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Matthew 14-20
New American Standard Bible
Matthew 14-20
New American Standard Bible
John the Baptist Beheaded
14 [a](A)At that time [b](B)Herod [c]the tetrarch heard the news about Jesus, 2 and said to his servants, “(C)This is John the Baptist; he himself has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
3 For when (D)Herod had John arrested, he bound him and put him (E)in prison because of (F)Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. 4 For John had been saying to him, “(G)It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5 Although Herod wanted to put him to death, he feared the crowd, because they regarded [d]John as (H)a prophet.
6 But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of (I)Herodias danced [e]before them and pleased (J)Herod, 7 so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. 8 And after being prompted by her mother, she *said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” 9 And although he was grieved, the king commanded it to be given because of his oaths and [f]his dinner guests. 10 He sent word and had John beheaded in the prison. 11 And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 12 [g]John’s disciples came and took away the body and buried [h]it; and they went and reported to Jesus.
Five Thousand Men Fed
13 (K)Now when Jesus heard about John, He withdrew from there in a boat to a secluded place by Himself; and when the [i]people heard about this, they followed Him on foot from the cities. 14 When He came [j]ashore, He (L)saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and (M)healed their sick.
15 Now when it was evening, the disciples came to Him and said, “This place is secluded and the hour is already past to eat; send the crowds away, so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go; you give them something to eat!” 17 They *said to Him, “We have nothing here except (N)five loaves and two fish.” 18 And He said, “Bring them here to Me.” 19 And ordering the crowds to [k]sit down on the grass, He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looked up toward heaven. He (O)blessed the food and breaking the loaves, He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 And they all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up what was left over of the broken pieces: twelve full (P)baskets. 21 There were about five thousand men who ate, besides women and children.
Jesus Walks on the Water
22 (Q)Immediately afterward He compelled the disciples to get into the boat and to go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. 23 After He had sent the crowds away, (R)He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone. 24 But the boat was already [l]a long distance from the land, [m]battered by the waves; for the wind was [n](S)contrary. 25 And in (T)the [o]fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. 26 When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is (U)a ghost!” And they cried out [p]in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “(V)Take courage, [q]it is I; (W)do not be afraid.”
28 Peter responded and said to Him, “Lord, if [r]it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” 29 And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. 30 But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and when he began to sink, he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out with His hand and took hold of him, and *said to him, “(X)You of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “You are truly (Y)God’s Son!”
34 (Z)When they had crossed over, they came to land at (AA)Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place [s]recognized Him, they sent word into all that surrounding region and brought to Him all who were sick; 36 and they pleaded with Him that they might just touch (AB)the [t]border of His cloak; and all who (AC)touched it were cured.
Tradition and Commandment
15 (AD)Then some Pharisees and scribes *came to Jesus (AE)from Jerusalem and said, 2 “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they (AF)do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” 3 And He answered and said to them, “Why do you yourselves also break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God said, ‘(AG)Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘(AH)The one who speaks evil of father or mother is to [u]be put to death.’ 5 But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever I have that would help you has been [v]given to God,” 6 he is not to [w]honor his father or mother.’ And by this you have invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy about you, by saying:
8 ‘(AI)This people honors Me with their lips,
But their heart is far away from Me.
9 And in vain do they worship Me,
Teaching as (AJ)doctrines the commandments of men.’”
10 After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said to them, “Hear and understand! 11 (AK)It is not what enters the mouth that defiles the person, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles the person.”
12 Then the disciples came and *said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were [x]offended when they heard this statement?” 13 But He answered and said, “(AL)Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted. 14 Leave them alone; (AM)they are blind guides [y]of blind people. And (AN)if a person who is blind guides another who is blind, both will fall into a pit.”
The Heart of Man
15 Peter [z]said to Him, “(AO)Explain the parable to us.” 16 [aa]Jesus said, “Are you also still lacking in understanding? 17 Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is [ab]eliminated? 18 But (AP)the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and those things defile the person. 19 (AQ)For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, acts of adultery, other immoral sexual acts, thefts, false testimonies, and [ac]slanderous statements. 20 These are the things that defile the person; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the person.”
The Faith of a Canaanite Woman
21 (AR)Jesus went away from there, and withdrew into the region of (AS)Tyre and (AT)Sidon. 22 And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, (AU)Son of David; my daughter is severely (AV)demon-possessed.” 23 But He did not answer her with even a word. And His disciples came up and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, because she keeps shouting [ad]at us!” 24 But He answered and said, “I was sent only to (AW)the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and (AX)began [ae]to bow down before Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” 26 Yet He answered and said, “It is not [af]good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27 And she said, “Yes, Lord; but please help, for even the dogs feed on the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” 28 Then Jesus said to her, “O woman, (AY)your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed [ag]at once.
Healing Crowds
29 (AZ)Departing from there, Jesus went along (BA)the Sea of Galilee, and after going up on the mountain, He was sitting there. 30 And [ah]large crowds came to Him bringing with them those who were limping, had impaired limbs, were blind, or were unable to speak, and many others, and they laid them down at His feet; and (BB)He healed them. 31 So the crowd was astonished as they saw those who were unable to speak talking, those with impaired limbs [ai]restored, those who were limping walking around, and those who were blind seeing; and they (BC)glorified the God of Israel.
Four Thousand Men Fed
32 (BD)Now Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, “(BE)I feel compassion for the [aj]people, because they [ak]have remained with Me now for three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way.” 33 The disciples *said to Him, “Where would we get so many loaves in this desolate place to satisfy such a large crowd?” 34 And Jesus *said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” 35 And He directed the [al]people to [am]sit down on the ground; 36 and He took the seven loaves and the fish; and after (BF)giving thanks, He broke them and started giving them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 37 And they all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, seven large (BG)baskets full. 38 And those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.
39 And sending away the crowds, Jesus got into (BH)the boat and came to the region of (BI)Magadan.
Pharisees and Sadducees Test Jesus
16 (BJ)The (BK)Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and putting Jesus to the test, they (BL)asked Him to show them a [an]sign from heaven. 2 But He replied to them, “[ao](BM)When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ 3 And in the morning, ‘There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ (BN)You know how to discern the [ap]appearance of the sky, but are you unable to discern the signs of the times? 4 (BO)An evil and adulterous generation wants a [aq]sign; and so a [ar]sign will not be given to it, except the sign of Jonah.” And He left them and went away.
5 And the disciples came to the other side of the sea, but they had forgotten to bring any bread. 6 And Jesus said to them, “Watch out and (BP)beware of the [as]leaven of the (BQ)Pharisees and Sadducees.” 7 They began to discuss this among themselves, saying, “He said that because we did not bring any bread.” 8 But Jesus, aware of this, said, “(BR)You men of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? 9 Do you not yet understand nor remember (BS)the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets you picked up? 10 Nor (BT)the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many large baskets you picked up? 11 How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you about bread? But (BU)beware of the [at]leaven of the (BV)Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that He did not say to beware of the [au]leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the (BW)Pharisees and Sadducees.
Peter’s Confession of Christ
13 (BX)Now when Jesus came into the region of (BY)Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that (BZ)the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say (CA)John the Baptist; and others, [av](CB)Elijah; and still others, [aw]Jeremiah, or one of the other prophets.” 15 He *said to them, “But who do you yourselves say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are (CC)the [ax]Christ, (CD)the Son of (CE)the living God.” 17 And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, (CF)Simon [ay]Barjona, because (CG)flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are [az](CH)Peter, and upon this [ba]rock I will build My church; and the gates of (CI)Hades will not overpower it. 19 I will give you (CJ)the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and (CK)whatever you [bb]bind on earth [bc]shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you [bd]loose on earth [be]shall have been loosed in heaven.” 20 (CL)Then He gave the disciples strict orders that they were to tell no one that He was (CM)the [bf]Christ.
Jesus Foretells His Death
21 (CN)From that time [bg]Jesus began to [bh]point out to His disciples that it was necessary for Him to go to Jerusalem and to (CO)suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and to be killed, and to be raised up on the third day. 22 And yet Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “[bi]God forbid it, Lord! This shall never [bj]happen to You!” 23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, (CP)Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on [bk]God’s purposes, but men’s.”
Discipleship Is Costly
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, (CQ)take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For (CR)whoever wants to save his [bl]life will lose it; but whoever loses his [bm]life for My sake will find it. 26 For what good will it do a person if he gains the whole world, but [bn]forfeits his soul? Or what will a person give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the (CS)Son of Man (CT)is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and (CU)will then repay every person according to his [bo]deeds.
28 “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the (CV)Son of Man (CW)coming in His kingdom.”
The Transfiguration
17 (CX)Six days later, Jesus *took with Him (CY)Peter and [bp]James, and his brother John, and *led them up on a high mountain by themselves. 2 And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4 Peter responded and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If You want, (CZ)I will make three [bq]tabernacles here: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, (DA)a voice from the cloud said, “(DB)This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him!” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell [br]face down to the ground and were terrified. 7 And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, “Get up, and (DC)do not be afraid.” 8 And raising their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone.
9 (DD)When they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “(DE)Tell the vision to no one until (DF)the Son of Man has (DG)risen from the dead.” 10 And His disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that (DH)Elijah must come first?” 11 And He answered and said, “Elijah is coming and will restore all things; 12 but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did [bs]to him whatever they wanted. So also (DI)the Son of Man is going to suffer [bt]at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist.
The Demon-possessed Boy
14 (DJ)When they came to the crowd, a man came up to [bu]Jesus, falling on his knees before Him and saying, 15 “[bv]Lord, have mercy on my son, because he (DK)has seizures and suffers terribly; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 And I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him.” 17 And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was healed [bw]at once.
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 And He *said to them, “Because of your meager faith; for truly I say to you, (DL)if you have faith [bx]the size of (DM)a mustard seed, you will say to (DN)this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and (DO)nothing will be impossible for you.[by]”
22 (DP)And while they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be [bz]handed over to men; 23 and (DQ)they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day.” And they were deeply grieved.
The Temple Tax
24 Now when they came to Capernaum, those who collected (DR)the [ca]two-drachma tax came to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay (DS)the [cb]two-drachma tax?” 25 He *said, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth collect (DT)customs or [cc](DU)poll-tax, from their sons or from strangers?” 26 When Peter said, “From strangers,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are [cd]exempt. 27 However, so that we do not (DV)offend them, go to the sea and throw in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a [ce]stater. Take that and give it to them for you and Me.”
Rank in the Kingdom
18 (DW)At that [cf]time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “(DX)Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And He called a child to Himself and set him among them, 3 and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you [cg]change and (DY)become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 So whoever will humble himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever receives one such child in My name, receives Me; 6 but (DZ)whoever (EA)causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to [ch]sin, it is better for him that a [ci]heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depths of the sea.
Stumbling Blocks
7 “Woe to the world because of its [cj]stumbling blocks! For (EB)it is inevitable that [ck]stumbling blocks come; but woe to the person through whom the [cl]stumbling block comes!
8 “And (EC)if your hand or your foot is causing you to sin, cut it off and throw it away from you; it is better for you to enter life maimed or without a foot, than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire. 9 And (ED)if your eye is causing you to sin, tear it out and throw it away from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into the [cm](EE)fiery hell.
10 “See that you do not look down on one of these little ones; for I say to you that (EF)their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven.[cn]
Ninety-nine Plus One
12 “What do you think? (EG)If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains, and go and search for the one that is lost? 13 And if it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that have not gone astray. 14 So it is not the will [co]of your Father who is in heaven for one of these little ones to perish.
Discipline and Prayer
15 “Now (EH)if your brother sins[cp], go and [cq]show him his fault [cr]in private; if he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that (EI)on the [cs]testimony of two or three witnesses every [ct]matter may be confirmed. 17 And if he refuses to listen to them, (EJ)tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, (EK)he is to be to you as [cu]a Gentile and [cv]a tax collector. 18 Truly I say to you, (EL)whatever you [cw]bind on earth [cx]shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you [cy]loose on earth [cz]shall have been loosed in heaven.
19 “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, (EM)it shall be done for them [da]by My Father who is in heaven. 20 For where two or three have gathered together in My name, (EN)I am there in their midst.”
Forgiveness
21 Then Peter came up and said to Him, “Lord, (EO)how many times shall my brother sin against me and I still forgive him? Up to (EP)seven times?” 22 Jesus *said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to [db](EQ)seventy-seven times.
23 “For this reason (ER)the kingdom of heaven [dc]is like a king who wanted to (ES)settle accounts with his slaves. 24 And when he had begun to settle them, one who owed him [dd]ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25 But since he [de](ET)did not have the means to repay, his master commanded that he (EU)be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment be made. 26 So the slave fell to the ground and (EV)prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ 27 And the master of that slave felt compassion, and he released him and (EW)forgave him the [df]debt. 28 But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred [dg]denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe!’ 29 So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ 30 But he was unwilling, [dh]and went and threw him in prison until he would pay back what was owed. 31 So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their master all that had happened. 32 Then summoning him, his master *said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 (EX)Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ 34 And his master, moved with anger, handed him over to the [di]torturers until he would repay all that was owed him. 35 (EY)My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your [dj]heart.”
Concerning Divorce
19 (EZ)When Jesus had finished these words, He left Galilee and (FA)came into the region of Judea beyond the Jordan; 2 and [dk]large crowds followed Him, and (FB)He healed them there.
3 Some Pharisees came to [dl]Jesus, testing Him and [dm]asking, “(FC)Is it lawful for a man to [dn]divorce his wife for any reason at all?” 4 And He answered and said, “Have you not read (FD)that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, ‘(FE)For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and (FF)the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no person is to separate.” 7 They *said to Him, “(FG)Why, then, did Moses command to give her a certificate of divorce and send her away?” 8 He *said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to [do]divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way. 9 And I say to you, (FH)whoever [dp]divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman [dq]commits adultery[dr].”
10 The disciples *said to Him, “If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry.” 11 But He said to them, “(FI)Not all men can accept this statement, but (FJ)only those to whom it has been given. 12 For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by people; and there are also eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who is able to accept this, let him accept it.”
Jesus Blesses Little Children
13 (FK)Then some children were brought to Him so that He would lay His hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But Jesus said, “[ds](FL)Leave the children alone, and do not [dt]forbid them to come to Me; for (FM)the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 15 After laying His hands on them, He departed from there.
The Rich Young Ruler
16 (FN)And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do so that I may obtain (FO)eternal life?” 17 And He said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but (FP)if you want to enter life, keep the commandments.” 18 Then he *said to Him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “(FQ)You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not give false testimony; 19 (FR)Honor your father and mother; and (FS)You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man *said to Him, “All these I have kept; what am I still lacking?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be [du]complete, go and (FT)sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have (FU)treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 22 But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.
23 And Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you, (FV)it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say to you, (FW)it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?” 26 And looking at them, Jesus said to them, “(FX)With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
The Disciples’ Reward
27 Then Peter responded and said to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?” 28 And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the [dv]regeneration when (FY)the Son of Man will sit on [dw]His glorious throne, (FZ)you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And (GA)everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother [dx]or children or farms on account of My name, will receive [dy]many times as much, and will inherit eternal life. 30 (GB)But many who are first will be last; and the last, first.
Laborers in the Vineyard
20 “For (GC)the kingdom of heaven is like [dz]a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his (GD)vineyard. 2 When he had agreed with the laborers for a [ea]denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the [eb]third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace; 4 and to those he said, ‘You go into the vineyard also, and whatever is right, I will give you.’ And so they went. 5 Again he went out about the [ec]sixth and the ninth hour, and did [ed]the same thing. 6 And about the [ee]eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around; and he *said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day long?’ 7 They *said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He *said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’
8 “Now when (GE)evening came, the [ef]owner of the vineyard *said to his (GF)foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, starting with the last group to the first.’ 9 When those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a [eg]denarius. 10 And so when those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; [eh]but each of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day’s work and the (GG)scorching heat.’ 13 But he answered and said to one of them, ‘(GH)Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what is yours and go; but I want to give to this last person the same as to you. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I want with what is my own? Or is your (GI)eye [ei]envious because I am [ej]generous?’ 16 So (GJ)the last shall be first, and the first, last.”
Death, Resurrection Foretold
17 (GK)As Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and on the road He said to them, 18 “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man (GL)will be [ek]handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, 19 and they (GM)will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and flog and crucify, and on (GN)the third day He will be raised up.”
Request for Preferred Treatment
20 (GO)Then the mother of (GP)the [el]sons of Zebedee came to [em]Jesus with her sons, (GQ)bowing down and making a request of Him. 21 And He said to her, “What do you desire?” She *said to Him, “Say that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine (GR)shall sit, one at Your right, and one at Your left.” 22 But Jesus replied, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able (GS)to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They *said to Him, “We are able.” 23 He *said to them, “(GT)My cup you shall drink; but to sit at My right and at My left is not Mine to give, (GU)but it is for those for whom it has been (GV)prepared by My Father.”
24 And after hearing this, the other ten disciples became indignant with the two brothers. 25 (GW)But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles domineer over them, and [en]those in high position exercise authority over them. 26 It [eo]is not this way among you, (GX)but whoever wants to become [ep]prominent among you shall be your servant, 27 and whoever desires to be first among you shall be your slave; 28 just as (GY)the Son of Man (GZ)did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His [eq]life as a ransom for many.”
Sight for Those Who Are Blind
29 (HA)As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. 30 And two people who were blind, sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, “Lord, (HB)have mercy on us, (HC)Son of David!” 31 But the crowd sternly warned them to be quiet; yet they cried out all the more, “Lord, (HD)Son of David, have mercy on us!” 32 And Jesus stopped and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” 33 They *said to Him, “Lord, we want our eyes to be opened.” 34 Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.
Footnotes
- Matthew 14:1 Or On that occasion
- Matthew 14:1 I.e., Herod Antipas
- Matthew 14:1 I.e., a regional ruler
- Matthew 14:5 Lit him
- Matthew 14:6 Lit in the midst
- Matthew 14:9 Lit those who reclined at the table with him
- Matthew 14:12 Lit his
- Matthew 14:12 Lit him
- Matthew 14:13 Lit the crowds
- Matthew 14:14 Lit out
- Matthew 14:19 Lit recline
- Matthew 14:24 Lit many stadia from; a Roman stadion perhaps averaged 607 ft. or 185 m
- Matthew 14:24 Lit tormented
- Matthew 14:24 Or adverse
- Matthew 14:25 I.e., 3-6 a.m.
- Matthew 14:26 Lit from
- Matthew 14:27 Lit I am
- Matthew 14:28 Lit You are
- Matthew 14:35 Or found out about
- Matthew 14:36 Or tassel; i.e., a ritual tassel sewn to corners of garments for Jewish men
- Matthew 15:4 Lit die the death
- Matthew 15:5 Lit a gift; i.e., an offering
- Matthew 15:6 I.e., by supporting them with it
- Matthew 15:12 Lit caused to stumble
- Matthew 15:14 Later mss add of blind people
- Matthew 15:15 Lit answering, said
- Matthew 15:16 Lit and He
- Matthew 15:17 Lit thrown out into the latrine
- Matthew 15:19 Or abusive speech
- Matthew 15:23 Lit behind us
- Matthew 15:25 Or worshiped
- Matthew 15:26 Or proper
- Matthew 15:28 Lit from that hour
- Matthew 15:30 Lit many
- Matthew 15:31 Or healthy
- Matthew 15:32 Lit crowd
- Matthew 15:32 Lit are remaining
- Matthew 15:35 Lit crowd
- Matthew 15:35 Lit recline
- Matthew 16:1 I.e., confirming miracle
- Matthew 16:2 Early mss do not contain the rest of v 2 and v 3
- Matthew 16:3 Lit face
- Matthew 16:4 I.e., confirming miracle
- Matthew 16:4 I.e., confirming miracle
- Matthew 16:6 I.e., fermented dough
- Matthew 16:11 I.e., as a symbol of corruption
- Matthew 16:12 I.e., fermented dough
- Matthew 16:14 Gr Elias
- Matthew 16:14 Gr Jeremias
- Matthew 16:16 I.e., Messiah
- Matthew 16:17 I.e., son of Jonah
- Matthew 16:18 Gr Petros, a stone
- Matthew 16:18 Gr petra, massive rock formation; bedrock
- Matthew 16:19 I.e., forbid
- Matthew 16:19 Gr fut. pft. pass. tense
- Matthew 16:19 I.e., permit
- Matthew 16:19 Gr fut. pft. pass. tense
- Matthew 16:20 I.e., Messiah
- Matthew 16:21 Two early mss Jesus Christ
- Matthew 16:21 Or show
- Matthew 16:22 Lit (God be) merciful to You
- Matthew 16:22 Lit be
- Matthew 16:23 Lit the things of God
- Matthew 16:25 Or soul
- Matthew 16:25 Or soul
- Matthew 16:26 I.e., suffers the loss of
- Matthew 16:27 Lit activity
- Matthew 17:1 Or Jacob
- Matthew 17:4 Or sacred tents
- Matthew 17:6 Lit on their faces
- Matthew 17:12 Lit in him; or in his case
- Matthew 17:12 Lit by them
- Matthew 17:14 Lit Him
- Matthew 17:15 Or Sir
- Matthew 17:18 Lit from that hour
- Matthew 17:20 Lit like
- Matthew 17:20 Late mss add (traditionally v 21): But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting
- Matthew 17:22 Or betrayed
- Matthew 17:24 Equivalent to about two denarii or two days’ wages for a laborer, paid as a temple tax
- Matthew 17:24 Equivalent to about two denarii or two days’ wages for a laborer, paid as a temple tax
- Matthew 17:25 I.e., a tax on each person in the census
- Matthew 17:26 Lit free
- Matthew 17:27 A silver four-drachma Greek coin
- Matthew 18:1 Lit hour
- Matthew 18:3 Lit turn
- Matthew 18:6 Or stumble, and so throughout the ch
- Matthew 18:6 Lit millstone turned by a donkey
- Matthew 18:7 I.e., enticements to sin
- Matthew 18:7 I.e., enticements to sin
- Matthew 18:7 I.e., enticements to sin
- Matthew 18:9 Lit Gehenna of fire
- Matthew 18:10 Late mss add (traditionally v 11): For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost
- Matthew 18:14 Lit before
- Matthew 18:15 Late mss add against you
- Matthew 18:15 Or correct
- Matthew 18:15 Lit between you and him alone
- Matthew 18:16 Lit mouth
- Matthew 18:16 Lit word
- Matthew 18:17 Lit the
- Matthew 18:17 Lit the
- Matthew 18:18 I.e., forbid
- Matthew 18:18 Gr fut. pft. pass. tense
- Matthew 18:18 I.e., permit
- Matthew 18:18 Gr fut. pft. pass. tense
- Matthew 18:19 Lit from
- Matthew 18:22 Or possibly seventy times seven
- Matthew 18:23 Lit has been compared to
- Matthew 18:24 By one estimate, a debt of 60 million working days for a laborer
- Matthew 18:25 Or was unable to
- Matthew 18:27 Or loan
- Matthew 18:28 The denarius was a day’s wages for a laborer
- Matthew 18:30 Lit but
- Matthew 18:34 I.e., jailors assigned to torture prisoners
- Matthew 18:35 Lit hearts
- Matthew 19:2 Or many
- Matthew 19:3 Lit Him
- Matthew 19:3 Lit saying
- Matthew 19:3 Lit send away
- Matthew 19:8 Lit send away
- Matthew 19:9 Lit sends away
- Matthew 19:9 One early ms makes her commit adultery
- Matthew 19:9 One early ms adds and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery
- Matthew 19:14 Or Permit the children
- Matthew 19:14 Or prevent them from coming
- Matthew 19:21 Or perfect
- Matthew 19:28 Or renewal; i.e., the new world
- Matthew 19:28 Lit the throne of His glory
- Matthew 19:29 One early ms adds or wife
- Matthew 19:29 One early ms a hundred times
- Matthew 20:1 Lit a man, a landowner
- Matthew 20:2 The denarius was a day’s wages for a laborer
- Matthew 20:3 I.e., 9 a.m.
- Matthew 20:5 I.e., noon and 3 p.m.
- Matthew 20:5 Lit similarly
- Matthew 20:6 I.e., 5 p.m.
- Matthew 20:8 Or lord
- Matthew 20:9 The denarius was a day’s wages for a laborer
- Matthew 20:10 Lit each one a denarius
- Matthew 20:15 Lit evil
- Matthew 20:15 Lit good
- Matthew 20:18 Or betrayed
- Matthew 20:20 I.e., the apostles James and John
- Matthew 20:20 Lit Him
- Matthew 20:25 Lit the great ones
- Matthew 20:26 One early ms shall not be
- Matthew 20:26 Lit great
- Matthew 20:28 Or soul
Matthew 14-20
New International Version
Matthew 14-20
New International Version
John the Baptist Beheaded(A)
14 At that time Herod(B) the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus,(C) 2 and he said to his attendants, “This is John the Baptist;(D) he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
3 Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison(E) because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife,(F) 4 for John had been saying to him: “It is not lawful for you to have her.”(G) 5 Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet.(H)
6 On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much 7 that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 9 The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted 10 and had John beheaded(I) in the prison. 11 His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. 12 John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it.(J) Then they went and told Jesus.
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand(K)(L)
13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them(M) and healed their sick.(N)
15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”
16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
17 “We have here only five loaves(O) of bread and two fish,” they answered.
18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves.(P) Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Jesus Walks on the Water(Q)(R)
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.(S) Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,”(T) they said, and cried out in fear.
27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage!(U) It is I. Don’t be afraid.”(V)
28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
29 “Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,”(W) he said, “why did you doubt?”
32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”(X)
34 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him 36 and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak,(Y) and all who touched it were healed.
That Which Defiles(Z)
15 Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”(AA)
3 Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’[a](AB) and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’[b](AC) 5 But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ 6 they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:
8 “‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
9 They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules.(AD)’[c](AE)”
10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them,(AF) but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”(AG)
12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”
13 He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted(AH) will be pulled up by the roots. 14 Leave them; they are blind guides.[d](AI) If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”(AJ)
15 Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.”(AK)
16 “Are you still so dull?”(AL) Jesus asked them. 17 “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart,(AM) and these defile them. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.(AN) 20 These are what defile a person;(AO) but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”
The Faith of a Canaanite Woman(AP)
21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.(AQ) 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David,(AR) have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”(AS)
23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”(AT)
25 The woman came and knelt before him.(AU) “Lord, help me!” she said.
26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith!(AV) Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.
Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand(AW)(AX)(AY)
29 Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. 30 Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them.(AZ) 31 The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.(BA)
32 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people;(BB) they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”
33 His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?”
34 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.
“Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”
35 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. 36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them(BC) and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. 37 They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.(BD) 38 The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children. 39 After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.
The Demand for a Sign(BE)
16 The Pharisees and Sadducees(BF) came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.(BG)
2 He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ 3 and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.[e](BH) 4 A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.”(BI) Jesus then left them and went away.
The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees
5 When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. 6 “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”(BJ)
7 They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.”
8 Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith,(BK) why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? 9 Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?(BL) 10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?(BM) 11 How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.(BN)
Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah(BO)
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist;(BP) others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”(BQ)
15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”(BR)
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood,(BS) but by my Father in heaven.(BT) 18 And I tell you that you are Peter,[f](BU) and on this rock I will build my church,(BV) and the gates of Hades[g] will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys(BW) of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be[h] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[i] loosed in heaven.”(BX) 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone(BY) that he was the Messiah.
Jesus Predicts His Death(BZ)
21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem(CA) and suffer many things(CB) at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law,(CC) and that he must be killed(CD) and on the third day(CE) be raised to life.(CF)
22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan!(CG) You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.(CH) 25 For whoever wants to save their life[j] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.(CI) 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 27 For the Son of Man(CJ) is going to come(CK) in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.(CL)
28 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
The Transfiguration(CM)(CN)
17 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John(CO) the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.(CP) Listen to him!”(CQ)
6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.”(CR) 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone(CS) what you have seen, until the Son of Man(CT) has been raised from the dead.”(CU)
10 The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”
11 Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things.(CV) 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come,(CW) and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished.(CX) In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer(CY) at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.(CZ)
Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy(DA)
14 When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures(DB) and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”
17 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith(DC) as small as a mustard seed,(DD) you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move.(DE) Nothing will be impossible for you.” [21] [k]
Jesus Predicts His Death a Second Time
22 When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man(DF) is going to be delivered into the hands of men. 23 They will kill him,(DG) and on the third day(DH) he will be raised to life.”(DI) And the disciples were filled with grief.
The Temple Tax
24 After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax(DJ) came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?”
25 “Yes, he does,” he replied.
When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes(DK)—from their own children or from others?”
26 “From others,” Peter answered.
“Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him. 27 “But so that we may not cause offense,(DL) go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”
The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven(DM)
18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children,(DN) you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.(DO) 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.(DP) 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.(DQ)
Causing to Stumble
6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.(DR) 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!(DS) 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble,(DT) cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble,(DU) gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.(DV)
The Parable of the Wandering Sheep(DW)
10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels(DX) in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. [11] [l]
12 “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.
Dealing With Sin in the Church
15 “If your brother or sister[m] sins,[n] go and point out their fault,(DY) just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’[o](DZ) 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church;(EA) and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.(EB)
18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be[p] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[q] loosed in heaven.(EC)
19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them(ED) by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”(EE)
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me?(EF) Up to seven times?”(EG)
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[r](EH)
23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like(EI) a king who wanted to settle accounts(EJ) with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold[s] was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay,(EK) the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold(EL) to repay the debt.
26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him.(EM) ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.[t] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’
30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”(EN)
Divorce(EO)
19 When Jesus had finished saying these things,(EP) he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. 2 Large crowds followed him, and he healed them(EQ) there.
3 Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife(ER) for any and every reason?”
4 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’[u](ES) 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’[v]?(ET) 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
7 “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”(EU)
8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”(EV)
10 The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”
11 Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given.(EW) 12 For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”
The Little Children and Jesus(EX)
13 Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them(EY) and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.
14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs(EZ) to such as these.”(FA) 15 When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.
The Rich and the Kingdom of God(FB)
16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life(FC)?”(FD)
17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”(FE)
18 “Which ones?” he inquired.
Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery,(FF) you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,’[w](FG) and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’[x]”(FH)
20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect,(FI) go, sell your possessions and give to the poor,(FJ) and you will have treasure in heaven.(FK) Then come, follow me.”
22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich(FL) to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”(FM)
27 Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you!(FN) What then will there be for us?”
28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne,(FO) you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.(FP) 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife[y] or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.(FQ) 30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.(FR)
The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard
20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like(FS) a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.(FT) 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius[z] for the day and sent them into his vineyard.
3 “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ 5 So they went.
“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. 6 About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’
7 “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.
“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’
8 “When evening came,(FU) the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’
9 “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble(FV) against the landowner. 12 ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat(FW) of the day.’
13 “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend.(FX) Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’(FY)
16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”(FZ)
Jesus Predicts His Death a Third Time(GA)
17 Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, 18 “We are going up to Jerusalem,(GB) and the Son of Man(GC) will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law.(GD) They will condemn him to death 19 and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged(GE) and crucified.(GF) On the third day(GG) he will be raised to life!”(GH)
A Mother’s Request(GI)
20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons(GJ) came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down,(GK) asked a favor of him.
21 “What is it you want?” he asked.
She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”(GL)
22 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup(GM) I am going to drink?”
“We can,” they answered.
23 Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup,(GN) but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”
24 When the ten heard about this, they were indignant(GO) with the two brothers. 25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,(GP) 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man(GQ) did not come to be served, but to serve,(GR) and to give his life as a ransom(GS) for many.”
Two Blind Men Receive Sight(GT)
29 As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. 30 Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David,(GU) have mercy on us!”
31 The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
32 Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.
33 “Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.”
34 Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.
Footnotes
- Matthew 15:4 Exodus 20:12; Deut. 5:16
- Matthew 15:4 Exodus 21:17; Lev. 20:9
- Matthew 15:9 Isaiah 29:13
- Matthew 15:14 Some manuscripts blind guides of the blind
- Matthew 16:3 Some early manuscripts do not have When evening comes … of the times.
- Matthew 16:18 The Greek word for Peter means rock.
- Matthew 16:18 That is, the realm of the dead
- Matthew 16:19 Or will have been
- Matthew 16:19 Or will have been
- Matthew 16:25 The Greek word means either life or soul; also in verse 26.
- Matthew 17:21 Some manuscripts include here words similar to Mark 9:29.
- Matthew 18:11 Some manuscripts include here the words of Luke 19:10.
- Matthew 18:15 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a fellow disciple, whether man or woman; also in verses 21 and 35.
- Matthew 18:15 Some manuscripts sins against you
- Matthew 18:16 Deut. 19:15
- Matthew 18:18 Or will have been
- Matthew 18:18 Or will have been
- Matthew 18:22 Or seventy times seven
- Matthew 18:24 Greek ten thousand talents; a talent was worth about 20 years of a day laborer’s wages.
- Matthew 18:28 Greek a hundred denarii; a denarius was the usual daily wage of a day laborer (see 20:2).
- Matthew 19:4 Gen. 1:27
- Matthew 19:5 Gen. 2:24
- Matthew 19:19 Exodus 20:12-16; Deut. 5:16-20
- Matthew 19:19 Lev. 19:18
- Matthew 19:29 Some manuscripts do not have or wife.
- Matthew 20:2 A denarius was the usual daily wage of a day laborer.
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.