"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'

Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a snake?

And when He heard it, He said, "It is not well, but sick people that have to send for a doctor.

Do not sparrows sell for a cent apiece? And yet not one of them can fall to the ground without your Father's notice.

"Are you the One who was to come, or should we keep on looking for a different one?"

"You must either make the tree healthy and its fruits healthy or make the tree sickly and its fruits sickly, for a tree is judged by its fruit.

But He answered, "Only a wicked and treacherous age is hankering for a spectacular sign, and no sign will be given it but the sign of the prophet Jonah.

For as Jonah was in the whale's stomach for three days and nights, the Son of Man will be three days and nights in the heart of the earth.

When Jesus heard it, He left there in a boat for a quiet place, to be alone. And when the crowds heard of it, they followed Him on foot from the towns.

"It is a wicked and immoral age that is hankering for a spectacular sign, so no sign will be given it but the sign of Jonah." Then He left them and went away.

And some Pharisees came up to Him, to try Him out with the question, "Is it right for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?"

Jesus said to His disciples, "I solemnly say to you, it will be hard for a rich man to get into the kingdom of heaven.

Again, I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye than for a rich man to get into the kingdom of heaven."

And this good news of the kingdom must be preached all over the inhabited world, for a testimony to all the heathen, and then the end will come.

So you, too, must continue to be ready, for at an hour you are not expecting Him the Son of Man will come.

But they kept saying, "It must not be at the feast, for a riot may break out among the people."

Surely it could have been sold for a large sum and the money given to the poor."

So from that time he kept looking for a good opportunity to turn Him over to them.

And Peter followed Him at a distance as far as the courtyard of the high priest's home; he even went inside and was sitting among the attendants to see how it would end.

Now there had been a great earthquake. For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and went and rolled the boulder back and remained sitting upon it.

With many stories like these He kept on telling them the message, as far as they could understand it.

But He sighed in spirit and said, "Why do the people of these times ask for a spectacular sign? I solemnly say, no sign at all will be given them."

It is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye than for a rich man to get into the kingdom of God."

They were delighted to hear it, and promised to pay him for it. So he kept looking for a good opportunity to betray Him to them.

And Peter followed Him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest; he was sitting with the attendants and warming himself before the fire.

For as soon as your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped for joy within me!

Then he asked for a writing-tablet, and wrote, "His name is John." And they were all astonished.

When He stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Push out into deep water, and set your nets for a haul."

For at the haul of fish that they had made, bewildering amazement had seized him and all his men,

The good man, out of his good inner storehouse, brings forth what is good, the bad man, out of his bad one, what is bad. For a man's mouth usually speaks the things that fill his heart.

As soon as He stepped out upon the shore, there met Him a man from town, who was under the power of demons; and for a long time he had worn no clothes, and did not stay in a house but in tombs.

for a friend of mine has just come to my house on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him to eat.'

Now is there a father among you who, if his son asks him for a fish, will give him a snake instead?

Or, if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?

Now as the crowds continued to throng upon Him, He began to say: "This is a wicked age. It is looking for a spectacular sign, but none will be given it but the sign of Jonah.

for at that very moment the Holy Spirit will teach you what you ought to say."

So you, too, must always be ready, for at an hour that you are not expecting, the Son of Man will come."

But if that slave says to himself, my Master is not coming back for a long time, and begins to beat the men and women slaves, and to eat and drink and get drunk,

But I must continue on my way, for it is not possible for a prophet to perish outside Jerusalem.'

And he would not for a time, but afterward he said to himself, Though I have no reverence for God nor respect for men,

For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye than for a rich man to get into the kingdom of God."

For a time is coming upon you when your enemies will throw up earthworks around you and surround you and hem you in on all sides,

Then He went on to tell the people the following story: "Once upon a time a man planted a vineyard and leased it to tenant farmers, and then went abroad for a long stay.

But Jesus said, "Permit me to go as far as this!" So He touched his ear and healed him.

Now Herod was very glad to see Jesus, for he had been wanting to see Him for a long time on account of what he had heard about Him; also he was hoping to see some spectacular performance done by Him.

So he continued to question Him for a long time, but Jesus gave him no answer at all.

(He was a man who had been put in prison for a riot that had occurred in the city and for murder.)

For a time is coming when people will say, 'Happy are the women who are childless, and the women who have never borne and nursed babies!'

Look at my hands and my feet, for it is I, myself. Feel of me and see for yourselves, for a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have."

Then He led them out as far as Bethany, and lifted up His hands and blessed them.

After this Jesus went home to Capernaum, with His mother and brothers and disciples, and stayed there for a few days.

So the Samaritan woman said to Him, "How is it that a Jew like you asks a Samaritan woman like me for a drink?" For Jews have nothing to do with Samaritans.

Jesus saw him lying there, and when He found out that he had been in that condition for a long time, He asked him, "Do you want to get well?"

and those who have done good will come out for a resurrection to life, but those who have done evil for a resurrection to condemnation.

John was the lamp that kept on burning and shining, and you decided for a time to delight yourselves in his light.

The Jews retorted, "It is not for a good deed but for blasphemy we are going to stone you; namely, because you, although a mere man, claim to be God."

And anything you ask for as bearers of my name I will do for you, so that the Father may be glorified through the Son.

Yes, I repeat it, anything you ask for as bearers of my name I will do it for you.

Pilate asked Him, "What is truth?" On saying this he went outside again to the Jews, and said to them, "As far as I can see, I can find no ground for a charge against Him.

Now you have a custom to have me set one man free at your Passover time. So do you wish me to set the king of the Jews free?"

And Pilate went outside again and said to the Jews, "Listen! I am going to bring Him out to you, for you to see that I can find no ground for a charge against Him."

When the high priests and attendants saw Him, they shouted, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I can find no ground for a charge against Him."

if it is for a good deed to a helpless man, or to learn how he was cured, that we are today being tried,

For none of them was in want, for as many of them as were owners of farms or houses proceeded to sell them, one by one, and continued to bring the money received for the things sold

and not for a single day did they stop teaching in the temple square and in private houses the good news of Jesus the Christ.

So he left the country of the Chaldeans and for a time made his home in Haran. Then after the death of his father, God had him move to this country in which you now live.

and they said to Aaron, 'Make us gods to march in front of us, for as for this Moses, who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him!'

They kept running after him, because for a long time he had thrilled them with his magical performances.

for as yet He had not come upon any of them, but they had been baptized merely in the name of the Lord Jesus.

and he said to him, "You know that it is against the law for a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit one, but God has taught me not to call any man vulgar or ceremonially unclean;

and after he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. Now for a whole year their meeting with the church lasted, and they taught large numbers of people. It was at Antioch too that the disciples first came to be known as "Christians."

Then they went through the whole island as far as Paphos, and there they found a Jewish magician and false prophet whose name was Barjesus.

Right now the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be so blind that you cannot see the sun for a time." And suddenly a dark mist fell upon him, and he kept groping about begging people to lead him by the hand.

She kept this up for a number of days. Because Paul was so much annoyed by her, he turned and said to the spirit in her, "In the name of Jesus Christ I order you to come out of her." And that very moment it came out.

For as I was going here and there and looking at the things you worship, I even found an altar with this inscription, 'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.' So it is about the Being whom you are in ignorance already worshiping that I am telling you.

So for a year and a half he settled down among them and went on teaching God's message.

So he sent off to Macedonia two of his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, while he stayed on for a while in Asia.

for a tremendous crowd of people kept following them and shouting, "Away with him!"

So the soldiers took Paul, as they had been ordered to do, and brought him by night as far as Antipatris.

and when I was in Jerusalem, the Jewish high priests and elders presented their case against him, and continued to ask for a judgment against him.

For a number of days we sailed on slowly and with difficulty arrived off Cnidus. Then, because the wind did not permit us to go on, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Cape Salmone,

For a number of days neither the sun nor the stars were to be seen, and the storm continued to rage, until at last all hope of being saved was now vanishing,

Because the brothers at Rome had heard of our coming, they came as far as Appius' Market and the Three Taverns to meet us, and as soon as Paul caught sight of them, he thanked God and took courage.

But we think it fitting to let you tell us what your views are, for as to this sect it is known by all of us that it is everywhere denounced."

So, as far as I can, I am eager to preach the good news to you at Rome, too.

For, as the Scripture says, the name of God is abused among the heathen because of you.

Now a man will scarcely ever give his life for an upright person, though once in a while a man is brave enough to die for a generous friend.

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free so far as doing right was concerned.

For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies, she is freed from the marriage bond.

If possible, so far as it depends on you, live in peace with everybody.

Stop undoing the work of God just for the sake of food. Everything is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything when it makes another stumble.

As far as I am concerned about you, my brothers, I am convinced that you especially are abounding in the highest goodness, richly supplied with perfect knowledge and competent to counsel one another.

We have worked hard with our own hands for a living. When abused by people, we bless them. When persecuted, we patiently bear it.

Now I take up the matters about which you wrote me. It may be good thing for a man to remain unmarried;

Now this is my opinion in the light of the present distress: That it is a good thing for a man to remain as he is.

Are you married? Stop trying to get a divorce. Are you unmarried? Stop looking for a wife.

Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the product of my work for the Lord?

Or is it Barnabas and I alone who have no right to refrain from working for a living?

For if a woman will not wear a veil, let her have her hair cut off too. Now if it is a dishonor for a woman to have her hair cut off, or her head shaved, let her wear a veil.

For a man ought not to wear anything on his head, because he is the image and reflected glory of God, but woman is man's reflected glory.