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?

Other, what went ye out for to see? Went ye to see a man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.

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 to you, that there is not arisen among the born of women a greater than John the baptist. But he who is a little one in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he.

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.

'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 to you, that it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in judgment-day 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;

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.

Yes, Father, I thank You that Your good pleasure made it so.

"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 labor, and are laden, and I will ease you.

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].

When the Pharisees saw that, they said unto him, "Behold: thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the Sabbath day."

But he said to them, Have ye not read what David did when he was hungry, 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 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, "Which of you would it be, if he had a sheep fallen into a pit on the Sabbath day, that would not take him and lift him out?

How much better then is a man than a sheep! So that it is lawful to do well 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.

When Jesus knew that, he departed thence. And much people followed him, and he healed them all;

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.

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."

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.

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 be by the Spirit of God that I cast out devils, then the kingdom of God is come upon you.

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.

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 whoever may speak a word against the Son of Man it shall be forgiven to him, but whoever may speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this age, nor in that which is coming.

You must assume either that both tree and fruit are good, or that both tree and fruit are worthless; since it is by it's fruits that a tree is known.

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.

So that the men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgement against this generation, and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold a greater than Jonas is here.

Then he says, I will go back into my house from which I came out; and when he comes, he sees that there is no one in it, but that it has been made fair and clean.

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?

For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven, that person 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,

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

Therefore I speak to them in parables: that seeing, they may not see; and hearing, they may not hear nor 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 you that your eyes have sight; and that your ears have their hearing.

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:

And the owner's slaves came to him and said, 'Was not the seed good that you sowed in your field, sir? So where did these weeds come from?'

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 soweth them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world. And the reapers be the angels.

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 merchant, that seeketh good 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,

At the end of the world it will be that same way. The angels will come and divide the sinful people from the ones who did what was right,

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

And he said to them, For this reason every scribe discipled to the kingdom of the heavens is like a man that is a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.

And it happened that when Jesus had finished these parables he went away from there.

And he came to his hometown [and] began to teach them in their synagogue, so that they were amazed and said, "From where did this man [get] this wisdom and these miracles?

And he did not perform many miracles in that place because of their unbelief.

At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus

and said to his attendants, "This is John the Baptist. He has risen from the dead, and that is why the powers are at work through him."

but that he was afraid of the people; for they esteemed him as a prophet.

Wherefore he promised with an oath, that he would give her whatsoever she would ask.