Even now the ax is ready to strike the root of the trees! Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

“I baptize you with water for repentance, but the One who is coming after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to remove His sandals. He Himself will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

His winnowing shovel is in His hand, and He will clear His threshing floor and gather His wheat into the barn. But the chaff He will burn up with fire that never goes out.”

Jesus answered him, “Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him to be baptized.

And there came a voice from heaven:

This is My beloved Son.
I take delight in Him!

But He answered, “It is written:

Man must not live on bread alone
but on every word that comes
from the mouth of God.”

and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:

He will give His angels orders concerning you,
and they will support you with their hands
so that you will not strike
your foot against a stone.”

Jesus told him, “It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God.”

Then Jesus told him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written:

Worship the Lord your God,
and serve only Him.”

This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

As He was walking along the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, since they were fishermen.

“The poor in spirit are blessed,
for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

Those who are persecuted for righteousness are blessed,
for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Fool!’ will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But whoever says, ‘You moron!’ will be subject to hellfire.

If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to go into hell!

But I tell you, don’t take an oath at all: either by heaven, because it is God’s throne;

or by the earth, because it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King.

But let your word ‘yes’ be ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ be ‘no.’ Anything more than this is from the evil one.

As for the one who wants to sue you and take away your shirt, let him have your coat as well.

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

So whenever you give to the poor, don’t sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be applauded by people. I assure you: They’ve got their reward!

But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

“Therefore, you should pray like this:

Our Father in heaven,
Your name be honored as holy.

Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And do not bring us into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
[For Yours is the kingdom and the power
and the glory forever. Amen.]

“For if you forgive people their wrongdoing, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well.

“Whenever you fast, don’t be sad-faced like the hypocrites. For they make their faces unattractive so their fasting is obvious to people. I assure you: They’ve got their reward!

so that you don’t show your fasting to people but to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.

But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light within you is darkness—how deep is that darkness!

“This is why I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing?

If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t He do much more for you—you of little faith?

For with the judgment you use, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Don’t give what is holy to dogs or toss your pearls before pigs, or they will trample them with their feet, turn, and tear you to pieces.

Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them—this is the Law and the Prophets.

“Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it.

How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.

Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Then Jesus told him, “See that you don’t tell anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses prescribed, as a testimony to them.”

“Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible agony!”

Then Jesus told the centurion, “Go. As you have believed, let it be done for you.” And his servant was cured that very moment.

so that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

He Himself took our weaknesses
and carried our diseases.

As He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him.

So the disciples came and woke Him up, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to die!”

The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this?—even the winds and the sea obey Him!”

When He had come to the other side, to the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met Him as they came out of the tombs. They were so violent that no one could pass that way.

Suddenly they shouted, “What do You have to do with us, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”

“If You drive us out,” the demons begged Him, “send us into the herd of pigs.”

For which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?

As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office, and He said to him, “Follow Me!” So he got up and followed Him.

While He was reclining at the table in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came as guests to eat with Jesus and His disciples.

Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests be sad while the groom is with them? The time will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.

As He was telling them these things, suddenly one of the leaders came and knelt down before Him, saying, “My daughter is near death, but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live.”

As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, shouting, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”

Just as they were going out, a demon-possessed man who was unable to speak was brought to Him.

Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few.

These are the names of the 12 apostles:

First, Simon, who is called Peter,
and Andrew his brother;
James the son of Zebedee,
and John his brother;

As you go, announce this: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’

Don’t take a traveling bag for the road, or an extra shirt, sandals, or a walking stick, for the worker is worthy of his food.

“When you enter any town or village, find out who is worthy, and stay there until you leave.

and if the household is worthy, let your peace be on it. But if it is unworthy, let your peace return to you.

“Look, I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and as harmless as doves.

because you are not speaking, but the Spirit of your Father is speaking through you.

A disciple is not above his teacher, or a slave above his master.

It is enough for a disciple to become like his teacher and a slave like his master. If they called the head of the house ‘Beelzebul,’ how much more the members of his household!

“Therefore, don’t be afraid of them, since there is nothing covered that won’t be uncovered and nothing hidden that won’t be made known.

Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

The person who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; the person who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.

Anyone who welcomes a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. And anyone who welcomes a righteous person because he’s righteous will receive a righteous person’s reward.

And whoever gives just a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple—I assure you: He will never lose his reward!”

and asked Him, “Are You the One who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

And if anyone is not offended because of Me, he is blessed.”

As these men went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind?

This is the one it is written about:

Look, I am sending My messenger ahead of You;
he will prepare Your way before You.

“I assure you: Among those born of women no one greater than John the Baptist has appeared, but the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

if you’re willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who is to come.

The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”

At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to infants.

For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!”

how he entered the house of God, and they ate the sacred bread, which is not lawful for him or for those with him to eat, but only for the priests?

But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here!

For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

There He saw a man who had a paralyzed hand. And in order to accuse Him they asked Him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

A man is worth far more than a sheep, so it is lawful to do what is good on the Sabbath.”

Then He told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and it was restored, as good as the other.

so that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

Here is My Servant whom I have chosen,
My beloved in whom My soul delights;
I will put My Spirit on Him,
and He will proclaim justice to the nations.

And all the crowds were astounded and said, “Perhaps this is the Son of David!”

Knowing their thoughts, He told them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is headed for destruction, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.

If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?

And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, who is it your sons drive them out by? For this reason they will be your judges.

Anyone who is not with Me is against Me, and anyone who does not gather with Me scatters.