Matthew

The scroll of the generations of Yĕshūa̒ the Mĕssiah, son of Daυid, son of A̓v̱raham. ^1:2A̓v̱raham fathered Yitsḥaq, and Yitsḥaq fathered Ya‘aqōv̱, and Ya‘aqōv̱ fathered Yehūdah and his brothers. ³And Yehūdah fathered Perets and Zeraḥ from Tamar. And Perets fathered Ḥetsrōn, and Ḥetsrōn fathered Ram. ⁴And Ram fathered A̒mmi̱nadav̱, and A̒mmi̱nadav̱ fathered Naḥshōn, and Naḥshōn fathered Salmōn. ⁵And Salmōn fathered Boa̒z from Raḥav̱, and Boa̒z fathered Ō̒v̱ēd from Rūtʰ, and Ō̒v̱ēd fathered Yishai. ⁶And Yishai fathered Daυi̱d the king.

^6bAnd Daυid fathered Shelōmōh from the wife of Ū̕ri̱yah. ⁷And Shelōmōh fathered Reḥav̱a̒m, and Reḥav̱a̒m fathered A̕v̱iyah, and A̕v̱iyah fathered A̕sa̕. ⁸And A̕sa̕ fathered Yehōshaphat, and Yehōshaphat fathered Yōram, and Yōram fathered Ū̒zzi̱yah. ⁹And Ū̒zzi̱yah fathered Yōtʰam, and Yōtʰam fathered A̕ḥaz, and A̕ḥaz fathered Yeḥizqi̱yahū. ¹⁰And Yeḥizqi̱yahū fathered Menashēh, and Menashēh fathered A̕mōn, and A̕mōn fathered Yō̕shi̱yahū. ¹¹And Yō̕shi̱yahū fathered Yeḳoniyahū and his brothers, before the time of the deportation to Babylon.

¹²And after the deportation to Babylon, Yeḳoniyahū fathered She’alti̱’ēl, and She’alti̱’ēl fathered Zerūbbav̱el. ¹³And Zerūbbav̱el fathered A̕v̱i̱hūd, and A̕v̱i̱hūd fathered E̕lyaqi̱m, and E̕lyaqi̱m fathered A̒zzōr. ¹⁴And A̒zzōr fathered Tsadōq, and Tsadōq fathered Yaḳi̱n, and Yaḳi̱n fathered E̕li̱hūd. ¹⁵And E̕li̱hūd fathered E̕la̕zar, and E̕la̕zar fathered Mattʰan, and Mattʰan fathered Ya‘aqōv̱. ¹⁶And Ya‘aqōv̱ fathered Yōsēph the husband of Miryam from whom was born Yĕshūa̒ who is called Mĕssiah.

¹⁷So all the generations listed from A̕v̱raham to Daυid are fourteen generations and from Daυid to the Babylonian deportation are fourteen generations. And from the Babylonian deportation to the Mĕssiah are fourteen generations.

¹⁸And the birth of Yĕshūa̒ the Mĕssiah had been like this: during his mother Miryam’s being betrothed to Yōsēph, before they they made themselves to be one, she had been found pregnant from the Holy Spĭrit. ¹⁹And Yōsēph her husband, because he was righteous, and he was not willing to make her an example, then wished to dismiss her secretly. ²⁰But as he considered this, behold, a messenger from Yăhweh appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Yōsēph, son of Daυid, you should not fear to take Miryam as your wife, because he which has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spĭrit. ²¹Then she will bear a Sŏn. And you will have called his name Yĕshūa̒, because he will save his people from their sins.”

²²And all this had been, so that might be fulfilled the utterance, by the mouth of Yăhwēh, through the prophet, saying, ²³“Behold, the virgin will be with child, and will bear a Sŏn. And they will call his name I̒mmanūē̕l,” which translated means, “Gŏd is with us.” ²⁴Then Yōsēph arose from his sleep. Then he did as the messenger from Yăhweh had commanded him. Then he took his wife, ²⁵and he had not known her until she had given birth to a Sŏn. Then he called his name Yĕshūa̒.

Now when Yĕshūa̒ was born in Bēi̱t-leḥem of Yehūdah in the days of Herod the king, behold, Magi from the east came to Yerūshalayim, saying, ^2:2“Where is he who has been born King of the Yehūdi̱m? Because we have seen his star in the rising, and we have come to worship him.”

³And when Herod the king heard this, he was shaken up, and all Yerūshalayim with him. ⁴And having gathered together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he was inquiring from them where the Mĕssiah was to be born. ⁵And they said to him, “In Bēi̱t-leḥem of Yehūdah, because so it has been written by the prophet.”

⁶“And you Bēi̱t-leḥem, in the land of Yehūdah, are by no means least among the leaders of Yehūdah, because out of you will come forth a Ruler, who will shepherd my people Yisra’ēl.”

⁷Then Herod secretly called the magi, and ascertained from them the time the star appeared. ⁸And he sent them to Bēi̱t-leḥem, and said, “Go and carefully search for the child. And when you have found him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship him.” ⁹And having heard the king, they went their way. And lo, the star, which they saw in the Branch, went before them, until it came and stood over where the child was. ¹⁰And when they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.

¹¹And they came into the house and saw the child with Miryam his mother. And they fell down and worshiped him, and opening their treasures they presented to him gifts: gold and frankincense and myrrh. ¹²And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country through another way. ¹³Now when they had departed, behold, a messenger from Yăhwēh appeared to Yōsēph in a dream, saying, “Arise and take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, because Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” ¹⁴And he arose and took the child and his mother by night, and departed for Egypt, ¹⁵and was there onward the death of Herod, so that what was spoken by Yăhweh through the prophet could be fulfilled, saying, “Out of Egypt I called my Sŏn.”

¹⁶Then when Herod saw that he was tricked by the Magi, he became very enraged, and sent and killed all the male children who were in Bēi̱t-leḥem and in all its surroundings, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the Magi. ¹⁷Then was fulfilled that which was spoken through Yirmeyahū the prophet, saying, ¹⁸“A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Raḥēl weeping over her children. And she desired not to be comforted, because they are no more.”

¹⁹Then Herod having died, behold, a messenger from Yăhwēh appeared in a dream to Yōsēph in Egypt, saying, ²⁰“Arise and take the child and his mother, and go into the land of Yisra’ēl, because those who sought the child’s life are dead.” ²¹And he arose and took the child and his mother, and came into the land of Yisra’ēl. ²²But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Yehūdah in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned in a dream, he departed for the regions of Gali̱l, ²³and came and dwelled in a city called Netsaret, so that the word through the prophets could be fulfilled: “He will be called Netsri.”

And in those days Yōḥanan the Immerser came, proclaiming in the wilderness of Yehūdah, saying, ^3:2“Repent, because the kingdom of the heavens comes near.” ³Yea, this is he who was spoken about through Yeshayahū the prophet, saying, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, make ready the way of Yăhwēh, make straight his path.” ⁴Now Yōḥanan himself had a garment of camel’s hair, and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.

⁵At that time Yerūshalayim was going out to him, and all Yehūdah, and all the region around the Yardēn. ⁶And they were being immersed by him in the Yardēn River, as they confessed their sins. ⁷But when he saw many of the Perūshi̱m and Tsadūqi̱m coming for immersion, he said to them, “You spawn of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? ⁸Therefore produce fruit worthy repentance. ⁹And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have A̕v̱raham as our father,’ because I say to you, that the Almĭghty is able from these stones to raise up children to A̕v̱raham. ¹⁰And already the ax is laid at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ¹¹Truly, I immerse you in water to repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will immerse you with the Holy Spĭrit and fire. ¹²His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor. And he will gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

¹³Then Yĕshūa̒ came from Gali̱l over the Yardēn to Yōḥanan, to be immersed by him. ¹⁴But Yōḥanan was preventing him, saying, “I have need to be immersed by you, and you are coming to me?” ¹⁵But Yĕshūa̒ answered and said to him, “Allow it now, because in this manner it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed him. ¹⁶And after being immersed, Yĕshūa̒ went up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spĭrit of the Almĭghty descending like a dove, coming upon Him, ¹⁷and behold, a voice out of the heavens, saying, “This is my beloved Sŏn, with whom I am well-pleased.”

Then Yĕshūa̒ was led up into the wilderness by the Spĭrit to be tempted by the Accuser. ^4:2And after having fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. ³And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Almĭghty Sŏn, command that these stones become bread.” ⁴But he answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man will not live on bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of Yăhwēh.’”

⁵Then the Accuser took him into the holy city, and he made him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, ⁶and said to him, “If you are the Almĭghty Sŏn throw yourself down, because it is written, ‘His messengers he will command concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” ⁷Yĕshūa̒ said to him, “Again, it is written, ‘You shall not put Yăhwēh your Almĭghty to the test.’”

⁸Again, the Accuser took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory. ⁹And he said to him, “All these things will I give you, if you fall down and worship me.” ¹⁰Then Yĕshūa̒ said to him, “Depart, Satan! Because it is written, ‘You shall worship Yăhwēh your Almĭghty, and serve him alone.’” ¹¹Then Satan left him, and behold, messengers came and were ministering to him.

¹²Now when he heard that Yōḥanan was arrested, he withdrew into Gali̱l. ¹³And leaving Nezeret, he came and stayed in Ḳefar-naḥūm, which is by the sea, in the region of Zev̱ūlūn and Naphtali̱, ¹⁴so that he could fulfill that which was spoken through Yeshayahū the prophet, saying, ¹⁵“The land of Zev̱ūlūn and the land of Naphtali̱ way of the sea, beyond the Yardēn, Gali̱l of the nations—¹⁶The people who are dwelling in darkness saw a great light, and to those who are dwelling in a country, even in the shadow of death, a light rises on them.”

¹⁷From that time Yĕshūa̒ began to proclaim and say, “Repent, because the kingdom of the heavens comes near.” ¹⁸And walking by the Sea of Gali̱l, he saw two brothers, Shim‘ōn who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, because they were fishermen. ¹⁹And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” ²⁰And they immediately left the nets, and followed him. ²¹And going on from there he saw two other brothers, Ya‘aqōv̱ the son of Zav̱dai̱, and Yōḥanan his brother, in the boat with Zav̱dai̱ their father, mending their nets, and he called them. ²²And they immediately left the boat and their father, and followed him.

²³And he was going around in all Gali̱l, teaching in their congregations, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people. ²⁴And the report about him went out into all Syria. And they brought to him all who were sick, having various diseases and suffering pains, demonized, epileptics, paralytics, and he healed them. ²⁵And many crowds followed him from Gali̱l and Decapolis and Yerūshalayim and Yehūdah and from beyond the Yardēn.

And seeing the crowds, he went up to the mountain, and sitting down, his disciples came to him. ^5:2And opening his mouth, he was teaching them, saying:

³“Blessed are the poor in spirit, because theirs is the kingdom of the heavens. ⁴Blessed are those who mourn, because they will be comforted. ⁵Blessed are the gentle, because they will inherit the earth. ⁶Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, because they will be satisfied. ⁷Blessed are the merciful, because they will receive mercy. ⁸Blessed are the pure in heart, because they will see the Almĭghty. ⁹Blessed are the peacemakers, because they will be called sons of the Almĭghty. ¹⁰Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, because theirs is the kingdom of the heavens. ¹¹Blessed are you when they revile you, and persecute you, and speak every evil against you falsely, because of me. ¹²Rejoice, and be glad, because your reward in the heavens is great, because likewise they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

¹³You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt should be foolish, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be cast out and trodden under foot by men. ¹⁴You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵Neither should you burn a lamp, and put it under the peck-container, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶Likewise, let your light shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Făther who is in the heavens.”

¹⁷“You should not think that I come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. ¹⁸So I say amēn to you, until heaven and earth shall pass away, one yod or one serif will by no means pass away from the Law. ¹⁹Until all things should happen, whoever then abolishes one of the least of these commandments, and likewise teaches others, will be called least in the kingdom of the heavens, but whoever keeps and teaches them, he will be called great in the kingdom of the heavens. ²⁰Because I say to you, that unless your righteousness abounds above that of the scribes and Perūshi̱m, you will not enter the kingdom of the heavens.”

²¹“You have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘whoever commits murder will be liable to the judgment.’ ²²But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be guilty in the judgment. And whoever will say to his brother, ‘Raca,’ will be guilty before the Sanhedri̱n. And whoever will say, ‘You fool,’ will be guilty enough to go into the fiery Gēi̱hinnōm.” ²³“If therefore you should present your gift upon the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴leave there your gift before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”

²⁵“Be well disposed toward your adversary at law, quickly while you are with him on the way, lest your opponent deliver you to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and into prison you are thrown. ²⁶A̕mēn! I say to you, you may not come out of there, until you have paid the last penny.”

²⁷“You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery, ²⁸but I say to you, that everyone who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.”

²⁹“And if your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out, and throw it from you, because it is better for you that one of your members should perish, and that your whole body should not be thrown into the valley of Hinnōm. ³⁰And if your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off, and throw it from you, because it is better for you that one of your members should perish, and that your whole body should not go into Gēi̱hinnōm.”

³¹“And it was said ‘Whoever may dismiss his woman, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ ³²But, I say to you that everyone dismissing his woman, except in the case of an unlawful union, is going to make her to commit adultery. And whoever may marry the dismissed woman commits adultery.”

³³“Again, you have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘You shall not give a false vow, but shall pay back your vows to Yăhwēh.’ ³⁴So I say to you, do not take oaths in general, either by heaven, because it is the throne of the Almĭghty, ³⁵or by the earth, because it is the footstool of his feet, or by Yerūshalayim, because it is the city of the great King. ³⁶Nor by your head shall you take an oath, because you cannot make one hair white or black. ³⁷But let your word be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’, and what exceeds these is from the evil one.”

³⁸“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ ³⁹But I say to you, do not resist the evil one—but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.”

⁴⁰“And when anyone wants to sue you, and to take your under shirt, let him have your outer garment also.”

⁴¹“And whoever will compel you to go one mile, go with him two.”

⁴²“To him who asks of you, give, and you should not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.”

⁴³“You heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those persecuting you, ⁴⁵so that you may be sons of your Făther who is in the heavens, because he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶Because when you love those loving you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷And when you greet your brothers only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the nations do the same? ⁴⁸Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Făther is perfect.”

¹“Take care not to perform your righteousness before men to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward with your Făther who is in the heavens. ^2aWhenever, therefore, you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the congregations and in the streets, that they may be glorified by men.”

^6:2b“Amēn, I say to you, they have their reward in full. ³But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴that your alms may be in secret. And your Făther who sees in secret will repay you.”

^5a“And whenever you may pray, you should not be as the hypocrites, because they love to stand and pray in the congregations and on the street corners, so that they may be seen by men.”

^5b“Amēn, I say to you, they have received their reward. ⁶But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Făther who is in secret, and your Făther who sees in secret will repay you.”

⁷“And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition, as the nations do, because they think that they will be heard because of their many words. ⁸Therefore do not be like them, because your Făther knows what you need, before you ask him. ⁹Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Făther who art in heaven, hallowed be your name. ¹⁰Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. ¹¹Give us this day our daily bread. ¹²And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ¹³And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amēn.]’”

¹⁴“Because if you forgive men for their trespasses, your heavenly Făther will also forgive you. ¹⁵But if you do not forgive men, then your Făther will not forgive your trespasses.”

¹⁶“And whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, because they neglect their appearance in order to be seen fasting by men. Amēn, I say to you, they have their reward in full. ¹⁷But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face, ¹⁸so that you may not be seen fasting by men, but by your Făther who is in secret. And your Făther who sees in secret will repay you.”

¹⁹“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal, ²¹because where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. ²²The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. ²³But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”

²⁴“No one can serve two masters, because either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve the Almĭghty and money. ²⁵For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, as to what you will eat, or what you will drink, nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Făther feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? ²⁷And which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to his stature? ²⁸And why are you anxious about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow. They do not toil nor do they spin, ²⁹yet I say to you that even Shelōmōh in all his glory did not clothe himself like one of these. ³⁰But if the Almĭghty so arrays the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will he not much more do so for you, men of little courage?”

³¹“Do not be anxious then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘With what will we clothe ourselves?’ ³²Because all these things the nations eagerly seek, and because your heavenly Făther knows that you need all these things. ³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. ³⁴Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow, because tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Judging Others

¹“Do not judge, so that you will not be judged, ^7:2because in the way you judge, you will be judged, and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. ³And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? ⁴Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look!, the log is in your own eye? ⁵You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”

⁶“Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.”

⁷“Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened to you. ⁸For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. ⁹Or what man is there among you, when his son will ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone? ¹⁰Or if he will ask for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? ¹¹If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Făther who is in the heavens give what is good to those who ask him!”

¹²“Therefore, however you want people to treat you, so treat them, because this is the law and the prophets.”

¹³“Enter by the narrow gate, because the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. ¹⁴Because the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.”

False Prophets

¹⁵“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles, are they? ¹⁷Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. ¹⁹Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰So then, you will know them by their fruits.”

²¹“Not everyone who says to me, ‘A’dŏnai̱, A’dŏnai̱,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Făther who is in heaven. ²²Many will say to me on that day, ‘A’dŏnai̱, A’dŏnai̱, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles?’ ²³And then I will confess to them, ‘I never acknowledged you! Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness!’”

²⁴“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock. ²⁵And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house, and it did not fall, because it was founded upon the rock. ²⁶And everyone who hears these words of mine, and does not act upon them, will be like a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand. ²⁷And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house, and it fell, and great was its fall.”

²⁸The result was that when Yĕshūa̒ had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, ²⁹because he was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

A Leper Cleansed

And when he had come down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. ^8:2And behold, a leper came to him, and bowed down to him, saying, “A’dŏnai̱, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” ³And he stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing. Be cleansed.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. ⁴And Yĕshūa̒ said to him, “See that you tell no one, but go, show yourself to the priest, and present the offering that Mōshēh commanded, for a testimony to them.”

⁵And when he had entered Kefar-Naḥūm, a centurion came to him, entreating him, ⁶and saying, “A’dŏnai̱, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering great pain.” ⁷And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” ⁸But the centurion answered and said, “A’dŏnai̱, I am not worthy for you to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. ⁹Because I, too, am a man under authority, with soldiers under me, and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”

¹⁰Now when Yĕshūa̒ heard it, he expressed amazement, and said to those who were following, “A̕mēn I say to you, I have not found such great courage with anyone in Yisra’ēl. ¹¹And I say to you, that many will come from the east and the west, and will recline to eat with A̕v̱raham, and Yitsḥaq, and Ya‘aqōv̱, in the kingdom of the heavens, ¹²but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness. Thither there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” ¹³And Yĕshūa̒ said to the centurion, “Go your way. Let it be done to you as you have affirmed faithful.” And the servant was healed in that hour.

Peter’s Mother-in-law and Many Others Healed

¹⁴And when Yĕshūa̒ had come to Peter’s home, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick in bed with a fever. ¹⁵And he touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she arose, and waited on him.

¹⁶And when it became later, they brought to him many who were demon-possessed, and he cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill ¹⁷in order that what was spoken through Yesha‘yahū the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, “He took our infirmities, and carried away the diseases.”

Hardships and Suffering

¹⁸Now when Yĕshūa̒ saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to depart to the other side. ¹⁹And a certain scribe came and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” ²⁰And Yĕshūa̒ said to him, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Sŏn of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” ²¹And another of the disciples said to him, “Adŏni, permit me first to go and bury my father.” ²²But Yĕshūa̒ said to him, “Follow me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead.”

²³And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. ²⁴And behold, there arose a great storm in the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves, but he himself was asleep. ²⁵And they came, and awoke him, saying, “Save us, A’dŏnai̱! We are perishing!” ²⁶And he said to them, “Why are you timid, you men of little courage?” Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. ²⁷And the men expressed amazement, saying, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?”

The Herd of Pigs

²⁸And when he had come to the other side into the country of the Gadri̱yim, two men who were demon-possessed met him as they were coming out of the tombs, who were so very violent that no one could pass by that way. ²⁹And behold, they cried out, saying, “What do we have to do with you, Sŏn of the Almĭghty? Have you come here to torment us before the time?”

³⁰Now there was at a distance from them a herd of many pigs feeding. ³¹And the demons had been begging him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us into the herd of pigs.” ³²And he said to them, “Begone!” And they came out, and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the waters. ³³And the herdsmen ran away, and going into the city, they reported everything, also the news of the demoniacs. ³⁴And behold, the whole city came out to meet Yĕshūa̒, and when they saw him, they begged him to depart from their region.

A Paralyzed Man Healed

And stepping up into a boat, he crossed over, and came into his own city. ^9:2And behold, they were bringing to him a paralyzed man, lying on a bed, and Yĕshūa̒, seeing their courage, said to the paralyzed man, “Take heart, child, your sins are forgiven.”

³And behold, some of the scribes said within themselves, “This man blasphemes.” ⁴And Yĕshūa̒ seeing their thoughts said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? ⁵Because which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, and walk’? ⁶But in order that you may know that the Sŏn of Man has authority on the earth to forgive sins,” then he said to the paralytic, “Rise, take your bed, and go to your home.” ⁷And rising, he went away to his home. ⁸But the crowds seeing it were filled with awe, and glorified the Almĭghty, who gives such authority to men.

Mattityahū Called

⁹And as Yĕshūa̒ passed by from there, he saw a man, sitting over the tax office called Mattityahū, and he said to him, “Follow me!” And rising up, he followed him.

¹⁰And it happened as he was reclining in the house to eat, that behold, many tax-collectors and sinners, who came, were reclining together with Yĕshūa̒ and his disciples. ¹¹And the Perūshi̱m seeing it, said to his disciples, “Why is your teacher eating with the tax-collectors and sinners?” ¹²But when he heard this, he said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a doctor, but those who are sick. ¹³But go and learn what this means, ‘I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,’ because I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

The Question About Fasting

¹⁴Then the disciples of Yōḥanan came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Perūshi̱m fast, but your disciples do not fast?” ¹⁵And Yĕshūa̒ said to them, “The sons of the wedding hall cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.”

¹⁶But no one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, because the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. ¹⁷Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine is poured out, and the wineskins are ruined, but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”

Miracles of Healing

¹⁸As he was saying these things to them, behold, there came an official, and bowed down to him, saying, “My daughter just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” ¹⁹And rising Yĕshūa̒ followed him, and his disciples.

²⁰And behold, there was a woman who was suffering from a blood flow for twelve years, who coming up behind him touched the fringe of his clothing, ²¹because she was saying within herself, “If I only can touch his garment, I will be healed.” ²²But Yĕshūa̒ turning and seeing her said, “Daughter, take heart, your courage has delivered you.” And from that hour the woman had been delivered.

²³And as Yĕshūa̒ came into the official’s house, and saw the flute-players, and the crowd in noisy disorder, ²⁴he was saying, “Depart, because the girl has not died, but she sleeps.” And they ridiculed him. ²⁵But when the crowd was put out, entering he took hold of her hand, and the girl was raised. ²⁶And this news went out into all that land.

²⁷And as Yĕshūa̒ passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying out, and saying, “Have mercy on us, Sŏn of Daυi̱d!” ²⁸And when he was coming into the house, the blind men came up to him, and Yĕshūa̒ said to them, “Are you affirming faithfulness because I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, A̕dŏnai̱.” ²⁹Then he touched their eyes, saying, “Be it done to you according to your faithfulness.” ³⁰And their eyes were opened. And Yĕshūa̒ sternly warned them, saying, “See that no one knows!” ³¹But they went out, and broadcast about him in all that land.

³²And as they were going out, behold, a mute man, demon-possessed, was brought to him. ³³And after the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke, and the crowds were amazed, saying, “Nothing like this was ever seen in Yisra’ēl.” ³⁴But the Perūshi̱m were saying, “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.”

³⁵And Yĕshūa̒ was going around to all the towns and the villages, teaching in their congregations, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness. ³⁶And seeing the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were troubled and cast off, as sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. ³⁸Therefore implore the Măster of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.”

The Twelve Disciples

And calling unto his twelve disciples, he gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every sickness. ^10:2Now the names of the twelve emissaries are these: the first, Shim‘ōn, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, and Ya‘aqōv̱ the one from Zav̱dai̱, and Yōḥanan his brother, ³Philip and Bar-Talmai̱, Tōma̕ and Mattityahū the tax-gatherer, Ya‘aqōv̱ the one from Ḥalphai̱, and Taddai̱, ⁴Shim‘ōn the Zealot, and Yehūdah ’I̱sh-Qeri̱yōt, the one who betrayed him.

⁵These twelve Yĕshūa̒ sent out instructing them, saying, “Do not go in the way of the nations, and do not enter a town of the Shōmrōni̱m, ⁶but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Yisra’ēl. ⁷And as you go, proclaim, saying, ‘The kingdom of the heavens comes near.’ ⁸Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received. Freely give. ⁹Do not provide gold, or silver, or copper for your belts, ¹⁰or a bag for the journey, or even two tunics, or sandals, or a staff, because the worker is worthy of his food.”

¹¹“And into whatever city or village you enter, ask who is worthy in it, and remain there until you go away. ¹²And as you enter the house, give it your greeting. ¹³And if the house is worthy, let your shalōm come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your shalōm return to you. ¹⁴And whoever does not receive you, or listen to your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake off the dust from your feet. ¹⁵A̕mēn, I say to you, it will be more bearable for the land of Sedōm and A̕mōrah in the day of judgment, than for that town.”

A Hard Road Before Them

¹⁶“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be as wise as serpents, and innocent as doves. ¹⁷But beware of men, because they will deliver you up to the sanhedrins, and whip you in their congregations, ¹⁸and you will even be brought before governors and kings for my sake, as a testimony to them and to the nations. ¹⁹But when they deliver you up, do not become anxious about how or what you will speak, because it will be given to you in that hour what you should say. ²⁰Because it is not you who speak, but the Spĭrit of your Făther who speaks in you.”

²¹“And brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father a child, and children will rise up against parents, and have them to be put to death. ²²And you will be hated by all on account of my name, but it is the one who endures to the end who will be saved. ²³But whenever they persecute you in this city, flee to the next, because a̕mēn, I say to you, you will not finish with the cities of Yisra’ēl, even till when the Sŏn of Man shall come.”

Disciples to be slandered and Accused

²⁴“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. ²⁵It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they call the head of the house Ba‘al-Zev̱ūl, how much more the members of his household! ²⁶Therefore do not fear them, because there is nothing veiled that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be made known. ²⁷What I tell you in the darkness, declare in the light. And what you hear in the ear, proclaim over the housetops.

²⁸“And do not fear those killing the body, but are unable to kill the soul, but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gēi̱hinnōm. ²⁹Are not two sparrows sold for an asses? And not one of them will fall to the ground without your Făther noticing. ³⁰But on you even the hairs of the head are all numbered. ³¹Therefore do not fear. You are of more value than many sparrows.”

³²“Everyone therefore who will confess me before men, I will also confess him before my Făther who is in the heavens. ³³But whoever will deny me before men, I will also deny him before my Făther who is in the heavens.”

³⁴“Do not think that I came to bring shalōm on the earth. I did not come to bring shalōm, so much as a sword, ³⁵because I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. ³⁶And a man’s enemies will be the members of his household. ³⁷He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. And he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. ³⁸And he who does not take his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. ³⁹He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.”

The Reward For Faithfulness

⁴⁰“He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me. ⁴¹He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and he who receives a just man in the name of a just man will receive a just man’s reward. ⁴²And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, a̕mēn, I say to you he will not lose his reward.”

Yōḥanan’s Doubts

And it happened when Yĕshūa̒ finished giving instructions to his twelve disciples, that he departed from there to teach and proclaim in their cities.

^11:2Now when Yōḥanan in prison heard of the works of Mĕssiah, he sent a message by his disciples, ³and said to him, “Are you the coming One, or shall we look for someone else?” ⁴And Yĕshūa̒ answered and said to them, “Go and report to Yōḥanan what you hear and see! ⁵The blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. ⁶And blessed is he who will not stumble because of me.”

Yĕshūa̒ Speaks About Yōḥanan

⁷And as these were going away, Yĕshūa̒ began to speak to the crowds about Yōḥanan, “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? ⁸But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothes? Behold, those who wear soft clothes are in kings’ palaces. ⁹But why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I say to you, and one who is more than a prophet!”

¹⁰“This is the one about whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’ ¹¹A̕mēn, I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen one more popular than Yōḥanan the Immerser, but he who is less popular in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he.”

¹²(And from the days of Yōḥanan the Immerser until now the kingdom of the heavens suffers violence, and violent men seize it. ¹³Certainly, all the prophets and the Law prophesied Mĕssiah up through Yōḥanan. ¹⁴But if you care to accept it, he himself is Ēli̱yahū, who is going to come. ¹⁵He who has ears to hear, let him hear.)

¹⁶“But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places, who call out to the other children, ¹⁷and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance. We sang a lament, and you did not mourn.’ ¹⁸Because Yōḥanan came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ ¹⁹The Sŏn of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”

The Unrepenting Cities

²⁰Then he began to reproach the cities in which most of his miracles were done, because they did not repent. ²¹Woe to you, Kōrazi̱n! Woe to you, Bēi̱t-Tsai̱dah! For if the miracles had occurred in Tsōr and Tsi̱dōn which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. ²²Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tsōr and Tsi̱dōn in the day of judgment, than for you. ²³And you, Kefar-Naḥūm, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will descend to the grave, because if the miracles had occurred in Sedōm which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. ²⁴Nevertheless I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sedōm in the day of judgment, than for you.”

Come to Me

²⁵At that time Yĕshūa̒ continuing said, “I praise you, Făther, A̕dŏnai̱ of the heavens and the earth, that you did hide these things from the wise and intelligent and did reveal them to babes. ²⁶Yes, Făther, for thus it was well-pleasing in your sight.”

²⁷“All things have been handed over to me by my Făther, and no one knows the Sŏn, except the Făther, nor does anyone know the Făther, except the Sŏn, and anyone to whom the Sŏn wills to reveal him.”

²⁸“Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls, ³⁰because my yoke is easy, and my load is light.”

Picking Grain To Eat On The Sabbaths

ATthat time Yĕshūa̒ went on the Shabbats through the grain fields, and his disciples became hungry and began to pick the grain ears and eat them. ^12:2But when the Perūshi̱m saw it, they said to him, “Behold, your disciples do what is not lawful to do on Shabbat.” ³But he said to them, “Have you not read what Daυi̱d did, when he became hungry, he and his companions, ⁴how he entered the house of the Almĭghty, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those with him, but for the priests alone?”

⁵“Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Shabbats the priests in the temple break the Shabbat, and are innocent? ⁶But I say to you, that something greater than the temple is here. ⁷But if you had known what this means, “I desire compassion, and not a sacrifice,” you would not have condemned the innocent.”

Măster of the Sabbath

⁸“For the Sŏn of Man is A’dŏnai̱ of the Sabbath.”

⁹And departing from there, he went into their congregation. ¹⁰And behold, there was a man with a withered hand. And they questioned him, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Shabbats?”—in order that they might accuse him. ¹¹And he said to them, “What man will there be among you, who will have one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Shabbat, will he not take hold of it, and lift it out?”

¹²“Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Shabbats.” ¹³Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand!” And he stretched it out, and it was restored to normal, like the other. ¹⁴But the Perūshi̱m went out, and counseled together against him, as to how they might destroy him. ¹⁵But Yĕshūa̒, aware of this, withdrew from there.

^15bAnd many followed him, and he healed them all, ¹⁶and warned them not to make him known, ¹⁷in order that what was spoken through Yesha‘yahū the prophet, might be fulfilled, saying, ¹⁸“Behold, my Servant whom I have chosen, my Beloved in whom my soul is well-pleased. I will put my Spĭrit upon him, and he will announce justice to the nations. ¹⁹He will not quarrel, nor raise an outcry; nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. ²⁰A crushed reed he will not shatter, and a smoldering wick he will not put out, while he shall lead justice to victory. ²¹Then in his name the nations will confidently trust.

The Perūshi̱m Rebuked

²²Then there was brought to him a demon-possessed man who was blind and dumb, and he healed him, so that the dumb man spoke and saw. ²³And all the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “This man cannot be the Sŏn of Daυi̱d, can he?” ²⁴But when the Perūshi̱m heard it, they said, “This man casts out demons only by Ba‘al-Zev̱ūv̱ the ruler of the demons.”

²⁵And knowing their thoughts he said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste. And any city or house divided against itself will not stand. ²⁶And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? ²⁷And if I by Ba‘al-Zev̱ūv̱ cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Consequently they will be your judges. ²⁸But if I cast out demons by the Spĭrit of the Almĭghty, then the kingdom of the Almĭghty has come upon you.”

²⁹“Or how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.”

Blasphemy Against The Spĭrit

³⁰“He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters. ³¹Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but blasphemy against the Spĭrit will not be forgiven. ³²And whoever will speak a word against the Sŏn of Man, it will be forgiven him, but whoever will speak against the Holy Spĭrit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age, or in the one coming.

By Your Words You Will Be Justified

³³“Either make the tree good, and its fruit good, or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad, because the tree is known by its fruit. ³⁴You, who are born of snakes, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? Because the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. ³⁵The good man out of his good treasure brings forth what is good. And the evil man out of his evil treasure brings forth what is evil. ³⁶And I say to you, that every careless word that men will speak, they will render account for it in the day of judgment. ³⁷Because by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

We Want To See A Sign

³⁸Then some of the scribes and Perūshi̱m answered him, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” ³⁹But he answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation demands a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Yōnah the prophet, ⁴⁰because just as ‘Yōnah was in the belly of the great fish three days and three nights,’ so will the Sŏn of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. ⁴¹The men of Ni̱nυēh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the proclaiming of Yōnah, and behold, something greater than Yōnah is here. ⁴²The Queen of the South will rise up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Shelōmōh, and behold, something greater than Shelōmōh is here.”

⁴³“Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and does not find it. ⁴⁴Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’, and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. ⁴⁵Then it goes, and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.”

My Mother And My Brothers

⁴⁶While he was still speaking to the crowds, behold, his mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to him. ⁴⁷And someone said to him, “Behold, your mother and your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak to you.” ⁴⁸But he answered the one who was telling him and said, “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” ⁴⁹And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Behold, my mother and my brothers! ⁵⁰Because whoever does the will of my Făther, who is in the heavens, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

He Spoke In Parables

ONthat day Yĕshūa̒ went out of the house, and was sitting by the sea. ^13:2And great crowds gathered to him, so that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach. ³And he spoke many things to them in parables, saying:

^3b“Behold, the sower went out to sow, ⁴and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. ⁵And others fell upon the rocky places, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. ⁶But when the sun had risen, they were scorched. And because they had no root, they withered away. ⁷And others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. ⁸And others fell on the good soil, and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. ⁹He who has ears, let him hear.”

Why Do You Speak In Parables?

¹⁰And the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” ¹¹And he answered and said to them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of the heavens, but to them it has not been granted. ¹²Because whoever holds fast, to him will more be given, and he will have an abundance, but whoever does not hold fast, even what he has will be taken away from him. ¹³Therefore I speak to them in parables, because while seeing they do not perceive, and while hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand. ¹⁴And in their case the prophecy of Yesha‘yahū is fulfilled, which says, ‘Hearing you shall hear, but no, you would not understand. And seeing you shall see, but no, you would not see.’ ¹⁵‘Because the heart of this people is dull and their ears hardly hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes, and might hear with their ears, and their heart should understand and should return, and I shall heal them.’ ¹⁶But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. ¹⁷A̕mēn indeed! I say to you, that many prophets and just men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”

The Seed Is The Word Of Truth

¹⁸“Hear then the parable of the sower. ¹⁹When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. ²⁰And the one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word, and immediately receives it with joy. ²¹Yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. ²²And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, but the worry of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. ²³And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit, and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.”

Weeds Among Wheat

²⁴He set forth another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of the heavens may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. ²⁵But while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed darnel also among the wheat, and went away. ²⁶But when the wheat sprang up and bore grain, then the darnel became evident also. ²⁷And the servants of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have darnel?’ ²⁸And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ And the servants said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ ²⁹But he said, ‘No, lest while you are gathering up the darnel, you may uproot the wheat with them. ³⁰Allow both to grow together until the harvest, and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the darnel and bind them in bundles to burn them up, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

The Mustard Seed

³¹He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of the heavens is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field. ³²And this is littler among all seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger among the garden plants, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”

The Leaven

³³He spoke another parable to them, “The kingdom of the heavens is like leavening, which a woman took, and hid in three pecks of meal, until it was all leavened.”

³⁴All these things Yĕshūa̒ spoke to the crowds in parables, and he did not speak to them without a parable, ³⁵so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, “I will open my mouth in parables. I will pour out things being hidden from aforetime.”

The Weeds Explained

³⁶Then he left the crowds, and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the darnel in the field.” ³⁷And he answered and said, “The one who sows the good seed is the Sŏn of Man, ³⁸and the field is the world, and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom. And the darnel are the sons of the evil one, ³⁹and the enemy who sowed them is the Accuser, and the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are messengers.”

⁴⁰“Therefore just as the darnel are gathered up and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. ⁴¹The Sŏn of Man will send forth his messengers, and they will gather out of his kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those practicing lawlessness, ⁴²and will cast them into the furnace of fire. On the way to that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Făther. He who has ears, let him hear.”

Hidden Treasure

⁴⁴“The kingdom of the heavens is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid. And from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.”

A Pearl Of Great Value

⁴⁵“Again, the kingdom of the heavens is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, ⁴⁶and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it.”

A Dragnet

⁴⁷“Again, the kingdom of the heavens is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind. ⁴⁸And when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach, and they sat down, and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away. ⁴⁹So it will be at the end of the age. The messengers will come forth, and will separate out the wicked from among the righteous, ⁵⁰and will cast them into the furnace of fire. On the way to that place will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

⁵¹“Have you understood all these things?” They said to him, “Yes.” ⁵²And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of the heavens is like a head of a household, who brings forth out of his treasure things new and old.”

Yĕshūa̒ Returns To Netsaret

⁵³And it came about that when Yĕshūa̒ had finished these parables, he departed from there. ⁵⁴And coming to his home town, he was teaching them in their congregation, so that they became astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom, and these miraculous powers? ⁵⁵Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Miryam, and his brothers, Ya‘aqōv̱ and Yōsēph and Shim‘ōn and Yehūdah? ⁵⁶And his sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” ⁵⁷And they took offense at him. But Yĕshūa̒ said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his home town, and in his own household.” ⁵⁸And he did not do many miracles there because of their faithlessness.

Yōḥanan the Immerser Beheaded

ATthat time Herod the tetrarch heard the news about Yĕshūa̒, ^14:2and said to his servants, “This is Yōḥanan the Immerser. He has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

³Because when Herod had Yōḥanan arrested, he bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, ⁴because Yōḥanan was saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” ⁵And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the crowd, because they regarded him as a prophet. ⁶But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod. ⁷Thereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. ⁸And having been prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of Yōḥanan the Immerser.” ⁹And although he was grieved, the king commanded it to be given because of his oaths, and because of his dinner guests. ¹⁰And he sent and had Yōḥanan beheaded in the prison. ¹¹And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl. And she brought it to her mother. ¹²And his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and they went and reported to Yĕshūa̒.

Five Thousand Fed

¹³Now when Yĕshūa̒ heard it, he withdrew from there in a boat, to a lonely place by himself. And when the crowds heard of this, they followed him on foot from the cities. ¹⁴And when he went ashore, he saw a great crowd, and felt compassion for them, and healed their sick.

¹⁵And when it was later, the disciples came to him, saying, “The place is desolate, and the hour is already past, so send the crowds away, that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” ¹⁶But Yĕshūa̒ said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat!” ¹⁷And they said to him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.” ¹⁸And he said, “Bring them here to me.”

¹⁹And ordering the crowds to recline on the grass, he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, he blessed Yăhwēh, and breaking the loaves he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave to the crowds, ²⁰and they all ate, and were satisfied. And they picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve full baskets. ²¹And there were about five thousand men who ate, aside from women and children.

Walking On The Sea

²²And immediately he made the disciples get into the boat, and go ahead of him to the other side, while he sent the crowds away. ²³And after he had sent the crowds away, he went up to the mountain by himself to pray. And when it was later, he was there alone. ²⁴But the boat was already many stadia away from the land, battered by the waves, because the wind was contrary.

²⁵And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. ²⁶And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were frightened, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. ²⁷But immediately Yĕshūa̒ spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I! Do not be afraid.” ²⁸And Peter answered him and said, “A̕dŏnai̱, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” ²⁹And he said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Yĕshūa̒.

³⁰But seeing the wind, he became afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, “Yăhwēh, save me!” ³¹And immediately Yĕshūa̒ stretched out his hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little courage, why did you doubt?” ³²And when they got into the boat, the wind stopped. ³³And those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “You are certainly the Almĭghty Sŏn!”

³⁴And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennēi̱saret. ³⁵And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent into all that surrounding district and brought to him all who were sick. ³⁶And they were begging him that they might just touch the fringe of his cloak, and as many as touched it were cured.

Traditions Of Men

Then some Perūshi̱m and scribes came to Yĕshūa̒ from Yerūshalayim, saying, ^15:2“Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? Because they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”

³And he answered and said to them, “And why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of the Almĭghty for the sake of your tradition? ⁴Because the Almĭghty said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, shall be put to death.’ ⁵But you say, ‘Whoever will say to father or mother, “Anything of mine you might have been helped by has been given to the Almĭghty.” ⁶He is not to honor his father or his mother.’ Then you have invalidated the word of the Almĭghty for the sake of your tradition.”

⁷“You hypocrites, rightly did Yesha‘yahū prophesy of you, saying, ⁸‘This people draws near to me with their mouth and with the lips they honor me, but their heart is far from me. ⁹But vainly they reverence me, teaching as teachings the commandments of men.”

¹⁰And after he called the crowd to him, he said to them, “Hear and understand. ¹¹What enters into the mouth does not defile the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth―this defiles the man.”

¹²Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Perūshi̱m were offended when they heard this statement?” ¹³But he answered and said, “Every plant which my heavenly Făther did not plant will be rooted up. ¹⁴Let them alone. They are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

The Heart Of Man

¹⁵And Peter answered and said to him, “Explain the parable to us.” ¹⁶And he said, “Are you still lacking in understanding also? ¹⁷Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated? ¹⁸But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man, ¹⁹because out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. ²⁰These are the things which defile the man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.”

A Kena‘ani̱t Woman

²¹And Yĕshūa̒ went away from there, and withdrew into the district of Tsōr and Tsi̱dōn. ²²And behold, a Kena‘ani̱t woman came out from that region, and was crying out, saying, “Have mercy on me, A̕dŏnai̱, Sŏn of Daυi̱d. My daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.” ²³But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came to him and kept asking him, saying, “Send her away, because she is shouting out after us.”

²⁴But he answered and said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Yisra’ēl.” ²⁵But she came and was bowing down before him, saying, “A̕dŏnai̱, help me!” ²⁶And he answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” ²⁷But she said, “Yes, A̕dŏnai̱, but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”

²⁸Then Yĕshūa̒ answered and said to her, “Woman, your courage is great. Be it done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed at once.

Healing Many

²⁹And departing from there, Yĕshūa̒ went along by the Sea of Gali̱l, and having gone up to the mountain, he was sitting there. ³⁰And great crowds came to him, bringing with them those who were lame, crippled, blind, dumb, and many others, and they laid them down at his feet. And he healed them, ³¹so that the crowd marveled as they saw the dumb speaking, the crippled restored, and the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the Almĭghty of Yisra’ēl.

Four Thousand Fed

³²And Yĕshūa̒ called his disciples to him, and said, “I feel compassion for the crowd, because they have remained with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not wish to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” ³³And the disciples said to him, “Where would we get so many loaves in a desolate place to satisfy such a great crowd?” ³⁴And Yĕshūa̒ said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” ³⁵And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. ³⁶And he took the seven loaves and the fish, and giving thanks, he broke them and started giving them to the disciples, and the disciples in turn, to the crowds. ³⁷And they all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, seven large baskets full. ³⁸And those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. ³⁹And sending away the crowds, he got into the boat, and came to the region of Magdan.

The Perūshi̱m Test Yĕshūa̒

And the Perūshi̱m and Tsaddūqi̱m came up, and testing him asked him to show them a sign from heaven. ^16:2But he answered and said to them, “When it is late, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, because the heaven is red.’ ³And when early, ‘There will be a storm today, because the heaven is red and threatening.’ Do you know how to discern the face of the heaven, but cannot discern the signs of the times? ⁴An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign. And a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Yōnah.” And he left them, and went away.

⁵And the disciples came to the other side and had forgotten to take bread. ⁶And Yĕshūa̒ said to them, “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Perūshi̱m and Tsaddūqi̱m.” ⁷And they began to discuss among themselves, saying, “It is because we took no bread.” ⁸But Yĕshūa̒, aware of this, said, “You men of little reliability, why do you discuss among yourselves that you have no bread? ⁹Do you not yet understand or remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets you took up? ¹⁰Or the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many large baskets you took up? ¹¹How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread? But beware of the leaven of the Perūshi̱m and Tsaddūqi̱m.” ¹²Then they understood that he did not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Perūshi̱m and Tsaddūqi̱m.

Peter’s Confession of Messiah

¹³Now when Yĕshūa̒ came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he was asking his disciples, saying, “Who do people say that the Sŏn of Man is?” ¹⁴And they said, “Some say Yōḥanan the Immerser, and others, Ēli̱yahū, but still others, Yirmeyahū, or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶And Shim‘ōn Peter answered and said, “You are the Mĕssiah, the Almĭghty Sŏn of the Living one.”

¹⁷And Yĕshūa̒ answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Shim‘ōn Bar-Yōnah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, so much as my Făther who is in the heavens. ¹⁸And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Assembly. And the gates of the grave will not overpower it. ¹⁹I will give you the keys of the kingdom of the heavens, and whatever you will bind on earth will be bound in the heavens, and whatever you will loose on earth will be loosed in the heavens.” ²⁰Then he warned the disciples that they should tell no one that he was the Mĕssiah.

Yĕshūa̒ Foretells His Death

²¹From that time Yĕshūa̒ the Mĕssiah began to show his disciples that it is necessary for him to go to Yerūshalayim, and to suffer many things from the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and to be killed, and after three days to rise.

²²And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Forbid it, A̕dŏnai̱! This will never happen to you.” ²³But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, because you are not setting your mind on the Almĭghty’s interests, but man’s.”

Discipleship Is Costly

²⁴Then Yĕshūa̒ said to his disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me, ²⁵because whoever wishes to save his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. ²⁶Because what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? ²⁷Because the Sŏn of Man is going to come in the glory of his Făther with his messengers, and will then repay every man according to his deeds. ²⁸A̕mēn, I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they can see the Sŏn of Man coming in his kingdom.”

The Transfiguration After Six Days

And after six days Yĕshūa̒ took with him Peter and Ya‘aqōv̱ and Yōḥanan his brother, and brought them up to a high mountain by themselves. ^17:2And he was transfigured before them. And his face shone like the sun, and his garments became as white as light. ³And behold, Mōshēh and Ēli̱yahū appeared to them, talking with him.

⁴And Peter replied and said to Yĕshūa̒, “A̕dŏnai̱, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for you, and one for Mōshēh, and one for Ēli̱yahū.” ⁵While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. And behold, a voice out of the cloud, said, “This is my beloved Sŏn, with whom I am well-pleased. Listen to him!” ⁶And when the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were much afraid. ⁷And Yĕshūa̒ came to them and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” ⁸And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one, except Yĕshūa̒ himself, alone.

⁹And as they were coming down from the mountain, Yĕshūa̒ commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Sŏn of Man has risen from the dead.” ¹⁰And his disciples asked him, saying, “Why then do the scribes say that Ēli̱yahū must come first?” ¹¹And he answered and said, “Ēli̱yahū is going to come and will restore all things! ¹²But I say to you, that Ēli̱yahū already came, and they did not acknowledge him, but they did to him whatever they wished. So also the Sŏn of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” ¹³Then the disciples understood that he had spoken to them about Yōḥanan the Immerser.

The Lunatic Son

¹⁴And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him, falling on his knees before him, and saying, ¹⁵“A̕dŏnai̱, have mercy on my son, because he is a lunatic, and is very ill, because he often falls into the fire, and often into the water. ¹⁶And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not cure him.” ¹⁷And Yĕshūa̒ answered and said, “Unfaithful and perverted generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I put up with you? Bring him here to me.” ¹⁸And Yĕshūa̒ rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once.

¹⁹Then the disciples came to Yĕshūa̒ privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” ²⁰And he said to them, “because of the littleness of your courage, because a̕mēn, I say to you, if you have steadfastness as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible to you. ²¹But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

²²And while they were gathering together in Gali̱l, Yĕshūa̒ said to them, “The Sŏn of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, ²³and they will kill him, and after three days he will be raised.” And they were deeply grieved.

The Temple Tax

²⁴And when they had come to Kefar-Naḥūm, those who collected the two-drachma tax came to Peter, and said, “Does your teacher not pay the two-drachma tax?” ²⁵He said, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Yĕshūa̒ spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Shim‘ōn? From whom do the kings of the earth collect customs or poll-tax, from their sons or from strangers?” ²⁶And upon his saying, “From strangers,” Yĕshūa̒ said to him, “Consequently the sons are exempt. ²⁷But, lest we give them offense, go to the sea, and throw in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up. And when you open its mouth, you will find a stater. Take that and give it to them for you and me.”[HEADING]

Who Is The Greatest In The Kingdom?

ATthat time the disciples came to Yĕshūa̒, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of the heavens?”

^18:2And he called a child to himself and set him before them, ³and said, “A̕mēn, I say to you, unless you can be turned and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of the heavens. ⁴Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of the heavens. ⁵And whoever receives one such child in my name receives me. ⁶But whoever causes one of these little ones affirming faithfulness to me to stumble, it is better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depth of the sea.”

Stumbling Blocks

⁷“Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! Because it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!”

⁸“And if your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the enduring fire. ⁹And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out, and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than having two eyes, to be cast into the fiery . ¹⁰See that you do not despise one of these little ones, because I say to you, that their messengers in the heavens continually behold the face of my Făther who is in the heavens.”

Ninety-nine Plus One

¹²“What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying? ¹³And if it turns out that he finds it, a̕mēn, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray. ¹⁴Likewise it is not the will of your Făther who is in the heavens that one of these little ones perish.”

Discipline and Prayer

¹⁵“And if your brother sins against you, go and reprove him in private. If he listens to you, you have won your brother. ¹⁶But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. ¹⁷And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly, and if he refuses to listen even to the assembly, let him be to you as a pagan and a tax-gatherer. ¹⁸A̕mēn I say to you, whatever you will bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. ¹⁹Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it will be done for them by my Făther who is in the heavens. ²⁰For where two or three have gathered together in my name, there I am in their midst.”

Forgiveness

²¹Then Peter came and said to him, “A̕dŏnai̱, how often will my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” ²²Yĕshūa̒ said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. ²³For this reason the kingdom of the heavens may be compared to a certain king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. ²⁴And when he had begun to settle them, there was brought to him one who owed him ten thousand talents. ²⁵But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. ²⁶The slave therefore falling down, prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay you everything.’ ²⁷And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt.”

²⁸“But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii, and he seized him and was choking him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ ²⁹So his fellow slave fell down and was entreating him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ ³⁰He was unwilling however, but went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed.”

³¹“So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. ³²Then summoning him, his lord said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. ³³Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, even as I had mercy on you?’ ³⁴And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. ³⁵So will my heavenly Făther also do to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”

Concerning Divorce And Separation

And it came about that when Yĕshūa̒ had finished these words, he departed from Gali̱l, and came into the region of Yehūdah beyond the Yardēn, ^19:2and great crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

³And some Perūshi̱m came to him, testing him, and saying, “Is it lawful for a man to send his wife away for any cause at all?” ⁴And he answered and said, “Have you not read, that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, ⁵and said, ‘Therefore, a man will leave father and mother and will cleave to his wife, and the two will be as one flesh.’ ⁶Consequently they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore the Almĭghty has joined together, let no man separate.”

⁷They said to him, “Why then did Mōshēh command to give her a certificate of divorce and dismiss her?” ⁸He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart, Mōshēh permitted you to dismiss your women, but from the beginning it has not been this way. ⁹And I say to you, whoever sends his woman away, except for an unlawful union, and shall marry another woman, is committing adultery.”

¹⁰The disciples said to him, “If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry.” ¹¹But he said to them, “Not all men can accept this statement, but only those to whom it has been given. ¹²Because there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are also celibate persons who made themselves celibate for the sake of the kingdom of the heavens. He who is able to make a place for it, let him make place.”

Yĕshūa̒ Blesses The Children

¹³Then some children were brought to him so that he might lay his hands on them and pray, and the disciples rebuked them. ¹⁴But Yĕshūa̒ said, “Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to me, because the kingdom of the heavens belongs to such as these.” ¹⁵And after laying his hands on them, he departed from there.

The Rich Young Ruler: Lk 18:18; Mk 10:17

¹⁶And behold, one came to him and said, “[Good] Teacher, what good deed can I do so that I may inherit life everlasting?”

¹⁷And he said to him, “[Why do you call me good?] [No one is perfect except the Almĭghty alone.] Why are you asking me about the best one? One thing is the best: If you wish to enter into life, you must keep the commandments.”

¹⁸He said to him, “Which ones?” And Yĕshūa̒ said, “You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness. ¹⁹Honor your father and mother, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ²⁰The young man said to him, “All these things I have kept. What am I still lacking?”

²¹Yĕshūa̒ said to him, “If you wish to be blameless, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in the heavens, and come, follow me.”

²²But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieved, because he was one who owned much property.

²³And Yĕshūa̒ said to his disciples, “A’mēn, I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of the heavens. ²⁴And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of the Almĭghty.”

²⁵And when the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?” ²⁶And looking upon them Yĕshūa̒ said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with the Almĭghty all things are possible.”

Twelve Thrones

²⁷Then Peter replied and said to him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed you. What then will there be for us?” ²⁸And Yĕshūa̒ said to them, “A̕mēn I say to you, that you who have followed me, in the restoration when the Sŏn of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you also will sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Yisra’ēl. ²⁹And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for my name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit everlasting life. ³⁰But many who are first will be last, and the last, first.

Laborers in the Vineyard

“For the kingdom of the heavens is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. ^20:2And when he had agreed with the laborers for a di̱nar for the day, he sent them into his vineyard. ³And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the market place, ⁴and to those he said, ‘You too go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ And so they went. ⁵Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did the same thing. ⁶And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing, and he said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day long?’ ⁷They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You too go into the vineyard.’”

⁸“And when it became later, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last group to the first.’ ⁹And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a di̱nar. ¹⁰And when those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more, and they also received each one a di̱nar. ¹¹And when they received it, they grumbled at the landowner, ¹²saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.’”

¹³“But he answered and said to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a di̱nar? ¹⁴Take what is yours and go your way, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. ¹⁵Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’ ¹⁶Thus the last will be first, and the first last.”

The Third Day He Will Rise

¹⁷And as Yĕshūa̒ was about to go up to Yerūshalayim, he took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and on the way he said to them, ¹⁸“Behold, we are going up to Yerūshalayim, and the Sŏn of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death, ¹⁹and they will deliver him to the nations to mock and scourge and crucify him, and the third day he will rise.”

A Mother's Bold Request

²⁰Then the mother of the sons of Zav̱dai̱ came to him with her sons, bowing down, and making a request of him. ²¹And he said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to him, “Command that in your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit, one on your right and one on your left.” ²²But Yĕshūa̒ answered and said, “You do not know what you are asking for. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” ²³He said to them, “My cup you will drink, but to sit on my right and on my left, this is not mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Făther.”

²⁴And hearing this, the ten became indignant with the two brothers. ²⁵But Yĕshūa̒ called them to himself, and said, “You know that the rulers of the nations lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. ²⁶It is not so among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you will be your servant, ²⁷and whoever wishes to be first among you will be your slave, ²⁸just as the Sŏn of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

Two Blind Men

²⁹And as they were going out from Yeriḥō, a great crowd followed him. ³⁰And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, hearing that Yĕshūa̒ was passing by, cried out, saying, “A̕dŏnai̱, have mercy on us, Sŏn of Daυi̱d!” ³¹And the crowd sternly told them to be quiet, but they cried out all the more, saying, “A̕dŏnai̱, have mercy on us, Sŏn of Daυi̱d!”

³²And Yĕshūa̒ stopped and called them, and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” ³³They said to him, “A̕dŏnai̱, we want our eyes to be opened.” ³⁴And moved with compassion, Yĕshūa̒ touched their eyes, and immediately they regained their sight and followed him.

Yĕshūa̒ Rides On A Donkey

And when they were approaching Yerūshalayim and had come to Bēi̱t-Pagēi̱, to the Mount of Olives, then Yĕshūa̒ sent two disciples, ^21:2saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her. Untie them, and bring them to me. ³And if anyone says something to you, you shall say, ‘A̕dŏnai̱ has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.”

⁴Now this took place so that what was spoken through the prophet could be fulfilled, saying, ⁵‘Say to the daughter of Tsiyōn behold your King comes to you humble, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, son of a beast of burden.’

⁶And the disciples went and did just as Yĕshūa̒ had directed them, ⁷and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid on them their garments, on which he sat. ⁸And most of the crowd spread their garments in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees, and spreading them in the road. ⁹And the crowds going before him, and those who followed after were crying out, saying, “Hōsha‘na’ to the Sŏn of Daυi̱d. Blessed is he who comes in the name of Yăhwēh. Hōsha‘na’ in the highest!”

¹⁰And when he had entered Yerūshalayim, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?” ¹¹And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Yĕshūa̒, from Netseret in Gali̱l.”

The Moneychangers Cast Out

¹²And Yĕshūa̒ entered the temple and cast out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who were selling doves. ¹³And he said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’, but you are making it a den of robbers.”

¹⁴And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. ¹⁵But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he had done, and the children who were crying out in the temple and saying, “Hōsha‘na’ to the Sŏn of Daυi̱d,” they became indignant,¹⁶and said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Yĕshūa̒ said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of children and nursing infants you prepare praise?’ ¹⁷And he left them and went out of the city to Bēi̱t-Hi̱ni̱, and lodged there.

The Barren Fig Tree

¹⁸Now in the morning, when he returned to the city, he became hungry. ¹⁹And seeing a lone fig tree by the road, he came to it, and found nothing on it except leaves only, and he said to it, “No longer will there be fruit from you until the age.” And at once the fig tree withered.

²⁰And seeing this, the disciples were amazed, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” ²¹And Yĕshūa̒ answered and said to them, “A̕mēn I say to you, if you have courage, and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen. ²²And all, as much ever you should ask in prayer, affirming trustworthy, you shall receive.”

Who Gave You This Authority?

²³And when he had come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” ²⁴And Yĕshūa̒ answered and said to them, “I will ask you one thing too, which if you tell me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. ²⁵The immersion of Yōḥanan was from what source, from heaven or from men?” And they were reasoning among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘from heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Then why didn’t you support him?’ ²⁶But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the crowd, because they all hold that Yōḥanan was a prophet.” ²⁷And answering Yĕshūa̒, they said, “We do not know.” He also said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

The Son That Obeyed After Refusing

²⁸“But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in the vineyard.’ ²⁹And he answered and said, ‘I will, sir’, and he did not go. ³⁰And he came to the second and said the same thing. But he answered and said, ‘I will not’, yet he afterward regretted it and went. ³¹Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The latter.” Yĕshūa̒ said to them, “A̕mēn, I say to you that the tax-collectors and harlots will get into the kingdom of the Almĭghty before you. ³²For Yōḥanan came to you in the way of justice and you did not support him, but the tax-collectors and harlots supported him, and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward to support him.”

The Landowner's Sŏn

³³“Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard and put a wall around it and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and rented it out to vine-growers, and went on a journey. ³⁴And when the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his produce. ³⁵And the vine-growers took his slaves and beat one, and killed another, and stoned a third. ³⁶Again he sent another group of slaves larger than the first, and they did the same thing to them. ³⁷But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ ³⁸But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir! Come, let us kill him, and seize his inheritance.’ ³⁹And they took him, and threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. ⁴⁰Therefore when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?” ⁴¹They said to him, “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and will rent out the vineyard to other vine-growers, who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons.”

⁴²Yĕshūa̒ said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders reject, this has become the chief corner stone. This came about from Yăhwēh, and it is wonderful in our eyes.’ ⁴³Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of the Almĭghty will be taken away from you, and be given to a nation producing the fruit of it. ⁴⁴And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.”

⁴⁵And when the chief priests and the Perūshi̱m heard his parables, they understood that he was speaking about them. ⁴⁶And they were seeking to seize him, but they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.

The Marriage Feast

And Yĕshūa̒ answered and spoke to them again in parables, saying, ^22:2“The kingdom of the heavens may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. ³And he sent out his slaves to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come. ⁴Again he sent out other slaves saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner. My oxen and my fattened livestock are all butchered and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ ⁵But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business, ⁶and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them. ⁷But the king was enraged and sent his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and set their city on fire.”

⁸“Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. ⁹Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, invite to the wedding feast.’ ¹⁰And those slaves went out into the streets, and gathered together all they found, both evil and good. And the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests.”

¹¹“But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw there a man not dressed in wedding clothes, ¹²and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?’ And he was speechless. ¹³Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the outer darkness. To that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ ¹⁴For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Give To Caesar What Is Caesar’s

¹⁵Then the Perūshi̱m went and counseled together how they might trap him in what he said. ¹⁶And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful and teach the way of the Almĭghty in truth, and defer to no one, because you are not partial to any. ¹⁷Tell us therefore, what do you think? Is it lawful to give a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?”

¹⁸But Yĕshūa̒ perceived their malice, and said, “Why are you testing me, you hypocrites? ¹⁹Show me the coin used for the poll-tax.” And they brought him a di̱nar. ²⁰And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” ²¹They said to him, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to the Almĭghty the things that are the Almĭghty’s.” ²²And hearing this, they were amazed, and leaving him, they went away.

Tsaddūqi̱m Who Denied The Resurrection

²³On that day some Tsaddūqi̱m (who say there is no resurrection) came to him and questioned him, ²⁴saying, “Teacher, Mōshēh said, ‘If a man dies, having no children, his brother as next of kin will marry his wife, and raise up an offspring for his brother.’ ²⁵Now there were seven brothers with us. And the first married and died, and having no offspring left his wife to his brother. ²⁶So also the second, and the third, down to the seventh. ²⁷And last of all, the woman died. ²⁸In the resurrection therefore whose wife of the seven will she be? Because they all had her.”

²⁹But Yĕshūa̒ answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures, or the power of the Almĭghty, ³⁰because in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are like messengers in heaven.”

³¹“But regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read that which was spoken to you by the Almĭghty, saying, ³²I am the Almĭghty of A̕v̱raham, and the Almĭghty of Yitsḥaq, and the Almĭghty of Ya‘aqōv̱? He is not the Almĭghty of the dead, but of the living.”

³³And when the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching. ³⁴But when the Perūshi̱m heard that he had put the Tsaddūqi̱m to silence, they gathered themselves together. ³⁵And one of them, a lawyer, asked him, testing him, ³⁶“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” ³⁷And he said to him, “‘You shall love Yăhwēh your Almĭghty with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸This is the greatest and foremost commandment. ³⁹The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰On these two commandments hang the whole law and the prophets.”

⁴¹Now while the Perūshi̱m were gathered together, Yĕshūa̒ asked them a question, ⁴²saying, “What do you think about the Mĕssiah, whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of Daυi̱d.”

⁴³He said to them, “Then how does Daυi̱d in the Spĭrit call him ‘A̕dŏnai̱,’ saying, ⁴⁴Says Yăhwēh to my A̕dŏnai̱, ‘Remain at my right hand while I set your enemies as a footstool of your feet’? ⁴⁵If Daυi̱d then calls him ‘A̕dŏnai̱,’ how is he his Sŏn?” ⁴⁶And no one was able to answer him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask him another question.

Hypocritical Religion Condemned

Then Yĕshūa̒ spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, ^23:2saying, “The scribes and the Perūshi̱m sit on the seat of Mōshēh. ³All accordingly, whatsoever they should say to keep, do and observe, but do not be doing according to their deeds, because they are speaking, and not doing.

⁴And they tie up heavy loads, and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger. ⁵But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men, because they make wide their guardians, and make long the tassels of their garments. ⁶And they love the place of honor at banquets, and the chief seats in the congregations, ⁷and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called by men, Rabbi̱.”

⁸“But you should not be called Rabbi̱, because One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. ⁹And “Father” you should not call anyone from among yourselves upon the earth, because One is your heavenly Făther. ¹⁰And do not be called leaders, because One is your Leader, that is, Mĕssiah. ¹¹But the greatest among you will be your servant. ¹²And whoever exalts himself will be humbled. And whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

Woes For Hypocrisy

¹³“But woe to you, scribes and Perūshi̱m, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of the heavens from men, because you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.”

¹⁵“Woe to you, scribes and Perūshi̱m, hypocrites, because you travel about on sea and land to make one proselyte. And when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of Gēi̱hinnōm as yourselves.”

¹⁶“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the Temple, that is nothing, but whoever swears by the gold of the Temple, he is obligated.’ ¹⁷You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold, or the Temple that sanctified the gold? ¹⁸And, ‘whoever swears by the altar, that is nothing, but whoever swears by the offering upon it, he is obligated.’ ¹⁹You blind men, which is more important, the offering or the altar that sanctifies the offering? ²⁰Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears both by the altar and by everything on it. ²¹And he who swears by the Temple, swears both by the Temple and by Him who dwells within it. ²²And he who swears by heaven, swears both by the throne of the Almĭghty and by Him who sits upon it.”

²³“Woe to you, scribes and Perūshi̱m, hypocrites! Because you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the Law, justice and mercy and faithfulness. But these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. ²⁴You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!”

²⁵“Woe to you, scribes and Perūshi̱m, hypocrites! Because you clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. ²⁶You blind Perūshi̱! First clean the inside of the cup and the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.”

²⁷“Woe to you, scribes and Perūshi̱m, hypocrites! Because you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. ²⁸Even so you too outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”

²⁹“Woe to you, scribes and Perūshi̱m, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the just, ³⁰and say, ‘If we were living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ ³¹Consequently you bear witness against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. ³²Fill up then the measure of your fathers.”

³³“You serpents, you who are born of snakes, how will you escape the sentence of Gēi̱hinnōm? ³⁴Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your congregations, and persecute from city to city, ³⁵that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Hev̱el to the blood of Zeḳaryah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. ³⁶A̕mēn I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.

Yĕshūa̒ Lament's Over Yerūshalayim

³⁷“Yerūshalayim, Yerūshalayim, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. ³⁸Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! ³⁹Because I say to you, from now on you will not see me until you say, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of Yăhwēh!”

Signs Of The Last Days

And Yĕshūa̒ came out from the temple and was going away when his disciples came up to point out the Temple buildings to him. ^24:2And he answered and said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Amēn, I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.”

³And as he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?”

⁴And Yĕshūa̒ answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. ⁵Because many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will mislead many. ⁶And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, because they must take place, but it is not yet the end. ⁷Because nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. ⁸But all these things are the beginning of birth pangs. ⁹Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations on account of my name.”

¹⁰“And at that time many will be made to stumble, and will betray one another and hate one another. ¹¹And many false prophets will arise, and will mislead many. ¹²And because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. ¹³But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. ¹⁴And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

Lawless Times

¹⁵Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Dani̱̕ēl the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), ¹⁶then let those who are in Yehūdah flee to the mountains. ¹⁷Let him who is on the housetop not go down to get the things out that are in his house, ¹⁸and let him who is in the field not turn back to get his cloak. ¹⁹But woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse babes in those days!”

²⁰“But pray that your flight may not be in the winter, or on a Shabbat, ²¹because then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. ²²And unless those days are cut short, no life would be saved, but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.”

²³“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There,’ you should not support it. ²⁴Because false messiahs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the chosen. ²⁵Behold, I have told you in advance. ²⁶If therefore they say to you, ‘Behold, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go forth, or ‘Behold, he is in the inner rooms,’ you should not support it. ²⁷Because just as the lightning comes from the east, and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Sŏn of Man be. ²⁸Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.”

The Sign Of The Sŏn Of Man

²⁹“But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken, ³⁰and then the sign of the Sŏn of Man will appear in the heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Sŏn of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. ³¹And he will send forth his messengers with a great shōfar and they will gather together his chosen from the four winds, from one boundary of the heavens to the other boundary.”

Parable of the Fig Tree

³²“Now learn the parable from the fig tree. When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. ³³Even so you too, when you see all these things, recognize that he is near, right at the door. ³⁴Amēn, I say to you, this family clan will not pass away while these things take place. ³⁵The heavens and the earth may pass away, but my words will not pass away.”

³⁶“But concerning that day or time no one has come to know, not even the messengers of the heavens, nor the Sŏn, but the Făther alone. ³⁷Because the coming of the Sŏn of Man will be just like the days of Nōaḥ. ³⁸Because, as in those days, which were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, they were marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Nōaḥ entered the ark, ³⁹and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away. So will the coming of the Sŏn of Man be. ⁴⁰Then there will be two men in the field. One will be taken, and one will be left. ⁴¹Two women will be grinding at the mill. One is taken, and one is left.”

Observe The Seasons Of His Coming

⁴²“Therefore be observant—lest you do not recognize which day your A’dŏnai̱ is coming. ⁴³But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. ⁴⁴For this reason you be prepared too, lest the Sŏn of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think he will.”

⁴⁵“Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? ⁴⁶Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. ⁴⁷Amēn, I say to you, that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. ⁴⁸But if an evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’ ⁴⁹and shall begin to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards, ⁵⁰then the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect and at a time which he does not recognize, ⁵¹and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites. On the way to that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Five Virgins Without Oil, Five With

¹“At that time, the kingdom of the heavens will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went out to meet the bridegroom. ^25:2And five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. ³Because when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, ⁴but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps.”

⁵“Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and were sleeping. ⁶But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ ⁷Then all those virgins rose, and trimmed their lamps. ⁸And the foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ ⁹But the prudent answered, saying, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too. Go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ ¹⁰And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut. ¹¹And later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘A’dŏnai̱, A’dŏnai̱, open up for us.’ ¹²But he answered and said, ‘A̕mēn I say to you, I do not know you.’ ¹³Be on the alert then, because you do not know the day nor the hour.”

The Buried Talent

¹⁴“Because it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves, and entrusted his possessions to them. ¹⁵And to one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability. And he went on his journey. ¹⁶Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. ¹⁷In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. ¹⁸But he who received the one talent went away and dug in the ground, and hid his master’s silver.”

¹⁹“Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. ²⁰And the one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’ ²¹His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ ²²The one also who had received the two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted to me two talents. See, I have gained two more talents.’ ²³His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’”

²⁴“And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed. ²⁵And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ ²⁶But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I scattered no seed. ²⁷Then you ought to have put my silver in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received what is mine back with interest. ²⁸Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’ ²⁹Because unto everyone holding fast more will be given, and he will hold an abundance, but from the one who does not hold fast, even what he does hold will be taken away. ³⁰And cast out the worthless servant into the outer darkness. Thither there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

The Sheep And The Goats

³¹“But when the Sŏn of Man comes in his glory, and all the messengers with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. ³²And all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, ³³and he will put the sheep on his right, and the goats on the left.”

³⁴“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of my Făther, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world. ³⁵Because I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me in, ³⁶naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came to me.’”

³⁷“Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘A’dŏnai̱, when did we see you hungry, and feed you, or thirsty, and give you drink? ³⁸And when did we see you a stranger, and invite you in, or naked, and clothe you? ³⁹And when did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?’ ⁴⁰And the King will answer and say to them, ‘A̕mēn I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to me.’”

⁴¹“Then he will also say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, accursed ones, into the enduring fire which has been prepared for the Accuser and his messengers, ⁴²because I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink. ⁴³I was a stranger, and you did not invite me in, naked, and you did not clothe me, sick, and in prison, and you did not visit me.’ ⁴⁴Then they themselves also will answer, saying, ‘‘A’dŏnai̱, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ ⁴⁵Then he will answer them, saying, ‘A̕mēn I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’”

⁴⁶“Then these will depart for eternal excision, and the righteous for eternal life.”

The Third Day Before Passover

And it came about that when Yĕshūa̒ had finished all these words, he said to his disciples, ^26:2“You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Sŏn of Man is to be delivered up for crucifixion.”

³Then the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, named Qai̱yapha’. ⁴And they plotted together to seize Yĕshūa̒ by stealth, and kill him. ⁵But they were saying, “Not during the festival, lest a riot occur among the people.”

Yĕshūa̒ Anointed For His Burial

⁶Now when Yĕshūa̒ was in Bēi̱t-Hi̱ni̱, at the home of Shim‘ōn the leper, ⁷a woman came to him with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at the table. ⁸But the disciples were indignant when they saw this, and said, “Why this waste? ⁹Because this perfume might have been sold for a high price and given to the poor.”

¹⁰But Yĕshūa̒, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you bother the woman? Because she has done a good deed to me. ¹¹For the poor you have with you always, but you do not always have me, ¹²because when she poured this perfume upon my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. ¹³A̕mēn, I say to you, wherever this good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of, in memory of her.”

Yehūdah's Betrayal

¹⁴Then one of the twelve, named Yehūdah ’I̱sh-Qeri̱yōt, went to the chief priests, ¹⁵and said, “What are you willing to give me to deliver him up to you?” And they weighed out to him thirty pieces of silver. ¹⁶And from then on he was looking for a good opportunity to betray him.

¹⁷Now on the day before Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Yĕshūa̒, saying, “Where do you desire we should prepare for you to eat the Passover?”

¹⁸And he said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him: the teacher says, my time is at hand. With you I am keeping the Passover with my disciples.”

¹⁹And the disciples did as Yĕshūa̒ had directed them. And they made ready the Passover.

The Seder Before Passover

²⁰Now as it was becoming later, he was reclining with the twelve disciples. ²¹And as they were eating, he said, “A̕mēn, I say to you that one of you will betray me.” ²²And being deeply grieved, they each one began to say to him, “Surely not I, A̕dŏnai̱?” ²³And he answered and said, “He who dipped his hand with me in the bowl is the one who will betray me. ²⁴The Sŏn of Man goes, just as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Sŏn of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.” ²⁵And Yehūdah, who was betraying him, replied and said, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said it yourself.”

The Meaning Of The Third Cup

²⁶And while they were eating, Yĕshūa̒ took bread, and after blessing, he broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat. This represents my body.” ²⁷And when he had taken a cup and given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, ²⁸because this represents my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. ²⁹But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Făther’s kingdom.”

³⁰And after singing a Psalm, they went out to the Mount of Olives. ³¹Then Yĕshūa̒ said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night, because it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ ³²But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Gali̱l.”

³³But Peter answered and said to him, “Even though all may fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” ³⁴Yĕshūa̒ said to him, “A̕mēn, I say to you that this very night, before a crows, you will deny me three times.” ³⁵Peter said to him, “Even if I have to die with you, I will not deny you.” All the disciples said the same thing too.

The Garden of Gat-Shemanēi̱

³⁶Then Yĕshūa̒ came with them to a place called Gat-Shemanēi̱, and said to his disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” ³⁷And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zav̱dai̱, and began to be grieved and distressed. ³⁸Then he said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death. Remain here and keep watch with me.” ³⁹And he went a little beyond them, and fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Făther, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me, yet not as I will, but as you will.” ⁴⁰And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “So, you could not keep watch with me for one hour? ⁴¹Keep watching and praying, that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

⁴²He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Făther, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, your will be done.” ⁴³And again he came and found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy.

⁴⁴And he left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. ⁴⁵Then he came to the disciples, and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Sŏn of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. ⁴⁶Arise, let us be going. Behold, the one who betrays me is at hand!”

Yĕshūa̒’s Arrest

⁴⁷And while he was still speaking, behold, Yehūdah, one of the twelve, came up, accompanied by a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and elders of the people. ⁴⁸Now he who was betraying him gave them a sign, saying, “Whomever I will kiss, he is the one. seize him!” ⁴⁹And immediately he went to Yĕshūa̒ and said, “Hail, Rabbi̱!” and kissed him. ⁵⁰And Yĕshūa̒ said to him, “Friend, do what you have come for.” Then they came and laid hands on Yĕshūa̒ and seized him.

⁵¹And behold, one of those who were with Yĕshūa̒ reached and drew out his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest, and cut off his ear. ⁵²Then Yĕshūa̒ said to him, “Put your sword back into its place, because all those who take up the sword will perish by the sword. ⁵³Or do you think that I cannot appeal to my Făther, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of messengers? ⁵⁴How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen this way?”

⁵⁵At that time Yĕshūa̒ said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as against a robber? Every day I used to sit in the temple teaching and you did not seize me. ⁵⁶But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets may be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.

Qai̱yapha’ Questions Yĕshūa̒

⁵⁷And those who had seized Yĕshūa̒ led him away to Qai̱yapha’, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together. ⁵⁸But Peter also was following him at a distance as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and entered in, and sat down with the officers to see the outcome.

⁵⁹Now the chief priests and the whole Sanhedri̱n kept trying to obtain false testimony against Yĕshūa̒, in order that they might put him to death. ⁶⁰And they did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward, ⁶¹and said, “This man stated, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of the Almĭghty and to rebuild it in three days.’” ⁶²And the high priest stood up and said to him, “Do you make no answer? What is it that these men are testifying against you?” ⁶³But Yĕshūa̒ kept silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living Almĭghty, that you tell us whether you are the Mĕssiah, the Almĭghty Sŏn.”

⁶⁴Yĕshūa̒ said to him, “You have said it yourself. Nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see the Sŏn of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

⁶⁵Then the high priest tore his robes, saying, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy. ⁶⁶What do you think?” They answered and said, “He is deserving of death!” ⁶⁷Then they spat in his face and beat him with their fists, and others slapped him, ⁶⁸and said, “Prophesy to us, you Mĕssiah. Who is the one who hit you?”

Peter’s Denials

⁶⁹Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a certain servant-girl came to him and said, “You too were with Yĕshūa̒ the Gali̱li̱.” ⁷⁰But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.” ⁷¹And when he had gone out to the gateway, another servant-girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This man was with Yĕshūa̒ of Netsaret.” ⁷²And again he denied it with an oath, “I do not know the man.” ⁷³And a little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Surely you too are one of them, because the way you talk gives you away.” ⁷⁴Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know the man!” And immediately a crowed. ⁷⁵And Peter remembered the word which Yĕshūa̒ had said, “Before a crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

Yehūdah’s Remorse

Now when morning had come, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Yĕshūa̒ to put him to death. ^27:2And they bound him, and led him away, and delivered him up to Pilate the governor.

³Then when Yehūdah, who had betrayed him, saw that he was condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, ⁴saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? See to that yourself!” ⁵And he threw the pieces of silver into the sanctuary and departed. And he went away and hanged himself.

⁶And the chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, “It is not lawful to put them into the temple treasury, since it is the price of blood.” ⁷And they counseled together and with the silver bought the Potter’s Field as a burial place for strangers. ⁸For this reason that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. ⁹Then that which was spoken through the prophet was fulfilled, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the splendid price which the sons of Yisra’ēl set ¹⁰and they gave them to the field of the Potter, as Yăhweh directed me.”

Pilate Questions Yĕshūa̒

¹¹Now Yĕshūa̒ stood before the governor, and the governor questioned him, saying, “Are you the King of the Yehūdi̱m?” And Yĕshūa̒ said to him, “It is as you say.” ¹²And while he was being accused by the chief priests and elders, he made no answer. ¹³Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” ¹⁴And he did not answer him with regard to even a single charge, so that the governor was quite amazed.

¹⁵Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. ¹⁶And they were holding at that time a notorious prisoner, called Bar-A’bba’. ¹⁷When therefore they were gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you? Bar-A’bba’, or Yĕshūa̒ who is called Mĕssiah?” ¹⁸For he knew that because of envy they had delivered him up.

¹⁹And while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that righteous Man, because last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of him.” ²⁰But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Bar-A’bba’, and to put Yĕshūa̒ to death. ²¹But the governor answered and said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Bar-A’bba’.” ²²Pilate said to them, “Then what will I do with Yĕshūa̒ who is called Mĕssiah?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” ²³And he said, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they kept shouting all the more, saying, “Let him be crucified!” ²⁴And when Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood. See to that yourselves.”

²⁵And all the people answered and said, “His blood be on us and on our children!” ²⁶Then he released Bar-A’bba’ for them, but after having Yĕshūa̒ scourged, he delivered him to be crucified.

King Of The Jews!

²⁷Then the soldiers of the governor took Yĕshūa̒ into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around him. ²⁸And they stripped him, and put a scarlet robe on him. ²⁹And after weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on his head, and a reed in his right hand, and they kneeled down before him and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Yehūdi̱m!” ³⁰And they spat on him, and took the reed and were beating him on the head. ³¹And after they had mocked him, they took his robe off and put his garments on him, and led him away to crucify him.

³²And as they were coming out, they found a man of Cyrene named Shim‘ōn, whom they pressed into service to bear his cross.

The Crucifixion

³³And when they had come to a place called Golgolta’, which means place of a poll, ³⁴they gave him wine to drink mingled with gall, and after tasting it, he was unwilling to drink. ³⁵And when they had crucified him, they divided up his garments among themselves, casting lots. ³⁶And sitting down, they were keeping watch over him there. ³⁷And they put up above his head the charge against him which read, “This is Yĕshūa̒ the king of the Yehūdi̱m.”

³⁸At that time two bandits were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. ³⁹And those passing by were hurling abuse at him, wagging their heads, ⁴⁰and saying, “You who were going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Almĭghty Sŏn, come down from the cross.”

⁴¹In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking him, and saying, ⁴²“He saved others? He cannot save himself. King of Yisra’ēl he is? Let him now come down from the cross, and we will affirm faithfulness to him. ⁴³He prevails on the Almĭghty? Let Him deliver now if He takes pleasure in him, because he said, ‘I am the Sŏn of the Almĭghty.’ ” ⁴⁴And the bandits also, who were crucified with him, were casting the same insult at him.

⁴⁵Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. ⁴⁶And about the ninth hour Yĕshūa̒ cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Ē’li̱, Ē’li̱, lamah Shev̱aqtani̱? that is, “My Gŏd, my Gŏd, why have you forsaken me?” ⁴⁷And some of those who were standing there, when they heard it, were saying, “This man is calling for Ēli̱yahū.” ⁴⁸And immediately one of them ran, and taking a sponge, he filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him a drink. ⁴⁹But the rest of them said, “Let us see whether Ēli̱yahū will come to save him.” ⁵⁰And Yĕshūa̒ cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up his spirit.

⁵¹And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth shook, and the rocks were split, ⁵²and the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the holy ones who had fallen asleep were raised, ⁵³and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many. ⁵⁴Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Yĕshūa̒, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, “Truly this was the Almĭghty Sŏn!”

⁵⁵And many women were there looking on from a distance, who had followed Yĕshūa̒ from Gali̱l, ministering to him, ⁵⁶among whom was Miryam HaMagdali̱t, along with Miryam the mother of Ya‘aqōv̱ and Yōsēph, and the mother of the sons of Zav̱dai̱.

Yĕshūa̒ is Buried

⁵⁷And when it was late, there came a rich man from Ha-Ramatayim, named Yōsēph, who himself had also become a disciple of Yĕshūa̒. ⁵⁸This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Yĕshūa̒. Then Pilate ordered it to be given over to him. ⁵⁹And Yōsēph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, ⁶⁰and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock, and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away. ⁶¹And Miriam HaMagdali̱t was there, and the other Miryam, sitting opposite the grave.

⁶²Now on the morrow which is next to the preparation, the chief priests and the Perūshi̱m gathered together with Pilate, ⁶³and said, “Sir, we remember that when he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I rise again.’ ⁶⁴Therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure till the third day, lest the disciples come and steal him away and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.” ⁶⁵Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how.” ⁶⁶And they went and made the grave secure, by sealing the stone, and with the guard.

Now the later of the Shabbats, at the dawning on the first of the Shabbats, Miriam Magdalene and the other Miriam came to look at the grave.

^28:2And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred: a messenger, verily, from Yahweh descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. ³And his appearance was like lightning, and his garment as white as snow. ⁴And the guards shook because of fear of him, and became like dead men. ⁵And the messenger answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, because I know that you are looking for Yĕshūa̒ who has been crucified. ⁶He is not here, because he has risen, just as he said. Come, see the place where he was lying. ⁷And go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead. And behold, he is going before you into Gali̱l, there you will see him. Behold, I have told you.”

⁸And they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy and ran to report it to his disciples. ⁹And behold, Yĕshūa̒ met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. ¹⁰Then Yĕshūa̒ said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and take word to my brothers to leave for Gali̱l, and there they will see me.”

¹¹Now while they were on their way, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened. ¹²And when they had assembled with the elders and counseled together, they gave a large sum of silver to the soldiers, ¹³and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ ¹⁴And if this should come to the governor’s ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble.”

¹⁵And they took the silver and did as they were instructed. And this story was widely spread among the Yehūdi̱m, and is to this day.

Yĕshūa̒’s Commandment

¹⁶But the eleven disciples proceeded to Gali̱l, to the mountain which Yĕshūa̒ had designated. ¹⁷And when they saw him, they worshiped him, but some were doubtful. ¹⁸And Yĕshūa̒ came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.”

¹⁹“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, immersing them in the Name of the Făther, also of the Sŏn, also of the Holy Spĭrit, ²⁰teaching them to observe all that I myself commanded you, and lo, I am with you all the days onward the end of the age.”