1
When Jesus came down from the hill, large crowds followed him.
2
Then a man suffering from a dreaded skin disease came to him, knelt down before him, and said, "Sir, if you want to, you can make me clean."
3
Jesus reached out and touched him. "I do want to," he answered. "Be clean!" At once the man was healed of his disease.
4
Then Jesus said to him, "Listen! Don't tell anyone, but go straight to the priest and let him examine you; then in order to prove to everyone that you are cured, offer the sacrifice that Moses ordered."
5
When Jesus entered Capernaum, a Roman officer met him and begged for help:
6
"Sir, my servant is sick in bed at home, unable to move and suffering terribly."
7
"I will go and make him well," Jesus said.
8
"Oh no, sir," answered the officer. "I do not deserve to have you come into my house. Just give the order, and my servant will get well.
9
I, too, am a man under the authority of superior officers, and I have soldiers under me. I order this one, 'Go!' and he goes; and I order that one, 'Come!' and he comes; and I order my slave, 'Do this!' and he does it."
10
When Jesus heard this, he was surprised and said to the people following him, "I tell you, I have never found anyone in Israel with faith like this.
11
I assure you that many will come from the east and the west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of heaven.
12
But those who should be in the Kingdom will be thrown out into the darkness, where they will cry and gnash their teeth."
13
Then Jesus said to the officer, "Go home, and what you believe will be done for you." And the officer's servant was healed that very moment.
14
Jesus went to Peter's home, and there he saw Peter's mother-in-law sick in bed with a fever.
15
He touched her hand; the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.
16
When evening came, people brought to Jesus many who had demons in them. Jesus drove out the evil spirits with a word and healed all who were sick.
17
He did this to make come true what the prophet Isaiah had said, "He himself took our sickness and carried away our diseases."
18
When Jesus noticed the crowd around him, he ordered his disciples to go to the other side of the lake.
19
A teacher of the Law came to him. "Teacher," he said, "I am ready to go with you wherever you go."
20
Jesus answered him, "Foxes have holes, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lie down and rest."
21
Another man, who was a disciple, said, "Sir, first let me go back and bury my father."
22
"Follow me," Jesus answered, "and let the dead bury their own dead."
23
Jesus got into a boat, and his disciples went with him.
24
Suddenly a fierce storm hit the lake, and the boat was in danger of sinking. But Jesus was asleep.
25
The disciples went to him and woke him up. "Save us, Lord!" they said. "We are about to die!"
26
"Why are you so frightened?" Jesus answered. "What little faith you have!" Then he got up and ordered the winds and the waves to stop, and there was a great calm.
27
Everyone was amazed. "What kind of man is this?" they said. "Even the winds and the waves obey him!"
28
When Jesus came to the territory of Gadara on the other side of the lake, he was met by two men who came out of the burial caves there. These men had demons in them and were so fierce that no one dared travel on that road.
29
At once they screamed, "What do you want with us, you Son of God? Have you come to punish us before the right time?"
30
Not far away there was a large herd of pigs feeding.
31
So the demons begged Jesus, "If you are going to drive us out, send us into that herd of pigs."
32
"Go," Jesus told them; so they left and went off into the pigs. The whole herd rushed down the side of the cliff into the lake and was drowned.
33
The men who had been taking care of the pigs ran away and went into the town, where they told the whole story and what had happened to the men with the demons.
34
So everyone from the town went out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their territory.
1
Jesus got into the boat and went back across the lake to his own town,
2
where some people brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a bed. When Jesus saw how much faith they had, he said to the paralyzed man, "Courage, my son! Your sins are forgiven."
3
Then some teachers of the Law said to themselves, "This man is speaking blasphemy!"
4
Jesus perceived what they were thinking, and so he said, "Why are you thinking such evil things?
5
Is it easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'?
6
I will prove to you, then, that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." So he said to the paralyzed man, "Get up, pick up your bed, and go home!"
7
The man got up and went home.
8
When the people saw it, they were afraid, and praised God for giving such authority to people.
9
Jesus left that place, and as he walked along, he saw a tax collector, named Matthew, sitting in his office. He said to him, "Follow me." Matthew got up and followed him.
10
While Jesus was having a meal in Matthew's house, many tax collectors and other outcasts came and joined Jesus and his disciples at the table.
11
Some Pharisees saw this and asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with such people?"
12
Jesus heard them and answered, "People who are well do not need a doctor, but only those who are sick.
13
Go and find out what is meant by the scripture that says: 'It is kindness that I want, not animal sacrifices.' I have not come to call respectable people, but outcasts."
14
Then the followers of John the Baptist came to Jesus, asking, "Why is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples don't fast at all?"
15
Jesus answered, "Do you expect the guests at a wedding party to be sad as long as the bridegroom is with them? Of course not! But the day will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.
16
"No one patches up an old coat with a piece of new cloth, for the new patch will shrink and make an even bigger hole in the coat.
17
Nor does anyone pour new wine into used wineskins, for the skins will burst, the wine will pour out, and the skins will be ruined. Instead, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins, and both will keep in good condition."
18
While Jesus was saying this, a Jewish official came to him, knelt down before him, and said, "My daughter has just died; but come and place your hands on her, and she will live."
19
So Jesus got up and followed him, and his disciples went along with him.
20
A woman who had suffered from severe bleeding for twelve years came up behind Jesus and touched the edge of his cloak.
21
She said to herself, "If only I touch his cloak, I will get well."
22
Jesus turned around and saw her, and said, "Courage, my daughter! Your faith has made you well." At that very moment the woman became well.
23
Then Jesus went into the official's house. When he saw the musicians for the funeral and the people all stirred up,
24
he said, "Get out, everybody! The little girl is not dead---she is only sleeping!" Then they all started making fun of him.
25
But as soon as the people had been put out, Jesus went into the girl's room and took hold of her hand, and she got up.
26
The news about this spread all over that part of the country.
27
Jesus left that place, and as he walked along, two blind men started following him. "Have mercy on us, Son of David!" they shouted.
28
When Jesus had gone indoors, the two blind men came to him, and he asked them, "Do you believe that I can heal you?" "Yes, sir!" they answered.
29
Then Jesus touched their eyes and said, "Let it happen, then, just as you believe!"---
30
and their sight was restored. Jesus spoke sternly to them, "Don't tell this to anyone!"
31
But they left and spread the news about Jesus all over that part of the country.
32
As the men were leaving, some people brought to Jesus a man who could not talk because he had a demon.
33
But as soon as the demon was driven out, the man started talking, and everyone was amazed. "We have never seen anything like this in Israel!" they exclaimed.
34
But the Pharisees said, "It is the chief of the demons who gives Jesus the power to drive out demons."
35
Jesus went around visiting all the towns and villages. He taught in the synagogues, preached the Good News about the Kingdom, and healed people with every kind of disease and sickness.
36
As he saw the crowds, his heart was filled with pity for them, because they were worried and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
37
So he said to his disciples, "The harvest is large, but there are few workers to gather it in.
38
Pray to the owner of the harvest that he will send out workers to gather in his harvest."
1
Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and every sickness.
2
These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James and his brother John, the sons of Zebedee;
3
Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew, the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;
4
Simon the Patriot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus.
5
These twelve men were sent out by Jesus with the following instructions: "Do not go to any Gentile territory or any Samaritan towns.
6
Instead, you are to go to the lost sheep of the people of Israel.
7
Go and preach, 'The Kingdom of heaven is near!'
8
Heal the sick, bring the dead back to life, heal those who suffer from dreaded skin diseases, and drive out demons. You have received without paying, so give without being paid.
9
Do not carry any gold, silver, or copper money in your pockets;
10
do not carry a beggar's bag for the trip or an extra shirt or shoes or a walking stick. Workers should be given what they need.
11
"When you come to a town or village, go in and look for someone who is willing to welcome you, and stay with him until you leave that place.
12
When you go into a house, say, 'Peace be with you.'
13
If the people in that house welcome you, let your greeting of peace remain; but if they do not welcome you, then take back your greeting.
14
And if some home or town will not welcome you or listen to you, then leave that place and shake the dust off your feet.
15
I assure you that on the Judgment Day God will show more mercy to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah than to the people of that town!
16
"Listen! I am sending you out just like sheep to a pack of wolves. You must be as cautious as snakes and as gentle as doves.
17
Watch out, for there will be those who will arrest you and take you to court, and they will whip you in the synagogues.
18
For my sake you will be brought to trial before rulers and kings, to tell the Good News to them and to the Gentiles.
19
When they bring you to trial, do not worry about what you are going to say or how you will say it; when the time comes, you will be given what you will say.
20
For the words you will speak will not be yours; they will come from the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
21
"People will hand over their own brothers to be put to death, and fathers will do the same to their children; children will turn against their parents and have them put to death.
22
Everyone will hate you because of me. But whoever holds out to the end will be saved.
23
When they persecute you in one town, run away to another one. I assure you that you will not finish your work in all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24
"No pupil is greater than his teacher; no slave is greater than his master.
25
So a pupil should be satisfied to become like his teacher, and a slave like his master. If the head of the family is called Beelzebul, the members of the family will be called even worse names!
26
"So do not be afraid of people. Whatever is now covered up will be uncovered, and every secret will be made known.
27
What I am telling you in the dark you must repeat in broad daylight, and what you have heard in private you must announce from the housetops.
28
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather be afraid of God, who can destroy both body and soul in hell.
29
For only a penny you can buy two sparrows, yet not one sparrow falls to the ground without your Father's consent.
30
As for you, even the hairs of your head have all been counted.
31
So do not be afraid; you are worth much more than many sparrows!
32
"Those who declare publicly that they belong to me, I will do the same for them before my Father in heaven.
33
But those who reject me publicly, I will reject before my Father in heaven.
34
"Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the world. No, I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
35
I came to set sons against their fathers, daughters against their mothers, daughters-in-law against their mothers-in-law;
36
your worst enemies will be the members of your own family.
37
"Those who love their father or mother more than me are not fit to be my disciples; those who love their son or daughter more than me are not fit to be my disciples.
38
Those who do not take up their cross and follow in my steps are not fit to be my disciples.
39
Those who try to gain their own life will lose it; but those who lose their life for my sake will gain it.
40
"Whoever welcomes you welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.
41
Whoever welcomes God's messenger because he is God's messenger, will share in his reward. And whoever welcomes a good man because he is good, will share in his reward.
42
You can be sure that whoever gives even a drink of cold water to one of the least of these my followers because he is my follower, will certainly receive a reward."
