And this was his message: "After me there is coming one stronger than I am, one whose shoes I am not fit to stoop down and untie.

And they were amazed at his teaching, for he taught them like one who had authority, and not like the scribes.

And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and drove out many demons, and he would not let the demons speak, because they knew that he was Christ.

As they could not get him near Jesus on account of the crowd, they broke open the roof just over his head, and through the opening they lowered the mat with the paralytic lying on it.

Jesus heard it, and said to them, "It is not well people but the sick who have to have the doctor. I did not come to invite the pious but the irreligious."

Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were keeping a fast. And people came and asked him, "Why is it that when John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are keeping the fast, yours are not keeping it?"

He said to them, "Did you never read what David did, when he was in need and hungry, he and his men?

And he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath,

And he warned them repeatedly not to tell who he was.

Some of it fell on rocky ground, and where there was not much soil, and it sprang up at once because the soil was not deep,

so that " 'They may look and look and yet not see, And listen and listen and yet not understand, Lest possibly they should turn and be forgiven.' ",

And Jesus said, "If you do not understand this figure, then how will you understand my other figures?

and then sleeping at night and getting up by day, while the seed sprouts and comes up, without his knowing it.

and night and day he was always shrieking among the tombs and on the hills and cutting himself with stones.

and screamed out, "What do you want of me, Jesus, son of the Most High God? In God's name, I implore you, do not torture me."

And they begged him earnestly not to send them out of that country.

And he would not permit it, but said to him, "Go home to your own people, and tell them all the Lord has done for you and how he took pity on you."

and had had a great deal of treatment from various doctors and had spent all that she had and had not been benefited at all but had actually grown worse,

But Jesus paid no attention to what they said, but said to the leader of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid, just have faith."

And he went into the house and said to them, "What is the meaning of all this confusion and crying? The child is not dead, she is asleep."

Is he not the carpenter, Mary's son, and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And do not his sisters live here among us?"

He could not do any wonder there, except that he put his hands on a few sick people and cured them.

they were to go in sandals, and not to wear two shirts.

John said to Herod, "It is not right for you to be living with your brother's wife."

Herodias felt bitterly toward him and wanted him killed. But she could not bring it about,

The king was exceedingly sorry, but on account of his oath and his guests he did not like to break his word to her,

for they all saw him and were terrified. But he immediately spoke to them and said, "Take courage, it is I. Do not be afraid."

for they had not understood about the loaves, but their minds were blinded.

For the Pharisees and all the Jews observe the rules handed down from their ancestors, and will not eat until they have washed their hands in a particular way,

and they will not eat anything from the market without first purifying it by sprinkling it, and they have a number of other observances which have come down to them, in the way of washing cups, pitchers, and basins.

And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not observe the rules handed down by our ancestors, but eat food without purifying their hands?"

And he said to them, "Have not even you any understanding then? Do you not see that nothing that goes into a man from outside can pollute him,

since it does not go into his heart but into his stomach and then is disposed of?" So he declared all food clean.

He left that place and went to the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon. And he went into a certain house, and wanted no one to know of it. And he could not keep it secret,

He said to her, "Let the children first eat all they want, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."

And he noticed it and said to them, "Why do you discuss your being without bread? Do you not yet see nor understand? Are your minds so dull?

When you have eyes can you not see, and when you have ears can you not hear? Do you not remember

He said to them, "Do you not understand yet?"

And he sent him home and said to him, "Do not even go into the village."

And he warned them not to say this about him to anyone.

But turning and seeing his disciples he reproved Peter, and said, "Get out of my sight, you Satan! for you do not side with God, but with men."

For he did not know what to say, they were so frightened.

And they did not forget what he said, but discussed with one another what he meant by the rising from the dead.

He said to them, "Elijah does come first, and reforms everything, and does not the Scripture say of the Son of Man that he will suffer much and be refused?

Why, I tell you, not only has Elijah come, but people have treated him just as they pleased, as the Scripture says about him."

and wherever it seizes him it convulses him, and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth; and he is wasting away. I told your disciples to drive it out, and they could not do it."

When he had gone home, and his disciples were alone with him, they asked him, "Why could not we drive it out?"

And they left that place and made their way through Galilee, and he did not wish anyone to know it;

But they did not understand what he meant, and they were afraid to ask him about it.

"Whoever welcomes one child like this on my account is welcoming me, and whoever welcomes me, welcomes not me but him who has sent me."

John said to him, "Master, we saw a man driving out demons with your name, and we told him not to do so, for he was not one of our followers."

But Jesus said, "Do not tell him not to do so, for there is no one who will use my name to do a mighty act, and be able soon after to abuse me.

For the man who is not against us is for us.

For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink, on the ground that you belong to Christ, I tell you, will certainly not fail to be repaid.

Therefore what God has joined together man must not try to separate."

When Jesus saw it, he was indignant, and said to them, "Let the children come to me; do not try to stop them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as they.

I tell you, whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it at all."

You know the commandments??Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.'

Jesus looked at them and said, "For men it is impossible, but not for God, for anything is possible for God."

but will receive now in this life a hundred times as much in homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and lands, though not without persecution??nd in the coming age eternal life.

Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking for. Can you drink what I am drinking, or undergo the baptism that I am undergoing?"

but as for sitting at my right or at my left, that is not mine to give, but belongs to those for whom it is destined."

but it is not to be so among you. Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant,

For the Son of Man himself has not come to be waited on, but to wait on other people, and to give his life to free many others."

And he saw in the distance a fig tree covered with leaves, and he went up to it to see if he could find any figs on it. When he reached it he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the time for figs.

and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the Temple.

And he taught them, and said, "Does not the Scripture say, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'? But you have made it a robbers' cave."

And they argued with one another, "If we say, 'It was from heaven,' he will say, 'Then why did you not believe him?'

So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." Jesus said to them, "Nor will I tell you what authority I have for doing as I do."

And they came up and said to him, "Master, we know that you tell the truth regardless of the consequences, for you are not guided by personal considerations, but teach the way of God with sincerity. Is it right to pay the poll tax to the emperor or not?

Jesus said to them, "Does not this show that you are wrong, and do not understand either the Scriptures or the power of God?

He is not God of dead men but of living! You are entirely wrong."

And Jesus saw that he answered thoughtfully, and he said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God!" And no one ventured to ask him any more questions.

Jesus said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left here upon another that shall not be torn down."

But when you hear of wars and rumors of war, you must not be alarmed. They have to come, but it is not yet the end.

When they are taking you off to trial do not worry beforehand about what you ought to say, but say whatever is given you when the time comes, for it is not you that will speak, but the holy Spirit.

But as soon as you see the dreadful desecration standing where he has no right to stand" (the reader must take note of this), "then those who are in Judea must fly to the hills;

a man on the roof of his house must not go down or go into the house to get anything out of it,

and a man in the field must not turn back to get his coat.

Pray that it may not be winter when it comes,

If the Lord had not cut those days short, nobody would have escaped, but for the sake of his own chosen people he has cut the days short.

If anyone says to you at that time, 'Look! Here is the Christ!' or 'Look! There he is!' do not believe it.

But in those days, when that misery is over, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not shed its light

Earth and sky will pass away, but my words will not.

But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son; only the Father.

You must look out and be on the alert, for you do not know when it will be time;

So you must be on the watch, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming??n the evening or at midnight or toward daybreak or early in the morning??36 for fear he should come unexpectedly and find you asleep.

for they said, "It must not be during the festival, or there may be a riot."

For you always have the poor among you, and whenever you please you can do for them, but you will not always have me.

But Peter said to him, "Even if they all desert you, I will not!"

Jesus said to him, "I tell you, this very night before the cock crows twice you yourself will disown me three times!"

and he said, "Abba!" that is, Father, "anything is possible for you! Take this cup away from me! Yet not what I please but what you do!"

When he went back he found them asleep and he said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Were you not able to watch for one hour?

You must all watch, and pray that you may not be subjected to trial. One's spirit is eager, but human nature is weak."

When he came back he found them asleep again, for they could hardly keep their eyes open; and they did not know what answer to make to him.

for while many gave false testimony against him their evidence did not agree.

And even then their evidence did not agree.

But he denied it, saying, "I do not know or understand what you mean." He went out into the gateway.

But he began to swear with the strongest oaths, "I do not know this man that you are talking about!"

They offered him drugged wine, but he would not take it.