The Gospel of Mark (Part Six)

The Story of the Bible

Living With Power

Walking in Victory: A 5-Day Journey to Spiritual Freedom

Legacy: God Honors the Heart by Vance K. Jackson

Devoted Together

5 Days of Prayer and Thanksgiving in the Psalms

5 Prayers for Your Daughter’s School Year

How God Doubled Our Income in 18 Days

Fear vs Faith: Mind Your Mindset

The Listener’s Bible®: NIV Edition

New International Version™  (Anglicised), Audio Edition

Holy Bible, New International Version™ (Anglicised), South Asian Audio Edition

<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
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 <div class="label">2</div><div class="s1">The Birth of Jesus</div><div class="p"> 1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while#2:2 Or This census took place before Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to their own town to register.</div><div class="p"> 4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.</div><div class="p"> 8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, &#8220;Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,</div><div class="q1"> 14&#8220;Glory to God in the highest heaven,</div><div class="q2">and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, &#8220;Let&#8217;s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.</div><div class="p"> 21On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.</div><div class="s1">Jesus Presented in the Temple</div><div class="p"> 22When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, &#8220;Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord&#8221;#2:23 Exodus 13:2,12), 24and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: &#8220;a pair of doves or two young pigeons.&#8221;#2:24 Lev. 12:8</div><div class="p"> 25Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord&#8217;s Messiah. 27Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:</div><div class="q1"> 29&#8220;Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,</div><div class="q2">you may now dismiss#2:29 Or promised, / now dismiss your servant in peace.</div><div class="q1"> 30For my eyes have seen your salvation,</div><div class="q2"> 31which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:</div><div class="q1"> 32a light for revelation to the Gentiles,</div><div class="q2">and the glory of your people Israel.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 33The child&#8217;s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: &#8220;This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 36There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.#2:37 Or then had been a widow for eighty-four years. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.</div><div class="p"> 39When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.</div><div class="s1">The Boy Jesus at the Temple</div><div class="p"> 41Every year Jesus&#8217; parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. 42When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. 43After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, &#8220;Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 49 &#8220;Why were you searching for me?&#8221; he asked. &#8220;Didn&#8217;t you know I had to be in my Father&#8217;s house?&#8221;#2:49 Or be about my Father&#8217;s business 50But they did not understand what he was saying to them.</div><div class="p"> 51Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.</div>
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 <div class="label">3</div><div class="s1">John the Baptist Prepares the Way</div><div class="p"> 1In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar&#8212;when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene&#8212; 2during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:</div><div class="q1">&#8220;A voice of one calling in the wilderness,</div><div class="q1">&#8216;Prepare the way for the Lord,</div><div class="q2">make straight paths for him.</div><div class="q1"> 5Every valley shall be filled in,</div><div class="q2">every mountain and hill made low.</div><div class="q1">The crooked roads shall become straight,</div><div class="q2">the rough ways smooth.</div><div class="q1"> 6And all people will see God&#8217;s salvation.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;#3:6 Isaiah 40:3-5</div><div class="p"> 7John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, &#8220;You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, &#8216;We have Abraham as our father.&#8217; For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 9The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 10&#8220;What should we do then?&#8221; the crowd asked.</div><div class="p"> 11John answered, &#8220;Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 12Even tax collectors came to be baptized. &#8220;Teacher,&#8221; they asked, &#8220;what should we do?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 13&#8220;Don&#8217;t collect any more than you are required to,&#8221; he told them.</div><div class="p"> 14Then some soldiers asked him, &#8220;And what should we do?&#8221;</div><div class="p">He replied, &#8220;Don&#8217;t extort money and don&#8217;t accuse people falsely&#8212;be content with your pay.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 15The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. 16John answered them all, &#8220;I baptize you with#3:16 Or in water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with#3:16 Or in the Holy Spirit and fire. 17His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.&#8221; 18And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.</div><div class="p"> 19But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of his marriage to Herodias, his brother&#8217;s wife, and all the other evil things he had done, 20Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.</div><div class="s1">The Baptism and Genealogy of Jesus</div><div class="p"> 21When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened 22and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: &#8220;You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 23Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph,</div><div class="b"></div><div class="li1">the son of Heli, 24the son of Matthat,</div><div class="li1">the son of Levi, the son of Melki,</div><div class="li1">the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,</div><div class="li1"> 25the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos,</div><div class="li1">the son of Nahum, the son of Esli,</div><div class="li1">the son of Naggai, 26the son of Maath,</div><div class="li1">the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein,</div><div class="li1">the son of Josek, the son of Joda,</div><div class="li1"> 27the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa,</div><div class="li1">the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel,</div><div class="li1">the son of Neri, 28the son of Melki,</div><div class="li1">the son of Addi, the son of Cosam,</div><div class="li1">the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,</div><div class="li1"> 29the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer,</div><div class="li1">the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat,</div><div class="li1">the son of Levi, 30the son of Simeon,</div><div class="li1">the son of Judah, the son of Joseph,</div><div class="li1">the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,</div><div class="li1"> 31the son of Melea, the son of Menna,</div><div class="li1">the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan,</div><div class="li1">the son of David, 32the son of Jesse,</div><div class="li1">the son of Obed, the son of Boaz,</div><div class="li1">the son of Salmon,#3:32 Some early manuscripts Sala the son of Nahshon,</div><div class="li1"> 33the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram,#3:33 Some manuscripts Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni; other manuscripts vary widely.</div><div class="li1">the son of Hezron, the son of Perez,</div><div class="li1">the son of Judah, 34the son of Jacob,</div><div class="li1">the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham,</div><div class="li1">the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,</div><div class="li1"> 35the son of Serug, the son of Reu,</div><div class="li1">the son of Peleg, the son of Eber,</div><div class="li1">the son of Shelah, 36the son of Cainan,</div><div class="li1">the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem,</div><div class="li1">the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,</div><div class="li1"> 37the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch,</div><div class="li1">the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel,</div><div class="li1">the son of Kenan, 38the son of Enosh,</div><div class="li1">the son of Seth, the son of Adam,</div><div class="li1">the son of God.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
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 <div class="label">4</div><div class="s1">Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness</div><div class="p"> 1Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2where for forty days he was tempted#4:2 The Greek for tempted can also mean tested. by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.</div><div class="p"> 3The devil said to him, &#8220;If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 4Jesus answered, &#8220;It is written: &#8216;Man shall not live on bread alone.&#8217;#4:4 Deut. 8:3&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 5The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6And he said to him, &#8220;I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7If you worship me, it will all be yours.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 8Jesus answered, &#8220;It is written: &#8216;Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.&#8217;#4:8 Deut. 6:13&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 9The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. &#8220;If you are the Son of God,&#8221; he said, &#8220;throw yourself down from here. 10For it is written:</div><div class="q1">&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;He will command his angels concerning you</div><div class="q2">to guard you carefully;</div><div class="q1"> 11they will lift you up in their hands,</div><div class="q2">so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.&#8217;#4:11 Psalm 91:11,12&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 12Jesus answered, &#8220;It is said: &#8216;Do not put the Lord your God to the test.&#8217;#4:12 Deut. 6:16&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 13When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.</div><div class="s1">Jesus Rejected at Nazareth</div><div class="p"> 14Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.</div><div class="p"> 16He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:</div><div class="q1"> 18 &#8220;The Spirit of the Lord is on me,</div><div class="q2"> because he has anointed me</div><div class="q2"> to proclaim good news to the poor.</div><div class="q1"> He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners</div><div class="q2"> and recovery of sight for the blind,</div><div class="q1"> to set the oppressed free,</div><div class="q2"> 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord&#8217;s favor.&#8221; # 4:19 
 Isaiah 61:1,2 (see Septuagint); Isaiah 58:6 </div><div class="p"> 20Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21He began by saying to them, &#8220;Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 22All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. &#8220;Isn&#8217;t this Joseph&#8217;s son?&#8221; they asked.</div><div class="p"> 23Jesus said to them, &#8220;Surely you will quote this proverb to me: &#8216;Physician, heal yourself!&#8217; And you will tell me, &#8216;Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 24 &#8220;Truly I tell you,&#8221; he continued, &#8220;no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah&#8217;s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. 26Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. 27And there were many in Israel with leprosy#4:27 The Greek word traditionally translated leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin. in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed&#8212;only Naaman the Syrian.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 28All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. 29They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. 30But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.</div><div class="s1">Jesus Drives Out an Impure Spirit</div><div class="p"> 31Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath he taught the people. 32They were amazed at his teaching, because his words had authority.</div><div class="p"> 33In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an impure spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, 34&#8220;Go away! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are&#8212;the Holy One of God!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 35 &#8220;Be quiet!&#8221; Jesus said sternly. &#8220;Come out of him!&#8221; Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him.</div><div class="p"> 36All the people were amazed and said to each other, &#8220;What words these are! With authority and power he gives orders to impure spirits and they come out!&#8221; 37And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.</div><div class="s1">Jesus Heals Many</div><div class="p"> 38Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon&#8217;s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. 39So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.</div><div class="p"> 40At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. 41Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, &#8220;You are the Son of God!&#8221; But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah.</div><div class="p"> 42At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. 43But he said, &#8220;I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.&#8221; 44And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.</div>
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 <div class="label">5</div><div class="s1">Jesus Calls His First Disciples</div><div class="p"> 1One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,#5:1 That is, the Sea of Galilee the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2He saw at the water&#8217;s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.</div><div class="p"> 4When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, &#8220;Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 5Simon answered, &#8220;Master, we&#8217;ve worked hard all night and haven&#8217;t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 6When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.</div><div class="p"> 8When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus&#8217; knees and said, &#8220;Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!&#8221; 9For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon&#8217;s partners.</div><div class="p">Then Jesus said to Simon, &#8220;Don&#8217;t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.&#8221; 11So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.</div><div class="s1">Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy</div><div class="p"> 12While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy.#5:12 The Greek word traditionally translated leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, &#8220;Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 13Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. &#8220;I am willing,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Be clean!&#8221; And immediately the leprosy left him.</div><div class="p"> 14Then Jesus ordered him, &#8220;Don&#8217;t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 15Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.</div><div class="s1">Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man</div><div class="p"> 17One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. 18Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. 19When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.</div><div class="p"> 20When Jesus saw their faith, he said, &#8220;Friend, your sins are forgiven.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 21The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, &#8220;Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 22Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, &#8220;Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? 23Which is easier: to say, &#8216;Your sins are forgiven,&#8217; or to say, &#8216;Get up and walk&#8217;? 24But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.&#8221; So he said to the paralyzed man, &#8220;I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.&#8221; 25Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. 26Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, &#8220;We have seen remarkable things today.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">Jesus Calls Levi and Eats With Sinners</div><div class="p"> 27After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. &#8220;Follow me,&#8221; Jesus said to him, 28and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.</div><div class="p"> 29Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. 30But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, &#8220;Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 31Jesus answered them, &#8220;It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">Jesus Questioned About Fasting</div><div class="p"> 33They said to him, &#8220;John&#8217;s disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 34Jesus answered, &#8220;Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? 35But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 36He told them this parable: &#8220;No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. 37And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. 38No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. 39And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, &#8216;The old is better.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
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 <div class="label">6</div><div class="s1">Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath</div><div class="p"> 1One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels. 2Some of the Pharisees asked, &#8220;Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 3Jesus answered them, &#8220;Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.&#8221; 5Then Jesus said to them, &#8220;The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 6On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. 7The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. 8But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, &#8220;Get up and stand in front of everyone.&#8221; So he got up and stood there.</div><div class="p"> 9Then Jesus said to them, &#8220;I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 10He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, &#8220;Stretch out your hand.&#8221; He did so, and his hand was completely restored. 11But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.</div><div class="s1">The Twelve Apostles</div><div class="p"> 12One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. 13When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: 14Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, 15Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, 16Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.</div><div class="s1">Blessings and Woes</div><div class="p"> 17He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, 18who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, 19and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.</div><div class="p"> 20Looking at his disciples, he said:</div><div class="q1"> &#8220;Blessed are you who are poor,</div><div class="q2"> for yours is the kingdom of God.</div><div class="q1"> 21 Blessed are you who hunger now,</div><div class="q2"> for you will be satisfied.</div><div class="q1"> Blessed are you who weep now,</div><div class="q2"> for you will laugh.</div><div class="q1"> 22 Blessed are you when people hate you,</div><div class="q2"> when they exclude you and insult you</div><div class="q2"> and reject your name as evil,</div><div class="q3"> because of the Son of Man.</div><div class="p"> 23 &#8220;Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.</div><div class="q1"> 24 &#8220;But woe to you who are rich,</div><div class="q2"> for you have already received your comfort.</div><div class="q1"> 25 Woe to you who are well fed now,</div><div class="q2"> for you will go hungry.</div><div class="q1"> Woe to you who laugh now,</div><div class="q2"> for you will mourn and weep.</div><div class="q1"> 26 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,</div><div class="q2"> for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.</div><div class="s1">Love for Enemies</div><div class="p"> 27 &#8220;But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31Do to others as you would have them do to you.</div><div class="p"> 32 &#8220;If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.</div><div class="s1">Judging Others</div><div class="p"> 37 &#8220;Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 39He also told them this parable: &#8220;Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.</div><div class="p"> 41 &#8220;Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother&#8217;s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42How can you say to your brother, &#8216;Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,&#8217; when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother&#8217;s eye.</div><div class="s1">A Tree and Its Fruit</div><div class="p"> 43 &#8220;No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.</div><div class="s1">The Wise and Foolish Builders</div><div class="p"> 46 &#8220;Why do you call me, &#8216;Lord, Lord,&#8217; and do not do what I say? 47As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 48They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.&#8221;</div>
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