And, if any one gives but a cup of cold water to one of these lowly ones because he is a disciple, I tell you that he shall assuredly not lose his reward."

And it happened that when Jesus had finished giving orders to his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and to preach in their towns.

And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?

And Jesus answering said to them, 'Having gone, declare to John the things that ye hear and see,

and blessed is he that shall find in me no cause of offense.

But as they were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out into the desert to gaze at? A reed that is tossed to and fro by the wind?

If not, what did you go out there to see? A man dressed in silks and satins? No, people who dress in that way are found in the palaces of kings.

But why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and even more than a prophet!

for it is he that is meant in that passage, "behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee."

Truly I say to you, among [those] born of women there has not arisen [one] greater than John the Baptist. But the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Messiah is greater than he.) for ever since the appearance of John the Baptist the gospel kingdom is as it were invaded, and people of the most violent passions enter into it with zeal.

and they that go to it with violence pluck it unto them. For all the prophets and the law prophesied unto the time of John.

and if ye will believe me, he is the Elias that was to come.

He that has ears to hear, let him hear.

The Son of man has come eating and drinking, and they say, Behold, a man that is eating and wine-drinking, a friend of tax-gatherers, and of sinners: and wisdom has been justified by her children.

"How terrible it will be for you, Chorazin! How terrible it will be for you, Bethsaida! Because if the miracles that happened in you had taken place in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

Nevertheless I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and for Sidon on the day of judgment than for you!

And, thou, Capernaum! Unto heaven, shalt thou be uplifted? Unto hades, thou shall be brought down; because, if, in Sodom, had been done the works of power, which were done in thee, it would, in that case, have remained until this day.

Nevertheless I tell you that it will be more bearable for the region of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you!"

At that time Jesus answered [and] said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these [things] from the wise and intelligent, and have revealed them to young children.

Yea, O Father! That, so, it hath become, a delight, before thee.

"All things have been entrusted to me by my Father and no one [truly] knows the Son except the Father. And neither does anyone [truly] know the Father except the Son and that person to whom the Son wants to reveal Him.

Come unto me! all ye that toil and are burdened, and, I, will give you rest:

At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. And his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck off heads of grain and eat [them].

and the Pharisees having seen, said to him, 'Lo, thy disciples do that which it is not lawful to do on a sabbath.'

But he said to them, Have ye not read what David did when he was hungry, and they that were with him?

How is it that he went into the house of God and ate the Bread of the Presence, which was not lawful for him and his companions to eat but was reserved for the priests?

Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple violate the sanctity of the Sabbath and are guiltless?

But I tell you that [something] greater than the temple is here!

If you only knew what that saying means, 'It is mercy and not sacrifice that I want,' you would not have condemned men who are not guilty.

Then Jesus left that place and entered their synagogue.

And behold, [there was] a man who had a withered hand, and they asked him, saying, "Is it permitted to heal on the Sabbath?" in order that they could accuse him.

And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?

Then to what degree [is] a man worth more than a sheep? So then, it is permitted to do good on the Sabbath."

Then He said to the man, "Hold out your hand." And he held it out, and it was cured so that it became like the other.

But the Pharisees went out {and plotted} against him in order that they could destroy him.

So when Jesus knew it, he withdrew from that place, and numbers of people followed him.

And he warned them that they should not {reveal his identity},

in order that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah would be fulfilled, who said,

A bruised reed shall he not break, and flax that beginneth to burn he shall not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.

Then a demon-possessed man [who was] blind and mute was brought to him. And he healed him so that the [man who was] mute could speak and see.

At this all the people were astounded. "Is it possible that this is the son of David?" they exclaimed.

When the Pharisees heard it they said, "It is only by the aid of Beelzebub, the Prince of the demons, that this fellow is driving out demons."

But because He knew their thoughts, He said to them, "Any kingdom that is not united is in the process of destruction, and any city or family that is not united cannot last.

If I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own followers drive them out? That is why they will be your judges!

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].

Or, how can anyone 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.

He that is not with me is against me, and he that gathers not with me scatters.

"Therefore I tell you that every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven men; but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven.

"And if any man say a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in that which is to come.

Either say that the tree is good, and its fruit good; or say that the tree is bad, and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers!

You brood of vipers! How can you, wicked as you are, say anything that is good? For the mouth talks about the things that fill the heart.

A good man, out of the good he has accumulated, brings out things that are good, and a bad man, out of what he has accumulated that is bad, brings out things that are bad.

But I tell you that every worthless word that they speak, people will give an account for it on the day of judgment!

for it is by your words that you will be acquitted and by your words that you will be condemned."

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].”

but he answered them, this wicked degenerate race demand a miracle; but no other miracle shall they have, except that of the prophet Jonas.

The people of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and behold, [something] greater than Jonah [is] here!

The queen of the south will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, [something] greater than Solomon [is] here!

No sooner does a foul spirit leave a man, than it passes through places where there is no water, in search of rest, and does not find it.

Then it says, "I will go back to my home that I left.' When it arrives, it finds it empty, swept clean, and put in order.

Then it goes and brings along with itself seven other spirits more evil than itself, and [they] go in [and] live there. And the last [state] of that person becomes worse than the first. So it will be for this evil generation also!"

But he answering said to him that spoke to him, Who is my mother, and who are my brethren?

Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven, that is my brother and sister and mother."

On that day Jesus went out of the house [and] was sitting by the sea.

And large crowds gathered close around him, so that he got into a boat to sit down, and all the crowd was standing on the shore.

so that as the sun arose it was scorched, and for want of root, withered away.

But, some, fell upon the good ground, and did yield fruit, - this, indeed a hundred fold, and, that, sixty, and, the other, thirty.

He that has ears, let him hear.

And he answering said to them that -- 'To you it hath been given to know the secrets of the reign of the heavens, and to these it hath not been given,

because to anyone who has something, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the one who doesn't have anything, even what he has will be taken away from him.

That's why I speak to them in parables, because "they look but don't see, and they listen but don't hear or understand.'

and with reference to them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says, "{You will listen carefully} and will never understand, and {you will look closely} and will never perceive.

For the heart of this people has become dull, and with their ears they hear with difficulty, and they have shut their eyes, so that they would not see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them."

But happy are, your, eyes, that they see, and your ears, that they hear;

For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous [people] longed to see what you see, and did not see [it], and to hear what you hear, and did not hear [it]!

Hear, ye, then, the parable of him that sowed: -

From every one who hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the wicked one comes and catches away what was sown in his heart: this is he that is sown by the wayside.

But he that is sown on the rocky places this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy,

And he that is sown among the thorns this is he who hears the word, and the anxious care of this life, and the deceit of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.

But he that is sown upon the good ground this is he who hears and understands the word, who bears fruit also, and produces, one a hundred, one sixty, and one thirty.

Another parable set he before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man that sowed good seed in his field:

"The slaves of the owner went to him and said: "'Was it not good seed, sir, that you sowed in your field? From whence then, do you get tares?'

And he said to them, A man that is an enemy has done this. And the bondmen said to him, Wilt thou then that we should go and gather it up?

But he says, No, for fear that by chance while you take up the evil plants, you may be rooting up the grain with them.

Let both of them grow together until it is time for the harvest; then at that time, I will tell the harvesters, "Gather up the weeds first, and bind them up into bundles to burn. But gather the wheat into my barn."'"

He put before them another parable, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took [and] sowed in his field.

{It} is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it is grown it is larger than the garden herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches."

He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took [and] put into three measures of wheat flour until the whole [batch] was leavened."

in order that what was spoken through the prophet would be fulfilled, who said, "I will open my mouth in parables; I will proclaim what has been hidden since the creation."

But he answering said, He that sows the good seed is the Son of man,

And, the enemy that sowed them, is the adversary, and, the harvest, is, the conclusion of an age, and, the reapers, are, messengers.

The Son of man shall send his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all offences, and those that practise lawlessness;

and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!

Then the righteous shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He that has ears, let him hear.

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, that a man found [and] concealed, and in his joy he goes and sells everything that he has and buys that field.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a merchant seeking goodly pearls:

And [when he] found one very valuable pearl, he went [and] sold everything that he possessed and purchased it.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was thrown into the sea and gathered [fish] of every kind,

That is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out, cull out the evil people from among the righteous ones,