Open Bible Translation
Mark
Translated from the Greek
Unreviewed draft, translated with the help of AI. Tap a verse number to see the original Greek and the meaning of each word.
John Prepares the Way
The beginning of the good news of Jesus the Messiah.abc As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’” John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the region of Judea and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And he was proclaiming, saying, “After me comes one who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Jesus Is Baptized and Tested
And it happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; in you I am well pleased.” And immediately the Spirit drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels were serving him.
Jesus Begins to Preach in Galilee
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe in the good news.”
Four Fishermen Follow Jesus
And as he was passing along by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, Simon’s brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Come, follow me, and I will make you become fishers of people.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in the boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them. And leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, they went away after him.
Authority over an Unclean Spirit
And they went into Capernaum. And immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. And they were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.d And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, saying, “What do you have to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice and came out of him. And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He even commands the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” And immediately the news about him went out everywhere into all the surrounding region of Galilee.
Many Healed at Simon's House
And immediately after leaving the synagogue, they went into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was lying down with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. And he came and raised her up, taking her by the hand. And the fever left her, and she began to serve them. Now when evening came, after the sun had set, they brought to him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed. And the whole city was gathered together at the door. And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
Jesus Prays and Moves On
And very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he got up and went out and departed to a desolate place, and there he was praying. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” And he said to them, “Let us go somewhere else, to the neighboring towns, so that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.
A Man with Leprosy Made Clean
And a leper came to him, begging him and kneeling down, saying to him, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Moved with compassion, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I am willing; be clean.”e And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. And sternly warning him, he immediately sent him away, and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” But he went out and began to proclaim it widely and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places. And people were coming to him from everywhere.
A Paralyzed Man Forgiven and Healed
And when he entered Capernaum again after some days, it was heard that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even at the door. And he was speaking the word to them. And some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four men. And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and after digging through it, they lowered the mat on which the paralyzed man was lying. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there and thinking in their hearts,a “Why does this man speak like this? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins except God alone?” And immediately Jesus, knowing in his spirit that they were thinking this way within themselves, said to them, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, pick up your mat, and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, pick up your mat, and go to your home.” And he got up, and immediately picked up the mat and went out in front of everyone, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
Jesus Calls Levi
He went out again beside the sea, and the whole crowd came to him, and he was teaching them. And as he was passing by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. And it happened that he was reclining at table in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who were following him. And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” And when Jesus heard this, he said to them, “Those who are strong have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
A Question about Fasting
Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, “Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day. No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new patch pulls away from the old, and a worse tear happens. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and the skins too. But new wine is for new wineskins.”
Lord of the Sabbath
And it happened that he was going through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and his disciples began to make their way, plucking heads of grain. And the Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those who were with him— how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest and ate the bread of the Presence, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and he also gave some to those who were with him?” And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
A Withered Hand Restored
He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. And they were watching him closely to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Stand up here in the middle.” And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent. And looking around at them with anger, grieved at the hardness of their hearts, he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out immediately with the Herodians and began plotting against him, how they might destroy him.
Crowds by the Lake
And Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. And from Judea and from Jerusalem and from Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon, a great crowd, hearing all that he was doing, came to him. And he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him. For he had healed many, so that all who had afflictions were pressing forward to touch him. And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw him, would fall down before him and cry out, saying, “You are the Son of God.” And he sternly warned them many times not to make him known.
The Twelve Are Appointed
And he went up on the mountain and called to himself those whom he wanted, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve to be with him and to be sent out to preach and to have authority to cast out demons. He appointed the twelve: Simon, to whom he gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom he gave the name Boanerges (that is, Sons of Thunder); and Andrew and Philip and Bartholomew and Matthew and Thomas and James the son of Alphaeus and Thaddaeus and Simon the Zealota and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
Jesus and Beelzebul
Then he went into a house, and the crowd gathered again, so that they were not even able to eat bread. And when his family heard about it, they went out to take hold of him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.” And the scribes who had come down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and, “By the ruler of the demons he drives out demons.” So he called them to himself and spoke to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? And if a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but has come to an end. But no one can enter the house of a strong man and plunder his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man, and then he will plunder his house. Truly I tell you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may blaspheme. but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.” He said this because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”
Jesus' Mother and Brothers
Then his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside, they sent word to him, calling for him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are outside looking for you.” And answering them, he said, “Who is my mother or my brothers?” And looking around at those sitting in a circle around him, he said, “Look, my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God, this one is my brother and sister and mother.”
The Parable of the Sower
And again he began to teach beside the sea. And such a large crowd gathered to him that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was on the land by the sea. And he taught them many things in parables, and was saying to them in his teaching: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up immediately because it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and because it had no root, it withered. Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And other seed fell into the good soil, and it produced fruit, coming up and growing, yielding thirty, sixty, and a hundred times as much.” And he said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.” And when he was alone, those around him along with the twelve asked him about the parables. And he said to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but to those outside, everything happens in parables, so that ‘they may look and look but not see, and hear and hear but not understand, lest they turn and be forgiven.’”a And he said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. These are the ones along the path where the word is sown: when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. But they have no root in themselves and are only temporary. Then when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are the ones sown among the thorns. These are the ones who hear the word, but the cares of this age and the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And those are the ones sown on the good soil, who hear the word and receive it and bear fruit—thirty, sixty, and a hundred times over.
A Lamp on a Stand
And he said to them, “Does the lamp come in order to be put under a basket or under a bed? Doesn’t it come to be put on a lampstand? For nothing is hidden except to be made known, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come into the open. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear. With the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and more will be added to you. For whoever has, more will be given to him; and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
Seed That Grows by Itself
And he said, “The kingdom of God is like this: as when a man scatters seed on the ground, He sleeps and gets up, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. The earth produces a crop by itself—first the blade, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, he immediately sends in the sickle, because the harvest has come.
The Mustard Seed
And he said, “How shall we compare the kingdom of God, or in what parable shall we present it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on the earth. Yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the sky can nest in its shade. With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.
Jesus Calms the Storm
And on that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let’s cross over to the other side.” So leaving the crowd, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat, and other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling up. And he was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re perishing?” And he woke up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Be silent! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” And they were terrified with great fear, and they said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
Legion
They came to the other side of the sea, to the region of the Gerasenes. And when he got out of the boat, immediately a man with an unclean spirit came out from the tombs to meet him. He made his home among the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. For he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he had torn the chains apart and smashed the shackles to pieces, and no one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he would cry out and cut himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him, and crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you by God, do not torment me!” For Jesus had been saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” Then he asked him, “What is your name?” He said to him, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the region. Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. So they begged him, saying, “Send us into the pigs so we may enter them.” He gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and went into the pigs, and the herd—about two thousand—rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the water. Those who had been tending the pigs fled and reported this in the town and in the countryside. And people came to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man sitting there, clothed and in his right mind—the one who had had the legion—and they were afraid. Those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and about the pigs. Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their region. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged him that he might be with him. But he did not permit him; instead, he said to him, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” So he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone was amazed.
Jairus's Daughter and a Woman Who Touched His Cloak
When Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he was by the sea. Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw him, he fell at his feet and begged him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Please come and lay your hands on her so that she may be healed and live.” So he went with him. A large crowd followed him and pressed around him. And a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years, and had endured much under many physicians and had spent everything she had without gaining any benefit but rather growing worse, having heard about Jesus, came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak. For she was saying, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately the flow of her blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed from her affliction. And immediately Jesus, aware within himself that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” His disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you ask, ‘Who touched me?’” And he looked around to see who had done this. But the woman, frightened and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace, and be well, free from your affliction.”a While he was still speaking, people came from the synagogue leader’s house, saying, “Your daughter has died. Why trouble the Teacher any longer?” But Jesus, overhearing what was being said, told the synagogue leader, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. They came to the house of the synagogue leader, and he saw a commotion, with people weeping and wailing loudly. And when he came in, he said to them, “Why are you making such a commotion and weeping? The child has not died but is sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. Taking the child’s hand, he said to her, “Talitha koum,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, get up.” And immediately the girl got up and walked around—for she was twelve years old. And they were immediately overcome with great astonishment. And he strictly ordered them that no one should know about this, and he told them to give her something to eat.
Rejected at Nazareth
And he went out from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. And when the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue. And many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? And what is this wisdom given to him, and the mighty works done by his hands? Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” And he could not do any miracle there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went around the villages in a circuit, teaching.
The Twelve Sent Out
And he called the twelve to himself and began to send them out two by two, and he gave them authority over the unclean spirits. And he instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff only—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. And he said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that place. And whatever place does not receive you or listen to you, when you leave there, shake off the dust that is under your feet as a testimony against them.” And they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.
The Death of John the Baptist
And King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why these powers are at work in him.” But others were saying, “He is Elijah.” And still others were saying, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” But when Herod heard of it, he kept saying, “John, the one I beheaded, has been raised.” For Herod himself had sent men and arrested John and bound him in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married. For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” So Herodias held a grudge against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not. For Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he listened to him, he was greatly perplexed, yet he listened to him gladly. But an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. And when the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you want, and I will give it to you.” And he swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” And she went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” She said, “The head of John the Baptist.” And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” And the king became very sorrowful, but because of his oaths and his guests, he did not want to refuse her. And immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded him to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard of this, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
Five Thousand Fed
And the apostles gathered together to Jesus and reported to him all that they had done and all that they had taught. And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a little.” For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have opportunity to eat. So they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. But many saw them leaving and recognized them, and they ran together on foot from all the towns and arrived there ahead of them. And when he came ashore, he saw a large crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things. And when the hour was already late, his disciples came to him and said, “This place is deserted, and the hour is already late. Send them away so that they may go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Should we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?”a But he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” And he commanded them to have everyone sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and blessed and broke the loaves and kept giving them to his disciples to set before the people, and he divided the two fish among them all. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces, and of the fish. Now those who had eaten the loaves were five thousand men.
Jesus Walks on the Water
And immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he sent the crowd away. And after saying farewell to them, he went up on the mountain to pray. When evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. And seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. And he intended to pass by them.b But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out, for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke with them and said to them, “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” And he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were completely astounded within themselves, for they had not understood about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.
Healing at Gennesaret
And after crossing over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored there. And when they got out of the boat, immediately people recognized him and ran about that whole region and began to carry the sick on their mats to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he went, into villages or cities or the countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And all who touched it were healed.
What Makes a Person Unclean
And the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him.a And they saw that some of his disciples were eating bread with defiled hands, that is, unwashed. For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands carefully, holding to the tradition of the elders.bc And when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things they have received to observe, the washing of cups and pitchers and bronze vessels and dining couches.d And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with defiled hands?”e And he said to them, “Isaiah prophesied well about you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. But in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ You abandon the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” And he said to them, “You skillfully set aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition. For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.’ But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever you might have benefited from me is Corban”’ (that is, a gift dedicated to God), ‘then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many similar things like this.” And calling the crowd to him again, he said to them, “Listen to me, all of you, and understand. There is nothing outside a person that can defile him by going into him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.”f And when he had entered a house away from the crowd, his disciples asked him about the parable. And he said to them, “Are you also without understanding? Do you not see that nothing from outside that enters into a person can defile him, because it does not enter into his heart but into his stomach, and goes out into the latrine?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of people, come evil thoughts, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders, adulteries, acts of greed, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.g All these evil things come from within and defile a person.”
A Syrophoenician Woman's Faith
From there he set out and went to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know, but he could not remain hidden. Instead, immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him and came and fell at his feet. Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth. She kept asking him to drive the demon out of her daughter. And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” But she answered and said to him, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.” And he said to her, “Because of this word, go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.” And when she went home, she found the child lying on the bed, and the demon was gone.
Ephphatha
Again he left the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, through the region of the Decapolis. They brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly speak, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. Taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting, he touched his tongue. And looking up to heaven, he groaned and said to him, “Ephphatha”—which means, “Be opened.”h And immediately his ears were opened, and the binding of his tongue was released, and he began to speak plainly. And he ordered them to tell no one. But the more he ordered them, the more they kept proclaiming it. And they were utterly astonished, saying, “He has done everything well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
Four Thousand Fed
In those days, when there was again a large crowd and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have already stayed with me three days and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will give out on the way. Some of them have come from a great distance.” His disciples answered him, “How can anyone feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?” And he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.” And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves, gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to his disciples to distribute, and they distributed them to the crowd. They also had a few small fish. And after blessing them, he said to distribute these as well. And they ate and were satisfied. Then they picked up seven baskets full of the leftover pieces. Now there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha.
The Pharisees Ask for a Sign
And the Pharisees came out and began to argue with him, demanding from him a sign from heaven, to test him. And sighing deeply in his spirit, he said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.” And leaving them, he got into the boat again and went away to the other side.
The Yeast of the Pharisees
And they had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. And he was ordering them, saying, “Watch out, beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.” And they were discussing with one another that they had no bread. And knowing this, he said to them, “Why are you discussing that you have no bread? Do you not yet understand or comprehend? Is your heart hardened? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They said to him, “Twelve.” “And when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to him, “Seven.” And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”
A Blind Man at Bethsaida
And they came to Bethsaida. And people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. And taking the blind man by the hand, he led him out of the village, and after spitting on his eyes and laying his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” And looking up, he said, “I see people, for I see them like trees walking around.” Then he laid his hands on his eyes again, and he saw clearly and was restored, and he could see everything distinctly. And he sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.”a
Peter Says Who Jesus Is
And Jesus and his disciples went out to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he was asking his disciples, saying to them, “Who do people say that I am?” They replied, “John the Baptist, and others say Elijah, but others say one of the prophets.” And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said to him, “You are the Messiah.” And he warned them to tell no one about him.
Jesus Foretells His Death
And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he was speaking this message openly. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But he turned and looked at his disciples and rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind me, Satan, because you are not thinking the things of God, but the things of people.” And calling the crowd together with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and for the good news will save it. For what does it benefit a person to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? For what can a person give in exchange for his life? For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will certainly not taste death until they see the kingdom of God having come in power.”
The Transfiguration
And after six days Jesus took Peter and James and John with him, and led them up a high mountain by themselves alone. And he was transformed before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, so white that no launderer on earth could bleach them so. And Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter responded and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three shelters—one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” For he did not know what to answer, because they had become terrified. And a cloud came, overshadowing them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus alone. And as they were coming down from the mountain, he ordered them not to tell anyone what they had seen, until the Son of Man should rise from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, discussing among themselves what rising from the dead meant. And they asked him, saying, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”a And he told them, “Elijah does come first and restores all things. And how is it written about the Son of Man that he must suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that Elijah has indeed come, and they did to him whatever they wanted, just as it is written about him.”
A Boy Set Free
And when they came to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the scribes arguing with them. And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed, and running up to him, they greeted him. And he asked them, “What are you arguing with them about?” And one of the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to cast it out, but they were not able.” And he answered them and said, “O faithless generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I put up with you? Bring him to me.” And they brought him to him. And when the spirit saw him, it immediately convulsed the boy, and falling on the ground, he rolled around, foaming. And he asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And it has often thrown him into fire and into water to destroy him. But if you are able to do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “‘If you are able’? All things are possible for the one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe! Help my unbelief.” And when Jesus saw that a crowd was running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” And after crying out and convulsing him violently, it came out. And the boy became like a corpse, so that many said, “He has died.” But Jesus, taking his hand, lifted him up, and he stood up. And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” And he said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing except prayer.”
Jesus Foretells His Death Again
And from there they went on and passed through Galilee, and he did not want anyone to know, For he was teaching his disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of people, and they will kill him, and after being killed, he will rise after three days.” But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to ask him.
Who Is the Greatest?
And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. And sitting down, he called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he will be last of all and servant of all.” And taking a child, he set it in their midst, and taking it in his arms, he said to them, Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me does not receive me but the one who sent me.”
Whoever Is Not Against Us
John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a miracle in my name will soon afterward be able to speak evil of me.” For whoever is not against us is for us. For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name because you belong to the Messiah, truly I tell you, he will certainly not lose his reward.
Causes of Stumbling
And whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him if a large millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. And if your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire.b And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell.c And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, where ‘their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if the salt becomes saltless, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.
Marriage and Divorce
And getting up from there, he went into the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again, and as was his custom, he taught them again. And Pharisees came up and asked him whether it is lawful for a man to divorce his wife, testing him. But he answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”a But Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” And in the house, the disciples asked him again about this. He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”
Jesus Blesses the Children
People were bringing little children to him so that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.
A Rich Man's Question
As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” He said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” Jesus looked at him and loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” But at that word, his face fell, and he went away sorrowful, for he had many possessions. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” They were even more astonished, saying to one another, “Then who can be saved?” Looking at them, Jesus said, “With people it is impossible, but not with God, for all things are possible with God.” Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundred times as much now in this present time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and fields, along with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
A Third Prediction of His Death
They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. They were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. Taking the twelve aside again, he began to tell them what was about to happen to him: “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles.b They will mock him and spit on him and flog him and kill him, and after three days he will rise.”
The Request of James and John
And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” He said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” They said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” They said to him, “We are able.” Then Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized you will be baptized, but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” When the ten heard this, they began to be indignant about James and John. And calling them to him, Jesus said to them, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the nations lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it is not so among you. Rather, whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you will be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Blind Bartimaeus Sees
They came to Jericho. As he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar, Bartimaeus the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Son of David, Jesus, have mercy on me!” Many rebuked him, telling him to be silent, but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage! Get up, he is calling you.” Throwing off his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus. Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “Rabbouni, let me receive my sight.” Jesus said to him, “Go, your faith has saved you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the road.
The King Comes to Jerusalem
As they approached Jerusalem, near Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. And if anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.’ So they went and found a colt tied outside at a door in the street, and they untied it. Some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” They answered them just as Jesus had said, and they let them go. They brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches they had cut from the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed were crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” He entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. After looking around at everything, since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.
The Fig Tree and the Temple
The next day, when they had come out from Bethany, he was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he might find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it. They came to Jerusalem, and he entered the temple and began to drive out those selling and those buying in the temple. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves. He would not allow anyone to carry goods through the temple. He was teaching and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” The chief priests and the scribes heard this and began looking for a way to destroy him, for they were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. And when evening came, they would go out of the city.
Faith That Moves Mountains
As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be his. Therefore I tell you, whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your sins.a
By What Authority?
They came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him and they said to him, “By what authority do you do these things? Or who gave you this authority to do these things?” Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men? Answer me.” They discussed it among themselves, saying, “What should we say? If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ But should we say, ‘From men’?”—they feared the crowd, for everyone held that John truly was a prophet. So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
The Tenants of the Vineyard
Then he began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a winepress, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey. At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. But they seized him, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. Again he sent another servant to them, and they struck him on the head and treated him shamefully. He sent yet another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some they beat, and some they killed. He had one left, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ So they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. Haven’t you read this Scripture: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this came from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? They were looking for a way to arrest him, but they feared the crowd, for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them. So they left him and went away.
Taxes to Caesar
Then they sent some of the Pharisees and the Herodians to him in order to trap him in his words. When they came, they said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful and defer to no one, for you don’t show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it lawful to pay the poll tax to Caesar, or not? Should we pay it, or should we not?” But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius so I may see it.”a So they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.” Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God.” And they were utterly amazed at him.
The Sadducees and the Resurrection
Then some Sadducees came to him—those who say there is no resurrection—and they asked him, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but leaves no child, the brother should take the wife and raise up offspring for his brother. There were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and when he died, he left no offspring. The second took her, and he died without leaving offspring. And the third likewise. The seven left no offspring. Last of all, the woman also died. In the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife.” Jesus said to them, “Is this not why you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. But concerning the dead—that they are raised—have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?b He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken.”
The Greatest Commandment
One of the scribes came up and heard them debating together. Seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?”c Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these. And the scribe said to him, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken truly that he is one, and there is no other besides him.d And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And no one dared to question him any longer.
Whose Son Is the Messiah?
And responding, Jesus said as he taught in the temple, “How do the scribes say that the Messiah is the son of David? David himself said in the Holy Spirit, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.”’e David himself calls him Lord, so how is he his son?” And the large crowd listened to him gladly.
Beware of the Scribes
And in his teaching he said, “Watch out for the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and receive greetings in the marketplaces, and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. who devour the houses of widows and for a show make long prayers. These will receive greater judgment.”
The Widow's Offering
And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched how the crowd was putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large amounts. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a quadrans.f And calling his disciples to him, he said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those putting money into the treasury. For they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in everything she had, all she had to live on.
The Temple Will Fall
And as he was going out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Teacher, look! What massive stones and what impressive buildings!” And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another that will not be torn down.”
Signs of the End
As he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be fulfilled?” Jesus began to say to them, “Watch out that no one deceives you.” Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and they will deceive many. When you hear of wars and reports of wars, do not be alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines. These are the beginning of birth pains. But watch out for yourselves. They will hand you over to councils and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them. And the good news must first be proclaimed to all the nations. When they bring you to hand you over, do not worry beforehand what you will say, but say whatever is given to you in that hour, for it is not you who are speaking, but the Holy Spirit. Brother will hand over brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
The Great Distress
But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then let those in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one on the housetop not come down or go in to take anything out of his house, and let the one in the field not turn back to get his cloak. Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing in those days! But pray that it may not happen in winter. For those days will be a time of tribulation such as has not occurred from the beginning of creation that God created until now, and never will be again. And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no one would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he has cut short the days. And then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and will give signs and wonders in order to lead astray, if possible, the elect. But you, be on guard. I have told you everything ahead of time.
The Coming of the Son of Man
But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then he will send out the angels and will gather together the elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of heaven.
The Lesson of the Fig Tree
Now learn the lesson from the fig tree: when its branch becomes tender and puts out leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things happening, know that he is near, at the gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
No One Knows the Day or Hour
But concerning that day or the hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Watch! Stay alert, for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, to each one his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to stay alert. So stay alert, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at the rooster’s crow, or early in the morning— lest he come suddenly and find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all: Stay alert!
The Plot to Kill Jesus
Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were two days away. And the chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to arrest him by deceit and kill him.a For they were saying, “Not during the festival, lest there be an uproar among the people.”
Anointed at Bethany
While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured it on his head. But some were indignant among themselves: “Why has this ointment been wasted? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor.” And they scolded her.b But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why are you troubling her? She has done a beautiful thing for me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”
Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus
Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. When they heard this, they were delighted and promised to give him money. So he began looking for an opportunity to betray him.
The Passover Meal
And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says: Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ and he will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Prepare for us there.” The disciples left and went into the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. When evening came, he arrived with the twelve. And as they were reclining at the table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me.” They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one by one, “Surely not I?” He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, the one dipping with me into the bowl.” For the Son of Man goes just as it is written about him, but woe to that man through whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”
The Lord's Supper
And while they were eating, he took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.” Truly I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
Peter's Denial Foretold
And after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, because it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” But Peter said to him, “Even if all fall away, yet I will not.” And Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, today, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” But he kept insisting emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will certainly not deny you.” And all of them said the same thing.
Gethsemane
And they came to a place whose name was Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And he took Peter and James and John with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. And he said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, even to death. Remain here and keep watch.” And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Take this cup away from me. Yet not what I want, but what you want.”c And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not keep watch for one hour?” Keep watch and pray, so that you will not enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.” Get up, let’s go. Look, the one betraying me is near.
Jesus Is Arrested
And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. Now the one betraying him had given them a signal, saying, “The one I kiss is the man. Arrest him and lead him away under guard.” And when he came, immediately he went up to him and said, “Rabbi,” and kissed him. And they laid their hands on him and seized him. But one of those standing there drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. And Jesus responded and said to them, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to capture me as if I were a robber? Every day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me. But this is to fulfill the Scriptures.” And they all abandoned him and fled. And a certain young man was following him, wearing nothing but a linen cloth over his naked body, and they seized him. But he left the linen cloth behind and fled naked.
Before the Council
And they led Jesus away to the high priest, and all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes gathered together. And Peter had followed him from a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest, and he was sitting with the officers and warming himself by the fire. Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking testimony against Jesus in order to put him to death, but they found none. For many were giving false testimony against him, but their testimonies did not agree. And some stood up and gave false testimony against him, saying, “We heard him saying, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will build another not made with hands.’” Yet even then their testimony did not agree. And the high priest stood up in the middle and questioned Jesus, saying, “Do you answer nothing? What is it that these men are testifying against you?” But he remained silent and answered nothing. Again the high priest questioned him and said to him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further need do we have of witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy. What does it seem to you?” And they all condemned him as deserving death. And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to strike him with their fists and to say to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards took him and beat him.
Peter Denies Jesus
And while Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked directly at him and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are saying.” And he went out into the gateway, and a rooster crowed. And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to those standing by, “This man is one of them.” But again he denied it. And after a little while, those standing by again said to Peter, “Truly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it.”d But he began to call down curses on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man you are talking about.” And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered the word Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.
Before Pilate
And immediately in the morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and the scribes and the whole council. They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You say so.” And the chief priests accused him of many things. And Pilate asked him again, saying, “Do you have no answer? See how many charges they are bringing against you.” But Jesus no longer answered anything, so that Pilate was amazed. Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner whom they requested. And there was one called Barabbas, bound with the rebels who had committed murder in the insurrection. And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. And Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” For he knew that it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed him over. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd so that he would release Barabbas for them instead. And Pilate answered again and said to them, “Then what do you want me to do with the one you call the King of the Jews?” And they shouted again, “Crucify him.” But Pilate said to them, “Why? What crime has he committed?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him!” So Pilate, wanting to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas to them, and he handed over Jesus, after having him flogged, to be crucified.
The Soldiers Mock Jesus
The soldiers led him away inside the courtyard (that is, the governor’s headquarters), and they called together the whole cohort.a They dressed him in purple and placed on him a crown they had twisted out of thorns. And they began to salute him: “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they kept striking his head with a reed and spitting on him, and kneeling down they bowed in worship to him. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.
The Crucifixion
And they forced a man passing by, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the countryside, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. And they brought him to the place called Golgotha, which means Place of a Skull. And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him and divided his clothes, casting lots for them to decide what each would take. Now it was the third hour when they crucified him. And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” And with him they crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left.b And those who passed by insulted him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself by coming down from the cross!” In the same way, the chief priests were also mocking him among themselves, along with the scribes, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself.c Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, so that we may see and believe!” And those who were crucified with him also insulted him.
The Death of Jesus
And when the sixth hour came, darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of those standing nearby, when they heard it, said, “Listen, he is calling Elijah.” And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to take him down.” But Jesus let out a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And when the centurion who stood facing him saw how he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” There were also women watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome, who had followed him and served him when he was in Galilee, and many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.
The Burial of Jesus
And when evening had already come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea came, a respected member of the council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God. He took courage and went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate was surprised that he was already dead, and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had been dead for some time. When he learned this from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. After buying a linen cloth, he took him down, wrapped him in the linen cloth, and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were watching where he was laid.
He Has Risen
When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go and anoint him. Very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb after the sun had risen. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large. When they went into the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. See, here is the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” They went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. ⟦Then they briefly reported all these instructions to Peter and those with him. And afterward Jesus himself sent out through them, from east to west, the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation. Amen.⟧a
Appearances and the Commission (a later ending)
Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had driven out seven demons. She went and reported to those who had been with him, who were mourning and weeping. When they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe it. After these things, he appeared in a different form to two of them as they were walking on their way into the country. They went back and reported it to the rest, but they did not believe them either. Later he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table, and he rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen him after he had been raised. He said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons, they will speak in new tongues, they will pick up serpents, and if they drink anything deadly, it will not harm them at all; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” So then, after the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and proclaimed everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the signs that accompanied it.b