Jesus Cleanses a Leper

8 When he came down from the mountain, ^dgreat crowds followed him. 2 ^eAnd behold, a leper¹ came to him and ^fknelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” 3 And Jesus² stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 And Jesus said to him, ^g“See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, ^hshow yourself to the priest and ⁱoffer the gift that Moses commanded, ^jfor a proof to them.”

The Faith of a Centurion

5 ^kWhen he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, 6 “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” 7 And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8 But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but ^lonly say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant,³ ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10 When Jesus heard this, ^mhe marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with ⁿno one in Israel⁴ have I found such faith. 11 I tell you, ^omany will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, 12 ^pwhile the sons of the kingdom ^qwill be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place ^rthere will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you ^sas you have believed.” ^tAnd the servant was healed at that very moment.

Jesus Heals Many

14 ^uAnd when Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw ^vhis mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. 15 He ^wtouched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him. 16 That evening they brought to him many who were ^xoppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits ^ywith a word and healed all who were sick. 17 ^zThis was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: ^a“He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”

The Cost of Following Jesus

18 Now ^bwhen Jesus saw a crowd around him, ^che gave orders to go over to the other side. 19 ^dAnd a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 21 Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 22 And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave ^ethe dead to bury their own dead.”

Jesus Calms a Storm

23 ^fAnd when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but ^ghe was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him, saying, ^h“Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” 26 And he said to them, “Why are you ⁱafraid, ^jO you of little faith?” Then he rose and ^krebuked the winds and the sea, and ^lthere was a great calm. 27 And the men ^mmarveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even ⁿwinds and sea obey him?”

Jesus Heals Two Men with Demons

28 ^oAnd when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes,⁵ two ^pdemon-possessed⁶ men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. 29 And behold, they ^qcried out, “What have you to do with us, ^rO Son of God? Have you come here to torment us ^sbefore the time?” 30 Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. 31 And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.” 32 And he said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. 33 The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the ^tdemon-possessed men. 34 And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, ^uthey begged him to leave their region.

Jesus Heals a Paralytic

9 And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to ^vhis own city. 2 ^wAnd behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus ^xsaw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ^y“Take heart, my son; ^zyour sins are forgiven.” 3 And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, ^a“This man is blaspheming.” 4 But Jesus, ^bknowing¹ their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” 7 And he rose and went home. 8 When the crowds saw it, ^cthey were afraid, and ^cthey glorified God, who had ^dgiven such authority to men.

Jesus Calls Matthew

9 ^eAs Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called ^fMatthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

10 And as Jesus² reclined at table in the house, behold, many ^gtax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ^h“Why does your teacher eat with ^gtax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn ⁱwhat this means: ^j‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For ^kI came not to call the righteous, ^lbut sinners.”

A Question About Fasting

14 Then ^mthe disciples of John came to him, saying, ⁿ“Why do we and ^othe Pharisees fast,³ but your disciples do not fast?” 15 And Jesus said to them, ^p“Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? ^qThe days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and ^rthen they will fast. 16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. 17 Neither is new wine put into old ^swineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”

A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed

18 ^tWhile he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and ^uknelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” 19 And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples. 20 And behold, a woman ^vwho had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched ^wthe fringe of his garment, 21 for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.” 22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, ^x“Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” ^yAnd instantly⁴ the woman was made well. 23 And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw ^zthe flute players and the crowd making a commotion, 24 he said, “Go away, for ^athe girl is not dead but ^bsleeping.” And they laughed at him. 25 But ^cwhen the crowd had been put outside, he went in and ^dtook her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26 And the report of this went through all that district.

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men

27 ^eAnd as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, ^fSon of David.” 28 When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” 29 ^gThen he touched their eyes, saying, ^h“According to your faith be it done to you.” 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, ⁱ“See that no one knows about it.” 31 ^jBut they went away and spread his fame through all that district.

Jesus Heals a Man Unable to Speak

32 As they were going away, behold, a ^kdemon-oppressed man who was mute ^lwas brought to him. 33 And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds ^mmarveled, saying, “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.” 34 But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.”

The Harvest Is Plentiful, the Laborers Few

35 ⁿAnd Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 ^oWhen he saw the crowds, ^phe had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, ^qlike sheep without a shepherd. 37 ^rThen he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore ^spray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to ^tsend out laborers into his harvest.”

The Twelve Apostles

10 ^uAnd he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. 2 ^vThe names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, ^wwho is called Peter, and ^xAndrew his brother; ^xJames the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and ^yMatthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;¹ 4 Simon the Zealot,² and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles

5 ^uThese twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of ^zthe Samaritans, 6 ^abut go rather to ^bthe lost sheep of ^cthe house of Israel. 7 And proclaim as you go, saying, ^d‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’³ 8 ^eHeal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers,⁴ cast out demons. ^fYou received without paying; give without pay. 9 ^gAcquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, 10 no bag for your journey, or two tunics⁵ or sandals or a staff, for ^hthe laborer deserves his food. 11 And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. 12 As you enter the house, ⁱgreet it. 13 And if the house is ^jworthy, let ⁱyour peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let ⁱyour peace return to you. 14 And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, ^lshake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. 15 Truly, I say to you, ^mit will be more bearable on the day of judgment for ⁿthe land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.

Persecution Will Come

16 ^o“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be ^pwise as serpents and ^qinnocent as doves. 17 Beware of men, for ^rthey will deliver you over to courts and flog you ^sin their synagogues, 18 ^rand you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, ^tto bear witness before them and the Gentiles. 19 ^rWhen ^uthey deliver you over, ^vdo not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for ^wwhat you are to say will be given to you in that hour. 20 ^xFor it is not you who speak, but ^ythe Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 ^zBrother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, 22 ^aand you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. ^bBut the one who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When they ^cpersecute you in one town, ^dflee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel ^ebefore the Son of Man comes.

24 ^f“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant⁶ above his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. ^gIf they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign⁷ those of his household.

Have No Fear

26 “So have no fear of them, ⁱfor nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on ^jthe housetops. 28 And ^kdo not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him ^lwho can destroy both soul and body in hell.⁸ 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?⁹ And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But ^meven the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; ⁿyou are of more value than many sparrows. 32 ^oSo everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but ^pwhoever denies me before men, ^qI also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

Not Peace, but a Sword

34 ^r“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. ^sI have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 ^rFor I have come ^tto set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 ^uAnd a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. 37 ^vWhoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And ^wwhoever does not take his cross and ^xfollow me is not worthy of me. 39 ^yWhoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Rewards

40 ^z“Whoever receives you receives me, and ^awhoever receives me receives him who sent me. 41 ^bThe one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And ^cwhoever gives one of ^dthese little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”

Messengers from John the Baptist

11 When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.

2 ^eNow when John heard ^fin prison about the deeds of ^gthe Christ, he sent word by ^hhis disciples 3 and said to him, “Are you ⁱthe one who is to come, or shall we ^jlook for another?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 ^kthe blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers¹ are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and ^lthe poor have good news preached to them. 6 And blessed is the one who ^mis not offended by me.”

7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out ⁿinto the wilderness to see? ^oA reed shaken by the wind? 8 What then did you go out to see? A man² dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9 What then did you go out to see? ^pA prophet?³ Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is he of whom it is written,

11 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 ^rFrom the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence,⁴ and the violent take it by force. 13 ^rFor all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, 14 and if you are willing to accept it, he is ^sElijah who is to come. 15 ^tHe who has ears to hear,⁵ let him hear.

16 “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates,

18 For John came ^uneither eating ^vnor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came ^weating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, ^xa friend of ^ytax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”⁶

Woe to Unrepentant Cities

20 ^zThen he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. 21 ^a“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in ^bTyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 ^cBut I tell you, it will be more bearable on ^dthe day of judgment for ^bTyre and Sidon than for you. 23 And you, ^eCapernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to ^fHades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 ^cBut I tell you that ^git will be more tolerable on ^dthe day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.”

Come to Me, and I Will Give You Rest

25 ^hAt that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, ⁱLord of heaven and earth, that ^jyou have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and ^krevealed them to little children; 26 yes, Father, for such was your ^lgracious will.⁷ 27 ^mAll things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son ⁿexcept the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone ^oto whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 ^pCome to ^qme, all who labor and are ^rheavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and ^slearn from me, for I am ^tgentle and lowly in heart, and ^uyou will find rest for your souls. 30 For ^vmy yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

12 At that time ^wJesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and ^xthey began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, ^y“Look, your disciples are doing ^zwhat is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” 3 He said to them, ^a“Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate ^bthe bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read ^cin the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? 6 I tell you, ^dsomething greater than the temple is here. 7 And if you had known ^ewhat this means, ^f‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For ^gthe Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

A Man with a Withered Hand

9 He went on from there and ^hentered their synagogue. 10 And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, ⁱ“Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—^jso that they might accuse him. 11 He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, ^kif it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 ^lOf how much more value is a man than a sheep! So ^mit is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And ⁿthe man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.