Words of Jesus in Mattew
3* (John "I need to be baptized by you, and you come to me) Allow it now, for this is the fitting way for us to fulfill all righteousness. 4* It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Again, it is written, You shall not test the Lord, your God. Get behind me, Satan! For it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve. Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers for men. 5* Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the humble, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you. You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its flavor, what will it be salted with? It is then good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill can`t be hid. Neither do you light a lamp, and put it under a bushel basket, but on a stand; and it shines to all who are in the house. Even so, let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Don`t think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn`t come to destroy, but to fulfill. For most assuredly, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not even one smallest letter or one tiny pen stroke shall in any way pass away from the law, until all things are accomplished. Whoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and teach others to do so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. For I tell you, that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, there is no way you shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. You have heard that it was said to them of old time, You shall not murder; and Whoever shall murder shall be in danger of the judgment. But I tell you, that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment; and whoever shall say to his brother, `I hate you,` shall be in danger of the council; and whoever shall say, `You fool,` shall be in danger of the fire of Gehenna. If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are with him in the way; lest perhaps the prosecutor deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be cast into prison. Most assuredly I tell you, you shall by no means get out of there, until you have paid the last penny. You have heard that it was said, `You shall not commit adultery; but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and cast it from you. For it is profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna. If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from you: for it is profitable for you that one of your members should perish, and not your whole body be cast into Gehenna. It was also said, `Whoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorce, but I tell you that whoever who puts away his wife, except for the cause of sexual immorality, makes her an adulteress; and whoever shall marry her when she is put away commits adultery. Again you have heard that it was said to them of old time, `You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord your vows, but I tell you, don`t swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God; nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Neither shall you swear by your head, for you can`t make one hair white or black. But let your speech be, `Yes, yes; No, no.` Whatever is more than these is of the evil one. You have heard that it was said, `An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But I tell you, don`t resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. If any man would go to law with you and take away your coat, let him have your cloak also. Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and don`t turn away him who desires to borrow from you. You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don`t even the tax collectors do the same? If you only greet your friends, what more do you do than others? Don`t even the tax collectors do the same? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. 6* Be careful that you don`t do your charitable giving before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. Therefore when you do merciful deeds, don`t sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may get glory from men. Most assuredly, I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you do merciful deeds, don`t let your left hand know what your right hand does, so that your merciful deeds may be in secret, then your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. When you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Most assuredly, I tell you, they have received their reward. But you, when you pray, enter into your inner chamber, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. In praying, don`t use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking. Therefore don`t be like them, for your Father knows what things you need, before you ask him. Pray like this. Our Father, who is in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your kingdom come. May your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever. Amen. For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you don`t forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Moreover when you fast, don`t be, as the hypocrites, with sad faces. For they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen by men to be fasting. Most assuredly I tell you, they have received their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face; that you are not seen by men to be fasting, but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. Don`t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don`t break through and steal; for where your treasure is, your heart will be there also. The lamp of the body is the eye: if therefore your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. You can`t serve both God and Mammon. Therefore, I tell you, don`t be anxious for your life, what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will put on. Isn`t life more than food, and the body more than clothing? See the birds of the sky, that they don`t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren`t you of much more value than they? Which of you, by being anxious, can add one cubit to the measure of his life? Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don`t toil, neither do they spin, yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, won`t he much more clothe you, you of little faith? Therefore don`t be anxious, saying, `What will we eat?`, `What will we drink?` or, `With what will we be clothed? For the Gentiles seek after all these things, for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first God`s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be added to you. Therefore don`t be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day`s own evil is sufficient. 7* Don`t judge, so that you won`t be judged. For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged: and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother`s eye, but don`t consider the beam that is in your own eye? Or how will you tell your brother, `Let me remove the speck from your eye;` and behold, the beam is in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the beam out of your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother`s eye. Don`t give that which is holy to the dogs, neither cast your pearls before the pigs, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there of you, who, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, who will give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! Therefore whatever you desire for men to do to you, you shall also do to them; for this is the law and the prophets. Enter in by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter in by it. How narrow is the gate, and restricted is the way that leads to life! Few are those who find it. Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep`s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. By their fruits you will know them. Do you gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree brings forth good fruit; but the corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit. A good tree can`t bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that doesn`t grow good fruit is cut down, and thrown into the fire. Therefore, by their fruits you will know them. Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,` will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will tell me in that day, `Lord, Lord, didn`t we prophesy by your name, by your name cast out demons, and by your name do many mighty works? Then I will tell them, `I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work iniquity. Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house on a rock. The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it didn`t fall, for it was founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of mine, and doesn`t do them will be like a foolish man, who built his house on the sand. The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it fell -- and great was its fall. 8* I tell you that many will come from the east and the west, and will sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the Kingdom of Heaven, but the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and the gnashing of teeth.. The foxes have holes, and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.. Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.. Why are you fearful, oh you of little faith? 9* Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, Your sins are forgiven or to say, Get up, and walk? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins..Get up, and take up your mat, and go up to your house.. Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do. But you go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, and not sacrifice, for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.. Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment for the patch would tear away from the garment, and a worse hole is made. Neither do people put new wine into old wineskins, or else the skins would burst, and the wine be spilled, and the skins ruined. No, they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.. The harvest indeed is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 10* (First Send) Don`t go among the Gentiles, and don`t enter into any city of the Samaritans. Rather, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, preach, saying, `The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons. Freely you received, so freely give. Don`t take any gold, nor silver, nor brass in your money belts. Take no bag for your journey, neither two coats, nor shoes, nor staff: for the laborer is worthy of his food. Into whatever city or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy; and stay there until you go on. As you enter into the household, greet it. If the household is worthy, let your peace come on it, but if it isn`t worthy, let your peace return to you. Whoever doesn`t receive you, nor hear your words, as you go forth out of that house or that city, shake off the dust from your feet. Most assuredly I tell you, It will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city. Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you. Yes, and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, don`t be anxious how or what you will say, for it will be given you in that hour what you will say. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child. Children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death. You will be hated by all men for my name`s sake, but he who endures to the end, the same will be saved. But when they persecute you in this city, flee into the next, for most assuredly I tell you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel, until the Son of Man has come. A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be like his teacher, and the servant like his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more them of his household! Therefore don`t be afraid of them, for there is nothing covered, that will not be revealed; and hidden, that will not be known. What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in the ear, proclaim on the housetops. Don`t be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. Aren`t two sparrows sold for an assarion? Not one of them falls on the ground apart from your Father`s will, but the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore don`t be afraid, you are of more value than many sparrows. Everyone therefore who confesses me before men, him will I also confess before my Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven. Don`t think that I came to send peace on the earth. I didn`t come to send peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man at odds against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. A man`s foes will be those of his own household. He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me isn`t worthy of me. He who doesn`t take his cross and follow after me, isn`t worthy of me. He who finds his life will lose it; and he who loses his life for my sake will find it. He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet`s reward: and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man will receive a righteous man`s reward. Whoever gives one of these little ones just a cup of cold water to drink, in the name of a disciple, most assuredly I tell you he will in no way lose his reward. 11* Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. Blessed is he, whoever finds no occasion for stumbling in me.. What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in king`s houses. But why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, `Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you. Most assuredly I tell you, among those who are born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptizer; yet he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptizer until now, the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. If you are willing to receive it, this is Elijah, who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. But what will I compare this generation to? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces, who call to their companions and say, We played the flute for you, and you didn`t dance. We mourned for you, and you didn`t lament. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, `He has a demon. The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, `Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!` But wisdom is justified by her children. Then he began to denounce the cities in which most of his mighty works were done, because they didn`t repent. Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. You, Capernaum, who are exalted to Heaven, you will go down to Hades. For if the mighty works had been done in Sodom which were done in you, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom, in the day of judgment, than for you. At that time, Jesus answered, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you hid these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for so it was well-pleasing in your sight. All things have been delivered to me by my Father. No one knows the Son, except the Father; neither does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and he to whoever the Son wants to reveal him. Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you, and learn from me, for I am humble and lowly in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. 12* Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come on you. Or how can one enter into the house of the strong man, and plunder his goods, except he first bind the strong man? Then he will plunder his house. He who is not with me is against me, and he who doesn`t gather with me, scatters. Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in that which is to come. Either make the tree good, and its fruit good, or make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by its fruit. You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. The good man out of his good treasure brings forth good things, and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings forth evil things. I tell you that every idle word that men speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.. An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and there will no sign be given it but the sign of Jonah, the prophet. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, someone greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the south will rise up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, someone greater than Solomon is here. But the unclean spirit, when he is gone out of the man, passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and doesn`t find it. Then he says, I will return into my house whence I came out,` and when he has come back, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes, and takes with himself seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter in and dwell there. The last state of that man becomes worse than the first. Even so will it be also to this evil generation.. Who is my mother? Who are my brothers? Behold, my mother and my brothers! For whoever will do the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother. 13* Behold, the farmer went forth to sow. As he sowed, some seeds fell by the roadside, and the birds came and devoured them. Others fell on rocky ground, where they didn`t have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, because they had no deepness of earth. When the sun had risen, they were scorched. Because they had no root, they withered away. Others fell on thorns. The thorns grew up and choked them: and others fell on good soil, and yielded fruit: some one hundred times, some sixty, and some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.. To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them. For whoever has, to him will be given, and he will have abundance, but whoever doesn`t have, from him will be taken away even that which he has. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they don`t see, and hearing, they don`t hear, neither do they understand. In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says, By hearing you will hear, and will in no way understand; Seeing you will see, and will in no way perceive. For this people`s heart has grown callous, Their ears are dull of hearing, Their eyes they have closed; Or else perhaps they might perceive with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their heart, And should turn again; And I would heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. For most assuredly I tell you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which you see, and didn`t see them; and to hear the things which you hear, and didn`t hear them. Hear, then, the parable of the farmer. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and doesn`t understand it, the evil one comes, and snatches away that which has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown by the roadside. What was sown on the rocky places, this is he who hears the word, and immediately with joy receives it, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. What was sown among the thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. What was sown on the good ground, this is he who hears the word, and understands it, who most assuredly bears fruit, and brings forth, some one hundred times, some sixty, some thirty. "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while people slept, his enemy came and sowed darnel also among the wheat, and went away. But when the blade sprang up and brought forth fruit, then the darnel appeared also. The servants of the householder came and said to him, `Sir, didn`t you sow good seed in your field? Where did this darnel come from? He said to them, `An enemy has done this.` The servants asked him, `Do you want us to go and gather them up? But he said, `No, lest perhaps while you gather up the darnel, you root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the harvest time I will tell the reapers, "First, gather up the darnel, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn. ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field, which indeed is smaller than all seeds. But when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches. ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, until it was all leavened. He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the darnel are the sons of the evil one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. As therefore the darnel is gathered up and burned with fire; so will it be in the end of this age. The Son of Man will send forth his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all things that cause stumbling, and those who do iniquity, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be weeping and the gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found, and hid. In his joy, he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field. Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a merchant seeking fine pearls, who having found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it. Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a dragnet, that was cast into the sea, and gathered some fish of every kind, which, when it was filled, they drew up on the beach. They sat down, and gathered the good into containers, but the bad they threw away. So will it be in the end of the world. The angels will come forth, and separate the wicked from among the righteous, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. Have you understood all these things.. Therefore, every scribe who has been made a disciple to the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a householder, who brings forth out of his treasure new and old things.. A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and in his own house. 15* Why do you also disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition? For God commanded, `Honor your father and your mother,` and, `He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death. But you say, `Whoever will tell his father or his mother, "Whatever help you might otherwise have gotten from me is a gift devoted to God, he will not honor his father or mother.` You have made the commandment of God void because of your tradition. You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, These people draw near to me with their mouth, And honor me with their lips; But their heart is far from me. But in vain do they worship me, Teaching as doctrine rules made by men.. Hear, and understand. That which enters into the mouth doesn`t defile the man; but that which proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.. Every plant which my heavenly Father didn`t plant will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind guides of the blind. If the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit.. Do you also still not understand? Don`t you understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the belly, and then out of the body? But the things which proceed out of the mouth come forth out of the heart, and they defile the man. For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimony, and blasphemies. These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands doesn`t defile the man. 16* When it is evening, you say, It will be fair weather, for the sky is red. In the morning, `It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.` Hypocrites! You know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but you can`t discern the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and there will be no sign given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah.. Take heed and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.. Why do you reason among yourselves, you of little faith, `because you have brought no bread? Don`t you yet perceive, neither remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you took up? Nor the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you took up? How is it that you don`t perceive that I didn`t speak to you concerning bread? But beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.. Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am ? But who do you say that I am? (Simon Peter "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God) Blessed are you, Simon Bar-jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. I also tell you, that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my assembly, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give to you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you will bind on earth will be bound in heaven; and whatever you will loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.. Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me, for you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but the things of men.. If any man desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever will lose his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man, if he will gain the whole world, and forfeit his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then will he render to every man according to his deeds. Most assuredly I tell you, there are some standing here, who will in no way taste of death, until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. 17* Elijah indeed comes first, and will restore all things, but I tell you that Elijah has come already, and they didn`t recognize him, but did to him whatever they wanted to. Even so will the Son of Man also suffer by them.. Faithless and perverse generation! How long will I be with you? How long will I bear with you? Bring him here to me.. (Why couldn`t we cast it out?) Because of your unbelief. For most assuredly I tell you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, `Move from here to there,` and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. But this kind doesn`t go out except by prayer and fasting.. The Son of Man is about to be delivered up into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and the third day he will be raised up. What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth receive toll or tribute? From their sons, or from strangers?..(From Strangers).. Therefore the sons are exempt. But, lest we cause them to stumble, go to the sea, and cast a hook, and take up the first fish that comes up. When you have opened his mouth, you will find a stater. Take that, and give it to them for me and you."
I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come but woe to the man through whom they come! If your hand or your foot causes you to sin cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost. If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church, and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them. (Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me?) I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. The servant fell on his knees before him. Be patient with me, he begged, and I will pay back everything. The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. Pay back what you owe me, he demanded. His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, Be patient with me and I will pay you back. But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. Then the master called the servant in. You wicked servant, he said, I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you? In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart. 19* Haven’t you read, that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female, and said, For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate. Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.( If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry) Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. For some are eunuchs because they were born that way, others were made that way by men, and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.. Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.. Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments. Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself. If you want to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me. I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. (Who then can be saved?) With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.. I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last and many who are last will be first. 20* For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right. So they went. He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing? Because no one has hired us, they answered. He said to them, You also go and work in my vineyard. When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first. The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it they began to grumble against the landowner. These men who were hired last worked only one hour, they said, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day, But he answered one of them, Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous? So the last will be first, and the first will be last.. We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life.. What is it you want? (Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom) You don’t know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup I am going to drink? You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.. You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. 21* Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.. (Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.) My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers.. I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, Go, throw yourself into the sea, and it will be done. If you believe you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.. (the elders of the people came to him, By what authority are you doing these things?) I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John’s baptism, where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or from men? (They discussed it among themselves and said, If we say, From heaven, he will ask, Then why didn’t you believe him? But if we say, From men, we are afraid of the people for they all hold that John was a prophet. So they answered Jesus, We don’t know) Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things. What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, Son, go and work today in the vineyard. I will not, he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, I will sir, but he did not go. Which of the two did what his father wanted? I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him. Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. Last of all, he sent his son to them. They will respect my son, he said. But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, This is the heir. Come let’s kill him and take his inheritance. So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants.. Have you never read in the Scriptures: The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone, the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes, Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 22* The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. Then he sent some more servants and said, Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet. But they paid no attention and went off, one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, The wedding banquet is ready but those I invited did not deserve to come. Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find. So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad and the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. Friend, he asked, how did you get in here without wedding clothes? The man was speechless. Then the king told the attendants, Tie him hand and foot and throw him outside into the darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are invited but few are chosen.. Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.. You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage, they will be like the angels in heaven. But about the resurrection of the dead have you not read what God said to you, I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. He is not the God of the dead but of the living.. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it, Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.. What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he? How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him `Lord ? For he says, The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet. If then David calls him Lord, how can he be his son? 23* The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long, they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues, they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them `Rabbi. But you are not to be called `Rabbi, for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth `father, for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called `teacher, for you have one Teacher, the Christ. The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Woe to you teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows houses and for a pretence make long prayer. Therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe to you teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert and when he becomes one you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. Woe to you blind guides! You say, If anyone swears by the temple it means nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple he is bound by his oath. You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred? You also say, If anyone swears by the altar it means nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift on it he is bound by his oath. You blind men! Which is greater: the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? Therefore he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. And he who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it. Woe to you teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices, mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law, justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. Woe to you teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. Woe to you teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. In the same way on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. Woe to you teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. And you say, If we had lived in the days of our forefathers we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets. So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up then the measure of the sin of your forefathers! You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify, others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. I tell you the truth, all this will come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.. 24* (Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings) Do you see all these things? I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another, every one will be thrown down.. Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name claiming `I am the Christ, and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. So when you see standing in the holy place `the abomination that causes desolation, spoken of through the prophet Daniel, let the reader understand, then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you `Look, here is the Christ! or `There he is’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect, if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time. So if anyone tells you `There he is, out in the desert’ do not go out, or `Here he is in the inner rooms’ do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass there the vultures will gather. Immediately after the distress of those days the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call and they will gather his elect from the four winds from one end of the heavens to the other. Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things you know that it is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will never pass away. No one knows about that day or hour not even the angels in heaven nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood people were eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field, one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill one will be taken and the other left. Therefore keep watch because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this, If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. Who then is the faithful and wise servant whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself `My master is staying away a long time, and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 25* At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise however took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight the cry rang out `Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him! Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise `Give us some of your oil, our lamps are going out. `No, they replied `there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves. But while they were on their way to buy the oil the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. Later the others also came. Sir! Sir! they said `Open the door for us! But he replied `I tell you the truth, I don’t know you. Therefore keep watch because you do not know the day or the hour. Again, it will be like a man going on a journey who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. `Master, he said `you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more. His master replied,`Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness! The man with the two talents also came. `Master he said `you entrusted me with two talents. See, I have gained two more. His master replied `Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness! Then the man who had received the one talent came. `Master, he said `I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you. His master replied `You wicked lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside into the darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right `Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? The King will reply `I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me. Then he will say to those on his left `Depart from me, you who are cursed into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me. They also will answer `Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison and did not help you? He will reply `I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me. Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life. 26* As you know, the Passover is two days away, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.. (Woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume) Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body she did it to prepare me for burial. I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.. Go into the city to a certain man and tell him `The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.. The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.. While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples saying ‘Take and eat, this is my body. Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them saying ‘Drink from it all of you. This is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom.. This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. But after I have risen I will go ahead of you into Galilee. Sit here while I go over there and pray. My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me. My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will but as you will.. Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour. Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing but the body is weak. Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.. Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer.. Put your sword back in its place for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way. Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching and you did not arrest me. But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.. (I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God) Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied. But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven. 27* My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? 28* All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
