John’s Inquiry

¹After Jesus had finished instructing His twelve disciples, He went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.

²Meanwhile John heard in prison about the works of Christ, and he sent his disciples

³to ask Him, “Are You the One who was to come, or should we look for someone else?”

⁴Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see:

⁵The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepersare cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.

⁶Blessed is the one who does not fall away on account of Me.”

Jesus Testifies about John

⁷As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind?

⁸Otherwise, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? Look, those who wear fine clothing are found in kings’ palaces.

⁹What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

¹⁰This is the one about whom it is written:‘Behold, I will send My messenger ahead of You,who will prepare Your way before You.’

¹¹Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

¹²From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subject to violence,and the violent lay claim to it.

¹³For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.

¹⁴And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.

¹⁵He who has ears,let him hear.

¹⁶To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:

¹⁷‘We played the flute for you,and you did not dance;we sang a dirge,and you did not mourn.’

¹⁸For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’

¹⁹The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at this glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is vindicated by her actions.”

Woe to the Unrepentant

²⁰Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles had been performed, because they did not repent.

²¹“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

²²But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.

²³And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day.

²⁴But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

Rest for the Weary

²⁵At that time Jesus declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.

²⁶Yes, Father, for this was well-pleasing in Your sight.

²⁷All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.

²⁸Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

²⁹Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

³⁰For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

The Faith of the Centurion

¹When Jesus had concluded His discourse in the hearing of the people, He went to Capernaum.

²There a highly valued servant of a centurion was sick and about to die.

³When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to ask Him to come and heal his servant.

⁴They came to Jesus and pleaded with Him earnestly, “This man is worthy to have You grant this,

⁵for he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.”

⁶So Jesus went with them. But when He was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends with the message: “Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy to have You come under my roof.

⁷That is why I did not consider myself worthy to come to You. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.

⁸For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell one to go, and he goes, and another to come, and he comes. I tell my servant to do something, and he does it.”

⁹When Jesus heard this, He marveled at the centurion. Turning to the crowd following Him, He said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith.”

¹⁰And when the messengers returned to the house, they found the servant in good health.

Jesus Raises a Widow’s Son

¹¹Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain. His disciples went with Him, accompanied by a large crowd.

¹²As He approached the town gate, He saw a dead man being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her.

¹³When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said, “Do not weep.”

¹⁴Then He went up and touched the coffin,and those carrying it stood still. “Young man,” He said, “I tell you, get up!”

¹⁵And the dead man sat up and began to speak! Then Jesus gave him back to his mother.

¹⁶A sense of awe swept over all of them, and they glorified God. “A great prophet has appeared among us!” they said. “God has visited His people!”

¹⁷And the news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding region.

John’s Inquiry

¹⁸Then John’s disciples informed him about all these things.

¹⁹So John called two of his disciples and sent them to ask the Lord, “Are You the One who was to come, or should we look for someone else?”

²⁰When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to ask, ‘Are You the One who was to come, or should we look for someone else?’”

²¹At that very hour Jesus healed many people of their diseases, afflictions, and evil spirits, and He gave sight to many who were blind.

²²So He replied, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepersare cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.

²³Blessed is the one who does not fall away on account of Me.”

Jesus Testifies about John

²⁴After John’s messengers had left, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind?

²⁵Otherwise, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? Look, those who wear elegant clothing and live in luxury are found in palaces.

²⁶What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

²⁷This is the one about whom it is written:‘Behold, I will send My messenger ahead of You,who will prepare Your way before You.’

²⁸I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John, yet even the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

²⁹All the people who heard this, even the tax collectors, acknowledged God’s justice. For they had received the baptism of John.

³⁰But the Pharisees and experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.

³¹“To what, then, can I compare the men of this generation? What are they like?

³²They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to one another:‘We played the flute for you,and you did not dance;we sang a dirge,and you did not weep.’

³³For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’

³⁴The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at this glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’

³⁵But wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

A Sinful Woman Anoints Jesus

³⁶Then one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to eat with him, and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table.

³⁷When a sinful woman from that town learned that Jesus was dining there, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume.

³⁸As she stood behind Him at His feet weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears and wipe them with her hair. Then she kissed His feet and anointed them with the perfume.

³⁹When the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, He would know who this is and what kind of woman is touching Him—for she is a sinner!”

⁴⁰But Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”“Tell me, Teacher,” he said.

⁴¹“Two men were debtors to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,and the other fifty.

⁴²When they were unable to repay him, he forgave both of them. Which one, then, will love him more?”

⁴³“I suppose the one who was forgiven more,” Simon replied.“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

⁴⁴And turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give Me water for My feet, but she wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.

⁴⁵You did not greet Me with a kiss, but she has not stopped kissing My feet since I arrived.

⁴⁶You did not anoint My head with oil, but she has anointed My feet with perfume.

⁴⁷Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven, for she has loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”

⁴⁸Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

⁴⁹But those at the table began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

⁵⁰And Jesus told the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

The Beheading of John

¹At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus

²and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

³Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife,

⁴because John had been telling him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”

⁵Although Herod wanted to kill John, he was afraid of the people, because they regarded John as a prophet.

⁶On Herod’s birthday, however, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod

⁷so much that he promised with an oath to give to her whatever she asked.

⁸Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”

⁹The king was grieved, but because of his oaths and his guests, he ordered that her wish be granted

¹⁰and sent to have John beheaded in the prison.

¹¹John’s head was brought in on a platter and presented to the girl, who carried it to her mother.

¹²Then John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. And they went and informed Jesus.

The Feeding of the Five Thousand

¹³When Jesus heard about John, He withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. But the crowds found out about it and followed Him on foot from the towns.

¹⁴When He stepped ashore and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them and healed their sick.

¹⁵When evening came, the disciples came to Him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is already late. Dismiss the crowds so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”

¹⁶“They do not need to go away,” Jesus replied. “You give them something to eat.”

¹⁷“We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.

¹⁸“Bring them here to Me,” Jesus said.

¹⁹And He directed the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He spoke a blessing. Then He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.

²⁰They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

²¹About five thousand men were fed, besides women and children.

Jesus Walks on Water

²²Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowds.

²³After He had dismissed them, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone,

²⁴but the boat was already farfrom land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

²⁵During the fourth watch of the night,Jesus went out to them, walking on the sea.

²⁶When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost!” they said, and cried out in fear.

²⁷But Jesus spoke up at once: “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.”

²⁸“Lord, if it is You,” Peter replied, “command me to come to You on the water.”

²⁹“Come,” said Jesus.Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus.

³⁰But when he saw the strength of the wind,he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

³¹Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and took hold of Peter. “You of little faith,” He said, “why did you doubt?”

³²And when they had climbed back into the boat, the wind died down.

³³Then those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God!”

Jesus Heals at Gennesaret

³⁴When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret.

³⁵And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding region. People brought all the sick to Him

³⁶and begged Him just to let them touch the fringe of His cloak. And all who touched Him were healed.

Delight Yourself in the LORD

¹Do not fret over those who do evil;do not envy those who do wrong.

²For they wither quickly like grassand wilt like tender plants.

³Trust in the LORD and do good;dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.

⁴Delight yourself in the LORD,and He will give you the desires of your heart.

⁵Commit your way to the LORD;trust in Him, and He will do it.

⁶He will bring forth your righteousness like the dawn,your justice like the noonday sun.

⁷Be still before the LORDand wait patiently for Him;do not fret when men prosper in their ways,when they carry out wicked schemes.

⁸Refrain from anger and abandon wrath;do not fret—it can only bring harm.

⁹For the evildoers will be cut off,but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

¹⁰Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more;though you look for them, they will not be found.

¹¹But the meek will inherit the landand delight in abundant prosperity.

¹²The wicked scheme against the righteousand gnash their teeth at them,

¹³but the Lord laughs,seeing that their day is coming.

¹⁴The wicked have drawn the swordand bent the bowto bring down the poor and needy,to slay those whose ways are upright.

¹⁵But their swords will pierce their own hearts,and their bows will be broken.

¹⁶Better is the little of the righteousthan the abundance of many who are wicked.

¹⁷For the arms of the wicked will be broken,but the LORD upholds the righteous.

¹⁸The LORD knows the days of the blameless,and their inheritance will last forever.

¹⁹In the time of evil they will not be ashamed,and in the days of famine they will be satisfied.

²⁰But the wicked and enemies of the LORDwill perish like the glory of the fields.They will vanish;like smoke they will fade away.

²¹The wicked borrow and do not repay,but the righteous are gracious and giving.

²²Surely those He blesses will inherit the land,but the cursed will be destroyed.

²³The steps of a man are ordered by the LORDwho takes delight in his journey.

²⁴Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed,for the LORD is holding his hand.

²⁵I once was young and now am old,yet never have I seen the righteous abandonedor their children begging for bread.

²⁶They are ever generous and quick to lend,and their children are a blessing.

²⁷Turn away from evil and do good,so that you will abide forever.

²⁸For the LORD loves justiceand will not forsake His saints.They are preserved forever,but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off.

²⁹The righteous will inherit the landand dwell in it forever.

³⁰The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom,and his tongue speaks justice.

³¹The law of his God is in his heart;his steps do not falter.

³²Though the wicked lie in wait for the righteous,and seek to slay them,

³³the LORD will not leave them in their poweror let them be condemned under judgment.

³⁴Wait for the LORD and keep His way,and He will raise you up to inherit the land.When the wicked are cut off,you will see it.

³⁵I have seen a wicked, ruthless manflourishing like a well-rooted native tree,

³⁶yet he passed away and was no more;though I searched, he could not be found.

³⁷Consider the blameless and observe the upright,for posterity awaits the man of peace.

³⁸But the transgressors will all be destroyed;the future of the wicked will be cut off.

³⁹The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;He is their stronghold in time of trouble.

⁴⁰The LORD helps and delivers them;He rescues and saves them from the wicked,because they take refuge in Him.