Then He said to them, "You must go all over the world and preach the good news to all the creation.

He who believes it and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe it will be condemned.

"The time is ripe and the kingdom of God is near; repent and believe in the good news."

Now after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God:

And the following signs will attend those who believe: By using my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in foreign languages;

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ.

and you must love the Lord your God with your whole heart, your whole soul, your whole mind, and your whole strength.'

For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give His life a ransom price to set many free."

Jesus answered, "The first one is, 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord,

Now after He had risen, early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary of Magdala, out of whom He had driven seven demons.

When the Sabbath had ended, Mary of Magdala, Mary, James's mother, and Salome bought spices to go and anoint Him.

Then one of the scribes, on hearing them arguing, came up, and since he saw that Jesus had answered them properly, he asked Him, "What sort of command is the first of all commands?"

After some days He came back to Capernaum, and it was reported that He was at home,

If your hand makes you do wrong, cut it off. You might better go into life maimed than keep both your hands and go down to the pit, to the fire that is never put out.

As He was again starting on a journey, a man ran up to Him, and knelt to Him, and was asking Him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life?"

So then I tell you, whenever you pray and ask for anything, have faith that it has been granted you, and you will get it.

Then He called the people to Him along with His disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wants to be my disciple, he must say, 'No' to self, put the cross on his shoulders, and keep on following me.

Now in those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

And they held that caution fast in their minds, as they continued to discuss among themselves what rising from the dead meant.

Jesus said to him, "If there is anything I can do! Everything is possible for him who has faith!"

Then He said to them, "The Sabbath was made to serve man and not man to keep the Sabbath.

That same day when it was evening, He said to them, "Let us go over to the other Side."

But about that day or hour not a single one knows -- not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son; not a single one but the Father.

And people were bringing little children to Him for Him to touch them, but the disciples reproved them for it.

So they landed on the other side of the sea in the region of Gerasa.

The Pharisees met about Him, and also some scribes who had come from Jerusalem.

For what benefit will it be to a man to gain the whole world and fail to gain the higher life?

Then Jesus and His disciples left Galilee and went to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way there He was asking His disciples, "Who do people say that I am?"

and if any woman divorces her husband to marry another man, she commits adultery."

Is He not the carpenter, Mary's son, and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And do not His sisters live here among us?" And so they found a cause for stumbling over him.

But from the beginning of the creation, 'God made them male and female.

Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho, with His disciples and a great crowd, Timeus' son, Bartimeus, a blind beggar, was sitting on the roadside.

Then he will show you a large upstairs room, furnished and ready; get everything ready for us there."

Then He asked them, "Is it right to do people good on the Sabbath, or to do them evil, to save life or to take it?" But they had nothing to say.

And at three o'clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eloi! Eloi! lama sabachthani?" which means, "My God! my God! why have you forsaken me?"

Six days after this, Jesus took Peter, James, and John with Him, and led them up on a high mountain, alone by themselves. And in their presence His appearance was changed,

While they were eating, He took a loaf and blessed it and broke it in pieces and gave it to them, saying, "Take this; it is my body."

Then He instructed them for the first time that the Son of Man had to endure great suffering and be disowned by the elders and the high priests and the scribes, and be killed but rise again after three days.

So the Lord Jesus, after He had spoken to them, was caught up into heaven and took His seat at God's right hand.

Some fell upon rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up at once, because the soil was not deep;

About four thousand people were there. Then He sent them away.

for from the inside, that is, from the hearts of men, designs for doing evil come, sexual immorality, stealing, murder,

Then He left there and went into the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon. He went into a house and wanted no one to know that He was there. But He could not escape public notice.

When Jesus saw it, He was indignant, and said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and stop keeping them from it, for to such as these the kingdom of God belongs.

And whenever you stand and pray, if you have anything against anybody, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven too may forgive you your shortcomings."

Then He sat down in front of the collection-box and was watching the people as they dropped their money into it. And many rich people were dropping in large sums.

For whoever is ashamed of me and my teaching in this unfaithful, sinful age, then the Son of Man will be ashamed of him, when He comes back in His Father's splendor with the holy angels."

Then Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God!

Early in the morning, long before daybreak, He got up and went out to a lonely spot, and stayed praying there.

When they were getting near Jerusalem, that is, were at Bethphage and Bethany in front of the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples on ahead,

The apostles returned and met Jesus and reported to Him everything, how many things they had done and taught.

Then He began again to teach by the seashore. And a crowd gathered around Him so great that He got into a boat and was sitting in it, just off the shore, while all the people were on the land close to the sea.

They went into Capernaum, and as soon as the first Sabbath came, He went into the synagogue and began to teach.

There came to Him a leper, begging Him on his knees, saying to Him, "If you want to, you can cure me."

John the Baptizer appeared in the desert and was preaching a baptism conditioned on repentance to obtain the forgiveness of sins.

And He said to them, "I solemnly say to you, some of the people standing here will certainly live to see the kingdom of God come in its power."

He at once called them. They left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and went after Him.

As soon as they left the synagogue, they went home with Simon and Andrew, in company with James and John.

I have baptized you in water, but He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit."

they will take snakes in their hands; even if they drink anything poisonous, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will get well."

He left there and went back to His hometown, and His disciples followed Him.

I solemnly say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Get up and throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt at all in his heart, but has faith that what he says will take place, shall have it.

And at once they forsook their nets and followed Him.

Some Pharisees came up, and to test Him they began to ask Him whether a man should be allowed to divorce his wife.

So He said to them, "If any man divorces his wife to marry another woman, he commits adultery against his former wife,

Now the feast of the Passover and of Unleavened Bread was two days later. So the high priests and scribes kept looking for some way to arrest Him by stratagem and have Him put to death,

And Zebedee's two sons, James and John, came up to Him and said, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask."

As it is written in the prophet Isaiah: "Here I send my messenger ahead of you; He will prepare your way.

While He was in Bethany, He was a guest in the home of Simon the leper, and as He was sitting at table, a woman came in with an alabaster bottle of pure nard perfume, very costly; she broke the bottle and poured the perfume on His head.

And they came up and said to Him, "We know that you always tell the truth, and pay no personal consideration to anyone, but teach the way of God honestly. Is it right to pay poll-tax to Caesar, or not?

When Jesus again had crossed in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about Him, as He was standing on the seashore.

As He was leaving the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, "Look, Teacher! What stupendous stones, what beautiful buildings!"

But He answered them, "Isaiah beautifully prophesied about you hypocrites; as the Scripture says: "'This people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far, far away from me;

And He called the Twelve to Him and sent them out two by two, and gave them power over the foul spirits.

And just as soon as He started to come up out of the water, He saw the heavens split open and the Spirit coming down like a dove to enter Him.

"So when you see the destructive desecration standing where he has no right to stand" -- let the reader take notice -- "then let those who remain in Judea fly to the hills;

On the first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread, the usual time for killing the Passover lamb, Jesus' disciples asked Him, "Where do you want us to go and get the Passover supper ready for you to eat?"

As soon as it was daylight, the high priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes; and the whole council, after binding Jesus, took Him away and turned Him over to Pilate.

John said to Him, "Teacher, we saw a man using your name to drive out demons, and we tried to stop him, for he was not one of our followers."

Then He left there and went through the district of Judea and crossed the Jordan, and crowds of people again met around Him, and again He began to teach them, as His custom was.

As He was walking along the shore of the sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets in the sea, for they were fishermen.

On the Sabbath He was passing through the wheat fields, and His disciples started to make a path by pulling off the wheat heads.

So off the disciples went; they reached the city, found everything just as He had told them, and they got the Passover supper ready.

He also was saying: "The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed on the ground,

Then they asked Him, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah has to come first?"

Then they reached Jerusalem, and He went into the temple and began to drive out of it those who were buying and selling things in it. Then He upset the money-changers' tables and the dove-dealers' counters,

But whoever speaks abusively against the Holy Spirit can never get forgiveness, but is guilty of a sin that has no end."

Then Jesus looked at him and loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing. Go, sell everything you have, and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; then come back and follow me."

Then He went into a synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand.

Then He began to speak to them in stories. "A man once planted a vineyard and fenced it in and hewed out a wine-vat and built a watchtower; then he rented it to tenant farmers, and went abroad.

He walked on a little farther and saw James, the Son of Zebedee, and his brother John; they too were in their boats getting their nets in order.

and He was saying, "Abba [which means 'Father'], anything is possible for you! Take this cup away from me! Yet, I pray, not what I want but what you want!"

Then they came to the place called Gethsemane, and He said to His disciples, "Sit down here while I pray."

Then they came to Bethsaida. And they brought a blind man to Him and begged Him to touch him.

Then they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord kept on working with them and confirming their message by the signs that attended it.

"But in those days, after that misery, the sun will turn dark, the moon will not shed its light,

Now several women were there looking on from a distance, among them Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of the younger James and of Joses, and Salome,

And whoever leads one of these lowly believers to do wrong, might better have a huge millstone hung around his neck and be thrown into the sea.

Then they sent some Pharisees and Herodians to Him to trap Him in argument.

King Herod heard of Him, for His name was now on everybody's lips, and people were saying that John the Baptist had risen from the dead, and that this was why such mighty powers were working in Him.

Then the Spirit at once drove Him out into the desert.

Then He went up on the hillside and summoned to Him those whom He wanted, and they went to Him.

When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralyzed man, "My son, your sins are forgiven."

Then His mother and His brothers came. They were standing outside and sent word to call Him.

Jesus heard it, and said to them, "Not well but sick people have to send for the doctor. It is not upright but sinful people that I have come to invite."

And this is the second, 'You must love your neighbor as you do yourself.' No other command is greater than these."

Later on He appeared to the Eleven themselves while they were at table, and reproved them for their lack of faith and their stubbornness, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had been raised from the dead.

When they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them and some scribes arguing with them.

And He at once got into the boat and crossed to the district of Dalmanutha.

but when the sun came up, they were scorched and withered away, because they had not taken root.

But Jesus looked at them and said, "This is impossible for men, but everything is possible for God."

Next day, while they were walking over from Bethany, He felt hungry.

Their worship of me is but an empty show; the things they teach are but men's precepts.'

Then Jesus called them to Him, and said to them, "You know that those who are supposed to rule the heathen lord it over them, and their great men rule as despots over them;

Then He insisted that the disciples at once get into their boat and cross ahead of Him toward Bethsaida, while He was sending the crowd away.

And in His teaching He continued to say: "Beware of the scribes who like to go about in long robes, to be saluted with honor in public places,

And they were dumbfounded at His teaching, for He was teaching them like one who had authority to teach, and not like the scribes.

Then He said to them, "To you the secret of the kingdom of God has been entrusted, but to those who are on the outside everything is presented in stories, so that

For whoever wants to save his higher life, will have to give up the lower life, and whoever gives up his lower life for me and for the good news, will save the higher life.

Jesus said, "I solemnly say to you, there is no one who has given up home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farm for me and for the good news,

They forced a certain passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry His cross -- Simon, a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus.

Then they left there and were making a trip through Galilee, and He did not want anybody to know it;

Alas for the women who are expectant mothers and those who have nursing babies, in those days!

Earth and sky will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

He left the neighborhood of Tyre and went by way of Sidon through the district of the Ten Cities down to the Sea of Galilee.

But he said to them, "You must not be so astounded; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified. He has risen; He is not here. See! Here is the spot where they laid Him.

let him who is on the roof of his house not go down and go into the house to get anything out of it;

And the scribes who had come down from Jerusalem kept saying, "He is under the spell of Beelzebub and by the help of the prince of the demons He drives out the demons."

And He appointed the Twelve, to whom He gave the title, apostles, to be with Him, to send them forth to preach,

Then they reached Capernaum. When He got home, He asked them, "What were you discussing on the way home?"

And pray that it may not be in winter,

Jesus reproved him, saying, "Hush up, get out of him!"

The boy's father at once cried out and said, "I do have faith; help my lack of faith!"

Now in the distance He saw a fig tree covered with leaves, and He went up to it to see if He might find some figs on it, but when He got to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the time for figs.

Although it was now evening, yet since it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath,

Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were keeping a fast. So some people came and asked Him, "Why do John's disciples and the Pharisees' disciples practice fasting, but yours never do?"

Then a woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years,

As they were walking along the road up to Jerusalem, Jesus was going on ahead of them, but they were dazed while those who were still following were afraid. Then again He took the Twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to befall Him.

And Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me perfectly good? No one is perfectly good but God Himself.

For false Christs and false prophets will announce themselves, and they will do signs and wonders to mislead, if possible, even God's chosen people.

So Jesus said to them, "Come, follow me, and I will make you fishermen for catching men."

And as they could not get him near to Jesus, on account of the crowd, they dug through the roof over the spot where He was standing and let the pallet down that the paralyzed man was lying on.

At twelve o'clock darkness covered the whole land and lasted until three in the afternoon.

In those days when a great crowd again had gathered and they had nothing to eat, He called His disciples to Him, and said,

But He kept silent and made no answer at all. So the high priest again questioned Him in these words, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?"

you cling to what men hand down. You are fine teachers to cancel what God commanded, in order to keep what men have handed down!

Jesus said, "Yes, I am, and you will all see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Almighty and coming in the clouds of the sky!"

"You give up what God has commanded,

And they dressed Him in a purple robe and made a crown of thorns and crowned Him with it,

He answered them, "Elijah does come first and gets everything ready, but how is it that the Scripture says about the Son of Man that He will suffer much and be rejected?

Should we pay it, or should we not?" Now because He saw their pretense, He said to them, "Why are you testing me so? Bring me a twenty-cent coin to look at."

Then the soldiers led Him away to a place inside the court yard, that is, of the governor's palace, and they called the whole battalion together.

they were to go with plain sandals on their feet and not to wear two shirts.

and screamed aloud, "What do you want of me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God's name, I beg you, do not torture me."

And His fame at once spread in all directions all over that part of Galilee.

And they brought Him one. Then He asked them, "Whose picture and title is this?" They answered Him, "Caesar's."

But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and people treated him just as they pleased, as the Scripture says about him."

let him who is in the field not turn back to get his coat.

Then the Pharisees went out and held a consultation with the Herodians against Him, to put Him to death.

but you say if a man tells his father or mother, 'Everything I have that may be of use to you is Corban,' that is, consecrated to God,

you let him off from doing anything more for his father or mother;

When evening came, He went with the Twelve.

Then the foul spirit convulsed him and with a deafening shriek got out of him.

Some fell in rich soil, and came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, even a hundredfold."

and would not let anybody carry a vessel through the temple.

But he said to Him, "Teacher, I have kept all these commandments ever since I was a child."

Then He went up to her, grasped her hand, and had her get up. The fever left her, and she began to wait upon them.

And Simon's mother-in-law was confined to her bed with a fever. So they at once told Him about her.

If the Lord had not cut those days short, nobody would have escaped, but for the sake of the people chosen as His own He has cut them short.

For Jesus was saying to him, "You foul spirit, come out of him."

So He spoke to it and said, "Never again may anyone eat a fig from you!" And His disciples were listening to 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."

Wherever it seizes him, it convulses him, and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth; and he is wasting away. So I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they could not do it."

Some fell among the thorn seed, and the thorns grew up and choked them out and they yielded no grain.

And while they were sitting at table and eating, Jesus said, "I solemnly say to you, one of you, one who is now eating with me, is going to betray me."

"Teacher, Moses gave us a law that if a man's brother died leaving a wife but no child, the man must marry the widow and raise up a family for his brother.

And He continued to say to them, "Whenever you put up at a house, stay there until you leave that place.

Now Jesus at once felt in His spirit that they were arguing about this, and said, "Why are you arguing to yourselves about this?

Now they had forgotten to bring any bread; that is, they had only one loaf with them in the boat.

But many who are first now will be last then, and last now who will be first then."

So they were discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread.

And all the people were utterly amazed when they saw Him, and ran up to Him and greeted Him.

But his countenance fell at that command, and he went away in deep distress, for he owned a great deal of property.

And they brought the boy to Him. As soon as the spirit saw Him, it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and kept rolling over and foaming at the mouth.

So when evening came, He and His disciples used to go out of the city.

Then He kept warning them by saying, "Look out! Keep on guarding yourselves against the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod."

and the second married her and died leaving no child; and so did the third.

His disciples were startled at this statement. But Jesus again said to them as He continued the topic, "My children, how hard it is to get into the kingdom of God!

And He said, "Let him who has ears listen!"

And He left them and again got into the boat and crossed to the other side.

There were once seven brothers. The eldest married a wife and on dying left no child,

Some scribes were sitting there arguing and saying to themselves,

and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and from the other side of the Jordan, and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon -- yes, a vast throng of people, as they kept hearing of the great things that He was doing, came to Him.

and they began to shout at Him, "All hail, you king of the Jews!"

And He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and drove out many demons, and would not let the demons speak a word, because they knew who He was.

Then the high priests and the scribes heard of this, and they kept looking for some way to destroy Him, for they were afraid of Him, for everybody was swept off his feet at what He said.

But Jesus grasped his hand and raised him, and he got up.

Then He asked them, "Why are you arguing with them?"

And they kept on earnestly begging Him not to send them out of that country.

He asked him, "What is your name?" He answered, "My name is Legion, for we are many."

So He told His disciples to keep a little boat ready for Him all the time, to prevent the crowds from crushing Him.

And they kept hitting Him on the head with a stick, and kept spitting on Him, and on bending knees they kept doing Him homage.

For the Son of Man is going away, as the Scriptures say of Him, but a curse will be on that man by whom He is betrayed. It would have been better for that man, if he had never been born."

And Simon and his companions diligently searched for Him

And not one of the seven left a child. At last the woman died too.

and the whole town gathered at the door.

And the leprosy at once left him, and he was cured.

And Peter remembered about it, and said to Him, "Look, Teacher! The fig tree which you cursed has withered!"

And He said to them, "Let us go somewhere else, to the neighboring towns, to preach in them, too, for that is why I came out here."

On reaching the house the disciples again asked Him about this.

Then He said to them: "If you do not understand this story, how, indeed, can you understand any of my stories?

And the notice of the charge against Him read, "The king of the Jews."

Omitted Text.

So He let them do so. And the foul spirits came out of the man and got into the hogs, and the drove of about two thousand rushed over the cliff and into the sea and were drowned.

And whenever the foul spirits saw Him, they fell down before Him and screamed, "You are the Son of God."

Which is easier, to say to the paralyzed man, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say to him, 'Get up, pick up your pallet and start walking!"

But He charged them time after time not to tell who He was.

For He cured so many people that all who had ailments kept crowding up against Him to touch Him.

He answered them, "It is one of the Twelve, the one who is dipping his bread in the dish with me.

He answered them, "Oh, you unbelieving people of the times! How long must I be with you! How long must I put up with you! Bring him to me."

But others were saying that He was Elijah, and still others that He was a prophet like the prophets of old.

Since you have eyes can you not see with them? Since you have ears can you not hear with them?

Now there was a large drove of hogs grazing on the hillside.

"See that you tell nobody a single word about it. Be gone, show yourself to the priest, and to prove it to the people, make the offering for your purification which Moses prescribed."

And when the scribes who belonged to the Pharisees' party saw that He was eating with notorious sinners and tax-collectors, they said to His disciples, "Why does He eat with tax-collectors and notorious sinners?"

Then He asked his father, "How long has he been like this?" He answered, "From his childhood;

Then he got up and at once picked up his pallet, and went out before them all. The result was that they were all dumbfounded and began to praise God and say, "We have never seen anything like this before."

The ones along the path are those who have the message sown in their hearts, but as soon as it is sown there, Satan comes and carries off the message that has been sown in their hearts.

He also took the cup of wine and gave thanks and gave it to them, and they all drank some of it.

They were perfectly dumbfounded, and said to Him, "Then who can be saved?"

So He went all over Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

and said to Him, "What sort of authority have you for doing as you do? Or, who gave you the authority to do as you do?"

But Jesus said to them, "It was due to your moral perversity that Moses wrote that command in your law.

He is not the God of dead but of living people! You are entirely wrong in your views."

On the other hand, can we say, 'It was from men'?" For they were afraid of the people, because everybody thought that John was really a prophet.

Then Jesus said to him, "I solemnly say to you, this very night, before the cock crows twice, you, yes, you, will disown me three times."

for there will be such misery at that time as has never been since the beginning of God's creation, and never will be again.

Omitted Text.

And as He noticed it He said to them, "Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet know nor understand? Are your minds so dull?

Then Peter said to Him, "Although all the rest of them stumble over you, yet I will never do so myself."

When they had finished making sport of Him, they took off the purple robe and put His own clothes on Him. Then they led Him out of the city to crucify Him.

When they came to Jesus and saw the man who had once been insane under the power of many demons, sitting, with his clothes on, and in his right mind, they were frightened.

So Herodias had it in for him and wanted to have him killed. But she could not have it done,

and he and his wife must become one,' so they are no longer two but one.

Then Jesus, because He saw that a crowd was rushing up to Him, reproved the foul spirit and said to it, "You deaf and dumb spirit, get out of him, I charge you, and never get into him again."

"I tell you, get up, pick up your pallet, and go home."

And they begged Him, "Send us among the hogs, so that we can get into them."

Now when He had left the crowd and gone home, His disciples were asking Him the meaning of this story.

Then they were trying to have Him arrested, but they were afraid of the people, for they knew that He aimed this story at them. And so they left Him and went away.

And He answered them by asking, "What has Moses commanded you about it?"

The message is what the sower sows.

And they began to show that they were hurt and to ask Him one by one, "It cannot be I, can it?"

and so many people gathered there that there was no longer any room even around the door. He was telling them His message.

"Now learn what the story of the fig tree means. Just as soon as its branches grow tender, and put forth leaves, you know that summer is near.

And so He went into Jerusalem and into the temple. After He had looked everything over, as it was already late, He went out with the Twelve to Bethany.

and found Him, and said to Him, "Everybody is looking for you."

For the Pharisees and all the Jews practice the customs handed down to them from their forefathers,

Then the hog-feeders fled and spread the news in the town and in the country around; and the people came to see what had taken place.

No one sews a patch of brand-new goods on an old coat; or, if he does, the patch tears away, the new from the old, and the hole becomes bigger than ever.

adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, abusiveness, haughtiness, thoughtlessness.

Jesus answered them, "The wedding guests cannot fast, can they, while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast.

Omitted Text.

Now at the resurrection, which one's wife will she be? For all seven of them married her."

A different class are those people sown among the thorns. They are people who listen to the message,

He looked up and answered, "I see the people, but they look to me like trees moving around."

No one puts new wine into old wine-bottles, or, if he does, the wine will break the bottles, and the wine is lost, and the bottles too. New wine is to be put up in new bottles."

But when Herod heard of Him, he said, "John, whom I beheaded, has risen from the dead."

And so the Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, "Why is it that your disciples do not practice the customs handed down from our forefathers, but eat their meals without purifying their hands?"

and will never eat until they have carefully washed their hands, and they never eat anything brought from the market until they wash it; and they have many other religious practices which they got from their forefathers, as the washing of cups, pitchers, and pans.

And the passers-by kept hissing at Him, shaking their heads and saying, "Aha! You are the man who would tear down the temple and build another in three days!

For nothing is ever hidden by people except for the purpose of having it known, and people do not keep secrets except to tell them.

So He went off with him, and a great crowd kept following Him, and jostling Him.

Then He will send out His angels, and gather His chosen people from the four points of the compass, from one end of the sky to the other.

And they kept closely watching Him, to see whether He would cure him on the Sabbath, to get a charge to bring against Him.

They had noticed that some of His disciples were in the habit of eating their meals without first giving their hands a ceremonial washing to make them clean.

And He wondered at their lack of faith in Him. Then He made a circle of the villages and continued teaching.

They answered, "Moses allowed a man to divorce his wife, if he wrote out a divorce charge."

But He was saying to her, "Let the children first eat all they want, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it out to the house dogs."

"And how many hamper-basketfuls of pieces when I broke the seven loaves in pieces for the four thousand?" They said to Him, "Seven."

So you must be on your guard. I have warned you about it all beforehand.

He continued teaching them by many stories. In His teaching He spoke to them as follows:

When a holiday came and Herod on his birthday gave a banquet to his state officials, his military officers, and other leading men of Galilee,

Do you not remember how many basketfuls of pieces you picked up when I broke the five loaves in pieces for the five thousand?" They said to Him, "Twelve."

But Jesus at once drove him out of their presence, and gave him this stringent charge:

For John kept saying to Herod, "It is not right for you to be living with your brother's wife."

And he took Peter, James, and John along with Him, and He began to feel completely dazed and to realize His anguish of heart,

Then those in front and those behind Him shouted: "Welcome Him! Blessed be He who comes in the name of the Lord;

Blessed be the coming reign of our father David! Welcome Him from on high!"

and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him. Then He went home.

In like manner these are the ones sown on rocky ground; as soon as they hear the truth, they accept it with ecstasy,

When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue. And the people were dumbfounded when they heard Him, and said, "Where did He get all these things? What sort of wisdom is it that has been given Him? And such mighty deeds are done by Him!

And the people sown in rich soil are the people who listen to the message and welcome it and yield thirty, sixty, even a hundredfold."

This is the work of the Lord, and seems wonderful to us'?"

But after I am raised from the dead, I will go back to Galilee to meet you."

At the proper time he sent a slave to the tenants to collect his part of the grape crop.

On the contrary, a woman, whose little daughter had a foul spirit, at once heard about Him and came and flung herself at His feet.

the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers of the sky will be shaken.

But he went out and began to publish it so much and to spread the story so far, that Jesus could not any more go into any town openly, but had to stay out in thinly settled places. But the people kept coming to Him from every quarter.

but it does not take real root in them, and so they last only a little while; then when trouble or persecution comes on account of the truth, they at once fall by the way.

But no one can get into a giant's house and carry off his goods, unless he first binds the giant; after that he can make a clean sweep of his house.

How is it that he went into the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the sacred loaves, which it is against the law for anyone except the priests to eat, and gave part of them to his soldiers, too?"

and said to them, "Go into the village in front of you, and as soon as you get into it, you will find a colt tied which has never been ridden by a man. Untie it and bring it here.

for Herod stood in awe of John, because he knew that he was an upright and holy man, and so he protected him. When he heard him speak, he was very much disturbed, and yet he liked to hear him.

As soon as He got out of the boat, a man under the power of a foul spirit and from the tombs met Him.

She was a heathen who spoke Greek and had been born in Syro-Phenicia. And she kept begging Him to drive the demon out of her daughter.

and to have the right to drive out the demons.

"My heart goes out in pity for these people, for they have been staying with me three days now, and they have nothing left to eat.

and many a time it has thrown him into the fire or into the water, to destroy him. But if there is anything you can do for him, do pity us and help us!"

He answered them, "Have you never read what David did when he and his soldiers were in need and hungry?

and to love Him with one's whole heart, one's whole understanding, and one's whole strength, and to love one's neighbor as one loves himself is far more than all the burnt-offerings and sacrifices."

And those who had seen it told them how it occurred to the man who had been under the power of the demons, and about the hogs.

So He called them to Him, and continued speaking to them in short stories, as follows: "How can Satan drive out Satan?

They crucified two robbers along with Him, one at His right and one at His left.

But He said to the man with the withered hand, "Get up in the crowd."

And as He was getting into the boat, the once insane man kept begging Him to let him go with Him.

For whoever has will have more given to him, but whoever has nothing, even what he has will be taken away."

If anyone has ears let him listen!"

He took him by the hand and led him outside the village, then spit in his eyes, laid His hands upon him, and asked him, "Do you see anything?"

Was John's baptism from heaven or from men? Answer me."

But they took him and beat him and sent him back empty-handed.

And so he went away and began to tell everybody in the Ten Cities how much Jesus had done for him; and everybody was dumbfounded.

They answered Him, "John the Baptist; others say, Elijah, and others that you are one of the prophets."

Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighborhood.

He said to them, "How is it that you do not understand?"

Herodias' daughter came in and danced for them, and fascinated Herod and his guests. So the king said to the girl, "Ask me for anything you want, and I will give it to you."

and kept earnestly begging Him, saying, "My dear little daughter is at the point of death. Come, lay your hands on her, so that she may get well and live."

and His clothes were shining as white as white could be, yea, whiter than any earthly bleacher could bleach them.

All these evils come from the inside of a man and make him foul."

But those tenants said among themselves, 'This is his heir; come on, let us kill him, and all that is coming to him will be ours.'

But a time is coming when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.

As he was sowing, some of the seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate them up.

But Peter kept on emphatically saying, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And they all kept saying the same thing.

I solemnly say to you, I will never again drink the product of the vine till the day when I drink the new wine in the kingdom of God."

And if anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing that?' answer, 'The Lord needs it, and will soon send it back here.'"

They brought the colt to Jesus, and they threw their coats over it, and Jesus mounted it.

Then He said to her, "Because you have said this, go home; the demon has gone out of your daughter."

Jesus at once perceived that power had gone out of Him, and so He turned around in the crowd, and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"

She went home and found her daughter lying in bed, and the demon gone out.

Then Peter interrupted and said to Jesus, "Teacher, it is good for us to be here. So let us put up three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah."

He had one more to send, his dearly loved son; at last he sent him to them, for he said to himself, 'They will surely respect my son.'

Jesus said to them, "Let me ask you just one question, and if you answer me, I will tell you what sort of authority I have for doing as I do.

And they ate and had plenty. And they took up the pieces left over, which made seven hamper-basketfuls.

And if a household is disunited, that household cannot last.

then continues sleeping by night and getting up by day, while the seed sprouts and comes up without his knowing how.

Now what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come back and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.

And if I send them home hungry, they will give out on the road, for some of them are a long way from home."

When Jesus got home and was by Himself, His disciples were asking Him, "Why could not we drive it out?"

And again he sent another slave to them, and they beat his head and treated him shamefully.

So He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then He took the seven loaves and gave thanks and broke them in pieces and gave them to His disciples to pass, and they passed them to the people.

The ground of itself produces, first the stalk, then the head; at last there is the matured grain of wheat in the head.

Then some Sadducees, who claim that there is no resurrection, came up to Him and asked Him this question,

So the Pharisees were saying to Him, "Just look! Why are they doing on the Sabbath what it is against the law to do?"

He said so, because they kept saying, "He is under the spell of a foul spirit."

And they answered as Jesus had directed them, and so they let them bring it.

And many of the people spread their coats in the road, while others scattered layers of leaves cut from the fields.

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

And out of the heavens came a voice, "You are my Son, my Beloved! In you I am delighted!"

All night and all day he kept screaming among the tombs and on the hills, and kept gashing himself with stones.

Then it gave a shriek and violently convulsed the boy, and got out of him. And the boy looked like a corpse, so much so that the people said that he was dead.

Then she rushed at once before the king, and made this request, "I want you this very minute to give me John the Baptist's head on a platter."

And he promised her on oath, "I will give you anything you ask for, up to half of my kingdom."

and so at once ordered a soldier of his guard to bring his head. The soldier went off and beheaded John in the prison

Then he sent a third one, and they killed him, and many others, some of whom they beat, some they killed.

This man lived among the tombs, and no one could any longer subdue him even with a chain,

And Elijah appeared to them, accompanied by Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.

for he had often been fastened with fetters and chains but had snapped the chains and broken the fetters, and no one was strong enough to overpower him.

But as soon as the crop Will permit it, he puts in the sickle, for the reaping time has come."

But she answered Him, "Yes, Lord, and yet the house dogs under the table usually eat the crumbs the children drop."

And if Satan has made an insurrection against himself and become disunited, he cannot last but is surely coming to an end.

heard the reports about Jesus. So she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His coat,

And while they were going down the mountain, He cautioned them not to tell anyone what they had seen, until the Son of Man should rise from the dead.

So off they went and found a colt tied outside a door at a street corner. They untied it,

for she kept saying, "If I can only touch His clothes, I shall get well."

She left the room and asked her mother, "What shall I ask him for?" And she answered, "The head of John the Baptist."

As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew, in a private group, were asking Him,

but some bystanders said to them, "What are you doing, untying the colt?"

So you must be on the lookout for yourselves; they will turn you over to courts, and to synagogues where you will be beaten, and you must appear before governors and kings for my sake, to testify to them.

and had suffered much at the hands of many doctors, and had spent all she had, and yet was not a whit benefited but rather grew worse,

Then He put a question to them: "A lamp is not brought to be put under a peck-measure or under a bed, is it? Is it not rather to be put on the lamp-stand?

If a kingdom is disunited, that kingdom cannot last.

And they had a few small fish, and He blessed them and told them to pass these, too, to the people,

So He sent him home with the warning, "Do not ever go into the village."

But His disciples answered Him, "Where can anyone get bread enough here in this destitute place, to give these people plenty?"

For he did not really know what to say, he was so frightened.

Some of the bystanders when they heard it said, "Listen! He is calling for Elijah!"

When his disciples heard of it, they came and carried off his corpse and laid it in a tomb.

They took Jesus away to the high priest, and all the high priests, elders, and scribes met there.

Then He laid His hands upon his eyes again, and he looked the best he could and was cured, and saw everything distinctly.

But He strictly warned them not to tell this about Him to anybody.

Then He said to them, "This is my blood which ratifies the covenant, the blood which is to be poured out for many.

The king, although exceedingly sorry, yet on account of his oath and his guests, did not like to refuse her,

But the disciples kept saying to Him, "You see the crowd jostling you, and yet you ask, 'Who touched me?'"

And He went back and found them asleep, and He said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch a single hour?

"What do you want of us, Jesus, you Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, God's Holy One!"

Her hemorrhage stopped at once, and she felt in her body that she was cured.

Then He kept on saying: "How can I further picture the kingdom of God, or by what story can I illustrate it?

Then He asked them, "How many loaves have you?" They answered, "Seven."

He is a voice of one who shouts in the desert, 'Get the road ready for the Lord; make the paths straight for Him.'"

Then they left the tomb and fled, for they were trembling and bewildered, and they did not tell anybody a single thing about it, for they were afraid to do so.

He went out of the town again and along the seashore, and all the people kept coming to Him and He kept teaching them.

And when the captain who stood facing him saw that He expired in this way, he said, "This man was surely God's Son!"

And then they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds in overwhelming power and splendor.

For this very Herod had sent and seized John and bound him and put him in prison, just to please Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because Herod had married her.

Jesus said to him, "Are you looking in wonder at these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another that will not be torn down."

And as quick as a flash, on looking around, they saw no one with them but Jesus by Himself.

Then Jesus said to them, "You will all stumble over me, for the Scripture says, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.'

Keep looking, keep alert, for you do not know when the time will be.

I solemnly say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God as a little child does, will never get into it at all."

When He was by Himself, those who stayed about Him with the Twelve began to ask Him about the stories.

So Jesus looked around at them in anger, because He was pained over their stubbornness of mind, and said to the man, "Hold out your hand." And he held it out, and his hand was cured.

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

And He said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and rest a little while." For there was an endless stream of people coming and going, and they had no time even to eat.

Just at that moment there was a man in their synagogue who was under the spell of a foul spirit, and so he screamed,

In the evening, when the sun had gone down, they kept on bringing to Him all the people who were sick or under the power of demons,

Then again they went into Jerusalem. And while Jesus was walking about in the temple, the high priests, scribes, and elders came up to Him

And He continued teaching them and saying, "Does not the Scripture say, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'? But you have made it a cave for robbers."

And as He was passing by, He saw Levi, the son of Alpheus, sitting in the tax-collector's office, and He said to him, "Follow me." Then he got up and followed Him.

While He was teaching in the temple, He answered them and said, "How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?

Now when they take you to court for trial, do not be worrying beforehand about what you should say, but say whatever is given you at that time, for it is not you that will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

And He stayed in the desert forty days, while He was being tempted by Satan; yea, He was with the wild beasts, but the angels continued to wait upon Him.

The Twelve whom He appointed were: Peter, the name which He gave to Simon,

At that very moment, while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, came up, and with him a crowd of men with swords and clubs, from the high priests, scribes, and elders.

for He was now teaching His disciples, and saying to them, "The Son of Man is to be turned over into men's hands, and they will kill Him, but three days after that He will rise again."

After singing a hymn they went out of the city and up the Mount of Olives.

but this is not to be the case among you. Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant,

He kept on saying, "The thing that comes from the inside of a man is the thing that makes him foul,

And He said to her, "My daughter, your faith has cured you. Go in peace and be free from your disease."

So He sat down and called the Twelve to Him and said, "If anyone wants to be the first, he must be the last of all and the servant of all."

So when He got out of the boat, He saw a great crowd waiting, and His heart was moved with pity at the sight of them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and so He proceeded to teach them a number of things.

Omitted Text.

Then four men came bringing to Him a paralyzed man.

For you always have the poor among you, and whenever you please you can do them good, but you will not always have me.

Levi was at table in his house, and he had many tax-collectors and notorious sinners as guests, along with Jesus and His disciples, for there were many of them, and they began to follow Him.

But you go and tell His disciples and Peter, 'He is going back to Galilee to meet you; you will see Him there, just as He told you.'"

"Listen! A sower went out to sow.

You will be hated by everybody, because you bear my name. But whoever bears up to the end will be saved.

And people from all over Judea and everybody in Jerusalem kept on going out to him and being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.

Then Pilate asked Him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" He answered, "Yes."

Therefore, what God has joined together man must stop separating."

Then a poor widow came and dropped in two little copper coins, which make scarcely a cent.

Then Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith has cured you." And all at once he could see again, and began to follow Jesus along the road.

Now the Pharisees came out and began a discussion with Him, and to test Him asked Him to show them a spectacular sign from heaven.

For one nation will go to war with another, and one kingdom with another. There will be earthquakes in many places; there will be famines. But this is only the beginning of the agonies.

Then the scribe said to Him, "Indeed, Teacher, you have properly said that He is one by Himself, and there is no other but Him,

While Peter was down in the courtyard, one of the high priest's waiting girls came up,

So Jesus retired with His disciples to the sea, and a vast throng of people followed Him from Galilee, and from Judea,

And a young man was following Him, with only a linen sheet thrown about his body; and they seized him,

But before the end comes, the good news must be proclaimed to all the heathen.

Now John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he used to live on dried locusts and wild honey.

And a man named Jairus, a leader of a synagogue, came up, and when he saw Jesus he flung himself at His feet

So He said, "Pay Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and pay God what belongs to God." And they were utterly dumbfounded at Him.

but the worries of the times, the deceiving pleasures of being rich, and evil desires for other things, creep in and choke the truth out, and it yields nothing.

For when people rise from the dead, men do not marry and women are not married, but continue to live together as the angels in heaven do.

and so you set aside what God has said by what you have handed down. You have many other practices like these."

You must keep on having salt within you, and keep on living in peace with one another."

And when they went into the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting at the right; and they were utterly astounded.

He could not do any mighty deeds there, except that He put His hands on a few ailing people and cured them.

And His heart was moved with pity for him, so He stretched out His hand and touched him, and said, "I do want to! Be cured!"

He answered them, "This sort of thing can be driven out only by prayer."

'They may look and look and yet not see, And listen and listen and yet not understand, Lest, perchance, they should turn and be forgiven.'"

But as to the rising of the dead, did you never read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?

I solemnly say to you, men will be forgiven for all their sins and all the abusive things they say.

It was very early, just after the sun had risen, on the first day of the week, when they went to the tomb.

The high priests too made sport of Him to one another with the scribes, and kept saying, "He saved others but He cannot save Himself!

Now at the time of the feast Pilate usually set a prisoner free whom the people requested.

So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

And if your eye makes you do wrong, tear it out. You might better go into the kingdom of God with only one eye than keep both your eyes and be thrown into the pit,

So he bought a linen sheet, then took Him down from the cross, wrapped Him in the linen sheet, and laid Him in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a boulder up to the doorway of the tomb.

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."

who will not receive now in this life a hundred times as much in houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, but along with them persecution, and in the world to come eternal life.

Let the Christ, the king of Israel, come down now from the cross, so that we may see it and believe!" Even the men who were crucified with Him made sport of Him.

Joseph of Arimathea, a highly honored member of the council, who was himself looking for the kingdom of God, ventured to go to Pilate and ask for Jesus' body.

"When will all this take place? Tell us. And what will be the sign that it is about to be put into effect?"

Nothing that goes into a man from the outside can make him foul, but the things that come from the inside of a man are the things that make him foul."

But to show you that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth," turning to the paralyzed man He said,

So you must keep alert, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming -- in the evening or at midnight or at daybreak or early in the morning --

Then they looked up and saw that the boulder had already been rolled to one side, for it was a very large one.

But Jesus said to them, "A prophet never fails to be honored except in his native neighborhood, among his kinsmen, and in his own home."

"Listen! We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be turned over to the high priests and scribes, and they will sentence Him to death, and will turn Him over to the heathen,

Then He aroused Himself and reproved the wind, and said to the sea, "Hush! Be still." And the wind lulled, and there was a great calm.

But when you hear of wars and rumors of war, stop getting alarmed. They have to come, but the end is not yet.

and so He said to them, "My heart is breaking, it almost kills me! You must stay here and keep watching."

For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and again, 'Whoever curses his father or mother must certainly be put to death,'

and drove out many demons, and cured many sick people by anointing them with oil.

"Whoever, as a disciple of mine, welcomes one little child like this, welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me, welcomes not merely me but Him who sent me."

You must all keep watching and praying that you may not be exposed to temptation. Man's spirit is willing but human nature is weak."

And again the crowds gathered so that it was not possible for them even to take their meals.

Jesus began to say to them: "Look out that no one misleads you about it.

men who eat up widows' houses and to cover it up make long prayers. They will get a much heavier sentence!"

He ordered them not to take anything for the journey except a staff, no bread, no bag, no money in the purse;

And He was saying to them: "Take care what you hear. The measure you give will come back to you, and more besides.

"Why is He talking this way? He is blaspheming. Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

David himself, Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, said: 'The Lord has said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand Until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet."'

She has done all she could; she has beforehand perfumed my body for my burial.

And the curtain of the sanctuary was torn in two, from top to bottom.

Then a cloud came and was circling over them, and a voice came out of the cloud, "This is my Son, my Beloved; keep on listening to Him!"

for they kept saying, "It must not be at the feast, for there might be a riot."

I solemnly say to you, all over the world wherever this good news is proclaimed, the deed that she has done will also be told, in memory of her."

Even while He was saying this, people came from the house of the leader of the synagogue and said, "Your daughter is dead; why trouble the Teacher any longer?"