Now this same John had clothing made of camel’s hair and a [wide] leather band around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.

Be glad and exceedingly joyful, for your reward in heaven is great [absolutely inexhaustible]; for in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

“And when you pray, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.

Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was grazing.

And some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man blasphemes [by claiming the rights and prerogatives of God]!”

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].”

That same day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting beside the sea [of Galilee].

and as he sowed, some seed fell beside the road [between the fields], and the birds came and ate it.

Other seed fell on good soil and yielded grain, some a hundred times as much [as was sown], some sixty [times as much], and some thirty.

And they answered, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah, or [just] one of the prophets.”

“I assure you and most solemnly say to you, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

But that same slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began choking him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe!’

He went out about the sixth hour (noon) and the ninth hour (3:00 p.m.), and did the same thing.

Take what belongs to you and go, but I choose to give to this last man [hired] the same as I give to you.

Seeing a lone fig tree at the roadside, He went to it and found nothing but leaves on it; and He said to it, “Never again will fruit come from you.” And at once the fig tree withered.

Then the man came to the second son and said the same thing; and he replied, ‘I will, sir’; but he did not go.

Again he sent other servants, more than the first time; and they treated them the same way.

On that day some Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection [of the dead], came to Him and asked Him a question,

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

The whole Law and the [writings of the] Prophets depend on these two commandments.”

So you, also, outwardly seem to be just and upright to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

“Therefore, take notice, I am sending you prophets and wise men [interpreters, teachers] and scribes [men educated in the Mosaic Law and the writings of the prophets]; some of them you will kill and even crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues, and pursue and persecute from city to city,

I assure you and most solemnly say to you, this generation [the people living when these signs and events begin] will not pass away until all these things take place.

But the foolish virgins said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’

For this perfume might have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.”

Jesus answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the bowl with Me [as a pretense of friendship] will betray Me.

Peter said to Jesus, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And all the disciples said the same thing.

So, leaving them again, He went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words once more.

Then they spat in His face and struck Him with their fists; and some slapped Him,

Then the words spoken by Jeremiah the prophet were fulfilled: “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of Him on whom a price had been set by the sons of Israel;

At the same time two robbers were crucified with Jesus, one on the right and one on the left.

In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, mocked Him, saying,

The robbers who had been crucified with Him also began to insult Him in the same way.

When some of the bystanders there heard it, they began saying, “This man is calling for Elijah.”

While they were on their way, some of the [Roman] guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened.

And when the chief priests had gathered with the elders and had consulted together [to develop a plan of deception], they gave a sufficient sum of money [as a bribe] to the soldiers,

And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted [that it was really He].

Now Simon’s mother-in-law was lying sick with a fever; and immediately they told Him about her.

Jesus returned to Capernaum, and a few days later the news went out that He was at home.

But some of the scribes were sitting there debating in their hearts [the implication of what He had said],

And it happened that Jesus was reclining at the table in Levi’s house, and many tax collectors and sinners [including non-observant Jews] were eating with Him and His disciples; for there were many of them and they were following Him.

Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting [as a ritual]; and they came and asked Jesus, “Why are John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fasting, but Your disciples are not doing so?”

Then the Pharisees went out and immediately began conspiring with the Herodians [to plot] against Him, as to how they might [fabricate some legal grounds to] put Him to death.

and as he was sowing, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and ate it up.

Other seed fell on rocks where there was not much soil; and immediately a plant sprang up because the soil had no depth.

Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no grain.

And other seed fell into good soil, and as the plants grew and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundred times [as much as had been sown].”

In a similar way these [in the second group] are the ones on whom seed was sown on rocky ground, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy [but accept it only superficially];

And those [in the last group] are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word [of God, the good news regarding the way of salvation] and accept it and bear fruit—thirty, sixty, and a hundred times as much [as was sown].”

On that [same] day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side [of the Sea of Galilee].”

They came to Jesus and saw the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the man who had [previously] had the “legion” [of demons]; and they were frightened.

While He was still speaking, some people came from the synagogue official’s house, saying [to Jairus], “Your daughter has died; why bother the Teacher any longer?”

Now the Pharisees and some of the scribes came from Jerusalem and gathered around Him,

and they had seen that some of His disciples ate their bread with [ceremonially] impure hands, that is, unwashed [and defiled according to Jewish religious ritual].

If I send them away to their homes hungry, they will faint [from exhaustion] on the road; because some of them have come a long way.”

And Jesus said to them, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste (experience) death before they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”

Pharisees came to Jesus to test Him [intending to trick Him into saying something wrong], and asked Him, “Is it lawful [according to Scripture] for a man to divorce his wife and send her away?”

Looking at him, Jesus felt a love (high regard, compassion) for him, and He said to him, “You lack one thing: go and sell all your property and give [the money] to the poor, and you will have [abundant] treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me [becoming My disciple, believing and trusting in Me and walking the same path of life that I walk].”

Peter started saying to Him, “Look, we have given up everything and followed You [becoming Your disciples and accepting You as Teacher and Lord].”

Some of the people who were standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?”

Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if He would find anything on it. But He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.

The chief priests and the scribes heard this and began searching for a way to destroy Him; for they were afraid of Him, since the entire crowd was struck with astonishment at His teaching.

When the harvest season came he sent a servant to the tenants, in order to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard.

And he sent another, and that one they killed; then many others—some they beat and some they killed.

Then they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus in order to trap Him into making a statement [that they could use against Him].

Some Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection) came to Him, and began questioning Him, saying,

The second brother married her, and died leaving no children; and the third likewise;

But there were some who were indignantly remarking to one another, “Why has this perfume been wasted?

And He replied, “It is one of the twelve [disciples], one who is dipping bread in the bowl with Me.

But Peter kept saying insistently, “If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And they all were saying the same thing as well.

He went away again and prayed, saying the same words.

Some stood up and began to give false testimony against Him, saying,

And some began to spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him with their fists, and to say to Him, “Prophesy [by telling us who hit you]!” Then the officers took custody of Him and struck him in the face.

Some of the bystanders heard Him and said, “Look! He is calling for Elijah!”

Now some women also were watching from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome.

She, too, came up at that very moment and began praising and giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all who were looking for the redemption and deliverance of Jerusalem.

And John replied, “The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do the same.”

Some men came carrying on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed, and they tried to bring him in and lay him down in front of Jesus.

One Sabbath while Jesus was passing through fields of standing grain, it happened that His disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them.

But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”

The scribes and the Pharisees were watching Him closely [with malicious intent], to see if He would [actually] heal [someone] on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse Him.

If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.

When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to Him, asking Him to come and save the life of his slave.

And Jesus went with them. But when He was near the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself further, for I am not worthy for You to come under my roof.

and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and diseases: Mary, called Magdalene [from the city of Magdala in Galilee], from whom seven demons had come out,

“The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell beside the road and it was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the sky ate it up.

And some seed fell on [shallow soil covering] the rocks, and as soon as it sprouted, it withered away, because it had no moisture.

And some fell into good soil, and grew up and produced a crop a hundred times as great.” As He said these things, He called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear and heed My words.”

Now Herod [Antipas] the tetrarch [who governed a portion of Palestine including Galilee and Perea] heard about all that was being done [by Jesus], and he was thoroughly perplexed, because it was said by some that John [the Baptist whom he had ordered beheaded] had been raised from the dead,

They answered, “John the Baptist, and some say, Elijah; but others, that one of the ancient prophets has come back to life.”

But I tell you truthfully, there are some among those standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”

Stay in that house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not move from house to house.

In that very hour He was overjoyed and rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and He said, “I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things [relating to salvation] from the wise and intelligent, and have revealed them to infants [the childlike and untaught]. Yes, Father, for this way was [Your gracious will and choice, and was] well-pleasing in Your sight.

But some of them said, “He drives out demons by [the power of] Beelzebul (Satan), the ruler of the demons.”

For this reason also the wisdom of God said [in the Scriptures], ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will put to death and some they will persecute,

Just at that time some people came who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate [the governor] had mixed with their sacrifices.

And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

At that very hour some Pharisees came up and said to Him, “Leave and go away from here, because Herod [Antipas] wants to kill You.”

It was the same as it was in the days of Lot. People were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building [carrying on business as usual, without regard for their sins];

He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves and were confident that they were righteous [posing outwardly as upright and in right standing with God], and who viewed others with contempt: