2020-2021 CMA Matthew Reference Materials

Matthew 1

Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son

¶	Matthew	1	:	18	-	This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.
	Matthew	1	:	19	-	Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
¶	Matthew	1	:	20	-	But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
	Matthew	1	:	21	-	She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
¶	Matthew	1	:	22	-	All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
	Matthew	1	:	23	-	"The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" (which means "God with us").
¶	Matthew	1	:	24	-	When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.
	Matthew	1	:	25	-	But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Matthew 2

The Magi Visit the Messiah

¶	Matthew	2	:	1	-	After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem
	Matthew	2	:	2	-	and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him."
¶	Matthew	2	:	3	-	When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.
	Matthew	2	:	4	-	When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.
	Matthew	2	:	5	-	"In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written:
¶	Matthew	2	:	6	-	"'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.'"
¶	Matthew	2	:	7	-	Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.
	Matthew	2	:	8	-	He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."
¶	Matthew	2	:	9	-	After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.
	Matthew	2	:	10	-	When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
	Matthew	2	:	11	-	On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
	Matthew	2	:	12	-	And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

The Escape to Egypt

¶	Matthew	2	:	13	-	When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him."
¶	Matthew	2	:	14	-	So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt,
	Matthew	2	:	15	-	where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son."
¶	Matthew	2	:	16	-	When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.
	Matthew	2	:	17	-	Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
¶	Matthew	2	:	18	-	"A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more."

The Return to Nazareth

¶	Matthew	2	:	19	-	After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt
	Matthew	2	:	20	-	and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead."
¶	Matthew	2	:	21	-	So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.
	Matthew	2	:	22	-	But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee,
	Matthew	2	:	23	-	and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.

Matthew 3

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

¶	Matthew	3	:	1	-	In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea
	Matthew	3	:	2	-	and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."
	Matthew	3	:	3	-	This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'"
¶	Matthew	3	:	4	-	John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.
	Matthew	3	:	5	-	People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan.
	Matthew	3	:	6	-	Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
¶	Matthew	3	:	7	-	But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
	Matthew	3	:	8	-	Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.
	Matthew	3	:	9	-	And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
	Matthew	3	:	10	-	The 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.
¶	Matthew	3	:	11	-	"I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
	Matthew	3	:	12	-	His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

The Baptism of Jesus

¶	Matthew	3	:	13	-	Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.
	Matthew	3	:	14	-	But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"
¶	Matthew	3	:	15	-	Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented.
¶	Matthew	3	:	16	-	As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.
	Matthew	3	:	17	-	And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

Matthew 4

Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness

¶	Matthew	4	:	1	-	Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
	Matthew	4	:	2	-	After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
	Matthew	4	:	3	-	The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."
¶	Matthew	4	:	4	-	Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
¶	Matthew	4	:	5	-	Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.
	Matthew	4	:	6	-	"If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"
¶	Matthew	4	:	7	-	Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"
¶	Matthew	4	:	8	-	Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.
	Matthew	4	:	9	-	"All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."
¶	Matthew	4	:	10	-	Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'"
¶	Matthew	4	:	11	-	Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Jesus Begins to Preach

¶	Matthew	4	:	12	-	When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee.
	Matthew	4	:	13	-	Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali--
	Matthew	4	:	14	-	to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:
¶	Matthew	4	:	15	-	"Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles--
	Matthew	4	:	16	-	the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."
¶	Matthew	4	:	17	-	From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."

Jesus Calls His First Disciples

¶	Matthew	4	:	18	-	As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.
	Matthew	4	:	19	-	"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will send you out to fish for people."
	Matthew	4	:	20	-	At once they left their nets and followed him.
¶	Matthew	4	:	21	-	Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them,
	Matthew	4	:	22	-	and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Jesus Heals the Sick

¶	Matthew	4	:	23	-	Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
	Matthew	4	:	24	-	News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them.
	Matthew	4	:	25	-	Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.

Matthew 5

Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount

Matthew

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him,

The Beatitudes

	Matthew	5	:	2	-	and he began to teach them. He said:
¶	Matthew	5	:	3	-	"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
	Matthew	5	:	4	-	Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
	Matthew	5	:	5	-	Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
	Matthew	5	:	6	-	Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
	Matthew	5	:	7	-	Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
	Matthew	5	:	8	-	Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
	Matthew	5	:	9	-	Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
	Matthew	5	:	10	-	Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
¶	Matthew	5	:	11	-	"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
	Matthew	5	:	12	-	Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Salt and Light

¶	Matthew	5	:	13	-	"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
¶	Matthew	5	:	14	-	"You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.
	Matthew	5	:	15	-	Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
	Matthew	5	:	16	-	In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

The Fulfillment of the Law

¶	Matthew	5	:	17	-	"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
	Matthew	5	:	18	-	For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
	Matthew	5	:	19	-	Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
	Matthew	5	:	20	-	For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Murder

¶	Matthew	5	:	21	-	"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.'
	Matthew	5	:	22	-	But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, 'Raca,' is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.
¶	Matthew	5	:	23	-	"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you,
	Matthew	5	:	24	-	leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
¶	Matthew	5	:	25	-	"Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.
	Matthew	5	:	26	-	Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

Adultery

¶	Matthew	5	:	27	-	"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.'
	Matthew	5	:	28	-	But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
	Matthew	5	:	29	-	If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
	Matthew	5	:	30	-	And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

Divorce

¶	Matthew	5	:	31	-	"It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.'
	Matthew	5	:	32	-	But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Oaths

¶	Matthew	5	:	33	-	"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.'
	Matthew	5	:	34	-	But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne;
	Matthew	5	:	35	-	or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.
	Matthew	5	:	36	-	And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.
	Matthew	5	:	37	-	All you need to say is simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

Eye for Eye

¶	Matthew	5	:	38	-	"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'
	Matthew	5	:	39	-	But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.
	Matthew	5	:	40	-	And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.
	Matthew	5	:	41	-	If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.
	Matthew	5	:	42	-	Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

Love for Enemies

¶	Matthew	5	:	43	-	"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
	Matthew	5	:	44	-	But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
	Matthew	5	:	45	-	that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
	Matthew	5	:	46	-	If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
	Matthew	5	:	47	-	And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
	Matthew	5	:	48	-	Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 6

Giving to the Needy

¶	Matthew	6	:	1	-	"Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
¶	Matthew	6	:	2	-	"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
	Matthew	6	:	3	-	But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
	Matthew	6	:	4	-	so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Prayer

¶	Matthew	6	:	5	-	"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
	Matthew	6	:	6	-	But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
	Matthew	6	:	7	-	And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.
	Matthew	6	:	8	-	Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
¶	Matthew	6	:	9	-	"This, then, is how you should pray: "'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
	Matthew	6	:	10	-	your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
	Matthew	6	:	11	-	Give us today our daily bread.
	Matthew	6	:	12	-	And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
	Matthew	6	:	13	-	And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'
¶	Matthew	6	:	14	-	For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
	Matthew	6	:	15	-	But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Fasting

¶	Matthew	6	:	16	-	"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
	Matthew	6	:	17	-	But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,
	Matthew	6	:	18	-	so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Treasures in Heaven

¶	Matthew	6	:	19	-	"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
	Matthew	6	:	20	-	But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
	Matthew	6	:	21	-	For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
¶	Matthew	6	:	22	-	"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light.
	Matthew	6	:	23	-	But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
¶	Matthew	6	:	24	-	"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Do Not Worry

¶	Matthew	6	:	25	-	"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?
	Matthew	6	:	26	-	Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
	Matthew	6	:	27	-	Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
¶	Matthew	6	:	28	-	"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.
	Matthew	6	:	29	-	Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
	Matthew	6	:	30	-	If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you--you of little faith?
	Matthew	6	:	31	-	So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'
	Matthew	6	:	32	-	For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
	Matthew	6	:	33	-	But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
	Matthew	6	:	34	-	Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 7

Judging Others

¶	Matthew	7	:	1	-	"Do not judge, or you too will be judged.
	Matthew	7	:	2	-	For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
¶	Matthew	7	:	3	-	"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
	Matthew	7	:	4	-	How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?
	Matthew	7	:	5	-	You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
¶	Matthew	7	:	6	-	"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

Ask, Seek, Knock

¶	Matthew	7	:	7	-	"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
	Matthew	7	:	8	-	For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
¶	Matthew	7	:	9	-	"Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
	Matthew	7	:	10	-	Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?
	Matthew	7	:	11	-	If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
	Matthew	7	:	12	-	So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

The Narrow and Wide Gates

¶	Matthew	7	:	13	-	"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
	Matthew	7	:	14	-	But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

True and False Prophets

¶	Matthew	7	:	15	-	"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
	Matthew	7	:	16	-	By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
	Matthew	7	:	17	-	Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
	Matthew	7	:	18	-	A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
	Matthew	7	:	19	-	Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
	Matthew	7	:	20	-	Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

True and False Disciples

¶	Matthew	7	:	21	-	"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
	Matthew	7	:	22	-	Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?'
	Matthew	7	:	23	-	Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

The Wise and Foolish Builders

¶	Matthew	7	:	24	-	"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
	Matthew	7	:	25	-	The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
	Matthew	7	:	26	-	But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
	Matthew	7	:	27	-	The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
¶	Matthew	7	:	28	-	When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching,
	Matthew	7	:	29	-	because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

Matthew 8

Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy

¶	Matthew	8	:	1	-	When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him.
	Matthew	8	:	2	-	A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."
¶	Matthew	8	:	3	-	Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.
	Matthew	8	:	4	-	Then Jesus said to him, "See that you don't tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."

The Faith of the Centurion

¶	Matthew	8	:	5	-	When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help.
	Matthew	8	:	6	-	"Lord," he said, "my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly."
¶	Matthew	8	:	7	-	Jesus said to him, "Shall I come and heal him?"
¶	Matthew	8	:	8	-	The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.
	Matthew	8	:	9	-	For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."
¶	Matthew	8	:	10	-	When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, "Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.
	Matthew	8	:	11	-	I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
	Matthew	8	:	12	-	But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
¶	Matthew	8	:	13	-	Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that moment.

Jesus Heals Many

¶	Matthew	8	:	14	-	When Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever.
	Matthew	8	:	15	-	He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.
¶	Matthew	8	:	16	-	When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.
	Matthew	8	:	17	-	This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: "He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases."

The Cost of Following Jesus

¶	Matthew	8	:	18	-	When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake.
	Matthew	8	:	19	-	Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."
¶	Matthew	8	:	20	-	Jesus replied, "Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
¶	Matthew	8	:	21	-	Another disciple said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."
¶	Matthew	8	:	22	-	But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead."

Jesus Calms the Storm

¶	Matthew	8	:	23	-	Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him.
	Matthew	8	:	24	-	Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.
	Matthew	8	:	25	-	The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!"
¶	Matthew	8	:	26	-	He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
¶	Matthew	8	:	27	-	The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"

Jesus Restores Two Demon-Possessed Men

¶	Matthew	8	:	28	-	When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way.
	Matthew	8	:	29	-	"What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. "Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?"
¶	Matthew	8	:	30	-	Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding.
	Matthew	8	:	31	-	The demons begged Jesus, "If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs."
¶	Matthew	8	:	32	-	He said to them, "Go!" So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water.
	Matthew	8	:	33	-	Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.
	Matthew	8	:	34	-	Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.

Matthew 9

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man

¶	Matthew	9	:	1	-	Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town.
	Matthew	9	:	2	-	Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven."
¶	Matthew	9	:	3	-	At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, "This fellow is blaspheming!"
¶	Matthew	9	:	4	-	Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?
	Matthew	9	:	5	-	Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'?
	Matthew	9	:	6	-	But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." So he said to the paralyzed man, "Get up, take your mat and go home."
	Matthew	9	:	7	-	Then the man got up and went home.
	Matthew	9	:	8	-	When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.

The Calling of Matthew

¶	Matthew	9	:	9	-	As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
¶	Matthew	9	:	10	-	While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples.
	Matthew	9	:	11	-	When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
¶	Matthew	9	:	12	-	On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.
	Matthew	9	:	13	-	But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Jesus Questioned About Fasting

¶	Matthew	9	:	14	-	Then John's disciples came and asked him, "How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?"
¶	Matthew	9	:	15	-	Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.
¶	Matthew	9	:	16	-	"No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse.
	Matthew	9	:	17	-	Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."

Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman

¶	Matthew	9	:	18	-	While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, "My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live."
	Matthew	9	:	19	-	Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.
¶	Matthew	9	:	20	-	Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak.
	Matthew	9	:	21	-	She said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed."
¶	Matthew	9	:	22	-	Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed at that moment.
¶	Matthew	9	:	23	-	When Jesus entered the synagogue leader's house and saw the noisy crowd and people playing pipes,
	Matthew	9	:	24	-	he said, "Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep." But they laughed at him.
	Matthew	9	:	25	-	After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up.
	Matthew	9	:	26	-	News of this spread through all that region.

Jesus Heals the Blind and the Mute

¶	Matthew	9	:	27	-	As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!"
¶	Matthew	9	:	28	-	When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" "Yes, Lord," they replied.
¶	Matthew	9	:	29	-	Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith let it be done to you";
	Matthew	9	:	30	-	and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, "See that no one knows about this."
	Matthew	9	:	31	-	But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.
¶	Matthew	9	:	32	-	While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus.
	Matthew	9	:	33	-	And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel."
¶	Matthew	9	:	34	-	But the Pharisees said, "It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons."

The Workers Are Few

¶	Matthew	9	:	35	-	Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.
	Matthew	9	:	36	-	When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
	Matthew	9	:	37	-	Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.
	Matthew	9	:	38	-	Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

Matthew 10

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve

¶	Matthew	10	:	1	-	Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
¶	Matthew	10	:	2	-	These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
	Matthew	10	:	3	-	Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;
	Matthew	10	:	4	-	Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
¶	Matthew	10	:	5	-	These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans.
	Matthew	10	:	6	-	Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.
	Matthew	10	:	7	-	As you go, proclaim this message: 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.'
	Matthew	10	:	8	-	Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.
¶	Matthew	10	:	9	-	"Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts--
	Matthew	10	:	10	-	no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep.
	Matthew	10	:	11	-	Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave.
	Matthew	10	:	12	-	As you enter the home, give it your greeting.
	Matthew	10	:	13	-	If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you.
	Matthew	10	:	14	-	If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.
	Matthew	10	:	15	-	Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
¶	Matthew	10	:	16	-	"I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
	Matthew	10	:	17	-	Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues.
	Matthew	10	:	18	-	On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.
	Matthew	10	:	19	-	But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say,
	Matthew	10	:	20	-	for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
¶	Matthew	10	:	21	-	"Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.
	Matthew	10	:	22	-	You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
	Matthew	10	:	23	-	When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
¶	Matthew	10	:	24	-	"The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master.
	Matthew	10	:	25	-	It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!
¶	Matthew	10	:	26	-	"So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.
	Matthew	10	:	27	-	What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.
	Matthew	10	:	28	-	Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
	Matthew	10	:	29	-	Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father's care.
	Matthew	10	:	30	-	And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
	Matthew	10	:	31	-	So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
¶	Matthew	10	:	32	-	"Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.
	Matthew	10	:	33	-	But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.
¶	Matthew	10	:	34	-	"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
	Matthew	10	:	35	-	For I have come to turn "'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law--
	Matthew	10	:	36	-	a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'
¶	Matthew	10	:	37	-	"Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
	Matthew	10	:	38	-	Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
	Matthew	10	:	39	-	Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
¶	Matthew	10	:	40	-	"Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.
	Matthew	10	:	41	-	Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward.
	Matthew	10	:	42	-	And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward."

Matthew 11

Jesus and John the Baptist

¶	Matthew	11	:	1	-	After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.
¶	Matthew	11	:	2	-	When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples
	Matthew	11	:	3	-	to ask him, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?"
¶	Matthew	11	:	4	-	Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see:
	Matthew	11	:	5	-	The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.
	Matthew	11	:	6	-	Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me."
¶	Matthew	11	:	7	-	As John's disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind?
	Matthew	11	:	8	-	If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings' palaces.
	Matthew	11	:	9	-	Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
	Matthew	11	:	10	-	This is the one about whom it is written: "'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.'
¶	Matthew	11	:	11	-	Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
	Matthew	11	:	12	-	From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it.
	Matthew	11	:	13	-	For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.
	Matthew	11	:	14	-	And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.
	Matthew	11	:	15	-	Whoever has ears, let them hear.
¶	Matthew	11	:	16	-	"To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:
¶	Matthew	11	:	17	-	"'We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.'
¶	Matthew	11	:	18	-	For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.'
	Matthew	11	:	19	-	The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.' But wisdom is proved right by her deeds."

Woe on Unrepentant Towns

¶	Matthew	11	:	20	-	Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent.
	Matthew	11	:	21	-	"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
	Matthew	11	:	22	-	But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.
	Matthew	11	:	23	-	And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day.
	Matthew	11	:	24	-	But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you."

The Father Revealed in the Son

¶	Matthew	11	:	25	-	At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.
	Matthew	11	:	26	-	Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.
¶	Matthew	11	:	27	-	"All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
¶	Matthew	11	:	28	-	"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
	Matthew	11	:	29	-	Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
	Matthew	11	:	30	-	For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Matthew 12

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

¶	Matthew	12	:	1	-	At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them.
	Matthew	12	:	2	-	When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, "Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath."
¶	Matthew	12	:	3	-	He answered, "Haven't you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?
	Matthew	12	:	4	-	He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread--which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests.
	Matthew	12	:	5	-	Or haven't you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent?
	Matthew	12	:	6	-	I tell you that something greater than the temple is here.
	Matthew	12	:	7	-	If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent.
	Matthew	12	:	8	-	For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."
¶	Matthew	12	:	9	-	Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue,
	Matthew	12	:	10	-	and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"
¶	Matthew	12	:	11	-	He said to them, "If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out?
	Matthew	12	:	12	-	How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."
¶	Matthew	12	:	13	-	Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other.
	Matthew	12	:	14	-	But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.

God's Chosen Servant

¶	Matthew	12	:	15	-	Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill.
	Matthew	12	:	16	-	He warned them not to tell others about him.
	Matthew	12	:	17	-	This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
¶	Matthew	12	:	18	-	"Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
	Matthew	12	:	19	-	He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets.
	Matthew	12	:	20	-	A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he has brought justice through to victory.
	Matthew	12	:	21	-	In his name the nations will put their hope."

Jesus and Beelzebul

¶	Matthew	12	:	22	-	Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see.
	Matthew	12	:	23	-	All the people were astonished and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"
¶	Matthew	12	:	24	-	But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons."
¶	Matthew	12	:	25	-	Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.
	Matthew	12	:	26	-	If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand?
	Matthew	12	:	27	-	And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.
	Matthew	12	:	28	-	But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
¶	Matthew	12	:	29	-	"Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.
¶	Matthew	12	:	30	-	"Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
	Matthew	12	:	31	-	And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
	Matthew	12	:	32	-	Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
¶	Matthew	12	:	33	-	"Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.
	Matthew	12	:	34	-	You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
	Matthew	12	:	35	-	A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.
	Matthew	12	:	36	-	But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.
	Matthew	12	:	37	-	For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."

The Sign of Jonah

¶	Matthew	12	:	38	-	Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from you."
¶	Matthew	12	:	39	-	He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
	Matthew	12	:	40	-	For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
	Matthew	12	:	41	-	The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here.
	Matthew	12	:	42	-	The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here.
¶	Matthew	12	:	43	-	"When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it.
	Matthew	12	:	44	-	Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order.
	Matthew	12	:	45	-	Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation."

Jesus' Mother and Brothers

¶	Matthew	12	:	46	-	While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him.
	Matthew	12	:	47	-	Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you."
¶	Matthew	12	:	48	-	He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?"
	Matthew	12	:	49	-	Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers.
	Matthew	12	:	50	-	For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."

Matthew 14

John the Baptist Beheaded

¶	Matthew	14	:	1	-	At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus,
	Matthew	14	:	2	-	and he said to his attendants, "This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him."
¶	Matthew	14	:	3	-	Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife,
	Matthew	14	:	4	-	for John had been saying to him: "It is not lawful for you to have her."
	Matthew	14	:	5	-	Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet.
¶	Matthew	14	:	6	-	On Herod's birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much
	Matthew	14	:	7	-	that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked.
	Matthew	14	:	8	-	Prompted by her mother, she said, "Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist."
	Matthew	14	:	9	-	The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted
	Matthew	14	:	10	-	and had John beheaded in the prison.
	Matthew	14	:	11	-	His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother.
	Matthew	14	:	12	-	John's disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

¶	Matthew	14	:	13	-	When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns.
	Matthew	14	:	14	-	When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
¶	Matthew	14	:	15	-	As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food."
¶	Matthew	14	:	16	-	Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat."
¶	Matthew	14	:	17	-	"We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered.
¶	Matthew	14	:	18	-	"Bring them here to me," he said.
	Matthew	14	:	19	-	And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.
	Matthew	14	:	20	-	They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
	Matthew	14	:	21	-	The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Jesus Walks on the Water

¶	Matthew	14	:	22	-	Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.
	Matthew	14	:	23	-	After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone,
	Matthew	14	:	24	-	and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
¶	Matthew	14	:	25	-	Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.
	Matthew	14	:	26	-	When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear.
¶	Matthew	14	:	27	-	But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."
¶	Matthew	14	:	28	-	"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."
¶	Matthew	14	:	29	-	"Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
	Matthew	14	:	30	-	But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"
¶	Matthew	14	:	31	-	Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"
¶	Matthew	14	:	32	-	And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.
	Matthew	14	:	33	-	Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."
¶	Matthew	14	:	34	-	When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret.
	Matthew	14	:	35	-	And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him
	Matthew	14	:	36	-	and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.

Matthew 15

That Which Defiles

¶	Matthew	15	:	1	-	Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked,
	Matthew	15	:	2	-	"Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!"
¶	Matthew	15	:	3	-	Jesus replied, "And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?
	Matthew	15	:	4	-	For God said, 'Honor your father and mother' and 'Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.'
	Matthew	15	:	5	-	But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is 'devoted to God,'
	Matthew	15	:	6	-	they are not to 'honor their father or mother' with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.
	Matthew	15	:	7	-	You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:
¶	Matthew	15	:	8	-	"'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
	Matthew	15	:	9	-	They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.'"
¶	Matthew	15	:	10	-	Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen and understand.
	Matthew	15	:	11	-	What goes into someone's mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them."
¶	Matthew	15	:	12	-	Then the disciples came to him and asked, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?"
¶	Matthew	15	:	13	-	He replied, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots.
	Matthew	15	:	14	-	Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit."
¶	Matthew	15	:	15	-	Peter said, "Explain the parable to us."
¶	Matthew	15	:	16	-	"Are you still so dull?" Jesus asked them.
	Matthew	15	:	17	-	"Don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body?
	Matthew	15	:	18	-	But the things that come out of a person's mouth come from the heart, and these defile them.
	Matthew	15	:	19	-	For out of the heart come evil thoughts--murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.
	Matthew	15	:	20	-	These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them."

The Faith of a Canaanite Woman

¶	Matthew	15	:	21	-	Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
	Matthew	15	:	22	-	A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly."
¶	Matthew	15	:	23	-	Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us."
¶	Matthew	15	:	24	-	He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel."
¶	Matthew	15	:	25	-	The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said.
¶	Matthew	15	:	26	-	He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs."
¶	Matthew	15	:	27	-	"Yes it is, Lord," she said. "Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table."
¶	Matthew	15	:	28	-	Then Jesus said to her, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed at that moment.

Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand

¶	Matthew	15	:	29	-	Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down.
	Matthew	15	:	30	-	Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them.
	Matthew	15	:	31	-	The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.
¶	Matthew	15	:	32	-	Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way."
¶	Matthew	15	:	33	-	His disciples answered, "Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?"
¶	Matthew	15	:	34	-	"How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked. "Seven," they replied, "and a few small fish."
¶	Matthew	15	:	35	-	He told the crowd to sit down on the ground.
	Matthew	15	:	36	-	Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people.
	Matthew	15	:	37	-	They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
	Matthew	15	:	38	-	The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children.
	Matthew	15	:	39	-	After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.

Matthew 16

The Demand for a Sign

¶	Matthew	16	:	1	-	The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.
¶	Matthew	16	:	2	-	He replied, "When evening comes, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,'
	Matthew	16	:	3	-	and in the morning, 'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.
	Matthew	16	:	4	-	A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah." Jesus then left them and went away.

The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees

¶	Matthew	16	:	5	-	When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread.
	Matthew	16	:	6	-	"Be careful," Jesus said to them. "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."
¶	Matthew	16	:	7	-	They discussed this among themselves and said, "It is because we didn't bring any bread."
¶	Matthew	16	:	8	-	Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, "You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread?
	Matthew	16	:	9	-	Do you still not understand? Don't you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?
	Matthew	16	:	10	-	Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?
	Matthew	16	:	11	-	How is it you don't understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."
	Matthew	16	:	12	-	Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah

¶	Matthew	16	:	13	-	When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"
¶	Matthew	16	:	14	-	They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
¶	Matthew	16	:	15	-	"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
¶	Matthew	16	:	16	-	Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."
¶	Matthew	16	:	17	-	Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.
	Matthew	16	:	18	-	And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
	Matthew	16	:	19	-	I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
	Matthew	16	:	20	-	Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

Jesus Predicts His Death

¶	Matthew	16	:	21	-	From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
¶	Matthew	16	:	22	-	Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!"
¶	Matthew	16	:	23	-	Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns."
¶	Matthew	16	:	24	-	Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
	Matthew	16	:	25	-	For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.
	Matthew	16	:	26	-	What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?
	Matthew	16	:	27	-	For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.
¶	Matthew	16	:	28	-	"Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

Matthew 17

The Transfiguration

¶	Matthew	17	:	1	-	After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
	Matthew	17	:	2	-	There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.
	Matthew	17	:	3	-	Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
¶	Matthew	17	:	4	-	Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters--one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah."
¶	Matthew	17	:	5	-	While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!"
¶	Matthew	17	:	6	-	When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified.
	Matthew	17	:	7	-	But Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid."
	Matthew	17	:	8	-	When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
¶	Matthew	17	:	9	-	As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."
¶	Matthew	17	:	10	-	The disciples asked him, "Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?"
¶	Matthew	17	:	11	-	Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things.
	Matthew	17	:	12	-	But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands."
	Matthew	17	:	13	-	Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.

Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy

¶	Matthew	17	:	14	-	When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him.
	Matthew	17	:	15	-	"Lord, have mercy on my son," he said. "He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water.
	Matthew	17	:	16	-	I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him."
¶	Matthew	17	:	17	-	"You unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me."
	Matthew	17	:	18	-	Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.
¶	Matthew	17	:	19	-	Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"
¶	Matthew	17	:	20	-	He replied, "Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Jesus Predicts His Death a Second Time

¶	Matthew	17	:	22	-	When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.
	Matthew	17	:	23	-	They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life." And the disciples were filled with grief.

The Temple Tax

¶	Matthew	17	:	24	-	After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, "Doesn't your teacher pay the temple tax?"
¶	Matthew	17	:	25	-	"Yes, he does," he replied. When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. "What do you think, Simon?" he asked. "From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes--from their own children or from others?"
¶	Matthew	17	:	26	-	"From others," Peter answered. "Then the children are exempt," Jesus said to him.
	Matthew	17	:	27	-	"But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours."

Matthew 18

The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven

¶	Matthew	18	:	1	-	At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
¶	Matthew	18	:	2	-	He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them.
	Matthew	18	:	3	-	And he said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
	Matthew	18	:	4	-	Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
	Matthew	18	:	5	-	And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

Causing to Stumble

¶	Matthew	18	:	6	-	"If anyone causes one of these little ones--those who believe in me--to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
	Matthew	18	:	7	-	Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!
	Matthew	18	:	8	-	If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, 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.
	Matthew	18	:	9	-	And if your eye causes you to stumble, 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.

The Parable of the Wandering Sheep

¶	Matthew	18	:	10	-	"See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.
¶	Matthew	18	:	12	-	"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?
	Matthew	18	:	13	-	And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.
	Matthew	18	:	14	-	In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

Dealing With Sin in the Church

¶	Matthew	18	:	15	-	"If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.
	Matthew	18	:	16	-	But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.'
	Matthew	18	:	17	-	If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
¶	Matthew	18	:	18	-	"Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
¶	Matthew	18	:	19	-	"Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
	Matthew	18	:	20	-	For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them."

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

¶	Matthew	18	:	21	-	Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?"
¶	Matthew	18	:	22	-	Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
¶	Matthew	18	:	23	-	"Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.
	Matthew	18	:	24	-	As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him.
	Matthew	18	:	25	-	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.
¶	Matthew	18	:	26	-	"At this the servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.'
	Matthew	18	:	27	-	The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
¶	Matthew	18	:	28	-	"But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.
¶	Matthew	18	:	29	-	"His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.'
¶	Matthew	18	:	30	-	"But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.
	Matthew	18	:	31	-	When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
¶	Matthew	18	:	32	-	"Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.
	Matthew	18	:	33	-	Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?'
	Matthew	18	:	34	-	In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
¶	Matthew	18	:	35	-	"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart."

Matthew 19

Divorce

¶	Matthew	19	:	1	-	When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan.
	Matthew	19	:	2	-	Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
¶	Matthew	19	:	3	-	Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?"
¶	Matthew	19	:	4	-	"Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,'
	Matthew	19	:	5	-	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'?
	Matthew	19	:	6	-	So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate."
¶	Matthew	19	:	7	-	"Why then," they asked, "did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?"
¶	Matthew	19	:	8	-	Jesus replied, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning.
	Matthew	19	:	9	-	I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery."
¶	Matthew	19	:	10	-	The disciples said to him, "If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry."
¶	Matthew	19	:	11	-	Jesus replied, "Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given.
	Matthew	19	:	12	-	For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others--and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it."

The Little Children and Jesus

¶	Matthew	19	:	13	-	Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.
¶	Matthew	19	:	14	-	Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
	Matthew	19	:	15	-	When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

The Rich and the Kingdom of God

¶	Matthew	19	:	16	-	Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"
¶	Matthew	19	:	17	-	"Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments."
¶	Matthew	19	:	18	-	"Which ones?" he inquired. Jesus replied, "'You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony,
	Matthew	19	:	19	-	honor your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbor as yourself.'"
¶	Matthew	19	:	20	-	"All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?"
¶	Matthew	19	:	21	-	Jesus answered, "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."
¶	Matthew	19	:	22	-	When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
¶	Matthew	19	:	23	-	Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.
	Matthew	19	:	24	-	Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."
¶	Matthew	19	:	25	-	When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?"
¶	Matthew	19	:	26	-	Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
¶	Matthew	19	:	27	-	Peter answered him, "We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?"
¶	Matthew	19	:	28	-	Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you, 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.
	Matthew	19	:	29	-	And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.
	Matthew	19	:	30	-	But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

Matthew 20

The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard

¶	Matthew	20	:	1	-	"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.
	Matthew	20	:	2	-	He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.
¶	Matthew	20	:	3	-	"About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing.
	Matthew	20	:	4	-	He told them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.'
	Matthew	20	:	5	-	So they went. "He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing.
	Matthew	20	:	6	-	About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, 'Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?'
¶	Matthew	20	:	7	-	"'Because no one has hired us,' they answered. "He said to them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard.'
¶	Matthew	20	:	8	-	"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.'
¶	Matthew	20	:	9	-	"The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius.
	Matthew	20	:	10	-	So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius.
	Matthew	20	:	11	-	When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner.
	Matthew	20	:	12	-	'These 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.'
¶	Matthew	20	:	13	-	"But he answered one of them, 'I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius?
	Matthew	20	:	14	-	Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you.
	Matthew	20	:	15	-	Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?'
¶	Matthew	20	:	16	-	"So the last will be first, and the first will be last."

Jesus Predicts His Death a Third Time

¶	Matthew	20	:	17	-	Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them,
	Matthew	20	:	18	-	"We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death
	Matthew	20	:	19	-	and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!"

A Mother's Request

¶	Matthew	20	:	20	-	Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.
¶	Matthew	20	:	21	-	"What is it you want?" he asked. She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom."
¶	Matthew	20	:	22	-	"You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said to them. "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?" "We can," they answered.
¶	Matthew	20	:	23	-	Jesus said to them, "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."
¶	Matthew	20	:	24	-	When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers.
	Matthew	20	:	25	-	Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.
	Matthew	20	:	26	-	Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
	Matthew	20	:	27	-	and whoever wants to be first must be your slave--
	Matthew	20	:	28	-	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."

Two Blind Men Receive Sight

¶	Matthew	20	:	29	-	As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him.
	Matthew	20	:	30	-	Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"
¶	Matthew	20	:	31	-	The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"
¶	Matthew	20	:	32	-	Jesus stopped and called them. "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked.
¶	Matthew	20	:	33	-	"Lord," they answered, "we want our sight."
¶	Matthew	20	:	34	-	Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.

Matthew 21

Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King

¶	Matthew	21	:	1	-	As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples,
	Matthew	21	:	2	-	saying to them, "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.
	Matthew	21	:	3	-	If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away."
¶	Matthew	21	:	4	-	This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
¶	Matthew	21	:	5	-	"Say to Daughter Zion, 'See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.'"
¶	Matthew	21	:	6	-	The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them.
	Matthew	21	:	7	-	They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on.
	Matthew	21	:	8	-	A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
	Matthew	21	:	9	-	The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest heaven!"
¶	Matthew	21	:	10	-	When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?"
¶	Matthew	21	:	11	-	The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."

Jesus at the Temple

¶	Matthew	21	:	12	-	Jesus entered the temple courts 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.
	Matthew	21	:	13	-	"It is written," he said to them, "'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it 'a den of robbers.'"
¶	Matthew	21	:	14	-	The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.
	Matthew	21	:	15	-	But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant.
¶	Matthew	21	:	16	-	"Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him. "Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read, "'From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise'?"
¶	Matthew	21	:	17	-	And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.

Jesus Curses a Fig Tree

¶	Matthew	21	:	18	-	Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry.
	Matthew	21	:	19	-	Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately the tree withered.
¶	Matthew	21	:	20	-	When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. "How did the fig tree wither so quickly?" they asked.
¶	Matthew	21	:	21	-	Jesus replied, "Truly I tell you, 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.
	Matthew	21	:	22	-	If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."

The Authority of Jesus Questioned

¶	Matthew	21	:	23	-	Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. "By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "And who gave you this authority?"
¶	Matthew	21	:	24	-	Jesus replied, "I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
	Matthew	21	:	25	-	John's baptism--where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?" They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe him?'
	Matthew	21	:	26	-	But if we say, 'Of human origin'--we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet."
¶	Matthew	21	:	27	-	So they answered Jesus, "We don't know." Then he said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

¶	Matthew	21	:	28	-	"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.'
¶	Matthew	21	:	29	-	"'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
¶	Matthew	21	:	30	-	"Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go.
¶	Matthew	21	:	31	-	"Which of the two did what his father wanted?" "The first," they answered. Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.
	Matthew	21	:	32	-	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.

The Parable of the Tenants

¶	Matthew	21	:	33	-	"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 moved to another place.
	Matthew	21	:	34	-	When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.
¶	Matthew	21	:	35	-	"The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.
	Matthew	21	:	36	-	Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way.
	Matthew	21	:	37	-	Last of all, he sent his son to them. 'They will respect my son,' he said.
¶	Matthew	21	:	38	-	"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.'
	Matthew	21	:	39	-	So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
¶	Matthew	21	:	40	-	"Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?"
¶	Matthew	21	:	41	-	"He will bring those wretches to a wretched end," they replied, "and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time."
¶	Matthew	21	:	42	-	Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: "'The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?
¶	Matthew	21	:	43	-	"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.
	Matthew	21	:	44	-	Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed."
¶	Matthew	21	:	45	-	When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus' parables, they knew he was talking about them.
	Matthew	21	:	46	-	They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.

Matthew 22

The Parable of the Wedding Banquet

¶	Matthew	22	:	1	-	Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying:
	Matthew	22	:	2	-	"The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son.
	Matthew	22	:	3	-	He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.
¶	Matthew	22	:	4	-	"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.'
¶	Matthew	22	:	5	-	"But they paid no attention and went off--one to his field, another to his business.
	Matthew	22	:	6	-	The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them.
	Matthew	22	:	7	-	The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
¶	Matthew	22	:	8	-	"Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come.
	Matthew	22	:	9	-	So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.'
	Matthew	22	:	10	-	So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
¶	Matthew	22	:	11	-	"But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes.
	Matthew	22	:	12	-	He asked, 'How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?' The man was speechless.
¶	Matthew	22	:	13	-	"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.'
¶	Matthew	22	:	14	-	"For many are invited, but few are chosen."

Paying the Imperial Tax to Caesar

¶	Matthew	22	:	15	-	Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words.
	Matthew	22	:	16	-	They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. "Teacher," they said, "we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren't swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are.
	Matthew	22	:	17	-	Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?"
¶	Matthew	22	:	18	-	But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, "You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me?
	Matthew	22	:	19	-	Show me the coin used for paying the tax." They brought him a denarius,
	Matthew	22	:	20	-	and he asked them, "Whose image is this? And whose inscription?"
¶	Matthew	22	:	21	-	"Caesar's," they replied. Then he said to them, "So give back to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."
¶	Matthew	22	:	22	-	When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.

Marriage at the Resurrection

¶	Matthew	22	:	23	-	That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question.
	Matthew	22	:	24	-	"Teacher," they said, "Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for him.
	Matthew	22	:	25	-	Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother.
	Matthew	22	:	26	-	The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh.
	Matthew	22	:	27	-	Finally, the woman died.
	Matthew	22	:	28	-	Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?"
¶	Matthew	22	:	29	-	Jesus replied, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.
	Matthew	22	:	30	-	At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.
	Matthew	22	:	31	-	But about the resurrection of the dead--have you not read what God said to you,
	Matthew	22	:	32	-	'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."
¶	Matthew	22	:	33	-	When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.

The Greatest Commandment

¶	Matthew	22	:	34	-	Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together.
	Matthew	22	:	35	-	One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:
	Matthew	22	:	36	-	"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"
¶	Matthew	22	:	37	-	Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'
	Matthew	22	:	38	-	This is the first and greatest commandment.
	Matthew	22	:	39	-	And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
	Matthew	22	:	40	-	All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Whose Son Is the Messiah?

¶	Matthew	22	:	41	-	While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,
	Matthew	22	:	42	-	"What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?" "The son of David," they replied.
¶	Matthew	22	:	43	-	He said to them, "How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him 'Lord'? For he says,
¶	Matthew	22	:	44	-	"'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet."'
¶	Matthew	22	:	45	-	If then David calls him 'Lord,' how can he be his son?"
	Matthew	22	:	46	-	No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Matthew 26

The Plot Against Jesus

¶	Matthew	26	:	1	-	When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples,
	Matthew	26	:	2	-	"As you know, the Passover is two days away--and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified."
¶	Matthew	26	:	3	-	Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas,
	Matthew	26	:	4	-	and they schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him.
	Matthew	26	:	5	-	"But not during the festival," they said, "or there may be a riot among the people."

Jesus Anointed at Bethany

¶	Matthew	26	:	6	-	While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper,
	Matthew	26	:	7	-	a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.
¶	Matthew	26	:	8	-	When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. "Why this waste?" they asked.
	Matthew	26	:	9	-	"This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor."
¶	Matthew	26	:	10	-	Aware of this, Jesus said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me.
	Matthew	26	:	11	-	The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.
	Matthew	26	:	12	-	When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial.
	Matthew	26	:	13	-	Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

¶	Matthew	26	:	14	-	Then one of the Twelve--the one called Judas Iscariot--went to the chief priests
	Matthew	26	:	15	-	and asked, "What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?" So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver.
	Matthew	26	:	16	-	From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

The Last Supper

¶	Matthew	26	:	17	-	On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?"
¶	Matthew	26	:	18	-	He replied, "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.'"
	Matthew	26	:	19	-	So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.
¶	Matthew	26	:	20	-	When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve.
	Matthew	26	:	21	-	And while they were eating, he said, "Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me."
¶	Matthew	26	:	22	-	They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, "Surely you don't mean me, Lord?"
¶	Matthew	26	:	23	-	Jesus replied, "The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me.
	Matthew	26	:	24	-	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."
¶	Matthew	26	:	25	-	Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, "Surely you don't mean me, Rabbi?" Jesus answered, "You have said so."
¶	Matthew	26	:	26	-	While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body."
¶	Matthew	26	:	27	-	Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you.
	Matthew	26	:	28	-	This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
	Matthew	26	:	29	-	I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."
¶	Matthew	26	:	30	-	When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Jesus Predicts Peter's Denial

¶	Matthew	26	:	31	-	Then Jesus told them, "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.'
¶	Matthew	26	:	32	-	But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee."
¶	Matthew	26	:	33	-	Peter replied, "Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will."
¶	Matthew	26	:	34	-	"Truly I tell you," Jesus answered, "this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times."
¶	Matthew	26	:	35	-	But Peter declared, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the other disciples said the same.

Gethsemane

¶	Matthew	26	:	36	-	Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray."
	Matthew	26	:	37	-	He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled.
	Matthew	26	:	38	-	Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."
¶	Matthew	26	:	39	-	Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."
¶	Matthew	26	:	40	-	Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Couldn't you men keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter.
	Matthew	26	:	41	-	"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."
¶	Matthew	26	:	42	-	He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done."
¶	Matthew	26	:	43	-	When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy.
	Matthew	26	:	44	-	So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
¶	Matthew	26	:	45	-	Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners.
	Matthew	26	:	46	-	Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!"

Jesus Arrested

¶	Matthew	26	:	47	-	While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people.
	Matthew	26	:	48	-	Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: "The one I kiss is the man; arrest him."
	Matthew	26	:	49	-	Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed him.
¶	Matthew	26	:	50	-	Jesus replied, "Do what you came for, friend." Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him.
	Matthew	26	:	51	-	With that, one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.
¶	Matthew	26	:	52	-	"Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.
	Matthew	26	:	53	-	Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?
	Matthew	26	:	54	-	But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?"
¶	Matthew	26	:	55	-	In that hour Jesus said to the crowd, "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.
	Matthew	26	:	56	-	But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.

Jesus Before the Sanhedrin

¶	Matthew	26	:	57	-	Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled.
	Matthew	26	:	58	-	But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome.
¶	Matthew	26	:	59	-	The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death.
	Matthew	26	:	60	-	But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two came forward
	Matthew	26	:	61	-	and declared, "This fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.'"
¶	Matthew	26	:	62	-	Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, "Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?"
	Matthew	26	:	63	-	But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God."
¶	Matthew	26	:	64	-	"You have said so," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."
¶	Matthew	26	:	65	-	Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy.
	Matthew	26	:	66	-	What do you think?" "He is worthy of death," they answered.
¶	Matthew	26	:	67	-	Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him
	Matthew	26	:	68	-	and said, "Prophesy to us, Messiah. Who hit you?"

Peter Disowns Jesus

¶	Matthew	26	:	69	-	Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. "You also were with Jesus of Galilee," she said.
¶	Matthew	26	:	70	-	But he denied it before them all. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said.
¶	Matthew	26	:	71	-	Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, "This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth."
¶	Matthew	26	:	72	-	He denied it again, with an oath: "I don't know the man!"
¶	Matthew	26	:	73	-	After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, "Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away."
¶	Matthew	26	:	74	-	Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, "I don't know the man!" Immediately a rooster crowed.
	Matthew	26	:	75	-	Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: "Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Matthew 27

Judas Hangs Himself

¶	Matthew	27	:	1	-	Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed.
	Matthew	27	:	2	-	So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor.
¶	Matthew	27	:	3	-	When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders.
	Matthew	27	:	4	-	"I have sinned," he said, "for I have betrayed innocent blood." "What is that to us?" they replied. "That's your responsibility."
¶	Matthew	27	:	5	-	So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
¶	Matthew	27	:	6	-	The chief priests picked up the coins and said, "It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money."
	Matthew	27	:	7	-	So they decided to use the money to buy the potter's field as a burial place for foreigners.
	Matthew	27	:	8	-	That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day.
	Matthew	27	:	9	-	Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: "They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel,
	Matthew	27	:	10	-	and they used them to buy the potter's field, as the Lord commanded me."

Jesus Before Pilate

¶	Matthew	27	:	11	-	Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" "You have said so," Jesus replied.
¶	Matthew	27	:	12	-	When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer.
	Matthew	27	:	13	-	Then Pilate asked him, "Don't you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?"
	Matthew	27	:	14	-	But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge--to the great amazement of the governor.
¶	Matthew	27	:	15	-	Now it was the governor's custom at the festival to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd.
	Matthew	27	:	16	-	At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus Barabbas.
	Matthew	27	:	17	-	So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, "Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?"
	Matthew	27	:	18	-	For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.
¶	Matthew	27	:	19	-	While Pilate was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him this message: "Don't have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him."
¶	Matthew	27	:	20	-	But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.
¶	Matthew	27	:	21	-	"Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" asked the governor. "Barabbas," they answered.
¶	Matthew	27	:	22	-	"What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?" Pilate asked. They all answered, "Crucify him!"
¶	Matthew	27	:	23	-	"Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!"
¶	Matthew	27	:	24	-	When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I am innocent of this man's blood," he said. "It is your responsibility!"
¶	Matthew	27	:	25	-	All the people answered, "His blood is on us and on our children!"
¶	Matthew	27	:	26	-	Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

¶	Matthew	27	:	27	-	Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him.
	Matthew	27	:	28	-	They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him,
	Matthew	27	:	29	-	and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said.
	Matthew	27	:	30	-	They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.
	Matthew	27	:	31	-	After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

The Crucifixion of Jesus

¶	Matthew	27	:	32	-	As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross.
	Matthew	27	:	33	-	They came to a place called Golgotha (which means "the place of the skull").
	Matthew	27	:	34	-	There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it.
	Matthew	27	:	35	-	When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
	Matthew	27	:	36	-	And sitting down, they kept watch over him there.
	Matthew	27	:	37	-	Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews.
¶	Matthew	27	:	38	-	Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.
	Matthew	27	:	39	-	Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads
	Matthew	27	:	40	-	and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!"
	Matthew	27	:	41	-	In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him.
	Matthew	27	:	42	-	"He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! He's the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.
	Matthew	27	:	43	-	He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.'"
	Matthew	27	:	44	-	In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

The Death of Jesus

¶	Matthew	27	:	45	-	From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land.
	Matthew	27	:	46	-	About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" (which means "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?").
¶	Matthew	27	:	47	-	When some of those standing there heard this, they said, "He's calling Elijah."
¶	Matthew	27	:	48	-	Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink.
	Matthew	27	:	49	-	The rest said, "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him."
¶	Matthew	27	:	50	-	And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
¶	Matthew	27	:	51	-	At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split
	Matthew	27	:	52	-	and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.
	Matthew	27	:	53	-	They came out of the tombs after Jesus' resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
¶	Matthew	27	:	54	-	When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!"
¶	Matthew	27	:	55	-	Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs.
	Matthew	27	:	56	-	Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.

The Burial of Jesus

¶	Matthew	27	:	57	-	As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus.
	Matthew	27	:	58	-	Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him.
	Matthew	27	:	59	-	Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
	Matthew	27	:	60	-	and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.
	Matthew	27	:	61	-	Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.

The Guard at the Tomb

¶	Matthew	27	:	62	-	The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate.
	Matthew	27	:	63	-	"Sir," they said, "we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise again.'
	Matthew	27	:	64	-	So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first."
¶	Matthew	27	:	65	-	"Take a guard," Pilate answered. "Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how."
	Matthew	27	:	66	-	So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

Matthew 28

Jesus Has Risen

¶	Matthew	28	:	1	-	After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
¶	Matthew	28	:	2	-	There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.
	Matthew	28	:	3	-	His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.
	Matthew	28	:	4	-	The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
¶	Matthew	28	:	5	-	The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.
	Matthew	28	:	6	-	He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.
	Matthew	28	:	7	-	Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."
¶	Matthew	28	:	8	-	So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
	Matthew	28	:	9	-	Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.
	Matthew	28	:	10	-	Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

The Guards' Report

¶	Matthew	28	:	11	-	While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened.
	Matthew	28	:	12	-	When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money,
	Matthew	28	:	13	-	telling them, "You are to say, 'His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.'
	Matthew	28	:	14	-	If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble."
	Matthew	28	:	15	-	So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

The Great Commission

¶	Matthew	28	:	16	-	Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.
	Matthew	28	:	17	-	When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.
	Matthew	28	:	18	-	Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
	Matthew	28	:	19	-	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,
	Matthew	28	:	20	-	and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."