Mark Cross References - ISV

¹ John the Baptist Prepares the Way for Jesus
This is the beginning of the gospel of Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. ² As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, “See! I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way. ³ He is a voice calling out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way for the Lord! Make his paths straight!’”
⁴ John was baptizing in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism about repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵ People from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were flocking to him, being baptized by him while they confessed their sins. ⁶ Now John was dressed in camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist. He ate grasshoppers and wild honey. ⁷ He kept proclaiming, “The one who is coming after me is stronger than I am, and I am not worthy to bend down and untie his sandal straps. ⁸ I baptized you with water, but it is he who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
⁹ Jesus is Baptized
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ¹⁰ Just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens split open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. ¹¹ Then a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love. I am pleased with you!”
¹² Jesus is Tempted by Satan
At once the Spirit drove him into the wilderness. ¹³ He was in the wilderness for 40 days being tempted by Satan. He was among wild animals, and angels were ministering to him.
¹⁴ Jesus Begins His Ministry in Galilee
Now after John had been arrested, Jesus went to Galilee and proclaimed the gospel about the kingdom of God. ¹⁵ He said, “The time is now! The kingdom of God is near! Repent, and keep believing the gospel!”
¹⁶ Jesus Calls His First Disciples
While Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew. They were throwing a net into the sea because they were fishermen. ¹⁷ Jesus told them, “Follow me, and I’ll make you fishers of people!” ¹⁸ So immediately they left their nets and followed him. ¹⁹ Going on a little farther, he saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat repairing their nets. ²⁰ He immediately called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
²¹ Jesus Heals a Man with an Unclean Spirit
Then they went to Capernaum. As soon as it was the Sabbaths, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. ²² The people were utterly amazed at his teaching, because he was teaching them like one with authority, and not like their scribes. ²³ All of a sudden, there was a man in their synagogue who had an unclean spirit! He screamed, ²⁴ “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
²⁵ But Jesus rebuked him. “Be quiet,” he ordered, “and come out of him!” ²⁶ At this, the unclean spirit shook the man, cried out with a loud voice, and came out of him.
²⁷ All the people were so stunned that they kept saying to each other, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He tells even the unclean spirits what to do, and they obey him!” ²⁸ At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.
²⁹ Jesus Heals Many People
After they left the synagogue, they went directly to the house of Simon and Andrew, along with James and John. ³⁰ Now Simon’s mother-in-law was lying in bed, sick with a fever, so they promptly told Jesus about her. ³¹ He went up to her, took her by the hand, and helped her up. The fever left her, and she began serving them. ³² When evening came, after the sun had set, people started bringing to him everyone who was sick or possessed by demons. ³³ In fact, the whole city gathered at the door. ³⁴ He healed many who were sick with various diseases and drove out many demons. However, he wouldn’t allow the demons to speak because they knew who he was.
³⁵ Jesus Goes on a Preaching Tour
In the morning, while it was still very dark, Jesus got up and went to a deserted place and prayed there. ³⁶ Simon and his companions searched frantically for him. ³⁷ When they found him, they told him, “Everyone’s looking for you.”
³⁸ “Let’s go to the neighboring town,” he replied, “so I can preach there, too, because that’s why I came.” ³⁹ So he went throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
⁴⁰ Jesus Cleanses a Leper
Then a leper came to Jesus and began pleading with him. He fell on his knees and told him, “If you want to, you can make me clean.”
⁴¹ Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand, touched him, and told him, “I do want to. Be made clean!” ⁴² Instantly the leprosy left him, and he was clean.
⁴³ Then Jesus sternly warned him and encouraged him to go at once. ⁴⁴ He told the man, “Be sure that you don’t tell anyone. Instead, go and show yourself to the priest, and then offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded as proof to the authorities.” ⁴⁵ But when the man left, he began to proclaim it freely. He spread the news so widely that Jesus could no longer enter a town openly, but had to stay out in deserted places. Still, people kept coming to him from everywhere.

⁷ The Anointed King SpeaksLet me announce the decree of the LORD that he told me: “You are my son, today I have become your father.

¹⁷ Then a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love. I am pleased with him!”

³ Then the tempter came. “Since you are the Son of God,” he said, “tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”

³³ Then the men in the boat began to worship Jesus, saying, “You certainly are the Son of God!”

⁵ He was still speaking when a bright cloud suddenly overshadowed them.
A voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love. I am pleased with him. Keep on listening to him!”

² just as they were passed down to us by those who had been eyewitnesses and servants of the word from the beginning, ³ I, too, have carefully investigated everything from the beginning and have decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,

³⁵ The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come over you, and the power of the Most High will surround you. Therefore, the child will be holy and will be called the Son of God.

¹⁰ Then the angel told them, “Stop being afraid! Listen! I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today your Savior, the Lord Messiah, was born in the City of David.

¹⁴ The Word Becomes HumanThe Word became flesh and lived among us. We gazed on his glory, the kind of glory that belongs to the Father’s unique Son, who is full of grace and truth.

³⁴ I have seen this and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

⁴⁹ Nathaniel replied to him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

¹⁶ “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his unique Son so that everyone who believes in him might not be lost but have eternal life.

⁶⁹ Besides, we have believed and remain convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”

³¹ But these have been recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and so that through believing you may have life in his name.

¹ IntroductionIn my first book, Theophilus, I wrote about everything Jesus did and taught from the beginning, ² up to the day when he was taken up to heaven after giving orders by the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.

¹ Greetings from PaulFrom: Paul, a servant of Jesus the Messiah, called to be an apostle and set apart for God’s gospel, ² which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures ³ regarding his Son. He was a descendant of David with respect to his humanity ⁴ and was declared by the resurrection from the dead to be the powerful Son of God according to the spirit of holiness—Jesus the Messiah, our Lord.

³ For what the Law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did. By sending his own Son in the form of humanity, he condemned sin by being incarnate,

³² The one who did not spare his own Son, but offered him as a sacrifice for all of us, surely will give us all things, along with his Son, won’t he?

¹ God Has Spoken to UsGod, having spoken in former times in fragmentary and varied fashion to our forefathers by the prophets, ² has in these last days spoken to us by a Son whom he appointed to be the heir of everything and through whom he also made the universe.

¹ Jesus, the Word of LifeWhat existed from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we observed and touched with our own hands—this is the Word of life! ² This life was revealed to us, and we have seen it and testify about it. We declare to you this eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us. ³ What we have seen and heard we declare to you so that you, too, can have fellowship with us. Now this fellowship of ours is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus, the Messiah.

¹¹ This is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is found in his Son. ¹² The person who has the Son has this life. The person who does not have the Son of God does not have this life.

⁷ Then I said, “Here I am! I have come! In the scroll of the book it is written about me.

¹ The Coming of the Messenger“Watch out! I’m sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly, the LORD you are looking for will come to his Temple. He is the messenger of the covenant whom you desire. Watch out! He is coming!” says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.

⁵ They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, because that is what was written by the prophet:

¹ John the Baptist Prepares the Way
About this time, John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the Judean wilderness, ² “Repent, because the kingdom from heaven is near!” ³ He was the one the prophet Isaiah was referring to when he said, “He is a voice calling out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way for the Lord! Make his paths straight!’” ⁴ John had clothing made of camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist. His diet consisted of grasshoppers and wild honey.
⁵ Then the people of Jerusalem, all Judea, and the entire region along the Jordan began flocking to him, ⁶ being baptized by him in the Jordan River while they confessed their sins.
⁷ But when John saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he told them, “You children of serpents! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? ⁸ Produce fruit that is consistent with repentance! ⁹ Don’t think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have father Abraham!’ because I tell you that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones! ¹⁰ The ax already lies against the roots of the trees. So every tree that isn’t producing good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. ¹¹ I am baptizing you with water as evidence of repentance, but the one who is coming after me is stronger than I am, and I am not worthy to carry his sandals. It is he who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

¹⁰ This is the man about whom it is written, ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’

²⁴ The Son of Man is going away, just as it has been written about him. How terrible it will be for that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for him if he had never been born.”

³¹ Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial
Then Jesus told them, “All of you will turn against me this very night, because it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’

¹⁵ because he will be great in the Lord’s presence. He will never drink wine or any strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. ¹⁶ He will bring many of Israel’s descendants back to the Lord their God. ¹⁷ He is the one who will go before the Lord with the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, and to prepare the people to be ready for the Lord.”

⁷⁰ just as he promised long ago through the mouth of his holy prophets

⁷⁶ And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, because you will go ahead of the Lord to prepare his way

² and Annas and Caiaphas high priests, a message from God came to John, the son of Zechariah, in the wilderness. ³ John went throughout the entire Jordan region, proclaiming a baptism about repentance for the forgiveness of sins, ⁴ as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, “He is a voice calling out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way for the Lord! Make his paths straight! ⁵ Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be leveled. The crooked ways will be made straight, and the rough roads will be made smooth. ⁶ Everyone will see the salvation that God has provided.’”
⁷ John would say to the crowds that were coming out to be baptized by him, “You children of serpents! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? ⁸ Produce fruit that is consistent with repentance! Don’t begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have father Abraham!’ because I tell you that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones! ⁹ The ax already lies against the roots of the trees. So every tree not producing good fruit will be cut down and thrown into a fire.”
¹⁰ The crowds kept asking him, “What, then, should we do?”
¹¹ He answered them, “The person who has two coats must share with the one who doesn’t have any, and the person who has food must do the same.”
¹² Even some tax collectors came to be baptized. They asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?”
¹³ He told them, “Stop collecting more money than the amount you are told to collect.”
¹⁴ Even some soldiers were asking him, “And what should we do?”
He told them, “Never extort money from anyone by threats or blackmail, and be satisfied with your pay.”
¹⁵ Now the people were filled with expectation, and all of them were wondering if John was perhaps the Messiah. ¹⁶ John replied to all of them, “I’m baptizing you with water, but one is coming who is more powerful than I, and I’m not worthy to untie his sandal straps. It is he who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

²⁷ This is the man about whom it is written, ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’
²⁸ I tell you, no one has ever been born who is greater than John. Yet even the least important person in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

³¹ Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection a Third Time
Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “Pay attention! We’re going up to Jerusalem. Everything written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled,

³ A voice cries out: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; and in the desert a straight highway for our God.’ ⁴ Every valley will be lifted up, and every mountain and hill will be lowered; the rough ground will become level, and the mountain ridges made a plain. ⁵ Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all humanity will see it at once; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

³ He was the one the prophet Isaiah was referring to when he said, “He is a voice calling out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way for the Lord! Make his paths straight!’” ⁴ as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, “He is a voice calling out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way for the Lord! Make his paths straight! ⁵ Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be leveled. The crooked ways will be made straight, and the rough roads will be made smooth. ⁶ Everyone will see the salvation that God has provided.’”

¹⁵ John told the truth about him when he cried out, “This is the person about whom I said, ‘The one who comes after me ranks higher than me, because he existed before me.’”

¹⁹ The Testimony of John the Baptist
This was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders sent priests and descendants of Levi to him from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
²⁰ He spoke openly and, remaining true to himself, admitted, “I am not the Messiah.”
²¹ So they asked him, “Well then, are you Elijah?”
John said, “I am not.”
“Are you the Prophet?”
He answered, “No.”
²² “Who are you?” they asked him. “We must give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
²³ He replied, “I am ‘…a voice crying out in the wilderness, “Prepare the Lord’s highway,”’as the prophet Isaiah said.”
²⁴ Now those men had been sent from the Pharisees. ²⁵ They asked him, “Why, then, are you baptizing if you are not the Messiah, or Elijah, or the Prophet?”
²⁶ John answered them, “I am baptizing with water, but among you stands a man whom you do not know, ²⁷ the one who is coming after me, whose sandal straps I am not worthy to untie.” ²⁸ This happened in Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
²⁹ The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰ This is the one about whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks above me, because he existed before me.’ ³¹ I didn’t recognize him, but I came baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.”
³² John also testified, “I saw the Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. ³³ I didn’t recognize him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The person on whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴ I have seen this and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

²⁸ You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah, but I have been sent ahead of him.’ ²⁹ It is the bridegroom who gets the bride, yet the bridegroom’s friend, who merely stands by and listens for him, is overjoyed to hear the bridegroom’s voice. That’s why this joy of mine is now complete. ³⁰ He must become more important, but I must become less important.”
³¹ The One who Comes from AboveThe one who comes from above is superior to everything. The one who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is superior to everything. ³² He testifies about what he has seen and heard, yet no one accepts his testimony. ³³ The person who has accepted his testimony has acknowledged that God is truthful. ³⁴ The one whom God sent speaks the words of God, because God does not give the Spirit in limited measure to him. ³⁵ The Father loves the Son and has put everything in his hands. ³⁶ The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who disobeys the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him.

¹ John the Baptist Prepares the Way
About this time, John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the Judean wilderness, ² “Repent, because the kingdom from heaven is near!”

⁶ being baptized by him in the Jordan River while they confessed their sins.

¹¹ I am baptizing you with water as evidence of repentance, but the one who is coming after me is stronger than I am, and I am not worthy to carry his sandals. It is he who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

⁷⁷ and to give his people knowledge of salvation through forgiveness of their sins.

² and Annas and Caiaphas high priests, a message from God came to John, the son of Zechariah, in the wilderness. ³ John went throughout the entire Jordan region, proclaiming a baptism about repentance for the forgiveness of sins,

²³ John was also baptizing in Aenon, near Salim, because there was plenty of water there. People kept coming and were being baptized,

³⁷ You know what happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached.

²⁴ Before Jesus’ appearance, John had already preached a baptism of repentance to all the people in Israel. ²⁵ When John was finishing his work, he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I’m not the Messiah. No, but he is coming after me, and I’m not worthy to untie the sandals on his feet.’

³ He then asked, “Then into what were you baptized?”
They answered, “Into John’s baptism.”
⁴ Then Paul said, “John baptized when they repented, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.”

¹⁶ So now, what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away as you call on his name.’

⁴⁰ Return from Captivity“Nevertheless, when they confess their iniquity, the iniquity of their ancestors, and their unfaithfulness by which they acted unfaithfully against me by living life contrary to me— ⁴¹ causing me to oppose them and take them to the land of their enemies so that the uncircumcised foreskin of their hearts can be humbled and so that they accept the punishment of their iniquity— ⁴² then I’ll remember my covenant with Jacob, my covenant with Isaac, and my covenant with Abraham. I’ll also remember the land.

¹⁹ Joshua then spoke to Achan, “My son, give glory and praise to the LORD God of Israel. Tell me right now what you did. Don’t hide anything.”

⁵ My sin I acknowledged to you; my iniquity I did not hide. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin! Interlude

¹³ Whoever hides his transgressions will not succeed, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will find mercy.

⁵ Then the people of Jerusalem, all Judea, and the entire region along the Jordan began flocking to him, ⁶ being baptized by him in the Jordan River while they confessed their sins.

²⁵ Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from across the Jordan followed him.

²⁸ This happened in Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

³⁸ Peter answered them, “Every one of you must repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus the Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the Holy Spirit as a gift.

¹⁸ Many who became believers kept coming to confess and talk about what they had been doing.

⁸ If we say that we do not have any sin, we are deceiving ourselves and we’re not being truthful to ourselves. ⁹ If we make it our habit to confess our sins, in his faithful righteousness he forgives us for those sins and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say that we have never sinned, we make him a liar and his word has no place in us.

²² These creatures that you may eat include the locust of any kind, the bald locust of any kind, the cricket of any kind, and the grasshopper of any kind.

⁸ They answered, “The man was a hairy fellow. He wore a leather sash around his waist.”
The king responded, “It’s Elijah, that foreigner!”

⁴ Furthermore, it will come about at that time that every prophet will become ashamed of his vision as he prophesies. They will wear no rough garments intended to deceive others.”

⁴ John had clothing made of camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist. His diet consisted of grasshoppers and wild honey.

¹⁴ But John tried to stop him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and are you coming to me?”

¹⁶ John replied to all of them, “I’m baptizing you with water, but one is coming who is more powerful than I, and I’m not worthy to untie his sandal straps. It is he who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

⁶ So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to tell Jesus, “Sir, stop troubling yourself, because I’m not worthy to have you come under my roof. ⁷ That’s why I didn’t presume to come to you. But just say the word, and let my servant be healed,

²⁷ the one who is coming after me, whose sandal straps I am not worthy to untie.”

²⁸ You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah, but I have been sent ahead of him.’ ²⁹ It is the bridegroom who gets the bride, yet the bridegroom’s friend, who merely stands by and listens for him, is overjoyed to hear the bridegroom’s voice. That’s why this joy of mine is now complete. ³⁰ He must become more important, but I must become less important.”
³¹ The One who Comes from AboveThe one who comes from above is superior to everything. The one who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is superior to everything.

²⁵ When John was finishing his work, he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I’m not the Messiah. No, but he is coming after me, and I’m not worthy to untie the sandals on his feet.’

²³ Return to my correction! Look, I will pour out my spirit on you, and I will make my words known to you.

¹⁵ until the Spirit from on high is poured upon us, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest.”

³ For I’ll pour water upon thirsty ground and streams on parched land. So will I pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing upon your descendants.

²⁵ I’ll sprinkle pure water on you all, and you’ll be cleansed from your impurity and from all of your idols.”
²⁶ “‘“I’m going to give you a new heart, and I’m going to give you a new spirit within all of your deepest parts. I’ll remove that rock-hard heart of yours and replace it with one that’s sensitive to me. ²⁷ I’ll place my spirit within you, empowering you to live according to my regulations and to keep my just decrees.

²⁸ The Day of the LORD“Then it will come about at a later time that I will pour out my Spirit on every person. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your elderly people will dream dreams, and your young people will see visions.

⁵ because John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit a few days from now.”

⁴ All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in foreign languages as the Spirit gave them that ability.

¹⁷ ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on everyone. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.

⁴⁵ Then the circumcised believers who had come with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the gentiles, too,

¹⁵ “When I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as he was first given to us. ¹⁶ Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’

⁴ Then Paul said, “John baptized when they repented, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.” ⁵ On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶ When Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak in foreign languages and to prophesy.

¹³ For by one Spirit all of us—Jews and Greeks, slaves and free—were baptized into one body and were all privileged to drink from one Spirit.

⁵ ‘Twas not for deeds that we had done, but by his steadfast love alone, he saved us through a second birth, renewed us by the Spirit’s work, ⁶ and poured him out upon us, too, through Jesus the Messiah our Savior true.

²³ and settled in a town called Nazareth in order to fulfill what was said by the prophets: “He will be called a Nazarene.”

¹³ Jesus is Baptized
Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. ¹⁴ But John tried to stop him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and are you coming to me?”
¹⁵ But Jesus answered him, “Let it be this way for now, because this is the proper way for us to fulfill all righteousness.”
At this, he permitted him to be baptized. ¹⁶ When Jesus had been baptized, he immediately came up out of the water. Suddenly, the heavens opened up for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him. ¹⁷ Then a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love. I am pleased with him!”

²¹ Jesus is Baptized
When all the people had been baptized, Jesus, too, was baptized. While he was praying, heaven opened, ²² and the Holy Spirit descended on him, appearing in the form of a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “You are my Son, whom I love. I am pleased with you!”

¹ The Servant of the LORD “Here is my servant, whom I support, my chosen one, in whom I delight. I’ve placed my Spirit upon him; and he’ll deliver his justice throughout the world.

¹ A Prayer for God to Intervene If only you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence—

¹⁶ When Jesus had been baptized, he immediately came up out of the water. Suddenly, the heavens opened up for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him.

²² and the Holy Spirit descended on him, appearing in the form of a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “You are my Son, whom I love. I am pleased with you!”

⁷ Then a cloud appeared and overshadowed them. A voice came out of the cloud and said, “This is my Son, whom I love. Keep on listening to him!”

³⁵ Then a voice came out of the cloud and said, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen. Keep listening to him!”

²⁰ The Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing, and he will show him even greater actions than these, so that you may be amazed. ²¹ Just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to those he chooses. ²² The Father judges no one, but has given all authority to judge to the Son, ²³ so that everyone may honor the Son as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.

³⁷ Moreover, the Father who sent me has himself testified on my behalf. You have never heard his voice or seen what he looks like,

²⁸ Father, glorify your name.”
Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again!” ²⁹ The crowd standing there heard this and said that it was thunder.
Others were saying, “An angel has spoken to him.”
³⁰ Jesus replied, “This voice is for your benefit, not for mine.

⁴ and was declared by the resurrection from the dead to be the powerful Son of God according to the spirit of holiness—Jesus the Messiah, our Lord.

¹³ God has rescued us from the power of darkness and has brought us into the kingdom of the Son whom he loves,

¹⁷ For he received honor and glory from God the Father when these words from the Majestic Glory were spoken about him: “This is my Son, whom I love. I am pleased with him.” ¹⁸ We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.

¹ Jesus is Tempted by Satan
After this, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ² After fasting for 40 days and 40 nights, he finally became hungry.
³ Then the tempter came. “Since you are the Son of God,” he said, “tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”
⁴ But he answered, “It is written, ‘One must not live on bread alone, but on every word coming out of the mouth of God.’”
⁵ Then the devil took him to the Holy City and had him stand on the highest point of the Temple. ⁶ He told Jesus, “Since you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, because it is written, ‘God will put his angels in charge of you,’
and, ‘With their hands they will hold you up, so that you will never hit your foot against a rock.’”
⁷ Jesus responded to him, “It is also written, ‘You must not tempt the Lord your God.’”
⁸ Once more the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, along with their splendor. ⁹ He told Jesus, “I will give you all these things if you will bow down and worship me!”
¹⁰ Then Jesus told him, “Go away, Satan! Because it is written, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’”
¹¹ So the devil left him, and angels came and began ministering to him.

¹ Jesus is Tempted by Satan
Then Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan. He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, ² where he was being tempted by the devil for 40 days. During that time he ate nothing at all, and when they were over he became hungry.
³ The devil told him, “Since you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.”
⁴ Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One must not live on bread alone, but on every word of God.’”
⁵ The devil also took him to a high place and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in an instant. ⁶ He told Jesus, “I will give you all this authority, along with their glory, because it has been given to me, and I give it to anyone I please. ⁷ So if you will worship me, all this will be yours.”
⁸ But Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’”
⁹ The devil also took him into Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the Temple. He told Jesus, “Since you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, ¹⁰ because it is written, ‘God will put his angels in charge of you to watch over you carefully. ¹¹ With their hands they will hold you up, so that you will never hit your foot against a rock.’”
¹² Jesus answered him, “It has been said, ‘You must not tempt the Lord your God.’”
¹³ After the devil had finished tempting Jesus in every possible way, he left him until another time.

¹⁸ When Moses went up on the mountain, he went into the center of the cloud and was on the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights.

²⁸ While Moses was there with the LORD for 40 days and 40 nights, he did not eat or drink. He wrote the Ten Commandments, the words of the covenant, on the tablets.

¹¹ At the end of 40 days and nights, the LORD gave to me the two stone Tablets of the Covenant.

¹⁸ I fell down in the LORD’s presence, just as I had the first 40 days and nights. I did not eat food or drink water because of your sin. You had sinned by committing this evil in the sight of the LORD, thereby provoking him to anger.

²⁵ I fell down in the LORD’s presence for 40 days and nights, because the LORD said he was ready to destroy you.

⁵ Then he lay down and went to sleep under the juniper tree. All of a sudden, there was an angel, who kept grabbing him and telling him, “Get up! Eat!”
⁶ So he looked around, and there near his head was a muffin sitting on top of some heated stones, along with a jar of water. Elijah ate and drank and then lay down again. ⁷ Later, the angel of the LORD came a second time, grabbed him, and said “Get up! Eat! The journey ahead is too difficult for you!” ⁸ So Elijah got up, ate and drank, and survived on that one meal for 40 days and nights as he set out on his journey to Horeb, God’s mountain.

⁵³ Don’t you think that I could call on my Father, and he would send me more than twelve legions of angels now?

¹⁶ By common confession, the secret of our godly worship is great: In flesh was he revealed to sight, kept righteous by the Spirit’s might, adored by angels singing. To nations was he manifest, believing souls found peace and rest, our Lord in heaven reigning!

¹⁷ thereby becoming like his brothers in every way, so that he could be a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God and could atone for the people’s sins. ¹⁸ Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses. Instead, we have one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet he never sinned.

¹ Good News of Deliverance “The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed and to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners; ² to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; ³ to provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, a mantle of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” “Then people will call them “Oaks of Righteousness”, “The Planting of the LORD”, in order to display his splendor.

¹² Jesus Begins His Ministry in Galilee
Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he went back to Galilee.

²³ Jesus Ministers to Many People
Then he went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every illness among the people.

³⁵ The Compassion of JesusThen Jesus began traveling throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every illness.

² John the Baptist Sends Messengers to Jesus
Now when John heard in prison about the activities of the Messiah, he sent a message by his disciples

² told his servants, “This is John the Baptist! He has been raised from the dead, and that’s why these miracles are being done by him.”

²⁰ Added to all this, Herod locked John up in prison.

¹⁷ the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling the scroll, he found the place where it was written, ¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; he has anointed me to tell the good news to the poor. He has sent me to announce release to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to set oppressed people free, ¹⁹ and to announce the year of the Lord’s favor.”

⁴³ But he told them, “I have to proclaim the good news about the kingdom of God in other cities, because I was sent to do that also.” ⁴⁴ So he continued to preach in the synagogues of Galilee.

¹ Some Women Accompany JesusAfter this, Jesus traveled from one city and village to another, preaching and spreading the good news about God’s kingdom. The Twelve were with him,

²² John the Baptist Talks about JesusAfter this, Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside. He spent some time there with them and began baptizing. ²³ John was also baptizing in Aenon, near Salim, because there was plenty of water there. People kept coming and were being baptized, ²⁴ since John had not yet been thrown into prison.

²⁵ “Now I know that none of you among whom I traveled preaching about the kingdom will ever see my face again.

²³ So they set a day to meet with Paul and came out in large numbers to see him where he was staying.
From morning until evening, he continued to explain the kingdom of God to them, trying to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and the Prophets.

¹⁷ He came and proclaimed peace for you who were far away and for you who were near.

⁴⁴ “During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor its sovereignty left in the hands of another people. It will shatter and crush all of these kingdoms, and it will stand forever.

²⁵ So be informed and discern that seven weeks and 62 weeks will elapse from the issuance of the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed Commander. The plaza and moat will be rebuilt, though in troubled times.

² “Repent, because the kingdom from heaven is near!”

¹⁷ From then on, Jesus began to announce, “Repent, because the kingdom from heaven is near!”

⁷ As you go, make this announcement: ‘The kingdom from heaven is near!’

³¹ Which of the two did the father’s will?”
They answered, “The first one.”
Jesus told them, “I tell all of you with certainty, tax collectors and prostitutes will get into God’s kingdom ahead of you! ³² John came to you living a righteous life, and you didn’t believe him, but the tax collectors and prostitutes did. But even when you saw that, you didn’t change your minds at last and believe him.”

⁹ heal the sick that are there, and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you!’

¹¹ ‘We’re wiping off your town’s dust that clings to our feet in protest against you! But realize this: the kingdom of God is near!’

⁴⁷ and then repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

³⁶ “Therefore, let all the people of Israel understand beyond a doubt that God made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah!”
³⁷ When the crowd that had gathered heard this, they were pierced to the heart. They asked Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”
³⁸ Peter answered them, “Every one of you must repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus the Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the Holy Spirit as a gift.

²¹ I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance to God and faith in our Lord Jesus.

²⁶ but now has been made known through the prophets to all the gentiles, in keeping with the decree of the eternal God to bring them to the obedience that springs from faith—

⁴ But when the appropriate time had come, God sent his Son, born by a woman, born under the Law,

¹⁰ to usher in the fullness of the times and to bring together in the Messiah all things in heaven and on earth.

²⁵ and gentle when refuting opponents. After all, maybe God will allow them to repent and to come to a full knowledge of the truth, ²⁶ so that they might escape from the devil’s snare, even though they’ve been held captive by him to do his will.

¹⁸ Jesus Calls Four Fishermen
While Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon (also called Peter) and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, because they were fishermen. ¹⁹ “Follow me,” he told them, “and I will make you fishers of people!” ²⁰ So at once they left their nets and followed him. 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 repairing their nets. When he called them, ²² they immediately left the boat and their father and followed him.

² These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;

¹⁶ Jesus Calls His First Disciples
While Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew. They were throwing a net into the sea because they were fishermen. ¹⁷ Jesus told them, “Follow me, and I’ll make you fishers of people!” ¹⁸ So immediately they left their nets and followed him. ¹⁹ Going on a little farther, he saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat repairing their nets. ²⁰ He immediately called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

¹⁶ He appointed the Twelve: Simon (whom he named Peter),

¹⁸ Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddeus, Simon the Cananaean,

¹ Jesus Calls His First Disciples
One day, as the crowd was pressing in on him to listen to God’s word, Jesus was standing by the lake of Gennesaret. ² He saw two boats lying on the shore, but the fishermen had stepped out of them and were washing their nets. ³ So Jesus got into one of the boats (the one that belonged to Simon) and asked him to push out a little from the shore. Then he sat down and began to teach the crowds from the boat.
⁴ When he had finished speaking, he told Simon, “Push out into deep water, and lower your nets for a catch.”
⁵ Simon answered, “Master, we have worked hard all night and caught nothing. But if you say so, I’ll lower the nets.” ⁶ After the men had done this, they caught so many fish that the nets began to tear. ⁷ So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They came and filled both boats until the boats began to sink. ⁸ When Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus’ knees and said, “Leave me, Lord! I am a sinful man!”— ⁹ because Simon and all the people who were with him were amazed at the number of fish they had caught, ¹⁰ and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons and Simon’s partners.
Then Jesus told Simon, “Stop being afraid. From now on you will be catching people.” ¹¹ So when they brought the boats to shore, they left everything and followed Jesus.

¹⁴ Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,

⁴⁰ Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus. ⁴¹ The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and say to him, “We have found the Anointed One!” (which is translated “Messiah”).
⁴² He led Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him intently and said, “You are Simon, John’s son. You will be called Cephas!” (which is translated “Peter”).

⁸ One of his disciples, Andrew, who was Simon Peter’s brother, told him,

²² Philip went and told Andrew, and Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.

¹³ When they came into the city, these men went to the upstairs room where they had been staying: Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James.

¹⁰ A day will come when fishermen will line its banks—from En-gedi to En-eglaim there will be plenty of room to spread out nets. There will be all sorts of species of fish, as abundant as the fish that live in the Mediterranean Sea. There will be lots of them!

¹⁹ “Follow me,” he told them, “and I will make you fishers of people!” ²⁰ So at once they left their nets and followed him.

¹⁰ and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons and Simon’s partners.
Then Jesus told Simon, “Stop being afraid. From now on you will be catching people.”

³⁸ Peter answered them, “Every one of you must repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus the Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the Holy Spirit as a gift. ³⁹ For this promise belongs to you and your children, as well as to all those who are distant, whom the Lord our God may call to himself.”
⁴⁰ Using many different expressions, Peter continued to testify and to plead: “Be saved,” he urged them, “from this corrupt generation!” ⁴¹ So those who welcomed his message were baptized. That day about 3,000 people were added to their number.

²⁷ “Look!” Peter replied. “We have left everything and followed you. So what will we get?”
²⁸ Jesus told them, “I tell all of you with certainty, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne in the renewed creation, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, governing the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹ In fact, everyone who has left his homes, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children, or fields because of my name will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. ³⁰ But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

²⁸ Then Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” ²⁹ Jesus said, “I tell all of you with certainty, there is no one who has left his home, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, or fields because of me and the gospel ³⁰ who will not receive a hundred times as much here in this world—homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields, along with persecution—as well as eternal life in the age to come. ³¹ But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

¹¹ So when they brought the boats to shore, they left everything and followed Jesus.

³³ In the same way, none of you can be my disciple unless he gives up all his possessions.”

²⁸ Then Peter said, “See, we have left everything we have and followed you.”
²⁹ Jesus told them, “I tell all of you with certainty, there is no one who has left his home, wife, brothers, parents, or children because of the kingdom of God ³⁰ who will not receive many times as much in this world, as well as eternal life in the age to come.”

⁸ What is more, I continue to consider all these things to be a loss for the sake of what is far more valuable, knowing the Messiah Jesus, my Lord. It is because of him that I have experienced the loss of all those things. Indeed, I consider them rubbish in order to gain the Messiah

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 repairing their nets. When he called them,

¹⁷ Zebedee’s sons James and his brother John (whom he named Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder),

³⁷ Jesus allowed no one to go further with him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.

² Jesus’ Appearance is Changed
Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain to be alone with him. His appearance was changed in front of them,

³⁵ The Request of James and John
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, went to Jesus and told him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask you.”

³³ He took Peter, James, and John along with him, and he began to feel distressed and troubled.

² He even had James, the brother of John, killed with a sword.

⁹ the one who told his mother and father, ‘I don’t know them,’ and who would neither acknowledge his brothers nor know his own children. For they kept your word and guarded your covenant.

²⁰ He abandoned the oxen, ran off to follow Elijah, and asked him, “Please, let me kiss my mother and father good-bye, and then I’ll come after you.”
“Go back again,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”

²¹ Then another of his disciples told him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
²² But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

³⁷ The Cost of Discipleship
“The one who loves his father or mother more than me isn’t worthy of me, and the one who loves a son or daughter more than me isn’t worthy of me.

²⁹ Jesus said, “I tell all of you with certainty, there is no one who has left his home, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, or fields because of me and the gospel

²⁶ “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters, as well as his own life, he can’t be my disciple.

¹⁶ So then, from now on we do not think of anyone from a human point of view. Even if we did think of the Messiah from a human point of view, we don’t think of him that way anymore.

¹³ He left Nazareth and settled in Capernaum by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali,

³⁹ So he went throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

¹ Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man
Several days later, Jesus returned to Capernaum and it was reported that he was at home.

² When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were utterly amazed. “Where did this man get all these things?” they asked. “What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What great miracles are being done by his hands!

¹ Teaching about Divorce
Then Jesus left that place and went into the territory of Judea on the other side of the Jordan. Crowds gathered around him as usual, and he began to teach them again as was his custom.

¹⁶ Jesus is Rejected at Nazareth
Then Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been raised. As was his custom, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day. When he stood up to read,

³¹ Jesus Heals a Man with an Unclean Spirit
Then Jesus went down to Capernaum, a city in Galilee, and began teaching the people on Sabbath days. ³² They were utterly amazed at what he taught, because his message was spoken with authority.
³³ In the synagogue was a man who had a demon. He screamed with a loud voice, ³⁴ “Oh, no! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
³⁵ But Jesus rebuked him. “Be quiet,” he said, “and come out of him!” At this, the demon threw the man down in the middle of the synagogue and came out of him without hurting him.
³⁶ Overwhelmed with amazement, they all kept saying to one another, “What kind of statement is this?—because with authority and power he gives orders to unclean spirits, and they come out!” ³⁷ So news about him spread to every place in the surrounding region.

¹⁵ And you, Capernaum! You won’t be lifted up to heaven, will you? You’ll go down to Hell!

¹⁰ Jesus Heals a Woman on the SabbathJesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.

¹⁴ They left Perga and arrived in Antioch in Pisidia. On the Sabbath day, they went into the synagogue and sat down. ¹⁵ After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue leaders asked them, “Brothers, if you have any message of encouragement for the people, you may speak.”
¹⁶ Then Paul stood up, motioned with his hand, and said:
“Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen! ¹⁷ The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors and made them a great people during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with a public display of power he led them out of there. ¹⁸ After he had put up with them for 40 years in the wilderness, ¹⁹ he destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan. Then God gave their land to the Israelis as an inheritance ²⁰ for about 450 years.
“After that, he gave them judges until the time of the prophet Samuel. ²¹ When they demanded a king, God gave them Kish’s son Saul, from the tribe of Benjamin, for 40 years. ²² Then God removed Saul and made David their king, about whom he testified, ‘I have found that David, the son of Jesse, is a man after my own heart, who will carry out all my wishes.’ ²³ It was from this man’s descendants that God, as he promised, brought to Israel a Savior, who is Jesus. ²⁴ Before Jesus’ appearance, John had already preached a baptism of repentance to all the people in Israel. ²⁵ When John was finishing his work, he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I’m not the Messiah. No, but he is coming after me, and I’m not worthy to untie the sandals on his feet.’
²⁶ “My brothers, descendants of Abraham’s family, and those among you who fear God, it is to us that the message of this salvation has been sent. ²⁷ For the people who live in Jerusalem and their leaders, not knowing who Jesus was, condemned him and so fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. ²⁸ Although they found no reason to sentence him to death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. ²⁹ When they had finished doing everything that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and placed him in a tomb. ³⁰ But God raised him from the dead, ³¹ and for many days he appeared to those who had come with him to Jerusalem from Galilee. These are now his witnesses to the people. ³² We’re telling you the good news: What God promised our ancestors ³³ he has fulfilled for us, their descendants, by raising Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm, ‘You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.’ ³⁴ God raised him from the dead, never to experience decay, as he said, ‘I’ll give you the holy promises made to David.’ ³⁵ In another Psalm he says, ‘You will not let your Holy One experience decay.’ ³⁶ Now David, after he had served God’s purpose in his own generation, died and was buried with his ancestors, and so he experienced decay. ³⁷ However, the man whom God raised did not experience decay.
³⁸ “Therefore, brothers, you must understand that through him the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, ³⁹ and that everyone who believes in him is justified and freed from everything that kept you from being justified by the Law of Moses. ⁴⁰ So be careful that what the prophets said doesn’t happen to you: ⁴¹ ‘Look, you mockers! Be amazed and die! Since I am performing an action in your days, one that you would not believe even if someone told you!’”
⁴² As Paul and Barnabas were leaving, the people kept urging them to tell them the same things the next Sabbath. ⁴³ When the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who kept talking to them and urging them to continue in the grace of God.
⁴⁴ The next Sabbath almost the whole town gathered to hear the word of the Lord. ⁴⁵ But when the Jewish leaders saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to object to the statements made by Paul and even to abuse him.
⁴⁶ Then Paul and Barnabas boldly declared, “We had to speak God’s word to you first, but since you reject it and consider yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we are now going to turn to the gentiles. ⁴⁷ For that is what the Lord ordered us to do: ‘I have made you a light to the gentiles to be the means of salvation to the very ends of the earth.’”
⁴⁸ When the gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord. Meanwhile, all who had been destined to eternal life believed, ⁴⁹ and the word of the Lord began to spread throughout the whole region. ⁵⁰ But the Jewish leaders stirred up devout women of high social standing and the officials in the city, started a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their territory. ⁵¹ So Paul and Barnabas shook the dust off their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. ⁵² Meanwhile, the disciples continued to be full of joy and the Holy Spirit.

² As usual, Paul entered there and on three Sabbaths discussed the Scriptures with them.

⁴ Every Sabbath, he would speak in the synagogue, trying to persuade both Jews and Greeks.

²⁹ “My message is like fire or like a hammer that shatters rock, is it not?” declares the LORD.

²⁸ When Jesus had finished saying all these things, the crowds were utterly amazed at his teaching, ²⁹ because he was teaching them like a person who had authority, and not like their scribes.

⁵⁴ He went to his hometown and began teaching the people in their synagogue in such a way that they were amazed and asked, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miracles?

¹⁶ “How terrible it will be for you, blind guides! You say, ‘Whoever swears an oath by the sanctuary is excused, but whoever swears an oath by the gold of the sanctuary must keep his oath.’ ¹⁷ You blind fools! What is more important, the gold or the sanctuary that made the gold holy? ¹⁸ Again you say, ‘Whoever swears an oath by the altar is excused, but whoever swears by the gift that is on it must keep his oath.’ ¹⁹ You blind men! Which is more important, the gift or the altar that makes the gift holy? ²⁰ Therefore, the one who swears an oath by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. ²¹ The one who swears an oath by the sanctuary swears by it and by the one who lives there. ²² And the one who swears an oath by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.
²³ “How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your mint, dill, and cummin, but have neglected the more important matters of the Law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These are the things you should have practiced, without neglecting the others. ²⁴ You blind guides! You filter out a gnat, yet swallow a camel!

³ (The Pharisees—and indeed all the Jewish people—don’t eat unless they wash their hands properly, following the tradition of their elders. ⁴ They don’t eat anything from the marketplace unless they dip it in water. They also observe many other traditions, such as the proper washing of washing cups, jars, brass pots, and dinner tables.) ⁵ So the Pharisees and the scribes asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders? Instead, they eat with unclean hands.”
⁶ He told them, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites. As it is written, ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. ⁷ Their worship of me is worthless, because they teach human rules as doctrines.’
⁸ You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.”
⁹ Then he told them, “You have such a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to keep your own tradition! ¹⁰ Because Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever curses his father or mother must certainly be put to death.’ ¹¹ But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or mother, “Whatever support you might have received from me is Corban,”’ (that is, an offering to God) ¹² ‘you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother.’ ¹³ You are destroying the word of God through your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many other things like that.”

³² They were utterly amazed at what he taught, because his message was spoken with authority.

¹⁵ because I will give you the ability to speak, along with wisdom, that none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute.

⁴⁶ The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like that!”

¹⁰ But they could neither refute the wisdom nor withstand the Spirit by which he kept speaking.

²¹ Everyone who heard him was astonished and said, “This is the man who harassed those who were calling on Jesus’ name in Jerusalem, isn’t it? Didn’t he come here to bring them in chains to the high priests?” ²² But Saul grew more and more persuasive, and continued to confound the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that this man was the Messiah.

² Instead, we have renounced secret and shameful ways. We do not use trickery or pervert God’s word. By clear statements of the truth we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience before God.

¹² For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul and spirit, joints and marrow, as it judges the thoughts and purposes of the heart. ¹³ No creature can hide from him, but everyone is exposed and helpless before the eyes of the one to whom we must give a word of explanation.

⁴³ The Return of the Unclean Spirit
“Whenever an unclean spirit goes out of a person, it wanders through waterless places looking for a place to rest, but finds none.

³⁴ He healed many who were sick with various diseases and drove out many demons. However, he wouldn’t allow the demons to speak because they knew who he was.

² Just as Jesus stepped out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit came out of the tombs and met him.

²⁵ In fact, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him and came and fell down at his feet.

²⁵ When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You spirit that won’t let him talk or hear—I command you to come out of him and never enter him again!”

¹² Is this not what we told you in Egypt, when we said, ‘Leave us alone!’ and ‘Let us serve the Egyptians!’? Indeed, it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”

¹⁰ For you will not leave my soul in Sheol, you will not allow your holy one to experience corruption.

¹⁸ Indeed, our shield belongs to the LORD, and our king to the Holy One of Israel.
¹⁹ God’s Describes His AnointedYou spoke to your faithful ones through a vision: “I will set a helper over a warrior. I will raise up a chosen one from the people.

²⁴ Seventy weeks have been decreed concerning your people and your holy city: to restrain transgression, to put an end to sin, to make atonement for lawlessness, to establish everlasting righteousness, to conclude vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place.

²⁹ Suddenly, they screamed, “What do you want with us, Son of God? Did you come here to torture us before the proper time?”

⁷ screaming in a loud voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you in the name of God never to torment me!”

³⁴ “Oh, no! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

²⁸ When he saw Jesus, he screamed, fell down in front of him, and cried out in a loud voice, “What do you want from me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you not to torture me!”

³⁷ Then all the people from the region surrounding the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were terrified. So he got into a boat and started back.

¹⁹ He asked them, “What things?”
They answered him, “The events involving Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet, mighty in what he said and did before God and all the people,

²⁷ For you will not abandon my soul to Hades or allow your Holy One to experience decay.

¹⁴ You rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer released to you,

²⁷ For in this city both Herod and Pontius Pilate actually met together with unbelievers and the people of Israel to oppose your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed,

⁵ For we have found this man a perfect pest and an agitator among all Jews throughout the world. He is a ringleader in the sect of the Nazarenes

¹⁹ You believe that there is one God. That’s fine! Even the demons believe that and tremble with fear.

⁷ The Letter to the Church in Philadelphia“To the messenger of the church in Philadelphia, write: ‘The one who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens a door that no one can shut, and who shuts a door that no one can open, ‘says this:

¹⁶ As for the wicked, God says, “How dare you recite my statutes or speak about my covenant with your lips!

¹¹ Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they would fall down in front of him and scream, “You are the Son of God!” ¹² But he sternly ordered them again and again not to tell people who he was.

³⁵ But Jesus rebuked him. “Be quiet,” he said, “and come out of him!” At this, the demon threw the man down in the middle of the synagogue and came out of him without hurting him.

⁴¹ Even demons came out of many people, screaming, “You are the Son of God!” But Jesus rebuked them and ordered them not to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah.

¹⁷ She would follow Paul and us and shout, “These men are servants of the Most High God and are proclaiming to you a way of salvation!”

²⁰ So they brought the boy to him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into convulsions. He fell on the ground and kept rolling around and foaming at the mouth.

²⁶ The spirit screamed, shook the child violently, and came out. The boy was like a corpse, and many said that he was dead.

³⁹ Without warning a spirit takes control of him, and he suddenly screams, goes into convulsions, and foams at the mouth. The spirit mauls him and refuses to leave him.

⁴² Even while the boy was coming, the demon knocked him to the ground and threw him into convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.

²² But when a stronger man than he attacks and defeats him, the stronger man strips off that man’s armor in which he trusted and then divides his plunder.

³³ As soon as the demon had been driven out, the man began to speak. The crowds were amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel!”

²² Jesus is Accused of Working with Beelzebul
Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and unable to talk was brought to him. Jesus healed him so that the man could speak and see. ²³ All the crowds were amazed and kept saying, “This man isn’t the Son of David, is he?”

³¹ As a result, the crowd was amazed to see those who were unable to talk speaking, the crippled healed, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. So they praised the God of Israel.

³⁷ Amazed beyond measure, they kept on saying, “He does everything well! He even makes deaf people hear and mute people talk!”

²⁴ The disciples were startled by these words, but Jesus told them again, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in their wealth to get into the kingdom of God!

³² Now Jesus and his disciples had been on the road going up to Jerusalem, with Jesus walking ahead of them. They were astonished, and the others who followed were afraid.
Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection a Third Time
Once again, Jesus took the Twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to him.

³⁶ Overwhelmed with amazement, they all kept saying to one another, “What kind of statement is this?—because with authority and power he gives orders to unclean spirits, and they come out!”

¹ Jesus Sends Out the Twelve
Jesus called the Twelve together and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases.

¹⁷ The Return of the SeventyThe 70 disciples came back and joyously reported, “Lord, even the demons are submitting to us in your name!”
¹⁸ He told them, “I watched Satan falling from heaven like lightning. ¹⁹ Look! I have given you the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to destroy all the enemy’s power, and nothing will ever hurt you. ²⁰ However, stop rejoicing because the spirits are submitting to you. Instead, rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

⁴ “Then he will take his stand, shepherding by means of the strength of the LORD, by the power of the name of the LORD his God. And they will be firmly established; indeed, from then on he will become great— to the ends of the earth.

²⁴ His fame spread throughout Syria, and people brought to him everyone who was sick—those afflicted with various diseases and pains, the demon-possessed, the epileptics, and the paralyzed—and he healed them.

³¹ But they went out and spread the news about him throughout that region.

⁴⁵ But when the man left, he began to proclaim it freely. He spread the news so widely that Jesus could no longer enter a town openly, but had to stay out in deserted places. Still, people kept coming to him from everywhere.

¹⁷ the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling the scroll, he found the place where it was written,

³⁷ So news about him spread to every place in the surrounding region.

¹⁴ Jesus Heals Many People
When Jesus went into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed, sick with a fever. ¹⁵ He touched her hand, and the fever left her. Then she got up and began serving him.

²¹ Jesus Heals a Man with an Unclean Spirit
Then they went to Capernaum. As soon as it was the Sabbaths, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach.

²³ All of a sudden, there was a man in their synagogue who had an unclean spirit! He screamed,

³⁸ Jesus Heals Many People
Then Jesus got up to leave the synagogue and went into Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was sick with a high fever, so they asked Jesus about her. ³⁹ He bent over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began serving them.

⁵⁸ Jesus told him, “Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to rest.”

²³ and begged him urgently, saying, “My little daughter is dying. Come and lay your hands on her so that she may get well and live.”

³ So the sisters sent word to Jesus and told him, “Lord, the one whom you love is ill.”

⁵ We have the right to take a believing wife with us like the other apostles, the Lord’s brothers, and Cephas, don’t we?

¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? He should call for the elders of the church, and they should pray for him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer offered in faith will save the person who is sick. The Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven.

¹ Davidic
Praise God, who Forgives Bless the LORD, my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. ² Bless the LORD, my soul, and never forget any of his benefits: ³ He continues to forgive all your sins, he continues to heal all your diseases,

¹² What will I return to the LORD for all his benefits to me?

⁵⁵ Now many women were also there, watching from a distance. They had accompanied Jesus from Galilee and had ministered to him.

⁴¹ He took her by the hand and told her, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Young lady, I tell you, get up!”

⁴¹ They used to accompany him and care for him while he was in Galilee. Many other women who had come up to Jerusalem with him were there, too.

² as well as some women who had been healed of evil spirits and illnesses: Mary, also called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out; ³ Joanna, the wife of Herod’s household manager Chuza; Susanna; and many others. These women continued to support them out of their personal resources.

⁴¹ He extended his hand and helped her get up. Then he called the saints, including the widows, and gave her back to them alive.

¹⁶ When evening came, people brought to him many who were possessed by demons. He drove out the spirits by speaking a command and healed everyone who was sick.

² The people watched Jesus closely to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, intending to accuse him of doing something wrong.

⁴⁰ When the sun was setting, everyone who had any friends suffering from various diseases brought them to him. He placed his hands on each of them and began healing them.

⁵ People from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were flocking to him, being baptized by him while they confessed their sins.

⁴⁴ The next Sabbath almost the whole town gathered to hear the word of the Lord.

²⁵ But Jesus rebuked him. “Be quiet,” he ordered, “and come out of him!”

¹² But he sternly ordered them again and again not to tell people who he was.

¹⁶ The Fortune TellerOnce, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit of fortune-telling and who had brought her owners a great deal of money by predicting the future. ¹⁷ She would follow Paul and us and shout, “These men are servants of the Most High God and are proclaiming to you a way of salvation!”
¹⁸ She kept doing this for many days until Paul became annoyed, turned to her and told the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus the Messiah to come out of her!” And it came out that very moment.

³ LORD, in the morning you will hear my voice; in the morning I will pray to you, and I will watch for your answer.

⁴ Instead of receiving my love, they accuse me, though I continue in prayer.

²³ After dismissing the crowds, he went up on a hillside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.

⁴⁶ After saying goodbye to them, he went up on a hillside to pray. ⁴⁷ When evening had come, the boat was in the middle of the sea, while he was alone on the land. ⁴⁸ He saw that his disciples were straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he came to them, walking on the sea. He intended to go up right beside them,

⁴² Jesus Goes on a Preaching Tour
At daybreak he left and went to a deserted place, while the crowds kept looking for him. When they came to him, they tried to keep him from leaving them. ⁴³ But he told them, “I have to proclaim the good news about the kingdom of God in other cities, because I was sent to do that also.”

¹⁶ However, he continued his habit of retiring to deserted places and praying.

¹² Jesus Appoints Twelve Apostles
Now it was in those days that Jesus went to a mountain to pray, and he spent the whole night in prayer to God.

³⁹ Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives
Then he left and went to the Mount of Olives, as usual. The disciples went with him. ⁴⁰ When he arrived, he told them, “Keep on praying that you may not be tempted.” ⁴¹ Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and began to pray, ⁴² “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me. Yet not my will but yours be done.”
⁴³ Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. ⁴⁴ In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like large drops of blood falling on the ground.
⁴⁵ When he got up from prayer, he went to the disciples and found them asleep from sorrow. ⁴⁶ He asked them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and keep on praying that you may not be tempted.”

³⁴ Jesus told them, “My food is doing the will of the one who sent me and completing his work.

¹⁵ Then Jesus, realizing that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, withdrew again to the hillside by himself.

¹⁸ Pray in the Spirit at all times with every kind of prayer and request. Likewise, be alert with your most diligent efforts and pray for all the saints.

⁵ Have the same attitude among yourselves that was also in the Messiah Jesus:

⁷ As a mortal man, he offered up prayers and appeals with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his devotion to God.

¹¹ It was broken at that time so the oppressed of the flock who were observing me would know that it had been a message from the LORD.

²⁶ so they went to John and told him, “Rabbi, the man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan, the one about whom you testified—look, he’s baptizing, and everyone is going to him!”

⁴⁸ If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our Temple and our nation.”

¹⁹ Then the Pharisees told one another, “You see, there is nothing you can do. Look, the world has gone after him!”

⁴⁹ He asked them, “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that I had to be in my Father’s house?”

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; he has anointed me to tell the good news to the poor. He has sent me to announce release to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to set oppressed people free, ¹⁹ and to announce the year of the Lord’s favor.”
²⁰ Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. While the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him, ²¹ he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled, as you’ve heard it read aloud.”

⁴³ But he told them, “I have to proclaim the good news about the kingdom of God in other cities, because I was sent to do that also.”

⁴ I must do the work of the one who sent me while it is day. Night is approaching, when no one can work.

²⁸ I left the Father and came into the world. Now I’m leaving the world and going back to the Father.”

⁴ I glorified you on earth by completing the task you gave me to do.

⁸ because the words that you gave me I passed on to them. They have received them and know for sure that I came from you. They have believed that you sent me.

³⁰ So she went home and found her child lying in bed, and the demon was gone.

¹⁴ Is anything impossible for the LORD? At the time set for it, I will return to you—about a year from now—and Sarah will have a son.”

¹ Diagnosing Skin DiseasesThe LORD said this to Moses and Aaron: ² “When a person has a swelling or a scab in the skin on his body that turns white in appearance and appears to be more extensive than skin deep, he is to be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons among the priests. ³ The priest is to examine the skin rash on the body. If the hair on the skin rash has turned white and its appearance is deeper than the skin of his body, it’s an infectious skin disease. When the priest has examined it, then he is to declare him unclean.
⁴ “If the light spot in the skin of his body is white but the appearance of the skin rash isn’t deeper than the skin of his body and its hair has not become white, then the priest is to isolate the one who is infected for seven days. ⁵ On the seventh day, the priest is to examine him again. If, in his opinion, the skin rash remained the same and it did not spread, then he is to isolate him for another seven days.
⁶ “On the next seventh day, the priest is to examine him again. If the skin rash didn’t become dull and it didn’t spread in the skin, then the priest is to pronounce him clean: it’s a scab. He is to wash his clothes and be clean. ⁷ But if the scab did spread in the skin after he presented himself to the priest for cleansing, then he is to show himself a second time to the priest. ⁸ When the priest examines him and determines that the scab did, in fact, spread in his skin, then the priest is to pronounce him unclean, since it’s an infectious skin disease.”
⁹ Infectious Skin Diseases“When a person has a skin rash that’s infectious, he is to be brought to the priest. ¹⁰ The priest is to examine it. If it is, indeed, a white swelling in the skin that has turned the hair white, and yet it sustains live flesh on the swelling, ¹¹ it’s a festering skin disease in his body. The priest is to declare him unclean. The man need not be confined, since he’s already unclean. ¹² If the infectious skin disease spreads in the skin so that it covers his entire body from head to foot (as the priest examines it), ¹³ when the priest’s examination reveals that the infectious skin disease has covered his entire body, then he is to declare him clean, even though he still has the skin infection. He has turned entirely white, so he’s clean. ¹⁴ But if, one day, infected flesh appears again in him, he is unclean.

¹⁰ but when the cloud ascended from the tent, Miriam had become leprous, as white as snow! Aaron turned toward Miriam, and she had leprosy!
¹¹ Aaron begged Moses, “I pray my lord, please don’t hold this sin against us, since we’ve acted foolishly and sinned in doing so. ¹² Please don’t let her be like one of the living dead, who is born with a congenital skin disease.”
¹³ So Moses prayed to the LORD: “O LORD, please heal her.”
¹⁴ But the LORD told Moses, “If her father had merely spit in her face, wouldn’t she be humiliated? She is to be placed in isolation for seven days. After that, she may be brought in.” ¹⁵ So Miriam was isolated outside the camp for seven days and the people didn’t travel until Miriam was brought in.

⁸ “In cases of leprosy, be very careful to observe exactly what the Levitical priests instructed you. Carefully follow what I have commanded them. ⁹ Remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam along the way as you were coming out of Egypt.”

²⁹ May judgment rest on Joab’s head and on his father’s entire household. May Joab’s dynasty never be without one who has a discharge, who is a leper, who walks with a cane, who commits suicide, or who lacks food!”

⁵ The king of Aram replied, “Go now, and I’ll send a letter to the king of Israel.” So he left and took with him ten talents of silver and 6,000 units of gold, along with ten sets of clothing. ⁶ He also brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read as follows: “…and now as this letter finds its way to you, look! I’ve sent my servant Naaman to you so you may heal him of his leprosy.”
⁷ When the king of Israel read the letter, he ripped his clothes and cried out, “Am I God? Can I kill and give life? Is this man sending me a request to heal a man’s leprosy? Let’s think about this—he’s looking for a reason to start a fight with me!”
⁸ When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king and asked, “Why did you tear your clothes? Please, let the man come visit me and he will learn that there is a prophet in Israel!”
⁹ So Naaman arrived with his horses and chariots and stood in front of the door to Elisha’s house. ¹⁰ Elisha sent a messenger out to him, who told him, “Go bathe in the Jordan River seven times. Your flesh will be restored for you. Now stay clean!”
¹¹ But Naaman flew into a rage and left, telling himself, “Look! I thought ‘He’s surely going to come out to me, stand still, call out in the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the infection, and cure the leprosy!’ ¹² Aren’t the Abana and Pharpar rivers in Damascus better than all of the water in Israel? Couldn’t I just bathe in them and become clean?” So he turned away and left, filled with anger.
¹³ But then his servants approached him and spoke with him. They said, “My father, had the prophet only asked of you something great, you would have done it, wouldn’t you? Yet he told you, ‘Bathe, and be clean…!’” ¹⁴ So he went down and plunged himself into the Jordan River seven times, just as the man of God had said, and his flesh rejuvenated like the flesh of a newborn child. And he was clean.
¹⁵ Gehazi’s Greed is PunishedNaaman went back to the man of God, along with his entire entourage, and stood before him. “Please look!” he said. “I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel! So please, take a present from your servant.”
¹⁶ But Elisha replied, “As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will not receive anything from you.” Though Naaman urged him to take it, Elisha declined.
¹⁷ So Naaman asked, “No? Then please let your servant load two mules with dirt from Israel, because your servant will no longer offer any burnt offering or sacrifice to any other god but the LORD. ¹⁸ In this one area may the LORD pardon your servant: Whenever my master enters the temple of Rimmon to worship there, he will lean on my hand while I bow down in the temple of Rimmon. So may the LORD pardon your servant in this one area.”
¹⁹ “Go in peace,” he said. So Naaman left.
After Naaman had gone only a short distance, ²⁰ Gehazi, the attendant to Elisha, the man of God, told himself, “Look how my master has spared this Aramean, Naaman! He declined to take from him what he brought. As the LORD lives, I’m going to run after him and get something from him.” ²¹ So Gehazi ran after Naaman.
When Naaman noticed someone running after him, he came down from his chariot, greeted him and asked, “Is everything all right?”
²² Gehazi said, “Everything’s all right. My master sent me to tell you, ‘Just now two men from the Guild of Prophets have arrived from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them each a talent of silver bullion and two sets of clothes.’”
²³ But Naaman said, “Please accept my invitation to take two talents of silver.” He urged him, binding two talents of silver in two bags, along with two sets of clothes. He placed them in the care of two of his young men, and they went on ahead of Gehazi. ²⁴ When he arrived at the stronghold, Gehazi took the bags from their custody and hid them away in the house. Then he sent the men away and they left.
²⁵ Later he went to address his master. Elisha asked him, “Where did you go, Gehazi?”
“Your servant went nowhere in particular,” he said.
²⁶ But Elisha responded, “Didn’t my heart break as the man was turning from his chariot to greet you? Is now the time to receive money? To receive clothes? And olive groves, vineyards, sheep, oxen, servants, or female attendants? ²⁷ Naaman’s leprosy will plague you and your descendants forever!” As he left Elisha’s presence, he was infected with leprosy that looked like white snow.

³ The Arameans FleeNow there happened to be four lepers who were at that very moment at the entrance to the city gate. As they were talking with one another, they said, “Why are we sitting here waiting to die?

⁵ The LORD struck the king so that he was afflicted with leprosy until the day he died. He lived in a separate house while his son Jotham managed the household and ruled the people who lived in the land.

¹³ Solomon had a bronze platform constructed five cubits square and three cubits high. He had it erected in the middle of the courtyard, and stood on it. Then he knelt down on his knees in front of the entire congregation of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven,

² Suddenly, a leper came up to him, fell down before him, and said, “Sir, if you want to, you can make me clean.”
³ So Jesus reached out his hand, touched him, and said, “I do want to. Be clean!” And instantly his leprosy was made clean. ⁴ Then Jesus told him, “See to it that you don’t speak to anyone. Instead, go and show yourself to the priest, and then offer the sacrifice that Moses commanded as proof to the authorities.”

⁵ the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the destitute hear the good news.

¹⁴ Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon
As they approached the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, knelt down in front of him,

²² The spirit has often thrown him into fire and into water to destroy him. But if you are able to do anything, have pity on us and help us!”
²³ Jesus told him, “‘If you are able?’ Everything is possible for the person who believes!”

¹⁷ A Rich Man Comes to Jesus
As Jesus was setting out again, a man ran up to him, knelt down in front of him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

¹² Jesus Cleanses a Leper
One day, while Jesus was in one of the cities, a man covered with leprosy saw Jesus and fell on his face, begging him, “Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean.”
¹³ So Jesus reached out his hand and touched him, saying, “I do want to. Be clean!” Instantly the leprosy left him. ¹⁴ Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone. Instead, go and show yourself to the priest and make an offering for your cleansing, just as Moses commanded, as proof to the authorities.”

¹² As he was going into a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance ¹³ and shouted, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
¹⁴ When Jesus saw them, he told them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” While they were going, they were made clean. ¹⁵ But one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, came back and praised God with a loud voice. ¹⁶ He fell on his face at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. Now that man was a Samaritan.
¹⁷ Jesus asked, “Ten men were made clean, weren’t they? Where are the other nine? ¹⁸ Except for this foreigner, were any of them found to return and give praise to God?” ¹⁹ Then he told the man, “Get up, and go home! Your faith has made you well.”

⁴¹ Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and began to pray,

⁶⁰ Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, don’t hold this sin against them!” After he had said this, he died.

¹⁴ To Know the Messiah’s LoveThis is the reason I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah,

³ God said, “Let there be light!” So there was light.

⁹ because he spoke and it came to be, because he commanded, it stood firm.

³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he was deeply moved with compassion for them, because they were troubled and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

³⁹ Then he got up, rebuked the wind, and told the sea, “Calm down! Be still!” Then the wind stopped blowing, and there was a great calm.

³⁴ When he got out of the boat, he saw a large crowd. He had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things.

¹² As he approached the entrance to the city, a man who had died was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was with her.
¹³ When the Lord saw her, he felt compassion for her. He told her, “You can stop crying.”

³ He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact likeness of his being, and he holds everything together by his powerful word. After he had provided a cleansing from sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Highest Majesty

¹⁷ thereby becoming like his brothers in every way, so that he could be a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God and could atone for the people’s sins.

²⁸ Then Jesus answered her, “Lady, your faith is great! What you want is granted.” That very hour her daughter was healed.

³¹ He went up to her, took her by the hand, and helped her up. The fever left her, and she began serving them.

²⁹ Her bleeding stopped at once, and she felt in her body that she was healed from her illness.

⁵⁰ Jesus told him, “Go home. Your son will live.” The man believed what Jesus told him and started back home.
⁵¹ While he was on his way, his servants met him and told him that his child was alive. ⁵² So he asked them at what hour he had begun to recover, and they told him, “The fever left him yesterday at one o’clock in the afternoon.”
⁵³ Then the father realized that this was the very hour when Jesus had told him, “Your son will live.” So he himself believed, along with his whole family.

³ You are already clean because of what I’ve spoken to you.

³⁰ And their eyes were opened. Then Jesus sternly told them, “See to it that nobody knows about this.”

⁴³ But Jesus strictly ordered them not to let anyone know about this. He also told them to give her something to eat.

³⁶ Jesus ordered the people not to tell anyone, but the more he kept ordering them, the more they kept spreading the news.

⁵⁶ Her parents were amazed, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.

¹ Purification RequirementsThe LORD told Moses, ² “This is the law concerning those who have infectious skin diseases, after they have been cleansed: ³ The priest is to go outside the camp and examine the infectious skin disease to confirm that the person has been healed. ⁴ If he has been healed, then the priest is to command that two live and clean birds, some cedar wood, some crimson thread, and hyssop be brought for the one cleansed. ⁵ Then the priest is to command that one bird be slaughtered on an earthen vessel over flowing water. ⁶ He is to take the live bird, the cedar wood, the crimson thread, and the hyssop, and dip them together in the blood of the bird that had been slaughtered over the flowing water. ⁷ He is to sprinkle the blood seven times on the person with the infectious skin disease and then pronounce him clean. Then he is to release the live bird into the open fields. ⁸ The person who is clean is to wash his clothes, shave all his hair, and bathe in water, after which he is to be declared clean. Then he can be brought back to the camp, but he is to remain outside his tent for seven days. ⁹ On the seventh day, he is to shave the hair on his head, chin, back, and eyebrows. After he has shaved all his hair, washed his clothes, and bathed himself with water, then he will be clean.”
¹⁰ Reconsecration after Infections“On the eighth day, he is to take two lambs without defect, a one year old ewe lamb without defect, one third of a measure of fine flour mixed with olive oil for a meal offering, and one log of oil. ¹¹ The priest who will pronounce him clean is to present the person to be cleansed and these offerings in the LORD’s presence at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. ¹² The priest is to take one of the lambs and present it as a guilt offering, along with one log of olive oil, which he is to wave as a raised offering in the LORD’s presence. ¹³ Then he is to slaughter the lamb in the place where he slaughtered the sin and burnt offerings—that is, at a place in the sanctuary. Just as the sin offering is for the priest, so also is the guilt offering. It’s a most holy thing.
¹⁴ “Then the priest is to take some of the blood from the guilt offering and place it on the right earlobe of the person to be cleansed, on his right thumb, and on his right great toe. ¹⁵ Then the priest is to take some of the log of olive oil and pour it into his own left hand. ¹⁶ The priest is to dip his right finger in the olive oil that is in his left palm and sprinkle some of the olive oil with his finger seven times in the LORD’s presence.
¹⁷ “As to the remainder of the olive oil in his palm, he is to place some on the right earlobe of the person to be cleansed, on his right thumb, on his right great toe, and on the blood of the guilt offering. ¹⁸ Then he is to place the rest of the oil in his palm on the head of the person to be cleansed, thus making atonement for him in the LORD’s presence. ¹⁹ This is how the priest is to present the sin offering to make atonement for the person being cleansed of his impurity. After this, he is to slaughter the whole burnt offering. ²⁰ The priest is to offer both the whole burnt and the grain offerings on the altar. After the priest makes atonement for him, he will be clean.”
²¹ Alternate Offerings“If the offeror is poor and cannot afford the regular offering, then he is to take one lamb for a guilt offering that will be presented in the form of a wave offering to atone for him, one tenth of a measure of fine flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering, one log of olive oil, ²² and two turtledoves or two young pigeons, whichever he can afford. One is for a sin offering and the other is for a whole burnt offering.
²³ “On the eighth day, he is to bring them for cleansing to the priest in the LORD’s presence at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. ²⁴ The priest is to take the lamb for a guilt offering and the olive oil and wave them as a raised offering in the LORD’s presence. ²⁵ Then he is to take the lamb for the guilt offering and place some blood from the guilt offering on the right earlobe of the person to be cleansed, on his right thumb, and on his right great toe. ²⁶ Then the priest is to pour olive oil into his left palm ²⁷ and use his right finger to sprinkle oil from his left palm seven times in the LORD’s presence. ²⁸ The priest is to place oil from his palm on the right earlobe of the person being cleansed, on his right thumb, on his right great toe, and where the blood for the guilt offering is poured.
²⁹ “As to the remainder of the oil in his palm, the priest is to use it to anoint the head of the person to be cleansed, in order to make atonement for him in the LORD’s presence. ³⁰ Then he is to offer one of the turtledoves or the young pigeons, whichever he can afford. ³¹ Based on what he can afford, one is for a sin offering and the other is for a whole burnt offering. Along with the grain offering, the priest is to make atonement for the person to be cleansed in the LORD’s presence. ³² This is the regulation concerning one who has an infectious skin disease but who cannot afford his cleansing.”

⁴ Then Jesus told him, “See to it that you don’t speak to anyone. Instead, go and show yourself to the priest, and then offer the sacrifice that Moses commanded as proof to the authorities.”

² “The scribes and the Pharisees administer the authority of Moses, ³ So do whatever they tell you and follow it, but stop doing what they do, because they don’t do what they say.

¹⁴ Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone. Instead, go and show yourself to the priest and make an offering for your cleansing, just as Moses commanded, as proof to the authorities.”

¹⁴ When Jesus saw them, he told them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” While they were going, they were made clean.

⁴ For everything that was written long ago was written to instruct us, so that we might have hope through the endurance and encouragement that the Scriptures give us.

¹¹ These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down as a warning for us in whom the culmination of the ages has been attained.

¹¹ I will remember the LORD’S deeds; indeed, I will remember your awesome deeds from long ago.

¹⁵ So the soldiers took the money, did as they were instructed, and this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.

¹ Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man
Several days later, Jesus returned to Capernaum and it was reported that he was at home. ² Such a large crowd gathered that there wasn’t room for them, even in front of the door. Jesus was speaking his message to them

¹³ Jesus Calls Matthew
Jesus went out again beside the sea. The whole crowd kept coming to him, and he kept teaching them.

⁷ Jesus Encounters a Large CrowdSo Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea. A large crowd from Galilee, Judea,

¹⁵ But the news about Jesus spread even more, and many crowds began gathering to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. ¹⁶ However, he continued his habit of retiring to deserted places and praying.
¹⁷ Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man
One day, as Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of the Law happened to be sitting nearby. The people had come from every village in Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was present to heal them.

² A large crowd kept following him because they had seen the signs that he was performing by healing the sick.

¹⁰ Guard What is TrueFor there are many people who are rebellious, especially those who are converts from Judaism. They speak utter nonsense and deceive people.