Then they asked Him, "Why did Moses command us to give a written divorce charge, and in this way to divorce a wife?"

He said to them, "Moses, with reference to your hardness of heart, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not like this.

The disciples said to him, "If this is the case of a man with his wife, it would be better not to marry!"

He said to them, "True, but this truth is not practicable for everyone, it is only for those who have the gift.

For there are eunuchs who were born as such from [their] mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by people, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves [eunuchs] for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who is able to accept [this], let him accept [it]."

Then some little children were brought to Jesus so he could pray and place His hands on them [i.e., to bestow a blessing on them]. But His disciples spoke harshly to the people [for doing this].

Then Jesus said, “Leave the children alone, and don’t try to keep them from coming to Me, because the kingdom of heaven is made up of people like this.”

He said to him, What? And Jesus said, this; You shall not kill; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not testify falsely;

And the young man, hearing, this word, went away sorrowing, - for he was holding large possessions.

At this, Jesus said to his disciples: "I tell you that a rich man will find it hard to enter the Kingdom of Heaven!

When the disciples heard this they were utterly astounded; they said, "Who then can possibly be saved?"

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

And every person who has left his house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or children or property, for my name's sake [i.e., to become a servant of the Lord], will receive [back] a hundred times as much [in this life] and will [also] inherit never ending life.

When he had agreed with the workers [on wages] for the usual farm laborer's pay for a day's work, he [then] sent them to work in his vineyard. [Note: The coin mentioned here would amount to $60-$84 in 1994, based on $5-$7 an hour for a twelve hour day. This coin also forms the basis for calculating all other monetary references in the New Testament].

Take what is yours, and go; I will give to this last even as to you.

He *said to them, “My cup you shall drink; but to sit on My right and on My left, this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.”

And when the ten heard this, they were much displeased with the two brothers.

It will not be like this among you! But whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,

As they [i.e., the twelve apostles and Jesus] were leaving Jericho [Note: This was a town about eighteen miles northeast of Jerusalem], a huge crowd followed them.

And when they [i.e., Jesus and the twelve apostles] approached Jerusalem and came close to Bethphage, near the Mount of Olives [Note: This was about three-fourths of a mile east of Jerusalem], Jesus sent two disciples on ahead,

And, if any one says anything to you, you are to say this-- 'The Master wants them'; and he will send them at once."

All this was done, that the word might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:

And the crowds that walked ahead and followed behind Him shouted, "Hosanna to the son of David. [Note: The Syriac word 'Hosanna' originally meant 'save now' but came to be used as an expression of welcome, praise, blessing or acclamation]. May He, who comes in the name [i.e., by the authority] of the Lord, be blessed. Hosanna in the highest [i.e., may this blessing reach to the highest heaven]."

And when he entered Jerusalem, all the city was moved, and said: Who is this?

And the multitude said: This is Jesus the prophet, that is from Nazareth of Galilee.

and asked Him, "Do you hear what they are saying?" Jesus answered them, "Yes. Did you never read this, 'Out of the mouths of little children, yea, of infants, you have perfect praise'?"

He then left them and went out of the city [of Jerusalem] to Bethany [Note: This was a small village near Bethphage] and stayed there [i.e., probably at the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. See John 11:1].

and noticing a fig tree by the roadside he went up to it, but found nothing on it except leaves. He said to it, "May no fruit ever come from you after this!" And instantly the fig tree withered up.

When the disciples saw this, they exclaimed in astonishment: "How suddenly the fig tree withered up!"

Jesus answered and said to them: Verily I say to you, If you have faith, and doubt not, you shall do, not only what is done to the fig-tree, but even if you shall say to this mountain, Be taken up, and be thrown into the sea, it shall be done.

And after he had come into the temple, the chief priests and elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said: By what authority do you these things? And who gave you this authority?

From where was the baptism of John--from heaven or from men?" And they began to discuss [this] among themselves, saying, "If we say 'From heaven,' he will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?'

They began discussing this among themselves: "If we say, "From heaven,' he will ask us, "Then why didn't you believe him?' But if we say, "From humans,' we are afraid of the crowd, because everyone regards John as a prophet."

What do you think of this? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the elder and said 'Go and work in the vineyard to-day my son.'

The father went to the other son and said the same thing. This boy answered, 'I will, sir,' but did not go.

For when John came to you, walking in the path of righteousness, you did not believe him, but tax-gatherers and prostitutes did; and yet you, though you saw this, even then were not sorry, nor did you believe him.

But the vine-dressers, when they saw the son, said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and seize upon the inheritance.

Jesus saith to them, Did ye never read in the Scriptures, "The stone which the builders rejected, the same hath become the cornerstone; from the Lord did this come, and it is marvelous in our eyes?"

This was from the Lord, and it is wondrous in our eyes. For this reason, I say to you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation that will bring forth the fruits of it.

And he that falls upon this stone shall be dashed to pieces; but him on whom it shall fall, it will make like chaff for the wind.

But they paid no attention [and] went away--this one to his own field, that one to his business.

The king was enraged [when he heard this], and sent his soldiers and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

Upon this the Pharisees withdrew, and consulted how they might insnare him in his discourse.

Tell us, then, what you think about this. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"

Show me the coin used for paying taxes." And they brought to Him a coin [Note: This coin was equivalent to one day of a farm laborer's pay, or about $60-$84 in 1994].

And he said to them: Whose image and superscription is this?

And hearing this, they wondered, and left him, and went away.

That same day some Sadducees came up to Jesus, maintaining that there is no resurrection. Their question was this:--

now if there be another life after this, whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all married her.

for in the other life after this, there will be no such thing as marriage; but they will be as the angels of God in heaven.

And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.

Then one of them, a Student of the Law, to test him, asked this question--

And Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind: this is the first and great command.

This is the first and great commandment.

The second, which is like it, is this--'Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thou dost thyself.'

Before the Pharisees separated, Jesus put this question to them--

They love to recline at the head place at dinner tables [Note: This referred to the practice of lying down on their left side on a couch next to the dinner table, and leaning on their left elbow, while eating with their right hand], and to occupy the principal seats in the synagogues.

They love the [special] greetings they receive at the open shopping markets and to be addressed as 'Rabbi' [Note: This word signified 'great' or 'master'].

But alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you eat up the houses of widows, and for a pretext make long prayers. For this reason, you shall receive the greater condemnation.

'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye eat up the houses of the widows, and for a pretence make long prayers, because of this ye shall receive more abundant judgment.

"How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to make a single convert, and when this happens you make him twice as fit for hell as you are.

In this way also, ye indeed outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside ye are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

By doing this you are furnishing evidence against yourselves that you are true children of the men who murdered the Prophets.

For this [reason], behold, I am sending to you prophets and wise men and scribes. [Some] of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues and will pursue from town to town,

[This will be done] so that on you may fall the guilt for shedding on the ground the blood of all those innocent people, from the blood of righteous Abel to that of Barachiah's son Zachariah, whom you murdered between the Sanctuary and the Altar [i.e., in the Temple area].

Truly I say to you, all these [things] will come upon this generation!

For I say to you, You will not see me from this time till you say, A blessing on him who comes in the name of the Lord.

but he replied to them, "You see all this? I tell you truly, not a stone here will be left upon another, without being torn down."

So, while Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came up to him privately and said: "Tell us when this will be, and what will be the sign of your Coming, and of the close of the age."

Jesus answered, "Take care that no one misleads you about this.

And you are going to hear about wars and rumors of wars. See to it that you are not alarmed, for this must happen, but the end is not yet.

All this, however, will be but the beginning of the birth pangs!

But the one who endures to the end--this person will be saved.

And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed in the whole inhabited earth for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

As soon, then, as you see 'the Foul Desecration,' mentioned by the Prophet Daniel, standing in the Holy Place," (the reader must consider what this means)

[Also], the person who is on a housetop [Note: This was a flat area where people retired for rest, prayer, etc., with its stairway on the outside], is not to take any of the belongings from his house as he comes down [to flee].

For there will then be great distress, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world to this time; no, nor shall ever be.

(I am telling you this beforehand.)

Wherever there is a dead body, [you can expect to see] vultures gathered there. [Note: This may mean that such a significant event as the coming of Christ would surely not go unnoticed].

"But immediately after the terrible trouble of those days, [i.e., the next major event on God's calendar], the sun will become dark, and [therefore] the moon will not [be able to] shed its [reflected] light. The stars will fall from the sky and the forces of the heavens will be shaken [Note: From the description of these same events in Luke 21:25-26, it is possible that this is figurative language for great calamities happening on the earth].

And He will send out His angels [i.e., as messengers] with the sound of a great trumpet [See I Thess. 4:16] to gather His elect [i.e., God's people] from all directions, [even] from throughout the whole world. [Note: See Mark 13:27, which suggests this thought by its use of 'earth' and 'sky']

"Learn this parable from the fig tree: Whenever its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near.

so, whenever you see all this happen, you may be sure He is at hand, at the very door.

Truly I say to you that this generation will never pass away until all these [things] take place!

They didn’t know until the flood came and swept them all away. So this is the way the coming of the Son of Man will be:

Two women will be grinding grain at a millstone [Note: This was a hand-operated device where two persons sat across from each other and rotated a circular stone over kernels of grain]; one will be taken, while the other one will be left.

But understand this: that if the master of the house had known what watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.

For this [reason] you also must be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not think [he will come].

Happy will that servant be whom his master, when he comes home, shall find doing this.

He gave one servant five talents [Note: This 'talent' was a large sum of money in the form of a certain weight of silver. It was the equivalent of sixty years of a farm laborer's wages, or about $750,000 in income]. He gave two talents to another servant and one talent to another. He gave to each one an amount in keeping with his ability [to invest it wisely], and then left on his trip.

Throw this useless servant into the darkness outside! In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'"

and the king will reply, I declare unto you, your having done this for one of the least of these my brethren, is the same thing as doing it for me.

to this he will reply, I declare unto you, your not doing this for one of the least of these, is the same thing as not doing it for me.

When Jesus had finished all this teaching, he said to his disciples:

"You know the passover is to be held two days after this; and the Son of man will be delivered up to be crucified."

About this time the chief priests, and the elders of the people, assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas,

But they kept saying, "This must not happen during the festival. Otherwise, there'll be a riot among the people."

Now when Jesus was at Bethany [Note: This was a small village less than two miles east of Jerusalem], in the house of Simon, the man [who probably had been healed] of an infectious skin disease,

When his disciples saw that, they had indignation saying, "What needed this waste?

This ointment might have been well sold, and given to the poor."