Study Desk

^(C1)When He had completed all His ^(F1)teaching in the hearing of the people, ^(C2)He went to Capernaum.

Now a centurion's slave, who was highly regarded by him, was sick and about to die.

When he heard about Jesus, ^(C1)he sent some ^(F1)Jewish elders to Him, asking Him to come and save the life of his slave.

When they came to Jesus, they strongly urged Him, saying, "He is worthy for You to grant this to him;

for he loves our nation, and it was he who built us our synagogue."

Now Jesus started on His way with them; but already, when He was not yet far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to Him, "^(F1)Lord, do not trouble Yourself further, for I am not worthy for You to enter under my roof;

for that reason I did not even consider myself worthy to come to You; but just ^(F1)say the word, and my servant ^(F2)shall be healed.

"For I also am a man placed under authority, with soldiers under myself; and I say to this one, 'Go!' and he goes, and to another, 'Come!' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does it."

Now when Jesus heard this, He was amazed at him, and turned and said to the crowd that was following Him, "I say to you, ^(C1)not even in Israel have I found such great faith."

And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

Soon afterward Jesus went to a city called Nain; and His disciples were going along with Him, ^(F1)accompanied by a large crowd.

Now as He approached the gate of the city, ^(F1)a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a sizeable crowd from the city was with her.

When ^(C1)the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her and said to her, "Do not go on weeping."

And He came up and touched the coffin; and the bearers came to a halt. And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise!"

And the dead man sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother.

^(C1)Fear gripped them all, and they began ^(C2)glorifying God, saying, "A great ^(C3)prophet has appeared among us!" and, "God has ^(F1)visited His people!"

^(C1)And this report about Him spread throughout Judea and in all the surrounding region.

^(C1)The disciples of John also reported to him about all these things.

And after summoning ^(F1)two of his disciples, John sent them to ^(C1)the Lord, saying, "Are You the Coming One, or are we to ^(F2)look for another?"

When the men came to Him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to You, ^(F1)to ask, 'Are You the Coming One, or are we to ^(F2)look for another?'"

At that very ^(F1)time He ^(C1)cured many people of diseases and ^(C2)afflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many who were blind.

And He answered and said to them, "Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: people who were ^(C1)blind receive sight, people who limped walk, people with leprosy are cleansed and people who were deaf hear, dead people are raised up, and ^(C2)people who are poor have the gospel preached to them.

"And blessed is ^(F1)anyone who does not take offense at Me."

When the messengers of John had left, He began to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out into the ^(F1)wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

"^(F1)But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who are splendidly clothed and live in luxury are found in royal palaces!

"But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet.

"This is the one about whom it is written: '^(C1)BEHOLD, I AM SENDING MY MESSENGER ^(F1)AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY BEFORE YOU.'

"I say to you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is ^(F1)least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."

When all the people and the tax collectors heard this, they acknowledged ^(C1)God's justice, ^(C2)having been baptized with ^(C3)the baptism of John.

But the Pharisees and the ^(F1)(C1)lawyers rejected God's purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by ^(F2)John.

"To what then shall I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like?

"They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another, and say, 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a song of mourning, and you did not weep.'

"For John the Baptist has come neither ^(C1)eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon!'

"The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man and a ^(F1)heavy drinker, a friend of tax collectors and ^(F2)sinners!'

"And yet wisdom ^(C1)is vindicated by all her children."

Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to eat with him, and He entered the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table.

^(C1)And there was a woman in the city who was a ^(F1)sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume,

and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and she wiped them with the hair of her head, and began kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume.

Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, "If this Man were ^(C1)a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a ^(F1)sinner!"

And Jesus responded and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he ^(F1)replied, "Say it, Teacher."

"A moneylender had two debtors: the one owed five hundred ^(F1)(C1)denarii, and the other, fifty.

"When they ^(C1)were unable to repay, he canceled the debts of both. So which of them will love him more?"

Simon answered and said, "I assume the one for whom he canceled the greater debt." And He said to him, "You have judged correctly."

And turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you ^(C1)gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.

"You ^(F1)(C1)gave Me no kiss; but she has not stopped kissing My feet since the time I came in.

"^(C1)You did not ^(F1)anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume.

"For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but the one who is forgiven little, loves little."

And He said to her, "^(C1)Your sins have been forgiven."

And then those who were reclining at the table with Him began saying ^(F1)to themselves, "^(C1)Who is this Man who even forgives sins?"

And He said to the woman, "^(C1)Your faith has saved you; ^(C2)go in peace."

Soon afterward, ^(F1)Jesus began going around from one city and village to another, ^(C1)proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God. The twelve were with Him,

and also ^(C1)some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: ^(C2)Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,

and Joanna the wife of Chuza, ^(C1)Herod's ^(C2)steward, and Susanna, and many others who were contributing to their support out of their private means.

^(C1)Now when a large crowd was coming together, and those from the various cities were journeying to Him, He spoke by way of a parable:

"The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell beside the road, and it was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the sky ate it up.

"Other seed fell on rocky soil, and when it came up, it withered away because it had no moisture.

"Other seed fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew up with it and choked it out.

"And yet other seed fell into the good soil, and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as much." As He said these things, He would call out, "^(C1)The one who has ears to hear, ^(F1)let him hear."

^(C1)Now His disciples began asking Him what this parable ^(F1)meant.

And He said, "^(C1)To you it has been granted to know the ^(F1)mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest they are told in parables, so that ^(F2)(C2)while seeing they may not see, and ^(F3)while hearing they may not understand.

"Now this is the parable: ^(C1)the seed is the word of God.

"And those beside the road are the ones who have heard, then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved.

"Those on the rocky soil are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and yet these do not have a firm root; ^(F1)they believe for a while, and in a time of temptation they ^(F2)fall away.

"And the seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked by worries, riches, and pleasures of this life, and they bring no fruit to maturity.

"But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word ^(F1)with a good and virtuous heart, and hold it firmly, and produce fruit with ^(F2)perseverance.

"Now ^(C1)no one lights a lamp and covers it over with a container, or puts it under a bed; but he puts it on a lampstand so that those who come in may see the light.

"^(C1)For nothing is concealed that will not become evident, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.

"So take care how you listen; ^(C1)for whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he ^(F1)thinks he has will be taken away from him."

^(C1)Now His mother and brothers came to Him, and they were unable to get to Him because of the crowd.

And it was reported to Him, "Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wishing to see You."

But He answered and said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these ^(C1)who hear the word of God and do it."

^(C1)Now on one of those days ^(F1)Jesus and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, "Let's cross over to the other side of ^(C2)the lake." So they launched out.

But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended on ^(C1)the lake, and they began to be swamped and to be in danger.

They came up to Jesus and woke Him, saying, "^(C1)Master, Master, we are perishing!" And He got up and ^(C2)rebuked the wind and the surging ^(F1)waves, and they stopped, and ^(F2)it became calm.

And He said to them, "Where is your faith?" But they were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, "Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?"

^(C1)Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee.

And when He stepped out onto the land, a man from the city met Him who was possessed with demons; and he had not put on clothing for a long time and was not living in a house, but among the tombs.

And seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell down before Him, and said with a loud voice, "^(F1)(C1)What business do You have with me, Jesus, Son of ^(C2)the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!"

For He had already commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had seized him many times; and he was bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard, and yet he would break the restraints and be driven by the demon into the desert.

And Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" And he said, "^(C1)Legion"; because many demons had entered him.

And they were begging Him not to command them to go away into ^(C1)the abyss.

Now there was a herd of many pigs feeding there on the mountain; and the demons begged Him to permit them to enter ^(F1)the pigs. And He gave them permission.

And the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into ^(C1)the lake and was drowned.

Now when the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran away and reported everything in the city, and in the country.

And the people came out to see what had happened; and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting down ^(C1)at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they became frightened.

Those who had seen everything reported to them how the man who had been ^(C1)demon-possessed had been ^(F1)made well.

And all the ^(F1)people of the territory of the Gerasenes and the surrounding region asked Him to leave them, because they were overwhelmed by great fear; and He got into a boat and returned.

^(C1)But the man from whom the demons had gone out was begging Him that he might ^(F1)accompany Him; but Jesus sent him away, saying,

"Return to your home and describe what great things God has done for you." So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city what great things Jesus had done for him.

^(C1)And as Jesus was returning, the ^(F1)people welcomed Him, for they had all been waiting for Him.

^(C1)And a man named Jairus came, and he was an ^(F1)(C2)official of the synagogue; and he fell at Jesus' feet, and began urging Him to come to his house;

for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying. But as He went, the crowds were pressing against Him.

And a woman who had suffered a chronic flow of blood for twelve years, and could not be healed by anyone,

came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His ^(F1)cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.

And Jesus said, "Who is the one who touched Me?" And while they were all denying it, Peter said, "^(C1)Master, the ^(F1)people are crowding and pressing in on You."

But Jesus said, "Someone did touch Me, for I was aware that ^(C1)power had left Me."

Now when the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came trembling and fell down before Him, and admitted in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed.

And He said to her, "Daughter, ^(C1)your faith has ^(F1)made you well; ^(C2)go in peace."

While He was still speaking, someone ^(*)came from the house of ^(C1)the synagogue official, saying, "Your daughter has died; do not trouble the Teacher anymore."

But when Jesus heard this, He responded to him, "^(C1)Do not be afraid any longer; only believe, and she will be ^(F1)made well."

When He came to the house, He did not allow anyone to enter with Him except Peter, John, and James, and the girl's father and mother.

Now they were all weeping and ^(C1)mourning for her; but He said, "Stop weeping, for she has not died, but ^(C2)is asleep."

And they began laughing at Him, knowing that she had died.

He, however, took her by the hand and spoke ^(F1)forcefully, saying, "Child, arise!"

And her spirit returned, and she got up immediately; and He ordered that something be given her to eat.

Her parents were amazed; but He ^(C1)instructed them to tell no one what had happened.

^(C1)Now He called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all the demons, and the power to heal diseases.

And He sent them out to ^(C1)proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing.

And He said to them, "^(C1)Take nothing for your journey, ^(C2)neither a staff, nor a ^(F1)bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not even have two ^(F2)tunics.

"And whatever house you enter, stay there ^(F1)until you leave that city.

"And as for all who do not receive you, when you leave that city, ^(C1)shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them."

And as they were leaving, they began going ^(F1)throughout the villages, ^(C1)preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

^(C1)Now ^(C2)Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening; and he was greatly perplexed, because it was said by some that ^(C3)John had risen from the dead,

and by some that ^(C1)Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen.

Herod said, "I myself had John beheaded; but who is this Man about whom I hear such things?" And ^(C1)he kept trying to see Him.

^(C1)When the apostles returned, they gave an account to Him of all that they had done. ^(C2)And taking them with Him, He withdrew privately to a city called ^(C3)Bethsaida.

But the crowds were aware of this and followed Him; and He welcomed them and began speaking to them about the kingdom of God, and curing those who had need of healing.

Now the day ^(F1)was ending, and the twelve came up and said to Him, "Dismiss the crowd, so that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside and find lodging and get ^(F2)something to eat; because here, we are in a secluded place."

But He said to them, "You give them something to eat!" But they said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless perhaps we go and buy food for all these people."

(For there were about five thousand men.) But He said to His disciples, "Have them recline to eat ^(C1)in groups of about fifty each."

They did so, and had them all recline.

And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and, looking up to heaven, He blessed them and broke them, and gave them to the disciples again and again, to serve the crowd.

And they all ate and were satisfied; and ^(F1)the broken pieces which they had left over were picked up, twelve ^(C1)baskets full.

^(C1)And it happened that while He was ^(C2)praying alone, the disciples were with Him, and He questioned them, saying, "Who do the ^(F1)people say that I am?"

They answered and said, "John the Baptist, and others say Elijah; but others, that one of the prophets of old has risen."

And He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" And Peter answered and said, "^(C1)The ^(F1)Christ of God."

But He ^(F1)(C1)warned them and instructed them not to tell this to anyone,

^(C1)saying, "^(C2)The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised on the third day."

And He was saying to them all, "^(C1)If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

"For ^(C1)whoever wants to save his ^(F1)life will lose it, but whoever loses his ^(F1)life for My sake, this is the one who will save it.

"For what good does it do a person if he gains the whole world, but ^(C1)loses or forfeits himself?

"^(C1)For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and the glory of the Father and the holy angels.

"But I say to you truthfully, ^(C1)there are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God."

^(C1)About eight days after these sayings, He took along ^(C2)Peter, John, and James, and ^(C3)went up on the mountain ^(C4)to pray.

And while He was ^(C1)praying, the appearance of His face ^(C2)became different, and His clothing became white and ^(F1)gleaming.

And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah,

who, appearing in ^(F1)glory, were speaking of His ^(C1)departure, which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

Now Peter and his companions ^(C1)had been overcome with sleep; but when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who were standing with Him.

And as ^(F1)these two men were leaving Him, Peter said to Jesus, "^(C1)Master, it is good that we are here; and ^(C2)let's make three ^(F2)tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah"—^(C3)not realizing what he was saying.

But while he was saying this, a cloud ^(F1)formed and began to overshadow them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.

And then ^(C1)a voice came from the cloud, saying, "^(C2)This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!"

And when the voice ^(F1)had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And ^(C1)they kept silent, and reported to no one in those days any of the things which they had seen.

^(C1)On the next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met Him.

And a man from the crowd shouted, saying, "Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, because he is my only son,

and a spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams, and it throws him into a convulsion with foaming at the mouth; and only with difficulty does it leave him, mauling him as it leaves.

"And I begged Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not."

And Jesus answered and said, "You unbelieving and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here."

Now while he was still approaching, the demon slammed him to the ground and threw him into a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy and gave him back to his father.

And they were all amazed at the ^(F1)(C1)greatness of God. ^(C2)But while everyone was astonished at all that He was doing, He said to His disciples,

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"As for you, let these words sink into your ears: ^(C1)for the Son of Man is going to be ^(F1)handed over to men."

But ^(C1)they ^(F1)did not understand this statement, and it was concealed from them so that they would not comprehend it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this statement.

^(C1)Now an argument ^(F1)started among them as to which of them might be the greatest.

But Jesus, ^(C1)knowing ^(F1)what they were thinking in their hearts, took a child and had him stand by His side,

and He said to them, "^(C1)Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; ^(C2)for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great."

^(C1)John answered and said, "^(C2)Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name; and we tried to prevent him, because he does not follow along with us."

But Jesus said to him, "Do not hinder him; ^(C1)for the one who is not against you is ^(F1)for you."

When the days were approaching for ^(C1)His ^(F1)ascension, He ^(F2)was determined ^(C2)to go to Jerusalem;

and He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went and entered a village of the ^(C1)Samaritans to ^(F1)make arrangements for Him.

And they did not receive Him, ^(C1)because ^(F1)He was traveling toward Jerusalem.

When His disciples ^(C1)James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to ^(C2)command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?"

But He turned and rebuked them.^(F1)

And they went on to another village.

^(C1)As they were going on the road, ^(C2)someone said to Him, "I will follow You wherever You go."

And Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes and the birds of the sky have nests, but ^(C1)the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."

And He said to another, "^(C1)Follow Me." But he said, "Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father."

But He said to him, "Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and ^(C1)proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God."

Another also said, "I will follow You, Lord; but ^(C1)first permit me to say goodbye to those at my home."

But Jesus said to him, "^(C1)No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

Now after this ^(C1)the Lord appointed ^(F1)seventy-two ^(C2)others, and sent them ^(C3)in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come.

And He was saying to them, "^(C1)The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore plead with the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

"Go; ^(C1)behold, I am sending you out like lambs in the midst of wolves.

"^(C1)Carry no money belt, no ^(F1)bag, no sandals, and greet no one along the way.

"And whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace be to this house.'

"And if a ^(F1)man of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him; but if not, it will return to you.

"Stay in ^(F1)that house, eating and drinking ^(F2)what they provide; for ^(C1)the laborer is deserving of his wages. Do not move from house to house.

"Whatever city you enter and they receive you, ^(C1)eat what is served to you;

and heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, '^(C1)The kingdom of God has come near to you.'

"But whatever city you enter and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say,

'^(C1)Even the dust of your city which clings to our feet we wipe off in protest against you; yet ^(F1)be sure of this, that ^(C2)the kingdom of God has come near.'

"I say to you, ^(C1)it will be more tolerable on that day for ^(C2)Sodom than for that city.

"^(C1)Woe to you, ^(C2)Chorazin! Woe to you, ^(C2)Bethsaida! For if the ^(F1)miracles that occurred in you had occurred in ^(C2)Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in ^(F2)(C3)sackcloth and ashes.

"But it will be more tolerable for ^(C1)Tyre and Sidon in the judgment than for you.

"And you, ^(C1)Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will be brought down to Hades!

"^(C1)The one who listens to you listens to Me, and ^(C2)the one who rejects you rejects Me; but the one who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me."

Now the ^(F1)seventy-two returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even ^(C1)the demons are subject to us ^(F2)in Your name!"

And He said to them, "I watched ^(C1)Satan fall from heaven like lightning.

"Behold, I have given you authority to ^(C1)walk on snakes and scorpions, and authority over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.

"Nevertheless, do not ^(F1)rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that ^(C1)your names are recorded in heaven."

^(C1)At that very ^(F1)time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, "I ^(F2)praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for doing so was well pleasing in Your sight.

"^(C1)All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and ^(C2)no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son determines to reveal Him."

^(C1)Turning to the disciples, He said privately, "Blessed are the eyes that see the things you see;

for I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see the things that you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things that you hear, and did not hear them."

^(C1)And behold, a ^(F1)(C2)lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

And He said to him, "What is written in the Law? ^(F1)How does it read to you?"

And he answered, "^(C1)YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD ^(F1)WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."

And He said to him, "You have answered correctly; ^(C1)do this and you will live."

But wanting ^(C1)to justify himself, he said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

Jesus replied and said, "A man was ^(C1)going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he encountered robbers, and they stripped him and ^(F1)beat him, and went away leaving him half dead.

"And by coincidence a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

"Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

"But a ^(C1)Samaritan who was on a journey came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion,

and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own animal, and brought him to an inn and took care of him.

"On the next day he took out two ^(F1)denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return, I will repay you.'

"Which of these three do you think ^(F1)proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers' hands?"

And he said, "The one who showed compassion to him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do ^(F1)the same."

Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named ^(C1)Martha welcomed Him into her home.

And she had a sister called ^(C1)Mary, who was also ^(C2)seated at the Lord's feet, and was listening to His word.

But ^(C1)Martha was distracted with ^(F1)all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do the serving ^(F2)by myself? Then tell her to help me."

But the Lord answered and said to her, "^(C1)Martha, Martha, you are ^(C2)worried and distracted by many things;

^(C1)but only one thing is necessary; for ^(C2)Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

It happened that while ^(F1)Jesus was praying in a certain place, when He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples."

And He said to them, "^(C1)When you pray, say: '^(F1)Father, ^(F2)hallowed be Your name. ^(F3)Your kingdom come.

-'Give us ^(C1)each day our ^(F1)daily bread.

-'And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who ^(C1)is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation.'"

And He said to them, "^(F1)Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves,

because a friend of mine has come to me from a journey and I have nothing to serve him';

and from inside he answers and says, 'Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children ^(F1)and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.'

"I tell you, even if he will not get up and give him anything just because he is his friend, yet ^(C1)because of his ^(F1)shamelessness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

"So I say to you, ^(F1)(C1)ask, and it will be given to you; ^(F2)seek, and you will find; ^(F3)knock, and it will be opened to you.

"For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, it will be opened.

"Now ^(F1)which one of you fathers will his son ask for a ^(F2)fish, and instead of a fish, he will give him a snake?

"Or he will even ask for an egg, and his father will give him a scorpion?

"So ^(C1)if you, despite being ^(F1)evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will ^(F2)your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?"

^(C1)And He was casting out a mute demon; when the demon had gone out, the man who was previously unable to speak talked, and the crowds were amazed.

But some of them said, "He casts out the demons ^(C1)by ^(C2)Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons."

Others, ^(F1)to test Him, ^(C1)were demanding of Him a ^(F2)sign from heaven.

^(C1)But He knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and a house divided against ^(F1)itself falls.

"And if ^(C1)Satan also has been divided against himself, how will his kingdom ^(F1)stand? For you claim that I cast out the demons by ^(C2)Beelzebul.

"Yet if by ^(C1)Beelzebul I cast out the demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore, they will be your judges.

"But if I cast out the demons by ^(F1)the ^(C1)finger of God, then ^(C2)the kingdom of God has come upon you.

"When ^(F1)a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are ^(F2)secure.

"But when someone stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, that man takes away his armor on which he had relied and distributes his plunder.

"^(C1)The one who is not with Me is against Me; and the one who does not gather with Me scatters.

"^(C1)When the unclean spirit comes out of ^(F1)a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it then says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'

"And when it comes, it finds it swept and put in order.

"Then it goes and brings along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they come in and live there; and the last condition of that person becomes worse than the first."

While ^(F1)Jesus was saying these things, one of the women in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, "^(C1)Blessed is the womb that carried You, and the breasts at which You nursed!"

But He said, "On the contrary, blessed are ^(C1)those who hear the word of God and follow it."

Now as the crowds were increasing, He began to say, "^(C1)This generation is a wicked generation; it ^(C2)demands a ^(F1)sign, and so no ^(F1)sign will be given to it except the ^(F1)sign of Jonah.

"For just as ^(C1)Jonah became a ^(F1)sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.

"The ^(C1)Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation at the judgment and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.

"The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment and condemn it, because ^(C1)they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

"^(C1)No one lights a lamp and puts it away in a cellar nor under a basket, but on the lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light.

"^(C1)Your eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is ^(F1)clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is ^(F2)bad, your body also is full of darkness.

"So watch out that the light in you is not darkness.

"Therefore if your whole body is full of light, without any dark part, it will be wholly illuminated, as when the lamp illuminates you with its light."

Now when He had spoken, a Pharisee ^(*)asked Him to have lunch with him; and He went in and reclined at the table.

When the Pharisee saw this, he was surprised that Jesus had not first ^(F1)(C1)ceremonially washed before the ^(F2)meal.

But ^(C1)the Lord said to him, "Now ^(C2)you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the dish; but your inside is full of greed and wickedness.

"^(C1)You foolish ones, did He who made the outside not make the inside also?