But their worship of me is all in vain, For the lessons they teach are but human precepts.' "

Then his disciples came up to him and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees were shocked to hear you say that?"

Leave them alone. They are blind guides! But if one blind man leads another, they will both fall into the ditch!"

Then great crowds came to him bringing with them those who were lame, crippled, blind, or dumb, and many others. And they laid them down at his feet, and he cured them,

so that the people were astonished to see the dumb speak, the lame walk, and the blind see. And they praised the God of Israel.

The disciples said to him, "Where can we get bread enough in this solitude to feed such a crowd?"

And they all ate and satisfied their hunger. And the pieces that they left that were picked up filled seven baskets.

There were four thousand men who were fed, besides women and children.

And Jesus said to them, "Look out, and be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!"

But they were discussing something with one another, and saying, "We have not brought any bread!"

Jesus noticed it and said, "Why are you discussing with one another your being without bread? You have so little faith!

Why do you not see that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!"

They said, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!"

Jesus answered, "Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah, for human nature has not disclosed this to you, but my Father in heaven!

But I tell you, your name is Peter, a rock, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not subdue it.

And Peter spoke, and said to Jesus, "Master, how good it is that we are here! If you wish, I will make three huts here, one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

When the disciples heard it, they were dreadfully frightened and fell upon their faces.

And as they were going down the mountain, Jesus cautioned them, saying, "Do not tell anyone of the vision you have seen until the Son of Man is raised from the dead."

"Master, take pity on my son, for he has epilepsy, and is very wretched; he often falls into the fire or into the water.

And I brought him to your disciples and they have not been able to cure him."

As they were going about in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be handed over to men,

and they will kill him, but on the third day he will be raised to life again." And they were greatly distressed.

When they reached Capernaum, the collectors of the temple-tax came and said to Peter, "Does not your Master pay the temple-tax?"

He said, "Yes." But when he went home, Jesus spoke of it first and said, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do earthly kings collect duties and taxes? From their own people, or from aliens?"

He said, "From aliens." Jesus said to him, "Then their own people are exempt.

"But if your own hand or your own foot makes you fall, cut it off and throw it away. You might better enter upon life maimed or crippled than keep both hands and feet but be thrown into the everlasting fire.

And if your own eye makes you fall, dig it out and throw it away. You might better enter upon life with only one eye than be thrown with both eyes into the fiery pit.

"But if your brother wrongs you go to him and show him his fault while you are alone with him. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother.

But if he will not listen, take one or two others with you, so that everything may be supported by the testimony of two or three witnesses.

If he refuses to listen to them, tell the congregation. And if he refuses to listen to it, treat him as a heathen or a tax-collector.

For wherever two or three are gathered as my followers, I am there among them."

When his fellow-slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went to their master and reported the whole matter to him.

Ought you not to have taken pity on your fellow-slave, as I did on you?'

That is what my heavenly Father will do to you, if you do not each forgive your brothers from your hearts!"

and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two of them shall become one'? So they are no longer two but one.

He said to them, "It was on account of your perversity that Moses permitted you to divorce your wives, but it was not so at the beginning.

For some are incapable of marriage from their birth, and some have been made so by men, and some have made themselves so for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. Let him accept it who can."

Then some children were brought up to him so that he might lay his hands on them and pray, but his disciples reproved the people for it.

But Jesus said, "Let the children alone, and do not try to keep them from coming to me, for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as they are."

Honor your father and mother,' and 'You shall love your neighbor as you do yourself.' "

Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go! Sell your property and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come back and be a follower of mine."

But when the disciples heard this, they were completely astounded and said, "Then who can be saved?"

Then Peter spoke and said to him, "Here we have left all we had and followed you. What are we to have?"

And anyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or land for my sake will receive many times as much, and share eternal life.

But many who are first now will be last then, and many who are now last will be first.

When those who were hired about five o'clock came they received a dollar apiece.

And when those who were hired first came they expected to get more, but they too got a dollar apiece.

and said, 'These men who were hired last worked only one hour, and you have put them on the same footing with us who have done the heavy work of the day and have stood the midday heat.'

Have I no right to do what I please with what is mine? Or do you begrudge my generosity?'

So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last."

When Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem, he took the Twelve off by themselves, and said to them as they were on the way,

"We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the high priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death,

He said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Give orders that these two sons of mine sit one at your right and one at your left, when you are king!"

But Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking for! Can you drink what I am going to drink?" They answered, "Yes, we can."

He said to them, "Then what I drink you shall drink, but as for sitting at my right or my left, that is not mine to give, but belongs to those for whom it is destined by my Father."

When the other ten heard of this, they were very indignant at the two brothers.

It is not to be so among you, but whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant,

and whoever wants to hold the first place among you must be your slave,

As they were going out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him.

They said to him, "Sir, have our eyes opened!"

When they were near Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage and the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples on ahead,

If anyone says anything to you, you are to say, 'The Master needs them'; then he will send them at once."

"Tell the daughter of Zion, 'Here is your king coming to you, Gentle, and riding on an ass, And on the foal of a beast of burden.' "

And Jesus went into the Temple and drove out all who were buying or selling things in it, and he upset the money-changers' tables and the pigeon-dealers' seats,

But when the high priests and the scribes saw the wonders that he did and saw the boys shouting in the Temple, "God bless the Son of David!" they were indignant,

and said to him, "Do you hear what they are saying?" Jesus said to them, "Yes. Did you never read, 'You have drawn praise from the mouths of children and infants'?"

When the disciples saw it, they were amazed and said, "How did the fig tree come to wither up immediately?"

Where did John's baptism come from? Was it from heaven, or from men?" And they argued with one another, "If we say, 'It was from heaven,' he will say to us, 'Then why did you not believe him?'

Which of the two did what his father wanted?" They said, "The second one." Jesus said to them, "I tell you, the tax-collectors and prostitutes are going into the Kingdom of God ahead of you.

For John came to you with a way of uprightness, and you would not believe him. The tax-collectors and prostitutes believed him, but even after seeing that, you would not change your minds and believe him!

and they wanted to have him arrested, but they were afraid of the people, for the people considered him a prophet.

He sent other slaves a second time, and said to them, 'Tell those who have been asked, "Here I have my banquet all ready, my bullocks and fat cattle are killed, and everything is ready. Come to the banquet!" '

Then he said to his slaves, 'The banquet is ready, but those who were invited have proved unworthy of it.

So go out where the roads leave the city and invite everyone you find to the banquet.'

So his slaves went out on the roads, and got together all the people they could find, good or bad, and the hall was filled with guests.

For many are invited but few chosen."

So they sent their disciples to him with the Herodians, to say to him, "Master, we know that you tell the truth, and teach the way of God with sincerity, regardless of the consequences, for you are impartial.

So give us your opinion: Is it right to pay the poll-tax to the emperor, or not?"

And when they heard it they were amazed, and they went away and left him.

Now there were seven brothers among us. The first of them married and died, and as he had no children, he left his wife to his brother;

Jesus answered them, "You are wrong, because you do not understand the Scriptures nor the power of God.

For after the resurrection there is no marrying or being married, but they live as angels do in heaven.

When the crowd heard this, they were astounded at his teaching.

And he said to him, " 'You must love the Lord your God with your whole heart, your whole soul, and your whole mind.'

There is a second like it: 'You must love your neighbor as you do yourself.'

While the Pharisees were still gathered there, Jesus asked them,

" 'The Lord has said to my lord, "Sit at my right hand, Until I put your enemies under your feet" '?

They do everything they do to have men see it. They wear wide Scripture texts as charms, and they wear large tassels,

But you must not let people call you 'Rabbi,' for you have only one teacher, and you are all brothers.

And you must not call anyone on earth your father, for you have only one father, your heavenly Father.

But he who is greatest among you must be your servant.

"But alas for you, you hypocritical scribes and Pharisees, for you lock the doors of the Kingdom of Heaven in men's faces, for you will neither go in yourselves nor let those enter who are trying to do so.

Alas for you, you hypocritical scribes and Pharisees, for you scour land and sea to make one convert, and when he is converted you make him twice as fit for the pit as you are.

Blind fools! which is greater, the gold, or the sanctuary that makes the gold sacred?

You blind men! Which is greater, the offering, or the altar that makes the offering sacred?

Alas for you, you hypocritical scribes and Pharisees, for you clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.

Alas for you, you hypocritical scribes and Pharisees, for you are like white-washed tombs! They look well on the outside, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead, and all that is unclean.

So you outwardly appear to men to be upright, but within you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

and say, 'If we had been living in the times of our fathers, we would not have joined them in the murder of the prophets.'