Then they were all so amazed that they discussed it together, saying, "Whatever is this?" "It's new teaching with authority behind it!" "He orders even unclean spirits!" "Yes, and they obey him!"

"What does the man mean by talking like this? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins, who but God alone?"

Conscious at once that they were arguing to themselves in this way, Jesus asked them, "Why do you argue thus in your hearts?

And he rose, lifted his pallet at once, and went off before them all; at this they were all amazed and glorified God saying, "We never saw the like of it!"

On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "Those who are strong have no need of a doctor, but those who are ill: I have not come to call just men but sinners."

On this the Pharisees withdrew and at once joined the Herodians in a plot against him, to destroy him.

And when his family heard this, they set out to get hold of him, for what they said was, "He is out of his mind."

(This was because they said, "He has an unclean spirit.")

He added, "Anyone who has ears to hear, let him listen to this."

And he said to them, "You do not understand this parable? Then how are you to understand the other parables?

If anyone has an ear to hear, let him listen to this."

In many a parable like this he spoke the word to them, so far as they could listen to it;

Then he said to them, "Why are you afraid like this? Have you no faith yet?"

who dwelt among the tombs; by this time no one could bind him, not even with a chain,

When the sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and the large audience was astounded. "Where did he get all this?" they said. "What is the meaning of this wisdom he is endowed with? And these miracles, too, that his hands perform!

Is this not the joiner, the son of Mary and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not his sisters settled here among us?" So they were repelled by him.

Now this came to the hearing of king Herod, for the name of Jesus had become well known; people said, "John the Baptizer has risen from the dead, that is why miraculous powers are working through him;"

For this Herod had sent and arrested John and bound him in prison on account of his marriage to Herodias the wife of his brother Philip;

Then she hurried in at once and asked the king, saying, "I want you to give me this very moment John the Baptist's head on a dish."

Then the Pharisees and scribes put this question to him, "Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders? Why do they take their food with 'common' hands?"

He said to them, "Isaiah made a grand prophecy about you hypocrites ??as it is written, This people honours me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me:

But you say that if a man tells his father or mother, 'This money might have been at your service, but it is Korban' (that is, dedicated to God),

Then he called the crowd to him again and said to them, "Listen to me, all of you, and understand this:

If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to this."

Now when he went indoors away from the crowd, his disciples asked him the meaning of this parabolic saying.

His disciples replied, "Where can one get loaves to satisfy them in a desert spot like this?"

But he sighed in spirit and said, "Why does this generation demand a Sign? I tell you truly, no Sign shall be given this generation."

He noted this and said to them, "Why do you argue you have no bread? Do you not see, do you not understand, even yet? Are you still dull of heart?

At this he laid his hands on his eyes once more, and the man stared in front of him; he was quite restored and saw everything distinctly.

he spoke of this quite freely. Peter took him and began to reprove him for it,

Whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this disloyal and sinful generation, the Son of man will be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

Then a cloud came overshadowing them, and from the cloud a voice said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, listen to him."

This order they obeyed, debating with themselves what 'rising from the dead' meant.

So they put this question to him, "Why do the [Pharisees and] scribes say that Elijah has to come first?"

He said to them, "Elijah does come first, to restore all things; but what is written about the Son of man as well? This, that he is to endure great suffering and be rejected.

Jesus asked his father, "How long has he been like this?" "From childhood," he said;

He said to them, "Nothing can make this kind come out but prayer and fasting."

Now some Pharisees came up and asked him if a man was allowed to divorce his wife. This was to tempt him.

Indoors, the disciples again asked him about this,

but Jesus was angry when he saw this, and he said to them, "Let the children come to me, do not stop them: the Realm of God belongs to such as these.

who does not get a hundred times as much ??in this present world homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and lands, together with persecutions, and in the world to come life eternal.

Now when the ten heard of this, they burst into anger at James and John;

Then he said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you after this!" The disciples heard him say it.

This came to the ears of the scribes and high priests, and they tried to get him put to death, for they were afraid of him. But the multitude were all astounded at his teaching.

I tell you truly, whoever says to this hill, 'Take and throw yourself into the sea,' and has not a doubt in his mind but believes that what he says will happen, he will have it done.

and asked him, "What authority have you for acting in this way? Who gave you authority to act in this way?"

Jesus said to them, "I am going to ask you a question. Answer this, and I will tell you what authority I have for acting as I do.

Have you not even read this scripture? ??The stone that the builders rejected is the chief stone now of the corner:

this is the doing of the Lord, and a wonder to our eyes."

So they brought one. He said, "Whose likeness, whose inscription is this?" "Caesar's," they said.

"Teacher," they said, "Moses has written this law for us, that if a man's brother dies leaving a wife but no child, his brother is to take the woman and raise offspring for his brother.

Jesus said to them, "Is this not where you go wrong? ??you understand neither the scriptures nor the power of God.

Then a scribe came up, who had listened to the discussion. Knowing Jesus had given them an apt answer, he put this question to him, "What is the chief of all the commands?"

The second is this: You must love your neighbour as yourself. There is no other command greater than these."

And he called his disciples and said to them, "I tell you truly, this poor widow has put in more than all who have put their money into the treasury;

"Tell us, when is this to happen? What will be the sign for all this to be accomplished?"

But whenever you see the appalling Horror standing where he has no right to stand (let the reader note this), then let those who are in Judaea fly to the hills;

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

I tell you truly, the present generation will not pass away till all this happens.

This angered some of those present. "What was the use of wasting perfume like this?

This perfume might have been sold for over three hundred shillings, and the poor might have got that." So they upbraided her.

They got distressed at this, and said to him one after another, "Surely it is not me?" "Surely it is not me?"

And as they were eating he took a loaf, and after the blessing he broke and gave it to them, saying, "Take this, it means my body."

he said to them, "This means my covenant-blood which is shed for many;

Jesus said to him, "I tell you truly, to-day you will disown me three times, this very night, before the cock crows twice."

"Abba, Father," he said, "thou canst do anything. Take this cup away from me. Yet, not what I will but what thou wilt."

"We heard him say, 'I will destroy this temple made by hands, and in three days I will build another temple not made by hands.'"

So the high priest rose in their midst and asked Jesus, "Have you no reply to make? What about this evidence against you?"

On hearing this some of the bystanders said, "Look, he is calling for Elijah."

Now when the army-captain who stood facing him saw that he expired in this way, he said, "This man was certainly a son of God."

By this time it was evening, and as it was the day of Preparation (that is, the day before the sabbath)

and on ascertaining this from the captain he bestowed the corpse on Joseph.

After this he appeared in another form to two of them as they were walking on their way to the country.

Afterwards he appeared at table to the eleven themselves and reproached them for their unbelief and dulness of mind, because they had not believed those who saw him risen from the dead. [But they excused themselves, saying, "This age of lawlessness and unbelief lies under the sway of Satan, who will not allow what lies under the unclean spirits to understand the truth and power of God; therefore," they said to Christ, "reveal your righteousness now." Christ answered them, "The term of years for Satan's power has now expired, but other terrors are at hand. I was delivered to death on behalf of sinners, that they might return to the truth and sin no more, that they might inherit that glory of righteousness which is spiritual and imperishable in heaven."]