And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink because he is a disciple, I solemnly tell you that he will 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 is not offended by me."

But as they were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John. "What was it that you went out into the desert to look at? A reed swaying in the wind?

But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.

But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and 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."

Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that 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 are willing to receive it, this is Elijah, that is to come.

He that hath 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.

'Woe to thee, Chorazin! woe to thee, Bethsaida! because, if in Tyre and Sidon had been done the mighty works that were done in you, long ago in sackcloth and ashes they had reformed;

But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.

'And thou, Capernaum, which unto the heaven wast exalted, unto hades shalt be brought down, because if in Sodom had been done the mighty works that were done in thee, it had remained unto this day;

But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.

At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.

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

"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 labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.

But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.

But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;

how he entered into the house of God, and ate the showbread, which it was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them that were with him, but only for the priests?

Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?

But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.

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

Then Jesus left that place and entered their synagogue.

And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might 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?

How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.

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.

Jesus, perceiving that, withdrew from there. Great multitudes followed him; and he healed them all,

And charged them that they should not make him known:

That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,

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 was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.

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

But when the Pharisees heard that, they said, "This fellow driveth the devils no other wise out, but by the help of Beelzebub the chief of the devils."

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

And if it is by Baal-zebul's power that I expel the demons, by whose power do your disciples expel them? They therefore shall 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].

How can anyone get into a strong man's house and carry off his property unless he first binds the strong man? After that he can plunder his house.

He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.

This is why I tell you that men may find forgiveness for every other sin and impious word, but that for impious speaking against the Holy Spirit they shall find no forgiveness.

And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor 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!

O vipers' brood, how can you speak what is good when you are evil? For it is from the overflow of the heart that the mouth speaks.

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 say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in 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 said to them, "It is [only] an evil and unfaithful [i.e., to God] generation of people that looks for a [supernatural] sign. And there will not be any sign given to it except the [supernatural] sign [demonstrated in the life] of Jonah, the prophet.

The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a 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’ll go back to my house that I came from.’ And returning, it finds the house vacant, swept, and put in order.

Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.

But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?

For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven, that person is My brother and sister and mother.”

On that day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.

And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood 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 hath 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,

For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

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

and fulfilled on them is the prophecy of Isaiah, that saith, With hearing ye shall hear, and ye shall not understand, and seeing ye shall see, and ye shall not 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 verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

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

When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;

He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

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

"So the farmer's men come and ask him, "'Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed on your land? Where then does the darnel come from?'

He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?

"'No,' he replied, 'for fear that while collecting the darnel you should at the same time root up the wheat with it.

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.

Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

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."

That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;

The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.

The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;

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

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

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

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

Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered 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,