And when they came to Jesus, they entreated him importunately, saying, He is a worthy man on whom thou wilt confer this favour:

But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law of Moses, who would not be immersed by John, rejected God's purpose for themselves.

They're like little children who sit in the marketplace and shout to each other, "A wedding song we played for you, the dance you all did scorn. A woeful dirge we chanted, too, but then you would not mourn.'

And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.

Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.

"A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled on, and the wild birds devoured it.

But some of the seed falls into good ground, and grows up and yields a return of a hundred for one." While thus speaking, He cried aloud and said, "Listen, every one who has ears to listen with!"

And he said, To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the others in parables, so that seeing they would not see, and hearing they would not understand.

And those by the way are those who hear, then the devil comes, and takes away the word from their heart, lest having believed, they would be saved.

That which fell among the thorns means those who have heard, but as they go on their way, the Message is stifled by the anxieties, wealth and gaieties of time, and they yield nothing in perfection.

But as for that in the good ground, it means those who, having listened to the Message with open minds and in a right spirit, hold it fast, and patiently yield a return.

And they told him, saying, "Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, and would see thee."

And, when he went forth upon the land, there met him a certain man, out of the city, having demons; and, for a considerable time, he had put on no garment, and, in a house, would not abide, but among the tombs.

But, seeing Jesus, he cried out aloud, and fell down before him, and, with a loud voice, said - What have I in common with thee, O Jesus, Son of Godthe Most High? I beg of thee - Do not torment me! -

Now He was [already] commanding the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had seized him [violently] many times; and he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.

And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.

And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them.

And all the whole multitude of the country of the Gaderenites, besought him that he would depart from them: for they were taken with great fear. And he gat him into the ship and returned back again.

And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus' feet, and besought him that he would come into his house:

because he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying. And as he went the crowds thronged him.

When he reached the house he would not allow anyone to come in with him except Peter and James and John, and the child's father and mother.

The people were all weeping aloud and beating their breasts for her; but He said, "Leave off wailing; for she is not dead, but asleep."

He, however, took her by the hand and called aloud, "Child, awake!"

And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staff, nor wallet, nor bread, nor money; neither have two coats.

And of some, that Elias had appeared; and of others, that one of the old prophets was risen again.

They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again.

And he said unto all, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

For whosoever would save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

For what advantage hath a man in gaining all the would, if he destroy himself, or be punished with the loss of life?

They had a glorified appearance, and were discussing Jesus' departure that he would shortly bring about in Jerusalem.

Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, My Chosen One; listen and obey and yield to Him!”

And behold, a man cried aloud from the crowd, saying, Teacher, I beseech You, look on my son, for he is my only-born son.

And I begged your disciples that they would expel it, and they were not able [to do so]."

But they did not understand this statement, and it was concealed from them so that they would not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this statement.

Then an argument started among them about who would be the greatest of them.

And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.

And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?

"Foxes have holes," he replied, "and wild birds their roosting-places, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."

After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.

Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.

Carry no purse, no wallet, no shoes; and salute no man on the way.

Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which were done in you, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.

All things were delivered me by my Father: and none knows who is the Son, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and to whomsoever the Son would wish to reveal.

And behold, a certain lawyer stood up testing him, and saying, Teacher, having done what, would I inherit eternal life?

And he said to them, Which of you, having a friend, would go to him in the middle of the night and say to him, Friend, let me have three cakes of bread;

since a friend arrived from the road to me, and I do not have what I would set before him,

And he, from inside the house, would say in answer, Do not be a trouble to me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; it is not possible for me to get up and give to you?

I say unto you, Though he would not arise and give him, because he is his friend: Yet because of his importunity he would rise and give him as many as he needed.

What father among you, if his son asks for bread, would give him a stone, or if he asks for a fish, would give him a snake instead of the fish?

Or if he asks for an egg, would he give him a scorpion?

others, to try him, desir'd he would show some miraculous sign in the heaven.

And, if Satan also were divided against himself, how would his kingdom stand? because ye say that by Beelzebub I am casting out the demons!

But as he spoke, a certain Pharisee asked him that he would dine with him; and entering in he placed himself at table.

"Consider how [wild] lilies grow; they do not work or weave, yet I tell you, even Solomon, clothed in his very finest royal robes, was never dressed [as luxuriously] as one of these [flowers].

And if this is how God clothes the wild grass, which is here today and tomorrow is tossed into the fire to heat the oven, how much more will he clothe you, you people of little faith!

Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.

"Have your girdles on, and let your lamps be alight;

And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.

And that servant who knew his master’s will, and yet did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will be beaten with many lashes [of the whip],

I am come to send fire on the earth; and would that it were already kindled?

"Would it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straitened till it is accomplished!

For when thou go with thine opponent to the magistrate on the way give effort to be delivered from him, lest he may drag thee to the judge, and the judge may deliver thee to the officer, and the officer would cast thee into prison.

I tell thee, Thou wilt not come out thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite.

But when Jesus saw her, he called out aloud, and said to her, Woman, thou art delivered from thine infirmity.

It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his own garden; and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the sky found shelter and nested in its branches.”

In that very hour there came certain Pharisees, saying to him, Get thee out, and go hence: for Herod would fain kill thee.

Nevertheless I must journey on today and tomorrow and the next day; for it cannot be that a prophet would perish outside of Jerusalem.

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!

Then he asked them, "If your son or ox falls into a well on the Sabbath day, you would pull him out immediately, wouldn't you?"

He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noticed how they would choose the best places for themselves:

and he who invited both of you would come and tell you, 'Make room for this person.' Then you would begin, with shame, to take the lowest place.

But when thou art invited, go and recline in the lowest place, that when he who invited thee cometh, he may say to thee, Friend, go up higher. Then wilt thou have honor in the presence of all who are at table with thee.

He also said to the one who had invited Him, “When you give a lunch or a dinner, don’t invite your friends, your brothers, your relatives, or your rich neighbors, because they might invite you back, and you would be repaid.

Then the master told the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled [with guests].

for who of you would resolve to build a tower, without taking the trouble first of all to compute the expence, and whether he is able to finish it?

it would be fit neither for the land, nor for the dunghil, but only to be thrown away. he that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

"Which one of you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, would not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go look for the one that is lost until he finds it?

Or what woman, who has ten silver coins [Note: These coins each amounted to about one day of a farm laborer's pay, or about $60-$84 in 1994], and if she loses one of them, would not light a lamp, sweep the house and search for it diligently until she finds it?

A few days later, the younger son gathered everything he owned and traveled to a distant country. There he wasted it all on wild living.

And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

And he said to him, Thy brother is come, and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and well: but he was angry, and would not go in.

And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.

And the servant said to himself, What am I to do now that my lord takes away my position? I have not enough strength for working in the fields, and I would be shamed if I made requests for money from people in the streets.

“The Law and the [writings of the] Prophets were proclaimed until John; since then the gospel of the kingdom of God has been and continues to be preached, and everyone tries forcefully to go into it.

It would be easier for the heavens and the earth to disappear than for one stroke of a letter in the Law to be lost.

“There was a rich man who would dress in purple and fine linen, feasting lavishly every day.

He longed to be filled with what fell from the rich man’s table, but instead the dogs would come and lick his sores.

So he cried aloud, and said, "'Father Abraham, take pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.'

And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

"He said, 'I ask you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house;

And he said, No, father Abraham, but if someone went to them from the dead, their hearts would be changed.

"'If they are deaf to Moses and the Prophets,' replied Abraham, 'they would not be led to believe even if some one should rise from the dead.'"

It would be more profitable for him if a millstone were hanged about his neck and he cast into the sea, than that he should be a snare to one of these little ones.

And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye would say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou rooted up, and be thou planted in the sea; and it would obey you.

"Suppose a man among you has a servant plowing or watching sheep. Would he say to him when he comes in from the field, "Come at once and have something to eat'?

Of course not. Instead, he would say to him, "Get dinner ready for me, and put on your apron and wait on me until I eat and drink. Then you can eat and drink.'

Would he thank his slave for doing the things that he was ordered to do?

and as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten lepers, who stood at a distance, and cry'd out aloud,

one of them perceiving he was healed, turn'd back, praising God aloud.

Now having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He replied, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed or with a visible display;