because I tell all of you with certainty that until heaven and earth disappear, not one letter or one stroke of a letter will disappear from the Law until everything has been accomplished.

because I tell you, unless your righteousness greatly exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom from heaven!"

But I tell you not to swear at all, neither by heaven, because it is God's throne,

nor by the earth, because it is his footstool, nor by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the Great King.

Nor should you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.

so that you will become children of your Father in heaven, because he makes his sun rise on both evil and good people, and he lets rain fall on the righteous and the unrighteous.

"When you are praying, don't say meaningless things like the unbelievers do, because they think they will be heard by being so wordy.

Don't be like them, because your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Because if you forgive people their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

"Whenever you fast, don't be gloomy like the hypocrites, because they put on sad faces to show others they are fasting. I tell all of you with certainty, they have their full reward!

because where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

"No one can serve two masters, because either he will hate one and love the other, or be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and riches!"

because it is the unbelievers who are eager for all those things. Surely your heavenly Father knows that you need all of them!

So never worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

because the way that you judge others will be the way that you will be judged, and you will be evaluated by the standard with which you evaluate others.

Because everyone who keeps asking will receive, and the person who keeps searching will find, and the person who keeps knocking will have the door opened.

Therefore, whatever you want people to do for you, do the same for them, because this summarizes the Law and the Prophets."

"Go in through the narrow gate, because the gate is wide and the road is spacious that leads to destruction, and many people are entering by it.

The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, but it did not collapse because its foundation was on the rock.

because he was teaching them like a person who had authority, and not like their scribes.

because I, too, am a man under authority and I have soldiers under me. I say to one of them "Go' and he goes, to another "Come' and he comes, and to my servant "Do this' and he does it."

Go and learn what this means: "I want mercy and not sacrifice,' because I did not come to call righteous people, but sinners."

"No one patches an old garment with a piece of unshrunk cloth, because the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results.

because she had been saying to herself, "If I just touch his robe, I will get well."

As the men were going out, a man who couldn't talk because he was demon-possessed was brought to him.

When he saw the crowds, he was deeply moved with compassion for them, because they were troubled and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

or a traveling bag for the trip, or an extra shirt, or sandals, or a walking stick, because a worker deserves his food.

You will be brought before governors and kings because of me, to testify to them and to unbelievers.

When they hand you over, don't worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say, because in that hour what you are to say will be given to you.

You will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the person who endures to the end will be saved.

So when they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, because I tell all of you with certainty that you will not have gone through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

"So never be afraid of them, because there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing secret that will not be made known.

The one who finds his life will lose it, and the one who loses his life because of me will find it."

I tell all of you with certainty, whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple will never lose his reward."

because the Law and all the Prophets prophesied up to the time of John.

Because John didn't come eating or drinking, yet people say, "He has a demon!'

Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had taken place, because they didn't repent.

"How terrible it will be for you, Chorazin! How terrible it will be for you, Bethsaida! Because if the miracles that happened in you had taken place in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

"And you, Capernaum! You won't be lifted up to heaven, will you? You'll go down to Hell! Because if the miracles that happened in you had taken place in Sodom, it would have remained to this day.

At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from wise and intelligent people and have revealed them to infants.

Yes, Father, because this is what was pleasing to you.

Place my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest for your souls,

because my yoke is pleasant, and my burden is light."

"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree rotten and its fruit rotten, because a tree is known by its fruit.

because by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."

because just as Jonah was in the stomach of the sea creature for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.

The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment and condemn the people living today, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah. But look something greater than Jonah is here!

The queen of the south will stand up and condemn the people living today, because she came from so far away to hear the wisdom of Solomon. But look! Something greater than Solomon is here!"

because whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."

Other seeds fell on stony ground, where they did not have a lot of soil. They sprouted at once because the soil wasn't deep.

because to anyone who has something, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the one who doesn't have anything, even what he has will be taken away from him.

That's why I speak to them in parables, because "they look but don't see, and they listen but don't hear or understand.'

"How blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear!

but since he doesn't have any root in himself, he lasts for only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes along because of the word, he immediately falls away.

But Jesus told them, "A prophet is without honor only in his hometown and in his own home." He did not perform many miracles there because of their unbelief.

Under pressure because of his promises and his assembled guests, the king ordered that it be done.

By this time the boat was in the middle of the sea and was being battered by the waves, because the wind was against them.

But he answered them, "Why do you also disregard the commandment of God because of your tradition?

Because God said, "You are to honor your father and your mother,' and, "Whoever curses father or mother must certainly be put to death.'

does not have to honor his father.' Because of your tradition, then, you have disregarded the authority of God's word.

Their worship of me is empty, because they teach human rules as doctrines.'"

But he didn't answer her at all. Then his disciples came up and kept urging him, "Send her away, because she keeps on screaming as she follows us."

Then Jesus called his disciples and said, "I have compassion for the crowd because they have already been with me for three days and have nothing to eat. I don't want to send them away without food, or they may faint on the road."

From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he would have to go to Jerusalem and suffer a great deal because of the elders, the high priests, and the scribes. Then he would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised.

But Jesus turned and told Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are an offense to me, because you are not thinking God's thoughts but human thoughts!"

because what profit will a person have if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what can a person give in exchange for his life?

and said, "Sir, have mercy on my son, because he is an epileptic and suffers terribly. Often he falls into fire and often into water.

He told them, "Because of your lack of faith. I tell all of you with certainty, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, "Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.

"See to it that you do not despise one of these little ones, because I tell you, their angels in heaven always have access to my Father in heaven.

because where two or three have come together in my name, I am there among them."

Because he couldn't pay, his master ordered him, his wife, his children, and everything that he owned to be sold so that payment could be made.

Then his master sent for him and told him, "You evil servant! I canceled that entire debt for you because you begged me.

He told them, "It was because of your hardness of heart that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives. But from the beginning it was not this way.

because some men are celibate from birth, while some are celibate because they have been made that way by others. Still others are celibate because they have made themselves that way for the sake of the kingdom from heaven. Let anyone accept this who can."

Jesus, however, said, "Let the little children come to me, and stop keeping them away, because the kingdom from heaven belongs to people like these."

But when the young man heard this statement he went away sad, because he had many possessions.

In fact, everyone who has left his homes, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children, or fields because of my name will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.

They told him, "Because no one has hired us.' He told them, "You go into the vineyard as well.'

I am allowed to do what I want with my own money, am I not? Or are you envious because I'm generous?'

"In the same way, the last will be first, and the first will be last, because many are called, but few are chosen."

They began discussing this among themselves: "If we say, "From heaven,' he will ask us, "Then why didn't you believe him?' But if we say, "From humans,' we are afraid of the crowd, because everyone regards John as a prophet."

because many are invited, but few are chosen."

They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. They said, "Teacher, we know that you are sincere and that you teach the way of God truthfully. You don't favor any individual, because you pay no attention to external appearance.

Jesus answered them, "You are mistaken because you don't know the Scriptures or God's power,

because in the resurrection, people neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like the angels in heaven.

so do whatever they tell you and follow it, but stop doing what they do, because they don't do what they say.

"But you are not to be called "Rabbi,' because you have only one teacher, and all of you are brothers.

And don't call anyone on earth "Father,' because you have only one Father, the one in heaven.

Nor are you to be called "Teachers,' because you have only one teacher, the Messiah!

because many will come in my name and say, "I'm the Messiah,' and they will deceive many people.

because nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

"Then they'll hand you over to suffer and will kill you, and you'll be hated by all the nations because of my name.

and because lawlessness will increase, the love of many people will grow cold.

because at that time there will be great suffering, the kind that hasn't happened from the beginning of the world until now and certainly won't ever happen again.

because false messiahs and false prophets will appear and display great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

because just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

because just as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be when the Son of Man comes.

"So keep on watching, because you don't know on what day your Lord is coming.

So you, too, must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you are not expecting."

because when the foolish ones took their lamps, they didn't take any oil with them.