The Resurrection

¹When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so they could go and anoint the body of Jesus.

²Very early on the first day of the week,just after sunrise, they went to the tomb.

³They were asking one another, “Who will roll away the stone from the entrance of the tomb?”

⁴But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, even though it was extremely large.

⁵When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

⁶But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here! See the place where they put Him.

⁷But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him, just as He told you.’”

⁸So the women left the tomb and ran away, trembling and bewildered. And in their fear they did not say a word to anyone.

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

⁹Early on the first day of the week, after Jesus had risen,He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had driven out seven demons.

¹⁰She went and told those who had been with Him, who were mourning and weeping.

¹¹And when they heard that Jesus was alive and she had seen Him, they did not believe it.

Jesus Appears to Two Disciples

¹²After this, Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them as they walked along in the country.

¹³And they went back and reported it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.

The Great Commission

¹⁴Later, as they were eating, Jesus appeared to the Eleven and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.

¹⁵And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

¹⁶Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

¹⁷And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;

¹⁸they will pick up snakes with their hands, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not harm them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will be made well.”

The Ascension

¹⁹After the Lord Jesushad spoken to them, He was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.

²⁰And they went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked through them, confirming His word by the signs that accompanied it.

The Woman Caught in Adultery

¹But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

²Early in the morning He went back into the temple courts.All the people came to Him, and He sat down to teach them.

³The scribes and Pharisees, however, brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before them

⁴and said, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.

⁵In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such a woman. So what do You say?”

⁶They said this to test Him, in order to have a basis for accusing Him. But Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with His finger.

⁷When they continued to question Him, He straightened up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to cast a stone at her.”

⁸And again He bent down and wrote on the ground.

⁹When they heard this,they began to go away one by one, beginning with the older ones, until only Jesus was left, with the woman standing there.

¹⁰Then Jesus straightened upand asked her, “Woman, where are your accusers?Has no one condemned you?”

¹¹“No one, Lord,” she answered.“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Now go and sin no more.”

Jesus the Light of the World

¹²Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”

¹³So the Pharisees said to Him, “You are testifying about Yourself; Your testimony is not valid.”

¹⁴Jesus replied, “Even if I testify about Myself, My testimony is valid, because I know where I came from and where I am going. But you do not know where I came from or where I am going.

¹⁵You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.

¹⁶But even if I do judge, My judgment is true, because I am not alone; I am with the Father who sent Me.

¹⁷Even in your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid.

¹⁸I am One who testifies about Myself, and the Father, who sent Me, also testifies about Me.”

¹⁹“Where is Your Father?” they asked Him.“You do not know Me or My Father,” Jesus answered. “If you knew Me, you would know My Father as well.”

²⁰He spoke these words while teaching in the temple courts, near the treasury. Yet no one seized Him, because His hour had not yet come.

²¹Again He said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for Me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.”

²²So the Jews began to ask, “Will He kill Himself, since He says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?”

²³Then He told them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.

²⁴That is why I told you that you would die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

²⁵“Who are You?” they asked.“Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied.

²⁶“I have much to say about you and much to judge. But the One who sent Me is truthful, and what I have heard from Him, I tell the world.”

²⁷They did not understand that He was telling them about the Father.

²⁸So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing on My own, but speak exactly what the Father has taught Me.

²⁹He who sent Me is with Me. He has not left Me alone, because I always do what pleases Him.”

The Truth Will Set You Free

³⁰As Jesus spoke these things, many believed in Him.

³¹So He said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples.

³²Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

³³“We are Abraham’s descendants,” they answered. “We have never been slaves to anyone. How can You say we will be set free?”

³⁴Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.

³⁵A slave does not remain in the house forever, but a son remains forever.

³⁶So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

³⁷I know you are Abraham’s descendants, but you are trying to kill Me because My word has no place within you.

³⁸I speak of what I have seen in the presence of the Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”

³⁹“Abraham is our father,” they replied.“If you were children of Abraham,” said Jesus, “you would do the works of Abraham.

⁴⁰But now you are trying to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham never did such a thing.

⁴¹You are doing the works of your father.”“We are not illegitimate children,” they declared. “Our only Father is God Himself.”

⁴²Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on My own, but He sent Me.

⁴³Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you are unable to accept My message.

⁴⁴You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies.

⁴⁵But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me!

⁴⁶Which of you can prove Me guilty of sin? If I speak the truth, why do you not believe Me?

⁴⁷Whoever belongs to God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

Before Abraham Was Born, I Am

⁴⁸The Jews answered Him, “Are we not right to say that You are a Samaritan and You have a demon?”

⁴⁹“I do not have a demon,” Jesus replied, “but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.

⁵⁰I do not seek My own glory. There is One who seeks it, and He is the Judge.

⁵¹Truly, truly, I tell you, if anyone keeps My word, he will never see death.”

⁵²“Now we know that You have a demon!” declared the Jews. “Abraham died, and so did the prophets, yet You say that anyone who keeps Your word will never taste death.

⁵³Are You greater than our father Abraham? He died, as did the prophets. Who do You claim to be?”

⁵⁴Jesus answered, “If I glorify Myself, My glory means nothing. The One who glorifies Me is My Father, of whom you say, ‘He is ourGod.’

⁵⁵You do not know Him, but I know Him. If I said I did not know Him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know Him, and I keep His word.

⁵⁶Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see My day. He saw it and was glad.”

⁵⁷Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and You have seen Abraham?”

⁵⁸“Truly, truly, I tell you,” Jesus declared, “before Abraham was born, I am!”

⁵⁹At this, they picked up stones to throw at Him. But Jesus was hidden and went out of the temple area.

The Tradition of the Elders

¹Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus,

²and they saw some of His disciples eating with hands that were defiled—that is, unwashed.

³Now in holding to the tradition of the elders, the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat until they wash their hands ceremonially.

⁴And on returning from the market, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions for them to observe, including the washing of cups, pitchers, kettles, and couches for dining.

⁵So the Pharisees and scribes questioned Jesus: “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders? Instead, they eat with defiled hands.”

⁶Jesus answered them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written:‘These people honor Me with their lips,but their hearts are far from Me.

⁷They worship Me in vain;they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’

⁸You have disregarded the commandment of God to keep the tradition of men.”

⁹He went on to say, “You neatly set aside the command of God to maintainyour own tradition.

¹⁰For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’

¹¹But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever you would have received from me is Corban’ (that is, a gift devoted to God),

¹²he is no longer permitted to do anything for his father or mother.

¹³Thus you nullify the word of God by the tradition you have handed down. And you do so in many such matters.”

What Defiles a Man

¹⁴Once again Jesus called the crowd to Him and said, “All of you, listen to Me and understand:

¹⁵Nothing that enters a man from the outside can defile him; but the things that come out of a man, these are what defile him.”

¹⁷After Jesus had left the crowd and gone into the house, His disciples inquired about the parable.

¹⁸“Are you still so dull?” He asked. “Do you not understand? Nothing that enters a man from the outside can defile him,

¹⁹because it does not enter his heart, but it goes into the stomach and then is eliminated.” (Thus all foods are clean.)

²⁰He continued: “What comes out of a man, that is what defiles him.

²¹For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,

²²greed, wickedness, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, arrogance, and foolishness.

²³All these evils come from within, and these are what defile a man.”

The Faith of the Gentile Woman

²⁴Jesus left that place and went to the region of Tyre.Not wanting anyone to know He was there, He entered a house, but was unable to escape their notice.

²⁵Instead, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit soon heard about Jesus, and she came and fell at His feet.

²⁶Now she was a Greek woman of Syrophoenician origin, and she kept asking Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.

²⁷“First let the children have their fill,” He said. “For it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

²⁸“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “even the dogsunder the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

²⁹Then Jesus told her, “Because of this answer, you may go. The demon has left your daughter.”

³⁰And she went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon was gone.

The Deaf and Mute Man

³¹Then Jesus left the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis.

³²Some people brought to Him a man who was deaf and hardly able to speak, and they begged Jesus to place His hand on him.

³³So Jesus took him aside privately, away from the crowd, and put His fingers into the man’s ears. Then He spit and touched the man’s tongue.

³⁴And looking up to heaven, He sighed deeply and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means, “Be opened!”).

³⁵Immediatelythe man’s ears were opened and his tongue was released, and he began to speak plainly.

³⁶Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more He ordered them, the more widely they proclaimed it.

³⁷The people were utterly astonished and said, “He has done all things well! He makes even the deaf hear and the mute speak!”

Give Thanks to the LORD, for He Is Good

¹Hallelujah!Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;His loving devotion endures forever.

²Who can describe the mighty acts of the LORDor fully proclaim His praise?

³Blessed are those who uphold justice,who practice righteousness at all times.

⁴Remember me, O LORD, in Your favor to Your people;visit me with Your salvation,

⁵that I may see the prosperity of Your chosen ones,and rejoice in the gladness of Your nation,and give glory with Your inheritance.

⁶We have sinned like our fathers;we have done wrong and acted wickedly.

⁷Our fathers in Egypt did not grasp Your wondersor remember Your abundant kindness;but they rebelled by the sea,there at the Red Sea.

⁸Yet He saved them for the sake of His name,to make His power known.

⁹He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up;He led them through the depths as through a desert.

¹⁰He saved them from the hand that hated them;He redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.

¹¹The waters covered their foes;not one of them remained.

¹²Then they believed His promisesand sang His praise.

¹³Yet they soon forgot His worksand failed to wait for His counsel.

¹⁴They craved intensely in the wildernessand tested God in the desert.

¹⁵So He granted their request,but sent a wasting disease upon them.

¹⁶In the camp they envied Moses,as well as Aaron, the holy one of the LORD.

¹⁷The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan;it covered the assembly of Abiram.

¹⁸Then fire blazed through their company;flames consumed the wicked.

¹⁹At Horebthey made a calfand worshiped a molten image.

²⁰They exchanged their Gloryfor the image of a grass-eating ox.

²¹They forgot God their Savior,who did great things in Egypt,

²²wondrous works in the land of Ham,and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.

²³So He said He would destroy them—had not Moses His chosen onestood before Him in the breachto divert His wrath from destroying them.

²⁴They despised the pleasant land;they did not believe His promise.

²⁵They grumbled in their tentsand did not listen to the voice of the LORD.

²⁶So He raised His hand and sworeto cast them down in the wilderness,

²⁷to dispersetheir offspring among the nationsand scatter them throughout the lands.

²⁸They yoked themselves to Baal of Peorand ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods.

²⁹So they provoked the LORD to anger with their deeds,and a plague broke out among them.

³⁰But Phinehas stood and intervened,and the plague was restrained.

³¹It was credited to him as righteousnessfor endless generations to come.

³²At the waters of Meribahthey angered the LORD,and trouble came to Moses because of them.

³³For they rebelled against His Spirit,and Moses spoke rashly with his lips.

³⁴They did not destroy the peoplesas the LORD had commanded them,

³⁵but they mingled with the nationsand adopted their customs.

³⁶They worshiped their idols,which became a snare to them.

³⁷They sacrificed their sonsand their daughters to demons.

³⁸They shed innocent blood—the blood of their sons and daughters,whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,and the land was polluted with blood.

³⁹They defiled themselves by their actionsand prostituted themselves by their deeds.

⁴⁰So the anger of the LORD burned against His people,and He abhorred His own inheritance.

⁴¹He delivered them into the hand of the nations,and those who hated them ruled over them.

⁴²Their enemies oppressed themand subdued them under their hand.

⁴³Many times He rescued them,but they were bent on rebellionand sank down in their iniquity.

⁴⁴Nevertheless He heard their cry;He took note of their distress.

⁴⁵And He remembered His covenant with them,and relented by the abundance of His loving devotion.

⁴⁶He made them objects of compassionto all who held them captive.

⁴⁷Save us, O LORD our God,and gather us from the nations,that we may give thanks to Your holy name,that we may glory in Your praise.

⁴⁸Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,from everlasting to everlasting.Let all the people say, “Amen!”Hallelujah!