Amplified Bible (AMP)

The Gerasene Demoniac

1 They came to theother side of the sea, to the region of the Gerasenes.

2 When Jesus got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him,

3 and the man lived in thetombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with chains.

4 For he had often been bound with shackles [for the feet] and with chains, and he tore apart the chains and broke the shackles into pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdueandtame him.

5 Night and day he was constantly screamingandshrieking among the tombs and on the mountains, and cutting himself with [sharp] stones.

6 Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him [in homage];

7 and screaming with a loud voice, he said, “What business do we have in common with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore you by God [swear to me], do not torment me!”

8 For Jesus had been saying to him,“Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”

9 He was asking him,“What is your name?”And he replied, “My name is Legion; for we are many.”

10 And hebeganbegging Him repeatedly not to send them out of the region.

11 Now there was a large herd of pigs grazing there on the mountain.

12 Andthe demonsbegged Him, saying, “Send us to the pigs so that we may go into them!”

13 Jesus gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out [of the man] and entered the pigs. The herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea; and they were drowned [one after the other] in the sea.

14 The herdsmen [tending the pigs] ran away and reported it in the city and in the country. Andthe peoplecame to see what had happened.

15 They came to Jesus and saw the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the man who had [previously] had the “legion” [of demons]; and they were frightened.

16 Those who had seen it described [in detail] to the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man, and [told them all] about the pigs.

17 So the people began to beg with Jesus to leave their region.

18 As He was stepping into the boat, the [Gentile] man who had been demon-possessed was begging with Him [asking] that he might go with Him [as a disciple].

19 Jesus did not let him [come], but [instead] He said to him,“Go home to your family and tell them all the great things that the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you.”

20 So he [obeyed and] went away and began to publicly proclaim in Decapolis [the region of the ten Hellenistic cities] all the great things that Jesus had done for him; and all the people were astonished.

Miracles and Healing

21 When Jesus had again crossed over in the boat to the other side [of the sea], a large crowd gathered around Him; and so He stayed by the seashore.

22 One of the synagogue officials named Jairus came up; and seeing Him, fell at His feet

23 and begged anxiously with Him, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death; [please] come and lay Your hands on her, so that she will be healed and live.”

24 And Jesus went with him; and a large crowd followed Him and pressed in around Him [from all sides].

25 A woman [in the crowd] had [suffered from] a hemorrhage for twelve years,

26 and had endured much [suffering] at the hands of many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but instead had become worse.

27 She had heard [reports] about Jesus, and she came up behind Him in the crowd and touched His outer robe.

28 For she thought, “If I just touch His clothing, I will get well.”

29 Immediately her flow of blood was dried up; and she felt in her body [and knew without any doubt] that she was healed of her suffering.

30 Immediately Jesus, recognizing in Himself that power had gone out from Him, turned around in the crowd and asked,“Who touched My clothes?”

31 His disciples said to Him, “You see the crowd pressing in around You [from all sides], and You ask, ‘Who touched Me?’”

32 Still He kept looking around to see the woman who had done it.

33 And the woman, though she was afraid and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.

34 Then He said to her,“Daughter, your faith[your personal trust and confidence in Me]has restored you to health; go in peace and be[permanently]healed from your suffering.”

35 While He was still speaking, some people came from the synagogue official’s house, saying [to Jairus], “Your daughter has died; why bother the Teacher any longer?”

36 Overhearing what was being said, Jesus said to the synagogue official,“Do not be afraid; only keep on believing[in Me and my power].”

37 And He allowed no one to go with Him [as witnesses], except Peter andJames and John the brother of James.

38 They came to the house of the synagogue official; and He looked [with understanding] at the uproarandcommotion, and people loudly weeping and wailing [in mourning].

39 When He had gone in, He said to them,“Why make a commotion and weep? The child has not died, but is sleeping.”

40 Theybeganlaughing [scornfully] at Him [because they knew the child was dead]. But He made them allgo outside, and took along the child’s father and mother and His own [three] companions, and enteredthe roomwhere the child was.

41 Taking the child’s hand, He said [tenderly] to her,“Talitha kum!”–which translated [from Aramaic] means,“Little girl, I say to you, get up!”

42 The little girl immediately got up andbeganto walk, for she was twelve years old. And immediately they [who witnessed the child’s resurrection] were overcome with great wonderandutter amazement.

43 He gave strict orders that no one should know about this, and He told them to give hersomethingto eat.

Teaching at Nazareth

1 Jesus left there and came to His hometown [Nazareth]; and His disciples followed Him.

2 When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue; and many who listened to Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things [this knowledge and spiritual insight]? What is this wisdom [this confident understanding of the Scripture] that has been given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands?

3 Is this not the carpenter,the son of Mary, and the brother ofJames and Joses andJudas and Simon? Are His sisters not here with us?” And they were [deeply] offended by Him [and their disapproval blinded them to the fact that He was anointed by God as the Messiah].

4 Jesus said to them,“A prophet is not without honor (respect) except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.”

5 And He could not do a miracle there at all [because of their unbelief] except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.

6 He wondered at their unbelief.

And He was going around in the villages teaching.

The Twelve Sent Out

7 And He called the twelve [disciples] and began to send them out [as His special messengers] two by two, and gave them authorityandpower over the unclean spirits.

8 He told them to take nothing for the journey except a mere walking stick–no bread, no [traveler’s] bag, no money in their belts–

9 but to wear sandals; and [He told them] not to weartwo tunics.

10 And He told them,“Wherever you go into a house, stay there until you leave that town.

11 Any place that does not welcome you or listen to you, when you leave there,shake the dust off the soles of your feet as a testimony against them[breaking all ties with them because they rejected My message].”

12 So they went out and preached that men should repent [that is, think differently, recognize sin, turn away from it, and live changed lives].

13 And they were casting out many demons and were anointing with oil many who were sick, and healing them.

John’s Fate Recalled

14 King Herod [Antipas] heard about this, for Jesus’ nameandreputation had become well known. People were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are at work in Him.”

15 But others were saying, “He isElijah!” And others were saying, “It is a prophet, like one of the prophets [of old].”

16 But when Herod heard [of it], he kept saying, “John, whom I beheaded, has risen [from the dead]!”

17 For Herod himself had sent [guards] and had John arrested and shackled in prison because ofHerodias, the wife of his [half-] brother Philip, because he (Herod) had married her.

18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful [under Mosaic Law] for you to have your brother’s wife.”

19 Herodias had a grudge against John and wanted to kill him, but she could not,

20 because Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and hecontinuallykept him safe. When he heard John [speak], he was very perplexed; but he enjoyed listening to him.

21 But an opportune time [finally] came [for Herodias]. Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his officials (nobles, courtiers) andmilitary commanders and the leading men of Galilee.

22 Now [Salome] the daughter of Herodias came in and danced [for the men]. She pleasedandbeguiled Herod and his dinner guests; and the king said to thegirl, “Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you.”

23 And he swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give it to you;up to half of my kingdom.”

24 She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” And Herodias replied, “The head of John the Baptist!”

25 And she rushed back to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter!”

26 The king was deeply grieved, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests [who might have regarded him as weak], he was unwilling to [break his word and] refuse her.

27 So the king immediately sent for an executioner and commanded him to bring back John’s head. And he went and had John beheaded in the prison,

28 and brought back his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.

29 When his disciples heardabout this,they came and took away John’s body and laid it in a tomb.

Five Thousand Fed

30 The apostles [who had been sent out on a mission] gathered together with Jesus and told Him everything that they had done and taught.

31 He said to them,“Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a little while”–for there were many [people who were continually] coming and going, and they could not even find time to eat.

32 And they went away by themselves in the boat to a secluded place.

33 Many [people] saw them leaving, and recognizedthemand ran there together on foot from all the [surrounding] cities, and got there ahead of them.

34 When Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd [waiting], and He was moved with compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd [lacking guidance]; and He began to teach them many things.

35 When the day was nearly gone, His disciples came to Him and said, “This is an isolated place, and it is already late;

36 send the crowds away so that they may go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”

37 But He replied,“You give them something to eat!”And they asked Him, “Shall we go and buy 200denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?”

38 He said to them,“How many loaves do you have? Go look!”And when they found out, they said, “Five [loaves], and two fish.”

39 Then Jesus commanded them all to sit down by groups on the green grass.

40 They sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties [so that the crowd resembled an orderly arrangement of colorful garden plots].

41 Taking the five loaves and two fish, He looked up to heaven and said a blessing [of praise and thanksgiving to the Father]. Then He broke the loaves and [repeatedly] gave them to the disciples to set before the people; and He divided up the two fish among them all.

42 They all ate and were satisfied.

43 And the disciples picked up twelve full baskets of the broken pieces [of the loaves], and of the fish.

44 Those who ate the loaves were five thousand men [not counting the women and children].

Jesus Walks on the Water

45 Jesus immediately insisted that His disciples get into the boat and go ahead [of Him] to the other side to Bethsaida, while He was dismissing the crowd.

46 And after He said goodbye to them, He went to the mountain to pray.

47 Now when evening had come, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and Jesus was alone on the land.

48 Seeing the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night (3:00-6:00 a.m.) He came to them, walking on the sea. And [acted as if] He intended to pass by them.

49 But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost, and cried out [in horror];

50 for they all saw Him and were shakenandterrified. But He immediately spoke with them and said,“Take courage! It is I (I AM)! Stop being afraid.”

51 Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased [as if exhausted by its own activity]; and they were completely overwhelmed,

52 because they had not understood [the miracle of] the loaves [how it revealed the power and deity of Jesus]; but [in fact] their heart was hardened [being oblivious and indifferent to His amazing works].

Healing at Gennesaret

53 When they had crossed over [the sea], they reached the land of Gennesaret and anchored at the shore.

54 They got out of the boat and immediatelypeoplerecognized Him,

55 and ran throughout that surrounding countryside and began to carry around on their mats those who were sick, to any place where they heard He was.

56 And wherever He came into villages, or cities, or the countryside, they were laying the sick in the market places and pleading with Him [to allow them] just to touch the fringe (tassel with a blue cord) of His robe; and all who touched it were healed.

Followers of Tradition

1 Now the Pharisees and some of the scribes came from Jerusalem and gathered around Him,

2 and they had seen that some of His disciples ate their bread with [ceremonially] impure hands, that is, unwashed [and defiled according to Jewish religious ritual].

3 (For the Pharisees and all of the Jews do not eat unless theycarefully wash their hands, holding firmly to the traditions of the elders;

4 andwhen they comefrom the market place, they do not eat unless theycleanse themselves [completely according to ritual]; and there are many other things [oral, man-made laws and traditions handed down to them] which they follow diligently, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper utensils.)

5 So the Pharisees and scribes asked Jesus, “Why do Your disciples not live their lives according to the tradition of the elders, but [instead] eat their bread with [ceremonially] unwashed hands?”

6 He replied,“Rightly did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites (play-actors, pretenders), as it is written[in Scripture],

‘These people honorMe with their lips,

But their heart is far fromMe.

7 ‘They worshipMe in vain[their worship is meaningless and worthless, a pretense],

Teaching the precepts of men as doctrines[giving their traditions equal weight with the Scriptures].’

8 You disregardandneglect the commandment of God, and cling[faithfully]to the tradition of men.”

9 He was also saying to them,“You are experts at setting asideandnullifying the commandment of God in order to keep your[man-made]traditionandregulations.

10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother[with respect and gratitude]’;and, ‘He who speaks evil of his father or mother must be put to death’;

11 but you[Pharisees and scribes]say, ‘If a man tells his father or mother, “Whatever I have that would help you is Corban,(that is to say,alreadya gift to God),”’

12 then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother[since helping them would violate his vow of Corban];

13 so you nullify the[authority of the]word of God[acting as if it did not apply]because of your tradition which you have handed down[through the elders].And you do many things such as that.”

The Heart of Man

14 After He called the people to Him again, Hebegansaying to them,“Listen[carefully]to Me, all of you,[hear]and understand[what I am saying]:

15 there is nothing outside a man[such as food]which by going into him can defile him[morally or spiritually];but the things which come out of[the heart of]a man are what defileanddishonor him.

16 [If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”]

17 When Jesus had left the crowd and gone into thehouse, His disciples asked Him about the parable.

18 And He said to them,“Are you, too, so foolishandlacking in understanding? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defileanddishonor him,

19 since it does not enter his heart, but[only]his stomach, and[from there it]is eliminated?”(By this, Hedeclared all foodsceremonially clean.)

20 And He said,“Whatever comes from[the heart of]a man, that is what defilesanddishonors him.

21 For from within,[that is]out the heart of men, come baseandmalevolent thoughtsandschemes, acts of sexual immorality, thefts, murders, adulteries,

22 acts of greedandcovetousness, wickedness, deceit, unrestrained conduct, envyandjealousy, slanderandprofanity, arroganceandself-righteousness and foolishness (poor judgment).

23 All these evil things[schemes and desires]come from within and defileanddishonor the man.”

The Syrophoenician Woman

24 Jesus got up and left there and went to the region of Tyre [and Sidon, the coastal area of Phoenicia]. He entered a house and did not want anyone to knowabout it;but it was impossible for Him to be hidden [from the public].

25 Instead, after hearing about Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately came and fell at His feet.

26 Now the woman was a Gentile (Greek), aSyrophoenician by nationality. And she kept pleading with Him to drive the demon out of her daughter.

27 He was saying to her,“First let the children[of Israel]be fed, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to thepet dogs (non-Jews).”

28 But she replied, “Yes, Lord, but even the pet dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

29 And He said to her,“Because of this answer[reflecting your humility and faith],go[knowing that your request is granted];the demon has left your daughter[permanently].”

30 And returning to her home, she found the child lying on the couch [relaxed and resting], the demon having gone.

31 Soon after this Jesus left the region of Tyre, and passed through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, through the region of Decapolis [the ten Hellenistic cities].

32 They brought to Him a man who was deaf and had difficulty speaking, and they begged Jesus to place His hand on him.

33 Jesus, taking him aside by himself, away from the crowd, put His fingers into the man’s ears, and after spitting, He touched the man’s tongue [with the saliva];

34 and looking up to heaven, He sighed deeply and said to the man,“Ephphatha,”which [in Aramaic] means,“Be openedandreleased!”

35 And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and hebeganspeaking plainly.

36 Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone; but the more He ordered them, the more widely they continued to proclaim it.

37 They were thoroughly astoundedandcompletely overwhelmed, saying, “He has done everything well! He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak!”

Four Thousand Fed

1 In those days, when there was again a large crowd [gathered before Him] and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples and told them,

2 “I feel compassion for the crowd; they have been with Me now for three days and have nothing[left]to eat.

3 If I send them away to their homes hungry, they will faint[from exhaustion]on the road; because some of them have come a long way.”

4 His disciples replied to Him, “Where will anyone be able to find enough bread here in this isolated place to feed these people?”

5 He asked them,“How many loaves[of bread]do you have?”They said, “Seven.”

6 He directed the people to sit down on the ground; and taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks and broke them, and [repeatedly] gave them to His disciples to set before them, and they served the crowd.

7 They also had a few small fish; and when Jesus had blessed them [and given thanks], He ordered these [fish] to be set before them as well.

8 And the people ate and were satisfied; and they picked up seven large baskets full of the broken pieces that were left over.

9 About four thousand [men] were there [besides women and children]; and He sent them away.

10 Then immediately He got into the boat with His disciples and went to the district ofDalmanutha.

11 The Pharisees came out and began to argue [contentiously and debate] with Him, demanding from Him a sign from heaven, to test Him [because of their unbelief].

12 He groanedandsighed deeply in His spirit and said,“Why does this generation demand a sign? I assure youandmost solemnly say to you,no sign will be given to this generation!”

13 Leaving them, He again boarded the boat and left for the other side.

14 Now the disciples had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.

15 Jesus repeatedly ordered them, saying,“Watch out! Beware of theleaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”

16 Theybegandiscussing this with one another, saying, “It is because we have no bread [that He said this].”

17 Jesus, aware of this [discussion], said to them,“Why are you discussing[the fact]that you have no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened?

18 Though you have eyes,do you not see? And though you have ears,do you not hearandlisten[to what I have said]?And do you not remember,

19 when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces you picked up?”They answered, “Twelve.”

20 “And[when I broke]the seven[loaves]for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?”And they answered, “Seven.”

21 And He was saying to them,“Do you still not understand?”

22 Then they came to Bethsaida; and some people brought a blind man to Jesus and begged Him to touch him.

23 Taking the blind man by the hand, He led him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him,“Do you see anything?”

24 And he looked up and said, “I see people, but [they look] like trees, walking around.”

25 Then again Jesus laid His hands on his eyes; and the man stared intently and [his sight] was [completely] restored, and hebeganto see everything clearly.

26 And He sent him to his home, saying,“Do not even enter the village.”

Peter’s Confession of Christ

27 Then Jesus and His disciples went out to the villages ofCaesarea Philippi; and on the way He asked His disciples,“Who do people say that I am?”

28 They answered Him, “John the Baptist; and others say Elijah; but others, one of the prophets.”

29 And He asked them,“But who do you say that I am?”Peter replied to Him, “You [in contrast to the others] are the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).”

30 Then Jesus strictly warned them not to tell anyone about Him.

31 And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must [of necessity] suffer many things and be rejected [as the Messiah] by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and must be put to death, and after three days rise [from death to life].

32 He was stating the matter plainly [not holding anything back]. Then Peter took Him aside and began to reprimand Him.

33 But turning around [with His back to Peter] and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying,“Get behind Me, Satan; for your mind is not set on God’s willorHis values and purposes, but on what pleases man.”

34 Jesus called the crowd together with His disciples, and said to them,“If anyone wishes to follow Me[as My disciple],he must deny himself[set aside selfish interests],andtake up his cross[expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come]and follow Me[believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me].

35 For whoever wishes to save his life[in this world]will[eventually]lose it[through death],but whoever loses his life[in this world]for My sake and the gospel’s will save it[from the consequences of sin and separation from God].

36 For what does it benefit a man to gain the whole world[with all its pleasures],and forfeit his soul?

37 For what will a man give in exchange for his soulandeternal life[in God’s kingdom]?

38 For whoever is ashamed[here and now]of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

The Transfiguration

1 And Jesus said to them,“I assure youandmost solemnly say to you, there aresome of those who are standing here who will not taste (experience) death before they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”

2 Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured (changed in form) before them [and began to shine brightly with divine and regal glory];

3 and His clothes became radiantanddazzling, intensely white, as no launderer on earth can whiten them.

4 Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were having a conversation with Jesus.

5 Peter responded and said to Jesus, “Rabbi (Master), it is good for us to be here; let us make three [sacred] tents–one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

6 For he did not [really] know what to say because they were terrified [and stunned by the miraculous sight].

7 Then a cloud formed, overshadowing them, anda voice came out of the cloud, “This is My beloved Son. Listen to Himandobey Him!”

8 Suddenly they looked around and no longer saw anyone with them, except Jesus alone.

9 As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus expressly ordered them not to tell anyone what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

10 So they [carefully and faithfully] kept the matter to themselves,discussingandquestioning [with one another] what it meant to rise from the dead.

11 They asked Him, saying, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first [before the Messiah comes]?”

12 He answered them,“Elijah does come first and restoresandreestablishes all things. And yet how is it written of the Son of Man that He will suffer many things[grief and physical distress]and be treated with contempt[utterly despised and rejected]?

13 But I say to you that Elijah has in fact come[already],and theydid to him whatever they wished, just as it is written[in Scripture]of him.”

All Things Possible

14 When they came [back] to the [other nine] disciples, they saw a large crowd around them, and scribes questioningandarguing with them.

15 Immediately, when the entire crowd saw Jesus, they were startled andbeganrunning up to greet Him.

16 He asked them,“What are you discussing with them?”

17 One of the crowd replied to Him, “Teacher, I brought You my son, possessed with a spirit which makes him unable to speak;

18 and whenever it seizes him [intending to do harm], it throws him down, and he foams [at the mouth], and grinds his teeth and becomes stiff. I told Your disciples to drive it out, and they could not do it.”

19 He replied,“O unbelieving (faithless) generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!”

20 They brought the boy to Him. When the [demonic] spirit saw Him, immediately it threw the boy into a convulsion, and falling to the ground hebeganrolling around and foamingat the mouth.

21 Jesus asked his father,“How long has this been happening to him?”And he answered, “Since childhood.

22 The demon has often thrown him both into fire and into water, intending to kill him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!”

23 Jesus said to him, “[You say to Me,]‘If You can?’ All things are possible for the one who believesandtrusts[in Me]!”

24 Immediately the father of the boy cried out [with a desperate, piercing cry], saying, “I do believe; help [me overcome] my unbelief.”

25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering [around them], He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it,“You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again!”

26 After screaming out and throwing him into a terrible convulsion, it came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse [so still and pale] that many [of the spectators] said, “He is dead!”

27 But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him; and he stood up.

28 When He had gone indoors, His disciplesbeganasking Him privately, “Why were we unable to drive it out?”

29 He replied to them,“This kind[of unclean spirit]cannot come out by anything but prayer[to the Father].”

Death and Resurrection Foretold

30 They went on from there andbeganto go through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know it,

31 because He was teaching His disciples [and preparing them for the future]. He told them,“The Son of Man is to be betrayedandhanded over to men[who are His enemies],and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise[from the dead]three days later.”

32 Butthey did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask Him [what He meant].

33 They arrived at Capernaum; and when He was in thehouse, He asked them,“What were you discussingandarguing about on the road?”

34 But they kept quiet, because on the road they had discussedanddebated with one another which one [of them] was the greatest.

35 Sitting down [to teach], He called the twelve [disciples] and said to them,“If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all[in importance]and a servant of all.”

36 Taking a child, He set him before them; and taking him in His arms, He said to them,

37 “Whoever receivesandwelcomes one child such as this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives not[only]Me, but Him who sent Me.”

Dire Warnings

38 John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him because he was not accompanying us [as Your disciple].”

39 But Jesus said,“Do not stop him; for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me.

40 For he who is not against us is for us.

41 For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ, I assure youandmost solemnly say to you, he will not lose his reward.

42 “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believeandtrust in Me to stumble[that is, to sin or lose faith],it would be better for him if a heavy millstone[one requiring a donkey’s strength to turn it]were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.

43 If your hand causes you to stumbleandsin, cut it off[that is, remove yourself from the source of temptation]!It is better for you to enter life crippled, than to have two hands and go intohell, into the unquenchable fire,

44 [wheretheir worm does not die,and the fire is not put out.]

45 If your foot causes you to stumbleandsin, cut it off[that is, remove yourself from the source of temptation]!It would be better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell,

46 [wheretheir worm does not die,and the fire is not put out.]

47 If your eye causes you to stumbleandsin, throw it out[that is, remove yourself from the source of temptation]!It would be better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,

48 wheretheir worm[that feeds on the dead]does not die,andthe fire is not put out.

49 “For everyone will be salted with fire.

50 Salt is goodanduseful; but if salt has lost its saltiness (purpose), how will you make it salty? Have salt within yourselvescontinually,and be at peace with one another.”

Jesus’ Teaching about Divorce

1 Getting up, He left there (Capernaum) and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan; and crowds gathered around Him againandaccompanied Him, and as was His custom, He once morebeganto teach them.

2 Pharisees came to Jesus to test Him [intending to trick Him into saying something wrong], and asked Him, “Is it lawful [according to Scripture] for a man to divorce his wifeandsend her away?”

3 He replied to them,“What did Moses command you?”

4 They said, “Moses alloweda manto write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.”

5 But Jesus said to them,“Because of your hardness of hearts[your callousness and insensitivity toward your wives and theprovision of God]he wrote you this precept.

6 But from the beginning of creationGodmade them male and female.

7 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother[to establish a home with his wife],

8 and the two shall become one flesh; so that they are no longer two, but[are united as]one flesh.

9 Therefore, what God has unitedandjoined together, man must not separate[by divorce].”

10 In the house the disciplesbeganquestioning Him again about this.

11 And He said to them,“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her;

12 and if a woman divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”

Jesus Blesses Little Children

13 People were bringing children to Him so that He would touchandbless them, but the disciples reprimanded themanddiscouraged them [from coming].

14 But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and He said to them,“Allow the children to come to Me; do not forbid them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

15 I assure youandmost solemnly say to you, whoever does not receiveandwelcome the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.”

16 And He took the children [one by one] in His arms andblessed them [with kind, encouraging words], placing His hands on them.

The Rich Young Ruler

17 As He was leaving on His journey, a man ran up and knelt before Him and asked Him, “Good Teacher [You who are essentially good and morally perfect], what shall I do to inherit eternal life [that is, eternal salvation in the Messiah’s kingdom]?”

18 Jesus said to him,“Why do you call Me good? No one is[essentially]good[by nature]except God alone.

19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not testify falsely, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’”

20 And he replied to Him, “Teacher, I have [carefully] kept all these [commandments] since myyouth.”

21 Looking at him, Jesus felt a love (high regard, compassion) for him, and He said to him,“You lack one thing: go and sell all your property and give[the money]to the poor, and you will have[abundant]treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me[becoming My disciple, believing and trusting in Me and walking the same path of life that I walk].”

22 But the man was saddened at Jesus’ words, and he left grieving, because he owned much propertyandhad many possessions [which he treasured more than his relationship with God].

23 Jesus looked around and said to His disciples,“How difficult it will be for those who are wealthy[and cling to possessions and status as security]to enter the kingdom of God!”

24 The disciples wereamazedandbewildered by His words. But Jesus said to them again,“Children, how difficult it is[for those who place their hope and confidence in riches]to enter the kingdom of God!

25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man[who places his faith in wealth or status]to enter the kingdom of God.”

26 They were completelyandutterly astonished, and said to Him, “Then who can be saved [from the wrath of God]?”

27 Looking at them, Jesus said,“With people[as far as it depends on them]it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”

28 Peter started saying to Him, “Look, we have given up everything and followed You [becoming Your disciples and accepting You as Teacher and Lord].”

29 Jesus said,“I assure youandmost solemnly say to you, there is no one who has given up a house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake,

30 who will not receive a hundred times as much now in the present age–houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms–along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life.

31 But manywho arefirst will be last, and the last, first.”

Jesus’ Sufferings Foretold

32 Now they were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking on ahead of them; and they were perplexed [at what Jesus had said], and those who were following were alarmedandafraid. And again He took the twelve [disciples] aside and began telling them what was going to happen to Him,

33 saying,“Listen very carefully: we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayedandhanded over to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and hand Him over to the Gentiles (Romans).

34 They will mockandridicule Him and spit on Him, and whip (scourge) Him and killHim,and three days later He will rise[from the dead].”

35 James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You.”

36 And He replied to them,“What do you want Me to do for you?”

37 They said to Him, “Grant that we may sit [with You], one on Your right and one onYourleft, in Your glory [Your majesty and splendor in Your kingdom].”

38 But Jesus said to them,“You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism[of suffering and death]with which I am baptized?”

39 And they replied to Him, “We are able.” Jesus told them,“The cup that I drink you will drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized.

40 But to sit on My right or left, this is not Mine to give; but it is for those for whom it has been prepared[by My Father].”

41 Hearing this, the [other] ten became indignant with James and John.

42 Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them,“You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their powerful men exercise authority over them[tyrannizing them].

43 But this is not how it is among you; instead, whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant,

44 and whoever wishes to be firstandmost important among you must be slave of all.

45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as aransom for many.”

Bartimaeus Receives His Sight

46 Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar, Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting beside the road [as was his custom].

47 When Bartimaeus heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout and say, “Jesus,Son of David (Messiah), have mercy on me!”

48 Many sternly rebuked him, telling him to keep stillandbe quiet; but he kept on shouting out all the more, “Son of David (Messiah), have mercy on me!”

49 Jesus stopped and said,“Call him.”So they called the blind man, telling him, “Take courage, get up! He is calling for you.”

50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped up and came to Jesus.

51 And Jesus said,“What do you want Me to do for you?”The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni (my Master), let me regain my sight.”

52 Jesus said to him,“Go; your faith[and confident trust in My power]has made you well.”Immediately he regained his sight andbeganfollowing Jesus on the road.

The Triumphal Entry

1 When they were nearing Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany near the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of His disciples,

2 saying to them,“Go into thevillage in front of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find a[donkey’s]colt tied, which has never been ridden by anyone; untie it and bring it here.

3 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it’; and immediately he will send it here.”

4 So they went away [to the village] and found a colt tied outside at a gate in the street, and they untied it.

5 Some of the people who were standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?”

6 They replied to them just as Jesus had directed, and they allowed them to go.

7 They brought the colt to Jesus and put their coats on it, and He sat on it.

8 And many [of the people] spread their coats on the road [as an act of tribute and homage before a new king], and others [scattered a layer of] leafy branches which they had cut from the fields [honoring Him as Messiah].

9 Those who went in front and those who were following [Him] were shouting [in joy and praise],

“Hosanna (Save, I pray)!

Blessed(praised, glorified)isHe who comes in the name of theLord!

10 “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!

Hosanna in the highest [heaven]!”

11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple [enclosure]; and after looking around at everything, He left for Bethany with the twelve [disciples], because it was already late [in the day].

12 On the next day, when they had left Bethany, He was hungry.

13 Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if He would find anything on it. But He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.

14 He said to it,“No one will ever eat fruit from you again!”And His disciples were listening [to what He said].

Jesus Drives Moneychangers from the Temple

15 Then they came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple [grounds] and began driving out [with force] the people who wereselling and buying [animals for sacrifice] in the temple area, and overturned the tables of the moneychangers [who made a profit exchanging foreign money for temple coinage] and the seats of those who were selling doves;

16 and He would not permit anyone to carrymerchandiseorhousehold wares through the temple [grounds, using the temple area irreverently as a shortcut].

17 Hebeganto teach and say to them,“Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it arobbers’ den.”

18 The chief priests and the scribes heard this andbegansearching for a way to destroy Him; for they were afraid of Him, since the entire crowd was struck with astonishment at His teaching.

19 When evening came, Jesus and His disciples would leave the city.

20 In the morning, as they were passing by, the disciples saw that the fig tree had withered away from the roots up.

21 And remembering, Peter said to Him, “Rabbi (Master), look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered!”

22 Jesus replied,“Have faith in God[constantly].

23 I assure youandmost solemnly say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea!’ anddoes not doubt in his heart[in God’s unlimited power],but believes that what he says is going to take place, it will be done for him[in accordance with God’s will].

24 For this reason I am telling you, whatever things you ask for in prayer[in accordance with God’s will],believe[with confident trust]that you have received them, and they will begivento you.

25 Whenever youstand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him[drop the issue, let it go],so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressionsandwrongdoings[against Him and others].

26 [But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your transgressions.”]

Jesus’ Authority Questioned

27 They came again to Jerusalem. And as Jesus was walking in the [courts and porches of the] temple, thechief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him,

28 andbegansaying to Him, “By what authority are You doing these things, or who gave You this authority to do these things?”

29 Jesus said to them,“I will ask you one question, and you answer Me, and then I will tell you by what authority I do these things.

30 Was the baptism of John[the Baptist]from heaven[that is, ordained by God]or from men? Answer Me.”

31 Theybegandiscussing it with each other, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’

32 Butshall we say, ‘From men?’” –they were afraid [to answer because] of the crowd, for everyone considered John to have been a real prophet.

33 So they replied to Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them,“Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Parable of the Vineyard Owner

1 Jesus began to speak to them [the chief priests, scribes and elders who were questioning Him] in parables:“A manplanted a vineyard and put awall around it,and dug a pit for the wine press and built a tower; and he rented it out to tenant farmers and left the country.

2 When theharvestseason came he sent aservant to the tenants, in order to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard.

3 They took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.

4 Again he sent them another servant, and they[threw stones and]wounded him in the head, and treated him disgracefully.

5 And he sent another, and that one they killed; then many others–some they beat and some they killed.

6 He still had one man leftto send,a beloved son; he sent him last of all to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

7 But those tenants said to each other, ‘Thismanis the heir! Come on, let us kill him[and destroy the evidence],and his inheritance will be ours!’

8 So they took him and killed him, and threw his body outside the vineyard.

9 What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants, and will give the vineyard to others.

10 Have you not even read this Scripture:

‘The stone which the builders regarded as unworthyandrejected,

This[very stone]has become the chiefCornerstone

11 This came about from theLord,

And it is marvelousandwonderful in our eyes’?”

12 And they were looking for a way to seize Him, but they were afraid of the crowd; for they knew that He spoke this parable in reference to [and as a charge against] them. And so they left Him and went away.

Jesus Answers the Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes

13 Then they sent some of thePharisees and Herodians to Jesus in order to trap Him intomakinga statement [that they could use against Him].

14 They came and said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and have no personal bias toward anyone; for You are not influenced by outward appearancesorsocial status, but in truth You teach the way of God. Is it lawful [according to Jewish law and tradition] to pay thepoll-tax to [Tiberius] Caesar, or not?

15 Should we pay [the tax] or should we not pay?” But knowing their hypocrisy, He asked them,“Why are you testing Me? Bring Me acoin (denarius) to look at.”

16 So they brought one. Then He asked them,“Whose image and inscription is this?”They said to Him, “Caesar’s.”

17 Jesus said to them,“Pay to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”And they were greatly amazed at Him.

18 Some Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection) came to Him, andbeganquestioning Him, saying,

19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us [a law] thatif a man’s brother diesand leaves a wifebut leaves no child,his brother is tomarry the widow and raise upchildren for his brother.

20 There were seven brothers; the first [one] took a wife, and died leaving no children.

21 The second brother married her, and died leaving no children; and the third likewise;

22 and so all seven [married her and died, and] left no children. Last of all the woman died also.

23 In the resurrection, whose wife will she be? For all seven [brothers] were married to her.”

24 Jesus said to them,“Is this not why you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures[that teach the resurrection]nor the power of God[who is able to raise the dead]?

25 For when they rise from the dead, they do not marry nor are they given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.

26 But concerning the raising of the dead, have you not read in the book of Moses, in thepassageabout theburningbush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘Iam theGod ofAbraham,and theGod ofIsaac,and theGod ofJacob’?

27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living; you are greatly mistakenandyou are deceiving yourselves!”

28 Then one of the scribes [an expert in Mosaic Law] came up and listened to them arguing [with one another], and noticing that Jesus answered them well, asked Him, “Which commandment is firstandmost important of all?”

29 Jesus answered,“The firstandmost importantoneis: ‘Hear, O Israel,theLord ourGod is oneLord;

30 and you shall love theLord yourGod with all your heart,and with all your soul(life),and with all your mind(thought, understanding),and with all your strength.’

31 This is the second: ‘You shall[unselfishly]love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

32 The scribe said to Him, “Admirably answered, Teacher; You truthfully stated that He isOne,and there is no other butHim;

33 and to loveHim with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength,and to[unselfishly]love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

34 When Jesus saw that he answered thoughtfullyandintelligently, He said to him,“You are not far from the kingdom of God.”And after that, no one would dare to ask Him any more questions.

35 Jesusbeganto say, as He taught in [a portico or court of] the temple,“How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?

36 David himself said[when inspired]by the Holy Spirit,

‘TheLord(the Father)said to myLord(the Son, the Messiah),

“Sit atMy right hand,

UntilIputYour enemies underYour feet.”’

37 David himself calls Him (the Son, the Messiah) ‘Lord’; so how can it be that He isDavid’s Son?”The large crowd enjoyed hearing Jesusandlistened to Him with delight.

38 In [the course of] His teaching He was saying,“Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes[displaying their prominence],andlike to receiverespectful greetings in the market places,

39 and[they love]thechief seats in the synagogues and the places of distinctionandhonor at banquets,

40 [these scribes]who devour (confiscate) widows’ houses, and offer long prayers for appearance’s sake[to impress others].These men will receive greater condemnation.”

The Widow’s Mite

41 And He sat down opposite the [temple] treasury, andbeganwatching how the people were putting money into thetreasury. And many rich people were putting inlarge sums.

42 A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to amite.

43 Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them,“I assure youandmost solemnly say to you, this poor widow put in[proportionally]more than all the contributors to the treasury.

44 For they all contributed from their surplus, but she, from her poverty, put in all she had, all she had to live on.”

Things to Come

1 As He was coming out of the temple [grounds], one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, look whatwonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!”

2 Jesus replied to him,“You see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left on another which will not betorn down!”

3 As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked Him privately,

4 “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be fulfilled?”

5 Jesus began to say to them,“Be carefulandsee to it that no one misleads you.

6 Many will come in My name[misusing My name or claiming to be the Messiah],saying, ‘I amHe!’and will deceiveandmislead many.

7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed (frightened, troubled);these thingsmust take place, but the end is not yet.

8 For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These things are the beginning of thebirth pangs[the intolerable anguish and suffering].

9 “But be on your guard; they will turn you over to courts, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand[as accused]before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them.

10 The gospel[that is, the good news regarding the way of salvation]must first be preached to all the[Gentile]nations.

11 When they take you and turn you over[to the court],do not worry beforehand about what to say, but say whatever is given to you[by God]in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit[who will speak through you].

12 Brother will betray brother to[be put to]death, and a father[will hand over]his child; and children will rise upandtake a stand against parents and have them put to death.

13 You will be hated by everyone because of[your association with]My name, but the one who[patiently perseveres empowered by the Holy Spirit and]endures to the end, he will be saved.

14 “But when you see theabomination of desolationstanding[in the temple sanctuary]where it ought not to be (let thereader understand) then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.

15 Whoever is on the housetop must not go down[to enter the house],or go inside to take anything out of his house;

16 whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his coat.

17 And woe to those women who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!

18 Pray that it will not occur in winter,

19 for at that time there will be such tribulation as has not occurred, from the beginning of the creation which God made, until now–and never will[be again].

20 And if the Lord had not shortened the days, no human life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose[for Himself],He shortened the days.

21 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed)!’ or, ‘Look,He isthere!’ do not believe it;

22 for false Christs and false prophets will arise, and they will provide signs and wonders in order to deceive, if[such a thing were]possible, even the elect[those God has chosen for Himself].

23 But be on your guard; I have told you everything in advance.

The Return of Christ

24 “But in those days, after[the suffering and distress of]that tribulation,the sun will be darkened,and the moon will not give its light,

25 and the stars will be fallingfrom the sky, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken.

26 Then they will seetheSon ofMancoming in cloudswith great power and glory[in royal majesty and splendor].

27 And then He will send out the angels, and will gather together His elect[those He has chosen for Himself]from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven.

28 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: as soon as its branch becomes tender and it puts out its leaves, you recognize that summer is near.

29 Even so, you too, when you see these things happening, know[for certain]that He is near,rightat the door.

30 I assure youandmost solemnly say to you, this generation[the people living when these signs and events begin]will not pass away until all these things take place.

31 Heaven and earth[as now known]willpass away, but My words will not pass away.

32 But of that[exact]day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son[in His humanity],but the Fatheralone.

33 “Be on guard and stay constantly alert[and pray]; for you do not know when theappointedtime will come.

34 It is like a man away on a journey,whowhen he left home put his servants in charge, each with hisparticulartask, and also ordered the doorkeeper to becontinuallyalert.

35 Therefore, becontinuallyon the alert–for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning–

36 [stay alert,]in case he should come suddenlyandunexpectedly and find you asleepandunprepared.

37 What I say to you I say to everyone, ‘Be on the alert[stay awake and be continually cautious]!’”

Death Plot and the Anointing in Bethany

1 It was now two days before the Passover and [the festival of] Unleavened Bread, and the chief priests and the scribes were searching for a deceitful way to arrest Jesus and killHim;

2 but they were saying, “Not during the festival, for the people might riot.”

3 While He was in Bethany [as a guest] at the home ofSimon the leper, and recliningat the table,awoman came with an alabaster vial of very costlyandprecious perfume of purenard; and she broke the vial and poured the perfume over His head.

4 But there weresome who were indignantlyremarkingto one another, “Why has this perfume been wasted?

5 For this perfume might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii [a laborer’s wages for almost a year], andthe moneygiven to the poor.” And they scolded her.

6 But Jesus said,“Let her alone; why are you bothering herandcausing trouble? She has done a goodandbeautiful thing to Me.

7 For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do something good to them; but you will not always have Me.

8 She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial.

9 I assure youandmost solemnly say to you, wherever thegood news [regarding salvation]is proclaimed throughout the world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”

10 Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve [disciples], went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them.

11 When they heard this they were delighted, and promised to give him money. And hebeganlooking for an opportune time to betray Jesus.

The Last Passover

12 On the first day [of the festival] ofUnleavened Bread, when [as was customary] they sacrificed the Passover lamb, His disciples asked Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare for You to eat the Passover?”

13 And He sent two of His disciples, saying to them,“Go into the city, and aman carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him;

14 and say to theowner of thehousehe enters, ‘The Teacher asks, “Where is My guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”’

15 He will show you a large upstairs room, furnished and ready[with carpets and dining couches];prepare[the supper]for us there.”

16 The disciples left and went to the city and found everything just as He had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

17 When it was evening, He came with the twelve [disciples].

18 While they were recliningat the table,Jesus said,“I assure youandmost solemnly say to you that one of you will betray Me–one who is eating with Me.”

19 They began to be grievedanddeeply distressed and to say to Him one by one, “Surely not I?”

20 And He replied,“It is one of the twelve[disciples],one who is dippingbreadin the bowl with Me.

21 For the Son of Man goes[to the cross]just as it is written[in Scripture]of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!It would have beengood for that man if he had not been born.”

The Lord’s Supper

22 While they were eating, Jesus took bread andblessed it [giving thanks and praise], and He broke it, and gave it to them and said,“Take it. This is My body.”

23 And when He had taken a cup [of wine] andgiven thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it.

24 And He said to them,“This is My blood of the[new]covenant,[My blood]which is being poured out for many[for the forgiveness of sins].

25 I assure youandmost solemnly say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

26 After they had sung ahymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

27 Jesus said to them,“You will all fall away[and be ashamed and be afraid to be associated with Me as disciples],because it is written, ‘Iwill strike theShepherd,and the sheep will be scattered.’

28 But after I have been raised[from the dead],I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”

29 But Peter said to Him, “Even if they all fall away [and desert You, ashamed and afraid of being associated with You], yet I will not [do so]!”

30 Jesus said to him,“I assure youandmost solemnly say to you, this very night, before a rooster crows twice, you will deny[that you even know]Me three times.”

31 But Peter kept saying insistently, “If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And they all were saying the same thing as well.

Jesus in Gethsemane

32 Then they went to a place called Gethsemane; and Jesus said to His disciples,“Sit down here until I have prayed.”

33 He took Peter and James and John with Him, and He began to be deeply distressed and troubled [extremely anguished at the prospect of what was to come].

34 And He said to them,“My soul is deeply grievedandoverwhelmed with sorrow, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch.”

35 After going a little farther, He fell to the ground [distressed by the weight of His spiritual burden] andbeganto pray that if it were possible [in the Father’s will], the hour [of suffering and death for the sins of mankind] might pass from Him.

36 He was saying,“Abba, Father! All things are possible for You; take this cup[of judgment]away from Me; but not what I will, but what You will.”

37 And He came back and found them sleeping, and He said to Peter,“Simon, are you asleep? Were you unable to keep watch for one hour?

38 Keep[actively]watching and praying so that you do not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but thebody is weak.”

39 He went away again and prayed, saying the same words.

40 And again He came back and found them sleeping, because their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know how to answer Him.

41 He came back a third time and said to them,“Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough[of that]!The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.

42 Get up, let us go. Look, my betrayer is near!”

Betrayal and Arrest

43 And at once, while He was still speaking, Judas [Iscariot], one of the twelve [disciples], came up, and with him a crowd of men with swords and clubs,who camefrom the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders [of the Sanhedrin].

44 Now the betrayer had given them a signal, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him and lead Him away safely [under guard].”

45 When Judas came, immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Rabbi (Master)!” and hekissed Him [forcefully].

46 They laid hands on Him and seized Him.

47 But one of the bystanders [Simon Peter] drew his sword and struck [Malchus] the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear.

48 Jesus said to them,“Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me, asyou wouldagainst a robber?

49 Day after day I was with you, teaching in the[courts and porches of the]temple, and you did not seize Me; butthis has happenedso that the Scriptures would be fulfilled.”

50 Then all of His disciples abandoned Him and fled.

51 A youngman was following Him, wearing [only] a linen sheet overhisnakedbody;and some men seized him.

52 But pulling free of the linen sheet, he escaped [from them] naked.

Jesus before His Accusers

53 They led Jesus away to the high priest, and all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) gathered together.

54 Peter had followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest; and he was sitting with the officers [guards and servants] and warming himself at the fire.

55 Now the chief priests and the entire Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) were trying to obtain testimony against Jesus [which they could use] to have Him [condemned and] executed, but they were not finding any.

56 For many [people] were giving false testimony against Him, but their testimonies were not consistent.

57 Some stood up andbeganto give false testimony against Him, saying,

58 “We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple (sanctuary) that was made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.’”

59 Not even in this respect was their testimony consistent.

60 The high priest stood up and came forward and asked Jesus, “Have You no answer to give [in response] to what these men are testifying against You?”

61 But Jesus kept silent and gave no answer at all. Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, “Are You the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), the Son of theBlessed One?”

62 Jesus said,“I am; and you will[all]seetheSon ofMan seated[with authority]at the right hand ofPower(the Father), andcoming with the clouds of heaven.”

63 Thentearing his robe [to express his indignation], the high priest said, “What further need do we have of witnesses?

64 You have heard the blasphemy [that is, His claim to be the Son of God]. What is your decision?” And they all condemned Him to be [guilty and] deserving of death.

65 And some began to spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him with their fists, and to say to Him, “Prophesy [by telling us who hit you]!” Then the officers took custody of Him and struck him in the face.

Peter’s Denials

66 While Peter was down below in the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the high priest came,

67 and when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked intently at him and said, “You were with Jesus the Nazarene, too.”

68 But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are talking about.” Then he went out [of the courtyard] to the porch,[and a rooster crowed.]

69 The servant-girl saw him, and began once more to tell the bystanders, “This [man] isoneof them.”

70 But again he denied it. After a little while, the bystanders again said to Peter, “You are in factoneof them, for [it is clear from your accent, that] you are a Galilean, too.”

71 But he began toinvoke a curse [on himself] and to swear [an oath], “I do not know this man you are talking about!”

72 Immediately a rooster crowed the second time. And Peter remembered what Jesus said to him:“Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”And thinking of this, he began weeping [in anguish].