Mark 13

Things to Come

1 As He was going out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, beholdwhat wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!”

2 And Jesus said to him,”Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down.”

3 As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew were questioning Him privately,

4 “Tell us, when will these things be, and whatwill bethe sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?”

5 And Jesus began to say to them,”See to it that no one misleads you.

6 Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I amHe!’and will mislead many.

7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be frightened;those thingsmust take place; butthat isnot yet the end.

8 For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there willalsobe famines. These things aremerelythe beginning of birth pangs.

9 “But be on your guard; for they will deliver you tothecourts, and you will be flogged inthesynagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them.

10 The gospel must first be preached to all the nations.

11 When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, butit isthe Holy Spirit.

12 Brother will betray brother to death, and a fatherhischild; and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.

13 You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.

14 “But when you see theabomination of desolationstanding where it should not be(let the reader understand),then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.

15 The one who is on the housetop must not go down, or go in to get anything out of his house;

16 and the one who is in the field must not turn back to get his coat.

17 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!

18 But pray that it may not happen in the winter.

19 For those days will be atime oftribulation such as has not occurred since the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will.

20 Unless the Lord had shortenedthosedays, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days.

21 And then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ’; or, ‘Behold,He isthere’; do not believehim;

22 for false Christs and false prophets will arise, and will show signs and wonders, in order to lead astray, if possible, the elect.

23 But take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance.

The Return of Christ

24 “But in those days, after that tribulation,the sun will be darkenedand the moon will not give its light,

25 and the stars will be fallingfrom heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken.

26 Then they will seetheSon ofMancoming in cloudswith great power and glory.

27 And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven.

28 “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near.

29 Even so, you too, when you see these things happening, recognize that He is near,rightat the door.

30 Truly I say to you, thisgeneration will not pass away until all these things take place.

31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

32 But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Fatheralone.

33 “Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when theappointedtime will come.

34 It islike a man away on a journey,whoupon leaving his house and putting his slaves in charge,assigningto each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay on the alert.

35 Therefore, be on the alert-for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning-

36 in case he should come suddenly and find you asleep.

37 What I say to you I say to all, ‘Be on the alert!'”

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/MRK/13-15507cc925ac70e15af6467518abdb1d.mp3?version_id=100—

Mark 14

Death Plot and Anointing

1 Now the Passover and Unleavened Bread were two days away; and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to seize Him by stealth and killHim;

2 for they were saying, “Not during the festival, otherwise there might be a riot of the people.”

3 While He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and recliningat the table,there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard;andshe broke the vial and poured it over His head.

4 But some were indignantlyremarkingto one another, “Why has this perfume been wasted?

5 For this perfume might have been sold for over three hundreddenarii, andthe moneygiven to the poor.” And they were scolding her.

6 But Jesus said,”Let her alone; why do you bother her? She has done a good deed to Me.

7 For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me.

8 She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial.

9 Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.”

10 Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went off to the chief priests in order to betray Him to them.

11 They were glad when they heardthis,and promised to give him money. And hebeganseeking how to betray Him at an opportune time.

The Last Passover

12 On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passoverlambwas being sacrificed, His disciples said to Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare for You to eat the Passover?”

13 And He sent two of His disciples and said to them,”Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him;

14 and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is My guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”‘

15 And he himself will show you a large upper room furnishedandready; prepare for us there.”

16 The disciples went out and came to the city, and founditjust as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover.

17 When it was evening He came with the twelve.

18 As they were recliningat the tableand eating, Jesus said,”Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me-one who is eating with Me.”

19 They began to be grieved and to say to Him one by one, “Surely not I?”

20 And He said to them,”It isone of the twelve, one who dips with Me in the bowl.

21 For the Son of Manis togo just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!It would have beengood for that man if he had not been born.”

The Lord’s Supper

22 While they were eating, He tooksomebread, and after a blessing He brokeit,and gaveitto them, and said,”Takeit;this is My body.”

23 And when He had taken a cupandgiven thanks, He gaveitto them, and they all drank from it.

24 And He said to them,”This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.

25 Truly I say to you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

26 After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

27 And Jesus said to them,”You will all fall away, because it is written, ‘Iwill strike down the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.’

28 But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”

29 But Peter said to Him, “Eventhough all may fall away, yet I will not.”

30 And Jesus said to him,”Truly I say to you, that this very night, before a rooster crows twice, you yourself will deny Me three times.”

31 ButPeterkept saying insistently, “Evenif I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And they all were saying the same thing also.

Jesus in Gethsemane

32 They came to a place named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples,”Sit here until I have prayed.”

33 And He took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be very distressed and troubled.

34 And He said to them,”My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch.”

35 And He went a little beyondthem,and fell to the ground andbeganto pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by.

36 And He was saying,”Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.”

37 And He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter,”Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour?

38 Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

39 Again He went away and prayed, saying the same words.

40 And again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him.

41 And He came the third time, and said to them,”Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough; the hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.

42 Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!”

Betrayal and Arrest

43 Immediately while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, came up accompanied by a crowd with swords and clubs,who werefrom the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.

44 Now he who was betraying Him had given them a signal, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him and lead Him away under guard.”

45 After coming, Judas immediately went to Him, saying, “Rabbi!” and kissed Him.

46 They laid hands on Him and seized Him.

47 But one of those who stood by drew his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear.

48 And Jesus said to them,”Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me, asyou wouldagainst a robber?

49 Every day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me; butthis has taken placeto fulfill the Scriptures.”

50 And they all left Him and fled.

51 A young man was following Him, wearingnothing buta linen sheet overhisnakedbody;and they seized him.

52 But he pulled free of the linen sheet and escaped naked.

Jesus before His Accusers

53 They led Jesus away to the high priest; and all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes gathered together.

54 Peter had followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest; and he was sitting with the officers and warming himself at the fire.

55 Now the chief priests and the wholeCouncil kept trying to obtain testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, and they were not finding any.

56 For many were giving false testimony against Him, but their testimony was not consistent.

57 Some stood up andbeganto give false testimony against Him, saying,

58 “We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.'”

59 Not even in this respect was their testimony consistent.

60 The high priest stood upand cameforward and questioned Jesus, saying, “Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?”

61 But He kept silent and did not answer. Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the BlessedOne?”

62 And Jesus said,”I am; and you shall seetheSon ofMan sitting at the right hand ofPower, andcoming with the clouds of heaven.”

63 Tearing his clothes, the high priest said, “What further need do we have of witnesses?

64 You have heard the blasphemy; how does it seem to you?” And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.

65 Some began to spit at Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him with their fists, and to say to Him, “Prophesy!” And the officers received Him with slapsin the face.

Peter’s Denials

66 As Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the high priest came,

67 and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Nazarene.”

68 But he deniedit,saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are talking about.” And he went out onto the porch.

69 The servant-girl saw him, and began once more to say to the bystanders, “This isoneof them!”

70 But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders were again saying to Peter, “Surely you areoneof them, for you are a Galilean too.”

71 But he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this man you are talking about!”

72 Immediately a rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had made the remark to him,”Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”And he began to weep.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/MRK/14-2ee4a928554a0b20933be5e3d0d072fe.mp3?version_id=100—

Mark 15

Jesus before Pilate

1 Early in the morning the chief priests with the elders and scribes and the wholeCouncil, immediately held a consultation; and binding Jesus, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate.

2 Pilate questioned Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And He answered him,”It is asyou say.”

3 The chief priestsbeganto accuse Him harshly.

4 Then Pilate questioned Him again, saying, “Do You not answer? See how many charges they bring against You!”

5 But Jesus made no further answer; so Pilate was amazed.

6 Now atthefeast he used to release for themanyone prisoner whom they requested.

7 The man named Barabbas had been imprisoned with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the insurrection.

8 The crowd went up and began asking himto doas he had been accustomed to do for them.

9 Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?”

10 For he was aware that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.

11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowdto askhim to release Barabbas for them instead.

12 Answering again, Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?”

13 They shouted back, “Crucify Him!”

14 But Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify Him!”

15 Wishing to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas for them, and after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.

Jesus Is Mocked

16 The soldiers took Him away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium), and they called together the wholeRomancohort.

17 They dressed Him up in purple, and after twisting a crown of thorns, they put it on Him;

18 and they began to acclaim Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!”

19 They kept beating His head with areed, and spitting on Him, and kneeling and bowing before Him.

20 After they had mocked Him, they took the purple robe off Him and put Hisowngarments on Him. And they led Him out to crucify Him.

21 They pressed into service a passer-by coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexander and Rufus), to bear His cross.

The Crucifixion

22 Then they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull.

23 They tried to give Him wine mixed with myrrh; but He did not take it.

24 And they crucified Him, and divided up His garments among themselves, casting lots for themto decidewhat each man should take.

25 It was thethird hour when they crucified Him.

26 The inscription of the charge against Him read, “THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

27 They crucified two robbers with Him, one on His right and one on His left.

28 [And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And He was numbered with transgressors.”]

29 Those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads, and saying, “Ha! You whoare going todestroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,

30 save Yourself, and come down from the cross!”

31 In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes, were mockingHimamong themselves and saying, “He saved others; He cannot save Himself.

32 LetthisChrist, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, so that we may see and believe!” Those who were crucified with Him were also insulting Him.

33 When thesixth hour came, darkness fell over the whole land until theninth hour.

34 At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice,”Eloi, Eloi,lama sabachthani?”which is translated,”MyGod, MyGod,why haveYou forsakenMe?”

35 When some of the bystanders heard it, theybegansaying, “Behold, He is calling for Elijah.”

36 Someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink, saying, “Let us see whether Elijah will come to take Him down.”

37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed His last.

38 And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

39 When the centurion, who was standing right in front of Him, saw the way He breathed His last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

40 There were alsosomewomen looking on from a distance, among whomwereMary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses, and Salome.

41 When He was in Galilee, they used to follow Him and minister to Him; andthere weremany other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.

Jesus Is Buried

42 When evening had already come, because it was the preparation day, that is, the day before the Sabbath,

43 Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God; and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus.

44 Pilate wondered if He was dead by this time, and summoning the centurion, he questioned him as to whether He was already dead.

45 And ascertaining this from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph.

46 Joseph bought a linen cloth, took Him down, wrapped Him in the linen cloth and laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.

47 Mary Magdalene and Mary themotherof Joses were looking onto seewhere He was laid.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/MRK/15-639a784afbfdc2dc6eb1846601465f49.mp3?version_id=100—

Mark 16

The Resurrection

1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary themotherof James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might come and anoint Him.

2 Very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.

3 They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?”

4 Looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large.

5 Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed.

6 And he said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold,here isthe place where they laid Him.

7 But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.'”

8 They went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had gripped them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

9 [Now after He had risen early on the first day of the week, He first appeared to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons.

10 She went and reported to those who had been with Him, while they were mourning and weeping.

11 When they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they refused to believe it.

12 After that, He appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking along on their way to the country.

13 They went away and reported it to the others, but they did not believe them either.

The Disciples Commissioned

14 Afterward He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were recliningat the table;and He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen.

15 And He said to them,”Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

16 He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.

17 These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues;

18 they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadlypoison,it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

19 So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.

20 And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.]

# [And they promptly reported all these instructions to Peter and his companions. And after that, Jesus Himself sent out through them from east to west the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation.]

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/MRK/16-960366139601aa6c1d8532db0584d6f7.mp3?version_id=100—

Matthew 1

The Genealogy of Jesus the Messiah

1 The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham:

2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father ofJudah and his brothers.

3 Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez was the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram.

4 Ram was the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon.

5 Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse.

6 Jesse was the father of David the king.

# David was the father of Solomon byBathsheba who had been the wife of Uriah.

7 Solomon was the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asa.

8 Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah.

9 Uzziah was the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.

10 Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, and Amon the father of Josiah.

11 Josiah became the father of Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

12 After the deportation to Babylon: Jeconiah became the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel.

13 Zerubbabel was the father of Abihud, Abihud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor.

14 Azor was the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud.

15 Eliud was the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob.

16 Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.

17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations.

Conception and Birth of Jesus

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.

19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, plannedto send her away secretly.

20 But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has beenconceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

21 She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

23 “Behold,the virgin shall be withchild and shall bear aSon,and they shall callHis nameImmanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.”

24 And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and tookMaryas his wife,

25 but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/MAT/1-47707aa4329813735751095f30854540.mp3?version_id=100—

Matthew 2

The Visit of the Magi

1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king,magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,

2 “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”

3 When Herod the king heardthis,he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

4 Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.

5 They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet:

6 ‘And you, Bethlehem,land ofJudah,

Are by no means least among the leaders ofJudah;

For out of you shall come forth aRuler

Who willshepherdMy peopleIsrael.'”

7 Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared.

8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have foundHim,report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.”

9 After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood overthe placewhere the Child was.

10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.

11 After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

12 And having been warnedby Godin a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.

The Flight to Egypt

13 Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him.”

14 So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt.

15 He remained there until the death of Herod.This wasto fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Out ofEgyptIcalledMySon.”

Herod Slaughters Babies

16 Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi.

17 Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:

18 “Avoice was heard inRamah,

Weeping and great mourning,

Rachel weeping for her children;

And she refused to be comforted,

Because they were no more.”

19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said,

20 “Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.”

21 So Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.

22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Then after being warnedby Godin a dream, he left for the regions of Galilee,

23 and came and lived in a city called Nazareth.This wasto fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/MAT/2-a6844a9eb7fcb3207b4b30be710015c7.mp3?version_id=100—

Matthew 3

The Preaching of John the Baptist

1 Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying,

2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

3 For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said,

“The voice of onecrying in the wilderness,

‘Make ready the way of theLord,

MakeHis paths straight!'”

4 Now John himself had a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.

5 Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the district around the Jordan;

6 and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

8 Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance;

9 and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.

10 The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

11 “As for me, I baptize youwith water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

12 His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

The Baptism of Jesus

13 Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordancomingto John, to be baptized by him.

14 But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?”

15 But Jesus answering said to him,”Permititat this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”Then he permitted Him.

16 After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a doveandlighting on Him,

17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This isMy beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/MAT/3-47c04119db4a25cfdf5f8c26a42b5912.mp3?version_id=100—

Matthew 4

The Temptation of Jesus

1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

2 And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, Hethen became hungry.

3 And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

4 But He answered and said,”It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone,but on every wordthat proceeds out of the mouth ofGod.'”

5 Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple,

6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written,

‘He will commandHis angels concerningYou’;

and ‘Ontheirhands they will bearYou up, So thatYou will not strikeYour foot against a stone.'”

7 Jesus said to him,”On the other hand, it is written, ‘You shall not put theLord yourGod to the test.'”

8 Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory;

9 and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.”

10 Then Jesus said to him,”Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship theLord yourGod,andserveHim only.'”

11 Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came andbeganto minister to Him.

Jesus Begins His Ministry

12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee;

13 and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali.

14 This wasto fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet:

15 “The land ofZebulun and the land ofNaphtali,

# By the way of the sea,beyond theJordan,Galilee of theGentiles-

16 “The people who were sitting in darknesssaw a greatLight,

And those who were sitting in the land and shadow of death,

Upon them aLight dawned.”

17 From that time Jesus began to preach and say,”Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

The First Disciples

18 Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.

19 And He said to them,”Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

20 Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.

21 Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James thesonof Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them.

22 Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

Ministry in Galilee

23 Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.

24 The news about Him spread throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them.

25 Large crowds followed Him from Galilee andtheDecapolis and Jerusalem and Judea andfrombeyond the Jordan.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/MAT/4-39a8b367b0788aad79d3714b58d6d3ed.mp3?version_id=100—

Matthew 5

The Sermon on the Mount; The Beatitudes

1 When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him.

2 He opened His mouth andbeganto teach them, saying,

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5 “Blessed are thegentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you whenpeopleinsult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.

12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Disciples and the World

13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made saltyagain?It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;

15 nor doesanyonelight a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.

18 For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

19 Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches othersto dothe same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teachesthem,he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

20 “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpassesthatof the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Personal Relationships

21 “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall beliable to the court.’

22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty beforethe supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guiltyenough to gointo thefiery hell.

23 Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,

24 leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.

25 Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.

26 Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the lastcent.

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Youshall not commit adultery’;

28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

29 If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

30 If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.

31 “It was said, ‘Whoeversends his wife away, let him give her a certificate of divorce’;

32 but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except forthereason of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

33 “Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall notmake false vows,but shall fulfill yourvows to theLord.’

34 But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God,

35 or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it isthe city of thegreatKing.

36 Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.

37 But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’or’No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil.

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye,and a tooth for a tooth.’

39 But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.

40 If anyone wants to sue you and take yourshirt, let him have yourcoat also.

41 Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two.

42 Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Youshall love your neighborand hate your enemy.’

44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise ontheevil andthegood, and sends rain ontherighteous andtheunrighteous.

46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

47 If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doingthan others?Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

48 Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/MAT/5-a201e1c6abdedff37946b95d6780d4b6.mp3?version_id=100—

Matthew 6

Giving to the Poor and Prayer

1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.

2 “So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.

3 But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

4 so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who seeswhat is donein secret will reward you.

5 “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.

6 But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who seeswhat is donein secret will reward you.

7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.

8 So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

9 “Pray, then, in this way:’Our Father who is in heaven,Hallowed be Your name.

10 ‘Your kingdom come.

Your will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven.

11 ‘Give us this day our daily bread.

12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.[For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’]

14 For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

15 But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

Fasting; The True Treasure; Wealth (Mammon)

16 “Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocritesdo,for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.

17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face

18 so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who seeswhat is donein secret will reward you.

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;

21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.

23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God andwealth.

The Cure for Anxiety

25 “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life,as towhat you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body,as towhat you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

26 Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, andyetyour heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?

27 And who of you by being worried can add asinglehour to his life?

28 And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,

29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.

30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which isalivetoday and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace,will Henot much moreclotheyou? You of little faith!

31 Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’

32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/MAT/6-3901f517c1bdaa14ccb73a5051cadf0e.mp3?version_id=100—