And if those days had not been cut short, no one would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.

But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have been alert and would not have let his house be broken into.

But while they had gone to buy it, the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went inside with him to the wedding banquet. Then the door was shut.

The one who had received five talents went off right away and put his money to work and gained five more.

In the same way, the one who had two gained two more.

But the one who had received one talent went out and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money in it.

The one who had received the five talents came and brought five more, saying, 'Sir, you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'

Then the one who had received the one talent came and said, 'Sir, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed,

When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he told his disciples,

So the disciples did as Jesus had instructed them, and they prepared the Passover.

The Son of Man will go as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for him if he had never been born."

(Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "The one I kiss is the man. Arrest him!")

Now the ones who had arrested Jesus led him to Caiaphas, the high priest, in whose house the experts in the law and the elders had gathered.

Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said: "Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Now when Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus had been condemned, he regretted what he had done and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders,

Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: "They took the thirty silver coins, the price of the one whose price had been set by the people of Israel,

At that time they had in custody a notorious prisoner named Jesus Barabbas.

So after they had assembled, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Christ?"

(For he knew that they had handed him over because of envy.)

Then he released Barabbas for them. But after he had Jesus flogged, he handed him over to be crucified.

When they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

When they had crucified him, they divided his clothes by throwing dice.

And tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had died were raised.

Many women who had followed Jesus from Galilee and given him support were also there, watching from a distance.

and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut in the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance of the tomb and went away.

While they were going, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests everything that had happened.

After they had assembled with the elders and formed a plan, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,

So the eleven disciples went to Galilee to the mountain Jesus had designated.

The people there were amazed by his teaching, because he taught them like one who had authority, not like the experts in the law.

Then Jesus entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand.

So he said to the man who had the withered hand, "Stand up among all these people."

Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan River, and around Tyre and Sidon a great multitude came to him when they heard about the things he had done.

For he had healed many, so that all who were afflicted with diseases pressed toward him in order to touch him.

And he said, "Whoever has ears to hear had better listen!"

If anyone has ears to hear, he had better listen!"

For his hands and feet had often been bound with chains and shackles, but he had torn the chains apart and broken the shackles in pieces. No one was strong enough to subdue him.

(For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of that man, you unclean spirit!")

Now the herdsmen ran off and spread the news in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened.

They came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man sitting there, clothed and in his right mind -- the one who had the "Legion" -- and they were afraid.

Those who had seen what had happened to the demon-possessed man reported it, and they also told about the pigs.

As he was getting into the boat the man who had been demon-possessed asked if he could go with him.

But Jesus did not permit him to do so. Instead, he said to him, "Go to your home and to your people and tell them what the Lord has done for you, that he had mercy on you."

So he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him, and all were amazed.

When Jesus had crossed again in a boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he was by the sea.

Now a woman was there who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years.

She had endured a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet instead of getting better, she grew worse.

Jesus knew at once that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched my clothes?"

But he looked around to see who had done it.

Then the woman, with fear and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before him and told him the whole truth.

Now King Herod heard this, for Jesus' name had become known. Some were saying, "John the baptizer has been raised from the dead, and because of this, miraculous powers are at work in him."

For Herod himself had sent men, arrested John, and bound him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because Herod had married her.

For John had repeatedly told Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."

Then the apostles gathered around Jesus and told him everything they had done and taught.

As Jesus came ashore he saw the large crowd and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he taught them many things.

After they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and anchored there.

Now when Jesus had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about the parable.

Instead, a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him and came and fell at his feet.

They brought to him a deaf man who had difficulty speaking, and they asked him to place his hands on him.

They also had a few small fish. After giving thanks for these, he told them to serve these as well.

Now they had forgotten to take bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat.

As they were coming down from the mountain, he gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest.

He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them,

They replied as Jesus had told them, and the bystanders let them go.

Many spread their cloaks on the road and others spread branches they had cut in the fields.

He had one left, his one dear son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'

There were seven brothers. The first one married, and when he died he had no children.

None of the seven had children. Finally, the woman died too.

In the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be? For all seven had married her."

When Jesus saw that he had answered thoughtfully, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." Then no one dared any longer to question him.

For they all gave out of their wealth. But she, out of her poverty, put in what she had to live on, everything she had."

And if the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would be saved. But because of the elect, whom he chose, he has cut them short.

So the disciples left, went into the city, and found things just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

For the Son of Man will go as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for him if he had never been born."

(Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "The one I kiss is the man. Arrest him and lead him away under guard.")

And Peter had followed him from a distance, up to the high priest's courtyard. He was sitting with the guards and warming himself by the fire.

Immediately a rooster crowed a second time. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said to him: "Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times." And he broke down and wept.

A man named Barabbas was imprisoned with rebels who had committed murder during an insurrection.

(For he knew that the chief priests had handed him over because of envy.)

Because he wanted to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas for them. Then, after he had Jesus flogged, he handed him over to be crucified.

When they had finished mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

When he was in Galilee, they had followed him and given him support. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were there too.

Now when evening had already come, since it was the day of preparation (that is, the day before the Sabbath),

Pilate was surprised that he was already dead. He called the centurion and asked him if he had been dead for some time.

They had been asking each other, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?"

But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled back.

Then they went out and ran from the tomb, for terror and bewilderment had seized them. And they said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

[[Early on the first day of the week, after he arose, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had driven out seven demons.

And when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.

Then he appeared to the eleven themselves, while they were eating, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen him resurrected.

After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.

During the reign of Herod king of Judea, there lived a priest named Zechariah who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah, and he had a wife named Elizabeth, who was a descendant of Aaron.

When he came out, he was not able to speak to them. They realized that he had seen a vision in the holy place, because he was making signs to them and remained unable to speak.

Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?"

Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.

When they saw him, they related what they had been told about this child,

So the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen; everything was just as they had been told.

It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

She had lived as a widow since then for eighty-four years. She never left the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.

So when Joseph and Mary had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.