"A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and bitter lamentation: It was Rachel bewailing her children, and she refused to be comforted because there were no more."

And walking along the shore of the Lake of Galilee He saw two brothers--Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew--throwing a drag-net into the Lake; for they were fishers.

If therefore your eye, even the right eye, is a snare to you, tear it out and away with it; it is better for you that one member should be destroyed rather than that your whole body should be thrown into Gehenna.

And if your right hand is a snare to you, cut it off and away with it; it is better for you that one member should be destroyed rather than that your whole body should go into Gehenna.

After this Jesus went to the house of Peter, whose mother-in-law he found ill in bed with fever.

Now the names of the twelve Apostles were these: first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James the son of Zabdi, and his brother John;

Brother will betray brother to death, and father, child; and children will rise against their own parents and will put them to death.

"Master," answered Peter, "if it is you, bid me come to you upon the water."

"Come," said Jesus. Then Peter climbed down from the boat and walked upon the water to go to Him.

"Explain to us this figurative language," said Peter.

"You," replied Simon Peter, "are the Christ, the Son of the ever-living God."

And I declare to you that you are Peter, and that upon this Rock I will build my Church, and the might of Hades shall not triumph over it.

Then Peter took Him aside and began taking Him to task. "Master," he said, "God forbid; this will not be your lot."

But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Adversary; you are a hindrance to me, because your thoughts are not God's thoughts, but men's."

Six day later, Jesus took with Him Peter and the brothers James and John, and brought them up a high mountain to a solitary place.

Then Peter said to Jesus, "Master, we are thankful to you that we are here. If you approve, I will put up three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

After their arrival at Capernaum the collectors of the half-shekel came and asked Peter, "Does not your Teacher pay the half-shekel?"

But whoever shall occasion the fall of one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for him to have a millstone hung round his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

If your hand or your foot is causing you to fall into sin, cut it off and away with it. It is better for you to enter into Life crippled in hand or foot than to remain in possession of two sound hands or feet but be thrown into the fire of the Ages.

And if your eye is causing you to fall into sin, tear it out and away with it; it is better for you to enter into Life with only one eye, than to remain in possession of two eyes but be thrown into the Gehenna of fire.

At this point Peter came to Him with the question, "Master, how often shall my brother act wrongly towards me and I forgive him? seven times?"

"If this is the case with a man in relation to his wife," said the disciples to Him, "it is better not to marry."

Then Peter said to Jesus, "See, *we* have forsaken everything and followed you; what then will be *our* reward?"

Then will many stumble and fall, and they will betray one another and hate one another.

and said, "What are you willing to give me if I betray him to you?" So they weighed out to him thirty shekels,

and from that moment he was on the look out for an opportunity to betray Him.

and the meal was proceeding, when Jesus said, "In solemn truth I tell you that one of you will betray me."

"The one who has dipped his fingers in the bowl with me," He answered, "is the man who will betray me.

"All may stumble and fail," said Peter, "but I never will."

"Even if I must die with you," declared Peter, "I will never disown you." In like manner protested all the disciples.

And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zabdi. Then He began to be full of anguish and distress,

Then He came to the disciples and found them asleep, and He said to Peter, "Alas, none of you could keep awake with me for even a single hour!

And Peter kept following Him at a distance, till he came even to the court of the High Priest's palace, where he entered and sat down among the officers to see the issue.

Peter meanwhile was sitting outside in the court of the palace, when one of the maidservants came over to him and said, "You too were with Jesus the Galilaean."

A short time afterwards the people standing there came and said to Peter, "Certainly you too are one of them, for your brogue shows it."

and Peter recollected the words of Jesus, how He had said, "Before the cock crows you will three times disown me." And he went out and wept aloud, bitterly.

So after consulting together they spent the money in the purchase of the Potter's Field as a burial place for people not belonging to the city;

and gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord directed me."

These twelve were Simon (to whom He gave the surname of Peter)

And He allowed no one to accompany Him except Peter and the brothers James and John.

Then He asked them pointedly, "But you yourselves, who do you say that I am?" "You are the Christ," answered Peter.

This He told them plainly; whereupon Peter took Him and began to remonstrate with Him.

But turning round and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Adversary," He said, "for your thoughts are not God's thoughts, but men's."

Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John, and brought them alone, apart from the rest, up a high mountain; and in their presence His appearance underwent a change.

when Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, we are thankful to you that we are here. Let us put up three tents--one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

"And whoever shall occasion the fall of one of these little ones who believe, he would be better off if, with a millstone round his neck, he were lying at the bottom of the sea.

If your hand should cause you to sin, cut it off: it would be better for you to enter into Life maimed, than remain in possession of both your hands and go away into Gehenna, into the fire which cannot be put out.

Or if your foot should cause you to sin, cut it off: it would be better for you to enter into Life crippled, than remain in possession of both your feet and be thrown into Gehenna.

Or if your eye should cause you to sin, tear it out. It would be better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God half-blind than remain in possession of two eyes and be thrown into Gehenna,

"Remember," said Peter to Him, "that we forsook everything and have become your followers."

and Peter, recollecting, said to Him, "Look, Rabbi, the fig-tree which you cursed is withered up."

and To love Him with all one's heart, with all one's understanding, and with all one's strength, and to love one's fellow man no less than oneself, is far better than all our whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices."

He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite to the Temple, when Peter, James, John, and Andrew, apart from the others asked Him,

"Brother will betray brother to be killed, and fathers will betray children; and children will rise against their parents and have them put to death.

But Judas Iscariot, already mentioned as one of the Twelve, went to the High Priests to betray Jesus to them.

They gladly listened to his proposal, and promised to give him a sum of money. So he looked out for an opportunity to betray Him.

And while they were at table Jesus said, "I solemnly tell you that one of you will betray me--one who is eating with me."

"All may stumble and fall," said Peter, "yet I never will."

"Even if I must die with you," declared Peter again and again, "I will never disown you." In like manner protested also all the disciples.

Then He took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be full of terror and distress,

Then He came and found them asleep, and He said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Had you not strength to keep awake a single hour?

Peter followed Jesus at a distance, as far as the outer court of the High Priest's palace. But there he remained sitting among the officers, and warming himself by the fire.

Now while Peter was below in the quadrangle, one of the High Priest's maidservants came,

and seeing Peter warming himself she looked at him and said, "You also were with Jesus, the Nazarene."

A second time he repeatedly denied it. Soon afterwards the bystanders again accused Peter, saying, "You are surely one of them, for you too are a Galilaean."

No sooner had he spoken than a cock crowed for the second time, and Peter recollected the words of Jesus, "Before the cock crows twice, you will three times disown me." And as he thought of it, he wept aloud.

But go and tell His disciples and Peter that He is going before you into Galilee: and that there you will see Him, as He told you."

"Rabbi," replied Peter, "all night long we have worked hard and caught nothing; but at your command I will let down the nets."

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at the knees of Jesus, and exclaimed, "Master, leave my boat, for I am a sinful man."

Nor does any one after drinking old wine wish for new; for he says, 'The old is better.'"

These were Simon, to whom also He had given the name of Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew;

"Who is it touched me?" Jesus asked. And when all denied having done so, Peter and the rest said, "Rabbi, the crowds are hemming you in and pressing on you."

So He came to the house, but allowed no one to go in with Him but Peter and John and James and the girl's father and mother.

"But you," He asked, "who do you say that I am?" "God's Anointed One," replied Peter.

It was about eight days after this that Jesus, taking with Him Peter, John, and James, went up the mountain to pray.

Now Peter and the others were weighed down with sleep; but, keeping themselves awake all through, they saw His glory, and the two men standing with Him.

And when they were preparing to depart from Him, Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, we are thankful to you that we are here. Let us put up three tents--one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He did not know what he was saying.

"Master," said Peter, "are you addressing this parable to us, or to all alike?"

Then Peter said, "See, we have given up our homes and have followed you."

He accepted their offer, and then looked out for an opportunity to betray Him when the people were not there.

Jesus sent Peter and John with instructions. "Go," He said, "and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it."

"Master," replied Peter, "with you I am ready to go both to prison and to death."

"I tell you, Peter," said Jesus, "that the cock will not crow to-day till you have three times denied that you know me."

And they arrested Him and led Him away, and brought Him to the High Priest's house, while Peter followed a good way behind.

And when they had lighted a fire in the middle of the court and had seated themselves in a group round it, Peter was sitting among them,

Shortly afterwards a man saw him and said, "You, too, are one of them." "No, man, I am not," said Peter.

"Man, I don't know what you mean," replied Peter. No sooner had he spoken than a cock crowed.

The Master turned and looked on Peter; and Peter recollected the Master's words, how He had said to him, "This very day, before the cock crows, you will disown me three times."

and the people stood looking on. The Rulers, too, repeatedly uttered their bitter taunts. "This fellow," they said, "saved others: let him save himself, if he is God's Anointed, the Chosen One."

Peter, however, rose and ran to the tomb. Stooping and looking in, he saw nothing but the linen cloths: so he went away to his own home, wondering at what had happened.

Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard John's exclamation and followed Jesus.

He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon, son of John: you shall be called Cephas" --that is to say, Peter (or 'Rock')

(Now Philip came from Bethsaida, the same town as Andrew and Peter.)

One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him,

But there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were that did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him.

"Master," replied Simon Peter, "to whom shall we go? Your teachings tell us of the Life of the Ages.

He alluded to Judas, the son of Simon the Iscariot. For he it was who, though one of the Twelve, was afterwards to betray Him.

If a child is circumcised even on a Sabbath day, are you bitter against me because I have restored a man to perfect health on a Sabbath day?

When He came to Simon Peter, Peter objected. "Master," he said, "are *you* going to wash my feet?"

"Never, while the world lasts," said Peter, "shall you wash my feet." "If I do not wash you," replied Jesus, "you have no share with me."