"The kingdom of heaven is like a pot of gold which was buried in a field, which a man found and buried again; and for joy over it he went and sold all he had and bought that field.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a gem-dealer who was looking for beautiful pearls.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was thrown into the sea and gathered [fish] of every kind,

which when it was filled they pulled to shore and sat down [and] collected the good [fish] into containers, but the bad they threw out.

At the end of the world it will be that same way. The angels will come and divide the sinful people from the ones who did what was right,

And it was when Jesus finished these parables, he removed thence.

and having come to his own country, he was teaching them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and were saying, 'Whence to this one this wisdom and the mighty works?

About that time Herod the tetrarch [Note: This man was the son of Herod the Great (See 2:

And he said to his servants, This is John the Baptist; be was aroused from the dead; and for this, powers are energetic in him.

for John was saying to him, 'It is not lawful to thee to have her,'

Although he wanted to have him killed, he was afraid of the people, for they regarded him as a prophet.

But when Herod's birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod;

[Herod was so pleased with her performance that] he promised, with an oath, to give her whatever she asked for [i.e., with limitations. See Mark 6:23].

And [although] the king was distressed, because of his oaths and his {dinner guests} he commanded [the request] to be granted.

and pursuant to order, John was beheaded in the prison,

and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought [it] to her mother.

Now when Jesus heard about it He left there in a boat and went [across to the east side of the lake] to a deserted place. When the crowds found out [He was leaving] they followed Him [i.e., by traveling around] on the shore from the [surrounding] towns.

And going out he saw a great crowd, and was moved with compassion about them, and healed their infirm.

Now [when it] was evening, the disciples came to him saying, "The place is desolate and the hour {is late}. Release the crowds so that they can go away into the villages [and] purchase food for themselves."

"Bring them here to me," was his reply.

And they all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full.

And [after he] sent away the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. So [when] evening came, he was there alone.

But the boat was already many stadia distant from the land, being beaten by the waves, because the wind was against [it].

As the night was ending, Jesus came to them walking on the sea.

And he said, "Come." And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

But [when he] saw the strong wind, he was afraid. And beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!"

When the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word throughout that region and brought him everyone who was sick.

They kept begging him to let them touch just the tassel of his garment, and everyone who touched it was completely healed.

"Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat {a meal}."

For they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answering said, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God thro' your tradition?

Hypocrites! It was well said by Isaiah when he prophesied about you--

And behold, a woman which was a Canaanite came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, "Have mercy on me Lord, thou son of David, my daughter is piteously vexed with a devil."

But he answered [and] said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

And having come, she was bowing to him, saying, 'Sir, help me;'

Then Jesus answered [and] said to her, "O woman, your faith [is] great! Let it be done for you as you want." And her daughter was healed from that hour.

And departing from there, Jesus went along the Sea of Galilee, and he went up on the mountain [and] was sitting there.

So then the crowd was astonished [when they] saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, and the lame walking, and the blind seeing, and they praised the God of Israel.

He took the seven loaves and the fishes; giving thanks, He broke, and was giving to the disciples; and the disciples to the multitudes.

And they all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, seven baskets full.

How do ye not understand that it was not concerning bread I said to you, Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees?

Then they saw that it was not the leaven of bread which he had in mind, but the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

But when Jesus was come into the parts of Caesarea-Philippi, he demanded of his disciples, saying, Who do men say that I the Son of man am?

Jesus replied, "Simon, son of Jonah, you are fortunate [indeed], for this [truth] was not revealed to you by human beings but [rather] by my Father who is in heaven.

Then he commanded the disciples that they should tell no one that he was the Christ.

It was just after that that Jesus Christ for the first time clearly taught His disciples that He had to go to Jerusalem and submit to many forms of suffering at the hands of the elders, high priests, and scribes, and be killed, but be raised to life on the third day.

And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothing became bright as the light.

[While] he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him!"

When they looked up, all they saw was Jesus alone.

Jesus answered, 'tis true, Elias was to come first and set all things right.

But I tell you that Elijah has already come, but they [i.e., the Jewish leaders] did not understand who he was, but [instead] did to him what they wanted to. In the same way, the Son of man will also suffer from what the Jews will do."

then the disciples perceiv'd, that what he said was meant of John the Baptist.

When Jesus and His disciples met the crowd [that was gathered], a man came kneeling down to Jesus and saying to Him,

"Lord, take pity on my son, for he has violent seizures and suffers intense pain. He often falls into a fire or into water. [Note: This man was also dominated by an evil spirit. See verse 18].

And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him and the boy was healed from that hour.

Afterwards the disciples came up to Jesus, and asked him privately: "Why was it that we could not drive it out?"

He told them, "It was because of your little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; nothing will be impossible for you."

When Jesus and His disciples came to Capernaum, the collectors of the tax [Note: This was the annual tax used for meeting the expenses of the Temple service and consisted of two days' worth of a farm laborer's pay, or about $140 in 1994] came to Peter and said, "Does not your teacher [also] pay the [Temple] tax?"

He said, "Yea." And when he was come into the house, Jesus spake first to him, saying, "What thinkest thou Simon? Of whom do the kings of the earth take tribute, or poll money? Of their children, or of strangers?"

But that person who causes one of these little ones [i.e., humble followers of the Lord] who believes in me to be led astray [from God], he would have been better off to have had a huge millstone tied around his neck and dumped into a deep ocean [Note: This "millstone" was a heavy circular stone rolled over grain to crush it and was moved by an animal walking in a circle].

For the Son of man has come to save that which was lost.

If a man has an hundred sheep, and one of them should go astray, do you think he would not leave the ninety and nine in the mountains, and go in search for that which was gone astray?

But if he does not listen [to your reasoning], take one or two other people with you, so that two or three witnesses can verify every word [that was said].

'Because of this was the reign of the heavens likened to a man, a king, who did will to take reckoning with his servants,

And [when] he began to settle [them], someone was brought to him who owed ten thousand talents.

And because he was not able to make payment, his lord gave orders for him, and his wife, and his sons and daughters, and all he had, to be given for money, and payment to be made.

The servant then, having fallen down, was bowing to him, saying, Sir, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all;

And his master's heart was moved with pity, and he let the slave go free with his debt cancelled.

'And, that servant having come forth, found one of his fellow-servants who was owing him an hundred denaries, and having laid hold, he took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that which thou owest.

His fellow-servant then, having fallen down at his feet, was calling on him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all;

But he did not want to, but rather he went [and] threw him into prison until he would repay what was owed.

When his other fellows saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their Lord all that had happened.

Was it not mete also, that thou shouldest have had compassion on thy fellow, even as I had pity on thee?'

And [because he] was angry, his master handed him over to the merciless jailers until he would repay everything that was owed.

And it was when Jesus finished these words he removed from Galilee, and came from the bounds of Judea beyond Jordan;

And Pharisees came up to him [in order to] test him, and asked if it was permitted for a man to divorce his wife for any cause.

He said to them, "Moses, with reference to your hardness of heart, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not like this.

And I tell you, whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits sexual unfaithfulness [toward her], unless the reason for the divorce was sexual unfaithfulness [on his wife's part]. And the person who marries a woman who has been divorced commits sexual sin with her [i.e., because she is still rightfully married to her first husband]."

But [when] the young man heard the statement, he went away sorrowful, because he was one who had many possessions.

For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that was a householder, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard.

When it was about nine o'clock in the morning, he went out again and saw others standing around in the marketplace without work.

But when the evening was come, the lord of the vineyard says to his steward, Call the workmen and pay them their wages, beginning from the last even to the first.

And, he, answering, unto one of them, said, - Friend! I wrong thee not: Was it not, for a denary, thou didst agree with me?

And [as] Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples by themselves and said to them on the way,

"You do not know what you are asking," was Jesus' answer. "Can you drink the cup that I am to drink?" "Yes," they exclaimed, "we can."

And he saith unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of my cup, and with the baptism with which I am baptised, shall ye be baptised; but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, it is not in my power to bestow, but on those, for whom it was prepared by my Father.

And when the ten heard it, their anger was aroused against the two brothers.

As they [i.e., the twelve apostles and Jesus] were leaving Jericho [Note: This was a town about eighteen miles northeast of Jerusalem], a huge crowd followed them.

And behold, [there were] two blind men sitting beside the road. [When they] heard that Jesus was passing by, they called out, saying, "Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!"

Then Jesus' heart was moved with pity, and He touched their blinded eyes, and at once they could see again, and followed Him.

And when they [i.e., Jesus and the twelve apostles] approached Jerusalem and came close to Bethphage, near the Mount of Olives [Note: This was about three-fourths of a mile east of Jerusalem], Jesus sent two disciples on ahead,

Now this took place so that what was spoken through the prophet would be fulfilled, saying,

And [when] he entered into Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, "Who is this?"

Then Jesus went into the Temple, threw out everyone who was selling and buying in the Temple, and overturned the moneychangers' tables and the chairs of those who sold doves.

And he says to them, It was written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; and ye have made it a den of robbers.

While he was still in the Temple Courts, some blind and some lame people came up to him, and he cured them.

But when the leading priests and the experts in the law of Moses saw the wonderful things [i.e., miracles] He was performing and [heard] the children shouting in the Temple, "Hosanna to the son of David," [See note at verse 9], they were filled with anger [i.e., over the acclaim being given to Jesus].

And he went away from them, and went out of the town to Bethany, and was there for the night.

Now early in the morning, [as he] was returning to the city, he was hungry.

And seeing one fig-tree in the way, he came to it and found on it nothing but leaves only. And he says to it, Let there be never more fruit of thee for ever. And the fig-tree was immediately dried up.

And the disciples, seeing, wondered, saying, How suddenly was the fig tree dried up!