The Parable of the Lost Sheep

¹Now all the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around to listen to Jesus.

²So the Pharisees and scribes began to grumble: “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

³Then Jesus told them this parable:

⁴“What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the pasture and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?

⁵And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders,

⁶comes home, and calls together his friends and neighbors to tell them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep!’

⁷I tell you that in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous ones who do not need to repent.

The Parable of the Lost Coin

⁸Or what woman who has ten silver coinsand loses one of them does not light a lamp, sweep her house, and search carefully until she finds it?

⁹And when she finds it, she calls together her friends and neighbors to say, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost coin.’

¹⁰In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”

The Parable of the Prodigal Son

¹¹Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons.

¹²The younger son said to him, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

¹³After a few days, the younger son got everything together and journeyed to a distant country, where he squandered his wealth in wild living.

¹⁴After he had spent all he had, a severe famine swept through that country, and he began to be in need.

¹⁵So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed the pigs.

¹⁶He longed to fill his belly with the pods the pigs were eating, but no one would give him a thing.

¹⁷Finally he came to his senses and said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have plenty of food, but here I am, starving to death!

¹⁸I will get up and go back to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.

¹⁹I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’

²⁰So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still in the distance, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.

²¹The son declared, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

²²But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.

²³Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let us feast and celebrate.

²⁴For this son of mine was dead and is alive again! He was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.

²⁵Meanwhile the older son was in the field, and as he approached the house, he heard music and dancing.

²⁶So he called one of the servants and asked what was going on.

²⁷‘Your brother has returned,’ he said, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has him back safe and sound.’

²⁸The older son became angry and refused to go in. So his father came out and pleaded with him.

²⁹But he answered his father, ‘Look, all these years I have served you and never disobeyed a commandment of yours. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.

³⁰But when this son of yours returns from squandering your wealth with prostitutes, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

³¹‘Son, you are always with me,’ the father said, ‘and all that is mine is yours.

³²But it was fitting to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

The Pool of Bethesda

¹Some time later there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

²Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool with five covered colonnades, which in Hebrewis called Bethesda.

³On these walkwayslay a great number of the sick, the blind, the lame, and the paralyzed.

⁵One man there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.

⁶When Jesus saw him lying there and realized that he had spent a long time in this condition, He asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

⁷“Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am on my way, someone else goes in before me.”

⁸Then Jesus told him, “Get up, pick up your mat, and walk.”

⁹Immediately the man was made well, and he picked up his mat and began to walk.Now this happened on the Sabbath day,

¹⁰so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “This is the Sabbath! It is unlawful for you to carry your mat.”

¹¹But he answered, “The man who made me well told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’”

¹²“Who is this man who told you to pick it up and walk?” they asked.

¹³But the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away while the crowd was there.

¹⁴Afterward, Jesus found the man at the temple and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Stop sinning, or something worse may happen to you.”

¹⁵And the man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.

The Father and the Son

¹⁶Now because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews began to persecute Him.

¹⁷But Jesus answered them, “To this very day My Father is at His work, and I too am working.”

¹⁸Because of this, the Jews tried all the harder to kill Him. Not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.

¹⁹So Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself, unless He sees the Father doing it. For whatever the Father does, the Son also does.

²⁰The Father loves the Son and shows Him all He does. And to your amazement, He will show Him even greater works than these.

²¹For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He wishes.

²²Furthermore, the Father judges no one, but has assigned all judgment to the Son,

²³so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

²⁴Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment. Indeed, he has crossed over from death to life.

²⁵Truly, truly, I tell you, the hour is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.

²⁶For as the Father has life in Himself, so also He has granted the Son to have life in Himself.

²⁷And He has given Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.

²⁸Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice

²⁹and come out—those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

³⁰I can do nothing by Myself; I judge only as I hear. And My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

Testimonies about Jesus

³¹If I testify about Myself, My testimony is not valid.

³²There is another who testifies about Me, and I know that His testimony about Me is valid.

³³You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth.

³⁴Even though I do not accept human testimony, I say these things so that you may be saved.

³⁵John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you were willing for a season to bask in his light.

³⁶But I have testimony more substantial than that of John. For the works that the Father has given Me to accomplish—the very works I am doing—testify about Me that the Father has sent Me.

³⁷And the Father who sent Me has Himself testified about Me. You have never heard His voice nor seen His form,

³⁸nor does His word abide in you, because you do not believe the One He sent.

The Witness of Scripture

³⁹You pore over the Scriptures because you presume that by them you possess eternal life. These are the very words that testify about Me,

⁴⁰yet you refuse to come to Me to have life.

⁴¹I do not accept glory from men,

⁴²but I know you, that you do not have the love of God within you.

⁴³I have come in My Father’s name, and you have not received Me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will receive him.

⁴⁴How can you believe if you accept glory from one another, yet do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?

⁴⁵Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, in whom you have put your hope.

⁴⁶If you had believed Moses, you would believe Me, because he wrote about Me.

⁴⁷But since you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?”

The Sermon on the Mount

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

²and He began to teach them, saying:

The Beatitudes

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

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

⁵Blessed are the meek,for they will inherit the earth.

⁶Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,for they will be filled.

⁷Blessed are the merciful,for they will be shown mercy.

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

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

¹⁰Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.

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

Salt and Light

¹³You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its savor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

¹⁴You are the light of the world. A city on a hillcannot be hidden.

¹⁵Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they set it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.

¹⁶In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

The Fulfillment of the Law

¹⁷Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them.

¹⁸For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

¹⁹So then, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do likewise will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever practices and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

²⁰For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Anger and Reconciliation

²¹You have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not murder’and ‘Anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’

²²But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brotherwill be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’will be subject to the Sanhedrin.But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to the fire of hell.

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

²⁴leave your gift there before the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

²⁵Reconcile quickly with your adversary, while you are still on the way to court. Otherwise, he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.

²⁶Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

Adultery

²⁷You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’

²⁸But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

²⁹If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

³⁰And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to depart into hell.

Divorce

³¹It has also been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’

³²But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, brings adultery upon her.And he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Oaths and Vows

³³Again, you have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.’

³⁴But I tell you not to swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne;

³⁵or by the earth, for it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.

³⁶Nor should you swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black.

³⁷Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ Anything more comes from the evil one.

Love Your Enemies

³⁸You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’

³⁹But I tell you not to resist an evil person. If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also;

⁴⁰if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well;

⁴¹and if someone forces you to go one mile,go with him two miles.

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

⁴³You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’and ‘Hate your enemy.’

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

⁴⁵that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

⁴⁶If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even tax collectors do the same?

⁴⁷And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even Gentiles do the same?

⁴⁸Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

A Father’s Discipline

¹A wise son heeds his father’s discipline,but a mocker does not listen to rebuke.

²From the fruit of his lips a man enjoys good things,but the desire of the faithless is violence.

³He who guards his mouth protects his life,but the one who opens his lips invites his own ruin.

⁴The slacker craves yet has nothing,but the soul of the diligent is fully satisfied.

⁵The righteous hate falsehood,but the wicked bring shame and disgrace.

⁶Righteousness guards the man of integrity,but wickedness undermines the sinner.

⁷One pretends to be rich, but has nothing;another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.

⁸Riches may ransom a man’s life,but a poor man hears no threat.

⁹The light of the righteous shines brightly,but the lamp of the wicked is extinguished.

¹⁰Arrogance leads only to strife,but wisdom is with the well-advised.

¹¹Dishonest wealth will dwindle,but what is earned through hard work will be multiplied.

¹²Hope deferred makes the heart sick,but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

¹³He who despises instruction will pay the penalty,but the one who respects a command will be rewarded.

¹⁴The teachingof the wise is a fountain of life,turning one from the snares of death.

¹⁵Good understanding wins favor,but the way of the faithless is difficult.

¹⁶Every prudent man acts with knowledge,but a fool displays his folly.

¹⁷A wicked messenger falls into trouble,but a faithful envoy brings healing.

¹⁸Poverty and shame come to him who ignores discipline,but whoever heeds correction is honored.

¹⁹Desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul,but turning from evil is detestable to fools.

²⁰He who walks with the wise will become wise,but the companion of fools will be destroyed.

²¹Disaster pursues sinners,but prosperity is the reward of the righteous.

²²A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,but the sinner’s wealth is passed to the righteous.

²³Abundant food is in the fallow ground of the poor,but without justice it is swept away.

²⁴He who spares the rod hates his son,but he who loves him disciplines him diligently.

²⁵A righteous man eats to his heart’s content,but the stomach of the wicked is empty.