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.

for He had healed many, and as a result all who had diseases pressed around Him to touch Him.

Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they fell down before Him and screamed out, “You are the Son of God!”

And He appointed twelve [disciples], so that they would be with Him [for instruction] and so that He could send them out to preach [the gospel as apostles—that is, as His special messengers, personally chosen representatives],

For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been kept secret, but that it would come to light [that is, things are hidden only temporarily, until the appropriate time comes for them to be known].

When Jesus got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him,

As He was stepping into the boat, the [Gentile] man who had been demon-possessed was begging with Him [asking] that he might go with Him [as a disciple].

And wherever He came into villages, or cities, or the countryside, they were laying the sick in the market places and pleading with Him [to allow them] just to touch the fringe (tassel with a blue cord) of His robe; and all who touched it were healed.

and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they cleanse themselves [completely according to ritual]; and there are many other things [oral, man-made laws and traditions handed down to them] which they follow diligently, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper utensils.)

But from the beginning of creation God made them male and female.

People were bringing children to Him so that He would touch and bless them, but the disciples reprimanded them and discouraged them [from coming].

You will be hated by everyone because of [your association with] My name, but the one who [patiently perseveres empowered by the Holy Spirit and] endures to the end, he will be saved.

but they were saying, “Not during the festival, for the people might riot.”

And He sent two of His disciples, saying to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him;

After going a little farther, He fell to the ground [distressed by the weight of His spiritual burden] and began to pray that if it were possible [in the Father’s will], the hour [of suffering and death for the sins of mankind] might pass from Him.

Day after day I was with you, teaching in the [courts and porches of the] temple, and you did not seize Me; but this has happened so that the Scriptures would be fulfilled.”

“We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple (sanctuary) that was made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.’”

But Jesus gave no further answer; so Pilate was perplexed.

But Pilate asked them, “Why, what has He done that is evil?” But they screamed all the more, “Crucify Him!”

They kept beating Him on the head with a reed and spitting on Him, and kneeling and bowing in [mock] homage to Him.

In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes, were ridiculing and mocking Him among themselves and saying, “He saved others [from death]; He cannot save Himself!

When the sixth hour (noon) came, darkness covered the whole land until the ninth hour (3:00 p.m.).

Someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave Him a drink, saying, “Let us see whether Elijah is coming to take Him down.”

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome purchased [sweet-smelling] spices, so that they might go and anoint Him.

But she was greatly perplexed at what he said, and kept carefully considering what kind of greeting this was.

“He has done mighty deeds with His [powerful] arm;
He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.

To show mercy [as He promised] to our fathers,
And to remember His holy covenant [the promised blessing],

To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies,
Might serve Him without fear,

This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.

When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying one to another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem, and see this [wonderful] thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.”

And when they had seen this, they made known what had been told them about this Child,

‘Every ravine shall be filled up,
And every mountain and hill shall be leveled;
And the crooked [places] shall be made straight,
And the rough roads smooth;

Now the people were in a state of expectation, and all were wondering in their hearts about John, as to whether he was the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).

John answered them all by saying, “As for me, I baptize you [only] with water; but One who is mightier [more powerful, more noble] than I is coming, and I am not fit to untie the strap of His sandals [even as His slave]. He will baptize you [who truly repent] with the Holy Spirit and [you who remain unrepentant] with fire.

and they got up and drove Him out of the city, and led Him to the crest of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to hurl Him down the cliff.

For he and all his companions were completely astounded at the catch of fish which they had taken;

Jesus ordered him to tell no one [that he might happen to meet], “But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your purification, just as Moses commanded, as a testimony (witness) to them [that this is a work of Messiah].”

Levi (Matthew) gave a great banquet for Him at his house; and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others who were reclining at the table with them.

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.

But the scribes and Pharisees were filled with senseless rage [and lacked spiritual insight], and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.

Blessed [joyful, spiritually favored] is he who does not take offense at Me.”

Now when Jesus stepped out on land, He was met by a man from the city [of Gerasa] who was possessed with demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and was not living in a house, but among the tombs.

But the man from whom the demons had gone out kept begging Him, pleading to go with Him; but Jesus sent him away, saying,

He said to her, “Daughter, your faith [your personal trust and confidence in Me] has made you well. Go in peace (untroubled, undisturbed well-being).”

But Jesus, hearing this, answered him, “Do not be afraid any longer; only believe and trust [in Me and have faith in My ability to do this], and she will be made well.”

They did so, and had them all sit down.

But He strictly warned and admonished them not to tell this to anyone,

On the next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met Him.

An argument started among them as to which of them might be the greatest [surpassing the others in esteem and authority].

You foolish ones [acting without reflection or intelligence]! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also?

plotting against Him to catch Him in something He might say.

Then He laid His hands on her; and immediately she stood erect again and she began glorifying and praising God.

And someone asked Him, “Lord, will only a few be saved [from the penalties of the last judgment]?” And He said to them,

Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one who is coming against him with twenty thousand?

But he said to his father, ‘Look! These many years I have served you, and I have never neglected or disobeyed your command. Yet you have never given me [so much as] a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends;

“Now there was a certain rich man who was habitually dressed in expensive purple and fine linen, and celebrated and lived joyously in splendor every day.

As He entered a village, He was met by ten lepers who stood at a distance;

When He saw them, He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were [miraculously] healed and made clean.

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:

I tell you, this man went to his home justified [forgiven of the guilt of sin and placed in right standing with God] rather than the other man; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself [forsaking self-righteous pride] will be exalted.”

Now they were also bringing their babies to Him, so that He would touch and bless them, and when the disciples noticed it, they began reprimanding them.

He will be betrayed and handed over to the Gentiles (Roman authorities), and will be mocked and ridiculed and insulted and abused and spit on,

When he returned, after receiving the kingdom, he ordered that these servants, to whom he had given the money, be called to him, that he might find out what business they had done.

The first one came before him and said, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten more minas.’

The second one came and said, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’

Then why did you not [at the very least] put my money in a bank? Then on my return, I would have collected it with interest.’

saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer’; but you have made it a robbers’ den.”

At harvest time he sent a servant [as his representative] to the tenants, so that they would give him his share of the fruit of the vineyard; but the tenants beat the servant and sent him away empty-handed.

So they watched [for a chance to trap] Him. They sent spies who pretended to be upright and sincere, in order that they might catch Him in some statement [that they could distort and use against Him], so that they could turn Him over to the control and authority of [Pilate] the governor.

But [as for the fact] that the dead are raised [from death], even Moses showed, in the passage about the burning bush, when he calls the Lord the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.

And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Him and hand Him over to them.

He replied, “When you have entered the city, a man carrying an earthen jar of water will meet you; follow him into the house that he enters.

They left and found it just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover.

“Simon, Simon (Peter), listen! Satan has demanded permission to sift [all of] you like grain;

And he questioned Him at some length, but Jesus made no reply.

When they led Him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in [to the city] from the country, and placed on him the cross to carry behind Jesus.

The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up to Him and [cruelly] offering Him sour wine,

It was now about the sixth hour (noon), and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour (3:00 p.m.),

Then they went back and prepared spices and ointments and sweet-smelling herbs.

And on the Sabbath they rested in accordance with the commandment [forbidding work].

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, the women went to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared [to finish anointing the body].

All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him not even one thing was made that has come into being.

This man came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe [in Christ, the Light] through him.

John was not the Light, but came to testify about the Light.

He (Christ) was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him.

No one has seen God [His essence, His divine nature] at any time; the [One and] only begotten God [that is, the unique Son] who is in the intimate presence of the Father, He has explained Him [and interpreted and revealed the awesome wonder of the Father].

I did not recognize Him [as the Messiah]; but I came baptizing in water so that He would be [publicly] revealed to Israel.”

He made a whip of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables;

For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and condemn the world [that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world], but that the world might be saved through Him.

Having heard that Jesus had come back from Judea to Galilee, he went to meet Him and began asking Him to come down and heal his son; for he was at the point of death.

As he was already going down [the road], his servants met him and reported that his son was living [and was healthy].

The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.

This made the Jews more determined than ever to kill Him, for not only was He breaking the Sabbath [from their viewpoint], but He was also calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.

and they will come out—those who did good things [will come out] to a resurrection of [new] life, but those who did evil things [will come out] to a resurrection of judgment [that is, to be sentenced].

But the testimony I receive is not from man [a merely human witness]; but I say these things so that you may be saved [that is, have eternal life].

and still you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.

Then Jesus, knowing that they were going to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountainside by Himself.

Now the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery. They made her stand in the center of the court,

They said this to test Him, hoping that they would have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and began writing on the ground with His finger.

When He had said this, He spat on the ground and made mud with His saliva, and He spread the mud [like an ointment] on the man’s eyes.

He replied, “The Man called Jesus made mud and smeared it on my eyes and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and I received my sight!”