mary hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea. 40She went into Zechariah's home,

     where she greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, her baby moved within her.

     The Holy Spirit came upon Elizabeth. 42Then in a loud voice she said to Mary:

     God has blessed you more than any other woman! He has also blessed the child you will have. 43Why should

     the mother of my Lord come to me? 44As soon as I heard your greeting, my baby became happy and moved

     within me. 45The Lord has blessed you because you believed that he will keep his promise.

     Mary's Song of Praise

     46Mary said:

     With all my heart

     I praise the Lord,

     47and I am glad

     because of God my Savior.

     48He cares for me,

     his humble servant.

     From now on,

     all people will say

     God has blessed me.

     49God All-Powerful has done

     great things for me,

     and his name is holy.

     50He always shows mercy

     to everyone

     who worships him.

     51The Lord has used

     his powerful arm

     to scatter those

     who are proud.

     52He drags strong rulers

     from their thrones

     and puts humble people

     in places of power.

     53God gives the hungry

     good things to eat,

     and sends the rich away

     with nothing.

     54He helps his servant Israel

     and is always merciful

     to his people.

     55The Lord made this promise

     to our ancestors,

     to Abraham and his family

     forever!

     56Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months. Then she went back home.

     The Birth of John the Baptist

     57When Elizabeth's son was born, 58her neighbors and relatives heard how kind the Lord had been to her, and

     they too were glad.

     59Eight days later they did for the child what the Law of Moses commands. They were going to name him

     Zechariah, after his father. 60But Elizabeth said, "No! His name is John." 61The people argued, "No one in your

     family has ever been named John." 62So they motioned to Zechariah to find out what he wanted to name his

     son.

     63Zechariah asked for a writing tablet. Then he wrote, "His name is John." Everyone was amazed. 64Right

     away, Zechariah started speaking and praising God.

     65All the neighbors were frightened because of what had happened, and everywhere in the hill country people

     kept talking about these things. 66Everyone who heard about this wondered what this child would grow up to

     be. They knew that the Lord was with him.

     Zechariah Praises the Lord

     67The Holy Spirit came upon Zechariah, and he began to speak:

     68Praise the Lord,

     the God of Israel!

     He has come

     to save his people.

     69Our God has given us

     a mighty Savior from the family

     of David his servant.

     70Long ago the Lord promised

     by the words

     of his holy prophets

     71to save us from our enemies

     and from everyone

     who hates us.

     72God said he would be kind

     to our people

     and keep

     his sacred promise.

     73He told our ancestor Abraham

     74that he would rescue us

     from our enemies.

     Then we could serve him

     without fear,

     75by being holy and good

     as long as we live.

     76You, my son, will be called

     a prophet of God

     in heaven above.

     You will go ahead of the Lord

     to get everything ready

     for him.

     77You will tell his people

     that they can be saved

     when their sins

     are forgiven.

     78God's love and kindness

     will shine upon us

     like the sun that rises

     in the sky. 79On us who live

     in the dark shadow

     of death

     this light will shine

     to guide us

     into a life of peace.

     80As John grew up, God's Spirit gave him great power. John lived in the desert until the time he was sent to

     the people of Israel.

chapter 2

     The Birth of Jesus

     (Matthew 1.18-25)

     1About that time Emperor Augustus gave orders for the names of all the people to be listed in record books.

     2These first records were made when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3Everyone had to go to their own

     hometown to be listed. 4So Joseph had to leave Nazareth in Galilee and go to Bethlehem in Judea. Long ago

     Bethlehem had been King David's hometown, and Joseph went there because he was from David's family.

     5Mary was engaged to Joseph and traveled with him to Bethlehem. She was soon going to have a baby, 6and

     while they were there, 7she gave birth to her first-born son. She dressed him in baby clothes and laid him on

     a bed of hay, because there was no room for them in the inn.

     The Shepherds

     8That night in the fields near Bethlehem some shepherds were guarding their sheep. 9All at once an angel

     came down to them from the Lord, and the brightness of the Lord's glory flashed around them. The shepherds

     were frightened. 10But the angel said, "Don't be afraid! I have good news for you, which will make everyone

     happy. 11This very day in King David's hometown a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord. 12You will

     know who he is, because you will find him dressed in baby clothes and lying on a bed of hay."

     13Suddenly many other angels came down from heaven and joined in praising God. They said:

     14"Praise God in heaven!

     Peace on earth to everyone

     who pleases God."

     15After the angels had left and gone back to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, "Let's go to

     Bethlehem and see what the Lord has told us about." 16They hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and

     they saw the baby lying on a bed of hay.

     17When the shepherds saw Jesus, they told his parents what the angel had said about him. 18Everyone

     listened and was surprised. 19But Mary kept thinking about all this and wondering what it meant.

     20As the shepherds returned to their sheep, they were praising God and saying wonderful things about him.

     Everything they had seen and heard was just as the angel had said.

     21Eight days later Jesus' parents did for him what the Law of Moses commands. And they named him Jesus,

     just as the angel had told Mary when he promised she would have a baby.

     Simeon Praises the Lord

     22The time came for Mary and Joseph to do what the Law of Moses says a mother is supposed to do after

     her baby is born. They took Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem and presented him to the Lord, 23just as the

     Law of the Lord says, "Each first-born baby boy belongs to the Lord." 24The Law of the Lord also says that

     parents have to offer a sacrifice, giving at least a pair of doves or two young pigeons. So that is what Mary

     and Joseph did. 25At this time a man named Simeon was living in Jerusalem. Simeon was a good man. He

     loved God and was waiting for God to save the people of Israel. God's Spirit came to him 26and told him that

     he would not die until he had seen Christ the Lord.

     27When Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple to do what the Law of Moses says should be done for

     a new baby, the Spirit told Simeon to go into the temple. 28Simeon took the baby Jesus in his arms and

     praised God,

     29"Lord, I am your servant,

     and now I can die in peace,

     because you have kept

     your promise to me.

     30With my own eyes I have seen

     what you have done

     to save your people,

     31and foreign nations

     will also see this.

     32Your mighty power is a light

     for all nations,

     and it will bring honor

     to your people Israel."

     33Jesus' parents were surprised at what Simeon had said. 34Then he blessed them and told Mary, "This child

     of yours will cause many people in Israel to fall and others to stand. The child will be like a warning sign. Many

     people will reject him, 35and you, Mary, will suffer as though you had been stabbed by a dagger. But all this

     will show what people are really thinking."

     Anna Speaks about the Child Jesus

     36The prophet Anna was also there in the temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher,

     and she was very old. In her youth she had been married for seven years, but her husband died. 37And now

     she was eighty-four years old. Night and day she served God in the temple by praying and often going

     without eating. 38At that time Anna came in and praised God. She spoke about the child Jesus to everyone

     who hoped for Jerusalem to be set free.

     The Return to Nazareth

     39After Joseph and Mary had done everything that the Law of the Lord commands, they returned home to

     Nazareth in Galilee. 40The child Jesus grew. He became strong and wise, and God blessed him.

     The Boy Jesus in the Temple

     41Every year Jesus' parents went to Jerusalem for Passover. 42And when Jesus was twelve years old, they all

     went there as usual for the celebration. 43After Passover his parents left, but they did not know that Jesus

     had stayed on in the city. 44They thought he was traveling with some other people, and they went a whole

     day before they started looking for him. 45When they could not find him with their relatives and friends, they

     went back to Jerusalem and started looking for him there.

     46Three days later they found Jesus sitting in the temple, listening to the teachers and asking them

     questions. 47Everyone who heard him was surprised at how much he knew and at the answers he gave.

     48When his parents found him, they were amazed. His mother said, "Son, why have you done this to us? Your

     father and I have been very worried, and we have been searching for you!"

     49Jesus answered, "Why did you have to look for me? Didn't you know that I would be in my Father's house?"

     50But they did not understand what he meant. 51Jesus went back to Nazareth with his parents and obeyed

     them. His mother kept on thinking about all that had happened.

     52Jesus became wise, and he grew strong. God was pleased with him and so were the people.

chapter 3

     The Preaching of John the Baptist

     (Matthew 3.1-12; Mark 1.1-8; John 1.19-28)

     1For fifteen years Emperor Tiberius had ruled that part of the world. Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea,

     and Herod was the ruler of Galilee. Herod's brother, Philip, was the ruler in the countries of Iturea and

     Trachonitis, and Lysanias was the ruler of Abilene. 2Annas and Caiaphas were the Jewish high priests. At that

     time God spoke to Zechariah's son John, who was living in the desert. 3So John went along the Jordan Valley,

     telling the people, "Turn back to God and be baptized! Then your sins will be forgiven." 4Isaiah the prophet

     wrote about John when he said,

     "In the desert

     someone is shouting,

     `Get the road ready

     for the Lord!

     Make a straight path

     for him.

     5Fill up every valley

     and level every mountain

     and hill.

     Straighten the crooked paths

     and smooth out

     the rough roads.

     6Then everyone will see

     the saving power of God.' "

     7Crowds of people came out to be baptized, but John said to them, "You bunch of snakes! Who warned you

     to run from the coming judgment? 8Do something to show that you really have given up your sins. Don't start

     saying that you belong to Abraham's family. God can turn these stones into children for Abraham. 9An ax is

     ready to cut the trees down at their roots. Any tree that doesn't produce good fruit will be cut down and

     thrown into a fire." 10The crowds asked John, "What should we do?"

     11John told them, "If you have two coats, give one to someone who doesn't have any. If you have food,

     share it with someone else."

     12When tax collectors came to be baptized, they asked John, "Teacher, what should we do?" 13John told

     them, "Don't make people pay more than they owe."

     14Some soldiers asked him, "And what about us? What do we have to do?"

     John told them, "Don't force people to pay money to make you leave them alone. Be satisfied with your pay."

     15Everyone became excited and wondered, "Could John be the Messiah?"

     16John said, "I am just baptizing with water. But someone more powerful is going to come, and I am not good

     enough even to untie his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17His threshing fork is

     in his hand, and he is ready to separate the wheat from the husks. He will store the wheat in his barn and

     burn the husks with a fire that never goes out." 18In many different ways John preached the good news to

     the people. 19But to Herod the ruler, he said, "It was wrong for you to take Herodias, your brother's wife."

     John also said that Herod had done many other bad things. 20Finally, Herod put John in jail, and this was the

     worst thing he had done.

     The Baptism of Jesus

     (Matthew 3.13-17; Mark 1.9-11)

     21While everyone else was being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. Then as he prayed, the sky opened

     up, 22and the Holy Spirit came down upon him in the form of a dove. A voice from heaven said, "You are my

     own dear Son, and I am pleased with you."

     The Ancestors of Jesus

     (Matthew 1.1-17)

     23When Jesus began to preach, he was about thirty years old. Everyone thought he was the son of Joseph.

     But his family went back through Heli, 24Matthat, Levi, Melchi, Jannai, Joseph, 25Mattathias, Amos, Nahum,

     Esli, Naggai, 26Maath, Mattathias, Semein, Josech, Joda;

     27Joanan, Rhesa, Zerubbabel, Shealtiel, Neri, 28Melchi, Addi, Cosam, Elmadam, Er, 29Joshua, Eliezer, Jorim,

     Matthat, Levi;

     30Simeon, Judah, Joseph, Jonam, Eliakim, 31Melea, Menna, Mattatha, Nathan, David, 32Jesse, Obed, Boaz,

     Salmon, Nahshon;

     33Amminadab, Admin, Arni, Hezron, Perez, Judah, 34Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, Terah, Nahor, 35Serug, Reu,

     Peleg, Eber, Shelah;

     36Cainan, Arphaxad, Shem, Noah, Lamech, 37Methuselah, Enoch, Jared, Mahalaleel, Kenan, 38Enosh, and

     Seth.

     The family of Jesus went all the way back to Adam and then to God.

chapter 4

     Jesus and the Devil

     (Matthew 4.1-11; Mark 1.12,13)

     1When Jesus returned from the Jordan River, the power of the Holy Spirit was with him, and the Spirit led him

     into the desert. 2For forty days Jesus was tested by the devil, and during that time he went without eating.

     When it was all over, he was hungry. 3The devil said to Jesus, "If you are God's Son, tell this stone to turn

     into bread."

     4Jesus answered, "The Scriptures say, `No one can live only on food.' "

     5Then the devil led Jesus up to a high place and quickly showed him all the nations on earth. 6The devil said,

     "I will give all this power and glory to you. It has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to.

     7Just worship me, and you can have it all."

     8Jesus answered, "The Scriptures say:

     `Worship the Lord your God

     and serve only him!' "

     9Finally, the devil took Jesus to Jerusalem and had him stand on top of the temple. The devil said, "If you are

     God's Son, jump off. 10-11The Scriptures say:

     `God will tell his angels

     to take care of you.

     They will catch you

     in their arms,

     and you will not hurt

     your feet on the stones.' "

     12Jesus answered, "The Scriptures also say, `Don't try to test the Lord your God!' "

     13After the devil had finished testing Jesus in every way possible, he left him for a while.

     Jesus Begins His Work

     (Matthew 4.12-17; Mark 1.14,15)

     14Jesus returned to Galilee with the power of the Spirit. News about him spread everywhere. 15He taught in

     the Jewish meeting places, and everyone praised him.

     The People of Nazareth Turn against Jesus

     (Matthew 13.53-58; Mark 6.1-6)

     16Jesus went back to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and as usual he went to the meeting place

     on the Sabbath. When he stood up to read from the Scriptures, 17he was given the book of Isaiah the

     prophet. He opened it and read,

     18"The Lord's Spirit

     has come to me,

     because he has chosen me

     to tell the good news

     to the poor.

     The Lord has sent me

     to announce freedom

     for prisoners,

     to give sight to the blind,

     to free everyone

     who suffers,

     19and to say, `This is the year

     the Lord has chosen.' "

     20Jesus closed the book, then handed it back to the man in charge and sat down. Everyone in the meeting

     place looked straight at Jesus.

     21Then Jesus said to them, "What you have just heard me read has come true today."

     22All the people started talking about Jesus and were amazed at the wonderful things he said. They kept on

     asking, "Isn't he Joseph's son?"

     23Jesus answered:

     You will certainly want to tell me this saying, "Doctor, first make yourself well." You will tell me to do the same

     things here in my own hometown that you heard I did in Capernaum. 24But you can be sure that no prophets

     are liked by the people of their own hometown.

     25Once during the time of Elijah there was no rain for three and a half years, and people everywhere were

     starving. There were many widows in Israel, 26but Elijah was sent only to a widow in the town of Zarephath

     near the city of Sidon. 27During the time of the prophet Elisha, many men in Israel had leprosy. But no one

     was healed, except Naaman who lived in Syria. 28When the people in the meeting place heard Jesus say this,

     they became so angry 29that they got up and threw him out of town. They dragged him to the edge of the

     cliff on which the town was built, because they wanted to throw him down from there. 30But Jesus slipped

     through the crowd and got away.

     A Man with an Evil Spirit

     (Mark 1.21-28)

     31Jesus went to the town of Capernaum in Galilee and taught the people on the Sabbath. 32His teaching

     amazed them because he spoke with power. 33There in the Jewish meeting place was a man with an evil

     spirit. He yelled out, 34"Hey, Jesus of Nazareth, what do you want with us? Are you here to get rid of us? I

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

     35Jesus ordered the evil spirit to be quiet and come out. The demon threw the man to the ground in front of

     everyone and left without harming him.

     36They all were amazed and kept saying to each other, "What kind of teaching is this? He has power to order

     evil spirits out of people!" 37News about Jesus spread all over that part of the country.

     Jesus Heals Many People

     (Matthew 8.14-17; Mark 1.29-34)

     38Jesus left the meeting place and went to Simon's home. When Jesus got there, he was told that Simon's

     mother-in-law was sick with a high fever. 39So Jesus went over to her and ordered the fever to go away.

     Right then she was able to get up and serve them a meal.

     40After the sun had set, people with all kinds of diseases were brought to Jesus. He put his hands on each

     one of them and healed them. 41Demons went out of many people and shouted, "You are the Son of God!"

     But Jesus ordered the demons not to speak because they knew he was the Messiah.

     42The next morning Jesus went out to a place where he could be alone, and crowds came looking for him.

     When they found him, they tried to stop him from leaving. 43But Jesus said, "People in other towns must hear

     the good news about God's kingdom. That's why I was sent." 44So he kept on preaching in the Jewish

     meeting places in Judea.

chapter 5

     Jesus Chooses His First Disciples

     (Matthew 4.18-22; Mark 1.16-20)

     1Jesus was standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret, teaching the people as they crowded around him to

     hear God's message. 2Near the shore he saw two boats left there by some fishermen who had gone to wash

     their nets. 3Jesus got into the boat that belonged to Simon and asked him to row it out a little way from the

     shore. Then Jesus sat down in the boat to teach the crowd. 4When Jesus had finished speaking, he told

     Simon, "Row the boat out into the deep water and let your nets down to catch some fish."

     5"Master," Simon answered, "we have worked hard all night long and have not caught a thing. But if you tell

     me to, I will let the nets down." 6They did it and caught so many fish that their nets began ripping apart.

     7Then they signaled for their partners in the other boat to come and help them. The men came, and together

     they filled the two boats so full that they both began to sink.

     8When Simon Peter saw this happen, he knelt down in front of Jesus and said, "Lord, don't come near me! I

     am a sinner." 9Peter and everyone with him were completely surprised at all the fish they had caught. 10His

     partners James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were surprised too.

     Jesus told Simon, "Don't be afraid! From now on you will bring in people instead of fish." 11The men pulled

     their boats up on the shore. Then they left everything and went with Jesus.

     Jesus Heals a Man

     (Matthew 8.1-4; Mark 1.40-45)

     12Jesus came to a town where there was a man who had leprosy. When the man saw Jesus, he knelt down

     to the ground in front of Jesus and begged, "Lord, you have the power to make me well, if only you wanted

     to." 13Jesus put his hand on him and said, "I want to! Now you are well." At once the man's leprosy

     disappeared. 14Jesus told him, "Don't tell anyone about this, but go and show yourself to the priest. Offer a

     gift to the priest, just as Moses commanded, and everyone will know that you have been healed." 15News

     about Jesus kept spreading. Large crowds came to listen to him teach and to be healed of their diseases.

     16But Jesus would often go to some place where he could be alone and pray.

     Jesus Heals a Crippled Man

     (Matthew 9.1-8; Mark 2.1-12)

     17One day some Pharisees and experts in the Law of Moses sat listening to Jesus teach. They had come from

     every village in Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem.

     God had given Jesus the power to heal the sick, 18and some people came carrying a crippled man on a mat.

     They tried to take him inside the house and put him in front of Jesus. 19But because of the crowd, they could

     not get him to Jesus. So they went up on the roof, where they removed some tiles and let the mat down in

     the middle of the room. 20When Jesus saw how much faith they had, he said to the crippled man, "My friend,

     your sins are forgiven."

     21The Pharisees and the experts began arguing, "Jesus must think he is God! Only God can forgive sins."

     22Jesus knew what they were thinking, and he said, "Why are you thinking that? 23Is it easier for me to tell

     this crippled man that his sins are forgiven or to tell him to get up and walk? 24But now you will see that the

     Son of Man has the right to forgive sins here on earth." Jesus then said to the man, "Get up! Pick up your mat

     and walk home."

     25At once the man stood up in front of everyone. He picked up his mat and went home, giving thanks to God.

     26Everyone was amazed and praised God. What they saw surprised them, and they said, "We have seen a

     great miracle today!"

     Jesus Chooses Levi

     (Matthew 9.9-13; Mark 2.13-17)

     27Later, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the place for paying taxes. Jesus said

     to him, "Come with me." 28Levi left everything and went with Jesus. 29In his home Levi gave a big dinner for

     Jesus. Many tax collectors and other guests were also there.

     30The Pharisees and some of their teachers of the Law of Moses grumbled to Jesus' disciples, "Why do you

     eat and drink with those tax collectors and other sinners?"

     31Jesus answered, "Healthy people don't need a doctor, but sick people do. 32I didn't come to invite good

     people to turn to God. I came to invite sinners."

     People Ask about Going without Eating

     (Matthew 9.14-17; Mark 2.18-22)

     33Some people said to Jesus, "John's followers often pray and go without eating, and so do the followers of

     the Pharisees. But your disciples never go without eating or drinking." 34Jesus told them, "The friends of a

     bridegroom don't go without eating while he is still with them. 35But the time will come when he will be taken

     from them. Then they will go without eating."

     36Jesus then told them these sayings:

     No one uses a new piece of cloth to patch old clothes. The patch would shrink and make the hole even

     bigger.

     37No one pours new wine into old wineskins. The new wine would swell and burst the old skins. Then the wine

     would be lost, and the skins would be ruined. 38New wine must be put only into new wineskins. 39No one

     wants new wine after drinking old wine. They say, "The old wine is better."

chapter 6

     A Question about the Sabbath

     (Matthew 12.1-8; Mark 2.23-28)

     1One Sabbath when Jesus and his disciples were walking through some wheat fields, the disciples picked some

     wheat. They rubbed the husks off with their hands and started eating the grain. 2Some Pharisees said, "Why

     are you picking grain on the Sabbath? You're not supposed to do that!"

     3Jesus answered, "You surely have read what David did when he and his followers were hungry. 4He went

     into the house of God and took the sacred loaves of bread that only priests were supposed to eat. He not

     only ate some himself, but even gave some to his followers."

     5Jesus finished by saying, "The Son of Man is Lord over the Sabbath."

     A Man with a Crippled Hand

     (Matthew 12.9-14; Mark 3.1-6)

     6On another Sabbath Jesus was teaching in a Jewish meeting place, and a man with a crippled right hand was

     there. 7Some Pharisees and teachers of the Law of Moses kept watching Jesus to see if he would heal the

     man. They did this because they wanted to accuse Jesus of doing something wrong. 8Jesus knew what they

     were thinking. So he told the man to stand up where everyone could see him. And the man stood up. 9Then

     Jesus asked, "On the Sabbath should we do good deeds or evil deeds? Should we save someone's life or

     destroy it?"

     10After he had looked around at everyone, he told the man, "Stretch out your hand." He did, and his bad

     hand became completely well.

     11The teachers and the Pharisees were furious and started saying to each other, "What can we do about

     Jesus?"

     Jesus Chooses His Twelve Apostles

     (Matthew 10.1-4; Mark 3.13-19)

     12About that time Jesus went off to a mountain to pray, and he spent the whole night there. 13The next

     morning he called his disciples together and chose twelve of them to be his apostles. 14One was Simon, and

     Jesus named him Peter. Another was Andrew, Peter's brother. There were also James, John, Philip,

     Bartholomew, 15Matthew, Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus. The rest of the apostles were Simon,

     known as the Eager One, 16Jude, who was the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed Jesus.

     Jesus Teaches, Preaches, and Heals

     (Matthew 4.23-25)

     17Jesus and his apostles went down from the mountain and came to some flat, level ground. Many other

     disciples were there to meet him. Large crowds of people from all over Judea, Jerusalem, and the coastal

     cities of Tyre and Sidon were there too. 18These people had come to listen to Jesus and to be healed of their

     diseases. All who were troubled by evil spirits were also healed. 19Everyone was trying to touch Jesus,

     because power was going out from him and healing them all.

     Blessings and Troubles

     (Matthew 5.1-12)

     20Jesus looked at his disciples and said:

     God will bless you people

     who are poor.

     His kingdom belongs to you!

     21God will bless

     you hungry people.

     You will have plenty

     to eat!

     God will bless you people

     who are crying.

     You will laugh!

     22God will bless you when others hate you and won't have anything to do with you. God will bless you when

     people insult you and say cruel things about you, all because you are a follower of the Son of Man. 23Long

     ago your own people did these same things to the prophets. So when this happens to you, be happy and

     jump for joy! You will have a great reward in heaven.

     24But you rich people

     are in for trouble.

     You have already had

     an easy life!

     25You well-fed people

     are in for trouble.

     You will go hungry!

     You people

     who are laughing now

     are in for trouble.

     You are going to cry

     and weep!

     26You are in for trouble when everyone says good things about you. That is what your own people said about

     those prophets who told lies.

     Love for Enemies

     (Matthew 5.38-48; 7.12a)

     27This is what I say to all who will listen to me:

     Love your enemies, and be good to everyone who hates you. 28Ask God to bless anyone who curses you, and

     pray for everyone who is cruel to you. 29If someone slaps you on one cheek, don't stop that person from

     slapping you on the other cheek. If someone wants to take your coat, don't try to keep back your shirt.

     30Give to everyone who asks and don't ask people to return what they have taken from you. 31Treat others

     just as you want to be treated.

     32If you love only someone who loves you, will God praise you for that? Even sinners love people who love

     them. 33If you are kind only to someone who is kind to you, will God be pleased with you for that? Even

     sinners are kind to people who are kind to them. 34If you lend money only to someone you think will pay you

     back, will God be pleased with you for that? Even sinners lend to sinners because they think they will get it all

     back.

     35But love your enemies and be good to them. Lend without expecting to be paid back. Then you will get a

     great reward, and you will be the true children of God in heaven. He is good even to people who are

     unthankful and cruel. 36Have pity on others, just as your Father has pity on you.

     Judging Others

     (Matthew 7.1-5)

     37Jesus said:

     Don't judge others, and God won't judge you. Don't be hard on others, and God won't be hard on you. Forgive

     others, and God will forgive you. 38If you give to others, you will be given a full amount in return. It will be

     packed down, shaken together, and spilling over into your lap. The way you treat others is the way you will

     be treated.

     39Jesus also used some sayings as he spoke to the people. He said:

     Can one blind person lead another blind person? Won't they both fall into a ditch? 40Are students better than

     their teacher? But when they are fully trained, they will be like their teacher.

     41You can see the speck in your friend's eye. But you don't notice the log in your own eye. 42How can you

     say, "My friend, let me take the speck out of your eye," when you don't see the log in your own eye? You

     show-offs! First, get the log out of your own eye. Then you can see how to take the speck out of your

     friend's eye.

     A Tree and Its Fruit

     (Matthew 7.17-20; 12.34b,35)

     43A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. 44You can tell what a

     tree is like by the fruit it produces. You cannot pick figs or grapes from thornbushes. 45Good people do good

     things because of the good in their hearts. Bad people do bad things because of the evil in their hearts. Your

     words show what is in your heart.

     Two Builders

     (Matthew 7.24-27)

     46Why do you keep on saying that I am your Lord, when you refuse to do what I say? 47Anyone who comes

     and listens to me and obeys me 48is like someone who dug down deep and built a house on solid rock. When

     the flood came and the river rushed against the house, it was built so well that it didn't even shake. 49But

     anyone who hears what I say and doesn't obey me is like someone whose house wasn't built on solid rock. As

     soon as the river rushed against that house, it was smashed to pieces!

chapter 7

     Jesus Heals an Army Officer's Servant

     (Matthew 8.5-13; John 4.43-54)

     1After Jesus had finished teaching the people, he went to Capernaum. 2In that town an army officer's

     servant was sick and about to die. The officer liked this servant very much. 3And when he heard about Jesus,

     he sent some Jewish leaders to ask him to come and heal the servant.

     4The leaders went to Jesus and begged him to do something. They said, "This man deserves your help! 5He

     loves our nation and even built us a meeting place." 6So Jesus went with them.

     When Jesus wasn't far from the house, the officer sent some friends to tell him, "Lord, don't go to any trouble

     for me! I am not good enough for you to come into my house. 7And I am certainly not worthy to come to

     you. Just say the word, and my servant will get well. 8I have officers who give orders to me, and I have

     soldiers who take orders from me. I can say to one of them, `Go!' and he goes. I can say to another, `Come!'

     and he comes. I can say to my servant, `Do this!' and he will do it."

     9When Jesus heard this, he was so surprised that he turned and said to the crowd following him, "In all of

     Israel I've never found anyone with this much faith!"

     10The officer's friends returned and found the servant well.

     A Widow's Son

     11Soon Jesus and his disciples were on their way to the town of Nain, and a big crowd was going along with

     them. 12As they came near the gate of the town, they saw people carrying out the body of a widow's only

     son. Many people from the town were walking along with her.

     13When the Lord saw the woman, he felt sorry for her and said, "Don't cry!"

     14Jesus went over and touched the stretcher on which the people were carrying the dead boy. They

     stopped, and Jesus said, "Young man, get up!" 15The boy sat up and began to speak. Jesus then gave him

     back to his mother.

     16Everyone was frightened and praised God. They said, "A great prophet is here with us! God has come to his

     people."

     17News about Jesus spread all over Judea and everywhere else in that part of the country.

     John the Baptist

     (Matthew 11.1-19)

     18-19John's followers told John everything that was being said about Jesus. So he sent two of them to ask

     the Lord, "Are you the one we should be looking for? Or must we wait for someone else?"

     20When these messengers came to Jesus, they said, "John the Baptist sent us to ask, `Are you the one we

     should be looking for? Or are we supposed to wait for someone else?' "

     21At that time Jesus was healing many people who were sick or in pain or were troubled by evil spirits, and he

     was giving sight to a lot of blind people. 22Jesus said to the messengers sent by John, "Go and tell John what

     you have seen and heard. Blind people are now able to see, and the lame can walk. People who have leprosy

     are being healed, and the deaf can now hear. The dead are raised to life, and the poor are hearing the good

     news. 23God will bless everyone who doesn't reject me because of what I do." 24After John's messengers had

     gone, Jesus began speaking to the crowds about John:

     What kind of person did you go out to the desert to see? Was he like tall grass blown about by the wind?

     25What kind of man did you really go out to see? Was he someone dressed in fine clothes? People who wear

     expensive clothes and live in luxury are in the king's palace. 26What then did you go out to see? Was he a

     prophet? He certainly was! I tell you that he was more than a prophet. 27In the Scriptures, God calls John his

     messenger and says, "I am sending my messenger ahead of you to get things ready for you." 28No one ever

     born on this earth is greater than John. But whoever is least important in God's kingdom is greater than John.

     29Everyone had been listening to John. Even the tax collectors had obeyed God and had done what was right

     by letting John baptize them. 30But the Pharisees and the experts in the Law of Moses refused to obey God

     and be baptized by John. 31Jesus went on to say:

     What are you people like? What kind of people are you? 32You are like children sitting in the market and

     shouting to each other,

     "We played the flute,

     but you would not dance!

     We sang a funeral song,

     but you would not cry!"

     33John the Baptist did not go around eating and drinking, and you said, "John has a demon in him!" 34But

     because the Son of Man goes around eating and drinking, you say, "Jesus eats and drinks too much! He is

     even a friend of tax collectors and sinners." 35Yet Wisdom is shown to be right by what its followers do.

     Simon the Pharisee

     36A Pharisee invited Jesus to have dinner with him. So Jesus went to the Pharisee's home and got ready to

     eat. 37When a sinful woman in that town found out that Jesus was there, she bought an expensive bottle of

     perfume. 38Then she came and stood behind Jesus. She cried and started washing his feet with her tears and

     drying them with her hair. The woman kissed his feet and poured the perfume on them.

     39The Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this and said to himself, "If this man really were a prophet, he

     would know what kind of woman is touching him! He would know that she is a sinner."

     40Jesus said to the Pharisee, "Simon, I have something to say to you."

     "Teacher, what is it?" Simon replied.

     41Jesus told him, "Two people were in debt to a moneylender. One of them owed him five hundred silver

     coins, and the other owed him fifty. 42Since neither of them could pay him back, the moneylender said that

     they didn't have to pay him anything. Which one of them will like him more?"

     43Simon answered, "I suppose it would be the one who had owed more and didn't have to pay it back."

     "You are right," Jesus said.

     44He turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Have you noticed this woman? When I came into your

     home, you didn't give me any water so I could wash my feet. But she has washed my feet with her tears and

     dried them with her hair. 45You didn't greet me with a kiss, but from the time I came in, she has not stopped

     kissing my feet. 46You didn't even pour olive oil on my head, but she has poured expensive perfume on my

     feet. 47So I tell you that all her sins are forgiven, and that is why she has shown great love. But anyone who

     has been forgiven for only a little will show only a little love." 48Then Jesus said to the woman, "Your sins are

     forgiven."

     49Some other guests started saying to one another, "Who is this who dares to forgive sins?"

     50But Jesus told the woman, "Because of your faith, you are now saved. May God give you peace!"

chapter 8

     Women Who Helped Jesus

     1Soon after this, Jesus was going through towns and villages, telling the good news about God's kingdom. His

     twelve apostles were with him, 2and so were some women who had been healed of evil spirits and all sorts of

     diseases. One of the women was Mary Magdalene, who once had seven demons in her. 3Joanna, Susanna,

     and many others had also used what they owned to help Jesus and his disciples. Joanna's husband Chuza was

     one of Herod's officials.

     A Story about a Farmer

     (Matthew 13.1-9; Mark 4.1-9)

     4When a large crowd from several towns had gathered around Jesus, he told them this story:

     5A farmer went out to scatter seed in a field. While the farmer was doing it, some of the seeds fell along the

     road and were stepped on or eaten by birds. 6Other seeds fell on rocky ground and started growing. But the

     plants did not have enough water and soon dried up. 7Some other seeds fell where thornbushes grew up and

     choked the plants. 8The rest of the seeds fell on good ground where they grew and produced a hundred

     times as many seeds.

     When Jesus had finished speaking, he said, "If you have ears, pay attention!"

     Why Jesus Used Stories

     (Matthew 13.10-17; Mark 4.10-12)

     9Jesus' disciples asked him what the story meant. 10So he answered:

     I have explained the secrets about God's kingdom to you, but for others I can only use stories. These people

     look, but they don't see, and they hear, but they don't understand.

     Jesus Explains the Story about a Farmer

     (Matthew 13.18-23; Mark 4.13-20)

     11This is what the story means: The seed is God's message, 12and the seeds that fell along the road are the

     people who hear the message. But the devil comes and snatches the message out of their hearts, so that

     they will not believe and be saved. 13The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the

     message and accept it. But they don't have deep roots, and they believe only for a little while. As soon as life

     gets hard, they give up.

     14The seeds that fell among the thornbushes are also people who hear the message. But they are so eager

     for riches and pleasures that they never produce anything. 15Those seeds that fell on good ground are the

     people who listen to the message and keep it in good and honest hearts. They last and produce a harvest.

     Light

     (Mark 4.21-25)

     16No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bowl or under a bed. A lamp is always put on a lampstand, so that

     people who come into a house will see the light. 17There is nothing hidden that will not be found. There is no

     secret that will not be well known. 18Pay attention to how you listen! Everyone who has something will be

     given more, but people who have nothing will lose what little they think they have.

     Jesus' Mother and Brothers

     (Matthew 12.46-50; Mark 3.31-35)

     19Jesus' mother and brothers went to see him, but because of the crowd they could not get near him.

     20Someone told Jesus, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside and want to see you."

     21Jesus answered, "My mother and my brothers are those people who hear and obey God's message."

     A Storm

     (Matthew 8.23-27; Mark 4.35-41)

     22One day, Jesus and his disciples got into a boat, and he said, "Let's cross the lake." They started out,

     23and while they were sailing across, he went to sleep. Suddenly a windstorm struck the lake, and the boat

     started sinking. They were in danger. 24So they went to Jesus and woke him up, "Master, Master! We are

     about to drown!"

     Jesus got up and ordered the wind and waves to stop. They obeyed, and everything was calm. 25Then Jesus

     asked the disciples, "Don't you have any faith?"

     But they were frightened and amazed. They said to each other, "Who is this? He can give orders to the wind

     and the waves, and they obey him!"

     A Man with Demons in Him

     (Matthew 8.28-34; Mark 5.1-20)

     26Jesus and his disciples sailed across Lake Galilee and came to shore near the town of Gerasa. 27As Jesus

     was getting out of the boat, he was met by a man from that town. The man had demons in him. He had gone

     naked for a long time and no longer lived in a house, but in the graveyard. 28The man saw Jesus and

     screamed. He knelt down in front of him and shouted, "Jesus, Son of God in heaven, what do you want with

     me? I beg you not to torture me!" 29He said this because Jesus had already told the evil spirit to go out of

     him.

     The man had often been attacked by the demon. And even though he had been bound with chains and leg

     irons and kept under guard, he smashed whatever bound him. Then the demon would force him out into lonely

     places.

     30Jesus asked the man, "What is your name?"

     He answered, "My name is Lots." He said this because there were `lots' of demons in him. 31They begged

     Jesus not to send them to the deep pit, where they would be punished. 32A large herd of pigs was feeding

     there on the hillside. So the demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and Jesus let them go.

     33Then the demons left the man and went into the pigs. The whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the

     lake and drowned.

     34When the men taking care of the pigs saw this, they ran to spread the news in the town and on the farms.

     35The people went out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they also found the man.

     The demons had gone out of him, and he was sitting there at the feet of Jesus. He had clothes on and was in

     his right mind. But the people were terrified.

     36Then all who had seen the man healed told about it. 37Everyone from around Gerasa begged Jesus to

     leave, because they were so frightened. When Jesus got into the boat to start back, 38the man who had

     been healed begged to go with him. But Jesus sent him off and said, 39"Go back home and tell everyone how

     much God has done for you." The man then went all over town, telling everything that Jesus had done for

     him.

     A Dying Girl and a Sick Woman

     (Matthew 9.18-26; Mark 5.21-43)

     40Everyone had been waiting for Jesus, and when he came back, a crowd was there to welcome him. 41Just

     then the man in charge of the Jewish meeting place came and knelt down in front of Jesus. His name was

     Jairus, and he begged Jesus to come to his home 42because his twelve-year-old child was dying. She was his

     only daughter.

     While Jesus was on his way, people were crowding all around him. 43In the crowd was a woman who had

     been bleeding for twelve years. She had spent everything she had on doctors, but none of them could make

     her well. 44As soon as she came up behind Jesus and barely touched his clothes, her bleeding stopped.

     45"Who touched me?" Jesus asked.

     While everyone was denying it, Peter said, "Master, people are crowding all around and pushing you from

     every side." 46But Jesus answered, "Someone touched me, because I felt power going out from me." 47The

     woman knew that she could not hide, so she came trembling and knelt down in front of Jesus. She told

     everyone why she had touched him and that she had been healed right away.

     48Jesus said to the woman, "You are now well because of your faith. May God give you peace!"

     49While Jesus was speaking, someone came from Jairus' home and said, "Your daughter has died! Why bother

     the teacher anymore?"

     50When Jesus heard this, he told Jairus, "Don't worry! Have faith, and your daughter will get well."

     51Jesus went into the house, but he did not let anyone else go with him, except Peter, John, James, and the

     girl's father and mother. 52Everyone was crying and weeping for the girl. But Jesus said, "The child isn't dead.

     She is just asleep." 53The people laughed at him because they knew she was dead.

     54Jesus took hold of the girl's hand and said, "Child, get up!" 55She came back to life and got right up. Jesus

     told them to give her something to eat. 56Her parents were surprised, but Jesus ordered them not to tell

     anyone what had happened.

chapter 9

     Instructions for the Twelve Apostles

     (Matthew 10.5-15; Mark 6.7-13)

     1Jesus called together his twelve apostles and gave them complete power over all demons and diseases.

     2Then he sent them to tell about God's kingdom and to heal the sick. 3He told them, "Don't take anything

     with you! Don't take a walking stick or a traveling bag or food or money or even a change of clothes. 4When

     you are welcomed into a home, stay there until you leave that town. 5If people won't welcome you, leave the

     town and shake the dust from your feet as a warning to them." 6The apostles left and went from village to

     village, telling the good news and healing people everywhere.

     Herod Is Worried

     (Matthew 14.1-12; Mark 6.14-29)

     7Herod the ruler heard about all that was happening, and he was worried. Some people were saying that John

     the Baptist had come back to life. 8Others were saying that Elijah had come or that one of the prophets from

     long ago had come back to life. 9But Herod said, "I had John's head cut off! Who is this I hear so much

     about?" Herod was eager to meet Jesus.

     Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

     (Matthew 14.13-21; Mark 6.30-44; John 6.1-14)

     10The apostles came back and told Jesus everything they had done. He then took them with him to the

     village of Bethsaida, where they could be alone. 11But a lot of people found out about this and followed him.

     Jesus welcomed them. He spoke to them about God's kingdom and healed everyone who was sick.

     12Late in the afternoon the twelve apostles came to Jesus and said, "Send the crowd to the villages and

     farms around here. They need to find a place to stay and something to eat. There is nothing in this place. It

     is like a desert!"

     13Jesus answered, "You give them something to eat."

     But they replied, "We have only five small loaves of bread and two fish. If we are going to feed all these

     people, we will have to go and buy food." 14There were about five thousand men in the crowd. Jesus said to

     his disciples, "Have the people sit in groups of fifty." 15They did this, and all the people sat down. 16Jesus

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

     bread and fish and handed them to his disciples to give to the people.

     17Everyone ate all they wanted. What was left over filled twelve baskets.

     Who Is Jesus?

     (Matthew 16.13-19; Mark 8.27-29)

     18When Jesus was alone praying, his disciples came to him, and he asked them, "What do people say about

     me?"

     19They answered, "Some say that you are John the Baptist or Elijah or a prophet from long ago who has

     come back to life." 20Jesus then asked them, "But who do you say I am?"

     Peter answered, "You are the Messiah sent from God."

     21Jesus strictly warned his disciples not to tell anyone about this.

     Jesus Speaks about His Suffering and Death

     (Matthew 16.20-28; Mark 8.30--9.1)

     22Jesus told his disciples, "The nation's leaders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law of Moses will

     make the Son of Man suffer terribly. They will reject him and kill him, but three days later he will rise to life."

     23Then Jesus said to all the people:

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

     and follow me. 24If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me, you will

     save it. 25What will you gain, if you own the whole world but destroy yourself or waste your life? 26If you are

     ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of you when he comes in his glory and in

     the glory of his Father and the holy angels. 27You can be sure that some of the people standing here will not

     die before they see God's kingdom.

     The True Glory of Jesus

     (Matthew 17.1-8; Mark 9.2-8)

     28About eight days later Jesus took Peter, John, and James with him and went up on a mountain to pray.

     29While he was praying, his face changed, and his clothes became shining white. 30Suddenly Moses and

     Elijah were there speaking with him. 31They appeared in heavenly glory and talked about all that Jesus' death

     in Jerusalem would mean. 32Peter and the other two disciples had been sound asleep. All at once they woke

     up and saw how glorious Jesus was. They also saw the two men who were with him.

     33Moses and Elijah were about to leave, when Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here! Let

     us make three shelters, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." But Peter did not know what he was

     talking about.

     34While Peter was still speaking, a shadow from a cloud passed over them, and they were frightened as the

     cloud covered them. 35From the cloud a voice spoke, "This is my chosen Son. Listen to what he says!"

     36After the voice had spoken, Peter, John, and James saw only Jesus. For some time they kept quiet and did

     not say anything about what they had seen.

     Jesus Heals a Boy

     (Matthew 17.14-18; Mark 9.14-27)

     37The next day Jesus and his three disciples came down from the mountain and were met by a large crowd.

     38Just then someone in the crowd shouted, "Teacher, please do something for my son! He is my only child!

     39A demon often attacks him and makes him scream. It shakes him until he foams at the mouth, and it won't

     leave him until it has completely worn the boy out. 40I begged your disciples to force out the demon, but

     they couldn't do it."

     41Jesus said to them, "You people are stubborn and don't have any faith! How much longer must I be with

     you? Why do I have to put up with you?"

     Then Jesus said to the man, "Bring your son to me." 42While the boy was being brought, the demon attacked

     him and made him shake all over. Jesus ordered the demon to stop. Then he healed the boy and gave him

     back to his father. 43Everyone was amazed at God's great power.

     While everyone was still amazed at what Jesus was doing, he said to his disciples,

     Jesus Again Speaks about His Death

     (Matthew 17.22,23; Mark 9.30-32)

     44"Pay close attention to what I am telling you! The Son of Man will be handed over to his enemies." 45But

     the disciples did not know what he meant. The meaning was hidden from them. They could not understand it,

     and they were afraid to ask.

     Who Is the Greatest?

     (Matthew 18.1-5; Mark 9.33-37)

     46Jesus' disciples were arguing about which one of them was the greatest. 47Jesus knew what they were

     thinking, and he had a child stand there beside him. 48Then he said to his disciples, "When you welcome even

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

     Whichever one of you is the most humble is the greatest."

     For or against Jesus

     (Mark 9.38-40)

     49John said, "Master, we saw a man using your name to force demons out of people. But we told him to stop,

     because he isn't one of us."

     50"Don't stop him!" Jesus said. "Anyone who isn't against you is for you."

     A Samaritan Village Refuses To Receive Jesus

     51Not long before it was time for Jesus to be taken up to heaven, he made up his mind to go to Jerusalem.

     52He sent some messengers on ahead to a Samaritan village to get things ready for him. 53But he was on his

     way to Jerusalem, so the people there refused to welcome him. 54When the disciples James and John saw

     what was happening, they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to destroy these

     people?" 55But Jesus turned and corrected them for what they had said. 56Then they all went on to another

     village.

     Three People Who Wanted To Be Followers

     (Matthew 8.19-22)

     57Along the way someone said to Jesus, "I'll go anywhere with you!"

     58Jesus said, "Foxes have dens, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man doesn't have a place to call his

     own."

     59Jesus told someone else to come with him. But the man said, "Lord, let me wait until I bury my father."

     60Jesus answered, "Let the dead take care of the dead, while you go and tell about God's kingdom."

     61Then someone said to Jesus, "I want to go with you, Lord, but first let me go back and take care of things

     at home."

     62Jesus answered, "Anyone who starts plowing and keeps looking back isn't worth a thing to God's kingdom!"

chapter 10

     The Work of the Seventy-Two Followers

     1Later the Lord chose seventy-two other followers and sent them out two by two to every town and village

     where he was about to go. 2He said to them: A large crop is in the fields, but there are only a few workers.

     Ask the Lord in charge of the harvest to send out workers to bring it in. 3Now go, but remember, I am sending

     you like lambs into a pack of wolves. 4Don't take along a moneybag or a traveling bag or sandals. And don't

     waste time greeting people on the road. 5As soon as you enter a home, say, "God bless this home with

     peace." 6If the people living there are peace-loving, your prayer for peace will bless them. But if they are not

     peace-loving, your prayer will return to you. 7Stay with the same family, eating and drinking whatever they

     give you, because workers are worth what they earn. Don't move around from house to house. 8If the people

     of a town welcome you, eat whatever they offer. 9Heal their sick and say, "God's kingdom will soon be here!"

     10But if the people of a town refuse to welcome you, go out into the street and say, 11"We are shaking the

     dust from our feet as a warning to you. And you can be sure that God's kingdom will soon be here!" 12I tell

     you that on the day of judgment the people of Sodom will get off easier than the people of that town!

     The Unbelieving Towns

     (Matthew 11.20-24)

     13You people of Chorazin are in for trouble! You people of Bethsaida are also in for trouble! If the miracles

     that took place in your towns had happened in Tyre and Sidon, the people there would have turned to God

     long ago. They would have dressed in sackcloth and put ashes on their heads. 14On the day of judgment the

     people of Tyre and Sidon will get off easier than you will. 15People of Capernaum, do you think you will be

     honored in heaven? Well, you will go down to hell! 16My followers, whoever listens to you is listening to me.

     Anyone who says "No" to you is saying "No" to me. And anyone who says "No" to me is really saying "No" to

     the one who sent me.

     The Return of the Seventy-Two

     17When the seventy-two followers returned, they were excited and said, "Lord, even the demons obeyed

     when we spoke in your name!" 18Jesus told them:

     I saw Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. 19I have given you the power to trample on snakes and

     scorpions and to defeat the power of your enemy Satan. Nothing can harm you. 20But don't be happy

     because evil spirits obey you. Be happy that your names are written in heaven!

     Jesus Thanks His Father

     (Matthew 11.25-27; 13.16,17)

     21At that same time, Jesus felt the joy that comes from the Holy Spirit, and he said: My Father, Lord of

     heaven and earth, I am grateful that you hid all this from wise and educated people and showed it to ordinary

     people. Yes, Father, that is what pleased you.

     22My Father has given me everything, and he is the only one who knows the Son. The only one who really

     knows the Father is the Son. But the Son wants to tell others about the Father, so that they can know him

     too.

     23Jesus then turned to his disciples and said to them in private, "You are really blessed to see what you see!

     24Many prophets and kings were eager to see what you see and to hear what you hear. But I tell you that

     they did not see or hear."

     The Good Samaritan

     25An expert in the Law of Moses stood up and asked Jesus a question to see what he would say. "Teacher,"

     he asked, "what must I do to have eternal life?"

     26Jesus answered, "What is written in the Scriptures? How do you understand them?"

     27The man replied, "The Scriptures say, `Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and

     mind.' They also say, `Love your neighbors as much as you love yourself.' "

     28Jesus said, "You have given the right answer. If you do this, you will have eternal life."

     29But the man wanted to show that he knew what he was talking about. So he asked Jesus, "Who are my

     neighbors?"

     30Jesus replied:

     As a man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, robbers attacked him and grabbed everything he had.

     They beat him up and ran off, leaving him half dead.

     31A priest happened to be going down the same road. But when he saw the man, he walked by on the other

     side. 32Later a temple helper came to the same place. But when he saw the man who had been beaten up,

     he also went by on the other side. 33A man from Samaria then came traveling along that road. When he saw

     the man, he felt sorry for him 34and went over to him. He treated his wounds with olive oil and wine and

     bandaged them. Then he put him on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him.

     35The next morning he gave the innkeeper two silver coins and said, "Please take care of the man. If you

     spend more than this on him, I will pay you when I return." 36Then Jesus asked, "Which one of these three

     people was a real neighbor to the man who was beaten up by robbers?"

     37The teacher answered, "The one who showed pity."

     Jesus said, "Go and do the same!"

     Martha and Mary

     38The Lord and his disciples were traveling along and came to a village. When they got there, a woman

     named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39She had a sister named Mary, who sat down in front of the

     Lord and was listening to what he said. 40Martha was worried about all that had to be done. Finally, she went

     to Jesus and said, "Lord, doesn't it bother you that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her

     to come and help me!"

     41The Lord answered, "Martha, Martha! You are worried and upset about so many things, 42but only one

     thing is necessary. Mary has chosen what is best, and it will not be taken away from her."

chapter 11

     Prayer

     (Matthew 6.9-13; 7.7-11)

     1When Jesus had finished praying, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John

     taught his followers to pray."

     2So Jesus told them, "Pray in this way:

     `Father, help us

     to honor your name.

     Come and set up

     your kingdom.

     3Give us each day

     the food we need. 4Forgive our sins,

     as we forgive everyone

     who has done wrong to us.

     And keep us

     from being tempted.' "

     5Then Jesus went on to say:

     Suppose one of you goes to a friend in the middle of the night and says, "Let me borrow three loaves of

     bread. 6A friend of mine has dropped in, and I don't have a thing for him to eat." 7And suppose your friend

     answers, "Don't bother me! The door is bolted, and my children and I are in bed. I cannot get up to give you

     something."

     8He may not get up and give you the bread, just because you are his friend. But he will get up and give you

     as much as you need, simply because you are not ashamed to keep on asking.

     9So I tell you to ask and you will receive, search and you will find, knock and the door will be opened for you.

     10Everyone who asks will receive, everyone who searches will find, and the door will be opened for everyone

     who knocks. 11Which one of you fathers would give your hungry child a snake if the child asked for a fish?

     12Which one of you would give your child a scorpion if the child asked for an egg? 13As bad as you are, you

     still know how to give good gifts to your children. But your heavenly Father is even more ready to give the

     Holy Spirit to anyone who asks.

     Jesus and the Ruler of Demons

     (Matthew 12.22-30; Mark 3.20-27)

     14Jesus forced a demon out of a man who could not talk. And after the demon had gone out, the man started

     speaking, and the crowds were amazed. 15But some people said, "He forces out demons by the power of

     Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons!"

     16Others wanted to put Jesus to the test. So they asked him to show them a sign from God. 17Jesus knew

     what they were thinking, and he said:

     A kingdom where people fight each other will end up in ruin. And a family that fights will break up. 18If Satan

     fights against himself, how can his kingdom last? Yet you say that I force out demons by the power of

     Beelzebul. 19If I use his power to force out demons, whose power do your own followers use to force them

     out? They are the ones who will judge you. 20But if I use God's power to force out demons, it proves that

     God's kingdom has already come to you.

     21When a strong man arms himself and guards his home, everything he owns is safe. 22But if a stronger man

     comes and defeats him, he will carry off the weapons in which the strong man trusted. Then he will divide

     with others what he has taken. 23If you are not on my side, you are against me. If you don't gather in the

     crop with me, you scatter it.

     Return of an Evil Spirit

     (Matthew 12.43-45)

     24When an evil spirit leaves a person, it travels through the desert, looking for a place to rest. But when it

     doesn't find a place, it says, "I will go back to the home I left." 25When it gets there and finds the place

     clean and fixed up, 26it goes off and finds seven other evil spirits even worse than itself. They all come and

     make their home there, and that person ends up in worse shape than before.

     Being Really Blessed

     27While Jesus was still talking, a woman in the crowd spoke up, "The woman who gave birth to you and

     nursed you is blessed!"

     28Jesus replied, "That's true, but the people who are really blessed are the ones who hear and obey God's

     message!"

     A Sign from God

     (Matthew 12.38-42; Mark 8.12)

     29As crowds were gathering around Jesus, he said:

     You people of today are evil! You keep looking for a sign from God. But what happened to Jonah is the only

     sign you will be given. 30Just as Jonah was a sign to the people of Nineveh, the Son of Man will be a sign to

     the people of today. 31When the judgment comes, the Queen of the South will stand there with you and

     condemn you. She traveled a long way to hear Solomon's wisdom, and yet here is something far greater than

     Solomon. 32The people of Nineveh will also stand there with you and condemn you. They turned to God when

     Jonah preached, and yet here is something far greater than Jonah.

     Light

     (Matthew 5.15; 6.22,23)

     33No one lights a lamp and then hides it or puts it under a clay pot. A lamp is put on a lampstand, so that

     everyone who comes into the house can see the light. 34Your eyes are the lamp for your body. When your

     eyes are good, you have all the light you need. But when your eyes are bad, everything is dark. 35So be sure

     that your light isn't darkness. 36If you have light, and nothing is dark, then light will be everywhere, as when

     a lamp shines brightly on you.

     Jesus Condemns the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law of Moses

     (Matthew 23.1-36; Mark 12.38-40; Luke 20.45-47)

     37When Jesus finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him home for a meal. Jesus went and sat down to eat.

     38The Pharisee was surprised that he did not wash his hands before eating. 39So the Lord said to him: You

     Pharisees clean the outside of cups and dishes, but on the inside you are greedy and evil. 40You fools! Didn't

     God make both the outside and the inside? 41If you would only give what you have to the poor, everything

     you do would please God. 42You Pharisees are in for trouble! You give God a tenth of the spices from your

     gardens, such as mint and rue. But you cheat people, and you don't love God. You should be fair and kind to

     others and still give a tenth to God.

     43You Pharisees are in for trouble! You love the front seats in the meeting places, and you like to be greeted

     with honor in the market. 44But you are in for trouble! You are like unmarked graves that people walk on

     without even knowing it. 45A teacher of the Law of Moses spoke up, "Teacher, you said cruel things about

     us."

     46Jesus replied:

     You teachers are also in for trouble! You load people down with heavy burdens, but you won't lift a finger to

     help them carry the loads. 47Yes, you are really in for trouble. You build monuments to honor the prophets

     your own people murdered long ago. 48You must think that was the right thing for your people to do, or else

     you would not have built monuments for the prophets they murdered.

     49Because of your evil deeds, the Wisdom of God said, "I will send prophets and apostles to you. But you will

     murder some and mistreat others." 50You people living today will be punished for all the prophets who have

     been murdered since the beginning of the world. 51This includes every prophet from the time of Abel to the

     time of Zechariah, who was murdered between the altar and the temple. You people will certainly be punished

     for all of this. 52You teachers of the Law of Moses are really in for trouble! You carry the keys to the door of

     knowledge about God. But you never go in, and you keep others from going in.

     53Jesus was about to leave, but the teachers and the Pharisees wanted to get even with him. They tried to

     make him say what he thought about other things, 54so that they could catch him saying something wrong.

chapter 12

     Warnings

     1As thousands of people crowded around Jesus and were stepping on each other, he told his disciples:

     Be sure to guard against the dishonest teaching of the Pharisees! It is their way of fooling people.

     2Everything that is hidden will be found out, and every secret will be known. 3Whatever you say in the dark

     will be heard when it is day. Whatever you whisper in a closed room will be shouted from the housetops.

     The One To Fear

     (Matthew 10.28-31)

     4My friends, don't be afraid of people. They can kill you, but after that, there is nothing else they can do.

     5God is the one you must fear. Not only can he take your life, but he can throw you into hell. God is certainly

     the one you should fear!

     6Five sparrows are sold for just two pennies, but God doesn't forget a one of them. 7Even the hairs on your

     head are counted. So don't be afraid! You are worth much more than many sparrows.

     Telling Others about Christ

     (Matthew 10.32,33; 12.32; 10.19,20)

     8If you tell others that you belong to me, the Son of Man will tell God's angels that you are my followers.

     9But if you reject me, you will be rejected in front of them. 10If you speak against the Son of Man, you can

     be forgiven, but if you speak against the Holy Spirit, you cannot be forgiven.

     11When you are brought to trial in the Jewish meeting places or before rulers or officials, don't worry about

     how you will defend yourselves or what you will say. 12At that time the Holy Spirit will tell you what to say.

     A Rich Fool

     13A man in a crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, tell my brother to give me my share of what our father left us

     when he died."

     14Jesus answered, "Who gave me the right to settle arguments between you and your brother?"

     15Then he said to the crowd, "Don't be greedy! Owning a lot of things won't make your life safe."

     16So Jesus told them this story:

     A rich man's farm produced a big crop, 17and he said to himself, "What can I do? I don't have a place large

     enough to store everything."

     18Later, he said, "Now I know what I'll do. I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones, where I can store all

     my grain and other goods. 19Then I'll say to myself, `You have stored up enough good things to last for

     years to come. Live it up! Eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.' "

     20But God said to him, "You fool! Tonight you will die. Then who will get what you have stored up?"

     21"This is what happens to people who store up everything for themselves, but are poor in the sight of God."

     Worry

     (Matthew 6.25-34)

     22Jesus said to his disciples:

     I tell you not to worry about your life! Don't worry about having something to eat or wear. 23Life is more than

     food or clothing. 24Look at the crows! They don't plant or harvest, and they don't have storehouses or barns.

     But God takes care of them. You are much more important than any birds. 25Can worry make you live longer?

     26If you don't have power over small things, why worry about everything else? 27Look how the wild flowers

     grow! They don't work hard to make their clothes. But I tell you that Solomon with all his wealth wasn't as

     well clothed as one of these flowers. 28God gives such beauty to everything that grows in the fields, even

     though it is here today and thrown into a fire tomorrow. Won't he do even more for you? You have such little

     faith! 29Don't keep worrying about having something to eat or drink. 30Only people who don't know God are

     always worrying about such things. Your Father knows what you need. 31But put God's work first, and these

     things will be yours as well.

     Treasures in Heaven

     (Matthew 6.19-21)

     32My little group of disciples, don't be afraid! Your Father wants to give you the kingdom. 33Sell what you

     have and give the money to the poor. Make yourselves moneybags that never wear out. Make sure your

     treasure is safe in heaven, where thieves cannot steal it and moths cannot destroy it. 34Your heart will

     always be where your treasure is.

     Faithful and Unfaithful Servants

     (Matthew 24.45-51)

     35Be ready and keep your lamps burning 36just like those servants who wait up for their master to return

     from a wedding feast. As soon as he comes and knocks, they open the door for him. 37Servants are fortunate

     if their master finds them awake and ready when he comes! I promise you that he will get ready and have his

     servants sit down so he can serve them. 38Those servants are really fortunate if their master finds them

     ready, even though he comes late at night or early in the morning. 39You would surely not let a thief break

     into your home, if you knew when the thief was coming. 40So always be ready! You don't know when the Son

     of Man will come.

     41Peter asked Jesus, "Did you say this just for us or for everyone?"

     42The Lord answered:

     Who are faithful and wise servants? Who are the ones the master will put in charge of giving the other

     servants their food supplies at the proper time? 43Servants are fortunate if their master comes and finds

     them doing their job. 44A servant who is always faithful will surely be put in charge of everything the master

     owns.

     45But suppose one of the servants thinks that the master won't return until late. Suppose that servant starts

     beating all the other servants and eats and drinks and gets drunk. 46If that happens, the master will come on

     a day and at a time when the servant least expects him. That servant will then be punished and thrown out

     with the servants who cannot be trusted.

     47If servants are not ready or willing to do what their master wants them to do, they will be beaten hard.

     48But servants who don't know what their master wants them to do will not be beaten so hard for doing

     wrong. If God has been generous with you, he will expect you to serve him well. But if he has been more than

     generous, he will expect you to serve him even better.

     Not Peace, but Trouble

     (Matthew 10.34-36)

     49I came to set fire to the earth, and I wish it were already on fire! 50I am going to be put to a hard test.

     And I will have to suffer a lot of pain until it is over. 51Do you think that I came to bring peace to earth? No

     indeed! I came to make people choose sides. 52A family of five will be divided, with two of them against the

     other three. 53Fathers and sons will turn against one another, and mothers and daughters will do the same.

     Mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law will also turn against each other.

     Knowing What To Do

     (Matthew 16.2,3; 5.25,26)

     54Jesus said to all the people:

     As soon as you see a cloud coming up in the west, you say, "It's going to rain," and it does. 55When the

     south wind blows, you say, "It's going to get hot," and it does. 56Are you trying to fool someone? You can

     predict the weather by looking at the earth and sky, but you don't really know what's going on right now.

     57Why don't you understand the right thing to do? 58When someone accuses you of something, try to settle

     things before you are taken to court. If you don't, you will be dragged before the judge. Then the judge will

     hand you over to the jailer, and you will be locked up. 59You won't get out until you have paid the last cent

     you owe.

chapter 13

     Turn Back to God

     1About this same time Jesus was told that Pilate had given orders for some people from Galilee to be killed

     while they were offering sacrifices. 2Jesus replied:

     Do you think that these people were worse sinners than everyone else in Galilee just because of what

     happened to them? 3Not at all! But you can be sure that if you don't turn back to God, every one of you will

     also be killed. 4What about those eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Do you

     think they were worse than everyone else in Jerusalem? 5Not at all! But you can be sure that if you don't turn

     back to God, every one of you will also die.

     A Story about a Fig Tree

     6Jesus then told them this story:

     A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard. One day he went out to pick some figs, but he didn't find any.

     7So he said to the gardener, "For three years I have come looking for figs on this tree, and I haven't found

     any yet. Chop it down! Why should it take up space?"

     8The gardener answered, "Master, leave it for another year. I'll dig around it and put some manure on it to

     make it grow. 9Maybe it will have figs on it next year. If it doesn't, you can have it cut down."

     Healing a Woman on the Sabbath

     10One Sabbath, Jesus was teaching in a Jewish meeting place, 11and a woman was there who had been

     crippled by an evil spirit for eighteen years. She was completely bent over and could not straighten up.

     12When Jesus saw the woman, he called her over and said, "You are now well." 13He placed his hands on her,

     and right away she stood up straight and praised God.

     14The man in charge of the meeting place was angry because Jesus had healed someone on the Sabbath. So

     he said to the people, "Each week has six days when we can work. Come and be healed on one of those

     days, but not on the Sabbath."

     15The Lord replied, "Are you trying to fool someone? Won't any one of you untie your ox or donkey and lead it

     out to drink on a Sabbath? 16This woman belongs to the family of Abraham, but Satan has kept her bound for

     eighteen years. Isn't it right to set her free on the Sabbath?" 17Jesus' words made his enemies ashamed. But

     everyone else in the crowd was happy about the wonderful things he was doing.

     A Mustard Seed and Yeast

     (Matthew 13.31-33; Mark 4.30-32)

     18Jesus said, "What is God's kingdom like? What can I compare it with? 19It is like what happens when

     someone plants a mustard seed in a garden. The seed grows as big as a tree, and birds nest in its branches."

     20Then Jesus said, "What can I compare God's kingdom with? 21It is like what happens when a woman mixes

     yeast into three batches of flour. Finally, all the dough rises."

     The Narrow Door

     (Matthew 7.13,14,21-23)

     22As Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, he taught the people in the towns and villages. 23Someone asked

     him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?"

     Jesus answered:

     24Do all you can to go in by the narrow door! A lot of people will try to get in, but will not be able to. 25Once

     the owner of the house gets up and locks the door, you will be left standing outside. You will knock on the

     door and say, "Sir, open the door for us!"

     But the owner will answer, "I don't know a thing about you!"

     26Then you will start saying, "We dined with you, and you taught in our streets."

     27But he will say, "I really don't know who you are! Get away from me, you evil people!"

     28Then when you have been thrown outside, you will weep and grit your teeth because you will see Abraham,

     Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in God's kingdom. 29People will come from all directions and sit down to

     feast in God's kingdom. 30There the ones who are now least important will be the most important, and those

     who are now most important will be least important.

     Jesus and Herod

     31At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said, "You had better get away from here! Herod wants to

     kill you." 32Jesus said to them:

     Go tell that fox, "I am going to force out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and three days later

     I'll be through." 33But I am going on my way today and tomorrow and the next day. After all, Jerusalem is the

     place where prophets are killed.

     Jesus Loves Jerusalem

     (Matthew 23.37-39)

     34Jerusalem, Jerusalem! Your people have killed the prophets and have stoned the messengers who were sent

     to you. I have often wanted to gather your people, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But you

     wouldn't let me. 35Now your temple will be deserted. You won't see me again until the time when you say,

     "Blessed is the one who comes

     in the name of the Lord."

chapter 14

     Jesus Heals a Sick Man

     1One Sabbath, Jesus was having dinner in the home of an important Pharisee, and everyone was carefully

     watching Jesus. 2All of a sudden a man with swollen legs stood up in front of him. 3Jesus turned and asked

     the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law of Moses, "Is it right to heal on the Sabbath?" 4But they did not

     say a word.

     Jesus took hold of the man. Then he healed him and sent him away. 5Afterwards, Jesus asked the people, "If

     your son or ox falls into a well, wouldn't you pull him out right away, even on the Sabbath?" 6There was

     nothing they could say.

     How To Be a Guest

     7Jesus saw how the guests had tried to take the best seats. So he told them:

     8When you are invited to a wedding feast, don't sit in the best place. Someone more important may have

     been invited. 9Then the one who invited you will come and say, "Give your place to this other guest!" You will

     be embarrassed and will have to sit in the worst place.

     10When you are invited to be a guest, go and sit in the worst place. Then the one who invited you may come

     and say, "My friend, take a better seat!" You will then be honored in front of all the other guests. 11If you

     put yourself above others, you will be put down. But if you humble yourself, you will be honored.

     12Then Jesus said to the man who had invited him:

     When you give a dinner or a banquet, don't invite your friends and family and relatives and rich neighbors. If

     you do, they will invite you in return, and you will be paid back. 13When you give a feast, invite the poor, the

     crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14They cannot pay you back. But God will bless you and reward you when

     his people rise from death.

     The Great Banquet

     (Matthew 22.1-10)

     15After Jesus had finished speaking, one of the guests said, "The greatest blessing of all is to be at the

     banquet in God's kingdom!"

     16Jesus told him:

     A man once gave a great banquet and invited a lot of guests. 17When the banquet was ready, he sent a

     servant to tell the guests, "Everything is ready! Please come."

     18One guest after another started making excuses. The first one said, "I bought some land, and I've got to

     look it over. Please excuse me."

     19Another guest said, "I bought five teams of oxen, and I need to try them out. Please excuse me."

     20Still another guest said, "I have just gotten married, and I can't be there."

     21The servant told his master what happened, and the master became so angry that he said, "Go as fast as

     you can to every street and alley in town! Bring in everyone who is poor or crippled or blind or lame."

     22When the servant returned, he said, "Master, I've done what you told me, and there is still plenty of room

     for more people."

     23His master then told him, "Go out along the back roads and fence rows and make people come in, so that

     my house will be full. 24Not one of the guests I first invited will get even a bite of my food!"

     Being a Disciple

     (Matthew 10.37,38)

     25Large crowds were walking along with Jesus, when he turned and said:

     26You cannot be my disciple, unless you love me more than you love your father and mother, your wife and

     children, and your brothers and sisters. You cannot come with me unless you love me more than you love

     your own life.

     27You cannot be my disciple unless you carry your own cross and come with me.

     28Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. What is the first thing you will do? Won't you sit down and

     figure out how much it will cost and if you have enough money to pay for it? 29Otherwise, you will start

     building the tower, but not be able to finish. Then everyone who sees what is happening will laugh at you.

     30They will say, "You started building, but could not finish the job."

     31What will a king do if he has only ten thousand soldiers to defend himself against a king who is about to

     attack him with twenty thousand soldiers? Before he goes out to battle, won't he first sit down and decide if

     he can win? 32If he thinks he won't be able to defend himself, he will send messengers and ask for peace

     while the other king is still a long way off. 33So then, you cannot be my disciple unless you give away

     everything you own.

     Salt and Light

     (Matthew 5.13; Mark 9.50)

     34Salt is good, but if it no longer tastes like salt, how can it be made to taste salty again? 35It is no longer

     good for the soil or even for the manure pile. People simply throw it out. If you have ears, pay attention!

chapter 15

     One Sheep

     (Matthew 18.12-14)

     1Tax collectors and sinners were all crowding around to listen to Jesus. 2So the Pharisees and the teachers

     of the Law of Moses started grumbling, "This man is friendly with sinners. He even eats with them." 3Then

     Jesus told them this story:

     4If any of you has a hundred sheep, and one of them gets lost, what will you do? Won't you leave the

     ninety-nine in the field and go look for the lost sheep until you find it? 5And when you find it, you will be so

     glad that you will put it on your shoulder 6and carry it home. Then you will call in your friends and neighbors

     and say, "Let's celebrate! I've found my lost sheep."

     7Jesus said, "In the same way there is more happiness in heaven because of one sinner who turns to God

     than over ninety-nine good people who don't need to."

     One Coin

     8Jesus told the people another story:

     What will a woman do if she has ten silver coins and loses one of them? Won't she light a lamp, sweep the

     floor, and look carefully until she finds it? 9Then she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, "Let's

     celebrate! I've found the coin I lost."

     10Jesus said, "In the same way God's angels are happy when even one person turns to him."

     Two Sons

     11Jesus also told them another story:

     Once a man had two sons. 12The younger son said to his father, "Give me my share of the property." So the

     father divided his property between his two sons.

     13Not long after that, the younger son packed up everything he owned and left for a foreign country, where

     he wasted all his money in wild living. 14He had spent everything, when a bad famine spread through that

     whole land. Soon he had nothing to eat.

     15He went to work for a man in that country, and the man sent him out to take care of his pigs. 16He would

     have been glad to eat what the pigs were eating, but no one gave him a thing. 17Finally, he came to his

     senses and said, "My father's workers have plenty to eat, and here I am, starving to death! 18I will go to my

     father and say to him, `Father, I have sinned against God in heaven and against you. 19I am no longer good

     enough to be called your son. Treat me like one of your workers.' "

     20The younger son got up and started back to his father. But when he was still a long way off, his father saw

     him and felt sorry for him. He ran to his son and hugged and kissed him.

     21The son said, "Father, I have sinned against God in heaven and against you. I am no longer good enough to

     be called your son."

     22But his father said to the servants, "Hurry and bring the best clothes and put them on him. Give him a ring

     for his finger and sandals for his feet. 23Get the best calf and prepare it, so we can eat and celebrate. 24This

     son of mine was dead, but has now come back to life. He was lost and has now been found." And they began

     to celebrate. 25The older son had been out in the field. But when he came near the house, he heard the

     music and dancing. 26So he called one of the servants over and asked, "What's going on here?"

     27The servant answered, "Your brother has come home safe and sound, and your father ordered us to kill the

     best calf." 28The older brother got so angry that he would not even go into the house.

     His father came out and begged him to go in. 29But he said to his father, "For years I have worked for you

     like a slave and have always obeyed you. But you have never even given me a little goat, so that I could give

     a dinner for my friends. 30This other son of yours wasted your money on prostitutes. And now that he has

     come home, you ordered the best calf to be killed for a feast."

     31His father replied, "My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32But we should be

     glad and celebrate! Your brother was dead, but he is now alive. He was lost and has now been found."

chapter 16

     A Dishonest Manager

     1Jesus said to his disciples:

     A rich man once had a manager to take care of his business. But he was told that his manager was wasting

     money. 2So the rich man called him in and said, "What is this I hear about you? Tell me what you have done!

     You are no longer going to work for me."

     3The manager said to himself, "What shall I do now that my master is going to fire me? I can't dig ditches,

     and I'm ashamed to beg. 4I know what I'll do, so that people will welcome me into their homes after I've lost

     my job."

     5Then one by one he called in the people who were in debt to his master. He asked the first one, "How much

     do you owe my master?"

     6"A hundred barrels of olive oil," the man answered.

     So the manager said, "Take your bill and sit down and quickly write `fifty'."

     7The manager asked someone else who was in debt to his master, "How much do you owe?"

     "A thousand bushels of wheat," the man replied. The manager said, "Take your bill and write `eight hundred'."

     8The master praised his dishonest manager for looking out for himself so well. That's how it is! The people of

     this world look out for themselves better than the people who belong to the light.

     9My disciples, I tell you to use wicked wealth to make friends for yourselves. Then when it is gone, you will

     be welcomed into an eternal home. 10Anyone who can be trusted in little matters can also be trusted in

     important matters. But anyone who is dishonest in little matters will be dishonest in important matters. 11If

     you cannot be trusted with this wicked wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? 12And if you cannot be

     trusted with what belongs to someone else, who will give you something that will be your own? 13You cannot

     be the slave of two masters. You will like one more than the other or be more loyal to one than to the other.

     You cannot serve God and money.

     Some Sayings of Jesus

     (Matthew 11.12,13; 5.31,32; Mark 10.11,12)

     14The Pharisees really loved money. So when they heard what Jesus said, they made fun of him. 15But Jesus

     told them:

     You are always making yourselves look good, but God sees what is in your heart. The things that most people

     think are important are worthless as far as God is concerned.

     16Until the time of John the Baptist, people had to obey the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets. But

     since God's kingdom has been preached, everyone is trying hard to get in. 17Heaven and earth will disappear

     before the smallest letter of the Law does. 18It is a terrible sin for a man to divorce his wife and marry

     another woman. It is also a terrible sin for a man to marry a divorced woman.

     Lazarus and the Rich Man

     19There was once a rich man who wore expensive clothes and every day ate the best food. 20But a poor

     beggar named Lazarus was brought to the gate of the rich man's house. 21He was happy just to eat the

     scraps that fell from the rich man's table. His body was covered with sores, and dogs kept coming up to lick

     them. 22The poor man died, and angels took him to the place of honor next to Abraham. The rich man also

     died and was buried. 23He went to hell and was suffering terribly. When he looked up and saw Abraham far

     off and Lazarus at his side, 24he said to Abraham, "Have pity on me! Send Lazarus to dip his finger in water

     and touch my tongue. I'm suffering terribly in this fire." 25Abraham answered, "My friend, remember that while

     you lived, you had everything good, and Lazarus had everything bad. Now he is happy, and you are in pain.

     26And besides, there is a deep ditch between us, and no one from either side can cross over."

     27But the rich man said, "Abraham, then please send Lazarus to my father's home. 28Let him warn my five

     brothers, so they won't come to this horrible place."

     29Abraham answered, "Your brothers can read what Moses and the prophets wrote. They should pay

     attention to that." 30Then the rich man said, "No, that's not enough! If only someone from the dead would go

     to them, they would listen and turn to God."

     31So Abraham said, "If they won't pay attention to Moses and the prophets, they won't listen even to

     someone who comes back from the dead."

chapter 17

     Faith and Service

     (Matthew 18.6,7,21,22; Mark 9.42)

     1Jesus said to his disciples:

     There will always be something that causes people to sin. But anyone who causes them to sin is in for

     trouble. A person who causes even one of my little followers to sin 2would be better off thrown into the

     ocean with a heavy stone tied around their neck. 3So be careful what you do.

     Correct any followers of mine who sin, and forgive the ones who say they are sorry. 4Even if one of them

     mistreats you seven times in one day and says, "I am sorry," you should still forgive that person. 5The

     apostles said to the Lord, "Make our faith stronger!"

     6Jesus replied:

     If you had faith no bigger than a tiny mustard seed, you could tell this mulberry tree to pull itself up, roots

     and all, and to plant itself in the ocean. And it would!

     7If your servant comes in from plowing or from taking care of the sheep, would you say, "Welcome! Come on

     in and have something to eat"? 8No, you wouldn't say that. You would say, "Fix me something to eat. Get

     ready to serve me, so I can have my meal. Then later on you can eat and drink." 9Servants don't deserve

     special thanks for doing what they are supposed to do. 10And that's how it should be with you. When you've

     done all you should, then say, "We are merely servants, and we have simply done our duty."

     Ten Men with Leprosy

     11On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus went along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12As he was going into

     a village, ten men with leprosy came toward him. They stood at a distance 13and shouted, "Jesus, Master,

     have pity on us!" 14Jesus looked at them and said, "Go show yourselves to the priests." On their way they

     were healed. 15When one of them discovered that he was healed, he came back, shouting praises to God.

     16He bowed down at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. The man was from the country of Samaria.

     17Jesus asked, "Weren't ten men healed? Where are the other nine? 18Why was this foreigner the only one

     who came back to thank God?" 19Then Jesus told the man, "You may get up and go. Your faith has made you

     well."

     God's Kingdom

     (Matthew 24.23-28,37-41)

     20Some Pharisees asked Jesus when God's kingdom would come. He answered, "God's kingdom isn't something

     you can see. 21There is no use saying, `Look! Here it is' or `Look! There it is.' God's kingdom is here with

     you." 22Jesus said to his disciples:

     The time will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not. 23When

     people say to you, "Look there," or "Look here," don't go looking for him. 24The day of the Son of Man will be

     like lightning flashing across the sky. 25But first he must suffer terribly and be rejected by the people of

     today. 26When the Son of Man comes, things will be just as they were when Noah lived. 27People were

     eating, drinking, and getting married right up to the day when Noah went into the big boat. Then the flood

     came and drowned everyone on earth.

     28When Lot lived, people were also eating and drinking. They were buying, selling, planting, and building.

     29But on the very day Lot left Sodom, fiery flames poured down from the sky and killed everyone. 30The

     same will happen on the day when the Son of Man appears. 31At that time no one on a rooftop should go

     down into the house to get anything. No one in a field should go back to the house for anything. 32Remember

     what happened to Lot's wife. 33People who try to save their lives will lose them, and those who lose their

     lives will save them. 34On that night two people will be sleeping in the same bed, but only one will be taken.

     The other will be left. 35-36Two women will be together grinding wheat, but only one will be taken. The other

     will be left. 37Then Jesus' disciples spoke up, "But where will this happen, Lord?"

     Jesus said, "Where there is a corpse, there will always be buzzards."

chapter 18

     A Widow and a Judge

     1Jesus told his disciples a story about how they should keep on praying and never give up:

     2In a town there was once a judge who didn't fear God or care about people. 3In that same town there was

     a widow who kept going to the judge and saying, "Make sure that I get fair treatment in court."

     4For a while the judge refused to do anything. Finally, he said to himself, "Even though I don't fear God or

     care about people, 5I will help this widow because she keeps on bothering me. If I don't help her, she will

     wear me out."

     6The Lord said:

     Think about what that crooked judge said. 7Won't God protect his chosen ones who pray to him day and

     night? Won't he be concerned for them? 8He will surely hurry and help them. But when the Son of Man comes,

     will he find on this earth anyone with faith?

     A Pharisee and a Tax Collector

     9Jesus told a story to some people who thought they were better than others and who looked down on

     everyone else:

     10Two men went into the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee

     stood over by himself and prayed, "God, I thank you that I am not greedy, dishonest, and unfaithful in

     marriage like other people. And I am really glad that I am not like that tax collector over there. 12I go without

     eating for two days a week, and I give you one tenth of all I earn." 13The tax collector stood off at a

     distance and did not think he was good enough even to look up toward heaven. He was so sorry for what he

     had done that he pounded his chest and prayed, "God, have pity on me! I am such a sinner."

     14Then Jesus said, "When the two men went home, it was the tax collector and not the Pharisee who was

     pleasing to God. If you put yourself above others, you will be put down. But if you humble yourself, you will

     be honored."

     Jesus Blesses Little Children

     (Matthew 19.13-15; Mark 10.13-16)

     15Some people brought their little children for Jesus to bless. But when his disciples saw them doing this, they

     told the people to stop bothering him. 16So Jesus called the children over to him and said, "Let the children

     come to me! Don't try to stop them. People who are like these children belong to God's kingdom. 17You will

     never get into God's kingdom unless you enter it like a child!"

     A Rich and Important Man

     (Matthew 19.16-30; Mark 10.17-31)

     18An important man asked Jesus, "Good Teacher, what must I do to have eternal life?"

     19Jesus said, "Why do you call me good? Only God is good. 20You know the commandments: `Be faithful in

     marriage. Do not murder. Do not steal. Do not tell lies about others. Respect your father and mother.' "

     21He told Jesus, "I have obeyed all these commandments since I was a young man."

     22When Jesus heard this, he said, "There is one thing you still need to do. Go and sell everything you own!

     Give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come and be my follower." 23When the

     man heard this, he was sad, because he was very rich.

     24Jesus saw how sad the man was. So he said, "It's terribly hard for rich people 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."

     26When the crowd heard this, they asked, "How can anyone ever be saved?"

     27Jesus replied, "There are some things that people cannot do, but God can do anything."

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

     29Jesus answered, "You can be sure that anyone who gives up home or wife or brothers or family or children

     because of God's kingdom 30will be given much more in this life. And in the future world they will have eternal

     life."

     Jesus Again Tells about His Death

     (Matthew 20.17-19; Mark 10.32-34)

     31Jesus took the twelve apostles aside and said:

     We are now on our way to Jerusalem. Everything that the prophets wrote about the Son of Man will happen

     there. 32He will be handed over to foreigners, who will make fun of him, mistreat him, and spit on him. 33They

     will beat him and kill him, but three days later he will rise to life. 34The apostles did not understand what

     Jesus was talking about. They could not understand, because the meaning of what he said was hidden from

     them.

     Jesus Heals a Blind Beggar

     (Matthew 20.29-34; Mark 10.46-52)

     35When Jesus was coming close to Jericho, a blind man sat begging beside the road. 36The man heard the

     crowd walking by and asked what was happening. 37Some people told him that Jesus from Nazareth was

     passing by. 38So the blind man shouted, "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!" 39The people who were

     going along with Jesus told the man to be quiet. But he shouted even louder, "Son of David, have pity on me!"

     40Jesus stopped and told some people to bring the blind man over to him. When the blind man was getting

     near, Jesus asked, 41"What do you want me to do for you?"

     "Lord, I want to see!" he answered.

     42Jesus replied, "Look and you will see! Your eyes are healed because of your faith." 43Right away the man

     could see, and he went with Jesus and started thanking God. When the crowds saw what happened, they

     praised God.

chapter 19

     Zacchaeus

     1Jesus was going through Jericho, 2where a man named Zacchaeus lived. He was in charge of collecting

     taxes and was very rich. 3-4Jesus was heading his way, and Zacchaeus wanted to see what he was like. But

     Zacchaeus was a short man and could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a

     sycamore tree. 5When Jesus got there, he looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, hurry down! I want to stay with

     you today." 6Zacchaeus hurried down and gladly welcomed Jesus.

     7Everyone who saw this started grumbling, "This man Zacchaeus is a sinner! And Jesus is going home to eat

     with him."

     8Later that day Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "I will give half of my property to the poor. And I

     will now pay back four times as much to everyone I have ever cheated." 9Jesus said to Zacchaeus, "Today

     you and your family have been saved, because you are a true son of Abraham. 10The Son of Man came to

     look for and to save people who are lost."

     A Story about Ten Servants

     (Matthew 25.14-30)

     11The crowd was still listening to Jesus as he was getting close to Jerusalem. Many of them thought that

     God's kingdom would soon appear, 12and Jesus told them this story:

     A prince once went to a foreign country to be crowned king and then to return. 13But before leaving, he

     called in ten servants and gave each of them some money. He told them, "Use this to earn more money until I

     get back."

     14But the people of his country hated him, and they sent messengers to the foreign country to say, "We

     don't want this man to be our king."

     15After the prince had been made king, he returned and called in his servants. He asked them how much they

     had earned with the money they had been given.

     16The first servant came and said, "Sir, with the money you gave me I have earned ten times as much."

     17"That's fine, my good servant!" the king said. "Since you have shown that you can be trusted with a small

     amount, you will be given ten cities to rule."

     18The second one came and said, "Sir, with the money you gave me, I have earned five times as much."

     19The king said, "You will be given five cities."

     20Another servant came and said, "Sir, here is your money. I kept it safe in a handkerchief. 21You are a hard

     man, and I was afraid of you. You take what isn't yours, and you harvest crops you didn't plant."

     22"You worthless servant!" the king told him. "You have condemned yourself by what you have just said. You

     knew that I am a hard man, taking what isn't mine and harvesting what I've not planted. 23Why didn't you

     put my money in the bank? On my return, I could have had the money together with interest."

     24Then he said to some other servants standing there, "Take the money away from him and give it to the

     servant who earned ten times as much."

     25But they said, "Sir, he already has ten times as much!"

     26The king replied, "Those who have something will be given more. But everything will be taken away from

     those who don't have anything. 27Now bring me the enemies who didn't want me to be their king. Kill them

     while I watch!"

     Jesus Enters Jerusalem

     (Matthew 21.1-11; Mark 11.1-11; John 12.12-19)

     28When Jesus had finished saying all this, he went on toward Jerusalem. 29As he was getting near Bethphage

     and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples on ahead. 30He told them, "Go into the next

     village, where you will find a young donkey that has never been ridden. Untie the donkey and bring it here.

     31If anyone asks why you are doing that, just say, `The Lord needs it.' " 32They went off and found

     everything just as Jesus had said. 33While they were untying the donkey, its owners asked, "Why are you

     doing that?"

     34They answered, "The Lord needs it."

     35Then they led the donkey to Jesus. They put some of their clothes on its back and helped Jesus get on.

     36And as he rode along, the people spread clothes on the road in front of him. 37When Jesus was starting

     down the Mount of Olives, his large crowd of disciples were happy and praised God because of all the miracles

     they had seen. 38They shouted,

     "Blessed is the king who comes

     in the name of the Lord!

     Peace in heaven

     and glory to God."

     39Some Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, make your disciples stop shouting!"

     40But Jesus answered, "If they keep quiet, these stones will start shouting."

     41When Jesus came closer and could see Jerusalem, he cried 42and said:

     It is too bad that today your people don't know what will bring them peace! Now it is hidden from them.

     43Jerusalem, the time will come when your enemies will build walls around you to attack you. Armies will

     surround you and close in on you from every side. 44They will level you to the ground and kill your people.

     Not one stone in your buildings will be left on top of another. This will happen because you did not see that

     God had come to save you.

     Jesus in the Temple

     (Matthew 21.12-17; Mark 11.15-19; John 2.13-22)

     45When Jesus entered the temple, he started chasing out the people who were selling things. 46He told

     them, "The Scriptures say, `My house should be a place of worship.' But you have made it a place where

     robbers hide!"

     47Each day, Jesus kept on teaching in the temple. So the chief priests, the teachers of the Law of Moses,

     and some other important people tried to have him killed. 48But they could not find a way to do it, because

     everyone else was eager to listen to him.

chapter 20

     A Question about Jesus' Authority

     (Matthew 21.23-27; Mark 11.27-33)

     1One day, Jesus was teaching in the temple and telling the good news. So the chief priests, the teachers,

     and the nation's leaders 2asked him, "What right do you have to do these things? Who gave you this

     authority?"

     3Jesus replied, "I want to ask you a question. 4Who gave John the right to baptize? Was it God in heaven or

     merely some human being?"

     5They talked this 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. 6And we can't say that it was merely some human who gave John the right to

     baptize. The crowd will stone us to death, because they think John was a prophet."

     7So they told Jesus, "We don't know who gave John the right to baptize."

     8Jesus replied, "Then I won't tell you who gave me the right to do what I do."

     Renters of a Vineyard

     (Matthew 21.33-46; Mark 12.1-12)

     9Jesus told the people this story:

     A man once planted a vineyard and rented it out. Then he left the country for a long time. 10When it was

     time to harvest the crop, he sent a servant to ask the renters for his share of the grapes. But they beat up

     the servant and sent him away without anything. 11So the owner sent another servant. The renters also

     beat him up. They insulted him terribly and sent him away without a thing. 12The owner sent a third servant.

     He was also beaten terribly and thrown out of the vineyard.

     13The owner then said to himself, "What am I going to do? I know what. I'll send my son, the one I love so

     much. They will surely respect him!"

     14When the renters saw the owner's son, they said to one another, "Someday he will own the vineyard. Let's

     kill him! Then we can have it all for ourselves." 15So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

     Jesus asked, "What do you think the owner of the vineyard will do? 16I'll tell you what. He will come and kill

     those renters and let someone else have his vineyard."

     When the people heard this, they said, "This must never happen!"

     17But Jesus looked straight at them and said, "Then what do the Scriptures mean when they say, `The stone

     that the builders tossed aside is now the most important stone of all'? 18Anyone who stumbles over this

     stone will get hurt, and anyone it falls on will be smashed to pieces."

     19The chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses knew that Jesus was talking about them when he

     was telling this story. They wanted to arrest him right then, but they were afraid of the people.

     Paying Taxes

     (Matthew 22.15-22; Mark 12.13-17)

     20Jesus' enemies kept watching him closely, because they wanted to hand him over to the Roman governor.

     So they sent some men who pretended to be good. But they were really spies trying to catch Jesus saying

     something wrong. 21The spies said to him, "Teacher, we know that you teach the truth about what God

     wants people to do. And you treat everyone with the same respect, no matter who they are. 22Tell us,

     should we pay taxes to the Emperor or not?"

     23Jesus knew that they were trying to trick him. So he told them, 24"Show me a coin." Then he asked,

     "Whose picture and name are on it?"

     "The Emperor's," they answered.

     25Then he told them, "Give the Emperor what belongs to him and give God what belongs to God." 26Jesus'

     enemies could not catch him saying anything wrong there in front of the people. They were amazed at his

     answer and kept quiet.

     Life in the Future World

     (Matthew 22.23-33; Mark 12.18-27)

     27The Sadducees did not believe that people would rise to life after death. So some of them came to Jesus

     28and said:

     Teacher, 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.

     29There were once seven brothers. The first one married, but died without having any children. 30The second

     one married his brother's widow, and he also died without having any children. 31The same thing happened to

     the third one. Finally, all seven brothers married that woman and died without having any children. 32At last

     the woman died. 33When God raises people from death, whose wife will this woman be? All seven brothers

     had married her.

     34Jesus answered:

     The people in this world get married. 35But in the future world no one who is worthy to rise from death will

     either marry 36or die. They will be like the angels and will be God's children, because they have been raised to

     life.

     37In the story about the burning bush, Moses clearly shows that people will live again. He said, "The Lord is

     the God worshiped by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." 38So the Lord isn't the God of the dead, but of the living.

     This means that everyone is alive as far as God is concerned. 39Some of the teachers of the Law of Moses

     said, "Teacher, you have given a good answer!" 40From then on, no one dared to ask Jesus any questions.

     About David's Son (Matthew 22.41-46; Mark 12.35-37)

     41Jesus asked, "Why do people say that the Messiah will be the son of King David? 42In the book of Psalms,

     David himself says, `The Lord said to my Lord,

     Sit at my right side

     43until I make your enemies

     into a footstool for you.'

     44David spoke of the Messiah as his Lord, so how can the Messiah be his son?"

     Jesus and the Teachers of the Law of Moses

     (Matthew 23.1-36; Mark 12.38-40; Luke 11.37-54)

     45While everyone was listening to Jesus, he said to his disciples:

     46Guard against the teachers of the Law of Moses! They love to walk around in long robes, and they like to

     be greeted in the market. They want the front seats in the meeting places and the best seats at banquets.

     47But they cheat widows out of their homes and then pray long prayers just to show off. These teachers will

     be punished most of all.

chapter 21

     A Widow's Offering

     (Mark 12.41-44)

     1Jesus looked up and saw some rich people tossing their gifts into the offering box. 2He also saw a poor

     widow putting in two pennies. 3And he said, "I tell you that this poor woman has put in more than all the

     others. 4Everyone else gave what they didn't need. But she is very poor and gave everything she had."

     The Temple Will Be Destroyed

     (Matthew 24.1,2; Mark 13.1,2)

     5Some people were talking about the beautiful stones used to build the temple and about the gifts that had

     been placed in it. Jesus said, 6"Do you see these stones? The time is coming when not one of them will be

     left in place. They will all be knocked down."

     Warning about Trouble

     (Matthew 24.3-14; Mark 13.3-13)

     7Some people asked, "Teacher, when will all this happen? How can we know when these things are about to

     take place?"

     8Jesus replied:

     Don't be fooled by those who will come and claim to be me. They will say, "I am Christ!" and "Now is the

     time!" But don't follow them. 9When you hear about wars and riots, don't be afraid. These things will have to

     happen first, but that isn't the end.

     10Nations will go to war against one another, and kingdoms will attack each other. 11There will be great

     earthquakes, and in many places people will starve to death and suffer terrible diseases. All sorts of

     frightening things will be seen in the sky.

     12Before all this happens, you will be arrested and punished. You will be tried in your meeting places and put

     in jail. Because of me you will be placed on trial before kings and governors. 13But this will be your chance to

     tell about your faith.

     14Don't worry about what you will say to defend yourselves. 15I will give you the wisdom to know what to

     say. None of your enemies will be able to oppose you or to say that you are wrong. 16You will be betrayed by

     your own parents, brothers, family, and friends. Some of you will even be killed. 17Because of me, you will be

     hated by everyone. 18But don't worry! 19You will be saved by being faithful to me.

     Jerusalem Will Be Destroyed

     (Matthew 24.15-21; Mark 13.14-19)

     20When you see Jerusalem surrounded by soldiers, you will know that it will soon be destroyed. 21If you are

     living in Judea at that time, run to the mountains. If you are in the city, leave it. And if you are out in the

     country, don't go back into the city. 22This time of punishment is what is written about in the Scriptures.

     23It will be an awful time for women who are expecting babies or nursing young children! Everywhere in the

     land people will suffer horribly and be punished. 24Some of them will be killed by swords. Others will be carried

     off to foreign countries. Jerusalem will be overrun by foreign nations until their time comes to an end.

     When the Son of Man Appears

     (Matthew 24.29-31; Mark 13.24-27)

     25Strange things will happen to the sun, moon, and stars. The nations on earth will be afraid of the roaring

     sea and tides, and they won't know what to do. 26People will be so frightened that they will faint because of

     what is happening to the world. Every power in the sky will be shaken. 27Then the Son of Man will be seen,

     coming in a cloud with great power and glory. 28When all of this starts happening, stand up straight and be

     brave. You will soon be set free.

     A Lesson from a Fig Tree

     (Matthew 24.32-35; Mark 13.28-31)

     29Then Jesus told them a story:

     When you see a fig tree or any other tree 30putting out leaves, you know that summer will soon come. 31So,

     when you see these things happening, you know that God's kingdom will soon be here. 32You can be sure

     that some of the people of this generation will still be alive when all of this takes place. 33The sky and the

     earth won't last forever, but my words will.

     A Warning

     34Don't spend all of your time thinking about eating or drinking or worrying about life. If you do, the final day

     will suddenly catch you 35like a trap. That day will surprise everyone on earth. 36Watch out and keep praying

     that you can escape all that is going to happen and that the Son of Man will be pleased with you.

     37Jesus taught in the temple each day, and he spent each night on the Mount of Olives. 38Everyone got up

     early and came to the temple to hear him teach.

chapter 22

     A Plot To Kill Jesus

     (Matthew 26.1-5,14,16; Mark 14.1,2,10,11; John 11.45-53)

     1The Festival of Thin Bread, also called Passover, was near. 2The chief priests and the teachers of the Law

     of Moses were looking for a way to get rid of Jesus, because they were afraid of what the people might do.

     3Then Satan entered the heart of Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve apostles. 4Judas went to talk

     with the chief priests and the officers of the temple police about how he could help them arrest Jesus. 5They

     were very pleased and offered to pay Judas some money. 6He agreed and started looking for a good chance

     to betray Jesus when the crowds were not around.

     Jesus Eats with His Disciples

     (Matthew 26.17-25; Mark 14.12-21; John 13.21-30)

     7The day had come for the Festival of Thin Bread, and it was time to kill the Passover lambs. 8So Jesus said

     to Peter and John, "Go and prepare the Passover meal for us to eat."

     9But they asked, "Where do you want us to prepare it?"

     10Jesus told them, "As you go into the city, you will meet a man carrying a jar of water. Follow him into the

     house 11and say to the owner, `Our teacher wants to know where he can eat the Passover meal with his

     disciples.' 12The owner will take you upstairs and show you a large room ready for you to use. Prepare the

     meal there." 13Peter and John left. They found everything just as Jesus had told them, and they prepared the

     Passover meal.

     The Lord's Supper

     (Matthew 26.26-30; Mark 14.22-26; 1 Corinthians 11.23-25)

     14When the time came for Jesus and the apostles to eat, 15he said to them, "I have very much wanted to

     eat this Passover meal with you before I suffer. 16I tell you that I will not eat another Passover meal until it

     is finally eaten in God's kingdom."

     17Jesus took a cup of wine in his hands and gave thanks to God. Then he told the apostles, "Take this wine

     and share it with each other. 18I tell you that I will not drink any more wine until God's kingdom comes."

     19Jesus took some bread in his hands and gave thanks for it. He broke the bread and handed it to his

     apostles. Then he said, "This is my body, which is given for you. Eat this as a way of remembering me!"

     20After the meal he took another cup of wine in his hands. Then he said, "This is my blood. It is poured out

     for you, and with it God makes his new agreement. 21The one who will betray me is here at the table with

     me! 22The Son of Man will die in the way that has been decided for him, but it will be terrible for the one who

     betrays him!"

     23Then the apostles started arguing about who would ever do such a thing.

     An Argument about Greatness

     24The apostles got into an argument about which one of them was the greatest. 25So Jesus told them:

     Foreign kings order their people around, and powerful rulers call themselves everyone's friends. 26But don't be

     like them. The most important one of you should be like the least important, and your leader should be like a

     servant. 27Who do people think is the greatest, a person who is served or one who serves? Isn't it the one

     who is served? But I have been with you as a servant. 28You have stayed with me in all my troubles. 29So I

     will give you the right to rule as kings, just as my Father has given me the right to rule as a king. 30You will

     eat and drink with me in my kingdom, and you will each sit on a throne to judge the twelve tribes of Israel.

     Jesus' Disciples Will Be Tested

     (Matthew 26.31-35; Mark 14.27-31; John 13.36-38)

     31Jesus said, "Simon, listen to me! Satan has demanded the right to test each one of you, as a farmer does

     when he separates wheat from the husks. 32But Simon, I have prayed that your faith will be strong. And

     when you have come back to me, help the others." 33Peter said, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to jail and

     even to die with you."

     34Jesus replied, "Peter, I tell you that before a rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will say three times that

     you don't know me."

     Moneybags, Traveling Bags, and Swords

     35Jesus asked his disciples, "When I sent you out without a moneybag or a traveling bag or sandals, did you

     need anything?"

     "No!" they answered.

     36Jesus told them, "But now, if you have a moneybag, take it with you. Also take a traveling bag, and if you

     don't have a sword, sell some of your clothes and buy one. 37Do this because the Scriptures say, `He was

     considered a criminal.' This was written about me, and it will soon come true." 38The disciples said, "Lord,

     here are two swords!"

     "Enough of that!" Jesus replied.

     Jesus Prays

     (Matthew 26.36-46; Mark 14.32-42)

     39Jesus went out to the Mount of Olives, as he often did, and his disciples went with him. 40When they got

     there, he told them, "Pray that you won't be tested."

     41Jesus walked on a little way before he knelt down and prayed, 42"Father, if you will, please don't make me

     suffer by having me drink from this cup. But do what you want, and not what I want." 43Then an angel from

     heaven came to help him. 44Jesus was in great pain and prayed so sincerely that his sweat fell to the ground

     like drops of blood. 45Jesus got up from praying and went over to his disciples. They were asleep and worn

     out from being so sad. 46He said to them, "Why are you asleep? Wake up and pray that you won't be tested."

     Jesus Is Arrested

     (Matthew 26.47-56; Mark 14.43-50; John 18.3-11)

     47While Jesus was still speaking, a crowd came up. It was led by Judas, one of the twelve apostles. He went

     over to Jesus and greeted him with a kiss. 48Jesus asked Judas, "Are you betraying the Son of Man with a

     kiss?"

     49When Jesus' disciples saw what was about to happen, they asked, "Lord, should we attack them with a

     sword?" 50One of the disciples even struck at the high priest's servant with his sword and cut off the

     servant's right ear.

     51"Enough of that!" Jesus said. Then he touched the servant's ear and healed it.

     52Jesus spoke to the chief priests, the temple police, and the leaders who had come to arrest him. He said,

     "Why do you come out with swords and clubs and treat me like a criminal? 53I was with you every day in the

     temple, and you didn't arrest me. But this is your time, and darkness is in control."

     Peter Says He Doesn't Know Jesus

     (Matthew 26.57,58,67-75; Mark 14.53,54,66-72; John 18.12-18, 25-27)

     54Jesus was arrested and led away to the house of the high priest, while Peter followed at a distance.

     55Some people built a fire in the middle of the courtyard and were sitting around it. Peter sat there with

     them, 56and a servant girl saw him. Then after she had looked at him carefully, she said, "This man was with

     Jesus!"

     57Peter said, "Woman, I don't even know that man!"

     58A little later someone else saw Peter and said, "You are one of them!"

     "No, I'm not!" Peter replied.

     59About an hour later another man insisted, "This man must have been with Jesus. They both come from

     Galilee."

     60Peter replied, "I don't know what you are talking about!" Right then, while Peter was still speaking, a

     rooster crowed.

     61The Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered that the Lord had said, "Before a rooster

     crows tomorrow morning, you will say three times that you don't know me." 62Then Peter went out and cried

     hard.

     63The men who were guarding Jesus made fun of him and beat him. 64They put a blindfold on him and said,

     "Tell us who struck you!" 65They kept on insulting Jesus in many other ways.