Come, what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and far more than a prophet.

This is he of whom it is written, Here I send my messenger before your face, to prepare the way for you.

I tell you, among the sons of women there is none greater than John, and yet the least in the Realm of God is greater than he is."

"To what then shall I compare the men of this generation? What are they like?

One of the Pharisees asked him to dinner, and entering the house of the Pharisee he reclined at table.

Now there was a woman in the town who was a sinner, and when she found out that Jesus was at table in the house of the Pharisee, she brought an alabaster flask of perfume

and stood behind him at his feet in tears; her tears began to wet his feet, so she wiped them with the hair of her head, pressed kisses on them, and anointed them with the perfume.

When his host the Pharisee noticed this, he said to himself, "If he was a prophet he would know what sort of a woman this is who is touching him; for she is a sinner."

Then turning to the woman he said to Simon, "You see this woman? When I came into your house, you never gave me water for my feet, while she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair;

and by some women who had been healed of evil spirits and illnesses, Mary called Magdalene (out of whom seven daemons had been driven),

Joanna the wife of Chuza the chancellor of Herod, Susanna, and a number of others, who ministered to him out of their means.

"A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the road and was trampled down, and the wild birds ate it up;

some other seed dropped on the rock, but it withered away when it sprang up because it had no moisture;

some other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up along with it and choked it;

some other seed fell on sound soil, and springing up bore a crop, a hundredfold." When he said this he called out, "He who has an ear, let him listen to this."

so he said, "It is granted you to understand the open secrets of the Reign of God, but the others get it in parables, so that for all their seeing they may not see, and for all their hearing they may not understand.

This is what the parable means. The seed is the word of God.

Those 'on the rock' are people who on hearing the word welcome it with enthusiasm, but they have no root; they believe for a while and fall away in the hour of trial.

No one lights a lamp and hides it under a vessel or puts it below the bed: he puts it on a stand so that those who come in can see the light.

So take care how you listen; for he who has, to him shall more be given, while as for him who has not, from him shall be taken even what he thinks he has."

But he answered, "My mother and brothers are those who listen to the word of God and obey it."

It happened on one of these days that he embarked in a boat alone with his disciples and said to them, "Let us cross to the other side of the lake." So they set sail.

They put in at the country of the Gergesenes, on the shore facing Galilee.

As he stepped out on land he was met by a man from the town who had daemons in him; for a long while he had worn no clothing, and he stayed not in a house but among the tombs.

On catching sight of Jesus he shrieked aloud and prayed him with a loud cry, "Jesus, son of God most High, what business have you with me? Do not torture me, I beg of you."

(For he had charged the unclean spirit to come out of the man. Many a time when it had seized hold of him, he had been fastened secure in fetters and chains, but he would snap his bonds and be driven by the daemon into the desert.)

So Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" "Legion," he said, for a number of daemons had entered him.

and the daemons came out of the man and went into the swine; the drove rushed down the steep slope into the lake and were suffocated.

When the herdsmen saw what had occurred they fled and reported it to the town and the hamlets.

The people came out to see what had occurred and when they reached Jesus they discovered the man whom the daemons had left, seated at the feet of Jesus, clothed and sane. That frightened them.

On his return Jesus was welcomed by the crowd; they were all looking out for him.

A man called Jairus came, who was a president of the synagogue, and falling at the feet of Jesus entreated him to come to his house,

Jesus said, "Who touched me?" As everyone denied it, Peter and his companions said, "Master, the crowds are all round you pressing hard!"

But when Jesus heard it he said to him, "Have no fear, only believe and she shall get well."

They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead.

And her spirit returned, she got up instantly, and he ordered them to give her something to eat.

Her parents were amazed, but he charged them not to tell anyone what had happened.

He sent them out to preach the Reign of God and to cure the sick.

So they went out from village to village preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

When Herod the tetrarch heard all that was going on, he was quite at a loss; for some said that John had risen from the dead,

And they all ate and had enough. What they had left over was picked up, twelve baskets full of fragments.

Now it happened that while he was praying by himself his disciples were beside him. So he inquired of them, "Who do the crowds say I am?"

for whoever wants to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it.

What profit will it be for a man to gain the whole world and lose or forfeit himself?

It was about eight days after he said this, when he took Peter, John, and James, and went up the hillside to pray.

While he was praying the appearance of his face altered and his dress turned dazzling white.

who appeared in a vision of glory and said he must go through with his death and departure at Jerusalem.

When they were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is a good thing we are here; let us put up three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" (not knowing what he was saying).

When the voice ceased, they found themselves alone with Jesus. And in those days they kept silence and told nobody anything of what they had seen.

"Teacher," shouted a man from the crowd, "look at my son, I beg of you, for he is my only boy,

and a spirit gets hold of him till he suddenly shrieks; it convulses him till he foams; indeed it will hardly leave off tearing him to pieces.

I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not."

And all were astounded at this grand display of God. But while all marvelled at all he did, he said to his disciples,

But they did not understand this saying ??indeed it was kept a secret from them, to prevent them from fathoming it ??and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

Jesus knew the dispute that occupied their minds, so he took hold of a little child and set it by his side;

then he said to them, "Whoever receives this little child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For it is the lowliest of you all who is great."

John said to him, "Master, we saw a man casting out daemons in your name, but we stopped him because he is not a follower of ours."

Another man also said to him, "I will follow you, Lord. But let me first say good-bye to my people at home."

Go your way; I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.

Then, if there is a soul there breathing peace, your peace will rest on him; otherwise it will come back to you.

Stay at the same house, eating and drinking what the people provide (for the workman deserves his wages); you are not to shift from one house to another.

Wherever you are received on entering any town, eat what is provided for you,

But wherever you are not received on entering any town, go out into the streets of the town and cry,

I tell you, on the great Day it will be more bearable for Sodom than for that town.

But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.

He thrilled with joy at that hour in the holy Spirit, saying, "I praise thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for concealing this from the wise and learned and revealing it to the simple-minded; yes, Father, I praise thee that such was thy chosen purpose." Then turning to the disciples he said,

Then turning to the disciples he said privately, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see!

For I tell you many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, but they have not seen it: and to hear what you hear, but they have not heard it."

Now a jurist got up to tempt him. "Teacher," he said, "what am I to do to inherit life eternal?"

He said to him, "What is written in the law? What do you read there?"

Now it so chanced that a priest was going down the same road, but on seeing him he went past on the opposite side.

So did a Levite who came to the spot; he looked at him but passed on the opposite side.

Next morning he took out a couple of shillings and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Attend to him, and if you are put to any extra expense I will refund you on my way back.'

She had a sister called Mary, who seated herself at the feet of the Lord to listen to his talk.

Now Martha was so busy attending to them that she grew worried; she came up and said, "Lord, is it all one to you that my sister has left me to do all the work alone? Come, tell her to lend me a hand."

Mary has chosen the best dish, and she is not to be dragged away from it."

He was praying at a certain place, and when he stopped one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples."

And he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, let me have three loaves;

I tell you, though he will not get up and give you anything because you are a friend of his, he will at least rise and give you whatever you want, because you persist.

What father among you, if asked by his son for a loaf, will hand him a stone? Or, if asked for a fish, will hand him a serpent instead of a fish?

Well, if for all your evil you know to give your children what is good, how much more will your Father give the holy Spirit from heaven to those who ask him?"

He was casting out a dumb daemon, and when the daemon had gone out the dumb man spoke. The crowds marvelled,

but some of them said, "It is by Beelzebul the prince of daemons that he casts out daemons."

He knew what they were thinking about, so he said to them, "Any realm divided against itself comes to ruin, house after house falls down;

and if Satan is divided against himself, how can his realm stand? You say I am casting out daemons by Beelzebul?

If I cast out daemons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Thus they will be your judges.

But if it is by the finger of God that I cast daemons out, then the Reign of God has reached you already.

When an unclean spirit leaves a man, it roams through dry places in search of refreshment. As it finds none, then it says, 'I will go back to the house I left,'

and when it comes it finds the house clean and in order.

Then it goes off to fetch seven other spirits worse than itself; they go in and dwell there, and the last state of that man is worse than the first."

While he was saying this, a woman shouted to him out of the crowd, "Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts you sucked!"

As the crowds were thronging to him, he proceeded to say, "This is an evil generation: it demands a Sign, but no Sign will be given to it except the Sign of Jonah;

The queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and here is One greater than Solomon.

The men of Ninive will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for when Jonah preached they did repent, and here is One greater than Jonah.

No one lights a lamp to put it in a cellar or under a bowl, but on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light.

So if your whole body has light, without any corner of it in darkness, it will be lit up entirely, as when a lamp lights you with its rays."

When he finished speaking, a Pharisee asked him to take a meal in his house; so he went in and lay down at table.

Better cleanse what is within; then nothing will be unclean for you.

thus you testify and consent to what your fathers did, for they killed and you build.

it was that the blood of all the prophets shed from the foundation of the world might be charged upon this generation,