Teaching about Divorce

19 When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan.^{(A) 2} Large crowds followed him, and he cured them there.^(B)

³ Some Pharisees came to him, and to test him they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?”^{(C) 4} He answered, “Have you not read that the one who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’^{(D) 5} and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?^{(E) 6} So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” ⁷ They said to him, “Why then did Moses command us to give a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her?”^{(F) 8} He said to them, “It was because you were so hard-hearted that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. ⁹ And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”^[a](G)

¹⁰ The^[b] disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” ¹¹ But he said to them, “Not everyone can accept this teaching, but only those to whom it is given.^{(H) 12} For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.”

Jesus Blesses Little Children

¹³ Then children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them, ¹⁴ but Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not stop them, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.”^{(I) 15} And he laid his hands on them and went on his way.

The Rich Young Man

¹⁶ Then someone came to him and said, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”^{(J) 17} And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is one who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” ¹⁸ He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness.^{(K) 19} Honor your father and mother. Also, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”^{(L) 20} The young man said to him, “I have kept all these;^[c] what do I still lack?” ²¹ Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money^[d] to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”^{(M) 22} When the young man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

²³ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven.^{(N) 24} Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” ²⁵ When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astounded and said, “Then who can be saved?” ²⁶ But Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”^(O)

²⁷ Then Peter said in reply, “Look, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?”^{(P) 28} Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man is seated on the throne of his glory, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.^{(Q) 29} And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or^[e] children or fields for my name’s sake will receive a hundredfold^[f] and will inherit eternal life. ³⁰ But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.^(R)

The Laborers in the Vineyard

20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.^{(S) 2} After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard. ³ When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, ⁴ and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. ⁵ When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. ⁶ And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around, and he said to them, ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’ ⁷ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’ ⁸ When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.’^{(T) 9} When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received a denarius. ¹⁰ Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. ¹¹ And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, ¹² saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’^{(U) 13} But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius?^{(V) 14} Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. ¹⁵ Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’^{[g](W) 16} So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”^[h](X)

A Third Time Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection

¹⁷ While Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside by themselves and said to them on the way, ¹⁸ “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death;^{(Y) 19} then they will hand him over to the gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and on the third day he will be raised.”^(Z)

The Request of the Mother of James and John

²⁰ Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked a favor of him.^{(AA) 21} And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.”^{(AB) 22} But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?”^[i] They said to him, “We are able.”^{(AC) 23} He said to them, “You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”^(AD)

²⁴ When the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers.^{(AE) 25} But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them.^{(AF) 26} It will not be so among you, but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant,^{(AG) 27} and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave, ²⁸ just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many.”^(AH)

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men

²⁹ As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. ³⁰ There were two blind men sitting by the roadside. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted, “Lord,^[j] have mercy on us, Son of David!”^{(AI) 31} The crowd sternly ordered them to be quiet, but they shouted even more loudly, “Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David!” ³² Jesus stood still and called them, saying, “What do you want me to do for you?” ³³ They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” ³⁴ Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they regained their sight and followed him.

Jesus’s Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

21 When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, ² saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. ³ If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.”^{[k] 4} This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet:

⁶ The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; ⁷ they brought the donkey and the colt and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. ⁸ A very large crowd^[l] spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.^{(AK) 9} The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,

¹⁰ When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” ¹¹ The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”^(AM)

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

¹² Then Jesus entered the temple^[m] and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.^{(AN) 13} He said to them, “It is written,

¹⁴ The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he cured them. ¹⁵ But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the amazing things that he did and heard^[n] the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became angry^{(AP) 16} and said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read,

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

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

¹⁸ In the morning, when he returned to the city, he was hungry. ¹⁹ And seeing a fig tree by the side of the road, he went to it and found nothing at all on it but leaves. Then he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once. ²⁰ When the disciples saw it, they were amazed, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” ²¹ Jesus answered them, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will be done.^{(AR) 22} Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.”^(AS)

The Authority of Jesus Questioned

²³ When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?”^{(AT) 24} Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. ²⁵ Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why, then, did you not believe him?’ ²⁶ But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for all regard John as a prophet.”^{(AU) 27} So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

²⁸ “What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’^{(AV) 29} He answered, ‘I will not,’ but later he changed his mind and went. ³⁰ The father^[o] went to the second and said the same, and he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. ³¹ Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you.^{(AW) 32} For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him, and even after you saw it you did not change your minds and believe him.^(AX)

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

³³ “Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went away.^{(AY) 34} When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce.^{(AZ) 35} But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another.^{(BA) 36} Again he sent other slaves, more than the first, and they treated them in the same way. ³⁷ Then he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ ³⁸ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.’^{(BB) 39} So they seized 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 tenants?” ⁴¹ They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.”^(BC)

⁴² Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures:

⁴³ “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces its fruits.^{(BE) 44} The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.”^[q]

⁴⁵ When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. ⁴⁶ They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.^(BF)

The Parable of the Wedding Banquet

22 Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: ² “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son.^{(BG) 3} He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come.^{(BH) 4} Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.’^{(BI) 5} But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, ⁶ while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. ⁷ The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.^{(BJ) 8} Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy.^{(BK) 9} Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ ¹⁰ Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad, so the wedding hall was filled with guests.^(BL)

¹¹ “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe,^{(BM) 12} and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’ And he was speechless.^{(BN) 13} Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’^{(BO) 14} For many are called, but few are chosen.”

The Question about Paying Taxes

¹⁵ Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said. ¹⁶ So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one, for you do not regard people with partiality.^{(BP) 17} Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”^{(BQ) 18} But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? ¹⁹ Show me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. ²⁰ Then he said to them, “Whose head is this and whose title?” ²¹ They answered, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.”^{(BR) 22} When they heard this, they were amazed, and they left him and went away.

The Question about the Resurrection

²³ The same day some Sadducees came to him saying there is no resurrection,^[r] and they asked him a question:^{(BS) 24} “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies childless, his brother shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother.’^{(BT) 25} Now there were seven brothers among us; the first married and died childless, leaving the widow to his brother. ²⁶ The second did the same, so also the third, down to the seventh. ²⁷ Last of all, the woman herself died. ²⁸ In the resurrection, then, whose wife of the seven will she be? For all of them had married her.”

²⁹ Jesus answered them, “You are wrong because you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God.^{(BU) 30} For in the resurrection people neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like angels of God^[s] in heaven. ³¹ And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God, ³² ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is God not of the dead but of the living.”^{(BV) 33} And when the crowds heard it, they were astounded at his teaching.^(BW)

The Greatest Commandment

³⁴ When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, ³⁵ and one of them, an expert in the law, asked him a question to test him.^{(BX) 36} “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” ³⁷ He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’^{(BY) 38} This is the greatest and first commandment. ³⁹ And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’^{(BZ) 40} On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”^(CA)

The Question about David’s Son

⁴¹ Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: ⁴² “What do you think of the Messiah?^[t] Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.”^{(CB) 43} He said to them, “How is it then that David by the Spirit^[u] calls him Lord, saying,

⁴⁵ “If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?” ⁴⁶ No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.^(CD)

Jesus Denounces Scribes and Pharisees

23 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ² “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’s seat;^{(CE) 3} therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it, but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. ⁴ They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear,^[v] and lay them on the shoulders of others, but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them.^{(CF) 5} They do all their deeds to be seen by others, for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long.^{(CG) 6} They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues^{(CH) 7} and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to have people call them rabbi. ⁸ But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters.^{(CI) 9} And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father, the one in heaven.^{(CJ) 10} Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah.^{[w] 11} The greatest among you will be your servant.^{(CK) 12} All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.^(CL)

¹³ “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. For you do not go in yourselves, and when others are going in you stop them.^{[x](CM) 15} Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cross sea and land to make a single convert, and you make the new convert twice as much a child of hell^[y] as yourselves.

¹⁶ “Woe to you, blind guides who say, ‘Whoever swears by the sanctuary is bound by nothing, but whoever swears by the gold of the sanctuary is bound by the oath.’^{(CN) 17} You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the sanctuary that has made the gold sacred?^{(CO) 18} And you say, ‘Whoever swears by the altar is bound by nothing, but whoever swears by the gift that is on the altar is bound by the oath.’ ¹⁹ How blind you are! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred?^{(CP) 20} So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it, ²¹ and whoever swears by the sanctuary swears by it and by the one who dwells in it, ²² and whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by the one who is seated upon it.^(CQ)

²³ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practiced without neglecting the others.^{(CR) 24} You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel!

²⁵ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. ²⁶ You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and of the plate,^[z] so that the outside also may become clean.

²⁷ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful but inside are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of uncleanness. ²⁸ So you also on the outside look righteous to others, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

²⁹ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous, ³⁰ and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ ³¹ Thus you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets. ³² Fill up, then, the measure of your ancestors. ³³ You snakes, you brood of vipers! How can you escape the judgment of hell?^{[aa] 34} For this reason I send you prophets, sages, and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town, ³⁵ so that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. ³⁶ Truly I tell you, all this will come upon this generation.

The Lament over Jerusalem

³⁷ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! ³⁸ See, your house is left to you, desolate.^{[ab] 39} For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’ ”^(CS)

The Destruction of the Temple Foretold

24 As Jesus came out of the temple and was going away, his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple.^{(CT) 2} Then he asked them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.”^(CU)

Signs of the End of the Age

³ When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” ⁴ Jesus answered them, “Beware that no one leads you astray.^{(CV) 5} For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah!’^[ac] and they will lead many astray. ⁶ And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. ⁷ For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines^[ad] and earthquakes in various places:^{(CW) 8} all this is but the beginning of the birth pangs.

Persecutions Foretold

⁹ “Then they will hand you over to be tortured and will put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of my name.^{(CX) 10} Then many will fall away,^[ae] and they will betray one another and hate one another.^{(CY) 11} And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.^{(CZ) 12} And because of the increase of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold. ¹³ But the one who endures to the end will be saved.^{(DA) 14} And this good news^[af] of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.^(DB)

The Desolating Sacrilege

¹⁵ “So when you see the desolating sacrilege, spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),^{(DC) 16} then those in Judea must flee to the mountains; ¹⁷ the one on the housetop must not go down to take things from the house; ¹⁸ the one in the field must not turn back to get a coat. ¹⁹ Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days! ²⁰ Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. ²¹ For at that time there will be great suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.^{(DD) 22} And if those days had not been cut short, no one would be saved, but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.^{(DE) 23} Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look! Here is the Messiah!’^[ag] or ‘There he is!’—do not believe it.^{(DF) 24} For false messiahs^[ah] and false prophets will appear and produce great signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.^{(DG) 25} Take note, I have told you beforehand. ²⁶ So, if they say to you, ‘Look! He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look! He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. ²⁷ For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.^{(DH) 28} Wherever the corpse is, there the eagles will gather.

The Coming of the Son of Man

²⁹ “Immediately after the suffering of those days

³⁰ “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see ‘the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven’ with power and great glory.^{(DJ) 31} And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.^(DK)

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

³² “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. ³³ So also, when you see all these things, you know that he^[ai] is near, at the very gates. ³⁴ Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place.^{(DL) 35} Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.^(DM)

The Necessity for Watchfulness

³⁶ “But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son,^[aj] but only the Father. ³⁷ For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.^{(DN) 38} For as in the days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, ³⁹ and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so, too, will be the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰ Then two will be in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left.^{(DO) 41} Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken, and one will be left. ⁴² Keep awake, therefore, for you do not know on what day^[ak] your Lord is coming.^{(DP) 43} But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.^{(DQ) 44} Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.^(DR)

The Faithful or the Unfaithful Slave

⁴⁵ “Who, then, is the faithful and wise slave whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves^[al] their allowance of food at the proper time?^{(DS) 46} Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives.^{(DT) 47} Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all his possessions.^{(DU) 48} But if that wicked slave says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ ⁴⁹ and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eats and drinks with drunkards, ⁵⁰ the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour that he does not know. ⁵¹ He will cut him in pieces^[am] and put him with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.^(DV)

The Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids

25 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten young women^[an] took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.^{[ao](DW) 2} Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.^{(DX) 3} When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, ⁴ but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. ⁵ As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept.^{(DY) 6} But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ ⁷ Then all those young women^[ap] got up and trimmed their lamps.^{(DZ) 8} The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ ⁹ But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ ¹⁰ And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet, and the door was shut.^{(EA) 11} Later the other young women^[aq] came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’^{(EB) 12} But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ ¹³ Keep awake, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.^[ar](EC)

The Parable of the Talents

¹⁴ “For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them;^{(ED) 15} to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. At once^{(EE) 16} the one who had received the five talents went off and traded with them and made five more talents. ¹⁷ In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. ¹⁸ But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. ¹⁹ After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them.^{(EF) 20} Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ ²¹ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things; I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’^{(EG) 22} And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ ²³ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things; I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ ²⁴ Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you did not scatter,^{(EH) 25} so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ ²⁶ But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I did not scatter? ²⁷ Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest.^{(EI) 28} So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. ²⁹ For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance, but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.^{(EJ) 30} As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’^(EK)

The Judgment of the Nations

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory.^{(EL) 32} All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,^{(EM) 33} and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. ³⁴ Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world,^{(EN) 35} for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,^{(EO) 36} I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’^{(EP) 37} Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food or thirsty and gave you something to drink? ³⁸ And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you or naked and gave you clothing? ³⁹ And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ ⁴⁰ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.’^{(EQ) 41} Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You who are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels,^{(ER) 42} for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ ⁴⁴ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not take care of you?’ ⁴⁵ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’^{(ES) 46} And these will go away into eternal punishment but the righteous into eternal life.”^(ET)

The Plot to Kill Jesus

26 When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples,^{(EU) 2} “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”^(EV)

³ Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the courtyard of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,^{(EW) 4} and they conspired to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him.^{(EX) 5} But they said, “Not during the festival, or there may be a riot among the people.”^(EY)

The Anointing at Bethany

⁶ Now while Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,^{[as](EZ) 7} a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table. ⁸ But when the disciples saw it, they were angry and said, “Why this waste? ⁹ For this ointment could have been sold for a large sum and the money given to the poor.” ¹⁰ But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? She has performed a good service for me. ¹¹ For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me.^{(FA) 12} By pouring this ointment on my body she has prepared me for burial.^{(FB) 13} Truly I tell you, wherever this good news^[at] is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.”

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

¹⁴ Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests ¹⁵ and said, “What will you give me if I betray him to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver.^{(FC) 16} And from that moment he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.

The Passover with the Disciples

¹⁷ On the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where do you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?” ¹⁸ He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is near; I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’ ”^{(FD) 19} So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover meal.^(FE)

²⁰ When it was evening, he took his place with the twelve disciples,^{[au] 21} and while they were eating he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” ²² And they became greatly distressed and began to say to him one after another, “Surely not I, Lord?” ²³ He answered, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me.^{(FF) 24} The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one not to have been born.” ²⁵ Judas, who betrayed him, said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?” He replied, “You have said so.”

The Institution of the Lord’s Supper

²⁶ While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it^[av] he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.”^{(FG) 27} Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, ²⁸ for this is my blood of the^[aw] covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.^{(FH) 29} I tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”^(FI)

³⁰ When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.^(FJ)

Peter’s Denial Foretold

³¹ Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away^[ax] because of me this night, for it is written,

³² “But after I am raised up, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”^{(FL) 33} Peter said to him, “Even if all fall away^[ay] because of you, I will never fall away.”^{[az] 34} Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, this very night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.”^{(FM) 35} Peter said to him, “Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And so said all the disciples.^(FN)

Jesus Prays in Gethsemane

³⁶ Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” ³⁷ He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be grieved and agitated.^{(FO) 38} Then he said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me.”^{(FP) 39} And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me, yet not what I want but what you want.”^{(FQ) 40} Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “So, could you not stay awake with me one hour?^{(FR) 41} Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial;^[ba] the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”^{(FS) 42} Again he went away for the second time and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.”^{(FT) 43} Again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. ⁴⁴ So leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words. ⁴⁵ Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Now the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.^{(FU) 46} Get up, let us be going. Look, my betrayer is at hand.”

The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

⁴⁷ While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; with him was a large crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. ⁴⁸ Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him.” ⁴⁹ At once he came up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him.^{(FV) 50} Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you are here to do.”^[bb] Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and arrested him.^{(FW) 51} Suddenly one of those with Jesus put his hand on his sword, drew it, and struck the slave of the high priest, cutting off his ear. ⁵² Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place, for all who take the sword will die by the sword.^{(FX) 53} Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?^{(FY) 54} But how then would the scriptures be fulfilled, which say it must happen in this way?”^{(FZ) 55} At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as though I were a rebel? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me. ⁵⁶ But all this has taken place, so that the scriptures of the prophets may be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.^(GA)

Jesus before the High Priest

⁵⁷ Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered. ⁵⁸ But Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside he sat with the guards in order to see how this would end.^{(GB) 59} Now the chief priests and the whole council were looking for false testimony against Jesus so that they might put him to death, ⁶⁰ but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward^{(GC) 61} and said, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.’ ”^{(GD) 62} The high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer? What is it that they testify against you?” ⁶³ But Jesus was silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I put you under oath before the living God, tell us if you are the Messiah,^[bc] the Son of God.”^{(GE) 64} Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you,

⁶⁵ Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? You have now heard his blasphemy.^{(GG) 66} What do you think?” They answered, “He deserves death.”^{(GH) 67} Then they spat in his face and struck him, and some slapped him,^{(GI) 68} saying, “Prophesy to us, you Messiah!^[bd] Who is it that struck you?”

Peter’s Denial of Jesus

⁶⁹ Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A female servant came to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” ⁷⁰ But he denied it before all of them, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.” ⁷¹ When he went out to the porch, another female servant saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus the Nazarene.”^{[be] 72} Again he denied it with an oath, “I do not know the man.” ⁷³ After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you are also one of them, for your accent betrays you.” ⁷⁴ Then he began to curse, and he swore an oath, “I do not know the man!” At that moment the cock crowed. ⁷⁵ Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said: “Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.^(GJ)

Jesus Brought before Pilate

27 When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against Jesus in order to bring about his death. ² They bound him, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate the governor.^(GK)

The Suicide of Judas

³ When Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus^[bf] was condemned, he repented and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders.^{(GL) 4} He said, “I have sinned by betraying innocent^[bg] blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.”^{(GM) 5} Throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself.^{(GN) 6} But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since they are blood money.” ⁷ After conferring together, they used them to buy the potter’s field as a place to bury foreigners. ⁸ For this reason that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.^{(GO) 9} Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah,^[bh] “And they took^[bi] the thirty pieces of silver, the price of the one on whom a price had been set,^[bj] on whom some of the people of Israel had set a price,^{(GP) 10} and they gave^[bk] them for the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”

Pilate Questions Jesus

¹¹ Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You say so.” ¹² But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he did not answer.^{(GQ) 13} Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many accusations they make against you?”^{(GR) 14} But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.^(GS)

Barabbas or Jesus?

¹⁵ Now at the festival the governor was accustomed to release a prisoner for the crowd, anyone whom they wanted. ¹⁶ At that time they had a notorious prisoner called Jesus^[bl] Barabbas. ¹⁷ So after they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus^[bm] Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”^{[bn] 18} For he realized that it was out of jealousy that they had handed him over. ¹⁹ While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for today I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about him.”^{(GT) 20} Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed.^{(GU) 21} The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” ²² Pilate said to them, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”^[bo] All of them said, “Let him be crucified!” ²³ Then he asked, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”

Pilate Hands Jesus Over to Be Crucified

²⁴ So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood;^[bp] see to it yourselves.”^{(GV) 25} Then the people as a whole answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”^{(GW) 26} So he released Barabbas for them, and after flogging Jesus he handed him over to be crucified.^(GX)

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

²⁷ Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters,^[bq] and they gathered the whole cohort around him.^{(GY) 28} They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, ²⁹ and after twisting some thorns into a crown they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”^{(GZ) 30} They spat on him and took the reed and struck him on the head.^{(HA) 31} After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.^(HB)

The Crucifixion of Jesus

³² As they went out, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon; they compelled this man to carry his cross.^{(HC) 33} And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), ³⁴ they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it.^{(HD) 35} And when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots;^{[br](HE) 36} then they sat down there and kept watch over him.^{(HF) 37} Over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”

³⁸ Then two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.^{(HG) 39} Those who passed by derided^[bs] him, shaking their heads^{(HH) 40} and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”^{(HI) 41} In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking him, saying, ⁴² “He saved others; he cannot save himself.^[bt] He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him.^{(HJ) 43} He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he wants to, for he said, ‘I am God’s Son.’ ”^{(HK) 44} The rebels who were crucified with him also taunted him in the same way.

The Death of Jesus

⁴⁵ From noon on, darkness came over the whole land^[bu] until three in the afternoon.^{(HL) 46} And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”^{(HM) 47} When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “This man is calling for Elijah.” ⁴⁸ At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink.^{(HN) 49} But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.”^{[bv] 50} Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last.^{[bw] 51} At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split.^{(HO) 52} The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. ⁵³ After his resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many. ⁵⁴ Now when the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”^[bx](HP)

⁵⁵ Many women were also there, looking on from a distance; they had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him.^{(HQ) 56} Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph,^[by] and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.^(HR)

The Burial of Jesus

⁵⁷ When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who also was himself a disciple of Jesus.^{(HS) 58} He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. ⁵⁹ So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth ⁶⁰ and laid it in his new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away.^{(HT) 61} Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

The Guard at the Tomb

⁶² The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate ⁶³ and said, “Sir, we remember what that impostor said while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise again.’^{(HU) 64} Therefore command the tomb to be made secure until the third day; otherwise, his disciples may go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead,’ and the last deception would be worse than the first.” ⁶⁵ Pilate said to them, “You have a guard^[bz] of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can.”^{[ca](HV) 66} So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.^(HW)