Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible




The kingdom of heaven is like a king who went over his accounts with his servants.

Look! I am sending you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will torture and kill. Others you will torment and persecute from city to city.



He who did not know and did things unacceptable will receive a lesser punishment. To whom much is given, much will be required and to whom they commit much they will demand even more.

He received the kingdom and went back to check on his servants. He wanted to know what they had gained by trading with the money he gave them.


They think it strange that you do not run with them in wild and reckless living and they speak evil about you. They will give account to him that is ready to judge the living and the dead.


Look! I am sending you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will torture and kill. Others you will torment and persecute from city to city.


Do not be called Rabbi (master) (teacher) (leader), for only one is your teacher. You are all brothers. Call no man your father on the earth, for only one is your Father in heaven. Do not be called master (teacher) (leader), for only one is your master, and he is Christ.

Jesus was a dinner guest at Matthew's house. Many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw it, they asked his disciples: Why does your Teacher eat with the tax collectors and sinners? When he heard it, he said: People who are well do not have need of a physician. The sick do. read more.
You should learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice'; for I came, not to call the righteous, but sinners.

The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, he said. Obey everything they teach you, but do not follow their example. They say one thing and do something else. They chain heavy burdens on your shoulders. Yet they are unwilling to lift even a finger to carry these same burdens.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You close the kingdom of heaven to people. You do not invite others to enter nor do you enter. [Verse not found in oldest manuscripts.] Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You travel on both sea and land to make one convert. When this happens, you make him twice as deserving of destruction in the trash fires of the valley of Hinnom (Greek: Gehenna). read more.
Woe to you, you blind guides! You say, 'When you swear by the temple, it is nothing.' Then you say, 'When you swear by the gold of the temple, you are obligated.' You fools! You blind men! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold? When you swear by an altar, you owe nothing. When you swear by the gift left on the altar, you are obligated. You blind men! What is more important, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? He who swears by the altar, swears by it and everything on it. He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by him that dwells within it. Thus, he who swears by heaven also swears by the throne of God and him who sits on it. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy and faith. You should do both and leave nothing undone. You blind guides! You strain out the gnat and swallow the camel! Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter, yet the inside is full of extortion and excess. You are blind. Clean the inside of the cup and platter first. Then clean the outside. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that appear beautiful on the outside. They are full of dead men's bones and uncleanness on the inside. You appear righteous to men. However, inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You build the tombs for the prophets and decorate the tombs of the righteous. You claim that you would not have been involved with your fathers when they spilled the blood of the prophets. You witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up the (guilt) measure of your fathers. You serpents! You offspring of vipers! How will you escape from being destroyed in the ever-burning fires of the Valley of Hinnom? (Greek: Gehenna, the trash fires in the valley just outside of Jerusalem) Look! I am sending you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will torture and kill. Others you will torment and persecute from city to city. You are responsible for all the righteous blood shed on earth. That includes the blood of the righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar.

For every one will be salted with fire. Salt is good. If it loses its saltiness how can you make it salty again? Have the salt or seasoning of friendship among yourselves, and live in peace with one another.


Look! I am sending you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will torture and kill. Others you will torment and persecute from city to city. You are responsible for all the righteous blood shed on earth. That includes the blood of the righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar. I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation (those living at that time).


Jesus said: There was a man who gave a great feast to which he invited many people. He sent his servant to tell the guests that everything is ready. They all made excuses one after another. The first one told the servant: 'I bought a field and must go and look at it. Please accept my apologies.' read more.
Another said: 'I purchased five pairs of oxen and am on my way to try them out. Please accept my apologies.' Another explained: 'I am newly married and I cannot come.' The servant returned and conveyed this to his master. The master was furious. He commanded his servant to hurry into the streets and alleys of the town, and bring back the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame. The servant soon told his master, 'Your order has been carried out but there is still more room.' The master told the servant, 'Go to the country roads and lanes and make people come so my house will be full.' None of those who were invited will taste my dinner! He said.

He said: A nobleman traveled to a country far away to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. He called ten of his servants and gave them ten pounds, and said do business with this until I return. His citizens hated him. They sent a spokesman to him saying we do not want this man to rule us. read more.
He received the kingdom and went back to check on his servants. He wanted to know what they had gained by trading with the money he gave them. The first reported: Your pound has made ten pounds more. He said: Well done, you good servant. You were faithful in very little. Now you shall have authority over ten cities. The second said: Your pound, Lord, has made five pounds. He replied: You should be over five cities. Another reported: Lord, here is your pound. I kept it stored in a napkin. I feared you because you are an austere man. You take up what you do not lay down and you reap that which you did not sow. He said to him: Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I am an austere man, taking up that which I did not lay down, and reaping that which I did not sow. Why did you not put my money in the bank? That way I could collect interest when I returned. The nobleman said: Take away the pound he was given and give it to him that has the ten pounds. They said: Lord he has ten pounds! I say to you, that every one who has more shall be given. The man who does not have what little he has shall be taken away from him. Bring my enemies that do not want me to rule over them and kill them in front of me.

Then he denounced the cities where most of his mighty works were done, because they did not repent. Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon that were done in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. I say to you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the Day of Judgment than for you. read more.
Will you, Capernaum, be exalted into heaven? You will go down into the grave. If the mighty works had been done in Sodom, which were done in you, it would have remained until this day. But I say to you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the Day of Judgment, than for you.

They will go with their flocks and with their herds to seek Jehovah. But they will not find him. He has withdrawn from them.

I called you! I stretched out my hand to you. You paid no attention to me. You have ignored all my counsel. You accept no correction. I also will laugh at your trouble. I will mock when your fear comes. read more.
Trouble and distress will surround you like a whirlwind, like a great storm. You will ask for my help, but I will not listen. You will search, but you will not find me. You have no use for knowledge and you refuse to respect Jehovah. You rejected my advice and paid no attention when I warned you. Now you will get what you deserve for what you have done. Your own advice will make you sick. Sin and self-satisfaction bring destruction and death to stupid fools. Whoever listens to me will be secure and will be free from the fear of evil.

When you warn the wicked man, and he does not turn from his wicked way; he will die because of his sin, but you will save yourself.



Jehovah continued to speak to me: Son of man, speak to your people. Tell them: 'Suppose I bring war on this country and the people of this country choose one of their men and make him their watchman. If he sees the enemy coming to attack the country he will blow his horn to warn the people. read more.
If the people hear the horn and ignore the warning and the enemy comes and takes them, they will be responsible for their own deaths. They heard the sound of the horn but ignored its warning. In that case they are responsible for their own deaths. If they had taken the warning they would have saved themselves. But if the watchman sees the enemy coming and does not blow his horn to warn the people and the enemy comes and kills someone, that watchman must die because of his sin. I will hold him responsible for their deaths.' Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman for the people of Israel. Listen to what I say and warn them for me. Suppose I say to a wicked person, 'You wicked person, you will certainly die.' And you say nothing to warn him to change his ways. That wicked person will die because of his sin. I will hold you responsible for his death. But if you warn a wicked man to turn from his way and he does not turn from his way, he will die in his iniquity, but you have delivered your life. Son of man, say to the house of Israel: 'You people have said: Our transgressions and our sins are upon us. We are rotting away in them. How can we survive?' Say to them: 'As I am alive! Declares the Lord Jehovah. I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Only that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back! Turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?' Son of man, tell the Israelites that when someone good sins, the good he has done will not save him. If an evil person stops doing evil he will not be punished, and if a good man starts sinning, his life will not be spared. I may promise life to someone good, but if he starts thinking that his past goodness is enough and begins to sin, I will not remember any of the good he did. He will die because of his sins. I may warn someone evil that he is going to die, but if he stops sinning and does what is right and good, and if he returns the security he took for a loan or gives back what he stole, if he stops sinning and follows the laws that give life, he will not die, but he will live. None of the sins that he has done will be remembered. He has done what is fair and right. He will certainly live.' But your people say: 'Jehovah's way is not right.' Yet, their ways are not right.

If someone will not welcome you and listen to the message, leave that house or town, shake the dust off your feet and move on. I tell you, it will be better for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that town.

Look! I am sending you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will torture and kill. Others you will torment and persecute from city to city. You are responsible for all the righteous blood shed on earth. That includes the blood of the righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar. I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation (those living at that time). read more.
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you kill the prophets and stone the messengers who are sent to you! How often I wanted to gather your children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings. But you were not willing! Behold, your house is left desolate.

The master of the house will close the door. You stand outside and knock on the door and say: 'Open the door for us, sir!' He will answer: 'I do not know where you come from!' Then you will answer, we ate and drank with you. You taught in our town! Again he will say: 'I do not know where you come from. Get away from me, you wicked people!' read more.
You will cry and grind your teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, while you are thrown out!


Look! I am sending you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will torture and kill. Others you will torment and persecute from city to city.


Have you not heard that when Jezebel was killing Jehovah's prophets I hid a hundred of them in caves, in two groups of fifty, and supplied them with food and water?

He said: I have been zealous for Jehovah, the God of hosts. The children of Israel have not kept your agreement (covenant). They have destroyed your altars. They killed your prophets with the sword. I, even I, am the only one living. Now they seek to take my life too.

Look! I am sending you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will torture and kill. Others you will torment and persecute from city to city. You are responsible for all the righteous blood shed on earth. That includes the blood of the righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar. I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation (those living at that time). read more.
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you kill the prophets and stone the messengers who are sent to you! How often I wanted to gather your children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings. But you were not willing!



The kingdom of heaven is like a king who went over his accounts with his servants.

Look! I am sending you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will torture and kill. Others you will torment and persecute from city to city.



He who did not know and did things unacceptable will receive a lesser punishment. To whom much is given, much will be required and to whom they commit much they will demand even more.

He received the kingdom and went back to check on his servants. He wanted to know what they had gained by trading with the money he gave them.


They think it strange that you do not run with them in wild and reckless living and they speak evil about you. They will give account to him that is ready to judge the living and the dead.


Look! I am sending you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will torture and kill. Others you will torment and persecute from city to city.

I punished them in every synagogue and tried to force them to recant their beliefs. I was exceedingly mad against them. I persecuted them even in strange cities.


I answered, 'Lord they know very well that I went to the synagogues and arrested and beat those who believe in you.


Look! I am sending you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will torture and kill. Others you will torment and persecute from city to city.


I answered, 'Lord they know very well that I went to the synagogues and arrested and beat those who believe in you.