"Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat {a meal}."

For they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answering said, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God thro' your tradition?

Hypocrites! It was well said by Isaiah when he prophesied about you--

And behold, a woman which was a Canaanite came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, "Have mercy on me Lord, thou son of David, my daughter is piteously vexed with a devil."

But he answered [and] said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

And having come, she was bowing to him, saying, 'Sir, help me;'

Then Jesus answered [and] said to her, "O woman, your faith [is] great! Let it be done for you as you want." And her daughter was healed from that hour.

And departing from there, Jesus went along the Sea of Galilee, and he went up on the mountain [and] was sitting there.

So then the crowd was astonished [when they] saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, and the lame walking, and the blind seeing, and they praised the God of Israel.

He took the seven loaves and the fishes; giving thanks, He broke, and was giving to the disciples; and the disciples to the multitudes.

And they all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, seven baskets full.

How do ye not understand that it was not concerning bread I said to you, Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees?

Then they saw that it was not the leaven of bread which he had in mind, but the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

But when Jesus was come into the parts of Caesarea-Philippi, he demanded of his disciples, saying, Who do men say that I the Son of man am?

Jesus replied, "Simon, son of Jonah, you are fortunate [indeed], for this [truth] was not revealed to you by human beings but [rather] by my Father who is in heaven.

Then he commanded the disciples that they should tell no one that he was the Christ.

It was just after that that Jesus Christ for the first time clearly taught His disciples that He had to go to Jerusalem and submit to many forms of suffering at the hands of the elders, high priests, and scribes, and be killed, but be raised to life on the third day.

And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothing became bright as the light.

[While] he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him!"

When they looked up, all they saw was Jesus alone.

Jesus answered, 'tis true, Elias was to come first and set all things right.

But I tell you that Elijah has already come, but they [i.e., the Jewish leaders] did not understand who he was, but [instead] did to him what they wanted to. In the same way, the Son of man will also suffer from what the Jews will do."

then the disciples perceiv'd, that what he said was meant of John the Baptist.

When Jesus and His disciples met the crowd [that was gathered], a man came kneeling down to Jesus and saying to Him,

"Lord, take pity on my son, for he has violent seizures and suffers intense pain. He often falls into a fire or into water. [Note: This man was also dominated by an evil spirit. See verse 18].

And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him and the boy was healed from that hour.

Afterwards the disciples came up to Jesus, and asked him privately: "Why was it that we could not drive it out?"

He told them, "It was because of your little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; nothing will be impossible for you."

When Jesus and His disciples came to Capernaum, the collectors of the tax [Note: This was the annual tax used for meeting the expenses of the Temple service and consisted of two days' worth of a farm laborer's pay, or about $140 in 1994] came to Peter and said, "Does not your teacher [also] pay the [Temple] tax?"

He said, "Yea." And when he was come into the house, Jesus spake first to him, saying, "What thinkest thou Simon? Of whom do the kings of the earth take tribute, or poll money? Of their children, or of strangers?"

But that person who causes one of these little ones [i.e., humble followers of the Lord] who believes in me to be led astray [from God], he would have been better off to have had a huge millstone tied around his neck and dumped into a deep ocean [Note: This "millstone" was a heavy circular stone rolled over grain to crush it and was moved by an animal walking in a circle].

For the Son of man has come to save that which was lost.

If a man has an hundred sheep, and one of them should go astray, do you think he would not leave the ninety and nine in the mountains, and go in search for that which was gone astray?

But if he does not listen [to your reasoning], take one or two other people with you, so that two or three witnesses can verify every word [that was said].

'Because of this was the reign of the heavens likened to a man, a king, who did will to take reckoning with his servants,

And [when] he began to settle [them], someone was brought to him who owed ten thousand talents.

And because he was not able to make payment, his lord gave orders for him, and his wife, and his sons and daughters, and all he had, to be given for money, and payment to be made.

The servant then, having fallen down, was bowing to him, saying, Sir, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all;

And his master's heart was moved with pity, and he let the slave go free with his debt cancelled.

'And, that servant having come forth, found one of his fellow-servants who was owing him an hundred denaries, and having laid hold, he took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that which thou owest.

His fellow-servant then, having fallen down at his feet, was calling on him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all;

But he did not want to, but rather he went [and] threw him into prison until he would repay what was owed.

When his other fellows saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their Lord all that had happened.

Was it not mete also, that thou shouldest have had compassion on thy fellow, even as I had pity on thee?'

And [because he] was angry, his master handed him over to the merciless jailers until he would repay everything that was owed.

And it was when Jesus finished these words he removed from Galilee, and came from the bounds of Judea beyond Jordan;

And Pharisees came up to him [in order to] test him, and asked if it was permitted for a man to divorce his wife for any cause.

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.

And I tell you, whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits sexual unfaithfulness [toward her], unless the reason for the divorce was sexual unfaithfulness [on his wife's part]. And the person who marries a woman who has been divorced commits sexual sin with her [i.e., because she is still rightfully married to her first husband]."

But [when] the young man heard the statement, he went away sorrowful, because he was one who had many possessions.

For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that was a householder, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard.

When it was about nine o'clock in the morning, he went out again and saw others standing around in the marketplace without work.

But when the evening was come, the lord of the vineyard says to his steward, Call the workmen and pay them their wages, beginning from the last even to the first.

And, he, answering, unto one of them, said, - Friend! I wrong thee not: Was it not, for a denary, thou didst agree with me?

And [as] Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples by themselves and said to them on the way,

"You do not know what you are asking," was Jesus' answer. "Can you drink the cup that I am to drink?" "Yes," they exclaimed, "we can."

And he saith unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of my cup, and with the baptism with which I am baptised, shall ye be baptised; but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, it is not in my power to bestow, but on those, for whom it was prepared by my Father.

And when the ten heard it, their anger was aroused against the two brothers.

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 behold, [there were] two blind men sitting beside the road. [When they] heard that Jesus was passing by, they called out, saying, "Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!"

Then Jesus' heart was moved with pity, and He touched their blinded eyes, and at once they could see again, and followed Him.

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,

Now this took place so that what was spoken through the prophet would be fulfilled, saying,

And [when] he entered into Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, "Who is this?"

Then Jesus went into the Temple, threw out everyone who was selling and buying in the Temple, and overturned the moneychangers' tables and the chairs of those who sold doves.

And he says to them, It was written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; and ye have made it a den of robbers.

While he was still in the Temple Courts, some blind and some lame people came up to him, and he cured them.

But when the leading priests and the experts in the law of Moses saw the wonderful things [i.e., miracles] He was performing and [heard] the children shouting in the Temple, "Hosanna to the son of David," [See note at verse 9], they were filled with anger [i.e., over the acclaim being given to Jesus].

And he went away from them, and went out of the town to Bethany, and was there for the night.

Now early in the morning, [as he] was returning to the city, he was hungry.

And seeing one fig-tree in the way, he came to it and found on it nothing but leaves only. And he says to it, Let there be never more fruit of thee for ever. And the fig-tree was immediately dried up.

And the disciples, seeing, wondered, saying, How suddenly was the fig tree dried up!

And Jesus answered [and] said to them, "Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will do not only [what was done to] the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea," it will happen!

And [after] he arrived at the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him [while he] was teaching, saying, "By what authority are you doing 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?'

but if we say, it was merely human, we are obnoxious to the people; for all hold John as a prophet.

So the answer they gave Jesus was--"We do not know." "Then I," he said, "refuse to tell you what authority I have to do these things.

"But what do you think? There was a man who had two sons, He came to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in my vineyard today.'

"'I will not,' he replied. "But afterwards he was sorry, and went.

Then the father went to the second son, and said the same. 'I will not,' he answered; but afterwards he was sorry and went.

"Listen to another parable: There was a man--a master of a house--who planted a vineyard, and put a fence [around] it, and dug a winepress in it, and built a watchtower, and leased it to tenant farmers, and went on a journey.

But when the time for gathering grapes was near, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his rent.

"He will put the wretches to a wretched death," was the reply, "and will entrust the vineyard to other vine-dressers who will render the produce to him at the vintage season."

Jesus says to them, Did you never see in the Writings, The stone which the builders put on one side, the same has been made the chief stone of the building: this was the Lord's doing, and it is a wonder 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 when his stories came to the ears of the chief priests and the Pharisees, they saw that he was talking of them.

And though they had a desire to take him, they were in fear of the people, because in their eyes he was a prophet.

The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king, who made a feast when his son was married,

But the king was angry; and he sent his armies, and those who had put his servants to death he gave to destruction, burning down their town with fire.

Then said he to his servants, 'The wedding was prepared: but they which were bidden thereto, were not worthy.

And those servants went out into the streets, and got together all those whom they came across, bad and good: and the feast was full of guests.

But when the king came in to see those who were dining, he saw there a man who was not clothed with a wedding garment.

And he says to him, My friend, how camest thou in here not having on a wedding garment? But he was speechless.

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].

Some Sadducees [Note: These were the Jewish party that denied there was a resurrection] came to Jesus that day and asked Him,

Now there were among us seven brothers; and the first was married and at his death, having no seed, gave his wife to his brother;

The reply of Jesus was, "You are in error, through ignorance of the Scriptures and of the power of God.

But about the dead coming back to life, have you no knowledge of what was said to you by God in the Writings:

and one of them, which was a doctor of law, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,

His answer was: "'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.'