Matthew 10-18

Amplified Bible

The Twelve Disciples; Instructions for Service

10 Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority and power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.^(A)

² Now these are the names of the twelve ^[a]apostles (special messengers, personally chosen representatives): first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother; ^[b]James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;^{(B) 3} Philip and Bartholomew (Nathanael); Thomas and Matthew (Levi) the tax collector; ^[c]James the son of ^[d]Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus (Judas, not Iscariot); ⁴ Simon the Cananaean (Zealot), and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him.

⁵ Jesus sent out these twelve, instructing them: “Do not go among the Gentiles, and do not go into a city of the Samaritans; ⁶ but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ⁷ And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ ⁸ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. ⁹ Do not take gold, or silver, or [even] copper money in your money belt, ¹⁰ or a provision bag for your journey, or even two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker deserves his support. ¹¹ Whatever city or village you enter, ask who in it is worthy [who welcomes you and your message], and stay at his house until you leave [that city]. ¹² As you go into the house, give it your greeting [that is, ‘Peace be to this house’]. ¹³ If [the family living in] the house is worthy [welcoming you and your message], give it your [blessing of] ^[e]peace [that is, a blessing of well-being and prosperity, the favor of God]. But if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace. ¹⁴ Whoever does not welcome you, nor listen to your message, as you leave that house or city, ^[f]shake the dust [of it] off your feet [in contempt, breaking all ties].^{(C) 15} I assure you and most solemnly say to you, it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of ^[g]Sodom and Gomorrah than for that city [since it rejected the Messiah’s messenger].

A Hard Road before Them

¹⁶ “Listen carefully: I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; so be wise as serpents, and innocent as doves [have no self-serving agenda].^{(D) 17} Beware of men [whose nature is to act in opposition to God], for they will hand you over to the courts and flog you in their synagogues; ¹⁸ and you will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. ¹⁹ But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given you within that [very] hour;^{(E) 20} for it is not you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

²¹ “Brother will betray brother to death, and the father his child; and children will rise up and rebel against their parents and cause them to be put death. ²² And you will be hated by everyone because of [your association with] My name, but it is the one who has patiently persevered and endured to the end who will be saved.

²³ “When they persecute you in one city [because of your faith in Me], flee to the next; for I assure you and most solemnly say to you, you will not finish going through all the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

The Meaning of Discipleship

²⁴ “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor is a bond-servant above his master. ²⁵ It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the bond-servant like his master. If they have called the head of the house ^[h]Beelzebul (Satan), how much more [will they speak evil of] the members of his household.^(F)

²⁶ “So do not be afraid of them, for nothing is hidden that will not be revealed [at the judgment], or kept secret that will not be made known [at the judgment].^{(G) 27} What I say to you in the dark (privately), tell in the light (publicly); and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops [to many people]. ²⁸ Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; but rather be afraid of Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹ Are not two little sparrows sold for a ^[i]copper coin? And yet not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. ³⁰ But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered [for the Father is sovereign and has complete knowledge]. ³¹ So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.

³² “Therefore, the one who ^[j]confesses and acknowledges Me before men [as Lord and Savior, affirming a state of oneness with Me], that one I will also confess and acknowledge before My Father who is in heaven. ³³ But the one who denies and rejects Me before men, that one I will also deny and reject before My Father who is in heaven.

³⁴ “Do not think that I have come to bring peace on the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword [of division between belief and unbelief].^{(H) 35} For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; ³⁶ and a man’s enemies will be the members of his [own] household [when one believes and another does not].^(I)

³⁷ “^[k]He 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.^{(J) 38} And he who does not take his ^[l]cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me] is not worthy of Me. ³⁹ Whoever finds his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it [through death], and whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake will find it [that is, life with Me for all eternity].^(K)

The Reward of Service

⁴⁰ “He who receives and welcomes you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.^{(L) 41} He who receives and welcomes a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and he who receives a righteous (honorable) man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. ⁴² And whoever gives to one of these little ones [these who are humble in rank or influence] even a cup of cold water to drink because he is my disciple, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward.”

John’s Questions

11 When Jesus had finished giving instructions to His twelve disciples, He went on from there to teach and to preach in their [Galilean] cities.

² Now when ^[m]John [the Baptist] in prison heard about the activities of Christ, he sent word by his disciples^{(M) 3} and asked Him, “Are You the Expected One (the Messiah), or should we look for someone else [who will be the promised One]?”^{(N) 4} Jesus answered, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: ⁵ the blind receive [their] sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed [by healing] and the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.^{(O) 6} And blessed [joyful, favored by God] is he who does not take offense at Me [accepting Me as the Messiah and trusting confidently in My message of salvation].”^(P)

Jesus’ Tribute to John

⁷ As these men were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out in the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind [which is commonplace]? ⁸ What did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing [entirely unsuited for the harsh desert]? Those who wear soft clothing are in the palaces of kings! ⁹ But what did you [really] go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one [more eminent, more remarkable, and] ^[n]far more than a prophet [who foretells the future]. ¹⁰ This is the one of whom it is written [by the prophet Malachi],

¹¹ I assure you and most solemnly say to you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater [in privilege] than he. ¹² From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violent assault, and violent men seize it by force [as a precious prize]. ¹³ For all the prophets and the Law prophesied up until John. ¹⁴ And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is [the fulfillment of] Elijah [as the messenger] who was to come [before the kingdom].^{(R) 15} He who has ears to hear, let him hear and heed My words.

¹⁶ “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like little children sitting in the market places, who call to the others, ¹⁷ and say ‘We piped the flute for you [playing wedding], and you did not dance; we wailed sad dirges [playing funeral], and you did not mourn and cry aloud.’ ¹⁸ For John came neither eating nor drinking [with others], and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ ¹⁹ The Son of Man came eating and drinking [with others], and they say, ‘Look! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners [including non-observant Jews]!’ Yet wisdom is justified and vindicated by her deeds [in the lives of those who respond to Me].”

The Unrepenting Cities

²⁰ Then He began to denounce [the people in] the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent [and change their hearts and lives]. ²¹ “Woe (judgment is coming) to you, ^[o]Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon [cities of the Gentiles], they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes [their hearts would have been changed and they would have expressed sorrow for their sin and rebellion against God]. ²² Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for [the pagan cities of] Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. ²³ And you, Capernaum, are you to be exalted to heaven [for your apathy and unresponsiveness]? You will descend to Hades (the realm of the dead); for if the miracles done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. ²⁴ But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment, than for you.”

Come to Me

²⁵ At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth [I openly and joyfully acknowledge Your great wisdom], that You have hidden these things [these spiritual truths] from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to infants [to new believers, to those seeking God’s will and purpose]. ²⁶ Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. ²⁷ All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one fully knows and accurately understands the Son except the Father; and no one fully knows and accurately understands the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son [deliberately] wills to reveal Him.

²⁸ “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation]. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls.^{(S) 30} For My yoke is easy [to bear] and My burden is light.”

Sabbath Questions

12 At that particular time Jesus went through the grainfields on the ^[p]Sabbath, and His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them.^{(T) 2} But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what ^[q]is unlawful on the Sabbath.”^{(U) 3} He said to them, “Have you not read [in the Scriptures] what David did when he was hungry, he and those who accompanied him—^{(V) 4} how he went into the house of God, and they ate the ^[r]consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests only? ⁵ Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break [the sanctity of] the Sabbath and yet are innocent?^{(W) 6} But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. ⁷ And if you had only known what this statement means, ‘I desire compassion [for those in distress], ^[s]and not [animal] sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.^(X)

Lord of the Sabbath

⁸ For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

⁹ Leaving there, He went into their synagogue.^{(Y) 10} A man was there whose hand was withered. And they asked Jesus, “Is it lawful and permissible to heal on the Sabbath?”—they asked this so that they might accuse Him and bring charges into court. ¹¹ But He said to them, “What man is there among you who, if he has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? ¹² How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful and permissible to do good on the Sabbath.” ¹³ Then He said to the man, “Reach out your hand!” The man reached out and it was restored, as normal and healthy as the other. ¹⁴ But the Pharisees went out and conspired against Him, discussing how they could destroy Him.

¹⁵ Being aware of this, Jesus left there. Many followed Him, and He healed all of them [who were sick], ¹⁶ and warned them not to tell [publicly] who He was. ¹⁷ This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:

The Pharisees Rebuked

²² Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed him, so that the mute man both spoke and saw.^{(AA) 23} All the people wondered in amazement, and said, “Could this be the Son of David (the Messiah)?” ²⁴ But the Pharisees heard it and said, “This man ^[t]casts out demons only by [the help of] Beelzebul (Satan) the prince of the demons.”

²⁵ Knowing their thoughts Jesus said to them, “Any kingdom that is divided against itself is being laid waste; and no city or house divided against itself will [continue to] stand. ²⁶ If Satan casts out Satan [that is, his demons], he has become divided against himself and disunited; how then will his kingdom stand? ²⁷ If I cast out the demons by [the help of] Beelzebul (Satan), by whom do your sons drive them out? For this reason they will be your judges. ²⁸ But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you [before you expected it]. ²⁹ Or how can anyone go into a strong man’s house and steal his property unless he first overpowers and ties up the strong man? Then he will ransack and rob his house.^(AB)

The Unpardonable Sin

³⁰ He who is not with Me [once and for all on My side] is against Me; and he who does not [unequivocally] gather with Me scatters.^(AC)

³¹ “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy [every evil, abusive, injurious speaking, or indignity against sacred things] will be forgiven people, but ^[u]blasphemy against the [Holy] Spirit will not be forgiven. ³² Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit [by attributing the miracles done by Me to Satan] will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.^(AD)

Words Reveal Character

³³ “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is recognized and judged by its fruit. ³⁴ You brood of vipers, how can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. ³⁵ The good man, from his [inner] good treasure, brings out good things; and the evil man, from his [inner] evil treasure, brings out evil things. ³⁶ But I tell you, on the day of judgment people will have to give an accounting for every careless or useless word they speak. ³⁷ For by your words [reflecting your spiritual condition] you will be justified and acquitted of the guilt of sin; and by your words [rejecting Me] you will be condemned and sentenced.”

The Desire for Signs

³⁸ Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign (attesting miracle) from You [proving that You are what You claim to be].” ³⁹ But He replied and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation [that is morally unfaithful to God] craves and demands a [miraculous] sign; but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah;^{(AE) 40} for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.^{(AF) 41} The men of Nineveh will stand up [as witnesses] at the judgment against this generation, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and now, something greater than Jonah is here.^{(AG) 42} The Queen of the South (Sheba) will stand up [as a witness] at the judgment against this generation, and will condemn it because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon; and now, something greater than Solomon is here.^(AH)

⁴³ “Now when the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, it roams through waterless (dry, arid) places in search of rest, but it does not find it. ⁴⁴ Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it arrives, it finds the place unoccupied, swept, and put in order. ⁴⁵ Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and make their home there. And the last condition of that man becomes worse than the first. So will it also be with this wicked generation.”

Changed Relationships

⁴⁶ While He was still talking to the crowds, it happened that His mother and brothers stood outside, asking to speak to Him.^{(AI) 47} Someone said to Him, “Look! Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside asking to speak to You.” ⁴⁸ But Jesus replied to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” ⁴⁹ And stretching out His hand toward His disciples [and all His other followers], He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! ⁵⁰ For ^[v]whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven [by believing in Me, and following Me] is My brother and sister and mother.”

Jesus Teaches in Parables

13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting beside the sea [of Galilee].^{(AJ) 2} But such large crowds gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat there [positioning Himself as a teacher], while the whole crowd stood on the shore.

³ He told them many things in ^[w]parables, saying, “Listen carefully: a sower went out to sow [seed in his field]; ⁴ and as he sowed, some seed fell beside the road [between the fields], and the birds came and ate it. ⁵ Other seed fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil; and at once they sprang up because they had no depth of soil. ⁶ But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, and thorns came up and choked them out. ⁸ Other seed fell on good soil and yielded grain, some a hundred times as much [as was sown], some sixty [times as much], and some thirty. ⁹ He who has ears [to hear], let him hear and heed My words.”

An Explanation

¹⁰ Then the disciples came to Him and asked, “Why do You speak to the crowds in parables?” ¹¹ Jesus replied to them, “To you it has been granted to know the ^[x]mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.^{(AK) 12} For whoever has [spiritual wisdom because he is receptive to God’s word], to him more will be given, and he will be richly and abundantly supplied; but whoever does not have [spiritual wisdom because he has devalued God’s word], even what he has will be taken away from him.^{(AL) 13} This is the reason I speak to the crowds in parables: because while [having the power of] seeing they do not see, and while [having the power of] hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand and grasp [spiritual things]. ¹⁴ In them the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,

¹⁶ But blessed [spiritually aware, and favored by God] are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.^{(AN) 17} I assure you and most solemnly say to you, many prophets and righteous men [who were honorable and in right standing with God] longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

The Sower Explained

¹⁸ “Listen then to the [meaning of the] parable of the sower:^{(AO) 19} When anyone hears the word of the kingdom [regarding salvation] and does not understand and grasp it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. ²⁰ The one on whom seed was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and at once welcomes it with joy; ²¹ yet he has no [substantial] root in himself, but is only temporary, and when pressure or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he stumbles and falls away [abandoning the One who is the source of salvation]. ²² And the one on whom seed was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the worries and distractions of the world and the deceitfulness [the superficial pleasures and delight] of riches choke the word, and it yields no fruit. ²³ And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands and grasps it; he indeed bears fruit and yields, some a hundred times [as much as was sown], some sixty [times as much], and some thirty.”^(AP)

Weeds among Wheat

²⁴ Jesus gave them another parable [to consider], saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. ²⁵ But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed ^[y]weeds [resembling wheat] among the wheat, and went away. ²⁶ So when the plants sprouted and formed grain, the weeds appeared also. ²⁷ The servants of the owner came to him and said, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? Then how does it have weeds in it?’ ²⁸ He replied to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants asked him, ‘Then do you want us to go and pull them out?’ ²⁹ But he said, ‘No; because as you pull out the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. ³⁰ Let them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First gather the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

The Mustard Seed

³¹ He gave them another parable [to consider], saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field;^{(AQ) 32} and of all the seeds [planted in the region] it is the smallest, but when it has grown it is the largest of the garden herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air find shelter in its branches.”^(AR)

The Leaven

³³ He told them another parable, “The kingdom of heaven is like ^[z]leaven, which a woman took and worked into three ^[aa]measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”^(AS)

³⁴ All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables, and He said nothing to them without [using] a parable. ³⁵ This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet:

The Weeds Explained

³⁶ Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him saying, “Explain [clearly] to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” ³⁷ He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, ³⁸ and the field is the world; and [as for] the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the weeds are the sons of the evil one; ³⁹ and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. ⁴⁰ So just as the weeds are gathered up and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of the age. ⁴¹ The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend [those things by which people are led into sin], and all who practice evil [leading others into sin], ⁴² and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping [over sorrow and pain] and grinding of teeth [over distress and anger]. ⁴³ Then the righteous [those who seek the will of God] will shine forth [radiating the new life] like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears [to hear], let him hear and heed My words.^(AU)

Hidden Treasure

⁴⁴ “The kingdom of heaven is like a [very precious] treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid again; then in his joy he goes and sells all he has and buys that field [securing the treasure for himself].

A Costly Pearl

⁴⁵ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, ⁴⁶ and upon finding a single pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

A Dragnet

⁴⁷ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet which was lowered into the sea, and gathered fish of every kind, ⁴⁸ and when it was full, they dragged it up on the beach; and they sat down and sorted out the good fish into baskets, but the worthless ones they threw away. ⁴⁹ So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous ⁵⁰ and throw the wicked into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping [over sorrow and pain] and grinding of teeth [over distress and anger].

⁵¹ “Have you understood all these things [in the lessons of the parables]?” They said to Jesus, “Yes.” ⁵² He said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household, who brings out of his ^[ab]treasure things that are new and fresh and things that are old and familiar.”

Jesus Revisits Nazareth

⁵³ When Jesus had finished these parables, He left there. ⁵⁴ And after coming to [Nazareth] His hometown, He began teaching them in their synagogue, and they were astonished, and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers [what is the source of His authority]?^{(AV) 55} Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And are not His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? ⁵⁶ And His sisters, are they not [living here] among us? Where then did this Man get all this [wisdom and power]?” ⁵⁷ And they took offense at Him [refusing to believe in Him]. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” ⁵⁸ And He did not do many miracles there [in Nazareth] because of their unbelief.

John the Baptist Beheaded

14 At that time Herod [Antipas], the tetrarch [who governed a portion of Palestine including Galilee and Perea], heard the reports about Jesus,^{(AW) 2} and said to his attendants, “This is John the Baptist; he has been raised from the dead, and that is why the miraculous powers are at work in him.”

³ For Herod had John arrested and bound him and put him in prison [at the fortress of Machaerus, east of the Jordan, to keep him away] because of ^[ac]Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip,^{(AX) 4} for John had said to him, “It is not lawful (morally right) for you to have her [living with you as your wife].”^{(AY) 5} Although Herod wished to have him put to death, he feared the people, for they regarded John as a prophet.

⁶ But when Herod’s birthday came, [his niece Salome], the daughter of Herodias danced [immodestly] before them and pleased and fascinated Herod, ⁷ so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. ⁸ She, being coached by her mother [Herodias], said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” ⁹ The king was distressed, but because of his oaths, and because of his dinner guests, he ordered it to be given her. ¹⁰ He sent and had John beheaded in the prison. ¹¹ His head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother [Herodias]. ¹² And John’s disciples came and took away the body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.

Five Thousand Fed

¹³ When Jesus heard about John, He left there privately in a boat and went to a secluded place. But when the crowds heard of this, they followed Him on foot from the cities.^{(AZ) 14} When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt [profound] compassion for them and healed their sick.

¹⁵ When evening came, the disciples came to Him and said, “This is an isolated place and the hour is already late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” ¹⁶ But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!” ¹⁷ They replied, “We have nothing here except five loaves and two fish.” ¹⁸ He said, “Bring them here to Me.” ¹⁹ Then He ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and He took the five loaves and the two fish and, looking up toward heaven, He blessed and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people, ²⁰ and they all ate and were satisfied. They picked up twelve full baskets of the leftover broken pieces. ²¹ There were about 5,000 men who ate, besides women and children.

Jesus Walks on the Water

²² Immediately He directed the disciples to get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side [of the Sea of Galilee], while He sent the crowds away.^{(BA) 23} After He had dismissed the crowds, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When it was evening, He was there alone. ²⁴ But the boat [by this time] was already a ^[ad]long distance from land, tossed and battered by the waves; for the wind was against them. ²⁵ And in the fourth watch of the night (3:00-6:00 a.m.) Jesus came to them, walking on the sea.^{(BB) 26} When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. ²⁷ But immediately He spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I! Do not be afraid!”^(BC)

²⁸ Peter replied to Him, “Lord, if it is [really] You, command me to come to You on the water.” ²⁹ He said, “Come!” So Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw [the effects of] the wind, he was frightened, and he began to sink, and he cried out, “Lord, save me!” ³¹ Immediately Jesus extended His hand and caught him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you ^[ae]doubt?” ³² And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. ³³ Then those in the boat worshiped Him [with awe-inspired reverence], saying, “Truly You are the Son of God!”

³⁴ When they had crossed over [the sea], they went ashore at Gennesaret. ³⁵ And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent word throughout all the surrounding district and brought to Him all who were sick; ³⁶ and they begged Him to let them merely touch the fringe of His robe; and all who touched it were perfectly restored.^(BD)

Tradition and Commandment

15 Then some Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem came to Jesus and said, ² “Why do Your disciples violate the ^[af]tradition (religious laws) handed down by the [Jewish] elders? For Your disciples do not [ceremonially] wash their hands before they eat.” ³ He replied to them, “Why also do you violate the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition [handed down by the elders]? ⁴ For God said [through Moses], ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of or insults or treats improperly father or mother is to be put to death.’^{(BE) 5} But you say, ‘If anyone says to his father or mother, “Whatever [money or resource that] I have that would help you is [already dedicated and] given to God,” ⁶ he is not to honor his father or his mother [by helping them with their need].’ So by this you have invalidated the word of God [depriving it of force and authority and making it of no effect] for the sake of your tradition [handed down by the elders]. ⁷ You hypocrites (play-actors, pretenders), rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you when he said,

¹⁰ After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said, “Listen and understand this: ¹¹ It is not what goes into the mouth of a man that defiles and dishonors him, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles and dishonors him.”

¹² Then the disciples came and said to Jesus, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard you say this?” ¹³ He answered, “Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant will be torn up by the roots.^{(BG) 14} Leave them alone; they are blind guides ^[ag][leading blind followers]. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

The Heart of Man

¹⁵ Peter asked Him, “Explain this parable [about what defiles a person] to us.” ¹⁶ And He said, “Are you still so dull [and unable to put things together]? ¹⁷ Do you not understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated? ¹⁸ But whatever [word] comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this is what defiles and dishonors the man. ¹⁹ For out of the heart come evil thoughts and plans, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, slanders (verbal abuse, irreverent speech, blaspheming). ²⁰ These are the things which defile and dishonor the man; but eating with [ceremonially] unwashed hands does not defile the man.”

The Syrophoenician Woman

²¹ After leaving there, Jesus withdrew to the district of ^[ah]Tyre and Sidon.^{(BH) 22} And a ^[ai]Canaanite woman from that district came out and began to cry out [urgently], saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David (Messiah); my daughter is cruelly possessed by a demon.” ²³ But He did not say a word in answer to her. And His disciples came and asked Him [repeatedly], “Send her away, because she keeps shouting out after us.” ²⁴ He answered, “I was commissioned by God and sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” ²⁵ But she came and began to kneel down before Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” ²⁶ And He replied, “It is not good (appropriate, fair) to take the ^[aj]children’s bread and throw it to the ^[ak]pet dogs.” ²⁷ She said, “Yes, Lord; but even the pet dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their [young] masters’ table.” ²⁸ Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, your faith [your personal trust and confidence in My power] is great; it will be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed from that moment.

Healing Crowds

²⁹ Jesus went on from there and passed along by [the eastern shore of] the Sea of Galilee. Then He went up on the hillside and was sitting there. ³⁰ And great crowds came to Him, bringing with them the lame, crippled, blind, mute, and many others, and they put them down at His feet; and He healed them. ³¹ So the crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled restored, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they praised and glorified the God of Israel.

Four Thousand Fed

³² Then Jesus called His disciples to Him, and said, “I feel compassion for the crowd, because they have been with Me now three days and have nothing [left] to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, because they might faint [from exhaustion] on the way [home].”^{(BI) 33} The disciples said to Him, “Where are we to get enough bread in this isolated place to feed so large a crowd?” ³⁴ And Jesus asked them, “How many loaves [of bread] do you have?” They replied, “Seven, and a few small fish.” ³⁵ He directed the crowd to sit down on the ground, ³⁶ and He took the seven loaves and the fish; and when He had given thanks, He broke them and started giving them to the disciples, and the disciples [gave them] to the people. ³⁷ And they all ate and were satisfied, and they gathered up seven full baskets of the broken pieces that were left over. ³⁸ [Among] those who ate were 4,000 men, not counting women and children.

³⁹ Then Jesus sent the crowds away, got into the boat and went to the district of ^[al]Magadan.

Pharisees Test Jesus

16 Now the Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and testing Jesus [to get something to use against Him], they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven [which would support His divine authority]. ² But He replied to them, “^[am]When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ ³ And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and has a threatening look.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but cannot interpret the signs of the times? ⁴ An evil and [morally] unfaithful generation craves a [miraculous] sign; but no sign will be given to it, except the sign of [the prophet] Jonah.” Then He left them and went away.^(BJ)

⁵ When the disciples reached the other side of the sea, they realized that they had forgotten to bring bread. ⁶ Jesus said to them, “Watch out and be on your guard against the ^[an]leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” ⁷ They began to discuss this among themselves, saying, “He said that because we did not bring bread.” ⁸ But Jesus, aware of this, said, “You men of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves that you have no bread? ⁹ Do you still not understand or remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you picked up? ¹⁰ Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many large baskets you picked up? ¹¹ How is it that you fail to understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” ¹² Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the [false] teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Peter’s Confession of Christ

¹³ Now when Jesus went into the ^[ao]region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”^{(BK) 14} And they answered, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah, or [just] one of the prophets.” ¹⁵ He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶ Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷ Then Jesus answered him, “Blessed [happy, spiritually secure, favored by God] are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood (mortal man) did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. ¹⁸ And I say to you that you are ^[ap]Peter, and on this ^[aq]rock I will build My church; and the ^[ar]gates of Hades (death) will not overpower it [by preventing the resurrection of the Christ].^{(BL) 19} I will give you the keys (authority) of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind [forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful] on earth ^[as]will have [already] been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose [permit, declare lawful] on earth ^[at]will have [already] been loosed in heaven.”^{(BM) 20} Then He gave the disciples strict orders to tell no one that He was the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).

Jesus Foretells His Death

^21 [au]From that time on Jesus began to show His disciples [clearly] that He must go to Jerusalem, and endure many things at the hands of the elders and the chief priests and scribes (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court), and be killed, and be raised [from death to life] on the third day.^{(BN) 22} Peter took Him aside [to speak to Him privately] and began to reprimand Him, saying, “May God forbid it! This will never happen to You.” ²³ But Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on things of God, but on things of man.”

Discipleship Is Costly

²⁴ Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]. ²⁵ For whoever wishes to save his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it [through death], but whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake will find it [that is, life with Me for all eternity]. ²⁶ For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world [wealth, fame, success], but forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? ²⁷ For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory and majesty of His Father with His angels, and then He will repay each one in accordance with what he has done.^(BO)

²⁸ “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, there are some of ^[av]those standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

The Transfiguration

17 Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John the brother of James, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves.^{(BP) 2} And His appearance changed dramatically in their presence; and His face shone [with heavenly glory, clear and bright] like the sun, and His clothing became as white as light. ³ And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Jesus. ⁴ Then Peter began to speak and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good and delightful and auspicious that we are here; if You wish, I will put up three [sacred] tents here—one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” ⁵ While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and ^[aw]a voice from the cloud said, “^[ax]This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased and delighted! Listen to Him!”^{(BQ) 6} When the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were terrified. ⁷ But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.” ⁸ And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone.

⁹ And as they were going down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Do not tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” ¹⁰ The disciples asked Him, “Then why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” ¹¹ He answered and said, “Elijah is coming and will restore all things; ¹² but I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not recognize him, but did to him as they wished. The Son of Man is also going to suffer at their hands.” ¹³ Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist.^(BR)

The Demoniac

¹⁴ When they approached the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, kneeling before Him and saying,^{(BS) 15} “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic (moonstruck) and suffers terribly; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. ¹⁶ And I brought him to Your disciples, and they were not able to heal him.” ¹⁷ And Jesus answered, “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.” ¹⁸ Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed at once.

¹⁹ Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked, “Why could we not drive it out?” ²⁰ He answered, “Because of your little faith [your lack of trust and confidence in the power of God]; for I assure you and most solemnly say to you, ^[ay]if you have [living] faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and [if it is God’s will] it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.^{(BT) 21 [az]}[But this kind of demon does not go out except by prayer and fasting.]”

²² When they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed and handed over to men [who are His enemies]; ²³ and they will kill Him, and He will be raised [from death to life] on the third day.” And they were deeply grieved and distressed.

The Tribute Money

²⁴ When they arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the ^[ba]half-shekel [temple tax] went up to Peter and said, “Does not your teacher pay the half-shekel?”^{(BU) 25} Peter answered, “Yes.” And when he came home, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do earthly rulers collect duties or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?” ²⁶ When Peter said, “From strangers,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are exempt [from taxation]. ²⁷ However, so that we do not offend them, 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 shekel. Take it and give it to them [to pay the temple tax] for you and Me.”

Rank in the Kingdom

18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”^{(BV) 2} He called a little child and set him before them, ³ and said, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless you repent [that is, change your inner self—your old way of thinking, live changed lives] and become like children [trusting, humble, and forgiving], you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Therefore, whoever ^[bb]humbles himself like this child is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵ Whoever receives and welcomes one ^[bc]child like this in My name receives Me; ⁶ but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble and sin [by leading him away from My teaching], it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone [as large as one turned by a donkey] hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.^(BW)

Stumbling Blocks

⁷ “Woe (judgment is coming) to the world because of stumbling blocks and temptations to sin! It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to the person on whose account or through whom the stumbling block comes!^(BX)

⁸ “If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble and sin, cut it off and throw it away from you [that is, remove yourself from the source of temptation]; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into everlasting fire. ⁹ If your eye causes you to stumble and sin, pluck it out and throw it away from you [that is, remove yourself from the source of temptation]; it is better for you to enter life with only one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fiery hell.

¹⁰ “See that you do not despise or think less of one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven [are in the presence of and] continually look upon the face of My Father who is in heaven.^{(BY) 11 [bd]}[For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.]

Ninety-nine Plus One

¹² “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them gets lost, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountain and go in search of the one that is lost?^{(BZ) 13} And if it turns out that he finds it, I assure you and most solemnly say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that did not get lost. ¹⁴ So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones be lost.

Discipline and Prayer

¹⁵ “If your brother sins^[be], go and show him his fault in private; if he listens and pays attention to you, you have won back your brother. ¹⁶ But if he does not listen, take along with you one or two others, so that every word may be confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses. ¹⁷ If he pays no attention to them [refusing to listen and obey], tell it to the ^[bf]church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile (unbeliever) and a tax collector.^{(CA) 18} I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whatever you bind [forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful] on earth ^[bg]shall have [already] been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose [permit, declare lawful] on earth ^[bh]shall have [already] been loosed in heaven.^(CB)

¹⁹ “Again I say to you, that if two ^[bi]believers on earth agree [that is, are of one mind, in harmony] about anything that they ask [within the will of God], it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.^{(CC) 20} For where two or three are gathered in My name [meeting together as My followers], I am there among them.”^(CD)

Forgiveness

²¹ Then Peter came to Him and asked, “Lord, how many times will my brother sin against me and I forgive him and let it go? Up to seven times?” ²² Jesus answered him, “I say to you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven.

²³ “Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. ²⁴ When he began the accounting, one who owed him 10,000 ^[bj]talents was brought to him. ²⁵ But because he could not repay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and his children and everything that he possessed, and payment to be made. ²⁶ So the slave fell on his knees and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ ²⁷ And his master’s heart was moved with compassion and he released him and forgave him [canceling] the debt. ²⁸ But that same slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him ^[bk]a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began choking him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe!’ ²⁹ So his fellow slave fell on his knees and begged him earnestly, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ ³⁰ But he was unwilling and he went and had him thrown in prison until he paid back the debt. ³¹ When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and they went and reported to their master [with clarity and in detail] everything that had taken place. ³² Then his master called him and said to him, ‘You wicked and contemptible slave, I forgave all that [great] debt of yours because you begged me. ³³ Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave [who owed you little by comparison], as I had mercy on you?’ ³⁴ And in wrath his master turned him over to the torturers (jailers) until he paid all that he owed. ³⁵ My heavenly Father will also do the same to [every one of] you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”