Amplified Bible (AMP)

A Paralytic Healed

1 And Jesus, getting into a boat, crossed overthe Sea of Galileeand came to [Capernaum] His own city.

2 They brought to Him a man who was paralyzed, lying on a stretcher. Seeing their [active] faith [springing from confidence in Him], Jesus said to the paralytic,“Do not be afraid, son; your sins are forgiven[the penalty is paid, the guilt removed, and you are declared to be in right standing with God].”

3 And some of the scribes said to themselves, “Thismanblasphemes [by claiming the rights and prerogatives of God]!”

4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said,“Why do you think evil in your hearts?

5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgivenandthe penalty paid,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?[Both are possible for God; both are impossible for man.]

6 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authorityandthe power on earth to forgive sins”–then He said to the paralytic,“Get up, pick up your stretcher and go home.”

7 And he got up and went home [healed and forgiven].

8 When the crowds saw this, they were awestruck, and glorified Godandpraised Him, who had given such authorityandpower to men.

Matthew Called

9 As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew (Levi) sitting in the tax collector’s booth; and He said to him,“Follow Me[as My disciple, accepting Me as your Master and Teacher and walking the same path of life that I walk].” And Matthew got up and followed Him.

10 Then as Jesus was recliningat the tableinMatthew’shouse, many tax collectors andsinners [including non-observant Jews] came and ate with Him and His disciples.

11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, “Why does your Master eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

12 But when Jesus heardthis,He said,“Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but[only]those who are sick.

13 Go and learn what this[Scripture]means: ‘Idesire compassion[for those in distress],and not[animal]sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call[to repentance]the[self-proclaimed]righteous[who see no need to change],but sinners[those who recognize their sin and actively seek forgiveness].”

The Question about Fasting

14 Then the disciples of John [the Baptist] came to Jesus, asking, “Why do we and the Pharisees often fast [as a religious exercise], but Your disciples do not fast?”

15 And Jesus replied to them,“Can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.

16 But no one puts a piece of unshrunk (new) cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results.

17 Nor is new wine put into oldwineskins[that have lost their elasticity];otherwise the wineskins burst, and the[fermenting]wine spills and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, so both are preserved.”

Miracles of Healing

18 While He was saying these things to them, a ruler (synagogue official) entered [the house] and kneeled downandworshiped Him, saying, “My daughter has just now died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live.”

19 Jesus got up andbeganto accompany the ruler, with His disciples.

20 Then a woman who had suffered from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the [tassel] fringe of His outer robe;

21 for she had been saying to herself, “If I only touch His outer robe, I will be healed.”

22 But Jesus turning and seeing her said,“Take courage, daughter; your[personal trust and confident]faith[in Me]has made you well.”And at once the woman was [completely] healed.

23 When Jesus came to the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players [who were professional, hired mourners] and the [grieving] crowd making an uproar,

24 He said,“Go away; for the girl is not dead, but is sleeping.”And they laughedandjeered at Him.

25 But when the crowd had been sent outside, Jesus went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up.

26 And the news about this spread throughout all that district.

27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, screaming loudly, “Have mercyandcompassion on us,Son of David (Messiah)!”

28 When He went into the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus said to them,“Do you believe[with a deep, abiding trust]that I am able to do this?”They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”

29 Then He touched their eyes, saying,“According to your faith[your trust and confidence in My power and My ability to heal]it will be done to you.”

30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesussternly warned them:“See that no one knows this!”

31 But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout that whole district.

32 While they were going away, a mute, demon-possessed man was brought to Jesus.

33 And when the demon was driven out [by Jesus], the mute man spoke; and the crowds wondered in amazement, saying, “Never before has anything like this [miracle] been seen in Israel.”

34 But the Pharisees were saying, “He casts out the demons by [the power of] the ruler of demons.”

35 Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages [in Galilee], teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news (gospel) of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness [His words and His works reflecting His Messiahship].

36 When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassionandpity for them, because they were dispirited and distressed, like sheep without a shepherd.

37 Then He said to His disciples,“The harvest is[indeed]plentiful, but the workers are few.

38 So pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”

The Twelve Disciples; Instructions for Service

1 Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authorityandpower over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

2 Now these are the names of the twelveapostles (special messengers, personally chosen representatives): first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother;James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;

3 Philip and Bartholomew (Nathanael); Thomas and Matthew (Levi) the tax collector;James the son ofAlphaeus, and Thaddaeus (Judas, not Iscariot);

4 Simon the Cananaean (Zealot), and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him.

5 Jesus sent out these twelve, instructing them:“Do not go among the Gentiles, and do not go into a city of the Samaritans;

6 but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

7 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’

8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

9 Do not take gold, or silver, or[even]copper money in your money belt,

10 or a provision bag for your journey, or even two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker deserves his support.

11 Whatever city or village you enter, ask who in it is worthy[who welcomes you and your message],and stay at his house until you leave[that city].

12 As you go into the house, give it your greeting[that is, ‘Peace be to this house’].

13 If[the family living in]the house is worthy[welcoming you and your message],give it your[blessing of]peace[that is, a blessing of well-being and prosperity, the favor of God].But if it is not worthy, take back yourblessing ofpeace.

14 Whoever does not welcome you, nor listen to your message, as you leave that house or city,shake the dust[of it]off your feet[in contempt, breaking all ties].

15 I assure youandmost solemnly say to you, it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land ofSodom and Gomorrah than for that city[since it rejected the Messiah’s messenger].

A Hard Road before Them

16 “Listen carefully: I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; so be wise as serpents, and innocent as doves[have no self-serving agenda].

17 Beware of men[whose nature is to act in opposition to God],for they will hand you over to the courts and flog you in their synagogues;

18 and you will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.

19 But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given you within that[very]hour;

20 for it is not you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and the father his child; and children will rise upandrebel against their parents and cause them to be put death.

22 And you will be hated by everyone because of[your association with]My name, but it is the one who has patiently perseveredandendured to the end who will be saved.

23 “When they persecute you in one city[because of your faith in Me],flee to the next; for I assure youandmost solemnly say to you, you will not finishgoing throughall the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

The Meaning of Discipleship

24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor is a bond-servant above his master.

25 It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the bond-servant like his master. If they have called the head of the houseBeelzebul (Satan), how much more[will they speak evil of]the members of his household.

26 “So do not be afraid of them, for nothing is hidden that will not be revealed[at the judgment],or kept secret that will not be made known[at the judgment].

27 What I say to you in the dark (privately), tell in the light (publicly); and what you hearwhisperedin your ear, proclaim from the housetops[to many people].

28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; but rather be afraid of Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

29 Are not two little sparrows sold for acopper coin? And yet not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.

30 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered[for the Father is sovereign and has complete knowledge].

31 So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.

32 “Therefore, the one whoconfessesandacknowledges Me before men[as Lord and Savior, affirming a state of oneness with Me],that one I will also confessandacknowledge before My Father who is in heaven.

33 But the one who deniesandrejects Me before men, that one I will also denyandreject before My Father who is in heaven.

34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace on the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword[of division between belief and unbelief].

35 For I have come toset a man against his father,and a daughter against her mother,and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;

36 anda man’s enemies will be the members of his[own]household[when one believes and another does not].

37 “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

38 And he who does not take hiscross[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]is not worthy of Me.

39 Whoever finds his life[in this world]will[eventually]lose it[through death],and whoever loses his life[in this world]for My sake will find it[that is, life with Me for all eternity].

The Reward of Service

40 “He who receivesandwelcomes you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.

41 He who receivesandwelcomes a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and he who receives a righteous (honorable) man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward.

42 And whoever gives to one of these little ones[these who are humble in rank or influence]even a cup of cold water to drink because he is my disciple, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward.”

John’s Questions

1 When Jesus had finished giving instructions to His twelve disciples, He went on from there to teach and to preach in their [Galilean] cities.

2 Now whenJohn [the Baptist] in prison heard about the activities of Christ, he sentwordby his disciples

3 and asked Him, “Are You the Expected One (the Messiah), or should we look for someone else [who will be the promised One]?”

4 Jesus answered,“Go and report to John what you hear and see:

5 theblind receive[their]sightand the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed[by healing]and the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and thepoor have the gospel preached to them.

6 And blessed[joyful, favored by God]is he who does not take offense at Me[accepting Me as the Messiah and trusting confidently in My message of salvation].”

Jesus’ Tribute to John

7 As these men were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John:“What did you go out in the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind[which is commonplace]?

8 What did you go out to see? A man dressed in softclothing[entirely unsuited for the harsh desert]?Those who wear softclothingare in the palaces of kings!

9 But what did you[really]go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one[more eminent, more remarkable, and]far more than a prophet[who foretells the future].

10 This is the one of whom it is written[by the prophet Malachi],

‘Behold, IsendMy messengerahead ofYou,

Who will prepareYour way beforeYou.’

11 I assure youandmost solemnly say to you, among those born of women there has not risenanyonegreater than John the Baptist; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater[in privilege]than he.

12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violent assault, and violent men seize it by force[as a precious prize].

13 For all the prophets and the Law prophesied up until John.

14 And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is[the fulfillment of]Elijah[as the messenger]who was to come[before the kingdom].

15 He who has ears to hear, let him hearandheed My words.

16 “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like little children sitting in the market places, who call to the others,

17 and say ‘We piped the flute for you[playing wedding],and you did not dance; we wailed sad dirges[playing funeral],and you did not mournandcry aloud.’

18 For John came neither eating nor drinking[with others],and they say, ‘He has a demon!’

19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking[with others],and they say, ‘Look! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners[including non-observant Jews]!’Yet wisdom is justifiedandvindicated by her deeds[in the lives of those who respond to Me].”

The Unrepenting Cities

20 Then He began to denounce [the people in] the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent [and change their hearts and lives].

21 “Woe (judgment is coming) to you,Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon[cities of the Gentiles],they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes[their hearts would have been changed and they would have expressed sorrow for their sin and rebellion against God].

22 Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for[the pagan cities of]Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.

23 And you, Capernaum, are you to be exalted to heaven[for your apathy and unresponsiveness]?You will descend to Hades (the realm of the dead); for if the miracles done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.

24 But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment, than for you.”

Come to Me

25 At that time Jesus said,“I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth[I openly and joyfully acknowledge Your great wisdom],that You have hidden these things[these spiritual truths]from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to infants[to new believers, to those seeking God’s will and purpose].

26 Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.

27 All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one fully knowsandaccurately understands the Son except the Father; and no one fully knowsandaccurately understands the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son[deliberately]wills to revealHim.

28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened[by religious rituals that provide no peace],and I will give you rest[refreshing your souls with salvation].

29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me[following Me as My disciple],for I am gentle and humble in heart, andyou will find rest(renewal, blessed quiet)for your souls.

30 For My yoke is easy[to bear]and My burden is light.”

Sabbath Questions

1 At that particular time Jesus went through the grainfields on theSabbath, and His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them.

2 But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look! Your disciples are doing whatis unlawful on the Sabbath.”

3 He said to them,“Have you not read[in the Scriptures]what David did when he was hungry, he and those who accompanied him–

4 how he went into the house of God, and they ate theconsecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests only?

5 Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break[the sanctity of]the Sabbath and yet are innocent?

6 But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here.

7 And if you had only known what this statement means, ‘Idesire compassion[for those in distress],and not[animal]sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.

Lord of the Sabbath

8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

9 Leaving there, He went into their synagogue.

10 A manwas therewhose hand was withered. And they asked Jesus, “Is it lawfulandpermissible to heal on the Sabbath?”–they asked thisso that they might accuse Himandbring charges into court.

11 But He said to them,“What man is there among you who, if he has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out?

12 How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep! So it is lawfulandpermissible to do good on the Sabbath.”

13 Then He said to the man,“Reach out your hand!”The man reached out and it was restored, as normalandhealthy as the other.

14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against Him,discussinghow they could destroy Him.

15 Being aware of this, Jesus left there. Many followed Him, and He healed all of them [who were sick],

16 and warned them not to tell [publicly] who He was.

17 This wasto fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:

18 “Behold, MyServant whomIhave chosen;

MyBeloved in whomMy soul is well-pleased;

Iwill putMySpirit uponHim,

AndHe will proclaim justice to the nations.

19 “He will not quarrel,nor cry out loudly;

Nor will anyone hearHis voice in the streets.

20 “Abattered reedHe will not break,

And a smoldering wickHe will not extinguish,

UntilHe leads justice to victory.

21 “And inHis name theGentiles(all the nations of the world)will hope[with confidence].”

The Pharisees Rebuked

22 Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed him, so that the mute man both spoke and saw.

23 All the people wondered in amazement, and said, “Could this be the Son of David (the Messiah)?”

24 But the Pharisees heard it and said, “This mancasts out demons only by [the help of] Beelzebul (Satan) the prince of the demons.”

25 Knowing their thoughts Jesus said to them,“Any kingdom that is divided against itself is being laid waste; and no city or house divided against itself will[continue to]stand.

26 If Satan casts out Satan[that is, his demons],he has become divided against himselfanddisunited; how then will his kingdom stand?

27 If I cast out the demons by[the help of]Beelzebul (Satan), by whom do your sons drive them out? For this reason they will be your judges.

28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you[before you expected it].

29 Or how can anyone go into a strong man’s house and steal his property unless he first overpowersandties up the strong man? Then he will ransackandrob his house.

The Unpardonable Sin

30 He who is not with Me[once and for all on My side]is against Me; and he who does not[unequivocally]gather with Me scatters.

31 “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy[every evil, abusive, injurious speaking, or indignity against sacred things]will be forgiven people, butblasphemy against the[Holy]Spirit will not be forgiven.

32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit[by attributing the miracles done by Me to Satan]will not be forgiven, either in this age or in theageto come.

Words Reveal Character

33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is recognizedandjudged by its fruit.

34 You brood of vipers, how can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.

35 The good man, from his[inner]good treasure, brings out good things; and the evil man, from his[inner]evil treasure, brings out evil things.

36 But I tell you, on the day of judgment people will have to give an accounting for every carelessoruseless word they speak.

37 For by your words[reflecting your spiritual condition]you will be justifiedandacquitted of the guilt of sin; and by your words[rejecting Me]you will be condemnedandsentenced.”

The Desire for Signs

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign (attesting miracle) from You [proving that You are what You claim to be].”

39 But He replied and said to them,“An evil and adulterous generation[that is morally unfaithful to God]cravesanddemands a[miraculous]sign; but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah;

40 for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

41 The men of Nineveh will stand up[as witnesses]at the judgment against this generation, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and now, something greater than Jonah is here.

42 The Queen of the South (Sheba) will stand up[as a witness]at the judgment against this generation, and will condemn it because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon; and now, something greater than Solomon is here.

43 “Now when the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, it roams through waterless (dry, arid) places in search of rest, but it does not find it.

44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it arrives, it findsthe placeunoccupied, swept, and put in order.

45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and make their home there. And the last condition of that man becomes worse than the first. So will it also be with this wicked generation.”

Changed Relationships

46 While He was still talking to the crowds, it happened that His mother and brothers stood outside, asking to speak to Him.

47 Someone said to Him, “Look! Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside asking to speak to You.”

48 But Jesus replied to the one who told Him,“Who is My mother and who are My brothers?”

49 And stretching out His hand toward His disciples [and all His other followers], He said,“Here are My mother and My brothers!

50 Forwhoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven[by believing in Me, and following Me]is My brother and sister and mother.”

Jesus Teaches in Parables

1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting beside the sea [of Galilee].

2 But such large crowds gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat there [positioning Himself as a teacher], while the whole crowd stood on the shore.

3 He told them many things inparables, saying,“Listen carefully: a sower went out to sow[seed in his field];

4 and as he sowed, someseedfell beside the road[between the fields],and the birds came and ate it.

5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil; and at once they sprang up because they had no depth of soil.

6 But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

7 Other seed fell among thorns, and thorns came up and choked them out.

8 Other seed fell on good soil and yielded grain, some a hundred times as much[as was sown],some sixty[times as much],and some thirty.

9 He who has ears[to hear],let him hearandheed My words.”

An Explanation

10 Then the disciples came to Him and asked, “Why do You speak to the crowds in parables?”

11 Jesus replied to them,“To you it has been granted to know themysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.

12 For whoever has[spiritual wisdom because he is receptive to God’s word],to himmorewill be given, and he will be richlyandabundantly supplied; but whoever does not have[spiritual wisdom because he has devalued God’s word],even what he has will be taken away from him.

13 This is the reason I speak to the crowds in parables: because while[having the power of]seeing they do not see, and while[having the power of]hearing they do not hear, nor do they understandandgrasp[spiritual things].

14 In them the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,

‘You will hearandkeep on hearing,but never understand;

And you will lookandkeep on looking,but never comprehend;

15 For this nation’s heart has grown hard,

And with their ears they hardly hear,

And they have[tightly]closed their eyes,

Otherwise they would see with their eyes,

And hear with their ears,

And understand with their heart,and turn[to Me]

AndIwould heal them[spiritually].’

16 But blessed[spiritually aware, and favored by God]are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.

17 I assure youandmost solemnly say to you, many prophets and righteous men[who were honorable and in right standing with God]longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

The Sower Explained

18 “Listen then to the[meaning of the]parable of the sower:

19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom[regarding salvation]and does not understandandgrasp it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road.

20 The one on whom seed was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and at once welcomes it with joy;

21 yet he has no[substantial]root in himself, but is only temporary, and when pressure or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he stumblesandfalls away[abandoning the One who is the source of salvation].

22 And the one on whom seed was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the worriesanddistractions of the world and the deceitfulness[the superficial pleasures and delight]of riches choke the word, and it yields no fruit.

23 And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understandsandgrasps it; he indeed bears fruit and yields, some a hundred times[as much as was sown],some sixty[times as much],and some thirty.”

Weeds among Wheat

24 Jesus gave them another parable [to consider], saying,“The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.

25 But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowedweeds[resembling wheat]among the wheat, and went away.

26 So when the plants sprouted and formed grain, the weeds appeared also.

27 The servants of the owner came to him and said, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? Then how does it have weeds in it?’

28 He replied to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants asked him, ‘Then do you want us to go and pull them out?’

29 But he said, ‘No; because as you pull out the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them.

30 ~‘Let them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First gather the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

The Mustard Seed

31 He gave them another parable [to consider], saying,“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field;

32 and of all the seeds[planted in the region]it is the smallest, but when it has grown it is the largest of the garden herbs and becomes a tree, so thatthe birds of the air find shelter in its branches.”

The Leaven

33 He told them another parable,“The kingdom of heaven is likeleaven, which a woman took and worked into threemeasures of flour until all of it was leavened.”

34 All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables, and He said nothing to them without [using] a parable.

35 This wasto fulfill what was spoken by the prophet:

“Iwill openMy mouth in parables;

Iwill utter things[unknown and unattainable]that have been hidden[from mankind]since the foundation of the world.”

The Weeds Explained

36 Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him saying, “Explain [clearly] to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

37 He answered,“The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man,

38 and the field is the world; and[as for]the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the weeds are the sons of the evilone;

39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels.

40 So just as the weeds are gathered up and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of the age.

41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend[those things by which people are led into sin],and all who practice evil[leading others into sin],

42 and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping[over sorrow and pain]and grinding of teeth[over distress and anger].

43 Thenthe righteous[those who seek the will of God]will shine forth[radiating the new life]like the sunin the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears[to hear],let him hearandheed My words.

Hidden Treasure

44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a[very precious]treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid again; then in his joy he goes and sells all he has and buys that field[securing the treasure for himself].

A Costly Pearl

45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls,

46 and upon finding a single pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

A Dragnet

47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet which was lowered into the sea, and gatheredfishof every kind,

48 and when it was full, they dragged it up on the beach; and they sat down and sorted out the goodfishinto baskets, but the worthless ones they threw away.

49 So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous

50 and throw the wicked into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping[over sorrow and pain]and grinding of teeth[over distress and anger].

51 “Have you understood all these things[in the lessons of the parables]?” They said to Jesus, “Yes.”

52 He said to them,“Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household, who brings out of histreasure things that are newandfresh and things that are oldandfamiliar.”

Jesus Revisits Nazareth

53 When Jesus had finished these parables, He left there.

54 And after coming to [Nazareth] His hometown, Hebeganteaching them in their synagogue, and they were astonished, and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers [what is the source of His authority]?

55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And are not His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?

56 And His sisters, are they not [living here] among us? Where then did this Man get all this [wisdom and power]?”

57 And they took offense at Him [refusing to believe in Him]. But Jesus said to them,“A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.”

58 And He did not do many miracles there [in Nazareth] because of their unbelief.

John the Baptist Beheaded

1 At that time Herod [Antipas], the tetrarch [who governed a portion of Palestine including Galilee and Perea], heard the reports about Jesus,

2 and said to his attendants, “This is John the Baptist; he has been raised from the dead, and that is why the miraculous powers are at work in him.”

3 For Herod had John arrested and bound him and put him in prison [at the fortress of Machaerus, east of the Jordan, to keep him away] because ofHerodias, the wife of his brother Philip,

4 for John had said to him, “It is not lawful (morally right) for you to have her [living with you as your wife].”

5 Although Herod wished to have him put to death, he feared the people, for they regarded John as a prophet.

6 But when Herod’s birthday came, [his niece Salome], the daughter of Herodias danced [immodestly] before them and pleasedandfascinated Herod,

7 so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked.

8 She, being coached by her mother [Herodias], said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”

9 The king was distressed, but because of his oaths, and because of his dinner guests, he ordered it to be given her.

10 He sent and had John beheaded in the prison.

11 His head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother [Herodias].

12 And John’s disciples came and took away the body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.

Five Thousand Fed

13 When Jesus heardabout John,He left there privately in a boat and went to a secluded place. But when the crowds heard of this, they followed Him on foot from the cities.

14 When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt [profound] compassion for them and healed their sick.

15 When evening came, the disciples came to Him and said, “This is an isolated place and the hour is already late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”

16 But Jesus said to them,“They do not need to go away; you give themsomethingto eat!”

17 They replied, “We have nothing here except five loaves and two fish.”

18 He said,“Bring them here to Me.”

19 Then He ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and He took the five loaves and the two fish and, looking up toward heaven, He blessed and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciplesgave themto the people,

20 and they all ate and were satisfied. They picked up twelve full baskets of the leftover broken pieces.

21 There were about 5,000 men who ate, besides women and children.

Jesus Walks on the Water

22 Immediately He directed the disciples to get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side [of the Sea of Galilee], while He sent the crowds away.

23 After He had dismissed the crowds, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When it was evening, He was there alone.

24 But the boat [by this time] was already along distance from land, tossedandbattered by the waves; for the wind was against them.

25 And in the fourth watch of the night (3:00-6:00 a.m.) Jesus came to them, walking on the sea.

26 When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear.

27 But immediately He spoke to them, saying,“Take courage, it is I! Do not be afraid!”

28 Peter replied to Him, “Lord, if it is [really] You, command me to come to You on the water.”

29 He said,“Come!”So Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

30 But when he saw [the effects of] the wind, he was frightened, and he began to sink, and he cried out, “Lord, save me!”

31 Immediately Jesus extended His hand and caught him, saying to him,“O you of little faith, why did youdoubt?”

32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

33 Then those in the boat worshiped Him [with awe-inspired reverence], saying, “Truly You are the Son of God!”

34 When they had crossed over [the sea], they went ashore at Gennesaret.

35 And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sentwordthroughout all the surrounding district and brought to Him all who were sick;

36 and they begged Him to let them merely touch the fringe of His robe; and all who touched it were perfectly restored.

Tradition and Commandment

1 Then some Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem came to Jesus and said,

2 “Why do Your disciples violate thetradition (religious laws) handed down by the [Jewish] elders? For Your disciples do not [ceremonially] wash their hands before they eat.”

3 He replied to them,“Why also do you violate the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition[handed down by the elders]?

4 For God said[through Moses],‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘He who speaks evil oforinsultsortreats improperly father or mother is to be put to death.’

5 But you say, ‘If anyone says to his father or mother, “Whatever[money or resource that]I have that would help you is[already dedicated and]givento God,”

6 he is not to honor his father or his mother[by helping them with their need].’So by this you have invalidated the word of God[depriving it of force and authority and making it of no effect]for the sake of your tradition[handed down by the elders].

7 You hypocrites (play-actors, pretenders), rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you when he said,

8 ‘This people honorsMe with their lips,

But their heart is far away fromMe.

9 ‘But in vain do they worshipMe,

For they teach asdoctrines the precepts of men.’”

10 After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said,“Listen and understandthis:

11 It is not what goes into the mouth of a man that defilesanddishonors him, but what comes out of the mouth, this defilesanddishonors him.”

12 Then the disciples came and said to Jesus, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heardyou saythis?”

13 He answered,“Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant will be torn up by the roots.

14 Leave them alone; they are blind guides[leading blind followers].If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

The Heart of Man

15 Peter asked Him, “Explain this parable [about what defiles a person] to us.”

16 And He said,“Are you still so dull[and unable to put things together]?

17 Do you not understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated?

18 But whatever[word]comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this is what defilesanddishonors the man.

19 For out of the heart come evil thoughtsandplans, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, slanders (verbal abuse, irreverent speech, blaspheming).

20 These are the things which defileanddishonor the man; but eating with[ceremonially]unwashed hands does not defile the man.”

The Syrophoenician Woman

21 After leaving there, Jesus withdrew to the district ofTyre and Sidon.

22 And aCanaanite woman from that district came out andbeganto cry out [urgently], saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David (Messiah); my daughter is cruelly possessed by a demon.”

23 But He did not say a word in answer to her. And His disciples came and asked Him [repeatedly], “Send her away, because she keeps shouting out after us.”

24 He answered,“I was commissioned by Godandsent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

25 But she came andbeganto kneel down before Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”

26 And He replied,“It is not good (appropriate, fair) to take thechildren’s bread and throw it to thepet dogs.”

27 She said, “Yes, Lord; but even the pet dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their [young] masters’ table.”

28 Then Jesus answered her,“Woman, your faith[your personal trust and confidence in My power]is great; it will be done for you as you wish.”And her daughter was healed from that moment.

Healing Crowds

29 Jesus went on from there and passed along by [the eastern shore of] the Sea of Galilee. Then He went up on the hillside and was sitting there.

30 And great crowds came to Him, bringing with them the lame, crippled, blind, mute, and many others, and they put them down at His feet; and He healed them.

31 So the crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled restored, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they praisedandglorified the God of Israel.

Four Thousand Fed

32 Then Jesus called His disciples to Him, and said,“I feel compassion for the crowd, because they have been with Me now three days and have nothing[left]to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, because they might faint[from exhaustion]on the way[home].”

33 The disciples said to Him, “Where are we to get enough bread in this isolated place to feed so large a crowd?”

34 And Jesus asked them,“How many loaves[of bread]do you have?”They replied, “Seven, and a few small fish.”

35 He directed the crowd to sit down on the ground,

36 and He took the seven loaves and the fish; and when He had given thanks, He broke them and started giving them to the disciples, and the disciples [gave them] to the people.

37 And they all ate and were satisfied, and they gathered up seven full baskets of the broken pieces that were left over.

38 [Among] those who ate were 4,000 men, not counting women and children.

39 Then Jesus sent the crowds away, got into the boat and went to the district ofMagadan.

Pharisees Test Jesus

1 Now the Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and testing Jesus [to get something to use against Him], they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven [which would support His divine authority].

2 But He replied to them,“When it is evening, you say, ‘It will befair weather, for the sky is red.’

3 And in the morning, ‘It will bestormy today, for the sky is red and has a threatening look.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but cannot interpret the signs of the times?

4 An evil and[morally]unfaithful generation craves a[miraculous]sign; but no sign will be given to it, except the sign of[the prophet]Jonah.”Then He left them and went away.

5 When the disciples reached the other sideof the sea,they realized that they had forgotten to bring bread.

6 Jesus said to them,“Watch out and be on your guard against theleaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

7 They began to discuss this among themselves, saying, “He said thatbecause we did not bring bread.”

8 But Jesus, aware of this, said,“You men of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves that you have no bread?

9 Do you still not understand or remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you picked up?

10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many large baskets you picked up?

11 How is it that you fail to understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

12 Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the [false] teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Peter’s Confession of Christ

13 Now when Jesus went into theregion of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples,“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

14 And they answered, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah, or [just] one of the prophets.”

15 He said to them,“But who do you say that I am?”

16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), the Son of the living God.”

17 Then Jesus answered him,“Blessed[happy, spiritually secure, favored by God]are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood (mortal man) did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

18 And I say to you that you arePeter, and on thisrock I will build My church; and thegates of Hades (death) will not overpower it[by preventing the resurrection of the Christ].

19 I will give you the keys (authority) of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind[forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful]on earthwill have[already]been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose[permit, declare lawful]on earthwill have[already]been loosed in heaven.”

20 Then He gave the disciples strict orders to tell no one that He was the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).

Jesus Foretells His Death

21 From that time on Jesus began to show His disciples [clearly] that He must go to Jerusalem, and endure many things at the hands of the elders and the chief priests and scribes (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court), and be killed, and be raised [from death to life] on the third day.

22 Peter took Him aside [to speak to Him privately] and began to reprimand Him, saying, “May God forbid it! This will never happen to You.”

23 But Jesus turned and said to Peter,“Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on things of God, but on things of man.”

Discipleship Is Costly

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples,“If anyone wishes to follow Me[as My disciple],he must deny himself[set aside selfish interests],and take 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].

25 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 will find it[that is, life with Me for all eternity].

26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world[wealth, fame, success],but forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

27 For the Son of Man is going to come in the gloryandmajesty of His Father with His angels, andthenHe will repay each one in accordance with what he has done.

28 “I assure youandmost solemnly say to you, there are some ofthose standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

The Transfiguration

1 Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John the brother of James, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves.

2 And His appearance changed dramatically in their presence; and His face shone [with heavenly glory, clear and bright] like the sun, and His clothing became as white as light.

3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Jesus.

4 Then Peter began to speak and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is goodanddelightfulandauspicious that we are here; if You wish, I will put up three [sacred] tents here–one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, anda voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleasedanddelighted! Listen to Him!”

6 When the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were terrified.

7 But Jesus came and touched them and said,“Get up, and do not be afraid.”

8 And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone.

9 And as they were going down the mountain, Jesus commanded them,“Do not tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

10 The disciples asked Him, “Then why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

11 He answered and said,“Elijah is coming and will restore all things;

12 but I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not recognize him, but did to him as they wished. The Son of Man is also going to suffer at their hands.”

13 Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist.

The Demoniac

14 When they approached the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, kneeling before Him and saying,

15 “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic (moonstruck) and suffers terribly; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.

16 And I brought him to Your disciples, and they were not able to heal him.”

17 And Jesus answered,“You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.”

18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed at once.

19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked, “Why could we not drive it out?”

20 He answered,“Because of your little faith[your lack of trust and confidence in the power of God];for I assure youandmost solemnly say to you,if you have[living]faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and[if it is God’s will]it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

21 [But this kind of demon does not go out except by prayer and fasting.]”

22 When they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus said to them,“The Son of Man is going to be betrayedandhanded over to men[who are His enemies];

23 and they will kill Him, and He will be raised[from death to life]on the third day.”And they were deeply grievedanddistressed.

The Tribute Money

24 When they arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of thehalf-shekel [temple tax] went up to Peter and said, “Does not your teacher pay the half-shekel?”

25 Peter answered, “Yes.” And when he came home, Jesus spoke to him first, saying,“What do you think, Simon? From whom do earthly rulers collect duties or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?”

26 When Peter said, “From strangers,” Jesus said to him,“Then the sons are exempt[from taxation].

27 However, so that we do not offend them, go to the sea and throw in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a shekel. Take it and give it to them[to pay the temple tax]for you and Me.”

Rank in the Kingdom

1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

2 He called a little child and set him before them,

3 and said,“I assure youandmost solemnly say to you, unless you repent[that is, change your inner self–your old way of thinking, live changed lives]and become like children[trusting, humble, and forgiving],you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

4 Therefore, whoeverhumbles himself like this child is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

5 Whoever receivesandwelcomes onechild like this in My name receives Me;

6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumbleandsin[by leading him away from My teaching],it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone[as large as one turned by a donkey]hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

Stumbling Blocks

7 “Woe (judgment is coming) to the world because of stumbling blocksandtemptations to sin! It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to the person on whose accountorthrough whom the stumbling block comes!

8 “If your hand or your foot causes you to stumbleandsin, cut it off and throw it away from you[that is, remove yourself from the source of temptation];it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into everlasting fire.

9 If your eye causes you to stumbleandsin, pluck it out and throw it away from you[that is, remove yourself from the source of temptation];it is better for you to enter life with only one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fiery hell.

10 “See that you do not despiseorthink less of one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven[are in the presence of and]continually look upon the face of My Father who is in heaven.

11 [For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.]

Ninety-nine Plus One

12 “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them gets lost, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountain and go in search of the one that is lost?

13 And if it turns out that he finds it, I assure youandmost solemnly say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that did not get lost.

14 So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones be lost.

Discipline and Prayer

15 “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listensandpays attention to you, you have won back your brother.

16 But if he does not listen, take along with you one or two others, so thatevery word may be confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses.

17 If he pays no attention to them[refusing to listen and obey],tell it to thechurch; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile (unbeliever) and a tax collector.

18 I assure youandmost solemnly say to you, whatever you bind[forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful]on earthshall have[already]been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose[permit, declare lawful]on earthshall have[already]been loosed in heaven.

19 “Again I say to you, that if twobelievers on earth agree[that is, are of one mind, in harmony]about anything that they ask[within the will of God],it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.

20 For where two or three are gathered in My name[meeting together as My followers],I am there among them.”

Forgiveness

21 Then Peter came to Him and asked, “Lord, how many times will my brother sin against me and I forgive himandlet it go? Up to seven times?”

22 Jesus answered him,“I say to you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven.

23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves.

24 When he began the accounting, one who owed him 10,000talents was brought to him.

25 But because he could not repay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and his children and everything that he possessed, and payment to be made.

26 So the slave fell on his knees and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’

27 And his master’s heart was moved with compassion and he released him and forgave him[canceling]the debt.

28 But that same slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed hima hundred denarii; and he seized him andbeganchoking him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe!’

29 So his fellow slave fell on his knees and begged him earnestly, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’

30 But he was unwilling and he went and had him thrown in prison until he paid back the debt.

31 When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and they went and reported to their master[with clarity and in detail]everything that had taken place.

32 Then his master called him and said to him, ‘You wickedandcontemptible slave, I forgave all that[great]debt of yours because you begged me.

33 ~‘Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave[who owed you little by comparison],as I had mercy on you?’

34 And in wrath his master turned him over to the torturers (jailers) until he paid all that he owed.

35 My heavenly Father will also do the same to[every one of]you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”