A Discussion about Divorce and Celibacy^(A)

19 When Jesus finished speaking, he left Galilee and traveled along the other side of the Jordan River to the territory of Judea. ² Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

³ Some Pharisees came to test him. They asked, “Can a man divorce his wife for any reason?”

⁴ Jesus answered, “Haven’t you read that the Creator made them male and female in the beginning ⁵ and that he said, ‘That’s why a man will leave his father and mother and will remain united with his wife, and the two will be one’? ⁶ So they are no longer two but one. Therefore, don’t let anyone separate what God has joined together.”

⁷ The Pharisees asked him, “Why, then, did Moses order a man to give his wife a written notice to divorce her?”

⁸ Jesus answered them, “Moses allowed you to divorce your wives because you’re heartless. It was never this way in the beginning. ⁹ I can guarantee that whoever divorces his wife for any reason other than her unfaithfulness is committing adultery if he marries another woman.”

¹⁰ The disciples said to him, “If that is the only reason a man can use to divorce his wife, it’s better not to get married.”

¹¹ He answered them, “Not everyone can do what you suggest. Only those who have that gift can. ¹² For example, some men are celibate because they were born that way. Others are celibate because they were castrated. Still others have decided to be celibate because of the kingdom of heaven. If anyone can do what you’ve suggested, then he should do it.”

Jesus Blesses Children^(B)

¹³ Then some people brought little children to Jesus to have him bless them and pray for them. But the disciples told the people not to do that.

¹⁴ Jesus said, “Don’t stop children from coming to me! Children like these are part of God’s kingdom.” ¹⁵ After Jesus blessed them, he went away from there.

Eternal Life in the Kingdom^(C)

¹⁶ Then a man came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, what good deed should I do to gain eternal life?”

¹⁷ Jesus said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you want to enter into life, obey the commandments.”

¹⁸ “Which commandments?” the man asked.

Jesus said, “Never murder. Never commit adultery. Never steal. Never give false testimony. ¹⁹ Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”

²⁰ The young man replied, “I have obeyed all these commandments. What else do I need to do?”

²¹ Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, sell what you own. Give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then follow me!”

²² When the young man heard this, he went away sad because he owned a lot of property.

²³ Jesus said to his disciples, “I can guarantee this truth: It will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴ I can guarantee again that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter God’s kingdom.”

²⁵ He amazed his disciples more than ever when they heard this. “Then who can be saved?” they asked.

²⁶ Jesus looked at them and said, “It is impossible for people ⌞to save themselves⌟, but everything is possible for God.”

²⁷ Then Peter replied to him, “Look, we’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get out of it?”

²⁸ Jesus said to them, “I can guarantee this truth: When the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne in the world to come, you, my followers, will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹ And everyone who gave up homes, brothers or sisters, father, mother, children, or fields because of my name will receive a hundred times more and will inherit eternal life. ³⁰ However, many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

A Story about Vineyard Workers

20 “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at daybreak to hire workers for his vineyard. ² After agreeing to pay the workers the usual day’s wages, he sent them to work in his vineyard. ³ About 9 a.m. he saw others standing in the marketplace without work. ⁴ He said to them, ‘Work in my vineyard, and I’ll give you whatever is right.’ So they went.

⁵ “He went out again about noon and 3 p.m. and did the same thing. ⁶ About 5 p.m. he went out and found some others standing around. He said to them, ‘Why are you standing here all day long without work?’

⁷ “ ‘No one has hired us,’ they answered him.

“He said to them, ‘Work in my vineyard.’

⁸ “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard told the supervisor, ‘Call the workers, and give them their wages. Start with the last, and end with the first.’

⁹ “Those who started working about 5 p.m. came, and each received a day’s wages. ¹⁰ When those who had been hired first came, they expected to receive more. But each of them received a day’s wages. ¹¹ Although they took it, they began to protest to the owner. ¹² They said, ‘These last workers have worked only one hour. Yet, you’ve treated us all the same, even though we worked hard all day under a blazing sun.’

¹³ “The owner said to one of them, ‘Friend, I’m not treating you unfairly. Didn’t you agree with me on a day’s wages? ¹⁴ Take your money and go! I want to give this last worker as much as I gave you. ¹⁵ Can’t I do what I want with my own money? Or do you resent my generosity towards others?’

¹⁶ “In this way the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

For the Third Time Jesus Foretells That He Will Die and Come Back to Life^(D)

¹⁷ When Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, he took the twelve apostles aside and said to them privately, ¹⁸ “We’re going to Jerusalem. There the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the experts in Moses’ Teachings. They will condemn him to death ¹⁹ and hand him over to foreigners. They will make fun of him, whip him, and crucify him. But on the third day he will be brought back to life.”

A Mother Makes a Request^(E)

²⁰ Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her two sons. She bowed down in front of him to ask him for a favor.

²¹ “What do you want?” he asked her.

She said to him, “Promise that one of my sons will sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”

²² Jesus replied, “You don’t realize what you’re asking. Can you drink the cup that I’m going to drink?”

“We can,” they told him.

²³ Jesus said to them, “You will drink my cup. But I don’t have the authority to grant you a seat at my right or left. My Father has already prepared these positions for certain people.”

²⁴ When the other ten apostles heard about this, they were irritated with the two brothers. ²⁵ Jesus called the apostles and said, “You know that the rulers of nations have absolute power over people and their officials have absolute authority over people. ²⁶ But that’s not the way it’s going to be among you. Whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant. ²⁷ Whoever wants to be most important among you will be your slave. ²⁸ It’s the same way with the Son of Man. He didn’t come so that others could serve him. He came to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many people.”

Jesus Gives Two Blind Men Their Sight^(F)

²⁹ As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Jesus. ³⁰ Two blind men were sitting by the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

³¹ The crowd told them to be quiet. But they shouted even louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

³² Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.

³³ They told him, “Lord, we want you to give us our eyesight back.”

³⁴ Jesus felt sorry for them, so he touched their eyes. Their sight was restored at once, and they followed him.

The King Comes to Jerusalem^(G)

21 When they came near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples ahead of him. ² He said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you. You will find a donkey tied there and a colt with it. Untie them, and bring them to me. ³ If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them. That person will send them at once.”

⁴ This happened so that what the prophet had said came true:

⁶ The disciples did as Jesus had directed them. ⁷ They brought the donkey and the colt and put their coats on them for Jesus to sit on. ⁸ Most of the people spread their coats on the road. Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹ The crowd that went ahead of him and that followed him was shouting,

¹⁰ When Jesus came into Jerusalem, the whole city was in an uproar. People were asking, “Who is this?”

¹¹ The crowd answered, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Jesus Throws Out the Moneychangers^(H)

¹² Jesus went into the temple courtyard and threw out everyone who was buying and selling there. He overturned the moneychangers’ tables and the chairs of those who sold pigeons. ¹³ He told them, “Scripture says, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you’re turning it into a gathering place for thieves!”

¹⁴ Blind and lame people came to him in the temple courtyard, and he healed them.

¹⁵ When the chief priests and the experts in Moses’ Teachings saw the amazing miracles he performed and the children shouting in the temple courtyard, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were irritated. ¹⁶ They said to him, “Do you hear what these children are saying?”

Jesus replied, “Yes, I do. Have you never read, ‘From the mouths of little children and infants, you have created praise’?”

¹⁷ He left them and went out of the city to Bethany and spent the night there.

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree^(I)

¹⁸ In the morning, as Jesus returned to the city, he became hungry. ¹⁹ When he saw a fig tree by the road, he went up to the tree and found nothing on it but leaves. He said to the tree, “May fruit never grow on you again!” At once the fig tree dried up.

²⁰ The disciples were surprised to see this. They asked, “How did the fig tree dry up so quickly?”

²¹ Jesus answered them, “I can guarantee this truth: If you have faith and do not doubt, you will be able to do what I did to the fig tree. You could also say to this mountain, ‘Be uprooted and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. ²² Have faith that you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Jesus’ Authority Challenged^(J)

²³ Then Jesus went into the temple courtyard and began to teach. The chief priests and the leaders of the people came to him. They asked, “What gives you the right to do these things? Who told you that you could do this?”

²⁴ Jesus answered them, “I, too, have a question for you. If you answer it for me, I’ll tell you why I have the right to do these things. ²⁵ Did John’s right to baptize come from heaven or from humans?”

They discussed this among themselves. They said, “If we say, ‘from heaven,’ he will ask us, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ ²⁶ But if we say, ‘from humans,’ we’re afraid of what the crowd might do. All those people think of John as a prophet.” ²⁷ So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

Jesus told them, “Then I won’t tell you why I have the right to do these things.

A Story about Two Sons

²⁸ “What do you think about this? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go to work in the vineyard today.’

²⁹ “His son replied, ‘I don’t want to!’ But later he changed his mind and went.

³⁰ “The father went to the other son and told him the same thing. He replied, ‘I will, sir,’ but he didn’t go.

³¹ “Which of the two sons did what the father wanted?”

“The first,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “I can guarantee this truth: Tax collectors and prostitutes are going into God’s kingdom ahead of you. ³² John came to you and showed you the way that God wants you to live, but you didn’t believe him. The tax collectors and prostitutes believed him. But even after you had seen that, you didn’t change your minds and believe him.

A Story about a Vineyard^(K)

³³ “Listen to another illustration. A landowner planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, made a winepress, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to vineyard workers and went on a trip.

³⁴ “When the grapes were getting ripe, he sent his servants to the workers to collect his share of the produce. ³⁵ The workers took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned a third to death. ³⁶ So the landowner sent more servants. But the workers treated them the same way.

³⁷ “Finally, he sent his son to them. He thought, ‘They will respect my son.’

³⁸ “When the workers saw his son, they said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Let’s kill him and get his inheritance.’ ³⁹ So they grabbed him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.

⁴⁰ “Now, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those workers?”

⁴¹ They answered, “He will destroy those evil people. Then he will lease the vineyard to other workers who will give him his share of the produce when it is ready.”

⁴² Jesus asked them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

⁴³ That is why I can guarantee that God’s kingdom will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce what God wants. ⁴⁴ Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken. If the stone falls on anyone, it will crush that person.” ^[a]

⁴⁵ When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his illustrations, they knew that he was talking about them. ⁴⁶ They wanted to arrest him but were afraid of the crowds, who thought he was a prophet.

A Story about a Wedding Reception

22 Again Jesus used stories as illustrations when he spoke to them. He said, ² “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who planned a wedding for his son. ³ He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the wedding, but they refused to come. ⁴ He sent other servants to tell the people who had been invited, ‘I’ve prepared dinner. My bulls and fattened calves have been butchered. Everything is ready. Come to the wedding!’

⁵ “But they paid no attention and went away. Some went to work in their own fields, and others went to their businesses. ⁶ The rest grabbed the king’s servants, mistreated them, and then killed them.

⁷ “The king became angry. He sent his soldiers, killed those murderers, and burned their city.

⁸ “Then the king said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited don’t deserve the honor. ⁹ Go where the roads leave the city. Invite everyone you find to the wedding.’ ¹⁰ The servants went into the streets and brought in all the good people and all the evil people they found. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.

¹¹ “When the king came to see the guests, he saw a person who was not dressed in the wedding clothes ⌞provided for the guests⌟. ¹² He said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without proper wedding clothes?’

“The man had nothing to say. ¹³ Then the king told his servants, ‘Tie his hands and feet, and throw him outside into the darkness. People will cry and be in extreme pain there.’

¹⁴ “Therefore, many are invited, but few of those are chosen to stay.”

A Question about Taxes^(L)

¹⁵ Then the Pharisees went away and planned to trap Jesus into saying the wrong thing. ¹⁶ They sent their disciples to him along with Herod’s followers. They said to him, “Teacher, we know that you tell the truth and that you teach the truth about the way of God. You don’t favor individuals because of who they are. ¹⁷ So tell us what you think. Is it right to pay taxes to the emperor or not?”

¹⁸ Jesus recognized their evil plan, so he asked, “Why do you test me, you hypocrites? ¹⁹ Show me a coin used to pay taxes.”

They brought him a coin. ²⁰ He said to them, “Whose face and name is this?”

²¹ They replied, “The emperor’s.”

Then he said to them, “Very well, give the emperor what belongs to the emperor, and give God what belongs to God.”

²² They were surprised to hear this. Then they left him alone and went away.

The Dead Come Back to Life^(M)

²³ On that day some Sadducees, who say that people will never come back to life, came to Jesus. They asked him, ²⁴ “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies childless, his brother should marry his widow and have children for his brother.’ ²⁵ There were seven brothers among us. The first married and died. Since he had no children, he left his widow to his brother. ²⁶ The second brother also died, as well as the third, and the rest of the seven brothers. ²⁷ At last the woman died. ²⁸ Now, when the dead come back to life, whose wife will she be? All seven brothers had been married to her.”

²⁹ Jesus answered, “You’re mistaken because you don’t know the Scriptures or God’s power. ³⁰ When people come back to life, they don’t marry. Rather, they are like the angels in heaven. ³¹ Haven’t you read what God told you about the dead coming back to life? He said, ³² ‘I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ He’s not the God of the dead but of the living.”

³³ He amazed the crowds who heard his teaching.

Love God and Your Neighbor^(N)

³⁴ When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. ³⁵ One of them, an expert in Moses’ Teachings, tested Jesus by asking, ³⁶ “Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in Moses’ Teachings?”

³⁷ Jesus answered him, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the greatest and most important commandment. ³⁹ The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ ⁴⁰ All of Moses’ Teachings and the Prophets depend on these two commandments.”

How Can David’s Son Be David’s Lord?^(O)

⁴¹ While the Pharisees were still gathered, Jesus asked them, ⁴² “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”

They answered him, “David’s.”

⁴³ He said to them, “Then how can David, guided by the Spirit, call him Lord? David says,

⁴⁵ If David calls him Lord, how can he be his son?”

⁴⁶ No one could answer him, and from that time on no one dared to ask him another question.

Jesus Disapproves of the Example Set by the Jewish Leaders^(P)

23 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ² “The experts in Moses’ Teachings and the Pharisees teach with Moses’ authority. ³ So be careful to do everything they tell you. But don’t follow their example, because they don’t practice what they preach. ⁴ They make loads that are hard to carry and lay them on the shoulders of the people. However, they are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

⁵ “They do everything to attract people’s attention. They make their headbands large and the tassels on their shawls long. ⁶ They love the place of honor at dinners and the front seats in synagogues. ⁷ They love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have people call them Rabbi. ⁸ But don’t make others call you Rabbi, because you have only one teacher, and you are all followers. ⁹ And don’t call anyone on earth your father, because you have only one Father, and he is in heaven. ¹⁰ Don’t make others call you a leader, because you have only one leader, the Messiah. ¹¹ The person who is greatest among you will be your servant. ¹² Whoever honors himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be honored.

The Hypocrisy of the Jewish Leaders

¹³ “How horrible it will be for you, experts in Moses’ Teachings and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. You don’t enter it yourselves, and you don’t permit others to enter when they try.^[c]

¹⁵ “How horrible it will be for you, experts in Moses’ Teachings and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You cross land and sea to recruit a single follower, and when you do, you make that person twice as fit for hell as you are.

¹⁶ “How horrible it will be for you, you blind guides! You say, ‘To swear an oath by the temple doesn’t mean a thing. But to swear an oath by the gold in the temple means a person must keep his oath.’ ¹⁷ You blind fools! What is more important, the gold or the temple that made the gold holy? ¹⁸ Again you say, ‘To swear an oath by the altar doesn’t mean a thing. But to swear an oath by the gift on the altar means a person must keep his oath.’ ¹⁹ You blind men! What is more important, the gift or the altar that makes the gift holy? ²⁰ To swear an oath by the altar is to swear by it and by everything on it. ²¹ To swear an oath by the temple is to swear by it and by the one who lives there. ²² And to swear an oath by heaven is to swear by God’s throne and the one who sits on it.

²³ “How horrible it will be for you, experts in Moses’ Teachings and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You give ⌞God⌟ one-tenth of your mint, dill, and cumin. But you have neglected justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These are the most important things in Moses’ Teachings. You should have done these things without neglecting the others. ²⁴ You blind guides! You strain gnats ⌞out of your wine⌟, but you swallow camels.

²⁵ “How horrible it will be for you, experts in Moses’ Teachings and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You clean the outside of cups and dishes. But inside they are full of greed and uncontrolled desires. ²⁶ You blind Pharisees! First clean the inside of the cups and dishes so that the outside may also be clean.

²⁷ “How horrible it will be for you, experts in Moses’ Teachings and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You are like whitewashed graves that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of dead people’s bones and every kind of impurity. ²⁸ So on the outside you look as though you have God’s approval, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

²⁹ “How horrible it will be for you, experts in Moses’ Teachings and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of those who had God’s approval. ³⁰ Then you say, ‘If we had lived at the time of our ancestors, we would not have helped to murder the prophets.’ ³¹ So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. ³² Go ahead, finish what your ancestors started!

³³ “You snakes! You poisonous snakes! How can you escape being condemned to hell? ³⁴ I’m sending you prophets, wise men, and teachers of the Scriptures. You will kill and crucify some of them. Others you will whip in your synagogues and persecute from city to city. ³⁵ As a result, you will be held accountable for all the innocent blood of those murdered on earth. This includes the murder of Abel, who had God’s approval, to that of Zechariah, son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. ³⁶ I can guarantee this truth: The people living now will be held accountable for all these things.

³⁷ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you kill the prophets and stone to death those sent to you! How often I wanted to gather your children together the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings! But you were not willing! ³⁸ Your house will be abandoned, deserted. ³⁹ I can guarantee that you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”

Jesus Teaches His Disciples on the Mount of Olives^(Q)

24 As Jesus left the temple courtyard and was walking away, his disciples came to him. They proudly pointed out to him the temple buildings. ² Jesus said to them, “You see all these buildings, don’t you? I can guarantee this truth: Not one of these stones will be left on top of another. Each one will be torn down.”

³ As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will this happen? What will be the sign that you are coming again, and when will the world come to an end?”

⁴ Jesus answered them, “Be careful not to let anyone deceive you. ⁵ Many will come using my name. They will say, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many people.

⁶ “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Don’t be alarmed! These things must happen, but they don’t mean that the end has come. ⁷ Nation will fight against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. ⁸ All of these are only the beginning pains ⌞of the end⌟.

⁹ “Then they will hand you over to those who will torture and kill you. All nations will hate you because you are committed to me. ¹⁰ Then many will lose faith. They will betray and hate each other. ¹¹ Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. ¹² And because there will be more and more lawlessness, most people’s love will grow cold. ¹³ But the person who endures to the end will be saved.

¹⁴ “This Good News about the kingdom will be spread throughout the world as a testimony to all nations. Then the end will come.

¹⁵ “The prophet Daniel said that the disgusting thing that will cause destruction will stand in the holy place. When you see this (let the reader take note), ¹⁶ those of you in Judea should flee to the mountains. ¹⁷ Those who are on the roof should not come down to get anything out of their houses. ¹⁸ Those who are in the field should not turn back to get their coats.

¹⁹ “How horrible it will be for the women who are pregnant or who are nursing babies in those days. ²⁰ Pray that it will not be winter or a day of rest—a holy day, when you flee. ²¹ There will be a lot of misery at that time, a kind of misery that has not happened from the beginning of the world until now and will certainly never happen again. ²² If God does not reduce the number of those days, no one will be saved. But those days will be reduced because of those whom God has chosen.

²³ “At that time don’t believe anyone who tells you, ‘Here is the Messiah!’ or ‘There he is!’ ²⁴ False messiahs and false prophets will appear. They will work spectacular, miraculous signs and do wonderful things to deceive, if possible, even those whom God has chosen. ²⁵ Listen! I’ve told you this before it happens. ²⁶ So if someone tells you, ‘He’s in the desert!’ don’t go out ⌞looking for him⌟. And don’t believe anyone who says, ‘He’s in a secret place!’ ²⁷ The Son of Man will come again just as lightning flashes from east to west. ²⁸ Vultures will gather wherever there is a dead body.

²⁹ “Immediately after the misery of those days, the sun will turn dark, the moon will not give light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the universe will be shaken.

³⁰ “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. All the people on earth will cry in agony when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds in the sky with power and great glory. ³¹ He will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and from every direction under the sky, they will gather those whom God has chosen.

³² “Learn from the story of the fig tree. When its branch becomes tender and it sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. ³³ In the same way, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the door.

³⁴ “I can guarantee this truth: This generation will not disappear until all these things take place. ³⁵ The earth and the heavens will disappear, but my words will never disappear.

No One Knows When the Son of Man Will Return

³⁶ “No one knows when that day or hour will come. Even the angels in heaven and the Son don’t know. Only the Father knows.

³⁷ “When the Son of Man comes again, it will be exactly like the days of Noah. ³⁸ In the days before the flood, people were eating, drinking, and getting married until the day that Noah went into the ship. ³⁹ They were not aware of what was happening until the flood came and swept all of them away. That is how it will be when the Son of Man comes again.

⁴⁰ “At that time two men will be working in the field. One will be taken, and the other one will be left. ⁴¹ Two women will be working at a mill. One will be taken, and the other one will be left.

⁴² “Therefore, be alert, because you don’t know on what day your Lord will return. ⁴³ You realize that if a homeowner had known at what time of the night a thief was coming, he would have stayed awake. He would not have let the thief break into his house. ⁴⁴ Therefore, you, too, must be ready because the Son of Man will return when you least expect him.

⁴⁵ “Who, then, is the faithful and wise servant? The master will put that person in charge of giving the other servants their food at the right time. ⁴⁶ That servant will be blessed if his master finds him doing this job when he comes. ⁴⁷ I can guarantee this truth: He will put that servant in charge of all his property. ⁴⁸ On the other hand, that servant, if he is wicked, may think that it will be a long time before his master comes. ⁴⁹ The servant may begin to beat the other servants and eat and drink with the drunks. ⁵⁰ His master will return unexpectedly. ⁵¹ Then his master will severely punish him and assign him a place with the hypocrites. People will cry and be in extreme pain there.

A Story about Ten Bridesmaids

25 “When the end comes, the kingdom of heaven will be like ten bridesmaids. They took their oil lamps and went to meet the groom. ² Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. ³ The foolish bridesmaids took their lamps, but they didn’t take any extra oil. ⁴ The wise bridesmaids, however, took along extra oil for their lamps. ⁵ Since the groom was late, all the bridesmaids became drowsy and fell asleep.

⁶ “At midnight someone shouted, ‘The groom is here! Come to meet him!’ ⁷ Then all the bridesmaids woke up and got their lamps ready.

⁸ “The foolish ones said to the wise ones, ‘Give us some of your oil. Our lamps are going out.’

⁹ “But the wise bridesmaids replied, ‘We can’t do that. There won’t be enough for both of us. Go! Find someone to sell you some oil.’

¹⁰ “While they were buying oil, the groom arrived. The bridesmaids who were ready went with him into the wedding hall, and the door was shut.

¹¹ “Later the other bridesmaids arrived and said, ‘Sir, sir, open the door for us!’

¹² “But he answered them, ‘I don’t even know who you are!’

¹³ “So stay awake, because you don’t know the day or the hour.

A Story about Three Servants

¹⁴ “The kingdom of heaven is like a man going on a trip. He called his servants and entrusted some money to them. ¹⁵ He gave one man ten thousand dollars, another four thousand dollars, and another two thousand dollars. Each was given money based on his ability. Then the man went on his trip.

¹⁶ “The one who received ten thousand dollars invested the money at once and doubled his money. ¹⁷ The one who had four thousand dollars did the same and also doubled his money. ¹⁸ But the one who received two thousand dollars went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.

¹⁹ “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. ²⁰ The one who received ten thousand dollars brought the additional ten thousand. He said, ‘Sir, you gave me ten thousand dollars. I’ve doubled the amount.’

²¹ “His master replied, ‘Good job! You’re a good and faithful servant! You proved that you could be trusted with a small amount. I will put you in charge of a large amount. Come and share your master’s happiness.’

²² “The one who received four thousand dollars came and said, ‘Sir, you gave me four thousand dollars. I’ve doubled the amount.’

²³ “His master replied, ‘Good job! You’re a good and faithful servant! You proved that you could be trusted with a small amount. I will put you in charge of a large amount. Come and share your master’s happiness.’

²⁴ “Then the one who received two thousand dollars came and said, ‘Sir, I knew that you are a hard person to please. You harvest where you haven’t planted and gather where you haven’t scattered any seeds. ²⁵ I was afraid. So I hid your two thousand dollars in the ground. Here’s your money!’

²⁶ “His master responded, ‘You evil and lazy servant! If you knew that I harvest where I haven’t planted and gather where I haven’t scattered, ²⁷ then you should have invested my money with the bankers. When I returned, I would have received my money back with interest. ²⁸ Take the two thousand dollars away from him! Give it to the one who has the ten thousand! ²⁹ To all who have, more will be given, and they will have more than enough. But everything will be taken away from those who don’t have much. ³⁰ Throw this useless servant outside into the darkness. People will cry and be in extreme pain there.’

Jesus Will Judge the World

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all his angels are with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² The people of every nation will be gathered in front of him. He will separate them as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right but the goats on his left.

³⁴ “Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, my Father has blessed you! Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. ³⁵ I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you took me into your home. ³⁶ I needed clothes, and you gave me something to wear. I was sick, and you took care of me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’

³⁷ “Then the people who have God’s approval will reply to him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you or see you thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you as a stranger and take you into our homes or see you in need of clothes and give you something to wear? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

⁴⁰ “The king will answer them, ‘I can guarantee this truth: Whatever you did for one of my brothers or sisters, no matter how unimportant ⌞they seemed⌟, you did for me.’

⁴¹ “Then the king will say to those on his left, ‘Get away from me! God has cursed you! Go into everlasting fire that was prepared for the devil and his angels! ⁴² I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink. ⁴³ I was a stranger, and you didn’t take me into your homes. I needed clothes, and you didn’t give me anything to wear. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t take care of me.’

⁴⁴ “They, too, will ask, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or as a stranger or in need of clothes or sick or in prison and didn’t help you?’

⁴⁵ “He will answer them, ‘I can guarantee this truth: Whatever you failed to do for one of my brothers or sisters, no matter how unimportant ⌞they seemed⌟, you failed to do for me.’

⁴⁶ “These people will go away into eternal punishment, but those with God’s approval will go into eternal life.”

The Plot to Kill Jesus^(R)

26 When Jesus finished saying all these things, he told his disciples, ² “You know that the Passover will take place in two days. At that time the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”

³ Then the chief priests and the leaders of the people gathered in the palace of the chief priest Caiaphas. ⁴ They made plans to arrest Jesus in an underhanded way and to kill him. ⁵ But they said, “We shouldn’t arrest him during the festival, or else there may be a riot among the people.”

A Woman Prepares Jesus’ Body for the Tomb^(S)

⁶ Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon, a man who had suffered from a skin disease. ⁷ While Jesus was sitting there, a woman went to him with a bottle of very expensive perfume and poured it on his head.

⁸ The disciples were irritated when they saw this. They asked, “Why did she waste it like this? ⁹ It could have been sold for a high price, and the money could have been given to the poor.”

¹⁰ Since Jesus knew what was going on, he said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing for me. ¹¹ You will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me with you. ¹² She poured this perfume on my body before it is placed in a tomb. ¹³ I can guarantee this truth: Wherever this Good News is spoken in the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”

Judas Plans to Betray Jesus^(T)

¹⁴ Then one of the twelve apostles, the one named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests. ¹⁵ He asked, “What will you pay me if I hand him over to you?”

They offered him 30 silver coins. ¹⁶ From then on, he looked for a chance to betray Jesus.

Preparations for the Passover^(U)

¹⁷ On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples went to Jesus. They asked, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?”

¹⁸ He said, “Go to a certain man in the city, and tell him that the teacher says, ‘My time is near. I will celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’ ”

¹⁹ The disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.

²⁰ When evening came, Jesus was at the table with the twelve apostles.

Jesus Knows Who Will Betray Him^(V)

²¹ While they were eating, he said, “I can guarantee this truth: One of you is going to betray me.”

²² Feeling deeply hurt, they asked him one by one, “You don’t mean me, do you, Lord?”

²³ Jesus answered, “Someone who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. ²⁴ The Son of Man is going to die as the Scriptures say he will. But how horrible it will be for that person who betrays the Son of Man. It would have been better for that person if he had never been born.”

²⁵ Then Judas, who betrayed him, asked, “You don’t mean me, do you, Rabbi?”

“Yes, I do,” Jesus replied.

The Lord’s Supper^(W)

²⁶ While they were eating, Jesus took bread and blessed it. He broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said, “Take this, and eat it. This is my body.”

²⁷ Then he took a cup and spoke a prayer of thanksgiving. He gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, all of you. ²⁸ This is my blood, the blood of the promise.^[d] It is poured out for many people so that sins are forgiven.

²⁹ “I can guarantee that I won’t drink this wine again until that day when I drink new wine with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

³⁰ After they sang a hymn, they went to the Mount of Olives.

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial^(X)

³¹ Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will abandon me tonight. Scripture says,

³² “But after I am brought back to life, I will go to Galilee ahead of you.”

³³ Peter said to him, “Even if everyone else abandons you, I never will.”

³⁴ Jesus replied to Peter, “I can guarantee this truth: Before a rooster crows tonight, you will say three times that you don’t know me.”

³⁵ Peter told him, “Even if I have to die with you, I’ll never say that I don’t know you!” All the other disciples said the same thing.

Jesus Prays in the Garden of Gethsemane^(Y)

³⁶ Then Jesus went with the disciples to a place called Gethsemane. He said to them, “Stay here while I go over there and pray.”

³⁷ He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons with him. He was beginning to feel deep anguish. ³⁸ Then he said to them, “My anguish is so great that I feel as if I’m dying. Wait here, and stay awake with me.”

³⁹ After walking a little farther, he quickly bowed with his face to the ground and prayed, “Father, if it’s possible, let this cup ⌞of suffering⌟ be taken away from me. But let your will be done rather than mine.”

⁴⁰ When he went back to the disciples, he found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you stay awake with me for one hour? ⁴¹ Stay awake, and pray that you won’t be tempted. You want to do what’s right, but you’re weak.”

⁴² Then he went away a second time and prayed, “Father, if this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, let your will be done.”

⁴³ He found them asleep again because they couldn’t keep their eyes open.

⁴⁴ After leaving them again, he went away and prayed the same prayer a third time. ⁴⁵ Then he came back to the disciples and said to them, “You might as well sleep now. The time is near for the Son of Man to be handed over to sinners. ⁴⁶ Get up! Let’s go! The one who is betraying me is near.”

Jesus Is Arrested^(Z)

⁴⁷ Just then, while Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve apostles, arrived. A large crowd carrying swords and clubs was with him. They were from the chief priests and leaders of the people. ⁴⁸ Now, the traitor had given them a signal. He said, “The one I kiss is the man you want. Arrest him!”

⁴⁹ Then Judas quickly stepped up to Jesus and said, “Hello, Rabbi!” and kissed him.

⁵⁰ Jesus said to him, “Friend, why are you here?”

Then some men came forward, took hold of Jesus, and arrested him. ⁵¹ Suddenly, one of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and cut off the ear of the chief priest’s servant. ⁵² Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword away! All who use a sword will be killed by a sword. ⁵³ Don’t you think that I could call on my Father to send more than twelve legions of angels to help me now? ⁵⁴ How, then, are the Scriptures to be fulfilled that say this must happen?”

⁵⁵ At that time Jesus said to the crowd, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as if I were a criminal? I used to sit teaching in the temple courtyard every day. But you didn’t arrest me then. ⁵⁶ All of this has happened so that what the prophets have written would come true.”

Then all the disciples abandoned him and ran away.

The Trial in Front of the Jewish Council^(AA)

⁵⁷ Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the chief priest, where the experts in Moses’ Teachings and the leaders had gathered together. ⁵⁸ Peter followed at a distance until he came to the chief priest’s courtyard. He went inside and sat with the guards to see how this would turn out.

⁵⁹ The chief priests and the whole council were searching for false testimony to use against Jesus in order to execute him. ⁶⁰ But they did not find any, although many came forward with false testimony. At last two men came forward. ⁶¹ They stated, “This man said, ‘I can tear down God’s temple and rebuild it in three days.’ ”

⁶² The chief priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Don’t you have any answer to what these men testify against you?”

⁶³ But Jesus was silent.

Then the chief priest said to him, “Swear an oath in front of the living God and tell us, are you the Messiah, the Son of God?”

⁶⁴ Jesus answered him, “Yes, I am. But I alone can guarantee that from now on you will see the Son of Man in the honored position—the one next to God the Father on the heavenly throne ^[e]. He will be coming on the clouds of heaven.”

⁶⁵ Then the chief priest tore his robes in horror and said, “He has dishonored God! Why do we need any more witnesses? You’ve just heard him dishonor God! ⁶⁶ What’s your verdict?”

They answered, “He deserves the death penalty!”

⁶⁷ Then they spit in his face, hit him with their fists, and some of them slapped him. ⁶⁸ They said, “You Christ, if you’re a prophet, tell us who hit you.”

Peter Denies Jesus^(AB)

⁶⁹ Peter was sitting in the courtyard. A female servant came to him and said, “You, too, were with Jesus the Galilean.”

⁷⁰ But Peter denied it in front of them all by saying, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

⁷¹ As he went to the entrance, another female servant saw him. She told those who were there, “This man was with Jesus from Nazareth.”

⁷² Again Peter denied it and swore with an oath, “I don’t know the man!”

⁷³ After a little while the men standing there approached Peter and said, “It’s obvious you’re also one of them. Your accent gives you away!”

⁷⁴ Then Peter began to curse and swear with an oath, “I don’t know the man!” Just then a rooster crowed. ⁷⁵ Peter remembered what Jesus had said: “Before a rooster crows, you will say three times that you don’t know me.” Then Peter went outside and cried bitterly.

The Death of Judas

27 Early in the morning all the chief priests and the leaders of the people decided to execute Jesus. ² They tied him up, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate, the governor.

³ Then Judas, who had betrayed Jesus, regretted what had happened when he saw that Jesus was condemned. He brought the 30 silver coins back to the chief priests and leaders. ⁴ He said, “I’ve sinned by betraying an innocent man.”

They replied, “What do we care? That’s your problem.”

⁵ So he threw the money into the temple, went away, and hanged himself.

⁶ The chief priests took the money and said, “It’s not right to put it into the temple treasury, because it’s blood money.” ⁷ So they decided to use it to buy a potter’s field for the burial of strangers. ⁸ That’s why that field has been called the Field of Blood ever since. ⁹ Then what the prophet Jeremiah had said came true, “They took the 30 silver coins, the price the people of Israel had placed on him, ¹⁰ and used the coins to buy a potter’s field, as the Lord had directed me.”

Pilate Questions Jesus^(AC)

¹¹ Jesus stood in front of the governor, ⌞Pilate⌟. The governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

“Yes, I am,” Jesus answered.

¹² While the chief priests and leaders were accusing him, he said nothing. ¹³ Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear how many charges they’re bringing against you?”

¹⁴ But Jesus said absolutely nothing to him in reply, so the governor was very surprised.

The Crowd Rejects Jesus^(AD)

¹⁵ At every Passover festival the governor would free one prisoner whom the crowd wanted. ¹⁶ At that time there was a well-known prisoner by the name of Barabbas. ¹⁷ So when the people gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which man do you want me to free for you? Do you want me to free Barabbas or Jesus, who is called Christ?” ¹⁸ Pilate knew that they had handed Jesus over to him because they were jealous.

¹⁹ While Pilate was judging the case, his wife sent him a message. It said, “Leave that innocent man alone. I’ve been very upset today because of a dream I had about him.”

²⁰ But the chief priests and leaders persuaded the crowd to ask for the release of Barabbas and the execution of Jesus.

²¹ The governor asked them, “Which of the two do you want me to free for you?”

They said, “Barabbas.”

²² Pilate asked them, “Then what should I do with Jesus, who is called Christ?”

“He should be crucified!” they all said.

²³ Pilate asked, “Why? What has he done wrong?”

But they began to shout loudly, “He should be crucified!”

²⁴ Pilate saw that he was not getting anywhere. Instead, a riot was breaking out. So Pilate took some water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. He said, “I won’t be guilty of killing this man. Do what you want!”

²⁵ All the people answered, “The responsibility for killing him will rest on us and our children.”

²⁶ Then Pilate freed Barabbas for the people. But he had Jesus whipped and handed over to be crucified.

The Soldiers Make Fun of Jesus^(AE)

²⁷ Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the palace and gathered the whole troop around him. ²⁸ They took off his clothes and put a bright red cape on him. ²⁹ They twisted some thorns into a crown, placed it on his head, and put a stick in his right hand. They knelt in front of him and made fun of him by saying, “Long live the king of the Jews!” ³⁰ After they had spit on him, they took the stick and kept hitting him on the head with it.

The Crucifixion^(AF)

³¹ After the soldiers finished making fun of Jesus, they took off the cape and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

³² On the way they found a man named Simon. He was from the city of Cyrene. The soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross.

³³ They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). ³⁴ They gave him a drink of wine mixed with a drug called gall. When he tasted it, he refused to drink it. ³⁵ After they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by throwing dice. ³⁶ Then they sat there and kept watch over him. ³⁷ They placed a written accusation above his head. It read, “This is Jesus, the king of the Jews.”

³⁸ At that time they crucified two criminals with him, one on his right and the other on his left.

³⁹ Those who passed by insulted him. They shook their heads ⁴⁰ and said, “You were going to tear down God’s temple and build it again in three days. Save yourself! If you’re the Son of God, come down from the cross.” ⁴¹ The chief priests together with the experts in Moses’ Teachings and the leaders made fun of him in the same way. They said, ⁴² “He saved others, but he can’t save himself. So he’s Israel’s king! Let him come down from the cross now, and we’ll believe him. ⁴³ He trusted God. Let God rescue him now if he wants. After all, this man said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” ⁴⁴ Even the criminals crucified with him were insulting him the same way.

Jesus Dies on the Cross^(AG)

⁴⁵ At noon darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. ⁴⁶ About three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” ⁴⁷ When some of the people standing there heard him say that, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.” ⁴⁸ One of the men ran at once, took a sponge, and soaked it in some vinegar. Then he put it on a stick and offered Jesus a drink. ⁴⁹ The others said, “Leave him alone! Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

⁵⁰ Then Jesus loudly cried out once again and gave up his life.

⁵¹ Suddenly, the curtain in the temple was split in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split open. ⁵² The tombs were opened, and the bodies of many holy people who had died came back to life. ⁵³ They came out of the tombs after he had come back to life, and they went into the holy city where they appeared to many people.

⁵⁴ An army officer and those watching Jesus with him saw the earthquake and the other things happening. They were terrified and said, “Certainly, this was the Son of God!”

⁵⁵ Many women were there watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee and had always supported him. ⁵⁶ Among them were Mary from Magdala, Mary (the mother of James and Joseph), and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

Jesus Is Placed in a Tomb^(AH)

⁵⁷ In the evening a rich man named Joseph arrived. He was from the city of Arimathea and had become a disciple of Jesus. ⁵⁸ He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate ordered that it be given to him.

⁵⁹ Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth. ⁶⁰ Then he laid it in his own new tomb, which had been cut in a rock. After rolling a large stone against the door of the tomb, he went away. ⁶¹ Mary from Magdala and the other Mary were sitting there, facing the tomb.

The Chief Priests and Pharisees Secure Jesus’ Tomb

⁶² The next day, which was the day of rest—a holy day, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together and went to Pilate. ⁶³ They said, “Sir, we remember how that deceiver said while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will be brought back to life.’ ⁶⁴ Therefore, give the order to make the tomb secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may steal him and say to the people, ‘He has been brought back to life.’ Then the last deception will be worse than the first.”

⁶⁵ Pilate told them, “You have the soldiers you want for guard duty. Go and make the tomb as secure as you know how.”

⁶⁶ So they went to secure the tomb. They placed a seal on the stone and posted the soldiers on guard duty.